Toronto (February 15, 2018) – It was the best year in more than a decade for the Port of Toronto which moved 2,172,750 metric tonnes of cargo in 2017. The strong year in marine imports, along with a significant rise in cruise ship arrivals, confirms the Port’s position as a vital part of Toronto’s economic infrastructure.
 
In 2017, 201 ships visited the Port of Toronto, bringing sugar, road salt, cement and aggregate directly into the heart of the city. With approximately 2.2 million metric tonnes, overall port tonnage was up more than 16 per cent in 2017, with cement cargo imports remaining strong for another year at more than 679,000 metric tonnes. Stone, aggregate and sand cargo levels continued to increase ending the year at 176,105 tonnes, while salt imports increased by 50 per cent since 2016. Sugar imports were also strong with a nine per cent increase at more than 561,000 tonnes of raw sugar delivered via the port. Project cargo of 1,736 tonnes, which consisted of parts for a paper plant, was imported from Europe using three separate vessels.
 
In addition, the Port of Toronto’s popularity as a cruise ship destination continued with 16 passenger cruise ships carrying more than 5,600 passengers visiting PortsToronto’s Cruise Ship Terminal between May and October 2017. This represents a more than 120 per cent increase in cruise ship traffic since 2016.
 
“As well as keeping drivers safe by helping to keep the city supplied with salt for the roads, the Port of Toronto also ensures the delivery of the concrete used to support the city's booming construction industry, and the sugar used in the Toronto and area food and drink manufacturing industry. The goods delivered through Toronto's port have a significant impact on industry in the city, and increasingly the passengers arriving aboard passenger cruise ships are having a positive impact on our tourism industry,” said Geoffrey Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, PortsToronto. “The Port of Toronto continues to provide Canadian and international businesses with a convenient, sustainable and cost-effective way to bring goods, and people, into the heart of the city.”
 
In addition to its economic impact, increased imports through the port has a positive impact on the environment and traffic congestion given the approximate 2.2 million metric tonnes of cargo delivered by ship took approximately 54,000, 40-tonne trucks off Toronto's already congested roads and highways. In fact, one tonne of freight can travel 240 kilometres on a single litre of fuel by ship, whereas it can only travel 30 kilometres on the same amount of fuel by truck.
 
Since 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 Terminals 51, 52 and the Cruise Ship Terminal within the Port of Toronto.
 
Visit PortsToronto’s website for key facts on the Port or take a tour of the Port of Toronto and learn about the environmental benefit of marine transportation and the important role the Port plays in Canada's transportation network. 
 
About the Port of Toronto (https://www.portstoronto.com/port-of-toronto.aspx)
The Port of Toronto, one of Canada's largest major inland ports, is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario. For over 100 years, the Port of Toronto has been connecting Toronto to every continent on earth. 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. In an average year, more than two million metric tonnes of cargo pass through Toronto’s Port, taking tens of thousands of trucks off Ontario’s congested highways. In addition to moving cargo, the Port also welcomes cruise ships and passengers from around the globe through the Cruise Ship Terminal. The Port of Toronto continues to be a vital connection to the world, not only boosting tourism and trade, but also helping to lower Toronto’s carbon footprint.
 
About PortsToronto (https://www.portstoronto.com)
For more than 100 years PortsToronto has worked with its partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels to enhance the economic growth of the City of Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. PortsToronto owns and operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, which welcomed more than 2.8 million passengers in 2017; the Outer Harbour Marina, one of Canada's largest freshwater marinas; and, Terminals 51 and 52, which provide transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses at the Port of Toronto. PortsToronto is committed to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities and has invested more than $9 million since 2009 in charitable initiatives and environmental programs that benefit communities along Toronto's waterfront and beyond. PortsToronto operates in accordance with the Canada Marine Act and is guided by a nine-member board with representation from all three levels of government.
 
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Media Contact:
Jen Brailsford, Communications Officer
PortsToronto
Tel: (416) 863-2016
Cell: (647) 298-0585
E-mail: jbrailsford@portstoronto.com