Polsteam Wigry on March 29. [Ron Beaupre]

Ship Junkies

Polsteam Wigry on March 29. [Ron Beaupre]

UPDATE: The derailed railcars were quickly removed and the Welland Canal is back open.

ORIGINAL REPORT: A train derailed in St. Catharines, ON, Monday morning at Lock 4. Niagara Regional Police say CN Railway is continuing to investigate the derailment, which occurred east of Glendale Avenue near Keele Street. Welland Canal closed at this time.

Ship Junkies

UPDATE – Noon Monday: U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard vessels are working to keep traffic moving on the river. Burns Harbor made it downbound through the Rock Cut, with Edwin H. Gott following her. Upbound traffic waiting includes American Mariner, Wilfred Sykes, Algoma Equinox, Algoma Discovery and Algoma Niagara.

ORIGINAL REPORT: Indiana Harbor and Hon. James L. Oberstar have made it through the St. Marys River and are on the way to Conneaut and Toledo respectively. Burns Harbor will  be the next to come down, followed by Edwin H. Gott, ice permitting. Sx other downbounders are still delayed by ice above the locks. CSL Niagara and Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin were in Mud Lake Sunday evening, with the CCG Judyt Lamarsh and USCG Neah Bay hove to nearby. American Mariner and Joyce L. VanEnkevort remain  stopped above DeTour. Wilfred Sykes, Algoma Equinox, Algoma Discovery, Spruceglen and Algoma Niagara remain stopped below DeTour. It is unlikely there will be much vessel movement before first light on Monday.

AIS data from https://ais.boatnerd.com

Burns Harbor in ice approaching the Poe Lock. [David Kaye]

Burns Harbor in ice approaching the Poe Lock. [David Kaye]

John Henderson, Captain Adam Barnes, Ken Boschoff, and Chris Heikkinen pose for a photo at the 2026 Top Hat Ceremony on March 27, 2026. [Clint Fleury]

“We got into the river first. The first vessel coming up to Thunder Bay. I was keeping a good eye on the traffic, so we wanted to make sure we were first. So, it was competitive, I guess, is a good word for saying it, but all in good spirits,” Barnes told Newswatch.

Barnes said the ship had a little delay in the St. Mary’s River as ice conditions made it challenging to manoeuvre around corners. Once the Kathy McKeil cleared the river into Lake Superior, it was a smoother voyage. “Around Whitefish Bay, there’s a bit of ice, but the wind conditions actually were pushing it away from land when we came. We had a bit of clear tracks on the way up, wasn’t too bad,” Barners said.

Kathy McKeil was the last laker to leave the port at the end of the 2025 shipping season at the beginning of January. The Kathy McKeil’s crew of 15 is on a steady run from Windsor to Thunder Bay and back. In its return trip, Barnes said, the vessel will be transporting canola.

The purpose of the top hat ceremony signifies the start of a new shipping season in Thunder Bay, but also honours the ship, and the shipping company – McKeil Marine Limited – for leading the way into the season, according to Chris Heikkinen, chief executive officer of the Thunder Bay Port Authority. “It signifies to the community that the shipping season is open, and it’s a sign of spring and revitalization in the harbour,” he said.

The Port of Thunder Bay handles a diverse range of cargoes, playing a role in the regional and national economy. Despite the cold weather and snow, Heikkinen says they’re confident this year’s shipping season will be prosperous. “Last year was a great shipping season. We topped 10 million tons of cargo in the port, and we’re certainly hopeful for that again in 2026. We had three vessels arrive yesterday to start the season, which is very encouraging, and we’ve got a nice lineup of vessels coming in the next several weeks,” he said.

The top hat ceremony continues to draw community leaders and port officials together each year, serving as a reminder that as the ice clears, business and opportunity return to the waterfront.

“I think for our community it means that people recognize how important the seaway is, how environmentally fantastic it is, and how many emissions that it’s saving by having a vessel come to the greatest city on the greatest freshwater lake in the world. We’ve got a lot to be grateful for, and the amount of people that are employed here, it sets its own standards, so we’re blessed living in Thunder Bay,” Mayor Ken Boshcoff said.

TBNewswatch ­– https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-journalism-initiative-lji/top-hat-ceremony-marks-official-start-of-2026-shipping-season-12067180

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — Coast Guard Sector Northern Great Lakes’ Operation Taconite experienced delays during ice-breaking operations assisting commercial traffic through the St. Marys River March 26-29, 2026. Ice

St. Marys River ice near Johnson’s Point. [Lake Carriers’ Association]

Coast Guard Cutter Bristol Bay (WTGB 102) is scheduled to depart March 30 to support efforts on the St. Marys River but delays are expected to continue until conditions improve.

Since the opening of the Soo Locks on March 25, six icebreakers have been underway for approximately 300 hours total supporting industry movements on Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the Straits of Mackinac and the St. Marys River.

USCG Press Release

Greg Rudnick, who came up through the hawsepipe sailing mostly on the Ford Motor Co. vessels Benson Ford and Henry Ford II, is the featured speaker at the 2026 Great Lakes Maritime Institute’s Annual Dinner being held at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum in Detroit April 12 at 2 p.m. See the flyer for details.

Vessels in Whitefish Bay waiting to come down, 10 a.m. Sunday. [Boatnerd AIS]

UPDATE 10 a.m. SUNDAY: The work continues near Sault Ste Marie to get all vessels moving through the ice, which has been an issue in recent days. With temps not warming up, the ice is being broken and then re-freezing, and ships are only able to move so far before they are stopped again, thus affecting the traffic behind them. The first order of the day, by the looks of it, is to get the area both above and below the Rock Cut ready so the Indiana Harbor can continue downbound from the 9 Mile Anchorage area. Once they are moving, then the Hon. James L Oberstar can pull away from the lock wall below the Poe where they are currently moored. That will then mean the Burns Harbor can begin to make their way toward the lock if they are not beset in the ice  at Isle Parisienne, where a gaggle of vessels has now converged.

The next order of business may be to get the CSL Niagara and Rt Hon Paul J Martin moving upbound through the Johnson’s Point area behind Neebish Island which has caused some problems for the last few ships going through. Those ships were thousand footers and the track was not wide enough for them and they kept getting stuck at the turns. When the two CSL vessels get moving they won’t have as much difficulty because they both have a beam (width) of about 25% less than a footer so the track should be OK for them.

In general the vessels delays are as follows:

Up above the lock in Whitefish Bay at Isle Parisienne and beyond are the Burns Harbor, Edwin H Gott, John G Munson, Paul R Tregurtha, Evans Spirit, Kathy McKeil, Dirk S VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader, James R Barker and Presque Isle with the CSL Welland quickly approaching Whitefish Point. Behind them is the USCGC Spar on the way from Duluth to assist. At the locks, below the Poe Lock tied up on the wall is the Hon. James L Oberstar.

In the St Marys River at the 9 Mile Anchorage is the Indiana Harbor, then down farther down the St Marys River between Lime Island and Johnson’s Point is the CSL Niagara and Rt Honorable Paul J Martin.

Further down at De Tour is the Joyce L VanEnkevort/Erie Trader (yep they have the Erie Trader barge this run and not their own Great Lakes Trader barge) and the American Mariner. Then, down on Lake Huron tucked away near shore,are the Wilfred Sykes, Algoma Equinox and Algoma Niagara with the Algoma Discovery headed up Lake Huron arriving at De Tour around noon.

All in all there are 18 vessels in this area trying to get through, and the CSL Welland and Algoma Discovery will make it 20. They will get through soon with the help of both the Canadian and US Coast Guard (the USCGC Spar arriving today will help for sure) and some warmer temps in the forecast that will assist in the melting of the ice… It’s only 14F at the moment but will be up to 41F this afternoon and all week and next the temps are warmer so it won’t be long before things are moving around here and the ice and snow are melting. Everywhere else on the lakes is operating with next to no ice or no ice at all. We have not had ice issues like this here in many years.

Mesabi Miner entering the Rock Cut Friday evening. [Cozy Corners]

UPDATE 9 p.m. SATURDAY: Canadian and U.S. icebreakers were able to free the Mesabi Miner from the ice below the Rock Cut. She is now below Lime Island headed to Cleveland at 6.5 kn. Nothing else is moving in the river tonight and traffic is unlikely to resume before morning.

UPDATE 5 p.m. SATURDAY: Mesabi Miner is beset in ice at the Moon Island turn below the Rock Cut in the St. Marys River. CCGS Vincent Massey was beaking ice ahead of her. Downbound Indiana Harbor is stopped in the Nine Mile Anchorage and cannot proceed until the Miner is moving. Hon. James L. Oberstar is being held at the lower Poe Lock pier. Nothing else is moving in the river.

UPDATE 10 a.m. SATURDAY: Traffic is still at a standstill in Sault Ste Marie. Unfortunately the hard work of the Coast Guard is only lasting so long and the cold temps are re-freezing the ice. The warmer temps of the day melt the ice but also turn it into heavy slush and chunks, and that’s not good either.

Saturday morning there’s six vessels up in Whitefish Bay at Isle Parisienne – Hon. James L. Oberstar, Burns Harbor, Edwin H Gott, John G Munson, Evans Spirit and Kathy McKeil. CCGS Vincent Massey is escorting Oberstar down to the locks. Just above Whitefish Point the Dirk S VanEnkevort/Michigan Trader are coming down so they will hunker down after the Kathy McKeil to wait their turn.

Mesabi Miner stopped in the ice. [Chief Steward Sissy Payment]

The Indiana Harbor managed to lock through last night however they have been held at the wall below the Poe Lock because the Mesabi Miner got stuck in the ice just below the Rock Cut last night so not traffic can go through there until she is freed. The USCGC Mackinaw has gone to free the Miner so hopefully she’ll be on her way again soon.

UPDATE 9 p.m. FRIDAY: Mesabi Miner was headed into the Neebish Rock Cut and will be the first downbounder through that channel. USCG Biscayne Bay, Neah Bay and Mackinaw spent the day clearing a track for her. Upbound traffaffic also resumed, as the Stewart J. Cort finally made it through the east Neebish Channel past the always-troublesome Stribling Poing turn. She was followed by Captain Henry Jackman and Joseph L. Block.  CSL Niagara, Rt. Hon. Paul J. Martin and American Mariner were still stopped above DeTour awaiting their turns, with Algoma Niagara stopped below DeTour. Above the locks, CCGS Vincent Massey was leading the Indiana Harbor downbound, with the Hon. James L. Oberstar, Burns Harbor,  Edwin H. Gott and John G. Munson waiting to follow.

DRE Designs

ORIGINAL REPORT: CLEVELAND – A little over a day and half since the Soo Locks opened, providing access to Lake Superior and critical raw materials like iron ore, the U.S.-flagged Great Lakes commercial fleet is at a standstill in the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, AIS shows the downbound Mesabi Miner stopped in the Nine Mile Point anchorage, with USCG Neah Bay assisting and the Mackinaw also in the vicinity. Indiana Harbor, Hon. James L. Oberstar and Burns Harbor were stopped above the Soo Locks, with Edwin H. Gott and John G. Munson still west of Whitefish Point and CCGS Vincent Massey also in that area. Stewart J. Cort is spending her second day trying to make it through the ice in the Neebish Island upbound channel, with USCG Biscayne Bay nearby. Captain Henry Jackman and Joseph L. Block are stopped in Mud Lake and CSL Niagara is expected to join them soon.

Mesabi Miner moving through ice above the Soo Locks on Thursday. [Jim Lehocky]

With the Mackinaw, the only heavy domestic U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker, unable to lock up to Whitefish Bay (due to an engineering casualty), where ice conditions are in excess of two feet in spots covered by three feet of snow, U.S.-flagged Lakers remain locked in ice. A capable icebreaker from Canada was deployed to the area but departed to care for a couple of Canadian ships going to Thunder Bay, ON. Meanwhile the system remains essentially closed with U.S. vessels trapped in the lower St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay.

No ship has passed downbound from Duluth at this point and no cargo has been delivered to the steel mills on the southern lakes.

“The Lake Carriers’ Association has pleaded with Congress to get another heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker on the Great Lakes, but unfortunately funds have been slow to come. I don’t understand the Canadian Coast Guard taking care of a few vessels bound for a port that has commercial icebreaking assistance available and abandoning critical shared waterways like the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay. Now the system is shut down,” stated Jim Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association.

The early opening of the St. Lawarnce Seaway and Welland Canal, simply put greater demand on a mission that is not adequately resourced. Prioritization of Canadian vessels and Canadian ports comes at the expense of American Lakers and American ports.

While the southern Great Lakes are mostly ice-free, conditions to the north are extremely difficult requiring a heavy icebreaker in multiple locations. U.S. manufacturing like steel production continues to feel the pain of an inadequate U.S. Coast Guard icebreaking fleet. As witnessed over the past day, depending on the Canadians to move U.S. cargo is not a reasonable expectation and definitely not in the best interest of the U.S. economy. Both Coast Guards claim to take a “one mission” approach to Great Lakes icebreaking but there is an old saying on the Great Lakes, “A Canadian icebreaker is for Canadians and an American icebreaker is a shared resource.”

Lake Carriers’ Association

The Kaministiqua getting rebranded to Algoma Sunday morning in Sarnia Harbor. [Doug Frost]

Jamie Kerwin

Kaministiqua stack getting Algoma colors on Saturday. [Jamie Kerwin]

The U.S. Coast Guard is ready to help ships navigate icy waters in the Great Lakes, despite being short a couple of icebreaking vessels as the lakes shipping season got underway early Wednesday morning. Between the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards, 11 ice-breaking ships operate on the Great Lakes. The U.S. supplies nine of them.

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw moored in Mackinaw City on March 16, 2023. [WCMU]

The Coast Guard’s heavy icebreaker, the Mackinaw, is considered “partially mission capable” and is being kept out of the Soo Locks because of a bow thruster issue. “She can maneuver and provide icebreaking services, it’s just not a great idea to maneuver close to lock walls/gates and in other close quarters to mitigate the risk of collision,” a USCG spokesperson said in an email.

Data from the Great Lakes surface environmental analysis shows about 20% of the Great Lakes was covered in ice on Wednesday. Most of the ice was in the northern Great Lakes, particularly in Lakes Michigan, Huron and Superior. Warmer temperatures in the lakes’ southern reaches have enabled the Coast Guard to concentrate efforts in areas with greater amounts of ice such as the Straits of Mackinac, St. Mary’s River, and Whitefish Bay.

Smicklas said despite issues with the vessels, the rest of the fleet is ready to help. “Delays can happen in all sorts of ways,” Smicklas said. “Do I think there’s going to be significant delays from lack of icebreaking capacity? No, I really don’t. I think that we’ve got enough assets to do just about what we need to do.”

Eric Peace, vice president of the Lake Carriers’ Association, a group the represents the interests of the commercial shipping industry in the Great Lakes, said the icebreaking fleet isn’t out of the woods yet. As the season continues, the paths carved by icebreakers will start to clog up with large sheets of ice that naturally break off the shoreline, Peace said.

“Without an icebreaker in front of you, when those plates breaks loose and the ship’s in a confined channel, it can push them aground and slice them open,” Peace said. “And we’ve had that occur in the past.” Peace emphasized that any delays can cause harm to the nation’s steel industry, which relies on Great Lakes shipping channels to fuel its multi-billion dollar economic footprint.

“What we’re running right now is supplies to steel mills,” Peace said. “Since January 15, they had raw material on the dock. Now they’re almost empty. If they continue to not be able to be resupplied because of delays due to ice or whatever, that impacts their ability to produce America’s steel.”

Michigan Public – WCMU
https://www.michiganpublic.org/transportation-infrastructure/2026-03-25/down-2-icebreakers-coast-guard-says-its-still-prepared-for-great-lakes-shipping-season

According to the Transport Canada vessel registration web site, Manitoulin is now owned by McKeil Marine Ltd., confirming recent waterfront speculation. The former Lower Lakes Towing Co. self-unloader was part of a recent fleet sale to Algoma Central Corp.

Bill Moran