The Port of Thunder Bay hit a milestone in the month of November with over 1mt (million tonnes) of cargo shipped through the port during one month for the first time since May 2009. Tonnages were bolstered by strong grain shipments. The 891,000 tonnes of grain shipped out of Thunder Bay grain elevators during November was the most for one month since May 2002.
Year-to-date grain tonnage this year has already surpassed the total grain tonnage for the entire year of 2010, with more than one month still to go in the shipping season. Types of grain that have had the greatest boosts in shipments through Thunder Bay are wheat and canola. There has been a 15% increase in wheat shipments and a 125% increase in canola shipments in 2011 versus 2010. Canola shipments are expected to exceed 1.2mt during the 2011 season — a record for canola shipments in the Port of Thunder Bay.