NEWS RELEASE – U.S. COAST GUARD PUBLIC AFFAIRS: Leveraging a contract awarded by the U.S. Coast Guard to enhance maritime domain awareness, the Great Lakes District will deploy autonomous drones to support Coast Guard missions on the Great Lakes this summer from May to October, 2026. These are uncrewed surface vehicles with primary hybrid-electric propulsion, wind assist via the Saildrone Wing, and solar power as an auxiliary battery charge source.

The autonomous vessels are highly visible, equipped with radar, cameras and collision-avoidance artificial intelligence, and monitored 24/7 by human operators who can take manual control if needed. Sail drones are equipped with sensors that are strictly focused on maritime domain awareness, providing critical information on vessel activities, including vessels in distress or conducting illegal operations.

In short, these autonomous systems augment the essential needs of our fully qualified Coast Guard crews operating on the Great Lakes.

USCG

Warning of a looming labor shortage and aging icebreaker fleet, the Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) is calling on the federal government to prioritize the marine sector to safeguard Canada’s trade goals and G7 economic standing. “This is a critical juncture for Canada and for the government because they are focused on building the strongest economy in the G7,” said Jason Card, CMC’s vice-president of external affairs.

“They are focused on enhancing internal trade and creating stronger supply chains. Our asks speak directly to that, and working in partnership, I think we can do great things to realize net benefits for businesses, consumers and the nation overall.”

Card said the chamber, a binational, private-sector, non-profit association representing marine industry stakeholders throughout the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, is calling on the federal government to:
• Prioritize marine shipping within the $5-billion Trade Diversification Corridors Fund and $1-billion Arctic Infrastructure Fund.
• Fund marine training schools and provide an enabling policy environment to address immediate labour shortages and structural barriers to workforce development.
• Follow through on 2025 budget commitments to identify more ports of first arrival, allowing the Canada Border Services Agency to clear foreign containers at more locations.
• Accelerate the construction of new Canadian Coast Guard icebreakers to ensure reliable services and support an extended shipping season on the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence system.

Regarding the four asks, Card said that while prioritizing them is challenging, the workforce issue stands out. He said Canadian Marine Careers Foundation found at least 30 per cent of the workforce will retire by 2029, leaving 8,300 vacancies across the marine industry.

“There are only a handful of specialized schools that produce the students needed. The situation we face right now is akin to knowing about the doctor and nursing shortage before it happened and being able to do something about it.”

Card said one of the investments CMC is suggesting for those specialized schools, such as Georgian College, is in simulators. The cost and maintenance of the units are high. “It’s something in the order of $300,000 a year or more just to maintain and update the software and keep the licences to maintain those simulators.”

He said seafaring is a rewarding career with high-paying jobs. Having more industry-trained workers also helps fortify Canada’s supply chain, on which the nation relies. “More than 80 per cent of what consumers and businesses need comes to them by vessel. Any loss in talent affects both the economy and our ability to have the basic things we need to sustain society.”

The marine industry has invested billions over the last several years in everything from vessels to infrastructure. All of that has been done to maintain and enhance the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, Arctic and coastal marine shipping. Those investments have contributed to the 99.5 per cent reliability of the most sustainable trade conduit in North America, said Card.

“There is capacity and opportunity to grow traffic on the Great Lakes. At this time, that capacity should be of pivotal interest to a federal government that wants to strengthen internal trade and trade to new nations. Our sector should be prioritized, especially with respect to pursuing short sea shipping and increased movements of energy products. There are a lot of opportunities where investments can be made to help us diversify trade.”

Another way to increase trade on the lakes is to grant Canada Border Services Agency support to six ports along the lakes — Quebec City; Valleyfield, Que., and Picton, Hamilton, Windsor and Goderich in Ontario.

A report by Aviseo Strategy + Economy — Unlocking the potential of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System: Economic analysis of container reception services in six Eastern Canadian ports — last year showed allowing the ports to receive and clear foreign containers would generate regional economic development of at least $130 million. It would also generate as much as $80 million in additional tax revenue.

Card said in 2025, the federal government said it would examine other ports, which CMC favours.

“The more ports we enable, the more economic development we support and the stronger our supply chains become. Right now, there is still no port of first arrival in the GTA area, which is unthinkable, really. So we look forward to further announcements in this regard, and we commend the government on this first one, which we hope will be the first of many.”

CMC’s final ask is for the federal government to accelerate the building of new Coast Guard icebreakers. “We saw the worst ice conditions in about a dozen years at the end of the shipping season. We need to make sure our trade is reliable and the system is resilient to inclement weather.”

Card said extreme ice conditions can disrupt trade on the lakes in winter. More icebreakers on the lakes could also extend the shipping season. Canada and the U.S. share icebreaking duties on the lakes, helping wherever needed. Canada, the U.S. and Finland signed a pact to design, build and maintain advanced Arctic and polar icebreakers, which was good news, said Card.

Dave Johnson/Welland Tribune

PORT COLBORNE, ON – A solemn tribute to the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Merchant Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force who served and gave their lives during the Battle of the Atlantic was held in Port Colborne Sunday. Royal Canadian Naval Association Niagara Region hosted the service.

Naval association past president Bob Coles, who served in the naval reserves, and first vice-president Jeff Seburn recently appeared before city council to request that the municipality declare April 27 to May 3 as Navy Week and fly the Royal Canadian Naval Ensign in front of city hall.

Seburn, a 35-year naval veteran who spent seven years in submarines, said the Battle of the Atlantic was the longest military operation of the Second World War, spanning the entire conflict.

“Essentially, it was the battle to get goods and personnel, equipment and ammunition over to Great Britain, and eventually Europe, to carry on the war and fight the Nazis. Without that effort, there would have been no D-Day, no Dieppe, no liberation of the Netherlands. All operations that the Canadian Expeditionary Force took part in.”

He said the war led to a massive fleet expansion, making Canada’s Navy the third largest in the world. The merchant marine also expanded during the conflict with the support of shipyards in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes.

“Associated with Port Colborne is the fact that the merchant marine was made up of some of the lakers that plied the Great Lakes. They were pressed into service for ocean-going service out in the North Atlantic. Those crew members came from within the Niagara region.

“Some of the shipping companies that lost ships and crew are well known: Canada Steamship Lines (CSL), Great Lakes Carriers, Gulf Lake Navigation, Imperial Oil, Paterson Steamships and Upper Lakes Shipping, representing 31 ships and 245 personnel, mostly from Niagara.”

On its website, CSL has pages devoted to its vessels used in the First and Second World Wars.

The company, which was 26 years old in 1939, contributed 15 freighters, often called canallers, to the war effort on saltwater, approximately a quarter of its entire fleet of cargo ships. The post said all of the donated vessels were small — each only about 75 metres long — because they were designed to transit the small canals that predated those of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest military operation of the Second World War. CSL said the majority of its canallers requisitioned during the conflict were used in British coastal waters, where they replaced larger ships that moved to longer routes.

Thousands of kilometres away, at least three CSL canallers were assigned a different task, no less crucial, carrying bauxite, used to make aluminum for planes, from mines in northeastern South America to a trans-shipment center in the Caribbean Sea. The bauxite run proved to be very dangerous for the canallers; two of the CSL ships in the trade were sunk by German subs, the same number as the company’s losses to enemy action off the British and Irish coasts.

The company’s other war loss occurred during the first naval conflict in Canadian waters since the War of 1812, the little-known Battle of the St. Lawrence. That name referenced two crucially important waterways — the lower St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence — where, according to the Canadian Military Journal, German submarines torpedoed 21 merchant ships and five warships between 1942 and 1944.

Of the 10 CSL canallers that survived the war, four — Anticosti, Granby, Knowlton, Oxford — participated in the Normandy invasion. Neither these ships nor any other survivors returned to the CSL fleet.

CSL’s bulk carrier Frontenac was docked nearby, and at the end of the tribute, Captain David Ogle offered a respectful master salute from the ship. The passage of the fleet’s Baie St. Paul  further marked the moment.

Welland Tribune, CSL
Find out more about CSL ships that served in WWII here

GREEN BAY, WI – Efforts to relieve high water levels after mid-April storms flooded communities in the Green Bay, Appleton and Oshkosh areas have closed the Port of Green Bay for two weeks, causing a mounting economic impact on key industries. The Army Corps of Engineers in mid-April opened the dam gates on Lake Winnebago to relieve high water levels after major storms dumped record rainfalls across the massive Fox-Wolf Watershed. The outflows increased the water velocity on the Fox River to speeds that since April 18 have made it unsafe for ships to navigate the port.

Port of Green Bay Director Dean Haen said the entire watershed got so much rain it created one-of-a-kind conditions on the river and for the port, which generates about $217 million in economic activity each year, supporting more than 1,600 local jobs. “This has never happened in my time here,” Haen said. “We’re working through something for the first time.”

The unexpected conditions left port terminal operators to scramble for alternate ways to take delivery of raw materials like wood pulp, petroleum products and cement that are vital to key northeastern Wisconsin industries like paper, construction and agriculture. Haen said at least four ships, possibly as many as 10, have diverted to a different port or turned around. Companies that shift deliveries to a different port have to pay to have the materials delivered to Green Bay via trucks. One ship, the Edenborg, has been docked in the bay for 12 days now waiting it out, unable to deliver its wood pulp cargo.

Haen said the Lake Winnebago dam gates could need to remain open – making the port inaccessible – for another 10-14 days without an alternative solution.

Officials from Brown County, which operates the port, have asked the corps and federal legislators to create a “safe navigation” period each week to avoid making economic conditions worse. This would involve closing the Lake Winnebago dam gates for a set period of time to allow ships to reach their terminals, load or unload, and depart safely.

“They’re open to figuring out something to allow ships to get in and not let the water back up,” Haen said.

Green Bay Press-Gazette

 

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) announced that the Port of Monroe has received a $15 million federal investment from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to support critical dock upgrades and modernize operations. The funding comes from DOT’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP). Peters advocated for the Port of Monroe’s application for this federal funding.

“The Port of Monroe plays a critical role in connecting Michigan to regional and global shipping partners, helping to safely and efficiently transport products that our families and businesses depend on every day,” said Senator Peters. “I was proud to help secure this funding for the Port to make necessary upgrades that will improve operations and strengthen key Michigan supply chains.”

“Senator Peters’ unrelenting support of the Port of Monroe has been and continues to be one of the greatest honors of my career. His dedication to the citizens of Michigan is unparalleled and his recognition of the Great Lakes maritime industry’s vital role to a prosperous economy is unmatched,” said Captain Paul C. LaMarre III, President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association and Port Director in Monroe, Michigan. “This funding will ensure that aging infrastructure at the Port of Monroe is revived and ready for any and all cargoes to support Michigan industry now and in the future.”

Specifically, this grant funding will allow the Port of Monroe to eliminate failing infrastructure and modernize critical waterfront assets. Upgrades include rehabilitation of key riverfront docking areas and electric power systems, which will support uninterrupted operations at the port. Additionally, the funding will help the Port of Monroe become the first SAFE Port Act compliant facility on the Great Lakes, which will provide the Midwest with a direct and efficient link to global trade, reducing reliance on congested coastal gateways and anchoring long-term growth for manufacturers and exporters.

Peters has long prioritized strengthening Michigan’s shipping ports, including the Port of Monroe. Since 2020, Peters has repeatedly fought to secure robust funding for the port, including investments to expand cargo capacity, purchase new crane equipment, and upgrade cargo screening infrastructure. In 2025, Peters also introduced bipartisan legislation to help ensure Great Lakes ports receive a fair share of PIDP funding.

In 2024, Peters convened a field hearing to examine the impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law on Michigan’s transportation infrastructure. Captain LaMarre testified at the hearing and reiterated that expanded freight capacity at the Port of Monroe will bolster Michigan’s and the nation’s critical supply chains. In 2021, Peters toured the Port of Monroewith Customs and Border Protection officials to discuss cargo clearance challenges facing the port. In a video released as part of Peters’ On the Job for Michigan video series, Captain LaMarre highlighted the importance of Peters’ advocacy for positioning the Port of Monroe for continued success.

Office of Senator Gary Peters

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI– It’s opening day for the Visitor Center. For schedule updates call the hotline, 906-202-1333. In another sure sign of spring, the passenger ship Victory l is at the Carbide Dock, marking the first cruise ship visit of the season.

Soo Locks Visitor Cebnter Assn.

SUPERIOR, WI — A spring tradition expanded this week as Superior Historic Properties welcomed volunteers to the SS Meteor for a few extra days. For the past 20 years, volunteers have gathered to spend a weekend preparing the last whaleback freighter for tourist season, according to Jess McCullough, Superior Historic Properties director. Now that the ship is under city management, he said, the annual work weekend was extended to a full week of painting, cleaning, staging, de-winterizing and carpentry.

SS Meteor Work Week also prepares the vessel for its 130th birthday celebration, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16. The public is invited for tours and a look at new interactive exhibits. “There will be cake,” added tour guide Bella Olson.

What does sprucing up a 130-year-old ship include? By Tuesday afternoon, much of the entry area had been freshly painted and projects were underway in the stairwells, galley and engine room. “There’s so many volunteers and so many people that just care so much about this. … They’re worth their weight in gold,” said Jacob Bunt, superintendent of facilities, construction and maintenance for the city. He was in the process of covering walls of the ship’s hold with a coat of white marine paint, which Bunt said had a texture similar to glue.

In the engine room, volunteer Mark Booth took time out from repair work to discuss the Meteor’s triple-expansion steam engine, which was recently restored to working condition. “We’re doing a lot of fun in the engine room. I think we can give them a better show,” Booth said. Olson scraped paint from stairway walls while other volunteers tackled floor repair in a crew bedroom and repainted the galley cupboards Tuesday.

Volunteer Erik Larson of Minneapolis brought his knowledge of lakers to the task. He is the third mate on the Erie Trader, which is paired with the tugboat Clyde S. VanEnkevort. The Erie Trader is more than twice the size of the Meteor — 850 long compared to 380. Larson said he was happy to get a chance to work on the last remaining whaleback. “I like boats and I kind of like the history part of it, being able to say ‘I’m part of it, working on an 1800s boat.’ They don’t build them like this anymore,” Larson said. “It’s kind of cool to come see what the past was like.” He did take a break from painting to watch his own barge, the Erie Trader, pass by. Larson and fellow volunteers were treated to a blast from the barge’s horn before returning to work.

The SS Meteor was launched from Superior in 1896. It was the 36th of 44 ships built by the American Steel Barge Co., based on Capt. Alexander McDougall’s whale-like design. Originally christened as the Frank Rockefeller, the Meteor served as an ore carrier before being converted to haul dredge material and cars as the South Park. It last served as a petroleum tanker before it was turned into a museum in 1973.

Walk-in volunteers are welcome through May 2. They can also sign up online through the Superior Historic Properties events calendar:

Superior Telegram

UPDATED 2 p.m. THURSDAY: The Soo Locks are back open after being closed for several hours on Wednesday. Carrie Fox, a spokesperson for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told &10 News that the locks were shut down around 1 p.m. Wednesday after a ship accidentally dropped its anchor in the Poe Lock. The ship, the American Century, had to back out of the lock and moor at the pier. “The initial investigation had no major findings which allowed operations to commence. We will need to do follow-up underwater inspections for any potential structural damages in the coming days,” Fox said.

9&10 News

6:30 PM UPDATE: The American Century was entering the lock about 6 p.m., which presumes no damage was found by the Corps survey  vessel. James R. Barker has moved back up into postion to take the lock from the upboiund Burns Harbor. Carrie Fox, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said the American Century accidentally dropped her anchor around 1 p.m.  The American Century is 1,000 feet long and owned by the American Steamship Co.

ORIGINAL REPORT: SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – While downbound into the Poe Lock in the early afternoon Wednesday, American Century accidentally dropped its anchor. After the anchor was brought up, the Oakglen shifted to the West Pier and the James R. Barker moved astern so that the Century could back out of the lock. The Corps of Engineers has dispatched the survey vessel Bufe to inspect the lock.

The upbound Burns Harbor is tied up at the lower Poe Lock pier. Downbound Edwin H. Gott went anchor in Waiska Bay. Upbound Kathy McKeil went to anchor in the Nine Mile anchorage, with American Integrity likely to join her. Ashtabula/Defiance went to anchor above DeTour with the Joseph L. Block ordered to join her until the situation is resolved.

 

SODUS POINT, NY – Rising water levels on Lake Ontario are prompting local officials in Sodus Point to prepare for possible flooding, with conditions already trending upward early in the spring season. Mayor Pat Nolan said water levels have climbed to 246.80 feet, marking a noticeable increase since the start of April and raising concerns about how quickly conditions could change in the coming weeks. According to Nolan, the International Joint Commission is currently managing water flows under Plan 2014, with outflows reduced to balance downstream conditions along the St. Lawrence River. That balancing act, combined with seasonal rainfall and runoff, is contributing to daily lake level increases estimated between 0.3 and 0.5 inches.

The Lake Ontario portion of the plan does not activate additional measures until water levels reach 247.00 feet. Nolan said the village’s emergency response plan is tied to that threshold, triggering more aggressive actions if levels continue to rise.

Local officials have already begun coordinating with state and county emergency management teams, reviewing resources and planning potential response efforts based on past high-water events. While the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has not updated its long-term forecast for April, Nolan said the village is working with the most current data available, which continues to change daily. As a precaution, the village has closed gravity-fed stormwater gates and switched pump systems to automatic operation. Nolan said those measures are functioning as intended and are part of a broader strategy to manage water flow and protect infrastructure.

Residents are being urged to take steps now to prepare for possible high water, including checking sump pumps, moving belongings out of flood-prone areas, clearing shoreline obstructions, and installing protective barriers where needed. Village officials said additional updates will be provided if conditions worsen or if sandbagging and other protective measures become necessary.

FingerLakes 1