The Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway transportation system extends 3,700 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean into the Great Lakes. This binational transportation corridor serves two Canadian provinces, eight U.S. states, and over 100 ports and commercial docks that connect to over 40 provincial and interstate highways, and 30 railway lines. In 2022, 36.3 million tonnes of cargo valued at $16.7 billion transited the Seaway on their way to and from key Canadian and American ports. Cargo traffic reached 37.6 million tonnes in 2023.
The management and operation of the Canadian portion of the Seaway was commercialized in 1998 with the responsibility for the safe and efficient movement of goods through the Seaway conferred to the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC), a not-for-profit corporation. On behalf of the Government of Canada, the SLSMC manages 13 of the 15 Seaway locks, while the U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (GLS) manages the remaining two.
The new agreement reinforces Canada's ongoing commitment to the Seaway, as it is vital to the cost-effective and efficient transportation of key bulk commodities like grain, iron ore, petroleum products, stone, and aggregates. It serves two Canadian provinces, eight U.S. states, and over 100 ports and commercial docks that connect to over 40 provincial and interstate highways, and 30 railway lines. With its access to ports and agility in responding to market demands, the Seaway supports a wide range of regions and sectors as a critical corridor for domestic and international trade and plays an important role in maintaining fluid and resilient global and North American supply chains.
Modernizing Canada's Marine Transportation Supply Chain
Canada's marine sector is essential to our supply chains to grow our economy, create good jobs for middle-class Canadians, and deliver affordable goods on time. To ensure that critical marine supply chain operations are strategically positioned, competitive and modernized, Transport Canada launched the St. Lawrence Seaway Review in 2017 and the Ports Modernization Review in 2018.
Through the parallel lenses of ports and the Seaway, each review assessed opportunities for economic development and competitiveness, improved governance and financial management, and enhanced social and environmental responsiveness within Canada's marine transportation sector.
The Port Modernization Review was completed in 2022. The Strengthening the Port System and Railway Safety in Canada Act, which was first tabled in the House of Commons in November 2022, seeks to amend the Canada Marine Act to optimize the current and future role of Canada's strategic ports in the transportation system as innovative assets that support inclusive growth and trade.
The Agreement
The signing of a modernized agreement with the SLSMC follows the Seaway Review. The modernized agreement provides stability of the marine supply chains and continued maintenance of a safe, secure and efficient transportation channel. The modernized agreement also improves the management of the Seaway by strengthening relationships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, improving climate change responsiveness and accountability, and enhancing governance mechanisms.
This new agreement establishes a foundation for continued investment to uphold and secure the Seaway's position as a national strategic asset and critical trade corridor. It also modernizes aspects of how the Seaway is managed, strengthens governance and improves social and environmental responsiveness. The agreement will provide:
- Continued stability of marine supply chains. To help build economic development opportunities, users of the St. Lawrence Seaway and the industries they serve need long-term certainty. This agreement reinforces Canada's ongoing commitment to strengthening the marine transportation system and investing in protecting the integrity of the Seaway and ensuring safe navigation.
- Continued maintenance of a safe, secure and efficient transportation channel. To ensure that the Seaway continues to operate safely, the agreement delivers the resources needed to enable the SLSMC to continue to upgrade and maintain federally owned Seaway infrastructure, including locks, wharves, roads, and bridges.
- Strengthened relationships with Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The SLSMC will work with Indigenous and local communities to establish dedicated committees to increase local involvement in the operations of the Seaway. Through these committees, Indigenous and local communities will have opportunities to have their voices heard by the SLSMC and will foster meaningful relationships and improve their dialogue. The formation of a dedicated committee to engage with Indigenous communities will support efforts to advance reconciliation based on recognition of rights, respect, cooperation, and partnership.
- Improved climate change responsiveness and accountability. To ensure current and future climate risks are addressed, the SLSMC will publish an annual plan and report on its actions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This plan will be aligned with proposed requirements for Canada Port Authorities under the Strengthening the Port System and Railway Safety in Canada Act and with Canada's national Greenhouse Gas Reduction targets.
- Enhanced governance mechanisms. To increase transparency and ensure the Seaway provides the best value for Canadians, new committees with representation from Transport Canada and the SLSMC will be established to address business operations, land management, infrastructure and financial performance on an ongoing basis.
