The U.S. and
Canadian Seaway Corporations marked the opening of the Seaway’s 58th
navigation season Monday with the transit of Canada Steamship Lines’ Thunder
Bay through Lock 3 on the Welland Canal.
The ship, carrying
a load of road salt, will be replenishing stocks depleted by ice storms
which repeatedly struck Eastern Canada over the winter.
“The Great Lakes
St. Lawrence Seaway System continues to be an environmentally sustainable,
vital route for commerce in the global supply chain,” said Betty Sutton,
Administrator of the U.S. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC).
“The Great Lakes region, North America’s ‘Opportunity Belt’ is a thriving
and influential destination and the Seaway System connects this region to
the world. Businesses are choosing to move their cargo through the Seaway
System because of the economic benefits, safety, and reliability of our
waterway, and its direct access to the heartland of North America.”
“We certainly
welcome the warmer weather. A return to an opening in the third week of
March provides our clients with the opportunity to move cargo in a timely
manner, and make the most of the navigation season,” said Terence Bowles,
President and CEO of The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC).
Allister Paterson,
President of Canada Steamship Lines (CSL), served as the keynote speaker at
the opening. “It’s an honor for CSL to be opening the Seaway this year with
Thunder Bay, one of our state-of-the-art Trillium Class self-unloading
Lakers. Like her five sister ships, this vessel is part of a new generation
of vessels in the Lakes that are more energy efficient,
environmentally-friendly, reliable and safe,” said Paterson.
"The ongoing
investment in new vessels by a variety of Seaway carriers underscores our
customers’ faith in the future of the waterway,” said the SLSMC’s Bowles.
“In parallel with our customers’ investments, the Seaway’s award winning
modernization program is now well-over 50 percent complete, with Hands-Free
Mooring operational at eight of the Seaway’s locks. We are making steady
progress in bringing about gains in efficiency and safety for all concerned,
ensuring a highly competitive transportation system for years to come.”
K+S Windsor Salt
ships the majority of the production coming from its Ojibway Mine in Windsor
via the Great Lakes/Seaway System. Francois Allard, Director Marine
Distribution for K + S Windsor Salt Ltd., said, “Not only is the Seaway
transportation system the most cost-effective way to reach our markets, it
also minimizes our impact on the environment. The Thunder Bay’s transit from
the Ojibway mine to Bowmanville takes almost 1,000 truckloads off Ontario
highways. It’s important that all levels of government continue to invest in
infrastructure along this waterway and we applaud the modernization of the
lock system.”
In terms of the
outlook for 2016, the SLSMC’s Terence Bowles noted that a lower Canadian
dollar may spur more Canadian exports this year.
“The combination of
a rebound in Canadian manufacturing activity, a solid U.S. economy, and the
prospect of more trade with Europe brings about several catalysts which may
boost Seaway tonnage,” said Bowles.
Over 227,000 jobs
and $35 billion in economic activity are supported by the movement of
various cargoes on the Great Lakes Seaway System.