It has been two years since the amalgamation of the Hamilton and Oshawa Port Authorities, creating a new, regionally minded entity, now better known as HOPA Ports.
These two Ontario bulk ports in Hamilton and Oshawa are natural bookends to the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA), serving the agriculture, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors. Bringing the two ports together has already produced benefits across the region, by allowing HOPA to accommodate a wider range of businesses looking to expand in the GTHA.
The Port of Oshawa has been attracting investment and building new awareness of its critical role as a gateway to the Greater Toronto Area. In spring 2020, a new grain export terminal, constructed by Sollio Agriculture and QSL, entered its first full season of service. The new facility serves an estimated 200 farmers in the Durham region, providing them with a local export facility whereas previously their product may have been trucked all the way to Hamilton or east to Quebec.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on key commodities, both ports closed out the 2020 season on a high note. Port of Hamilton tonnage was exactly on par with the previous year, while the Port of Oshawa posted its best season ever, with tonnages at this smaller port exceeding 672,000 MT, achieved through enhanced diversification and terminal capacity
This momentum has continued into the 2021 season with the Ports of Hamilton and Oshawa, reaching a combined 6.1 million metric tonnes of cargo through August 31.
Since amalgamation, HOPA Ports has also expanded its network to include new properties owned and/or operated by HOPA in the Niagara Region – including in Port Colborne and at the Thorold Multimodal Hub – advancing HOPA’s strategic vision to create an integrated port network on the Great Lakes.
“It is difficult to believe that two years has passed since the amalgamation of the ports of Hamilton and Oshawa, but already it has sparked a larger movement toward a more regional view of the Great Lakes marine sector,” said President & CEO of HOPA Ports, Ian Hamilton. “HOPA is thrilled to be leading this effort, building an integrated transportation network that will serve the region’s economy for years to come”