“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: McKeil Marine

Since 1956 McKeil Marine has pushed the boundaries, becoming one of the foremost marine service providers in Canada. Customizable cargo and project solutions including cargo transportation, project manage­ment, towing, vessel assistance, chartering and salvage are avail­able throughout the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, East Coast and the Canadian Arctic.  McKeil Marine approaches each cargo movement and every service with the promise to deliver innovative marine solutions. Fleet renewal is a critical component to ensuring our assets are adaptable to customer needs.

Keeping this approach in mind, in early 2013 McKeil Marine acquired two 55 tonne bollard pull harbour and coastal towing tugs – The Beverly M I and The Sharon M I. These reliable and versatile units serve their  fleet for towing and salvage, project support and are deployed on a variety of projects on the east coast and in the Arctic. The Beverly M I was stationed in the Arctic in the fall of 2013 for a mining project in which McKeil was providing dock infrastructure to support cargo loading operations for the mine. Both tugs have been in active service throughout the early months of 2014. Built in 1994 for Hong Kong Salvage & Towage Co Ltd., the tugs are 4000 bhp and are equipped with full fire fighting capabilities.

Beverly M I

MAIN PARTICULARS

Length O.A. 114’ 6” 34.95 m
Breadth O.A. 34’ 5” 10.50 m
Depth Mld. 17’ 4” 5.30 m
Design Draft 13’ 2” 4.00 m
Gross Tonnage 450 T
Net Tonnage 135 T
Classification Lloyd’s Register
Notation Tug
Bollard Pull 55 T
Voyage Type 100 A1

Sharon M I

MAIN PARTICULARS

Length O.A. 114’ 7” 34.95 m
Breadth O.A. 34’ 5” 10.50 m
Depth Mld. 17’ 4” 5.30 m
Design Draft 13’ 2” 4 m
Gross Tonnage 450 T
Net Tonnage 135 T
Classification Lloyd’s Register
Notation Tug
Bollard Pull 55 T
Voyage Type 100A1

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: Belledune Port Authority

Belledune Port Authority hosts 56th Annual ACPA Conference!

There really is No Shore like the North Shore — That’s for sure!

The Belledune Port Authority is very proud to host the 56th (Association of Canadian Port Authorities) ACPA Annual General Meeting and Conference from August 17-20th, 2014 in Belledune, New Brunswick. The small team at the port and the association has put together an exceptional program which includes an exciting conference line up and an entertaining excursion schedule aimed at showcasing true maritime hospitality which most certainly would not be complete without an appetizing seafood feast.

This year, the theme “Anchors Away” was selected to remind all Canadian Ports that continued commitment to maintain competitiveness and growth in the face of a lengthy global economic downturn will be worth every effort.   The theme promises to deliver a comprehensive and informative business program that will address global shipping trends and markets with a local feel.

The conference theme resonates deeply with the Port of Belledune. After more than a decade of transformation, the Port of Belledune is enabling a stronger future. “In our business, challenging scenarios are opportunities to exercise our unique practices without losing sight of our goals.  In fact, we must focus even further to strengthen our commitment and the trust of our clients, our people and our partners while always maintaining the direction of our Board of Directors.” commented Rayburn Doucett, President & CEO for the Belledune Port Authority.

The Belledune Port Authority is looking forward to welcoming the 200+ delegates and families to northern New Brunswick for 4 days of business and excursion programming that is sure to spark curiosity and generate enthusiasm in all. Rayburn also “thanks the Association of Canadian Port Authorities for their absolute dedication and support to the Canadian port industry.  Their long and proud history is a reminder that along with sheer determination–the greater the effort; the greater the rewards”!

For more information and/or to register for the ACPA Conference, please visit:
www.acpa2014.ca

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
Ironville Terminal Redevelopment Near Completion – Third and Final Phase of Construction Underway

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Midwest Terminals of Toledo and Finance Fund were joined on October 21, 2013 by area officials for a ground-breaking ceremony of a warehouse at Ironville Terminal. This ceremony commemorated the third and final phase of construction on the 180 acre site making it ready for business this winter. The total project cost was approximately $18 million and when completed, the project will provide up 100,000 man hours of skilled construction labor for the community.

“The redevelopment of this land will provide new space for unloading ships and new lay down areas for cargo, which will allow the Port of Toledo to continue as a leader on the Great Lakes,” said Paul Toth, President and CEO of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority. “Without the help of local, state and federal agencies who believed in this project and administered the programs to help with its financing, the redevelopment of this riverfront site would have not been possible.”

The development of Ironville was financed with public and private investment; the Port utilized a combination of state financing mechanisms along with new market tax credits to complete the multi-phased project. Finance Fund, a company that helps connect underserved communities with public and private sources of capital, provided $15.5 million in new market tax credits for the project, which made it possible to complete all three phases in such a short time frame.

The first phase of redevelopment included the installation of approximately 15,000 linear feet of rail, which were connected with the nearby Norfolk Southern rail line. Phase two included improvements to the river channel and shoreline to prepare a deep water marine dock to accommodate barges, and lake trading and ocean vessels. Approximately 65,000 cubic yards of sediment have been dredged to provide access to the dock face, and 520 feet of the existing dock face has been improved.

Phase three includes the installation of a multi-modal delivery system. Once completed, the newly installed conveyor and material transfer system will create efficiencies through rapid freight unloading, and is capable of handling any dry bulk material. Self unloading ships will discharge into a 65 cubic yard hopper, which will feed the conveying system. The conveyor terminates with a mechanized radial stacking system. Phase three also consists of the construction of a 19,000 square foot warehouse, which has a clear height of 39 feet and will contain two rail spurs and an overhead crane. The warehouse will allow Midwest Terminals to be prepared for nearly any type of business that may present itself.  An additional 5,000 feet of rail for loading operations was also installed during phase three.

Ironville Terminal, formerly known as the Chevron property, was purchased by the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority in 2008 for $3.4 million. The Port Authority formed a public-private partnership with Midwest Terminals of Toledo through a long term lease for the property. This acquisition made the Port of Toledo the largest land mass seaport on the Great Lakes.

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority

It was another busy year for the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s project managers, grant managers and administrative staff while the Port of Toledo continued to make major progress in its Port Modernization Program in concert with several major economic development projects in the community.

At the General Cargo Facility operated by Midwest Terminals, over $985,000 was invested to reconfigure the entrance of the facility.  The new entrance integrates a truck scale and allows for two lanes of entry and exit from the facility.  A new guard house and camera systems were constructed to enhance security at the site.

The second phase of construction at the new Ironville Dock operated by Midwest Terminals was completed during 2012 and the rail loop, which was completed during the first phase of construction, began to be utilized.  Two million dollars were invested in construction of the dock wall and dredging during 2012.  The third phase of construction to be completed in 2013 will introduce bulk material handling infrastructure to the site.

At the Toledo Shipyard operated by Ironhead Marine, over $897,000 was invested to construct a new guard house and improve lighting and fencing at the facility.  In addition to the security enhancements, over $668,000 was invested to reconstruct the dock wall in the area between the large 805 foot and smaller 550 foot graving docks.

Since 2008, the Toledo-Lucas Port Authority has been involved in the acquisition of environmentally challenged real estate located in Lucas County, Ohio.   Through the leveraging of partnerships with the State of Ohio and the federal government, the Port has been successful in acquiring, remediating and redeveloping more than 350 acres of land.  In 2010, the Port acquired 111 acres of land that had been historically used for the production of automobiles located at 1000 Jeep Parkway in Toledo.  The Port has been successful in acquiring more than $8 million in grant funds for the site’s redevelopment.  The redevelopment of the site has been broken into three phases.  The first phase of redevelopment involved the remediation of environmental issues on site.  The second phase of redevelopment completed in 2012, involved the removal of foundations and the fill and grading of several portions of the site.  Over $2 million dollars were invested for phase two construction of the site during 2012.  The final phase of redevelopment is the vertical construction of facilities on the site.  In 2012 the Port announced a partnership agreement with Harmon Family Development Corporation to do site and infrastructure planning on the 111 acre property known as Overland Industrial Park.

You can tour the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority virtually by simply visiting tourtheport.com. The clever website gives you the option to get a closer look at the various terminals at the port including the option to zoom in on specific areas. Tourthport.com was the recipient of the AAPA 2012 Communications Award of Excellence.

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: The Port of Green Bay
The Port of Green Bay is currently restoring Cat Island. Two main reasons for this restoration project is to, first, provide beneficial reuse of dredge material through the filling of the three islands using material from the upper portion of the Green Bay shipping channel. The island construction is rebuilding these islands using quarried stone to build the outside structures which will then be hydraulically filled with clean dredge material. The stone construction work is scheduled for completion within the next 2-3 years, while the filling will take 20 or more years. The stone construction is currently ahead of schedule and could possibly be done this year.

The second main reason for the restoration project is to provide a nesting habitat for migratory birds, a habitat that was lost in the 1970’s when the islands were washed away following a series of storms. A management team made up of environmental agencies (WDNR, USEPA, US Fish& Wildlife), the US Army Corps and the Port have oversight on the operation and management of the islands into the future.  The islands are intended for habitat only and will not be available for recreational use.

The construction status of Cat Island Wave Barrier (as of December 17, 2012):

The Cat Island Chain wave barrier sits on an area of Green Bay lake bed granted to Brown County.  The initial portion of this project involved Brown County placing core stone and geotextile fabric from approximately Station 20+00 to Sta. 39+18 under a $1.5 million EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grant.  A turnout was constructed at Station 20+00.  Armor stone placement began at Sta. 39+18 and worked back to Sta. 18+72 from the end of June until Phase 1 project completion on August 17, 2012.

The US Army Corps of Engineers’ portion of the Cat Island Chain of islands restoration consists of the construction of approximately 4.3 miles of wave barrier to form three islands. The wave barrier consists of a core stone dike, four to eight feet high, with a 12-foot wide gravel road and armor stone side slopes. A 24-inch diameter and an 84-inch diameter reinforced concrete pipe culvert will provide circulation and navigation through the wave barrier.

Construction of the US Army Corps of Engineers portion of the Cat Island wave barrier began on Wednesday October 24, 2012 with Michels Construction widening the existing road to allow for two trucks to safely pass on the corridor.  The Corps’ contract includes a base contract and two options. The Base Contract involves constructing 13,356 feet of wave barrier with two Options. Option 1 includes constructing 4,210 feet of wave barrier for the Central Island while Option 2 will construct 5,365 feet of wave barrier surrounding the East Island.  The Corps has awarded the Base Contract and all Options to Michels Construction for $11,685,620. Brown County’s Stone Bids were awarded to Michels Materials for $4,815,765.  All stone is being furnished by Brown County at two quarries for loading and transportation by the Corps’ Contractor. The total project cost is estimated to be $17,851,922 with 35 % or $6,248,172 being provided by Brown County.

The Contractor continued construction with the placement of core stone starting at Sta. 39+18 extending to Sta. 103+46 by December 14, 2012. The legs of the West and Central islands have been placed with core stone. Grading and shaping of the West and Central islands legs to required grades prior to placement of armor stone is complete. Armor stone has been placed on the west leg of the West Island and work is progressing on placement of armor stone on the east leg of the West Island.

For more information on the Cat Island project or operations at the Port of Green Bay, please visit their website at: www.portofgreenbay.com

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: Fednav Limited
Fednav Increases its Great Lakes Fleet Six new ocean-going Lakers in 2015

Fednav Limited, the largest international maritime bulk carrier in Canada announced, in mid-June, the addition of six new vessels to its fleet. Ordered with Sumitomo Corporation and Oshima Shipyard, the environmentally advanced vessels will be built in Japan and will add substantial capacity to its Great Lakes-capable fleet of ships.

A New Generation of Lakers
As highly flexible vessels well suited to international trade, the 34,000-ton bulk carriers are adapted to the dimensions of the St. Lawrence Seaway and are specially equipped for navigating in ice.

These vessels will be built with “box” holds, better suited to a variety of general cargo like steel and project cargo. Their design will also streamline operations, minimizing time and effort to reduce cargo residues and will result in more efficient port calls.

“This investment highlights Fednav’s commitment to the Great Lakes, and to our customers and partners in the industrial heart of North America,” explained Paul Pathy, Fednav President and Co-CEO, upon signing of the contract. “The Great Lakes St. Lawrence System is a very valuable part of the two countries’ economies. This order by Fednav demonstrates our clear goal to remain the leader in International Great Lakes shipping.”

Environmental Benefits
These vessels will share the environmental characteristics of the previous six Lakers ordered at the Oshima shipyard: they will consume 28% less fuel and produce 28% less emissions than vessels built by Oshima Shipyard for Fednav ten years ago, ships already among the most efficient of their time. This will contribute significantly to Fednav’s objectives of reducing GHG emissions in its fleet on a continuous basis. The fuel-efficient engines will also reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by approximately 33%. All of the vessels will receive the CLEAN-DESIGN notation from the DNV classification society.

Fleet
The six additional vessels will be delivered between May and November 2015, as part of a series of 27 new ships (of which 14 are Lakers) added to Fednav’s fleet since January 1, 2012. Fednav currently operates more than 80 vessels, half of them owned, and it has the largest fleet of ice-class vessels in the world—vessels capable of navigating demanding winter conditions along the St. Lawrence Seaway, in the Baltic Sea, and even in the Arctic.

The Fednav Group
Fednav Limited is an international ship-owning company headquartered in Montreal. Its principal activities involve the transport of bulk and general cargo worldwide. The Group has offices in Antwerp, Brisbane, Hamburg, Rio de Janeiro, Singapore, and Tokyo, and regional offices in Canada and the United States. The Group also has terminal, logistics, ice analysis, and shipping agency services. It employs 260 people and more than 2200 crew members and stevedores.

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: Thunder Bay Port Authority

Thunder Bay Port Authority Launches New Website

The Thunder Bay Port Authority is inviting the industry and public to explore its new website, www.portofthunderbay.ca. Launched in May, the site includes extensive information about the port, including the latest port news and cargo statistics, port service and facility information, and an embedded map displaying the current vessels in the port.

A variety of media are present throughout the site, including the Port Authority’s newsletter, port presentations and an interactive port brochure.

The new website has been designed to provide a user-friendly experience with improved navigation and functionality throughout. A highlight is the new port tour, where users can locate port facility information and photos using an interactive port map.

The Port of Thunder Bay is located at the head of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System, a dynamic navigable waterway that stretches 3700 kilometres into the heart of the North American continent.

The Thunder Bay Port Authority strives to diversify cargoes to reduce dependency on select commodities.  Continuing to expand the Port’s profile is critical to its success in a dynamic global market.

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: Hamilton Port Authority
Agricultural, project cargo the stars of 2012

Cargo tonnages through the Port of Hamilton grew in 2012, while the types of cargo handled continued to diversify, year-end results show.

Hamilton’s expanding capacity in the agricultural sector is driving tonnage growth in fertilizer (up 27% over 2011), and grain (up 6%). It was a great year for Ontario soybeans, with almost a million tonnes being shipped out, most of it to overseas export markets. Agricultural tonnage as a proportion of the port’s total has doubled in the last five years, from 8% in 2008 to 16% in 2012. According to Hamilton’s Economic Development office, the agri-food sector is now a $1.3 billion per-year industry in Hamilton as a whole. The port and its partners are major drivers of this activity.

The port also handled a variety of interesting project cargo in 2012, with volumes increasing three-fold over 2011. Major shipments included windmill components, power plant process towers, rail cars and nuclear plant rotors. “The Port of Hamilton is well-positioned to move heavy cargo due to its strategic location on the Great Lakes, in close proximity to manufacturing and population centres in Canada and the US, and access to global destinations,” said Bruce Wood, Hamilton Port Authority President & CEO. Hamilton also has the most available staging space for heavy cargo of any Canadian port on the Great Lakes.

Finished steel and iron ore were areas of strength as well, posting significant gains over 2011. Total cargo handled through the port was 10.3 million MT in 2012, an increase of 3% over 2011.

The Port of Hamilton is the largest Canadian port on the Great Lakes in terms of both size and cargo handled. The Hamilton Port Authority’s strategic vision is to be the Great Lakes port of choice.

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: Huron Spirit bulks McKeil fleet in Great Lakes
At McKeil Marine, customer centred solutions are an integral part of daily activity. We approach each cargo movement and every service with a focus on efficiently delivering on our promise of innovative marine solutions. Since 1956 we’ve pushed the boundaries, becoming one of the foremost marine service providers in Canada. Customizable cargo and project solutions are available throughout the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence Seaway, East Coast and the Canadian Arctic.

Fleet growth has been primarily driven by the introduction of purpose-built assets deployed into choice markets. One of the newest barges to join the fleet is the Huron Spirit, set to begin trading in the upper Great Lakes supporting the aggregate trade throughout Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Her 150 foot self-unloading boom and ability to access shallow draft docks allows for new cargo handling capabilities where they had previously not existed furthering inherent tug and barge versatility and manoeuvring.

McKeil concentrates business efforts on two main areas; the transportation of dry and liquid bulk, project cargoes, heavy equipment and other general cargo and the delivery of project services. Project services encompass marine construction, project management, engineering support, equipment rentals, ship docking and ship assist, towing, temporary dock facilities and cargo transfer.

The versatile tug and barge fleet is supported by a skilled sailing and shore-based crew, naval architects and engineers combining to customize services for each customer and cargo application. A tremendous example of this is the long established relationship with Aluminerie Alouette which sees a dedicated McKeil barge transport aluminum ingots and sows to several St. Lawrence and Great Lakes ports. These multi-year contract relationships are a testament to mutually beneficial services and an approach that yields benefits for all parties.

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.

“Hwy H₂O HIGHLIGHTS” focuses on our member ports and companies throughout the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System with stories that highlight innovative and interesting cargo movements; changes and improvements that ports and companies are making to create greater opportunity, and/or member insights on the latest market trends.

Highlights: The Port of Oshawa

New!!
Government of Canada creates Canada Port Authority to operate the Port of Oshawa, February 10, 2012

There is much enthusiasm and plenty of action taking place at the Port of Oshawa! Donna Taylor, CEO of the Port of Oshawa made a number of exciting announcements at the 7th Annual Hwy H₂O Conference this past November. The first big announcement is that the Oshawa Harbour Commission will very shortly be converted to Canada’s newest Port Authority.

The next big announcement was that the Port of Oshawa will be getting a rail spur, a joint venture between CN, the Port of Oshawa and McAsphalt Industries. Construction will begin in the spring.

Donna also announced that the Federal Government contributed $10 million to the Port of Oshawa. This contribution is specifically to build a new wharf on the East side to consolidate operations in the East. This port will gain approximately 12 acres of land and extend the existing East wharf. The new wharf is being designed to be able to accommodate a short sea shipping berth, a heavy lift area and dockside rail.

Currently, the Port offers 50,000 square feet of warehouse space but the plan is to double the size of the new warehouse, once the new wharf has been completed.

The picture above is the future footprint of the Port of Oshawa. The plan for 2015 is:

• New wharf
• Rail service
• Expanded warehouse
• New salt pads
• Short sea shipping berth and parking/storage area
• Crane storage for Mammoet
• Grain storage
• And development on the East port lands

To share your story; email it to hwyh2o@seaway.ca and we will consider it for future Hwy H₂O Highlights.