What’s Good in Niagara? An inside look at the efficiency, and safety, of Great Lakes shipping

(Photo: Algoma Central Corporation)

With the shipping season underway, many residents will once again see large ships travelling through the Welland Canal regularly.

The business of seaway shipping is one of the largest industries in Ontario, as ships can carry large loads between the Great Lakes.

Gregg Ruhl is President and CEO of Algoma Central Corporation, one of the biggest shipping companies in Canada. He says the industry takes a lot of stresses off of other modes of transportation.

Safety is always one thing that’s crucial to the marine shipping industry, especially in light of the Francis Scott Key Bridge incident in 2024 that saw a large container ship collide with the bridge – leading to its collapse.

Ruhl says their robust safety precautions put them a step above a number of other shippers, which is key when operating ships that are as large as Algoma’s.

The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation says that bridge design and robust physical protections safeguard their bridges along the marine corridor, including here in Niagara. They add that with 24/7 operational vigilance, they can ensure safe, secure and efficient passages for both the public and marine traffic alike.

Before the shipping season starts crews work for weeks, and sometimes months, to prepare the ship for the season – ensuring safety for crew members and residents along waterways alike. He also feels their diversity and vast real-world experience among their crew helps with this.

Every year, more than 160 million metric tons of raw materials, agricultural commodities and manufactured products are moved on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System. Cargo shipments on the Great Lakes-Seaway waterway generate $50-billion USD of economic activity and over 350,000 jobs in Canada and the U.S.

Over the last 200 years, navigation improvements in both the United States and Canada have enhanced the waterway. The Welland Canal first connected Lake Ontario and Lake Erie in 1829, enabling vessels to bypass Niagara Falls. The Soo Locks have made the St. Marys River navigable, connecting Lake Superior to the lower four Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The St. Lawrence Seaway has tamed the St. Lawrence River, enabling ships to sail from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean since 1959.

(Written by: Matt Latour)