The capping of one of the Great Lakes’ most polluted sites is not only producing environmental benefits, it is now producing economic ones too. Following decades of planning and political indecision, the $138.9-million project to cap Randle Reef began in 2023.
In February 2026, the Government of Canada announced all contaminated sediment at the site had been successfully contained, and the project is scheduled for completion in 2027. The containment facility is creating new deep-water docking piers that have enabled the newest addition to Hamilton’s port — a $135-million sugar refinery that, when fully operational, will be the largest in Canada.
The new Sucro Can Canada refinery at Pier 15 officially opened on May 8, 2026, in a ceremony attended by dignitaries.
Construction of the refinery began in April 2024 and concluded in April 2026. The facility is designed to eventually process one million metric tonnes of sugar annually. During its first year of operations, the plant will receive up to ten vessels, expanding to 14 vessels in 2027.
The refinery’s location at Pier 15 represents the culmination of a contentious remediation effort at Randle Reef. For more than a century, industrial pollution from coal gasification, petroleum refining, and steelmaking deposited highly toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons across the harbour floor.
Rather than attempt to remove the massive volume of sludge — equivalent to the volume of three TD Coliseums — all three levels of government (including the City of Burlington and Halton Region) agreed to construct a double-walled steel box over the most contaminated area and dredged surrounding sediment into the enclosure.
The Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority will assume control of the capped containment facility to use as a marine terminal for deep-water vessels. The new docks will enable the sugar refinery to increase the number of vessels servicing the facility as operations expand.
“The transformation we have seen so far is a testament to the power of environmental stewardship and a shared commitment to the health of our Great Lakes,” Ian Hamilton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, stated in September 2023. “When Stage 3 is complete, we look forward to creating a productive port facility for a more sustainable and prosperous future.”
The Hamilton refinery will produce dry and liquid refined sugar in industrial formats, shipping the products to manufacturers across Ontario, Quebec, and the United States Midwest via marine, rail, and highway networks.
Sucro Can first established operations at Pier 10 in 2014 before finalizing the Pier 15 expansion agreement in 2023. The new refinery currently employs 65 workers, with the workforce expected to grow as production scales up and additional processing systems come online.
“We built this facility to serve customers reliably over the long term,” Jonathan Taylor, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sucro Can Canada is quoted as stated. “As sugar opportunities continue to emerge, this refinery provides a leading Canadian-based supply alternative that gives food manufacturers greater certainty, choice, and confidence in their supply chains, while creating skilled jobs here in Hamilton.”
The facility’s tax assessment is not yet finalized.
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Published: May 19, 2026
Last updated: May 19, 2026
Author: Joey Coleman
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