Business View Magazine | October 2019

264 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2019 industrial growth, commercial growth, and even residential growth. The final Strategic Plan will be approved by council before the end of 2019. We have a strong marine history; even some of the sailors who work on the ships – captains, engineers, first mates – live in Port Colborne. Of course, being located along the canal, we have many ship chandlers (companies that are suppliers to the shipping industry), and a lot of machine shops in town that send product all over the world. Our proximity to the U.S., and the canal and the shipping transportation links we have, makes Port Colborne ideal for all kinds of businesses, even if they’re not canal-related.” Last year, over $14 billion in goods were transported through ships across the Great Lakes. That was a 14 percent increase over a two-year period. This year, while some of the ports have seen a very slight decline, most of them have experienced a huge increase in shipping. So, the trend is continuing and not expected to wane any time soon. With the emphasis on clean, green energy, Mayor Steele predicts, “I think you’ll see