Category: Press releases

SEPT-ÎLES, October 6, 2014 – The Port of Sept-Îles and event partners are thrilled by the resounding success of the second edition of Maritime Week, part of the celebrations marking the 15th anniversary of the local port authority. Nearly 4,000 people took part.

Two port days on the weekend of October 4 and 5 drew over 1,200 to wind up the week of enriching activities. The crowds had a chance to gather under the bigtop and get to know the main industries and organizations that make up the region’s maritime community and witness the first public appearance of Ms. Mylène Paquette’s celebrated oceangoing rowboat, the Hermel.

The opening of the festivities was held in the presence of guests of honour Their Excellencies the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and Ms. Sharon Johnston, who then cut the traditional ribbon.

“Early in the week, we were treated to the arrival of three cruise ships in three days,” said Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu (DSIN) Executive Director, Mr. Mario Sévigny. “That gave us a chance to show off Sept-Îles’ legendary hospitality, and we pulled it off magnificently. Working together, our many exhibitors and Destination Sept-Îles Nakauinanu partners welcomed over 2,500 passengers and crew members.”

“This event was a huge success, thanks to the generous contributions of over twenty exhibitors, including local businesses, organisations, and artisans as well as the many individuals who lent their talents, and we are very grateful to all of them,” said Director of Corporate Affairs, Ms. Patsy Keays.

“The tremendous involvement of the community was truly outstanding, as was the invaluable support of the NCSM Jolliet Naval Reserve and the City of Sept-Îles,” stated President and CEO, Mr. Pierre D. Gagnon. “Everything came together to make our Maritime Week unforgettable.”

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume close to 30 million tons. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port’s annual economic impact is estimated at nearly $1 billion, with nearly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

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SEPT-ÎLES, August 21, 2014 — In the presence of a number of North Shore economic leaders, Jean D’Amour, Minister of Transportation and the Implementation of the Maritime Strategy, Pierre Boisvert, Chairman of the Alouette Metal Shipping Committee and representative of the Shareholders’ Committee, André Martel, President and CEO Aluminerie Alouette, and Pierre D. Gagnon, CEO Port of Sept-Îles, cut the ribbon to officially open the Aluminium Logistics Centre, located at the Relance Terminal.

The new building, which includes cutting-edge automated equipment, required a total investment of close to $20 million. It is part of Phase 2 of a project aimed at boosting the capacity of the Relance Terminal. Construction of the Aluminium Logistics Centre was announced in 2010 by Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. Now operational, the 6,400-square-meter building has a storage capacity of 15,000 tonnes of aluminium. Before being shipped to customers over the “Blue Highway,” the metal is stockpiled in the new facility, where it is handled by an automated management system featuring automatic guided vehicles.

According to Pierre Boisvert, “Maximizing modes of use of the maritime seaway to ship our aluminium to international markets is an integral part of Alouette’s strategy for ensuring its long-term operations.” André Martel added, “The creation of this type of warehouse, with its leading-edge equipment, has a number of benefits in terms of both costs and productivity, and that help us stay competitive and meet our growing transportation logistic needs.” This type of innovation, combined with optimization of shipping work methods, means considerably faster ship loading and, by extension, reduces the time that ships spend at dock. Infrastructure is thus available for additional loading. Thanks to automation, Alouette is well positioned to deploy its growth projects. Construction of a closed building in a strategic location close to the ship loading area also means that aluminium sows are protected from the weather, especially during the winter.

“With the Aluminium Logistics Centre, Aluminerie Alouette now has access to a unique and innovative solution. Perfectly aligned with the Maritime Strategy that our government wishes to implement, this center will increase the competitiveness and the transshipment capacity of the Port of Sept-Îles, as well as reinforce the intermodal transport chain. This shows that it is possible to propel Quebec economy while giving a new impulse to our maritime industry”, said Mr. D’Amour.

Aluminerie Alouette ships over 450,000 tonnes of primary aluminium per year — about 80% of its production — via one of the aluminium industry’s largest port facilities in the Americas. In Pierre D. Gagnon’s words, “As a partner in an economic development project like this, the Port of Sept-Îles contributes actively to making the region an international aluminium shipment hub”. Construction of the Aluminium Logistics Centre was made possible by the financial participation of the Federal Government, via the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, and the Quebec Ministry of Transportation (MTQ), via Part 3 of an assistance program aimed at reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions, known by the french acronym “PARAGES.” In addition to main contractor, Hatch, a number of regional (Métal 7, Construction BLH, Groupe Trinor, Voltek), national (Mecfor, Rotalec) and international (FROG) companies took part in the construction project.

About Aluminerie Alouette

Established in 1992, Aluminerie Alouette is an independent aluminium producer. With close to 1,000 employees and an annual production capacity of 600,000 tonnes of primary aluminium, Alouette is the largest employer in Sept-Îles and the largest aluminium smelter in the Americas. The state-of-the-art Sept-Îles facility is a world reference in terms of energy efficiency and meets all government environmental standards.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume of over 30 million tonnes. Its infrastructure plays a vital and strategic role in supporting the Eastern Canadian economy. The Port’s annual economic impact is estimated at nearly $1 billion, with close to 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

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SEPT-ÎLES, April 9, 2014 – Carol Soucy, chair of the Sept-Îles Port Authority board of directors, was excited and proud to announce that the Port of Sept-Îles’ offer to buy the Hermel has been accepted. Mylène Paquette used this oceangoing rowboat on her 129-day trip across the Atlantic in 2013, an unprecedented exploit covered by the international media.

“This achievement, which took courage, tenacity, determination, and skill, ties in perfectly with the values of the Port of Sept-Îles,” said Mr. Soucy. The rowboat will be showcased at the Port of Sept-Îles’ new administrative building, scheduled to be built in 2015, and will be a key attraction for residents, schools, visitors, tourists, and cruise ship passengers.

“I would like to congratulate the Port of Sept-Îles on its bold move to acquire the Hermel. Like its captain, the Hermel is already well known. It will be an invaluable point of interest for Sept-Îles and will add another quality tourist attraction to the town. I’m confident that residents will enthusiastically adopt this symbol of success and perseverance,” added Sept-Îles mayor Réjean Porlier.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume of over 30 million tons. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the economy of Eastern Canada. The Port’s annual economic impact is estimated at nearly $1 billion, with nearly 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

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SEPT-ÎLES, January 22, 2014 – Arriving from Ijmuiden, the Netherlands, at 3:22 a.m. on January 1, 2014, the Panama-registered ship M/V Huang Shan was the first vessel of the year into the Port of Sept-Îles. The ship arrived empty and will set sail for Qingdao, China, at the end of January, 2014, carrying a cargo of nearly 165,000 tons of iron ore from Cliffs Quebec Iron Mining Ltd.

The cane award ceremony took place yesterday at the traditional Port of Sept-Îles beginning-of-year cocktail reception at the HMCS Jolliet Naval Reserve in the presence of approximately100 guests. Port of Sept-Îles president and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon awarded the prestigious cane to Captain Fan Kuang-Yun. Several other gifts were presented to the captain in recognition of the achievement by Mayor of Sept-Îles Réjean Porlier and Steeve Charest, General Manager of Cliffs Pointe-Noire Division.

This tradition, now in its 27th year, marks the arrival of the first ship of the year to anchor in the port. Six vessels were in the running this year, including three destined for Cliffs and three for Rio Tinto IOC. To be eligible, the ship must arrive from a foreign port and be bound for a destination outside the country.

2013 IN REVIEW

The volume handled in the Bay of Sept-Îles in 2013 was similar to that of 2012, at nearly28 million tons. The Port of Sept-Îles gained a new client, Tata Steel Minerals Canada (TSMC), which shipped 240,276 tons of iron ore using the facilities of the mining company Rio Tinto IOC.

2013 was marked by intense construction activity on the multi-user dock at Pointe-Noire, requiring an unprecedented investment of nearly $130 million this year. The world-class dock, costing a total of $220 million, is designed to serve new clients from the iron ore industry and will be completed in summer 2014. The Port would like to stress the considerable local spinoffs the project is currently generating: 80% to 90 % of the workers come from the region, and services and equipment are provided by local suppliers.

The highlight of the year was the arrival of the first Chinamax vessel in the Port of Sept-Îles, which took on 302,264 million tons of iron ore from the Cliffs Natural Resources Lake Bloom mine. “The arrival of the CSB Years is an historic North American milestone and marks the opening of our port to the next generation of giant iron ore vessels,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, president and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting a full range of high-performance facilities, the Port de Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, handling more than 27 million tons a year. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role for a number of businesses in the region’s primary sector. It accounts for an estimated 4,000 direct and indirect jobs, with an annual economic activity of nearly $1 billion.

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Sept-Îles, December 17, 2013 – The Port of Sept-Îles is proud to have hosted the largest amount of bulk cargo ever loaded onto a ship in North American maritime history. At 6:30 a.m. on Sunday, December 15, an enormous iron ore cargo of 302,264 metric tons from the Bloom Lake mine, owned by Cliffs Natural Resources, left aboard the CSB Years to make its first delivery. The iron ore was transshipped in the bay of Sept-Îles with the assistance of the CSL Spirit self-unloader vessel.

The CSB Years is the first ocean-going giant of the Chinamax generation to come to North America and more specifically, to the deep sea Port of Sept-Îles. It will take nearly 57 days to reach its destination in China and deliver its cargo to Cliffs’ partner, Wuhan Iron and Steel Company (WISCO).

This historic record shatters the old record set in the Port of Sept-Îles 20 years ago on October 16, 1993, when 255,653 metric tons of iron ore were loaded aboard the Athesis Ore.

This cargo is worth over $40 million and contains enough iron ore to produce the equivalent of 6 Champlain bridges (Montreal, Quebec) or 200,000 cars, which would stretch 1,200 kilometers if they were placed end to end, i.e., the distance between Toronto and Sept-Îles.

“This new milestone puts the Port of Sept-Îles at a turning point in its history. Chinamax bulk carriers are the way of the future for large iron ore producers because of their operational efficiency and load capacity, which together, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the number and frequency of ships that anchor in the bay,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, president and chief executive officer of the Port of Sept-Îles.

ABOUT THE CSB YEARS

The recently built CSB Years is a “Chinamax” type bulk vessel, with a load capacity of 330,000 metric tons. Its length (330 meters) is equivalent to the height of the Eiffel Tower and its width (57 meters) is similar to that of a football field. Flying the flag of China, the CSB Years was registered in Hong Kong in January 2012 by Nianhua Shipping S.A.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume of nearly 30 million tons. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the operation of many 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. Through its activity, the Port of Sept-Îles therefore remains a significant source of wealth creation in Quebec and the rest of Canada.

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SEPT-ÎLES, October 16, 2013 – Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLF) (Paris: CLF) (“Cliffs”) and the Port of Sept-Îles, announce that for the first time in North-America, a Chinamax type vessel will be loaded in the Bay of Sept-Îles, and will transport 300,000 metric tons of iron ore concentrate from Cliffs’ mine in Bloom Lake, to Asia.

“Cliffs’ team is proud of this historical milestone in North America,” said Don Gallagher, executive vice president and president – global operations of Cliffs. “This first shipment of iron ore product via Chinamax for our customer Wisco, is consistent with Cliffs’ core value of environmental stewardship and operational efficiencies. The technology and loading capacity (over 300,000 metric tons) of these larger vessels will allow us to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as maritime traffic and enhance our competitiveness within the global iron ore market. It is exciting to see this new access road between Sept-Îles and Asia finally come to fruition.”

“We are witnessing a historical turning point today: the opening of our Port to the next generation of ore vessels of the planet. We must congratulate the initiative of our partner, Cliffs Natural Resources, who made this possible,” said the president & CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles, Pierre D. Gagnon.

About CSB Years

The CSB Years is a “Chinamax” type bulk vessel, with a loading capacity of 330,000 metric tons, measuring 330 meters long and 31.3 meters high. The CSB Years was registered in Hong Kong in January 2012 by the company Nianhua Shipping SA.

About Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. is an international mining and natural resources company. A member of the S&P 500 Index, the Company is a major global iron ore producer and a significant producer of high-and low-volatile metallurgical coal. Cliffs’ strategy is to continually achieve greater scale and diversification in the mining industry through a focus on serving the world’s largest and fastest growing steel markets. Driven by the core values of social, environmental and capital stewardship, Cliffs associates across the globe endeavor to provide all stakeholders operating and financial transparency.

The Company is organized through a global commercial group responsible for sales and delivery of Cliffs’ products and a global operations group responsible for the production of the minerals the Company markets. Cliffs operates iron ore and coal mines in North America and an iron ore mining complex in Western Australia. In addition, Cliffs has a major chromite project, in the feasibility stage of development, located in Ontario, Canada.

News releases and other information on the Company are available on the Internet at:
http://www.cliffsnaturalresources.com.

About the Port of Sept-Îles

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume of nearly 30 million tons. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the operation of many 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. Through its activity, the Port of Sept-Îles therefore remains a significant source of wealth creation in Quebec and the rest of Canada.

News releases and other information are available on the Internet at: http://retd.ca/pdsi.

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CSB Years Specifications

Sept-Îles, October 7, 2013 – In response to the lawsuit filed on July 29 by Wabush Mines and its managing agent, Cliffs Mining Company, the Port of Sept-Îles filed a Statement of Defense with the Superior Court of the District of Mingan today in order to set the record straight and state its case.

The Port still believes that the parties need to reach an agreement on opening up Pointe-Noire port facilities to accommodate other companies that wish to use them.

Since 1998, the Port has invested over $33 million in the Pointe-Noire dock in order to increase the port’s capacity to accommodate Wabush Mines and also to honor requests from other companies that would like to use the port. The Port has also joined forces with private partners and the Canadian government to invest $220 million to build a new port terminal for the Quebec and Labrador mining industry.

Port president and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon would therefore like the parties to come back to the negotiating table so that Wabush Mines and the Port can meet their respective goals and assure that Pointe-Noire port facilities can be developed to accommodate new users and boost the economies of Quebec and Labrador.

Out of respect for the court, the Port of Sept-Îles will not be granting interviews regarding this case.ABOUT

THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume of nearly 30 million tons. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the operation of many 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. Through its activity, the Port of Sept-Îles therefore remains a significant source of wealth creation in Quebec and the rest of Canada.

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Sept-Îles, August 26, 2013 – Cégep de Sept-Îles, the City of Sept-Îles, Corporation de protection de l’environnement de Sept-Îles, Développement économique Sept-Îles, and the Port of Sept-Îles this morning announced the creation of an environmental observatory for the Bay of Sept-Îles that will be headed by Institut nordique de recherche en environnement et en santé au travail (INREST).

“I’m pleased with the creation of this observatory, which testifies to the determination of the partners involved to work together on environmental and sustainable development issues. This initiative will give the community a comprehensive overview of the bay,” said Sept-Îles mayor Serge Lévesque.

In addition to providing an environmental overview, this project seeks to:

• Update and consolidate data and metrics on the bay’s environment;
• Produce an annual monitoring report drawing on data processed by INREST;
• Predict the bay’s capacity to accommodate acceptable projects that are safe for people 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.

“To our knowledge, this integrated and ongoing research approach for an ecosystem of this kind is a first in Quebec, and possibly in Canada as a whole. It helps position us as a pioneer in the environment and sustainable development matters,” asserted Donald Bherer, executive director of Cégep de Sept-Îles.

After several months of preparation, the stakeholders agreed on a process whose startup phase will be as follows:

1. Inventory and analysis of existing data (literature review)
2. Water quality and sediment sampling
3. Production and dissemination of a final report

“The current data is insufficient for developing a long-term, overall monitoring strategy, so this startup phase will enable INREST and its partners to better structure subsequent phases planned for 2014 and 2015,” said Dr. Julie Carrière, Eng., researcher and director of the new research institute.

This important project will enhance understanding of current and future environmental impacts thanks to the acquisition of credible and updated baseline data. In addition, it will support stakeholders in their decision making and environmental management while responding to public expectations and concerns.

“The new observatory integrates the objectives pursued by Green Marine. It will help protect our valuable marine ecosystems and ensure responsible planning based on sustainable development values. This innovative initiative reflects the environmental leadership of the Port and its partners,” said Pierre D. Gagnon, president and CEO of the Port of Sept-Îles.

It will cost close to $384,250 to get the first phase off the ground. Développement économique Sept-Îles will contribute $50,000, the Port of Sept-Îles $209,600, and Corporation de protection de l’environnement $124,650. “I would like to thank the City of Sept-Îles for providing the financial support we need to carry out this project, which has been several years in the making. It’s an environmental initiative that is key to the development of our community,” said Corporation executive director Stéphanie Prévost.

Work will begin soon, and the final report for the first phase is slated for fall 2014. Phase 2 of the project, planned for next year, is expected to include research on the benthic community, eelgrass, fish, phytoplankton, macroalgae, and physical and climate data, among other aspects.

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Project Highlights

SEPT-ÎLES, July 9, 2013 – Being now at mid-project schedule, the Port of Sept-Îles wishes to produce a progress review on Canada’s largest marine construction site.

With over 95% of project costs now known and incurred, the Port wants to declare its satisfaction with the favorable pricing that was obtained and will allow to deliver the project on budget ($220 million) and on time, with construction scheduled to wrap up in late March 2014.

The Port is also pleased that work is back in full swing after a provincial construction strike caused an eight-day work stoppage.

The Port would like to stress the considerable local spinoffs the project is currently generating:

• 80 to 90% of the 130 workers currently at the site are local.
• Over $20 million in services and equipment are provided by the following main local suppliers: Construction de lignes électriques N.G.E., Westburne, Nedco, Équipements Nordiques, Construction Tshiuetin, AXOR, and Bouchard & Blanchette Marine.

“We’re also very happy with the proactive support and cooperation of the teams from Pomerleau and Sandvik Canada, which have worked closely with our team to complete construction of the country’s biggest bulk port terminal,” said Port president and CEO Pierre D. Gagnon.

ABOUT THE PORT OF SEPT-ÎLES

Boasting a variety of state-of-the-art facilities, the Port of Sept-Îles is the leading iron ore port in North America, with an annual volume of nearly 30 million tons. Sept-Îles’ port facilities play a vital and strategic role in the operation of many 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. Through its activity, the Port of Sept-Îles therefore remains a significant source of wealth creation in Quebec and the rest of Canada.

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OTTAWA – Port Sept-Iles received a Special Award for Support to the Reserve Force in a ceremony Friday at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. The Canadian Forces Liaison Council (CFLC) presented the award to Port President, Mr. Pierre Gagnon at the Council’s Tenth Biennial National Employer Support Awards. The awards are held to recognize and honour government business and educational institutions for their support of the Primary Reserve Force.

Lieutenant Commander Francois Levesque, Commanding Officer of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) JOILLET, the Naval Reserve Division, in Sept-Iles Quebec, nominated Port Sept-Iles to receive the award. “Mr. Pierre Gagnon, President and Director General of Port Sept-Iles, is a fervent promoter of HMCS Jolliet and the Naval Reserve in Sept-Iles. Our two organizations have shown exemplary collaboration in the region,” said Levesque, who praised Port Sept-Iles, which has helped promote the unit in the local area. “The Post has even referred employees of Port Sept-Iles to HMCS Jolliet for enrollment in the Naval Reserves.” Lévesque served 10 years in the Army Reserve as Logistic Officer and other various positions before transferring to the Regular Force as a Naval Officer in 2001. He is currently enrolled with Université du Québec through distance learning to complete his Business degree.

Similar awards were presented to 19 organizations from across Canada, including business and academic institutions, recognized for their outstanding support to Canadian Armed Forces Reserve members. Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, and many other senior military and government officials were among the more than 150 nominators, recipients, and guests attendance. Retired veteran journalist, Mr. Don Newman served as master of ceremonies for the event, which was held amidst the historic military artifacts of the Canadian War Museum’s LeBreton Gallery.

The CFLC is a group of civilian business leaders and educators who volunteer their time and effort to promote the primary Reserve Force – Canada’s part-time military – by highlighting the benefits of Reserve Force training and experience to the civilian workplace.

The mandate of the CFLC is to enhance the availability of Reservists for military duty by obtaining the support and co-operation of organization leaders in Canada. The CFLC’s vision is that all organization leaders in Canada actively support Reservists.

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