Shipping Season Concludes in The North
A gathering featuring public and private sector officials from Indiana and Quebec took place Tuesday at the Port of Indiana - Burns Harbor in Portage.
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe shipping season along the St. Lawrence Seaway, which includes the Port of Indiana – Burns Harbor, has come to an end. The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp. says ships navigated 36 million tons of cargo this season.
The waterway stretches from the Canadian Province of Québec to the Great Lakes region. The nonprofit manages and operates the Canadian assets along what’s referred to as the "marine highway." Above-average grain shipments represented a major share of the total. The corporation says the commodity had "one of the strongest years in recent memory."
In September, Ports of Indiana officials announced an enhanced partnership with allies in Québec to boost economic development. Shipments between Indiana and the Canadian province account for 40 percent of the activity along the corridor, according to Ports of Indiana Vice President Jody Peacock.
The Ports of Indiana says 2015 season totals for the Portage operation and the two ports in Mt. Vernon and Jeffersonville that make up the statewide system are expected to be released soon. During an interview Wednesday following Governor Mike Pence’s State of the State push to explore another state port in for southeast Indiana, Ports of Indiana CEO Rich Cooper said shipments throughout the state are currently ahead of last year’s record pace.