Large Ship at the PortSince 1793, the Port of Toronto has served as Toronto’s gateway to the St. Lawrence Seaway and to marine ports around the world. Serving primarily as a bulk cargo destination, the port boasts a unique location minutes from Toronto’s downtown and moves goods from countries as far away as Germany, South Korea, China, Brazil, Australia, South America and the United States. In addition to managing the movement of ships through the harbour, PortsToronto is the owner and operator of Marine Terminal 52 and the Cruise Ship Terminal within the Port of Toronto.

The Port of Toronto is one of Canada's inland ports and is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario. Located minutes from Toronto's downtown core, the Port provides a seamless network of cost-effective intermodal links to road, rail and air transportation, serving as a unique and crucial piece of economic infrastructure. Marine cargo arriving and managed at the Port of Toronto generated $377.7 million in economic activity and 1,566 jobs in Ontario in 2017. Port also welcomes cruise ships and passengers from around the globe through the Cruise Ship Terminal.
 
In 2020, 174 cargo vessels visited the Port of Toronto, offloading a range of containers, bulk, project and general cargo products. Overall, the Port moved 2,208,358 metric tonnes of cargo, bringing road salt, sugar, cement, aggregate and steel directly into the city’s core. With the Greater Toronto Area’s construction industry showing no signs of slowing down, the port recorded its highest cement cargo imports in 16 years with more than 728,600 metric tonnes delivered through the Port of Toronto last year. The Port also recorded an 11 per cent increase in sugar imports, with 638,283 metric tonnes imported from Central and South America to support Toronto’s food and beverage industry. In addition to importing 677,726 metric tonnes of salt and 92,072 metric tonnes of aggregate in 2020, the Port had another strong year for steel products such as steel coils, rebar, plates and rail from Sweden, Spain and Turkey, totalling more than 59,381 metric tonnes.

The Port of Toronto is also a popular destination for Great Lakes cruising. With the return of cruise ships to Canadian waters in 2022, PortsToronto expects to break its current record and welcome up to 40 cruise ships this season, including a number of new cruise ships designed for expedition cruising on the Great Lakes. Cruise ships are an important contributor to the city’s tourism industry that brought 36 ships carrying approximately 12,000 visitors to Toronto in 2019.
 
Through its mixed-use facilities, the Port also plays a role in supporting Toronto’s $2 billion film industry by providing a production hub for industry players such as Cinespace and Netflix. This complementary use is facilitated in parallel with traditional port operations and has proven to be successful in ensuring the full utilization of PortsToronto property.

The Port and Harbour of Toronto attend to nearly 10,000 recreational boaters; the largest harbour tour fleet in North America; city and airport ferries; visiting cruise ships; and 220 metre-long lakers which are continuously delivering cargo throughout the year.

PortsToronto maintains a paved facility of over 50 acres (20 hectares) located adjacent to downtown Toronto. The yard provides convenience, with excellent access to the railroads, as well as all major highways. This facility is fully bonded, has 24-hour security, and is an ISPS Code Facility, attracting several long-term leases.

The Port of Toronto's marine terminals include inside and outside storage, and some 1,800 metres of berthing space for ships carrying general cargo. All berths are in excess of Seaway depth (27 feet or 8.2 metres.

Additional public and private berths are available around the Port for loading and unloading of bulk materials. The Port of Toronto is operated by PortsToronto, with the marine terminals operated in partnership with Logistec Inc.

PortsToronto

PortsToronto was established for the purpose of operating the Port of Toronto, one of Canada's major commercial ports. The Port Authority possesses legislated responsibility for all its port activities related to shipping, navigation, transportation of passengers and goods, and the handling and storage of cargo. It owns and operates the Billy Bishop Airport, the Port of Toronto (consisting of Marine Terminal 51, Warehouse 52 and the Cruise Ship Terminal) and the Outer Harbour Marina.

PortsToronto is responsible for ensuring the safety and navigation of Toronto’s waterways for both recreational boating and commercial shipping to Canada’s biggest city. The Port has authority over the waters in the Harbour of Toronto.. Click here to see a map of the Port Authority’s jurisdiction.

Port of Toronto Stakeholders

Port Map

The Port of Toronto, one of Canada's largest major inland ports, is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario.

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Boaters Notice

PortsToronto is responsible for keeping the Toronto Harbour safe and navigable. See Boater’s Notices about everything from swimming in the harbour to obtaining permission for a marine event.

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A Power Vessel Operator’s Permit is required to operate a powered vessel in the Port and Harbour of Toronto.

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