Correction: Corrected September 17, 2026: the water-level paragraph was withdrawn because this imported legacy edition does not retain its underlying gauge snapshot. Its numerical readings and navigation implications are unverified. NOAA measurement context.
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The navigation season is officially underway on the Great Lakes, marked by McKeil Marine’s Ontario Venture departing Picton, Ontario, on Saturday with the inaugural cargo from Parrish and Heimbecker’s newly built grain terminal. The vessel carried a mixed load of wheat and soybeans bound for P&H’s terminal in Quebec City, a milestone moment for both the recently acquired Ontario Venture and the grain facility that only opened this spring. The Picton terminal represents a significant new infrastructure investment for the region, built in partnership between P&H and Picton Terminals on the site of a former industrial property.
Not far away, the Wilfred Sykes kicked off stone-hauling operations Friday at Calcite, Michigan, marking the first seasonal load from that port. The vessel subsequently moved to Port Dolomite to take on additional cargo, signaling brisk early-season activity in the northern Michigan limestone trade.
The original water-level paragraph has been withdrawn. This legacy edition was imported from a WordPress draft without the underlying gauge snapshot, so its numerical readings and navigation implications cannot be verified from the archived source data.
The Great Lakes Now network continues tracking renewable energy adoption across the region, with grassroots solar programs expanding across Michigan communities, a reminder that the lakes region is advancing on multiple fronts beyond traditional cargo operations.