The following release was distributed on behalf of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, St. Lawrence Shipoperators’ Association, Ontario Marine Council, St. Lawrence Economic Development Council, Port of Montreal, CargoM, and Cirano.
The St. Lawrence–Great Lakes Waterway is the logistical and industrial backbone of North America, connecting hundreds of millions of consumers, the most dynamic manufacturing hubs, and international markets. As a vital trade artery between Canada and the United States, it is essential for economic security and the resilience of our continent.
In this context, nearly a hundred leaders from the St. Lawrence–Great Lakes Waterway, including CEOs of ports, shipping operators, railway companies, and the St. Lawrence Seaway, as well as the three co-chairs of the event—The Honourable Jean Charest, The Honourable Lisa Raitt, and Mr. Adam Tindall-Schlicht—gathered on Monday, September 29, 2025 at the Port of Montreal. Their objective: to chart the way forward to strengthen this vital waterway.
The conclusions are clear. It is imperative to:
The leaders have decided to unite their voices to make a clear call to governments to:
To formalize these demands, a joint declaration will be presented at the Leadership Summit of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, taking place in Quebec City from October 4 to 6.
“When governments think about the maritime industry, their first instinct is to look west and north, but we must not forget that the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes industry is just as essential to the future of our region and North America. This summit in Montreal was extremely fruitful. It allowed us to set clear priorities. These priorities will enable us to speak with one voice in the years to come to advance the industry’s priorities. Monday’s meeting also served to reaffirm our commitment to a tariff-free trade agreement between Canada, the United States and Mexico,” stated a coalition, which includes the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Ontario Marine Council, the St. Lawrence Shipoperators’ Association and CargoM.
Event Organizing Committee
The organizing committee is composed of the St. Lawrence Economic Development Council, the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Ontario Marine Council, the St. Lawrence Shipoperators’ Association, CargoM, the Port of Montreal and the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation.
Media Contact
Valérie Glazer
Organizer Member of the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes Leadership Roundtable
The Chamber of Marine Commerce (CMC) is a bi-national association that represents diverse marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian and American shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers, as well as Canadian domestic and international ship owners. The Chamber advocates for safe, sustainable, harmonized and competitive policy and regulation that recognizes the marine transportation system's significant advantages in the Great Lakes, St. Lawrence, Coastal and Arctic regions.
Media Contact:
Jason Card
Chamber of Marine Commerce
jcard@cmc-ccm.com
(613) 447 5401