As many as 11 carriers in the upper Great Lakes near Sault Ste. Marie have been delayed by icy conditions since the shipping season began Wednesday morning with the opening of the Soo Locks.
According to Eric Peace, vice president of the Lake Carriers' Association, a group that represents the interests of the commercial shipping industry on the Great Lakes, more delays are expected Friday evening as ice thickness in parts of Lake Superior exceeds 2 feet.
Both the U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards have deployed icebreakers to free ships beset by ice and are working to escort them through icy shipping channels in places like the St. Marys River.
"Some U.S. shipping companies have suffered more than 24-hour delays, and the clock keeps ticking," Peace said in a statement.
Multiple icebreakers in the U.S. Coast Guard fleet have also been experiencing mechanical issues. Currently, two icebreaking tugs are out of the water and waiting on parts. They are not expected to return to service in time for the icebreaking season.
In addition, U.S. Coast Guard officials told WCMU that the Cutter Mackinaw, the only heavy icebreaker in its Great Lakes division, is currently unable to pass through the Soo Locks due to maintenance concerns, cutting off access to Whitefish Bay, one of the areas of Lake Superior where ships are experiencing delays.
Great Lakes carriers are known for hauling iron ore, a critical raw material used to produce steel. A report commissioned by the Lake Carriers' Association found that more than 90% of the nation’s iron ore passes through the Great Lakes to be delivered to steel mills across the Midwest. More than 90 million tons of cargo are hauled across the Great Lakes annually.
"It's been over two months since any steel mill has received raw material, including iron ore," Peace said, referencing the two months the Soo Locks are closed at the start of the calendar year for annual maintenance by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. "The impacts of that — if they aren't able to get the raw materials soon — they could have to shut down the steel mills, lose jobs, and American steel wouldn't be produced."
As ships struggled in the ice, the Canadian Coast Guard deployed its heavy icebreaker, the Vincent Massey, to Whitefish Bay to assist vessels. However, it was soon sent to Thunder Bay, Ontario, to assist Canadian-flagged ships.
"I don’t understand the Canadian Coast Guard taking care of a few vessels bound for a port that has commercial icebreaking assistance available and abandoning critical shared waterways like the St. Marys River and Whitefish Bay," said James Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers' Association. "Prioritization of Canadian vessels and Canadian ports comes at the expense of American lakers and American ports."
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Brian Smicklas, the icebreaking coordinator for the Great Lakes, told WCMU that the Vincent Massey was on its way back to Whitefish Bay to assist ships during a phone call.
"This is a very challenging week," Smicklas said. "This is the first time vessels have transited the St. Marys River in over a month, so the ice is quite thick. It hasn't been broken as often."
Smicklas said current conditions in the northern Great Lakes are challenging but manageable and that all available assets are being deployed to keep ships moving. He added that the U.S. Coast Guard has a goal of keeping 95% of waterways open in the Great Lakes and meeting or exceeding that benchmark annually.
"I would agree with some of the Lake Carriers' Association's concerns," Smicklas said. "In the shipping industry, delays are costly, and we understand that. But we also understand that it's our job to make sure navigation is safe and reasonable, and I think we're doing a good job making sure that happens."
The Lake Carriers' Association has been advocating for boosting the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking fleet for years. Several members of Michigan’s congressional delegation have secured appropriations aimed at increasing heavy icebreaking capacity on the Great Lakes in recent years. However, another heavy icebreaker is not expected for at least three years.
“Any dayslong delays can be disastrous, disrupting good-paying jobs and livelihoods. We need more icebreakers to keep shipping lanes open during Michigan winters," said U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, who co-authored legislation signed into law in December by President Donald Trump to develop a new heavy icebreaker for the Great Lakes and require analysis of its effectiveness. "Our shipping industry needs Washington to get moving so we can avoid these severe setbacks in the future,” she said.
A similar effort has been led by U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, who helped secure $20 million for a new heavy icebreaker on the Great Lakes as part of a 2024 funding package.
"We must ensure the USCG can replace its aging fleet and keep these vital waterways open for shipping," Peters said in a statement. "I’ll keep fighting for every resource needed to get that ship deployed in the Great Lakes."
According to federal data, the 52-year average ice cover in the Great Lakes for March 27 is 22%. Currently, 24% of the Great Lakes is covered in ice.
