Relive this moment in history: Highwater mark for shipping at port of Thunder Bay

Superior Morning7:09Wayback with Matt - Port of Thunder Bay

The Port of Thunder Bay has always been an economic engine for the city.But it's fortunes have seen both highs and lows. On this week's Wayback With Matt, we'll hear more about that ebb and flow.

Since 2013, the Port of Thunder Bay has seen some of its strongest numbers in a long time.

• Grain shipments through Thunder Bay port make for strongest September in decades

Port officials announced on Monday that September 2016 had the strongest shipping numbers for that month in 20 years. The previous two years, 2014 and 2015, were also busy, with some of the highest activity seen since the turn of the millennium.

• Thunder Bay port sees busiest shipping season in decades

• Thunder Bay port sees large number of imports, exports

• Two lakers race to be the first ship in Thunder Bay port this year

But this apparent turnaround still pales in comparison to the amount of activity the port was seeing during the boom period of the 1970s and 1980s.

Listen to Wayback With Matt to hear some of CBC's coverage of those days as they were coming to an end, and dark clouds were gathering on the horizon for workers.