Canada Extends St. Lawrence Seaway Agreement
Canadian transport minister Marc Garneau announced a five-year extension to the Government of Canada’s agreement with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation to manage, maintain and operate the Seaway. This extends the existing agreement until March 31, 2023, and will provide stability for the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation and the marine shipping industry.
A vital artery between the Great Lakes and the lower St. Lawrence River, the St. Lawrence Seaway connects the heartland of North America to the world as an important, competitive and sustainable transportation corridor.
The St. Lawrence Seaway consists of 15 locks and connecting canals or channels extending from Montreal to Lake Erie. Within the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway System, more than 100 ports and commercial docks link to more than 40 provincial or interstate highways and to 30 railway lines.
To ensure the Seaway continues to be positioned as a critical transportation corridor for North America, Transport Canada will conduct a review to examine further opportunities for increased economic and commercial development, the waterway’s competitiveness and sustainability, and the Seaway’s governance structure.
In the coming months, Canadians, provincial and municipal governments, Indigenous communities, international partners, users and stakeholders will be invited to provide input on the future of the Seaway.
Terence Bowles, President and CEO of the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, said, “Since commercialization 20 years ago, the SLSMC has delivered safe, reliable and environmentally friendly navigation. The Corporation has made excellent progress in strengthening the Seaway's competitive position. The Seaway's modernization program, representing the greatest change to operations since the waterway’s inception in 1959, allows the Corporation to continue serving its many stakeholders and fulfilling its vision of providing a responsive and highly competitive transportation system which connects the heartland of North America to over 60 markets around the world.”
