THUNDER BAY – If looking out onto Lake Superior in September it seemed there were more vessels in Thunder Bay, you are right. The Port of Thunder Bay experienced its strongest September in two decades, with 1.2 million metric tonnes of cargo transiting the port during the month. The last time cargo volumes reached this level for the month of September was in 1997.
Strong shipments of freshly harvested grain from the Prairies had the most significant impact on cargo volumes for the month. Grain shipments were 33% above average, tallying just over
1 million metric tonnes. Year-to-date grain volumes are now 3% higher than the five-year average.
Coal shipments are also well above the year-to-date five-year average. At 575,000 metric tonnes, the port has now moved more coal in 2016 than during the entire 2015 shipping season.
The port was called upon by 17 foreign ‘salty’ vessels during the month -the most of any September since 2000.
Several of those salties delivered project cargo shipments at Thunder Bay Port Authority’s Keefer Terminal. Project cargoes handled at Keefer included transformers , heavy machinery , containers, and a used OSB plant.
As harvesting continues on the Prairies, Thunder Bay Port Authority expects strong shipments of grain for the remainder of the shipping season.
