A ship is docked for unloading at G3’s St. Lawrence River terminal at Trois-Rivieres, Que. (G3.ca)

St. Lawrence Seaway grain movement up five per cent in 2023

Grain movement through the St. Lawrence Seaway was up by five per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with Canadian wheat accounting for well over half of all the grain moved, according to a joint report from the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLMC) and the United States Great Lakes St. Lawrence Development Corporation (GLS) released May 27.


A ship is docked for unloading at G3’s St. Lawrence River terminal at Trois-Rivieres, Que. (G3.ca)

St. Lawrence Seaway sees increased tonnage in 2023

The seaway saw the longest scheduled shipping season in history

Cargo movement through the St. Lawrence Seaway was up by more than 3.4 per cent in 2023 compared to the previous year, with nearly 38 million tonnes of cargo moved through the binational system, according to a joint report from the Canadian St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLMC) and the United States Great Lakes St. Lawrence Development Corporation (GLS).

File photo of laker vessels navigating the Welland Canal. (JonathanNicholls/iStock/Getty Images)

Seaway workers ratify labour deal

Deal ended one-week strike on waterway

Unionized workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway in Ontario and Quebec have voted their approval of the agreement that brought them in off the picket line. Unifor, which represents about 360 Seaway workers across five locals in the two provinces, announced Thursday its members had voted to ratify a three-year agreement retroactive to April 1.

File photo of laker vessels navigating the Welland Canal. (JonathanNicholls/iStock/Getty Images)

St. Lawrence traffic to resume as tentative labour deal reached

Deal goes now to ratification vote

A week-long strike by about 360 unionized workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway ended Monday morning with a tentative agreement on a new labour deal. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) and Unifor, the union representing the workers, announced the new agreement separately Sunday evening. Unionized workers had been on strike since just after


File photo of laker vessels navigating the Welland Canal. (JonathanNicholls/iStock/Getty Images)

Seaway strike backs up Ontario grain

Prairie grain may follow suit if strike backs up traffic via Thunder Bay, GFO warns

The nature of eastern Canadian grain logistics, and a strike by St. Lawrence Seaway workers who operate the system’s canals, will see cascading impacts across the system if the situation isn’t resolved quickly, according to Crosby Devitt, CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario. Unifor workers in both Ontario and Quebec walked off the job Sunday

File photo of locks on the Welland Canal at Allanburg, Ont. (Jimfeng/iStock/Getty Images)

Seaway workers’ strike underway

Management awaiting CIRB ruling on grain traffic

Unionized workers on the St. Lawrence Seaway walked off the job just after midnight Sunday, shutting the waterway to all cargo vessels including grain traffic for now. Unifor, which represents about 360 Seaway workers across five locals in Ontario and Quebec, had served Seaway management with 72 hours’ strike notice on Wednesday. In a release

File photo of locks on the Welland Canal at Allanburg, Ont. (Jimfeng/iStock/Getty Images)

Seaway to seek order exempting grain traffic from strike action

Management, union say talks still ongoing

Facing a strike that would shut down traffic on the waterway as early as Sunday, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. has asked for an order confirming that grain would need to continue moving. Unifor, the union representing over 360 seaway workers across five union locals in Ontario and Quebec, on Wednesday served the corporation


File photo of locks on the Welland Canal at Allanburg, Ont. (Jimfeng/iStock/Getty Images)

Seaway workers serve strike notice

Waterway would be 'closed to all traffic' in event of strike

Five Unifor locals representing 361 workers with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. (SLSMC) have served their 72 hours’ notice of a strike that could shut the waterway to grain and all other traffic just after midnight Sunday at the earliest. Unifor members represented by Locals 4211, 4212 and 4323 in Ontario and Locals 4319

The Federal Beaufort loads grain at Richardson terminal at the Port of Hamilton in June 2021.

Grain shipments not contributing to seaway volume increase

General cargo through St. Lawrence Seaway rose 70 per cent in 2021, but grain was down

Shipping is up through the St. Lawrence Seaway — but grain isn’t contributing to that volume. General cargo shipments through the St. Lawrence Seaway were up about 70 per cent from the same period last year, the Chamber of Marine Commerce said in a mid-December report.  That figure includes steel, aluminum, oversized machinery and other