Port Infrastructure
Port infrastructure in the Strait of Canso is an important component of the region’s economic activity and maritime trade. Situated at the northeastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, the Strait serves as a key gateway, connecting the North Atlantic Ocean to major ports along the eastern coast of North America.
The port infrastructure includes a network of terminals, docks, and related facilities designed to handle a wide variety of cargo, from bulk commodities to containerized goods. These facilities are equipped with modern amenities and advanced logistic capabilities to support efficient cargo handling, and vessel operations.
One of the primary terminals in the Strait is the Port Hawkesbury Paper Terminal, which specializes in the export of paper products and other related goods. This terminal is key in supporting the local forestry industry and facilitating international trade.
Additionally, the region is home to several bulk handling facilities, including terminals for coal, gypsum, and aggregates. These terminals contribute to the region’s economy by providing essential infrastructure for the extraction, processing, and transportation of natural resources.
The port infrastructure in the Strait of Canso is complemented by supportive services such as ship repair and maintenance, marine transportation, and logistics operations. These services further enhance the region’s attractiveness as a maritime hub and contributor to the region’s continued growth and development.
The Port infrastructure in the Strait of Canso has the potential to serve all phases of offshore wind deployment including site surveying, construction & assembly, operations & maintenance, and decommissioning. With depths of up to 64 metres, protection and ice-free, year-round the Strait of Canso also lends itself well to accommodate both floating and fixed-bottom technologies.
Port assets in the Strait include:
- The Strait of Canso Superport Corporation Limited (SCSCL), owns and operates port facilities including the Mulgrave Marine Terminal and Port Hawkesbury Pier.
- Mulgrave Marine Terminal has >18 m of draft at docks, >30 m in the main channel, and no air draft restrictions. It services a range of bulk and breakbulk cargo activities that require warehousing and lay-down area dockside, serving marine construction projects.
- Port Hawkesbury Pier is an L-shaped pier offering 5-6 m depths along the wharf face, with berth space for service vessels, tugs, barges, and pilot boats.
Everwind Fuels, the first permitted hydrogen production facility in North America, operates a marine terminal in Point Tupper with a 585 m wharf, water depth of 30.4 m, and two berths, two breasting dolphins, and 11 mooring dolphins.
Nova Scotia Power (NSP) operates a marine terminal (water depth 18 m) from their site in Point Tupper historically used for coal handling.
Port Hawkesbury Paper operates a 170.6 m wharf with a water depth of 8.5 m, used primarily for handling
clay.
McNally International owns a marine bulk export facility ready to be repurposed with 40 acres of water
lots and seven concrete dolphin structures, with a total span of over 335 m, accommodating a minimum
draft depth of 8.53 m.
Cabot Gypsum operates a 338 m wharf with a water depth of 8.8 m from their facility in Point Tupper, used
primarily for gypsum handling.
Martin Marietta Materials handles aggregates from its 183 m wharf in Mulgrave with a water depth of 13.7 m.
The Melford Industrial Reserve provides space for heavy and marine-based industries. SSA Marine, Melford International Terminal, and Cyrus Capital Partners, L.P. have formed a joint venture to develop the proposed Melford Atlantic Gateway. The project will be a 315-acre, deep-water marine container terminal that will accommodate ultra-large container vessels and provide intermodal transport via ship, rail, and truck.
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