Northern Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government is providing $2.8 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for port infrastructure projects in Thunder Bay and Marathon aimed at increasing cargo capacity and strengthening domestic trade routes.
Premier Doug Ford announced Friday that the funding will support an expansion at the Port of Thunder Bay and the development of a new marine terminal in Marathon, projects the province says will help move more goods across Canada and reduce reliance on U.S. markets.
The Thunder Bay Port Authority will receive $804,955 to expand the staging and storage area at Keefer Terminal by 10 acres. The additional space is expected to increase the terminal’s capacity to handle wind turbine components, steel products and oversized cargo.
The province said the expansion will allow the port to increase cargo volumes, retain existing business and strengthen Thunder Bay’s role as a transportation hub for domestic and international trade.
More than 10.7 million metric tonnes of cargo moved through the Port of Thunder Bay in 2025, including grain, potash and natural resources. The port is located at the western end of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway system and is connected to rail and highway networks serving mining, manufacturing and forestry industries.
The Peninsula Harbour Port Authority in Marathon will receive $2 million to redevelop unused commercial docks at the former Marathon Pulp mill site into a marine terminal. It is expected to handle shipments of critical minerals, forest products, road salt, pipeline components and wind turbine parts destined for southern Ontario and overseas markets.
Peninsula Harbour Port Authority was formed in 2020 through a partnership between the Town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation. The terminal is expected to be operational by late 2027.
“By expanding the Port of Thunder Bay and creating a new marine terminal in Marathon, we’re helping Northern Ontario ports increase cargo volumes to ship everything from grain and potash to components for pipelines and critical minerals from the Ring of Fire,” Ford said in a statement.
The announcement comes as the province continues to emphasize infrastructure projects aimed at supporting northern industries and improving access to domestic and international markets.
Ontario recently increased annual funding for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation to $110 million, including an additional $30 million over three years.
“The Town of Marathon has been working toward the reactivation of the Port of Marathon with a vision of unlocking the economic potential of northwestern Ontario,” said Rick Dumas
Mayor, Town of Marathon, and President, Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association. “As the closest international port to the Ring of Fire, the port is positioned to support mining, forestry, renewable energy and other resource industries throughout the region.
“Upgrading the marine terminal to the St. Lawrence Seaway standards will create new opportunities to move Northern Ontario resources to global markets while bringing a former derelict brownfield pulp mill site back into productive use for the benefit of both Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg.”