Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay
INSIDE Staying Fit While Staying At Home Thunder Pride Association to accelerate growth of LGBTQ2S tourism in Northwestern Ontario THUNDER BAY AUTO SPORT CLUB Hold Ice Racing at Mission Bay, Lake Superior North Superior Publishing
@tbay25
Thunder Pride Association to accelerate growth of LGBTQ2S
Thunder Bay’s First Women in Technology Night!
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Publisher’s Note Scott Sumner
THUNDER BAY AUTO SPORT CLUB Hold Ice Racing at Mission Bay, Lake
Rick Mercuri has been an ice racer for at least 25 years now. He took a 7 or 8 year break and got back into it with the 4 wheel drive. “It is a totally different drive going from front wheel drive to four wheel drive, like starting over again,” said Rick Mercuri. Rick’s car is a 2005 Subaru WRX STI package which is like a race car out of the box. They put on a 3 stage program and played with the exhaust and cold air take in to get more air, but pretty much it is stock. In the day Rick runs Central Auto Parts recycling and his brother does service and they also have a body shop. “ I love being out in the car, it is an adrenaline rush.We keep on doing it because everyone here today has been with us from the beginning. It has been a
long standing team. The kids in their 20's that are here today have been with us here since they were babies. I enjoy it more for them than myself.” smiles Mercuri. “It’s a beautiful day to be here but there is less traction for the cars when the ice is soft. We think there is 18 inches of ice, in some corners there could be a 6 to 8 inch rut that builds up.” The ice racers do 2 practices in a day, 3 heats and a feature and there are ten races during the season. This last race there were 6 in the studded class and 12 in the non studded. You can get into a rubber tired car for $2000-3,000 and a studded from $2500 to $4,000 and up tp $50,000 if you wanted according to Mercuri.
There has been lots of car ice racing history in Thunder Bay beginning in 1959! It was fun to witness racing on a warm, sunny day in March. Their location seemed perfect to me for this event, at
the end of City Road at Mission Bay. The cars, especially studded tire versions, seemed to get some pretty good speed and would power slid around the corners similar to what a dirt track race car would do.
Staying Fit While Staying At Home In this unprecedented time, it is easy to get discouraged and unmotivated. However, even within the confines of our own homes, there are many things we can do to maintain physical and spinal health. Remember that physical activity also improves your mental health. Here are some simple ways to increase your motivation to exercise and also how to stick with it. 1) Distract your mind. If you are exercising outside there are several visual stimuli to keep you distracted. Inside, your best options are to play music, listen to the radio or a podcast or watch television while you exercise. This will make the 15-60 minutes fly by. 2) Have an exercise partner. Being accountable to an exercise commitment or holding someone else accountable is one of the best ways to stick to the program. Instead of a friend, pick a family member as your partner. If two of you are exercising you will probably motivate everyone in the home to exercise as well.
3) Pick a specific day and time to exercise. We have all had those vacation days where time just flies by without any plan for the day. That might be great for a few days on holiday, but after a while your brain and body start turning to mush. Plan your day. Include what time you will wake up and what time you will exercise. Without a specific time, 9 am will quickly turn to 9 pm and then no exercise. 4) Repetition is key. Try to do some type of activity or exercise every day. Start with 15 minutes and work your way up to 60 minutes or more per day. This can include a combination of strength, endurance and cardiac training. So now that you are motivated to exercise, what can you do? If you live in an area with lots of open space for social distancing, nothing beats going for a walk. For many, short walks multiple times per day may be a better and safer option than doing one long walk. Start with 10-15 minutes and work your way up to a cumulative 60 minutes per day. If you can not walk for various reasons ( knee, hip and back issues, heavily populated are) I would recommend a treadmill, stationary bike, marching in one spot, climbing your stairs multiple times or jumping jacks. In terms of strength and endurance exercises, the list is truly limitless. Yoga, Palates, Tai Chi, core body exercise, weights , resistance tubing exercises, interval training are just some of your options. You can easily find many exercises on the internet and various webpages. If you follow an exercise video your planning is quite simple. If you are making your own routine then pick a selection of 5-6 different exercises. Write down your program which includes the order of the exercises and how many repetition or sets of each exercise you want to do. Vary it up each day and add a few more as your strength and endurance improves. Remember to start slow and maintain proper technique,
otherwise you could end up injuring yourself or causing repetitive strain problems. For most of us, the biggest obstacle to doing regular daily exercise is not lack of time or physical abilities. Rather, it is lack of motivation, lack of planning and fuzzy thoughts on what to do and when to do it. All this time off can be an opportunity to kick start your health to a higher level. We can make the most of it or the
least of it. The choice is up to you. James DiGiuseppe is a local chiropractor with a busy family and wellness practice. For more health information or to contact Dr. DiGiuseppe visit www.portarthurchiropractic.com
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS APRIL 2020
Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay By Sherry Hanes (April 2020) What’s all the excitement about? There are numerous, interesting details about our Port of Thunder Bay so, visit with us for a few moments in these pages, to discover the latest changes that are presently occurring in our port, changes that not only exceed current service needs for International H2O Transportation, but also keeps our port constantly viable, contributing to our economy and economic development, and ensuring the stability for future economic growth. The Reconfiguration for Port Expansion Project. PERPARING FOR THE FUTURE. Port of Thunder Bay is proud to partner on this $15 million dollar project with the National Trade Corridors Fund and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. In July, 2018, The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, announced a major investment of $7.5 million for improvements to our port’s infrastructure, that will address helping businesses move their goods to market. With an investment of $1 million through the province's Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), Thunder Bay Port Authority is building on its Keefer Terminal operations. Contractors for this project: Tom Jones Corporation Construction General Contractor, WSP: Design, Engineering consulting, Environmental consulting, Planning, Professional services, North West Installations Inc., for metal fabrications manufacturing, M.A.C. Rail Contracting and PNI Contracting, all of Thunder Bay, were proud to be working together on this project, envisioning the great contribution we are working towards for our future. The project involved the removal of an obsolete building to create a larger loading area and constructing an additional, new 50,000 square-foot, heated, storage facility that will allow the port to handle more goods. The plan to develop and proceed with terminal reconfiguration for our Port, was estimated at a cost of $15 million dollars. The port regularly handles wind turbines, mining equipment, structural steel, and electrical infrastructure, among other diverse cargoes. The project com-
plements previous investments in the terminal including a Liebherr Mobile Harbour Crane and adjacent intermodal yard and top-lifter. In addition, Greenlit, the Terminal Reconfiguration Project includes 2,800 feet of upgraded rail track. Reconfiguring of the track improves cargo-handling efficiency to accommodate expansion in shipping, staging and storage. The expansion also includes a net increase of 18 rail car spots, new rail lay down areas, rebuilding the rail yard that offers superior rail clearance for both CN and CP, heading to other Western ports. And, as mentioned earlier, the new 50,000-squarefoot, heated warehouse will replace the aging on-dock storage shed, improving the efficiency of cargo flow and safety at the terminal. The new warehouse can accommodate fabrication and light manufacturing and will be ready in early 2020. The new Laydown expansion area encompass 6 acres. The Keefer Terminal complex – a marine warehouse/storage/intermodal facility – handles cargo destined for Western Canada and serves the major industries in Northwestern Ontario. The Keefer building was built in 1962 as a seasonal facility and of the 550,000 square feet of warehouse space only about 80,000 is heated, so the additional new warehouse will help to attract new business, more value-added work such as more highly technical electronics. Continued
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Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay Continued In an earlier interview with Port of Thunder Bay CEO, Tim Heney, Mr. Heney expresses: “We have been working on this project for 12 years now. It will include 8 more car spots, new rail lay down areas, rebuilding our rail yard and a new heated warehouse, building more capacity for shipments.” “We are getting into pipe as well as steel shipments. Our imports are from Europe. The new warehouse will help to attract new business, more value-added work such as more, high tech like electronics. The total cost of the expansion is $15 million. We have 150 jobs at Keefer Terminal and 40 directly in the marine industry.” Angie Bolt of PNI Contracting Ltd., Thunder Bay, explains: “The first phase of P.N.I. Contracting Ltd.'s role in the new cargo shed project comprised of the removal of an existing septic field, grubbing and clearing the specified site, placement of compacted fill to prepare the pad for the future 50,000 sq. ft. cargo shed and the installation of a 50,000 m3 preload – equivalent to 4000 tri-axle truck-loads of granular – all in an eight week period in the fall of 2018. The following spring P.N.I. was awarded a separate contract to remove the pre-load and create a variety of laydown areas and parking lots with the granulars hauled to the site the previous fall. Once again, this project had a tight turnaround, just 6-weeks-time to accomplish the contract goals. We would like to thank all our subcontractors and the granular supplier, R.A. Milne Crushing and Screening, who helped make this project a success.” Jeff Chuchmuch, of M.A.C Rail, had this to share with Thunder Bay Business Magazine, “We at M.A.C. Rail were very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Port of Thunder Bay’s expansion last fall. Our portion of the expansion consisted of preparing the grade for the track which was completed by Pete’s Backhoe Service. Building two number 10 115lbs switches and approximately 3000’ of track alongside the new lay down areas the port had previously pre-
pared. Our project lasted 6 weeks and finished on schedule.” With the shipping season opening this month, we are right on schedule with the reconfiguration. The 2020 shipping season will start this week in the Port of Thunder Bay following the arrival of the Canadian Icebreaker Samuel Risley, on Tuesday, March 24. Upon ice break-out, three vessels docked for the winter at Keefer Terminal will shift to grain elevators to load. Several more Canadian vessels are set to arrive in port later this week after the Soo Locks open as scheduled on March 25. Ice conditions in the Port are favourable compared with recent years. The opening of marine shipping to Thunder Bay Port elevators will help alleviate the largest winter carryover of grain in Canada since 2014. This year's backlog is the result of a strong 2019 harvest and the impact of rail blockades throughout the country earlier this winter. The Port had its strongest season in five years in 2019. Grain shipments accounted for nearly 8.0 million of the overall 9.3 million metric tonnes of cargo shipped from Thunder Bay during the season. Continued
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Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay Continued The quality of Canada's transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of the country's trade corridors is key to the success of Canadian firms in the global marketplace. Shipping-related activity contributes an estimated $370 million annually to Thunder Bay's economy and directly employs 900 people. The Economic Impacts of the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway System Cargo shipments on the Great LakesSeaway system generate $45 billion of economic activity and 238,000 jobs in Canada and the U.S. From the earliest days of European settlement, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River have been
utilized as a means of transportation. Great Lakes cities were founded as trading posts along a vast marine highway that facilitated commerce in an era predating railroads and highways. This relationship to the water has enabled the region to thrive and today, the Great Lakes- St. Lawrence region is the industrial and agricultural heartland of both the United States and Canada – with a combined GDP of more than $6 trillion U.S. dollars. This output would represent the third-largest economy in the world – behind the U.S. and China – if it were a country.
way. 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. Mary’s River navigable, connecting Lake
agricultural commodities and manufactured products to and from domestic and global markets. Cargoes include iron ore, coal, steel, aluminum, machinery, stone, cement, grain, sugar, fertilizers, road
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.
salt, petroleum products and containerized goods. These cargoes become the staples of everyday life — food and other household items; buildings, factories, roads and bridges; vehicles and planes; and the energy that powers cities and towns.
Over the last 200 years, navigation improvements in both the United States and Canada have enhanced the water-
This bi-national trade corridor complements the region’s rail and highway network and offers customers a cost-effective, safe, reliable and environmentally smart means of moving raw materials,
Continued
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Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay Continued Along with grain, coal and iron ore, the port regularly handles wind turbines, mining equipment, structural steel, and electrical infrastructure, and other diverse cargo. For the 2015 shipping season, the Port of Thunder Bay handled 8.9 million metric tonnes, ranking as the third-strongest year since 2000. In 2014, Thunder Bay Port Authority provided record financial results and led to the generation of $1.5 million from operations. In 2011, Thunder Bay Port Authority received a $1 million NOHFC investment to acquire a new crane capable of lifting up to 104 tonnes of cargo between marine vessels and rail or truck trailers. In the Thunder Bay area, the NOHFC has invested about $181 million in 1,453 projects that have helped generate or retain more than 5,500 jobs since 2003. Grain volumes increased by 500,000 MT
in 2019, as Thunder Bay elevators funneled larger quantities of canola to markets in Europe and South America. Potash shipments remained above average for a third-straight year. Both the foreign and domestic vessel fleets contributed to the strong season in Thunder Bay; vessel calls and cargo tonnage for both fleets were up compared to the prior year. Three domestic vessels wintered at Keefer Terminal for seasonal refurbishment. The Port of Thunder Bay is projecting another strong season in 2020.
Continued
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Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay Continued Thunder Bay grain terminals continue to set the bar for efficiency, producing the fastest railcar and vessel turnaround times of all Western Canadian grain ports. The NOHFC’s (Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation) investments in the North’s transportation infrastructure are an important part of the Ontario government’s Growth Plan for Northern Ontario. Thunder Bay Port Authority is a government business enterprise with a mission to promote and invest in the efficient integration of marine, rail, and road transportation systems and participate in the region’s economic development. Background The Thunder Bay Port Authority, formerly the Thunder Bay Harbour
Tim Heney, CEO, Port of Thunder Bay at the beginning of the new 50,000 square foot building construction Commission and the Lakehead Harbour Commission is the organization responsible for the federal interests at the Port of Thunder Bay. The Port Authority was
created by the Canada Marine Act of 1997 and officially received its Letters Patent July 1, 1999. Thunder Bay Port Authority reports to Parliament through the Minister of Transport. Responsibilities. The Port Authority is empowered to administer, regulate, develop and promote the Port of Thunder Bay as provided in its Letters Patent. The following responsibilities are undertaken by the Port Authority within its Engineering and Operations program activity: Monitoring of shipping activity within
the Port of Thunder Bay and collection of fees as provided in the Port Authority’s By-Laws; Development and leasing of lands and waterlots for the purposes set out in its Letters Patent; Operating Keefer Terminal, a multimodal transportation and warehousing facility; Undertaking research and development related to port activities; Coordinating marine transportation security in consultation with the Port Security Committee; and promotion of the port and its public and private facilities and advocacy on behalf of marine interests. The Canada Marine Act describes the corporate governance structure. The Act provides that a Chief Executive Officer must be in place and such other officials as may be required by the Directors may be retained. The Port of Thunder Bay is located at the head of the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence Seaway System, a dynamic navigable waterway that stretches 3,700 Kilometers, into the heart of the North American continent. Port of Thunder Bay Mission Statement: To promote and invest in the efficient integration of marine, rail, and road transportation systems and to support economic development. Continued
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Ready for The Future! Our Port of Thunder Bay
Continued Top Hat Honours will be announced but ceremonies will not take place in order to prevent the potential spread of virus between participating parties. Immerse yourselves in the diverse history, expansions and developments of our great port, Port of Thunder Bay. I’ll be down on the docks, watching the ships come in!
Contact our Thunder Bay Port of Authority and let them know what an incredible job they are doing! 100 MAIN STREET THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO P7B 6R9 TEL: (807) 345-6400 | FAX: (807) 345-9058 Staff Tim Heney, Chief Executive Officer tim@tbport.on.ca Guy Jarvis, Director of Engineering & Harbour Master guy@tbport.on.ca Mel Parker, Comptroller & Corporate Secretary mel@tbport.on.ca Chris Heikkinen, Communications & Research Coordinator chris@tbport.on.ca
Christian Chukwu, Operations Coordinator christian@tbport.on.ca Welcome to our future! Exerts from: https://www.canada.ca/en/transportcanada/news/2018/07/the-governmentof-canada-invests-in-transportationinfrastructure-at-the-port-of-thunderbay.html
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Thunder Pride Association to accelerate growth of LGBTQ2S tourism in Northwestern Ontario opportunities Local organization to expand festivals and experiences to maximize opportunities for municipalities, businesses and Indigenous communities with support from the Government of Canada
TPA’s PRIDE festival helps to attract approximately 10,000 participants to the region each year. The association plans to double the duration of this festival to 20 days in 2020. The extension is expected to
announced $123,000 in FedNor funding to enable the Thunder Pride Association to carry out its plans. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages.
Canada is built around shared values of diversity, equity, optimism and personal security. These values are especially well aligned with the LGBTQ2S community, for whom safety and acceptance still rank high when choosing a travel destination. As a progressive country, Canada has a competitive advantage. With its approximately 140 Pride events, Canadian cities are routinely recognized worldwide as top LGBTQ2S destinations.
“The Thunder Pride Association is helping the City of Thunder Bay to capitalize on the economic potential generated by overnight visits from national and international tourists from within the LGBTQ2S community. This represents millions of visitors with their sights on Canada, which is an amazing opportunity to grow our region’s inclusive tourism industry.” Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Rainy River
Supporting diversity and inclusiveness in Northwestern Ontario The Thunder Pride Association (TPA) is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that supports the local LGBTQ2S community and its members to achieve their full potential. TPA’s mandate is to celebrate the history, courage, diversity and future of Thunder Bay's LGBTQ2S community; provide support, encouragement and education; work with community groups, academic and other organizations to develop programming, initiatives and events dedicated to reducing homophobia; and build a unique arts and cultural celebration for the City of Thunder Bay, its residents and the surrounding region. The Thunder Pride Association is run by an 11-member volunteer board. Capitalizing on tourism and economic
help boost local tourism and the economic benefits for local businesses. TPA will also host the Fierté Canada Pride (FCP) National Conference in 2021, which is expected to attract more than 250 delegates representing 125 associations from across Canada. During a visit Thunder Bay’s The Chanterelle on Park, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North, and Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay–Rainy River,
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“With the support of this funding, Thunder Pride Association will be able to increase their efforts to attract more visitors for longer stays. When our region is seen as diverse and welcoming, interest in Northwestern Ontario increases, creating more tourism and associated economic benefits.” The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, and Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North
Tel: (807) 683-4900 Fax: (807) 345-8005 Toll Free: 1-800-465-3915
Quotes “Through the Canadian Experiences Fund, our government is investing in the development of our tourism sector and our vibrant communities. Thanks to Government of Canada support for projects like this one, Canadians and visitors to Canada will be able to fully experience our diversity, culture, heritage and inclusive tourism industry.” The Honourable Mélanie Joly, MP for Ahuntsic-Cartierville, and Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedNor
“Today’s announcement is a game changer for the Thunder Pride Association. This exciting project will help create tourism opportunities by attracting national events to Thunder Bay and extending our PRIDE festival to 20 days, which allows more people to visit our community, extend their stay and join the celebrations.” Jason Veltri, Chair, Thunder Pride Association
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Thunder Bay’s First Women in Technology Night! What an amazing evening took place at Tony and Adams, on February 28th which was hosted by Stephanie Pesheau; the Representative for Women in Technology for the Thunder Bay Chapter of the Ontario Association of Certified Engineering Technicians and Technologists (OACETT) About 50 women from the Engineering and Architectural industry came out including Minister Patty Hajdu (MP) and Kathleen Lynch (President of Confederation College) The purpose of the event was to celebrate and promote the profile for women in Technology in Thunder Bay, and support each other while showing younger generations (and current students) that women hold amazing careers in technology! And not to be discouraged in following their passions in Technology and Engineering because of the current demographics. The Chapter is already receiving calls from women who are looking forward to next year. It is expected to become an annual event for OACETT with an ever growing attendance.