Together with Prairies Economic Development Canada and the Province of Manitoba, the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), and CentrePort Canada Inc. on Jan. 20 reported signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that is intended to “strengthen Manitoba’s trade network, further diversify Canadian trade routes, and provide better access for businesses to global markets.”
Under the agreement, called the “Ports Manitoba Project,” AGG, which owns and operates the Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway; WAA, an international cargo airport; CentrePort Canada Inc., a trimodal inland port; and the government partners “commit to developing an integrated, resilient supply chain that moves goods and people more efficiently across air, land, and sea.” Additionally, the agreement “emphasizes shared goals of expanding access to international markets, increasing trade capacity, attracting international investment, and leveraging Manitoba’s central location and maritime access through Hudson Bay.”
The group reported that AGG’s northern transportation network will be “strategically linked” with the airport’s year-round air cargo capabilities, and the rail, road, and industrial land infrastructure at CentrePort Canada Inc. in Winnipeg, which has access to CN, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, and BNSF. CentrePort Canada is slated to “play a central role in supporting companies seeking streamlined access to multiple modes of transportation.”
“Building one Canadian economy means working with key partners to strengthen the trade corridors that bring Prairie products to domestic and global markets”, said Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. “This initiative advances that work and build on our government’s recent investments in Arctic Gateway Group, the Port of Churchill and CentrePort, which have improved supply-chain efficiency, reduced barriers to interprovincial trade, and advanced trade diversification.”
“Manitoba sits at the center of the country and now we’re building our place at the center of trade,” commented Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation for the Province of Manitoba. “With partnerships like this—and initiatives like the Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation—we’re working alongside our transportation sector partners and Indigenous nations to make sure major projects deliver real benefits for Manitobans. That’s how we create jobs, grow the economy, and strengthen Manitoba’s role in global trade.”
“Canada needs new routes to global markets, and Manitoba is primed to step up and deliver,” AGG President and CEO Chris Avery said. “By bringing together the Port of Churchill, Winnipeg’s international airport, and CentrePort, we’re aligning Canada’s Arctic Trade Corridor with its largest inland port and its premier cargo airport to build something far greater than the sum of its parts.”
“Companies around the world are looking for reliable, resilient supply chains, and Manitoba is ideally positioned to deliver exactly that,” pointed out Carly Edmundson, President and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc. “By working together, we catalyze Manitoba’s trade-enabling infrastructure to allow goods to move more easily throughout Canada, and enhance our connections with global markets.”
“This MOU is about strengthening how Manitoba’s trade and transportation assets work together,” added Nick Hays, President and CEO of WAA. “Improved multi-modal coordination enables a more integrated and resilient trade network. This in turn supports long-term economic opportunity for the province and for Canada.”
Further Reading:
- For Canada’s HBRY, Port of Churchill, another C$175MM
- For HBRY, Port of Churchill, an C$80MM Infusion
- AGG Partners with Invest Tisdale, Sakku Investments on Arctic Trade Corridor
- For HBRY, Port of Churchill, a $C60MM Investment
- Canada Investing C$18.6MM to Boost Supply Chain Fluidity
- Canada, Manitoba Partner to Support Hudson Bay Railway
- Winnipeg Rail Park Project Moving Forward
