The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) will make significant infrastructure investments this year as the agency supports major expansion projects in the agri-food sector at Hamilton Harbour.
Parrish & Heimbecker, which leases HOPA property at Pier 10, is undertaking a $125-million expansion to its flour mill in 2025 while the SucroCan Sugar Refinery is spending $135 million to boost its refinery capacity at the site to one million tonnes.
The new SucroCan facility at Pier 15 will replace the firm’s existing smaller plant at Pier 10.
SucroCan moves, expands
Agri-food now represents 31 per cent of HOPA’s overall cargo with 16 companies at the Port of Hamilton serving the sector.
Jonathan Wetselaar, HOPA’s director of capital projects, provided an overview of the two new Hamilton agri-food projects as well as upcoming infrastructure investments at HOPA sites in Oshawa and Port Colborne to members of the Hamilton-Halton Construction Association at the HHCA’s Construction Forecast breakfast last week.
Wetselaar said HOPA’s project pipeline is “very, very healthy,” with the two latest agri-food builds underscoring the wisdom of HOPA’s decision to pivot towards that sector over a decade ago.
“We started to see the writing on the wall as to what was happening with the steel industry, and we very strategically focused on agri-foods, because we saw the future, we saw the production…and the way that we can move the goods, move the grain, bring food products in in order to feed the region,” he said in an interview. “That’s really ballooned.”
Parrish & Heimbecker launched at the Port of Hamilton in 2008 with a grain terminal and in 2017 opened Ontario’s first new flour mill in 75 years. The addition of a second mill in 2020 doubled its processing capacity.
The latest expansion will include two new storage silos for handling feed ingredients such as soymeal, distillers dried grains and wheat to service the flour mills. It’s expected to be completed late in 2025.
HOPA contributed demolitions and dock and land improvements in 2024 and will tender access control upgrades at Ferguson Avenue in Q1.
To enable SucroCan’s expansion, HOPA has committed to construction of a rail transload yard in 2024/25 and electrical distribution upgrades during the same period.
“They basically finished standing up all of the steel, and they’re starting with the millrights and the pipe fitters and everything to actually install the equipment,” Wetselaar said, describing current activity onsite. “Their intention is to basically have that refinery ready to go before late summer and start to produce at that facility. It’s an extremely aggressive timeline, and it’s gone very, very fast. So it’s impressive to see.”
Diversified industry
Wetselaar acknowledged current threats to exports to the U.S. under the Donald Trump administration but pointed out that Hamilton’s agri-food sector is diversified and ships worldwide.
“Strategically, long-term, Canada is a producing nation, and we deliver goods not just to the U.S. but also to Europe and Africa, all over the world,” he said.
The Port of Hamilton authority added Oshawa to its mandate four years ago. The Port of Hamilton sees 600 vessels per year while Oshawa accepts around 75.
Two projects in Oshawa this year include a $13.5-million improvement to access and utilities at the East Wharf, and a $15-million job to protect the approach channel.
HOPA assumed control of lands along the Welland Canal in 2023 — 41 acres of surplus Transport Canada property at Port Colborne had remained undeveloped since construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway. HOPA is currently working to support a $30-million investment by Canada Clean Fuels and CSL Group to develop a clean fuels terminal at the site.
HOPA’s total capital outlay for 2025, including federal National Trade Corridors funding, will amount to $44.5 million.
Other HOPA projects include the Hamilton Administration Building Office Renovations, with construction starting in Q1; Pier 10 Access Control, Q1; Pier 14 Wharf Remediation, with engineering in Q1 2025 and construction in 2026/27; Ship Street Resurfacing and Access Control, with construction to launch in Q2; Pier 15 204 Hillyard Fire Water Main, Q1; Pier 15 Sherman Avenue Extension, Q2/Q3; Pier 22/24 Rail Crossings, Q2; and Pier 24 Rail Reconstruction, Q1.
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