Transportation:

The Northern Ontario region is well serviced with modern and efficient transportation infrastructure. Well-maintained road and rail networks and air, marine and port facilities are attracting business investment that can compete in global markets.

Road:

Northern Ontario's highway network consists of close to 11,000 kilometres of highways (approximately 67 percent of Ontario's highway system) including two major Trans-Canada highways (11 and 17). Four border crossings connect Northern Ontario businesses to major U.S. highways and Interstate 75.

The North's efficient highway system is reflected in a booming trucking industry that can meet strict "just-in-time" delivery standards. Forty trucking companies operate out of Thunder Bay alone.

Rail:

Northern Ontario's rail network consists of 7,000 kilometres of rail line with two transcontinental (CN and CP), one regional railway (Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC)), and two short line railways, Huron Central Railway (HCR) and the Ottawa Valley Railway (OVR). The ONTC network plays an important role since it provides access to communities where year-round road access is not available.

These rail services are extensively utilized by regional industries and support the export of forestry and mining products.

Air:

There are 69 certified public airports in Northern Ontario, including 29 located in the Far North. Thunder Bay and Sudbury are the main regional airports, with Thunder Bay's international airport being the third busiest in Ontario. North Bay's Jack Garland airport has a 10,000ft runway allowing aircraft of any size to take off and land fully loaded.

Marine:

The Ports of Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie are among the busiest in the province and are connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The Port of Thunder Bay is at the head of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, and serves as the gateway to the 3,700 kilometre waterway for the prairie provinces and the midwestern United States. This international port is one of the largest grain-handling ports in the world and handles western grain for export overseas, in addition to other bulk goods, such as coal and potash, for consumption throughout the Great Lakes.

Approximately 440 km downstream are the ports of Sault Ste. Marie. In an average year 206,000 tons of wood products, 71,000,000 tons of mineral and 191,511 tons of petroleum products are shipped through the Sault Ste. Marie canal by approximately 8,700 vessels.

Northern Ontario also has a network of smaller private, commercial ports, public marina facilities and waterways that serve forestry and industrial minerals producers as well as the Northern tourism industry.