Potash, grain shipments mean strong May at Thunder Bay, Ont. port

Strong potash and grain shipments helped make the month of May a busy one for Thunder Bay's port.

In a media release issued Thursday, the Thunder Bay Port Authority stated that so far this year, cargo numbers at the port are 20 per cent higher than they were by this point in 2016.

Among the highlights for May were potash shipments — mainly, the port authority said, bound for international ports in Brazil and Europe — totaling 134,000 metric tonnes, the highest monthly potash volume the port has seen since April, 2007.

Grain shipments, too, were high, hitting 920,000 metric tonnes in May, which is 100,000 metric tonnes higher than average for the month.

In total, 1,169,998 metric tonnes of cargo went through Thunder Bay's port in May 2017.

That's up from 890,951 metric tonnes in May 2016.

Fifty-two vessels called at the port in May 2017, as well, up from 40 in May 2016.