Port News

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Manitoba must prepare for year-round Hudson Bay shipping access, port owner says

Port of Churchill boosts railway access, critical mineral storage capacity

Year-round shipping access through Hudson Bay is a possibility that Manitoba needs to get ready for, and the head of the group that owns the Port of Churchill says it’s possible to strike a balance between environmental concerns and tourism interests.

Trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. have sparked renewed interest in the Port of Churchill, with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew saying it could be a good option for increased trade with Europe and expansion could fit with the federal government’s plan for nation-building infrastructure.

The port, which has a brief operational window each summer, is owned and operated by Arctic Gateway Group, a partnership of dozens of First Nations and Hudson Bay communities.

The Port of Churchill sent its first Arctic supply ship of the season over the weekend, carrying supplies such as construction equipment, essential goods and building materials to Nunavut’s Kivalliq region, the port’s ownership group says.
(Drew Hamilton/Arctic Gateway)

Chris Avery, Arctic Gateway Group’s CEO, said University of Manitoba researchers expect climate change will completely open up sea lanes in Hudson Bay within the “generation of our kids or our grandkids.”

“We need to start preparing for that,” he said at a news conference Tuesday.

In recent years, the federal and provincial governments have invested millions of dollars in the railway line and port as a way to secure a trade route through Hudson Bay and the Arctic to overseas markets.

Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/port-of-churchill-upgrades-2025-1.7585649