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The concept has been discussed for decades: a public-access port in Sault Ste. Marie that could unleash the economic potential of our waterway access.

A new feasibility study is nearly complete, thanks to funding from the federal government. And this fall, the city and the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority announced a partnership for the proposed multimodal marine port, which the vision of connecting northern Ontario’s resources with southern Ontario’s industry.

“It would be huge for the community,” said Mayor Matthew Shoemaker, during a recent interview in our SooToday studio. “It would use our maritime resources, our waterway access, as an asset that we haven’t used in the past.”

Shoemaker said the port concept is especially timely, in light of the pending layoffs at Algoma Steel.

“Developing additional capacity in the system would not only help those industries that are currently here, but it would also help attract industries that need water access to be able to get their products either into the Northern Ontario landscape or out of the Northern Ontario landscape,” he said. “That’s the potential that the port represents.”

You can watch the full interview HERE.