Thunder Bay Port CEO Optimistic About
The 2009 Season
by Scott A. Sumner
www.thunderbaybusiness.ca
The seaway opens on March 31st this year so it is not far away that the Thunder Bay Port will open here. The icebreaker are on the way, according to Tim Heney CEO of the Thunder Bay Port Authority. Heney is looking forward to a great future for the Thunder Bay Port for several
reasons.
“We had kinda a turn around year in 2008 with some big breakthroughs working with CN. We developed the corridor from Thunder Bay and dispelled all of the clearance issues that had been out there. CN upgraded some bridges and we moved some record pieces out of the Port. We are on the map now that Thunder Bay is a competitive gateway and we are getting a lot of inquires as a result of it,” said Heney. “ We proved the capability in terms of weight and dimensions in Thunder Bay. It is a direct rail route and one of only two ports with two railways direct ( CN and CP ) to the port. The dimensions loads are at the edge in terms of what they can carry but they have proved they can to do it.”
Grain was slow for the Port throughout much of 2008 but picked up at the end of the season with one of the problems being ship supply. “ We didn't have enough ocean vessels due to high freight rates. The lake fleet was involved mostly in moving iron ore in different directions
than they traditional to do. This year things have turned around dramatically. Freight rates are the most competitive in history and lake freighters are looking for things to do.” said Heney
The Thunder Bay Port is a member of the Thunder Bay Oil Sands Consortium and has had good success in gaining awareness as a place to ship new forms of cargo. “We have been going out west for 18 years and basically preaching we can be competitive in this business. They always said we didn’t have the clearances to handle large bulky shipments such as wind turbines but that has all been dispelled now. Everyone is looking at that competitive advantage and saving money is back in style. I thought it was always in style,” smiled Heney. “ Even with a
down turn in the west people are looking for new routes to save money. Thunder Bay is right at the head of line. We have the potential to up our business and even take some away from Houston which does 11 million tons a year in freight and is a very competitive port but a long way away from the oil sands. If you do the math Thunder Bay might get some business.”
This year the Thunder Bay Port have 4 ships with wind turbines and a ship from Suncor already booked. “ It is just getting started. We have turned the corner in the Port. There are some really interesting opportunities. Trans Canada Pipe is talking to us about the Alaska Pipe Line bringing pipes through here in 2010 or beyond. That would bring in full sized sea vessels and that is something we can put grain in and ship back so we win two ways,” said Heney. “ The TBOSC is a very interesting idea, with it getting a lot of exposure out west. It has
got the potential to bring work to Thunder Bay and get us on the map.We now have to execute on a major project.”
