Floating the idea of a James Bay port: finding answers to long-debated questions.

Momentum is building as key regional leaders examine the possibility of a Northern Ontario James Bay Coast sea port.

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At a recent meeting in Timmins, provincial NDP party members agreed to explore whether the idea of developing a sea port north of Moosonee could become a self-sustaining centre of international trade.

The party has approached the provincial and federal governments for funding to pursue a study While both sides have been unresponsive so far, Timmins-James Bay NDP MPP Gilles Bisson says the study must be pursued, even if it's eventually determined the idea is a bad one.

"While many people see this as a pie-in-the-sky kind of thing, we have to figure out if it actually is or not," says Bisson.

"The idea has been around for a fairly long time, so let's study this thing and see what it would entail."

It's expected the study will identify not only goods that could be shipped to and from the port, but also clients for those goods. Bisson says he's given hope from various projects on and around the James Bay Coast, particularly relating to mining developments such as the De Beers Victor Project. Forestry exports may also play a role in this vision for the port's future, he says.

This potential for coastal activity has helped raise the profile of the sea port concept. It has also been pushed forward by separate mentions from renowned Timmins prospector Don McKinnon, a long-time proponent of the idea, as well as various First Nations communities as a potential means of economic development for the Far North.

The idea of a James Bay port was also raised as a priority for the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) during the inaugural Northern Leaders conference in November. It was then discussed by FONOM representative Al Spacek with Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle.

Spacek acknowledges that any steps to move the idea forward may face resistance as a result of the federal government's considerable investment in a similar port in Churchill, Manitoba.

Recently, the Conservative government committed to spending $80 million to improve the rail line in that province for the sake of the port. However, despite the years of progress already seen by the Churchill port, Spacek says he believes the import/export market is big enough to accommodate another port.

"There has to be a larger discussion about it," Spacek says.

Bob Ballantyne, president of the Ottawa-based Canadian Industrial Transportation Association, says the study is a good idea, if for no other reason than to provide some definitive answers to the many questions that arise from the concept.

"There's too many unanswered questions about this," he says.

He adds it's unlikely to be a case of "build it and they will come," where building the port would immediately bring new clients banging on Moosonee's door. Rather, trade relationships would likely have to be identified and established before the port is even built in order to make it truly viable; otherwise, he suggests, the idea could well be a marginal one.

The port concept isn't without its share of challenges, Ballantyne points out: difficulties with the weather render parts of the James Bay impassible for certain parts of the year, while the shallow waters may not allow passage for all types of ships. What's more, there are various other technical issues relating to dredging and maintenance of the waterways that would also need to be addressed.

More importantly, Ballantyne questions whether cross-Canada trade lanes, which are already in place from international containers arriving regularly at the western coast, are suited for handling traffic from Moosonee.

Bisson says there are already some appropriate connections in place, such as the Ontario Northland rail line, which travels up to Moosonee, and the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs off the other end of the rail line by Cochrane. The question then is whether the market can support it.

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By NICK STEWART

Northern Ontario Business