List of Major Ports in Canada: Top 10 List

Last Updated : 12 Mar, 2024

Canada has over 900 ports and harbors. It is located in North America. Canada is world’s second-largest country. It has the longest and busiest coastline in the world which is around 243,042 kilometres long. The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada and The North Fraser Port Authority is the smallest port in Canada.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Major Ports in Canada in detail.

List of Major Ports in Canada

Canada was inhabited by native peoples before the British and French arrived in the 16th century. Today, it is a well-developed country. It is abundant with natural resources. These resources make it the right place and a really strong location for international trade. Canada depends a lot on marine industries that boost economic growth, create more jobs, and encourage an innovation mindset.

Other important sectors like fishing, building, making things, and tourism also play a big role in boosting the economy. Here are the Major Ports in Canada in detail as mentioned below.

List of Major Ports in Canada
Port Name	Shipping Route	Area (km2)	River, Ocean, or Canal Name
Port of Vancouver	Pacific	603	Pacific Ocean
Port of Montreal	Atlantic	25	Saint Lawrence River
Port of Prince Rupert	Pacific	5	Pacific Ocean
Port of Halifax	Atlantic	35	Atlantic Ocean
Port of Saint John	Atlantic	13	Bay of Fundy
Port of Quebec	Atlantic	10	Saint Lawrence River
Port of Port Cartier	Atlantic	6	Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Port of Sydney	Atlantic	5	Atlantic Ocean
Port of Toronto	Great Lakes	8	Lake Ontario
Port of Hamilton	Great Lakes	25	Lake Ontario

1. Port of Vancouver – 603 Square Kilometers

Vancouver Port, the largest in Canada, is also the most diverse in North America, handling around 142 million tonnes annually.

In 2023, it managed 141.2 million tonnes, and in the same year, it reached 146.5 million tonnes.
Situated on British Columbia’s southwestern coast, it covers over 16,000 hectares of water and more than 1500 hectares of land.
With 29 terminals, it serves various purposes like bulk, containers, liquid bulk, cruise ships, and automobiles, and it is spread across 16 municipalities.
As Canada’s maritime trade gateway to 170 nations, it contributes significantly to the economy, generating 115,300 jobs, $7 billion in wages, and $11.9 billion in GDP.
With rail connections and direct access to key shipping routes, Vancouver Port plays a crucial role as a gateway to Asia-Pacific trade.

2. Port of Montreal – 25 Square Kilometers

The Port of Montreal, located in Montreal, Quebec, is the largest port in Eastern Canada, handling various cargo and serving multiple industries. Despite being 1600 km inland from the Atlantic Ocean. It provides the shortest route between Europe, the Mediterranean region, and the North American Midwest via the St. Lawrence River.

In 2023, the port managed 36 million tonnes of cargo, up by 5.8% from the previous year.
The container sector saw a slight uptick of 1.2%, handling 14.4 million tonnes and over 1.7 million TEUs.
Linked to over 140 countries, the port is dubbed the economic powerhouse of Greater Montreal.
It features 23 terminals, more than 100 kilometers of rail tracks, and processes roughly 2000 ships, 60 to 80 trains, and 2500 trucks within 24 hours, supporting around 6300 businesses.
The Port of Montreal serves as a popular cruise destination, hosting about 45 international vessels in 2023.

3. Port of Prince Rupert – 5 Square Kilometers

Prince Rupert is the closest North American West Coast port to Asia, saving about 60 hours of sailing time compared to other ports in the Pacific Northwest, and it’s 500 nm closer.

Prince Rupert has North America’s deepest harbor, remains free of ice all year, and can accommodate large ships because of its 35-meter-deep main channel and berths that are 17 to 18 meters deep.
In 2023, the port handled 24.6 million tonnes of cargo, slightly less than the 25.1 million tonnes in 2022.
As North America’s first purpose-built ship-to-rail container terminal, Prince Rupert continues to provide efficient services.
The Fairview Terminal at the port managed 1.8 million TEUs in 2023.
The grain terminal, which is the largest on the West Coast, mainly deals with wheat, barley, and canola from Canada’s prairies, exporting up to 7 million tonnes yearly.
Trigon Pacific Terminals can load metallurgical coal, thermal coal, and petroleum coke at a rate of 9,000 tonnes per hour, with an annual shipping capacity of 18 million tonnes.
The Westview Wood Pellet Terminal, operational since 2014, can export up to 1.25 million tonnes of wood pellets annually.

4. Port of Halifax – 35 Square Kilometers

The Port of Halifax, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is a vital maritime entry point for Canada’s eastern region. Each year, it handles over 19 million tonnes of cargo and hosts more than 1500 ships, contributing significantly to the local economy by creating 13,000 jobs and generating a $2 billion economic impact.

Ranked among Canada’s top 4 container ports, the Port of Halifax achieved a milestone in 2022 by surpassing 600,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) in annual container throughput for the first time in its history.
It operates two modern container terminals capable of accommodating large vessels carrying over 16,000 TEUs.
The port boasts excellent infrastructure, including numerous berths and transit sheds, making it suitable for all-weather operations.
It serves as a port of call for the world’s largest shipping lines, connecting Halifax to 150 countries and establishing itself as a picturesque seaport.
It is a premier arts and cultural hub for both locals and visitors.
In addition to cargo handling, the port accommodates cruise ships and houses facilities such as an oil refinery, shipyards with dry docks, graving docks, and marine slips.
Halifax’s major exports include grains, lumber, gypsum, general cargo, and containers, while it imports rubber, crude oil, automobiles, and various project cargo such as wind turbine parts and other equipment.

5. Port of Saint John – 13 Square Kilometers

The Port of Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada covers an area of 120 hectares of land and 3900 meters of waterfront along the Saint John Harbour.

Located at the mouth of the Saint John River, it has cargo handling facilities on both sides of the river. The port is known for its extreme tidal range and strong river currents.
It is an ice-free deep water port with modern facilities, handling exports such as forest products, refined oil products, grains, agricultural goods, metals, salt, and potash. With 21 berths totaling 5000 meters of docking area, it also features private terminals like the Courtenay Bay terminal for refined oil products and the Canaport Terminal for LNG.
The port boasts a 70-acre container terminal connected to a major highway system, along with three on-dock warehouses and 480 reefer plugs.
In 2023, it achieved a milestone by handling over 100,000 TEUs for the first time, amidst a $205 million modernization project.

6. Port of Quebec – 10 Square Kilometers

The Port of Quebec sits along the St. Lawrence River, about 750 nautical miles from the Atlantic Ocean. It connects to 50 countries.

Its popularity stems from being the quickest path between Europe and the Great Lakes.
Spanning 14 terminals, it is divided into four sectors: Estuary, Anse au Foulon, Beauport, and South Shore.
Handling goods like coal, grains, and petroleum, it also offers ship repair and bunkering services.
Each year, it handles about 1,500 ships, 30 million tonnes of cargo, and 113,000 passengers, playing a vital role in foreign trade.
Creating 13,000 jobs and catering to 103 million consumers, it is a significant economic contributor.

7. Port of Port Cartier – 6 Square Kilometers

The Port of Quebec is a major Canadian port located in Quebec on the northern coast of the St. Lawrence River, at the entrance to the Gulf of Lawrence.

It has two terminals specializing in different types of cargo. The Multi-User Terminal handles bulk and general cargo like iron ores, forest products, and grains. The ArcelorMittal Terminal is used for exporting iron ore pellets.
Known mainly for iron ore exports, it is one of the largest iron ore export ports in North America. It serves as a crucial gateway for iron ore from Quebec and Labrador.
The port features a deepwater harbor with a 16-meter draft and a 400-meter wharf with four berths. It offers 15,000 square meters of outside storage area and has rail and road connections to major markets in North America.
Annually, around 500 ships and 16 million tonnes of cargo pass through the port.

8. Port of Sydney – 5 Square Kilometers

The Port of Sydney, located in Nova Scotia, Canada, is a major deepwater facility on Cape Breton Island’s east coast.

It is a bustling hub in Atlantic Canada, boosting the local economy.
Key facilities include the Marine Terminal, Syd-Port Industrial Park, Sydney Steel Corporation Wharves, and International Coal Wharf.
The Marine Terminal manages various cargo types like containers, bulk, breakbulk, and project cargo.
The Novaporte Terminal primarily handles containerized cargo. Additionally, the port deals with seafood, forestry products, and coal.
With a harbour depth of 14 meters and a 640-meter-long wharf featuring three berths, the port accommodates about 200 vessels annually and handles approximately 7.5 million tonnes of cargo each year.

9. Port of Toronto – 8 Square Kilometers

The Port of Toronto, located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a major inland port on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. It is one of Canada’s largest freshwater ports, vital for national shipping and global trade.

Covering 20 hectares, it features seven berths, a 14,000 m2 marine terminal, and a 100,000 m2 container terminal with heated storage and paved yards.
The port has two main terminals: the Cruise Ship Terminal and the General Cargo Terminal. The latter handles various commodities like bulk, breakbulk, steel, project cargo, sugar, salt, aggregates, and asphalts.
With a 10-meter deep harbor and a 500-meter long wharf, the Port of Toronto benefits from its strategic location in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, one of Canada’s largest metropolitan areas.

10. Port of Hamilton – 25 Square Kilometers

The Port of Hamilton is Ontario’s largest port and serves as the main maritime entry point to the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area. It is a natural harbor connected to two Great Lakes shipping routes, the Welland Canal entrance, and the St. Lawrence River, located 151 nautical miles away from Hamilton Harbour.

This port is crucial for the region’s key industries as it facilitates trade and supports domestic supply chains.
Annually, it handles about 10 million tonnes of cargo valued at $2 billion and hosts approximately 650 ships, generating over 2000 jobs within its 255-hectare area.
Offering 11,000 meters of berthing space, the port has specialized berths for handling various raw materials such as coal, iron ore, steel, salt, grains, sand, liquid fertilizers, and jet fuel.
Each year, the port manages around 700 ships and handles over 12,000,000 tonnes of cargo.

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List of Major Ports in Canada – FAQs

How many major ports are in Canada?

Canada has 18 major ports. The most significant are: Port of Vancouver, which is Canada’s largest port and the third largest in North America in terms of tonnage (about 140 million tonnes). Its tenants include 27 major marine cargo terminals.

What is Canada’s famous seaport?

Canada’s famous seaport is Port of Vancouver. Goods from around the world, particularly in high quantities from Asia, enter the Port of Vancouver in huge volumes, and it’s up to the top transportation companies in Vancouver to get goods to their final destinations in Canada and the USA.

What is the most active port in Canada?

Port of Vancouver is the most active port in North America due to its tonnage capacity. Port of Vancouver is the main trading port between Canada and the rest of the world.

What is Canada’s main Pacific port?

The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada and the fourth largest in North America by tonnes of cargo, facilitating trade between Canada and more than 170 world economies.

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