Transform the industrial and port area into an innovative industrial campus, integrated into its natural environment and capable of driving economic diversification in the region, across Quebec and throughout Canada: this was the ambitious vision unveiled by the Port of Saguenay team at its Annual General Meeting.
The result of a process involving numerous experts and partners, the Master Plan for the Development of the Industrial and Port Zone, presented by the CEO of the Port of Saguenay, Carl Laberge, demonstrates the Port and its team’s commitment to supporting world-class development, based on harmonious coexistence with the community and the principles of sustainable development.
In this regard, this master plan aims to support industrial development that is adapted to the topography and the nature of the terrain, whilst enhancing the value of the woodland cover and wetlands and water bodies of interest. Ultimately, the plan also provides for the development of a multifunctional shared-services hub, at the heart of footpaths and a network of cycle paths, with the aim of creating a vibrant, attractive living environment firmly rooted in its surrounding area.
Another year of strong cargo activity
The Port of Saguenay also enjoyed another excellent year in 2025. The one-million-metric-tonne mark for transhipped cargo was once again surpassed, with a total of 1.15 million tonnes handled at the Grande-Anse maritime terminal and a total of 96 vessels received. The handling of solid bulk cargo, such as de-icing salt, iron slag and iron ore, was once again at the heart of operations over the past year. The port’s and its industrial-port zone’s large storage capacities were also put to good use with the receipt of oversized industrial equipment for regional projects, wind turbine components, and the rail transport of large quantities of aluminium for export.
In terms of international cruises, Saguenay has retained its title as the leading port of call in the Saguenay–St Lawrence region, with 61 calls and some 95,000 passengers and crew members welcomed at the La Baie international cruise terminal.
100 years of access to the world
In this context, the year 2026 takes on special significance as the Port of Saguenay celebrates a century of contribution to the economy and development of the community and the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. June 15 1926 marks the founding of the Corporation du Port de Chicoutimi, from which the Port of Saguenay in its current form emerged following its relocation in the early 1980s.
Various initiatives are planned over the coming months to commemorate this milestone and highlight the important role played by maritime transport in the region’s growth and influence. This role is set to grow with the forthcoming commissioning of the multi-user electric conveyor system for solid bulk cargo, the development of the industrial-port zone and the addition of a berth at the Grande-Anse maritime terminal. These major projects, totalling over $300 million, support the Canadian Northern Corridor initiative, a national vision championed by the entire region.
(Artist rendering of planned road in industrial port zone)
