Sept-Îles, Quebec
14 October 2014
The project, valued at $220 million, consists of building a new deep-water dock equipped with two ship loaders and two conveyor lines with an annual capacity of 50 million tonnes, meeting the global marine industry’s most recent standards and latest innovations. Next year, this will be the largest mineral port in North America and the only port on the continent that can accommodate Chinamax vessels. The dock is built on piles on the Pointe-Noire sector of the Port of Sept-Îles.
Construction should be completed in October 2014. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is visiting the Port to mark this milestone. After equipment is installed, the Port is expected to open in spring 2015.
This investment will help the port meet global shipping standards for the iron ore industry, which is the largest commodity shipped through the port to overseas markets.
It will also improve the efficiency and capacity of port activities, promote trade and provide economic benefits by creating new opportunities in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador as well as internationally.
The Port de Sept-Îles is an important link between Northern Quebec, Labrador and global markets. This makes it one of the most important parts of Canada’s Continental Gateway network.
This modernization will also create jobs in Northern Quebec and Labrador, in both the short term and the long term.
The Government of Canada is contributing up to $55 million to this project under the Gateways and Border Crossings Fund.
Nearly 1,000 jobs have been created during the two years of dock construction. In November 2013, we reached a peak of 320 workers on the site, of which nearly 70 per cent were local workers. Between 150 and 200 jobs will subsequently be created by rail transport, storage and cargo handling activities.
