Future Good Opportunities Possible at the
Port of Thunder Bay
by Scott A. Sumner
I asked Pat Bushby, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Port of Thunder Bay, some questions about how the Port has done last season and future prospects for 2026 and beyond.
How did the 2025 season go for the Port of Thunder Bay and what do you expect for the 2026 season?
“ It was an excellent year at the Port of Thunder Bay with some record tonnage moving through the facilities.”
“ Personally I think 2026 will continue to be a good year for the Port of Thunder Bay with many opportunities. The only swing product might be Canola as China has lifted their ban, which has been on again, off again. The ban created more Canola moving east through the Port of Thunder Bay. Overall I think there is still a lot of product to be moved on the grain side of things. We will have to see how the next crop develops once planted in the spring but early indications are positive. We are continually working on maintaining and building existing business, some of that being project cargo such as wind turbines and potash which remain strong
. ” We are also keenly focused on cargo diversification.”
Are there some potential unique new cargo ideas for the Port?
“ We are looking at supporting an energy corridor for oil and gas through Thunder Bay, putting it on tankers here and moving through the Great Lakes, and the seaway to eastern destinations. If this could happen it would be a game changer. The Northern Ontario mineral sector is another opportunity. We need to get all the parties together on these opportunities,because it would be a huge economic driver for the region and country. Thunder Bay is a key National trade corridor servicing Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario to and from the East. There is interest in the Arctic areas but we can't forget about Thunder Bay. There is a lot of infrastructure already here and we are quickly able to embrace opportunities.”
“ Now is the time to think about going through Canadian corridors wherever possible, given the current political climate. There is good capacity available in the East as compared to the West coast of Canada so it is really about taking a look at what we have to offer and how can we do it best.”
“The Seaway also continues looking at ways to keep the Locks open longer. If we could keep the Seaway open for 12 months, or close to 12 months each year, that would be huge. We know we could gain incremental business from this.”
