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Sept-Îles August 12, 2019 – The Port of Sept-Îles and Microbrasserie La Compagnie were proud to unveil their brand new beer at Mgr-Blanche wharf during XXL Day on Saturday. The beer is the result of a joint initiative to mark the local port authority’s 20th anniversary and will be marketed under the name “POINTE AUX BASQUES.”

A beer with a cause

POINTE AUX BASQUES is more than an aaaah-inducing thirst quencher, it’s also a brew with a cause: for each POINTE AUX BASQUES beer sold, the Port of Sept-Îles and Microbrasserie La Compagnie will make a donation to a Sept-Îles community organization. The first beneficiary of this partnership is L’ENVOL-Maison de la famille.

A commemorative beer

POINTE AUX BASQUES boasts citrus and apricot aromas with a slightly grassy touch. Port of Sept-Îles and Microbrasserie La Compagnie teamed up to create this ultra-refreshing beer, which is named after the port terminal built in the early 1950s to help develop the city, and that still serves as a gateway to the Sept-Îles area and the city’s hinterland.

As well as offering POINTE AUX BASQUES at its microbrassery, La Compagnie plans to release the beer in cans. This exciting and original project marks another big step forward for the aspiring young brewery.

The partners have high hopes for this product, which promises to bring benefits to both them and the community. They encourage people to get behind the brand and the cause—in moderation of course!

About the Port de Sept-Îles

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is one of North America’s largest ore-handling ports, with a projected volume of more than 35 million tonnes for 2019. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and almost 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

About Microbrasserie La Compagnie

Microbrasserie La Compagnie is a craft brewery that makes and sells beer inspired by Sept-Îles’ industrial roots. The company opened its doors at 15 rue Père-Divet in December, 2018, and sells its beers in a pub adjacent to the brewery. The pub offers a simple and original menu full of local flavor to complete the microbrewery experience. It has become a must-visit attraction in the region.

 

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

Billy Dumas
Co-owner
Microbrasserie La Compagnie
418 961-2337

SEPT-ÎLES, June 19, 2019 – The Port of Sept-Îles is very pleased with the announcements made today confirming that two levels of government will participate in equal measure to modernize the Pointe-aux-Basques Terminal, for a total investment of more than $13.3 million, or two-thirds of the estimated total cost of $20 million.

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, and Jonatan Julien, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for the Côte-Nord Region, announced the funding at a ground-breaking ceremony.

The Port of Sept-Îles will receive $6.7 million through the federal government’s National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) and $6.7 million through Ministère des Transports du Québec’s program to support investments in maritime transport infrastructure, Programme de soutien aux investissements dans les infrastructures de transport maritime (PSIITM). The project to restore and modernize the Pointe-aux-Basques Terminal is expected to cost $20 million. The Port of Sept-Îles will supply the balance, equal to a third of the total cost.

Built in 1950, the Pointe-aux-Basques Terminal has always been intermodal, serving as the port of entry for goods being shipped north and the main terminal for people and goods moving to and from the isolated villages of the Basse-Côte-Nord.

The modernization will bring the Pointe-aux-Basques Terminal up to standard and make improvements that will allow it to better meet the current demand for short sea shipping, which is rising on the promise of stronger markets, and also serve as a transit point for a wider range of goods. The terminal’s strategic location and intermodality are major assets in this. Indeed, a number of industrial mineral operations already plan to use the terminal for their exports, moving ore by train from further inland and down from the Great North and onto ships waiting at the terminal.

The modernization couldn’t come at a better time. With the growing iron market expected to generate upwards of 20 to 30 million tons of ore in the coming years, the terminal will be called on to play a greater role in moving supplies up to the mining companies operating in Labrador and Northern Québec.

“With so much heavy vehicle traffic on Route 138, Pointe-aux-Basques is an excellent alternative for the sustainable transport of goods as they transit through our region. For each ton shipped to our region, modal transfer from road transport to maritime transport will have a significant positive impact on our GHG emissions and will help improve driving conditions for everyone in the Côte-Nord. We’d like to thank both the provincial and federal governments for their support, which shows a real awareness of the issues affecting our region,” said Carol Soucy, Board Chair, and Pierre Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles, in a joint statement.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with an expected volume of more than 35 million tons in 2019. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and almost 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

Sept-Îles, January 21, 2019 – The M/V Frontier Voyager, a Panama registered vessel, sailing from Kimistu in Japan, was the first ship to arrive in Sept-Îles this year at 3 p.m. on January 9, 2019. The vessel arrived in ballast and will set sail again on January 22, 2019 with 170 000 tons of iron ore from IOC Rio Tinto Mining Company destined for Rotterdam in Holland.

During a short ceremony, Mr. Pierre Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles, presented Captain Paeg Sung Hon with the prestigious cane bearing the Port of Sept-Îles insignia.

Several gifts were also offered to the Captain by Mr. Réjean Porlier, Mayor of the City of Sept-Îles, as well as by Mr. Benoit Méthot, General Manager Port and Railway QNS&L, IOC Rio Tinto Mining Company, by Mrs. Lucie Lessard, President of the Seamen’s Center, by Mr. Pierre Côté, Chairman of the Port of Sept-Îles and by Mr. Pierre Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles.

This tradition, now in its 32nd year, marks the arrival of the first ship of the year to call the Port. To be eligible, the vessel must come directly from a foreign Port and be bound for a destination outside the country without making any other calls at a Canadian Port.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is one of North America’s largest ore-handling ports, with an expected volume of more than 30 million tons in 2019. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and almost 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

SEPT-ÎLES, January 16, 2019 – The Port of Sept-Îles is delighted to announce an increase of 4.7% in volume handled over last year at 25,375,000 tons this year, compared to last year’s 24,231,000 tons. The startup of operations at the multi‑user dock accounted for the entire increase, with over 5.5 million tons handled, which made up for the drop in shipping caused by the labour dispute at IOC Rio Tinto early in the year.

THE YEAR IN REVIEW

We can look back proudly on a successful start for the multi-user dock, with 31 ships loaded in 2018. Its annual capacity of 50 million tons makes it a world-class facility. There are many highly notable accomplishments behind the year’s total volume:

• The successful startup of the Bloom Lake iron mine, whose production exceeded projections. Congratulations to Quebec Iron Ore, a subsidiary of Champion Iron Mines Limited.
• Delivery by Société ferroviaire et portuaire de Pointe-Noire (SFPPN) of its conveyor to connect the new dock and the successful startup of its handling and storage operations.
• Challenges surmounted with aplomb by multi‑user dock operator Logistec, in charge of operations and maintenance, and by the Port’s multi‑user dock team.

The Port made a splash in September with the acquisition of 17 works by local artist Jean-Pier Synnott for display at the Monseigneur Blanche terminal. The outdoor exhibit near the docks provides an additional cultural attraction, not just for cruise ship passengers and tourists, but also for everyone in the Sept-Îles area.

Also in September, the Port had to shut down the Pointe-aux-Basques intermodal terminal pending its securing the funds for the necessary repairs and modernization. Pointe-aux-Basques is the gateway for supplies en route to the hinterland and a port of call supplying the isolated villages of the Lower North Shore.

Another highlight was the arrival of Tacora Resources in November, which completed its financing to restart the Scully Mine and purchased part of New Millennium Iron’s contract with the Port to become a new user of the multi‑user dock. Tacora will significantly increase the Port’s annual volumes, adding a projected 6 million tons per year, and will invest close to $50 million in early 2019 to adapt the SFPPN facilities.

In December the City of Sept-Îles and the Port released the results of the Environmental Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles’s five-year study, with the data and findings from phases I, II, and III. The data and studies found the environment to be in good condition overall and will serve as a baseline for future protection and management of the Bay of Sept-Îles’s priceless ecosystem.

The 2018 cruise ship season clocked in as the second best the Port has ever had, with five ships and 7,960 passengers and crew members. And who could forget the second visit of the Queen Mary 2 in September, along with a visit by Mylène Paquette to talk about her perilous Atlantic crossing!

“Without any doubt, the multi-user dock sparked a revival of iron ore activities in 2018,” said Port of Sept-Îles president and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon. “The dock is a world-class strategic infrastructure that’s already a powerful driver of the Port’s growth and development.”

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is one of North America’s largest ore-handling ports, with an expected volume of more than 30 million tons in 2018. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and close to 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

SEPT-ÎLES, January 15, 2019 – The Port of Sept-Îles is pleased to announce funding for the new volunteer action centre Le Virage in the amount of $55,000 over two years to support its meals-on-wheels program.

The volunteer centre started its meals-on-wheels program in fall 2018, taking over from CISSS-CN, which had been handling the program since the previous volunteer centre closed.

“We at Le Virage were looking for a major partner,” said Jean Caron, chair of the volunteer centre board, “a well-established, credible one known for its economic leadership and social engagement. Our board wanted to connect with a local leader ready to contribute to the development of a new institution with a mission to help an underprivileged and vulnerable population. We knew from our first meetings with the Port that we’d found exactly what we were looking for.”

The Port’s board of directors lost no time deciding to contribute financially to the reboot of the meals-on-wheels program—an essential service for part of the population. The Port was also impressed with the professionalism, commitment, and quality of the resources that make up the centre, which bode well for the success of the program. In the Port’s view, it may potentially become a model of how to channel local volunteer energies to relieve the loneliness and isolation experienced by many: frail elderly people, people with disabilities, and others living alone.

“Our relationship with the community is important to us,” said Port of Sept-Îles chair of the board Pierre Côte, together with Port president & CEO Pierre Gagnon. “Le Virage volunteer centre offers us an opportunity via meals-on-wheels to get closer to people and make a difference. It also reflects our values. We’re very happy to be joining forces with the centre’s other partners, to bring comfort and a smile to many members of our community.”

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is one of North America’s largest ore-handling ports, with an expected volume of more than 30 million tons in 2019. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and close to 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

Kathleen Côté
Executive Director
Le Virage Volunteer Centre
418 444-2228

Sept-Îles, December 3, 2018 – After initiating the process five years ago, the City of Sept-Îles and the Port of Sept-Îles today are pleased to release the overall report on the research conducted by the Environmental Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles, including data and findings from phases I, II, and III.

This major study was carried out locally by INREST, the northern institute for environmental and occupational health research, which teamed up with numerous scientific collaborators to fulfill its mandate.

“For both the City and the Port of Sept-Îles, the project’s primary objective was to improve our understanding of the bay, its current condition, and the impacts of development around it. The knowledge we’ve gained will now allow us to roll out suitable approaches to preserve and protect the bay going forward. For example, we’ll be able to better assess the area’s capacity to accommodate projects that are acceptable and safe for both the population and the environment,” said Sept-Îles mayor Réjean Porlier and Port of Sept-Îles president and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon.

“The government of Québec, through Société du Plan Nord, is proud to support the innovative approach put forward by the Environmental Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles. It’s very gratifying to see how this major effort to characterize the bay’s ecosystem was made possible through the concerted efforts of multiple community partners,” said Jonatan Julien, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Côte-Nord Region.

The Observatory’s work mobilized numerous researchers and spanned four years, with research conducted in the spring, summer, and/or fall of 2013 (Phase I), 2014 (Phase II), and 2016–2017 (Phase III). “A project of this magnitude requires experts from various fields of environmental science,” noted the project’s director Dr. Julie Carrière. “We put together a multidisciplinary team of 40 experts made up of university professors, graduate and postdoctoral researchers, and technicians and biologists to provide an updated overview of the quality of the environment and ecosystems of the Bay of Sept-Îles.”

Project Financing

This project required nearly $1.2 million in investments and the equivalent of $500,000 in in-kind contributions from local businesses. The first two phases were funded jointly by the City and the Port of Sept-Îles, while the third phase, which cost a total of $650,000, received $217,000 (or one-third of phase III costs) in funding from Société du Plan Nord. Contributions by Aluminerie Alouette, Iron Ore Company of Canada, Mine Arnaud, Tata Steel Minerals Canada, and Minerai de fer Québec covered another third of the costs, with the City and Port of Sept-Îles sharing the remainder.

General Conclusion (excerpts from the report)

The findings of the studies conducted and the data available to the team at the time of writing attest to the good quality of the environment as a whole.

Overall water quality for the Bay of Sept-Îles (determined using two water quality indices) is classified as B (i.e., water of satisfactory quality that is suitable for most uses, with concentrations that rarely deviate from natural or desirable levels).

For sediment quality (determined based on the criteria in effect at the time of writing for sediments with a different geology than that of the study area), assessments of the samples collected ranged from “no action required” to “avoid the presence of new sources of contamination” at some sampling stations. The highest values (for specific parameters) were observed primarily in industrial sectors. This was to be expected given that industrial operations have been running at or near these sampling sites for over 65 years. Criteria that take into account local geological signatures need to be developed.

To maintain environmental and ecosystem quality going forward, it will be crucial for managers, leaders, government representatives, and the public to draw on this report, particularly its recommendations, in order to implement a sustainable development approach that preserves and protects Bay of Sept-Îles for future generations.

To view the report

The report is available online at www.baie.septiles.ca. Members of the public may submit their questions by completing the questionnaire provided for this purpose no later than January 31, 2019. All questions received will be compiled and the answers published on this site.

The report will also be available on the Port of Sept-Îles and INREST websites. A paper version has also been submitted for on-site consultation at the Louis-Ange-Santerre Library.

A poster exhibition summarizing the main themes of the study will also run from December 5, 2018, to January 31, 2019, in the Louis-Ange-Santerre Library lobby and at Musée régional de la Côte-Nord (Salle Jeunesse Port de Sept-Îles).

About the Environmental Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles

Launched in 2013 by the City of Sept-Îles, the Environmental Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles is an innovative project undertaken to characterize the ecosystem of the bay. The completion of this final phase is a testament to the determination of the partners and users involved to work together on environmental and sustainable development issues. The initiative aims to provide an overall picture of the bay and develop a monitoring tool for the future.

About INREST

INREST (Institut nordique de recherche en environnement et en santé au travail) is an institute dedicated to conducting research on the environment and occupational health in northern settings. INREST’s objectives are to develop innovative applied research projects that take sustainable development concerns into account, to provide scientific data to aid decision-making, and to measure impacts on ecosystems, the environment, public health, and worker safety. The organization encourages its partners to pool their resources to find solutions to the challenges posed by northern development. INREST manages the environmental and occupational health research unit at Cégep de Sept-Îles. (www.inrest.ca).

 

Sources :

Port of Sept-Îles
Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Tel. : 418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

City of Sept-Îles
Amélie Robillard
Communications Advisor
Tel. : 418 964-3344

INREST
Dr Julie Carrière
Director and Researcher
Tel. : 418 962-9848, poste 369

To visit Musée régional de la Côte-Nord :

Christine Lebel
Educational and Cultural Activities Officer
Communications Manager
Tel. : 418 968-2070, poste 27

 

Environmental Observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles

Summary

 

Objectives presented at launch in September 2013:

• Update and consolidate data and metrics on the bay’s environment
• Produce an annual monitoring report drawing on data processed by INREST
• Assess the bay’s capacity to accommodate projects that are acceptable and safe for the population and the environment
• Help existing businesses improve their environmental performance, as warranted
• Measure the results of conservation and environmental improvement efforts in the Bay of Sept-Îles

Some of the key topics studied by INREST in different phases (2016–2017):

• Water quality studies
• Sediment quality and particle size studies
• Overview of the benthic community (organisms living on the sea floor)
• Characterization of eelgrass beds
• Overview of the macroalgae community in the subtidal zone
• Marine mammal inventory and monitoring
• Studies based on existing reports and/or data on topics such as the regulatory landscape, marine currents, sediment dumps, ice conditions, and municipal and industrial

SEPT-ÎLES, November 28, 2018 – The Port of Sept-Îles is very pleased to announce that Tacora Resources Inc. (Tacora) is now a user of the port’s multi‑user wharf, following the sale—announced by New Millennium Iron Corp. (NML) on November 19—of part of NML’s reserved wharf capacity to the company and the completion of Tacora’s Scully Mine restart financing.

Tacora, which acquired the Scully Mine near Wabush, Labrador, in July 2017, is now the fifth user of the port’s multi‑user wharf. The American company plans to start operations in the summer of 2019 and expects to handle an average of 6 million metric tons of iron ore concentrate each year for the lifespan of the mine, which is estimated at 26 years.

“Tacora’s arrival at the Port of Sept‑Îles will significantly increase annual volumes at the multi‑user wharf. What’s more, Tacora will be investing almost $50 million to adapt Société ferroviaire et portuaire de Pointe-Noire’s facilities in the months ahead. We’re thrilled that Scully Mine is being reopened and wish Tacora great success in meeting its budget and timelines for the restart of its mining activities,” said president and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles Pierre Gagnon.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is one of North America’s largest ore‑handling ports, with an expected volume of more than 25 million tons in 2018. The port facilities at Sept‑Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and almost 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 

Source :

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com

SEPT-ÎLES, October 19, 2018 – The Port of Sept-Îles wishes to advise that activities at the Pointe-aux-Basques terminal are being halted immediately for an undetermined length of time.

This regrettable situation has arisen in response to expert opinions obtained this week on the 65‑year‑old wharf’s deteriorating infrastructure and the evolving conditions.

The Port and its consultants have been monitoring the wharf closely for a number of years to prolong its use. As of 2016, load‑limiting barriers were installed on the wharf deck and operational restrictions were introduced.

Now that wharf operations have been completely halted, the Port wishes to assure Pointe-aux-Basques users that it will provide all the necessary assistance to minimize the impacts of the closure and is committed to helping them make alternate arrangements.

The Port and Relais Nordik Inc., which ferries people and goods between villages along the Lower North Shore aboard the Bella Desgagnés, have already agreed to apply their contingency plan. The ship’s maintenance and loading activities will therefore be moved to the cruise ship wharf at the Monseigneur‑Blanche terminal.

It should be noted that the Port, with support from its users, has been requesting financial assistance from both the provincial and federal governments since 2016 and has been standing ready to proceed with its upgrades to the wharf as soon as that funding is made available. The necessary tenders and environmental authorizations have been obtained and finalized. Unfortunately the Port is still waiting for the funds needed to complete the financial package.

Given the terminal’s strategic importance for the Lower North Shore and as a supply point and gateway for goods coming in and out of the region and the interior, the Port remains confident that financial assistance for the $20 million project will not be held up much longer.

“The federal and provincial governments have always supported development at the Port,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, President and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles. “Given its strategic importance for the Côte‑Nord, we’re sure they’ll step in with the necessary funding so that we can get the wharf restored.”

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting diverse, state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is North America’s largest ore-handling port, with an expected volume of more than 30 million tons in 2018. The port facilities at Sept-Îles play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. Annual economic impacts are estimated at nearly $1 billion and almost 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

 

Source:

Patsy Keays
Director, Corporate Affairs
Port of Sept-Îles
418 961-1235
pkeays@portsi.com