A report released by the Windsor Port Authority shows jobs and the local economy are both sailing in the right direction.
“Everything you touch, you sleep on, you eat on, you wear comes by ship at some point in its product life," says Steve Salmons, president and CEO of Port Windsor.
Windsor is the third largest Canadian port on the Great Lakes and oifficials say they are ready to expand.
“We have an advantage here, and we're going to grow upon it," says Salmons. "Port Windsor truly is where prosperity flows."
Speaking at Sterling Fuels Wednesday, which is one of 14 terminals in the city, Salmons released a 2017 economic study showing the impact of Port Windsor.
Salmons says 2,300 jobs are related to the marine and port industry and $271 million in annual economic activity.
“This is about jobs, this is about economic growth for the entire City of Windsor and for our region," says councillor Fred Francis.
The study also highlights $41 million in local purchases of goods and services every year and cargos that include a wide range of products, from salt and steel to grain and lumber.
The president of the Windsor Essex Chamber of Commerce Rakesh Naidu says with an expanding globalized market, now is the time for the region to capitalize.
“Canada has about 15 trade agreements with 51 countries, and we are adding to that," says Naidu.
Salmons tells CTV Windsor the ports aren't at 100 per cent capacity, which means there is still room for growth.
"Port Windsor is a major economic force in this community,” says Salmons. “We intend to live up to our mission of an integrated international transportation hub."
