The Port of Churchill in Manitoba, in July, 2018.JOHN WOODS/The Canadian Press
The federal and Manitoba governments have increased their funding toward a major expansion of the Port of Churchill as the centrepiece of a corridor for exports and other infrastructure in the Hudson Bay region.
In a joint statement on Sunday, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said they are co-ordinating their efforts and expect planning and design of a strategy encompassing the northern Manitoba port and associated projects to be completed by the spring of 2026.
The two levels of government have increased their funding for the effort to $262.5-million, they said.
Churchill is touted as a candidate to be one of the projects Mr. Carney’s government deems to be in the national interest and worthy of fast-track approvals. Its backers say the port could serve as a base of new trade routes for commodities as Canada seeks cut reliance on the United States amid the tariff war waged by President Donald Trump.
New money toward what is called Port of Churchill Plus includes $51-million from Manitoba for Arctic Gateway Group, the port’s operator, to make improvements to the Hudson Bay rail line that serves it. That will also fund a new critical-minerals storage facility at Churchill.
The federal government, meanwhile, is providing money for a feasibility study to examine future deployment and operation of specialized icebreakers, ice tugboats and research vessels to operate in the region, where the shipping season is currently short. It gave no dollar figure for the contribution.
Arctic Gateway Group chief executive officer Chris Avery said in a statement he welcomed the announcement of increased funding, which will go to modernizing operations and preparing for broader trade opportunities.
It is not yet known what other projects could be part of Port of Churchill Plus. In previous documents, the government has mentioned an energy corridor, as well as the possibility of an electricity and telecommunications link to Nunavut.
Mr. Carney and Mr. Kinew issued the joint statement three days after the federal government announced its second tranche of proposed mining, energy and infrastructure developments that will be fast-tracked for development under the purview of the Major Projects Office.