Ontario Puts $1 Million Toward Reopening Michipicoten Harbour Near Wawa

Michipicoten Harbour, the deep-water port at the mouth of the Michipicoten River south of Wawa, could soon handle commercial ships again for the first time in more than 25 years.

On September 30, 2026, the province announced $1 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) for Superior Aggregates Corporation. The money will pay for structural repairs, upgrades and new equipment so the harbour can reopen to commercial shipping. According to the provincial announcement, the harbour has not been used for shipping since the late 1990s.

What the money is for

Superior Aggregates plans to ship to markets in Central and Eastern Canada through the St. Lawrence Seaway, which would cut its reliance on trucks. The province also says the harbour is expected to run on a shared-use model, so other producers in the region, including forestry and mining companies, could use it as well.

Superior Aggregates general manager Mark Rainone said reviving marine transport at the harbour is “vital,” pointing to rising transportation costs and a shortage of long-haul drivers. According to the province, the company’s shipping volume and its workforce have both doubled, so it needs more capacity.

Northern Economic Development and Growth Minister George Pirie said the funding supports “cost-efficient marine transportation” for northern resource and industrial operations. Algoma–Manitoulin MPP Bill Rosenberg said the repairs will extend the harbour’s working life and keep a shipping route open on Lake Superior.

Why it matters for Wawa

For most of the 20th century, Michipicoten Harbour was how the Wawa area reached the rest of the Great Lakes. Iron ore from the local mines left from its docks, and that trade ended when the mining era wound down in the late 1990s. A working port again would give the area a second freight route alongside Highway 17, which is often closed by weather or collisions. In early October alone, the highway was shut for several hours at Montreal River Hill after a transport truck lost its load.

Questions residents may want answered as the project moves ahead:

• Timing: the province has not said when the first ship is expected.
• Who else can use it: “shared use” sounds open, but the terms for other companies haven’t been published.
• Traffic: more freight by water could mean fewer trucks on the highway. It could also mean more trucks driving to the harbour along Highway 17 and the local roads.

The bigger picture

Ontario has raised the NOHFC’s annual budget to $110 million. The province says its current priorities are protecting northern industries and jobs and responding to U.S. tariffs and other trade disruptions. It also says the fund has put more than $1 billion into more than 8,900 northern projects since June 2018.

Source: Province of Ontario announcement of September 30, 2026, as reported by Ontario Construction News.