superior economic

A little over a month into the 2016 shipping season, the Thunder Bay Port Authority has good reason to celebrate. In a press release issued May 3rd, Port Authority C.E.O Tim Heney signed off on the good news: shipping traffic is up 11% from this time last year. Citing an early start to the season, […]

Doug Porter, chief economist with BMO Economics, presented a report on Great Lakes economic outlook last week at the Great Lakes Economic Forum in Toronto, ON. Porter presented the report, authored by senior economist Robert Kavcic and dated April 2016, on April 25th. The report cited some staggering figures to prop its claim that the

The Soo Locks aren’t getting any younger, so they’re aiming to keep up with the times. This summer, they’ll be receiving a computer system upgrade. Jim Peach, an assistant engineer at the locks, told The Detroit News that the upgrade is keeping in line with the “general direction of the industry – everything is getting

Looking to translate your love of the Great Lakes into constructive, real world experience? Parks Canada, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Great Lakes Commission want to help you with that. All three organizations have current job openings. See below for listings. Best of luck to applicants! 1. Parks Canada position available: Interpretation Officer/Coordinator II

The Poe’s going to go, people are saying. A new report confirms that if it does, the economy’s in trouble. A replacement for the largest of the Soo Locks has been a hot issue lately. With the 2016 shipping season now underway, the issue has been raised again. The ‘Poe,’ a 1,200-foot-long channel, and its

Thunder Bay, ON, and Duluth, MN, tipped their Top Hats to the first ‘salties’ of the season last week. The ocean freight vessels nipped at the heels of ‘lakers’ (lake freighters) which cruised into port days before. As reported by TB Newswatch, the MV Federal Barents took the honour in Thunder Bay, arriving in port

The big boats are back. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Detroit, MI, sent the below press release to celebrate the beginning of  the 2016 shipping season. The Corps opened the Soo Locks on March 25th between Sault Ste Marie, MI and Sault Ste Marie, ON. They mention that the first down-bound ship they

It wasn’t quite a photo finish, but 20,000 tonnes of metric weight might slow you down a bit, too. Thunder Bay Port Authority, industry professionals, and shipping enthusiasts watched with baited breath to see whether the MV Tecumseh or the MV Algoma Equinox would be the first to make it into Thunder Bay’s harbour on

The Duluth Seaway Port Authority sent us this press release, celebrating the official opening of their 2016 shipping season March 22nd. The release reports that the Welland Canal opened March 21st, and that the Montreal/Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway opens today, March 23rd. The Port Authority reports some solid statistics on the

Take heed, North Shore residents: starting today, Superior’s ice is cracking up. You might want to rethink planning on one last ice fishing jaunt or taking the ice road to work. Be careful out there, folks! The Canadian Coast Guard and U.S. Coast Guard are working in tandem to begin breaking ice over Lake Superior and