[ScreamingViking]

Container shipping on the Great Lakes is still a very uncertain proposition, IMO. The economics of it aren't great, though it may work for specific cargoes. There are not enough domestic shipments to make intra-Seaway container freight viable, and it would be competing with trucks and trains -- both are much faster and there's a larger "last mile" issue for marine shipping, adding time to transfer cargo between modes... the goods have to get to the port from the producers or from the port to customers. International shipments either have to be transferred from larger ships to lakers at ports like Montreal, or travel on smaller ocean freighters that can transit the St. Lawrence Seaway, which tends not to be as efficient for global trade; again the truck and train services are faster and handle the last mile problem more readily, so it makes more sense to transfer the containers to those modes once at the port of entry instead of having a second transfer in Hamilton.

Best bet is to develop a niche and try to grow it over time, as they have been trying to do (just with scrap metals between here and Montreal, so far... not sure that service still runs but it was on a limited basis). A small container facility may be worthwhile, or at least protecting pier-side land for one by giving it a complementary use for a while. But I think bulk goods are by far still going to represent most of the tonnage in Hamilton. I expect to see some inter-modal facilities that handle more bulk goods as part of this development, taking advantage of the confluence of the harbour, rails, and roads.


We've talked here about how Barton St. has languished. Having another 20,000+ people working not far north could be a big shot in the arm for the closest "commercial" street. There would need to be a lot of residential revival too for that to happen, but removing more of the heavy industry will make those north-end neighbourhoods much more attractive and a portion of those eventual thousands of workers will want to live closer to their jobs. The currently vacant or underused industrial properties between Burlington and Barton streets will become more attractive to businesses as well, many that have linkages to whatever locates on the Stelco lands, adding to the spin-off effect for commerce, retail, and services in the lower city. This could change not only the city's economy, but its urban fabric.