The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation (SLSMC) announced that there will not be a toll increase in 2011. The decision to extend the toll freeze was made in an effort to maintain the momentum underlying the Seaway’s market development initiatives.
A 15.46% increase in tonnage during the 2010 navigation season testifies to a rebound in activity, following a difficult 2009 season. The effectiveness of the SLSMC’s business development initiatives can be witnessed with over a million tonnes of new business passing through the system in 2010.
“Given the recuperation of the economy, an extra year with no toll increase will assist our stakeholders in their efforts to develop new business and will serve to reinforce the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System’s position as the gateway to North America’s heartland,” said Bruce Hodgson, Director of Market Development for the SLSMC.
Recently appointed SLSMC President and CEO Terence Bowles voiced his support for the toll freeze. “We are striving to reduce the cost and complexity of the system and attract new cargo,” said Bowles. “The extension of the toll freeze, coupled with various incentive programs, represents tangible steps toward meeting these objectives.”
Since its inception in 1959, more than 2.5 billion tonnes of cargo valued at over $375b have moved via the Seaway. Today, marine transportation within the Seaway continues to support the well-being of millions of people on both sides of the Canada/US border and, through increased use, carries the promise to do even more. The SLSMC remains dedicated to promoting the economic and environmental benefits of the marine mode, attracting new cargoes to the Seaway and leveraging technology to enhance the system’s performance.