Algoma Steel Inc. fined $1.2 million for federal environmental and wildlife offences related to a gear oil deposit into the St. Marys River, Ontario

On September 10, 2026 at the Ontario Court of Justice, Algoma Steel Inc. was fined $1.2 million after pleading guilty to one count under subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act, and one count under subsection 5.1(1) of the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.

September 11, 2026 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

A healthy environment supports wildlife, biodiversity, and the natural places Canadians value while contributing to sustainable economic development. Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers support these outcomes by enforcing federal environmental and wildlife laws that prevent harm and help protect natural resources in Canada now and into the future.

On September 10, 2026, at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sault Ste. Marie, Algoma Steel Inc. was fined $1.2 million after pleading guilty to one count under subsection 36(3) of the Fisheries Act and one count under subsection 5.1(1) of the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994. The two offences relate to the deposit of a deleterious and/or harmful substance in water frequented by fish and in water or an area used by migratory birds. The fine will be directed to the Government of Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund to support projects that have a positive impact on the environment.

This sentence follows an investigation by Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers into a gear oil tank overflow incident at the company’s Sault Ste. Marie facility between June 8 and 9, 2022. The incident resulted in the deposit of an estimated 1,000 to 1,250 litres of gear oil into the St. Marys River. Gear oil is considered a deleterious substance as defined by the Fisheries Act and is a substance harmful to migratory birds under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.