Ontario Supports Expansion of Port of Thunder Bay
Province Increasing Port Capacity, Strengthening Local Economy
Ontario is helping Thunder Bay Port Authority expand its dock-side operations and construct a new storage facility to handle more cargo.
With an investment of $1 million through the province’s Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Thunder Bay Port Authority is building on its Keefer Terminal operations. The project involves the removal of an obsolete building to create a larger loading area and constructing a new 40,000 square-foot storage facility that will allow the port to handle more goods.
Since 2003, the province has committed over $1.1 billion through the NOHFC to 7,310 projects, leveraging more than $3.9 billion in direct economic activity and creating or sustaining over 27,500 jobs in Northern Ontario.
Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in the province’s history — about $160 billion over 12 years, which is making 110,000 jobs possible every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.
Investing in economic development in the North is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in talent and skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history and investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.
Quick Facts
- Thunder Bay Port Authority is a government business enterprise with a mission to promote and invest in the efficient integration of marine, rail, and road transportation systems and participate in the region’s economic development.
- The Keefer Terminal complex – a marine warehouse/storage/intermodal facility – handles cargo destined for Western Canada and serves the major industries in Northwestern Ontario.
- For the 2015 shipping season, the Port of Thunder Bay handled 8.9 million metric tonnes, ranking as the third-strongest year since 2000.
- In 2014, Thunder Bay Port Authority provided record financial results and led to the generation of $1.5 million from operations.
- In 2011, Thunder Bay Port Authority received a $1 million NOHFC investment to acquire a new crane capable of lifting up to 104 tonnes of cargo between marine vessels and rail or truck trailers
- In the Thunder Bay area, the NOHFC has invested about $181 million in 1,453 projects that have helped generate or retain more than 5,500 jobs since 2003.
- The NOHFC’s investments in the North’s transportation infrastructure are an important part of the Ontario government’s Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.
