THUNDER BAY – An early start to the shipping season is a good omen, says harbourmaster Guy Jarvis.
With little to no ice blocking its way on Lake Superior, on Friday MV Manitoulin became the earliest ship to arrive in Thunder Bay, thanks in part to wintering at Essar Steel in Sault Ste. Marie on the west side of the Sault locks.
“I definitely think so,” Jarvis said. “When I look at the line-up for next week, there are eight to 10 grain vessels coming in, there are potash vessels coming in and there are salt vessels coming in,” Jarvis said. “It’s a good March and mid-April sailings.”
Still, it’s a little early to start heralding a great shipping season, Jarvis cautioned.
“I think that’s all got to do with sales and I think the grain elevators are probably in a better position than I am to talk about that,” Jarvis said.
“But the harvests were good last fall and hopefully the rail service over the wintertime has provided enough storage.”
Manitoulin Capt. John Carlson received the ceremonial top hat, given to the person at the helm of the first lake-going vessel to arrive in port each spring, for the second time, collecting his first in 2008.
He called it one of the smoothest first sailings of the year in 35 years on the water.
And like Jarvis, he said it’s a good sign.
“I think it represents that the season is a lot stronger than last year,” Carlson said. “Last year started off really tough, so it’s a much better sign this year and our cargo book is pretty solid to start off. So we’re happy about that.”
Carlson estimated it took the Manitoulin about 23 hours to make the trip, about three hours longer than a mid-summer journey.
“Over the last 35 years, I would definitely say this was the easiest conditions ice-wise that I’ve ever experienced,” he said. “There is typical frozen brash up to Whitefish Point and Lake Superior is virtually ice-free right to the piers of Thunder Bay.”
Carlson estimated about 95 per cent of the cargo handled at the Port of Thunder Bay is export material.
A similar ceremony will be held when the first ocean-going vessel arrives in port. The Sault locks are scheduled to open on Saturday.
