City officials quietly work to resurrect Port of Algoma dream

Nine years after city council established the Port of Algoma as Sault Ste. Marie's top economic development priority, the city's economic development staff is preparing to pitch Algoma Steel on resurrecting the dormant initiative.

Rick Van Staveren, the city's director of economic development, held a conference call recently with Mario Lievens, senior director at the Port of Antwerp, Europe's second busiest port by tonnage, 17th in the world.

Malcolm White, the city's chief administrative officer, and deputy CAO Tom Vair were also in on the call.

Antwerp was involved in a strategic partnership with Port of Algoma in 2015, and is therefore well versed on our initiative.

"They were quite interested in partnering potentially with us," Van Staveren told a meeting of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development board on Wednesday.

"It's been something that's been on my project list since I got into this position," he said.

Big plans for the Sault were largely mothballed after the steelmaker sought and obtained insolvency protection on November 9, 2015.

Port of Antwerp wouldn't be involved in financing the Sault project, but in an oversight, management and governance capacity.

Further exploratory meetings are planned next month before city officials approach the newly-merged Algoma Steel to gauge the steelmaker's level of interest.

"It's looking good. I'm actually quite positive on the outlook for this one."

"I think there is definitely a path forward for us," Van Staveren said.