The worst winter in 20 years has blocked Canadian trade shipping routes and slowing freight traffic. The Canadian Coast Guard’s fleet of icebreakers is working at capacity to meet the need for assistance but conditions such as these have not been seen since the winter of 1994. Until icebreakers can open ports and support ship movements, Canadian grain will be stored in ports such as Thunder Bay according to the Canadian Shipowners Association which represents six companies that control 83 freight vessels. As much as 30% of the grain grown on the Canadian Prairies is shipped by freighters through Thunder Bay. Normal shipping on the Great Lakes may not resume until the first or second week of April, and the seaway section between Montreal and Lake Ontario is scheduled to open March 31st. Last year the seaway opened on March 22nd. The Canadian Shipowners Association states that the Canadian Coast Guard needs at least three additional icebreakers assigned to the Great Lakes and Seaway.
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