Lake Superior port upgrades in Thunder Bay and Marathon will receive CA$2.8 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation for infrastructure work at two port sites.

Project cargo operations at the Port of Thunder Bay
Project cargo operations at the Port of Thunder Bay. Photo: Port of Thunder Bay

Provincial officials said the two terminals support northwestern Ontario’s role in east-west trade within Canada⁠. They also linked the projects to stronger domestic supply chains, job creation in the North and reduced dependence on U.S. customers.

Lake Superior port upgrades and NOHFC funding

At Keefer Terminal, the Thunder Bay Port Authority will receive CA$804,955 from the NOHFC to expand staging and storage capacity by 10 acres.

Chris Heikkinen, CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay, said the facility’s location and added laydown capacity would support its cargo-handling role.

“Strategically located as the furthest inland port in Canada, this premier intermodal facility is a vital supply chain link serving western Canada and Northern Ontario,” said Chris Heikkinen, CEO of the Port of Thunder Bay. “Expanding laydown capacity will enhance our ability to handle increased and more diversified cargo, supporting inbound opportunities and improving vessel availability for bulk exports.”

The Port of Thunder Bay⁠ is positioned at the western end of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System and has on-dock rail links with CN and CPKC. In 2025, more than 10.7 million metric tons of cargo passed through Thunder Bay.

Marathon marine terminal plan

A separate CA$2 million allocation will go to the Peninsula Harbour Port Authority. The money will support the reuse of unused commercial docks in Marathon as a marine terminal. The port authority was incorporated in November 2020 through a partnership between the Town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg First Nation.

The Marathon terminal is expected to enter operation by late 2027. The initial project plan does not include restoring the 0.3-mile rail spur that previously connected the property to a Canadian Pacific Railway, now CPKC, mainline, according to a recent report in Northern Ontario Business⁠.

Cargo vessel docked in Thunder Bay
Archive photo of the MV Tim S Dool at a dock in Thunder Bay. Photo: Pete Markham / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0

The two projects cover different port needs on Lake Superior. In Thunder Bay, the funding adds capacity at Keefer Terminal, which the port describes as a 32-hectare project and general cargo facility with on-dock rail and an intermodal yard. In Marathon, the port plan is tied to reactivation: FedNor separately announced CA$2 million in May 2026 for work to return the Port of Marathon to operational marine terminal status, including design, engineering, dredging, dock rehabilitation, electrical upgrades and on-site road and yard improvements.

The NOHFC has an annual budget of CA$110 million and supports public and private economic development projects across northern Ontario.