Renewed agreement on Great Lakes icebreaking: U.S. and Canadian coast guards

US and Canadian coast guards reach a new agreement on icebreaking to allow for Great Lakes shipping and international commerce.

The U.S. and Canadian coast guards have come to an agreement on icebreaking to facilitate Great Lakes shipping, which is crucial for international commerce in Northwest Indiana and the transportation of iron ore to Region steel mills when the Great Lakes freeze over.

U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Jon Hickey and Assistant Commissioner Marc-André Meunier of the Canadian Coast Guard Central Region signed a memorandum of understanding in Quebec City, near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. This agreement allows international vessels called salties to enter the Great Lakes, including the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor and the Illinois International Port. The agreement renews the coordination of icebreaking and buoy tending on the Great Lakes, particularly in the connecting Georgian Bay and St. Lawrence River.

The goal of the agreement is to reduce vessel transit times, decrease man hours, and improve response times in the event of outages or defects. This includes coordinating icebreaking, exchanging personnel, communicating, reporting on available icebreaking facilities, and dividing areas of responsibility.

Both parties expressed their enthusiasm for the finalized plan, emphasizing the hard work and time invested in putting the memorandum of understanding in place. They look forward to seeing the Marine Transportation System in the Great Lakes region thrive as a result of this partnership.

In addition to this agreement, there have been several business closures in Northwest Indiana. Beer Geeks, one of the Region's first, most beloved, and influential craft beer bars, has closed after more than a decade. The 88-year-old White Castle in Whiting is also being replaced with a newer, larger, and more modern White Castle restaurant. Additionally, the Silver Bullet Bar in downtown Crown Point has closed, along with the longtime Westforth Sports gun shop. The Silver Line Building Products plant in Lansing will be shuttered permanently, and Brewfest in Highland will close, marking "an end of an era."

Other closures include David's Bridal, J&L This N That Consignment Shop, Calumet Fisheries, and Pepe's Mexican Restaurant in Valparaiso. Bed Bath and Beyond will permanently close its Valparaiso location, and Peoples Bank has shuttered its branch in downtown Hammond. Viking Artisan Ales will close its Merrillville taproom, and Old Chicago Pizza & Taproom is closing after 15 years in Merrillville. Walmart is also closing its big-box store in Homewood.

Despite these closures, the Chicago Auto Show, the nation's largest auto show, returns to McCormick Place with a smaller footprint and no Camp Jeep track.