Sault Ste. Marie has spent generations building an economy around industry and our strategic location at the heart of the Great Lakes. The Port of Sault Ste. Marie will build on those strengths, establishing a modern commercial port that connects Northern Ontario businesses with customers across Canada and around the world.
Since work began in 2023, we have made significant progress toward turning this opportunity into reality. Detailed technical and commercial studies have been completed, a strong business case has been established, and partnerships have been developed to support the Port’s construction and long-term success.
Central to that progress is our partnership with HOPA Ports, Ontario’s largest port operator, announced in September 2025. HOPA brings the expertise, industry relationships and established Great Lakes transportation network needed to develop a commercially successful port in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Port will establish a new north-south trade corridor, connecting Northern Ontario’s mining, forestry, steel, agricultural and manufacturing sectors with markets in Southern Ontario, Quebec and beyond. By integrating marine, rail and road transportation, it will provide businesses with more competitive shipping options, strengthen Canadian supply chains and reduce long-distance truck traffic on Northern highways.
The economic opportunity extends well beyond transportation. The Port will support thousands of direct and indirect jobs, generate substantial economic activity, help existing businesses expand and attract new industrial investment to Sault Ste. Marie. It represents an opportunity to diversify our economy and establish infrastructure that will support growth for generations.
With the planning, technical work and key partnerships in place, our focus is firmly on bringing the Port into operation. I am committed to seeing this project through construction and ensuring Sault Ste. Marie realizes its full economic potential.
The Port of Sault Ste. Marie is an investment in our city’s future, and we are moving forward with the work needed to make it a reality.
Learn more about the project at portssm.ca.
(Minister) MacKinnon said the project ‘captures exactly the spirit of the moment we’re in in Canada’
“We need visionary leaders to come up with these projects that help build our country,” Canada’s Transportation Minister Steve MacKinnon said.
