Search
Close this search box.

Grow Your Agri-Food Business Here

Find out why more than a dozen food companies call HOPA Ports home.

HOPA Ports gives you everything you need to build your food business in Southern Ontario.

Key advantages

  • – Prime locations in Hamilton, Niagara, Oshawa
  • – Fast access to US border
  • – Industrial lands for all business sizes
  • – Streamlined supply chain solutions
  • – Proven cost-saving transport strategies
  • – Up to 60-year lease options
  • – Fast-track construction support
  • – Financing and grant assistance
  • – Skilled workforce availability

Strategic Locations

HOPA’s facilities in Hamilton, Niagara Region, and Oshawa are in the heart of Canada’s largest consumer market, with close access to your suppliers and customers, and fast cross-border connections to the US. We have a variety of industrial lands to accommodate food businesses from start-up to multinational.

Streamlined Supply Chain

HOPA offers the transportation assets to streamline your supply chain and save money. Our customers’ experiences show that the right transportation mix can significantly reduce overall business costs.

Invest & Build with Confidence

We offer long-term leases of up to 60 years, giving you the confidence to invest for the long term. As your construction partner, HOPA brings extensive experience in industrial development, a faster construction process, and we can even work with you to secure financing or grant funding for your project.

Skilled workforce

Our port communities feature large, skilled workforces and strong post-secondary partnerships.
"Hamilton is literally the epicenter of the Canadian food industry, which makes it ideal to service our growing customer base. Also, being in a major Port with direct access to ocean going bulk vessels is critical, and our long term supporters at HOPA have been ideal Port partners to work with. Hamilton is ideally logistically positioned to export product to the United States market whenever export opportunities surface."
Don HillChairman, Sucro Sourcing
“We are not just expanding our infrastructure; we are investing in the future of Canadian agriculture and the baking industry. This strategic move reaffirms our dedication to meeting the needs of both our valued agricultural partners and our business partners."
John HeimbeckerCEO, Parrish & Heimbecker
Previous
Next

latest news

Contact us to take your next step.

Please provide your contact details, and we’ll schedule a call right away. We look forward to working with you!







Contact us

Proactive Disclosure

Quick Links

Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on news, events, and more!

Subscribe to Newsletter!
Linkedin Facebook Instagram Youtube X-twitter

Renee Bulger, CPA, CGA

Vice President, Finance

Renee assumed the role of Vice President, Finance after having served as Director of Finance since 2023.

Renee joined the Hamilton Port Authority in 2006 as a General Accountant and was promoted to Controller in 2018. She was previously a member of the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Conservation Foundation from 2017 to 2020.

Renee received her Honours Bachelor of Commerce from Laurentian University and is a Chartered Professional Accountant.

Larissa Fenn

Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Larissa Fenn is Vice President, Corporate Affairs at HOPA Ports, leading a team responsible for communications and government relations, sustainability reporting, corporate governance and corporate culture.

Previous positions included communications and public policy roles at the Canadian Bankers Association, Credit Valley Conservation Authority, and the Regional Municipality of Halton.

Larissa holds a B.A.(Hons) in Political Science from Queen’s University. She holds the APR designation from the Canadian Public Relations Society, and completed the Senior Public Sector Leaders program at the University of Western Ontario, Ivey School of Business. Larissa has served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Royal Botanical Gardens, and as a member of the Policy Council of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Bill Fitzgerald

Vice President, Strategic Development

Bill assumed the role of Vice President, Strategic Development in 2024, after having served as HOPA’s Vice President, Operations since 2008.

Bill joined the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority in July 1995 as Project Engineer. He previously worked with the Regional Municipality of Ottawa’s Transportation Department, as well as for the Toronto Transit Commission and the City of Waterloo.

Bill received a Bachelor of Applied Science, civil engineering / water resources, in 1995 from the University of Waterloo and registered with the Professional Engineers of Ontario in 1997.

Jeremy Dunn

Vice President, Operations

Jeremy assumed the role of Vice President, Operations in 2024 after having served as HOPA’s Commercial Vice President since 2019. Prior to joining HOPA, Jeremy served in successive leadership roles at The Miller Group, one of Canada’s leading transportation construction and infrastructure maintenance companies. Jeremy has managed multiple business groups in the heavy construction, asphalt paving and aggregates sectors driving results through business restructuring, service improvement and strategic growth. In his most recent role, Jeremy served as General Manager of Miller Maintenance, responsible for managing and growing Miller’s highway maintenance business in Ontario.

Previous to The Miller Group, Jeremy held the position of Director of Operations for the Dunn Group of Companies.

Jeremy earned his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) through Queen’s University. He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management.

Janet Knight

Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer for the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority since 2008, Janet joined the HPA in 1998 as Accounting Supervisor and subsequently served as Controller.

Prior to joining the HPA, Janet held the position of Financial Analyst with St. Joseph’s Hospital, as well as various positions, including Marketing Communications/Research Lead with Zeneca Agro. Janet graduated from McMaster University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Commerce. She attained the professional designation of Certified Management Accountant in 1992.

Ian Hamilton

President & CEO

Ian Hamilton is President & CEO of HOPA Ports (Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority). He assumed this role in 2017, after serving as the Port Authority’s Vice President of Business Development and Real Estate since 2008. Ian has been instrumental in developing working waterfronts in Hamilton, Oshawa, and Niagara by attracting new business and private investment, and creating an integrated marine network across Southern Ontario.

Ian possesses more than 25 years of experience in international transportation and logistics in Europe and North America, and has held progressively senior positions in the liner shipping industry, including Transatlantic Trade Director (Europe) for CP Ships and Business Development Manager for Hapag-Lloyd. Ian is Chairperson of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities, and holds positions on various other boards, including: the Chamber of Marine Commerce, the Hamilton Club, and Brigs Youth Sail Training.

Ian holds an MBA from Aston University (UK) and a BSc in business administration and economics from the College of Charleston, South Carolina.