Thorold Multimodal Hub named Brownie Award winner

The Thorold Multimodal Hub, a collaborative venture between the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) and the BMI Group, has received a 2023 Brownie Award from the Canadian Brownfields Network. Honoured in the Renew-Large Scale Project category, the Thorold Multimodal Hub was recognized for its successful reimagining of a legacy industrial site for modern industrial uses.

Each year, the Canadian Brownfields Network recognizes Canada’s best brownfield redevelopment projects which demonstrate innovation, environmental sustainability, and positive community impact.

HOPA, a long-time Green Marine participant, and the BMI Group introduced the hub in 2020 at the site of a former paper mill next to the Welland Canal in Thorold, Ontario. The mill had stood empty since 2017, with little prospect of attracting a new paper manufacturer.

Purchased by BMI Group, the site was brought under the Thorold Multimodal Hub umbrella with adjacent lands owned by HOPA Ports. To-date, more than $100 million has been invested across the hub to reconfigure and modernize the site infrastructure, including reactivation of the rail lines, and upgrading the buildings to suit modern users. 

HOPA Ports works with BMI Group to manage and market the Hub to new users as part of HOPA’s Niagara Ports strategy. They have attracted more than 30 diverse industrial tenants so far.

HOPA expands its Niagara land portfolio for sustainable economic development

The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) has three new parcels of land to develop in the Niagara region. The sites owned by Transport Canada and earlier declared surplus to the Welland Canal are legacy or active industrial areas slated to be revitalized for modern industrial uses.

The 4.8-hectare (12-acre) and 6.4-hectare (16-acre) parcels in Thorold, Ontario, will become a part of the Thorold Multimodal Hub-North, a 202-hectare (500-acre) complex with marine, rail and highway access. The expansion adds capacity for indoor/outdoor storage and handling of various commodities.

In Port Colborne, the 16 hectares (40 acres) of additional lands will provide more cargo handling and storage area to foster an improved multimodal service for shippers. Discussions are also being held with community partners with the aim of creating a multiuse centre focused on the Great Lakes, to further build on Niagara's maritime heritage and educational leadership. The goal is to attract organizations such as the Seafarers International Union, Niagara College, and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority as tenants or users of the new centre to promote sustainable development.