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Port of Sept-Îles to host Canadian Port Authorities Conference in August 2011

SEPT-ÎLES, August 16, 2010 – The Port of Sept-Îles is proud to announce today that it will host the 53rd Annual Meeting and Conference of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA) August 6–10, 2011. The Port of Sept-Îles was officially selected as the host of next year’s event during the association’s 2010 conference that was held at the beginning of August in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

To merit this selection, the Port of Sept-Îles managers made a special presentation inviting their colleagues to discover all the charm and cachet of our beautiful region and extend their stay a few days next year to experience the North Shore’s immensity and splendor. The conference was already held in Sept-Îles more than 20 years ago (1991), so this will be a special opportunity for the Port Authority to host the event a second time.

The event will last four days and will be one of the largest conferences to be held in Sept-Îles in recent years—more than 225 representatives from all regions of Canada are expected, in addition to several hundred thousand dollars in economic spinoffs. The annual event is held in a different Canadian port city each year and is a forum for representatives from the Canadian port sector to discuss and develop ideas on topics crucial to the industry, in particular trade corridors such as the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, as well as issues surrounding the environment, competitiveness, and trends in cargo transport in the continental and international marine market.

Next year, Canadian port community representatives will be able to witness how important iron and aluminum are to the economic vitality of the Port of Sept-Îles and the entire region. “Right now, we are experiencing an incomparable economic boom. The vibrancy of the Port of Sept-Îles, the close support of the regional economic community, and the contribution of all our business partners have largely been the key to this success. We will therefore be proud to share the growth our region has experienced with the entire Canadian port community,” stated Pierre D. Gagnon, president and chief executive officer of the Port of Sept-Îles.

At the most recent conference, members of the ACPA also elected the Port of Sept-Îles president and chief executive officer as vice chair of its board of directors. “The Port’s board of directors is pleased with this appointment, which demonstrates the high regard that all the Canadian ports have for Mr. Gagnon,” said the chair of the Port of Sept-Îles board of directors, Carol Soucy.

About the Association of Canadian Port Authorities

The Association of Canadian Port Authorities was founded in 1958 and groups together ports and harbors and related marine interests into one national association. The ACPA represents all Canada Port Authorities, various government entities, and companies doing business in the marine sector. The ACPA is the pre-eminent association for the advocacy and advancement of the Canadian port industry. Canada’s 17 port authorities handle more than $160 billion worth of cargo annually.

About Sept-Îles Port Authority

With a full range of high-performance equipment, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s leading iron ore port and will now become Canada’s second largest in terms of annual volume handled, with over 35 million tons.

Sept-Îles’s port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the operation of a number of businesses from the region’s primary sector. The port’s annual economic impact is estimated at nearly $1 billion, with some 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. Port activity at the Port of Sept-Îles therefore remains a significant source of wealth creation in Quebec and Canada.

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