Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government is contributing $26 million to a $76-million expansion project at the Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) grain terminal at Port Windsor.
The project will increase export capacity to global markets in Europe, the United States, and Latin America for agricultural production from southwestern Ontario farmers in Essex, Kent, Lambton, Middlesex and Elgin counties.
Work will include:
- construction of new grain drying equipment
- expansion of grain storage capacity
- expansion of shipping and receiving conveyor loading capacity
- development of an automated truck kiosk system to expedite complex traffic flows
“This is the largest ever federal investment in Port Windsor, transforming our region into a true multi-modal transportation hub vital to growing industry, investment and jobs,” said Windsor-Tecumseh MP Irek Kusmierczyk. “From the battery plant to the Gordie Howe bridge, and the Ojibway National Urban Park, our federal government continues to make historic investments in Windsor-Essex that are driving the revival and prosperity of our region.”
In addition to expanding infrastructure, the project aims to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of Canadian grain exports. This will ensure their continued growth and successful reach into designated markets.
Another goal of the expansion is to alleviate a supply chain bottleneck at Windsor’s grain terminal and enhance marine transportation.
“Improving the infrastructure and export loading capacity at our Export Grain Terminal and Oilseed Processing Facility which will improve our customer experience for grains and oilseeds produced by our farmer customers in Ontario and Canada and support global food security,” said Kevin Wright, general manager at Great Lakes Region Country Manager for Canada.
The National Trade Corridors Fund is a competitive, merit-based program designed to help infrastructure owners and users invest in the critical transportation assets that support economic activity in Canada. A total of $4.6 billion over 11 years (2017-2028) has been allocated to the program.