At the grand old age of 94, the Port of Churchill is preparing for a revitalization. After decades of uncertainty, its next chapter could firmly anchor the North and Canada as a global trade gateway.
Built by the Government of Canada and then sold to private owners in 1997, the port’s future has been debated for decades by politicians, industry and northern communities. Located just over 1,000 kilometres from Winnipeg, it’s the only port of its size in Canada that doesn’t connect to the national road system – and for much of the year, it’s locked in ice. Now, with Canada looking to reduce its reliance on U.S. trade and strengthen its global supply-chain position, the Port of Churchill is back in the spotlight.
Enter “Churchill Plus.”
“Our project is multi-faceted,” says Chris Avery, president and chief executive officer of Arctic Gateway Group, a consortium of First Nations, local governments and corporate investors that purchased the port and Hudson Bay Railway in 2018.
“It’s about trade and the infrastructure that supports the national goals of diversifying our trade, making us a global energy superpower and supporting our northern sovereignty.”
Avery says they plan to focus initially on upgrading the rail lines to ensure rail access to the port is as reliable as what exists between Thunder Bay and Vancouver.
“We’re also focused on getting year-round access to the port. That’s an important aspect for our shippers and customers.”
In September, the federal government unveiled a list of five major projects to receive immediate financial attention as part of Bill C-5, the Building Canada Act, to better compete in the global economy. While Churchill Plus didn’t make the cut, it has been flagged as a “one to watch” in future rounds.
“We have the opportunity in Manitoba to truly be a gateway for our natural resources to go out to global markets but also for imports into Western Canada. That’s huge for jobs and economic benefits in northern Manitoba,” says Avery.
Respect for wildlife, environment critical
Listed to our Manitoba Inc podcast interview with Dr. Mario Pinto, vice-president (research and international) at the University of Manitoba
Dr. Mario Pinto, vice-president (research and international) at the University of Manitoba deems the project “a transformative moment in Canadian history.”
“Expanding the port in Churchill to permit export of agricultural energy and critical commodities – from the Prairies to global markets – will indeed be transformational. That said, this needs to go hand-in-hand with an investment in research,” says Pinto.
Pinto is in the process of collaborating with experts from around the world who study climate change and wildlife to conduct research as to how to allow the project to move forward while being respectful to the community, the environment and local wildlife.
“Take beluga whales. An estimated 55,000 whales use the Hudson Bay area in the summer and we are still learning where they calve and how they affect the biosphere,” he says. “We need to know what the optimal frequency of shipping should be – how many ships and what types of ships, can pass before belugas are affected.”
The same consideration must be given to the land, such as how pipelines and increased rail traffic will impact caribou and those who hunt them. Pinto points to work currently being done at the U of M that is home to The Churchill Marine Observatory.
“It’s the only lab in the world to run controlled experiments in the Arctic Ocean and surrounding areas and is critically important to developing the North,” he says. “We know the research we’re doing at the University of Manitoba and with our collaborators around climate change and wildlife in the areas will provide the answers that are critical to moving this project forward in a respectful and efficient way.”
Avery says the port has the opportunity to be the biggest example of economic reconciliation in Manitoba. “Wouldn’t it be great if people could train to be locomotive engineers, conductors and port workers in their communities and have jobs there? (They’d develop) skills, have good-paying jobs and could support their families for this generation and the next generation.”
