$40 million Churchill railway upgrade applauded by Northern communities
The railway heading north to Churchill will be getting an improvement after a $40 million investment from the federal government.
On Friday, the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) received $40 million through Indigenous Services Canada's Strategic Partnerships Initiative.
The AGG is owned by OneNorth Partnership, a partnership between 29 Indigenous and 12 non-Indigenous communities located along the Hudson Bay Railway.
AGG said the funds will go towards improving the Hudson Bay Railway, with a focus on the line between Gillam and Churchill.
"This is good news for the entire region," said Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, co-chair of the OneNorth partnership, in a news release.
"We need a reliable and safe railway for transportation within the region and to connect with the outside world. This funding is an important step towards that goal, and towards helping Churchill and the region reach their economic potential."
First Nation members in OneNorth are also applauding the funding.
"We have waited a long time for reliable rail transportation and this gets us closer to that goal," said War Lake First Nation Chief Betsy Kennedy, a member of the OneNorth board.
"Our communities need the railway to access economic opportunities, health care, and social and cultural opportunities. This investment allows important work to continue and we hope the partnership with the federal government will continue until the job is done."
In 2018, a major washout of the railway stopped trains from accessing Churchill.
According to Arctic Gateway Group's website, the AGG runs the only train serviced artic port, an important economic driver in the region.
"This region has immense economic potential, and the way all of our communities have joined together in OneNorth speaks to our determination to build a better future together," said Opaskwayak Cree Nation Onekanew Christian Sinclair, also co-Chair of the OneNorth Board.
"We are pleased that the federal government made this investment at a crucial time in our efforts to fix the tracks and build a world-class transportation corridor. We look forward to our continued partnership with Canada to achieve our long-term vision for the Arctic Gateway and Northern Manitoba."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Donald Trump picks former U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra as ambassador to Canada
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has nominated former diplomat and U.S. congressman Pete Hoekstra to be the American ambassador to Canada.
Genetic evidence backs up COVID-19 origin theory that pandemic started in seafood market
A group of researchers say they have more evidence to suggest the COVID-19 pandemic started in a Chinese seafood market where it spread from infected animals to humans. The evidence is laid out in a recent study published in Cell, a scientific journal, nearly five years after the first known COVID-19 outbreak.
This is how much money you need to make to buy a house in Canada's largest cities
The average salary needed to buy a home keeps inching down in cities across Canada, according to the latest data.
'My two daughters were sleeping': London Ont. family in shock after their home riddled with gunfire
A London father and son they’re shocked and confused after their home was riddled with bullets while young children were sleeping inside.
Smuggler arrested with 300 tarantulas strapped to his body
Police in Peru have arrested a man caught trying to leave the country with 320 tarantulas, 110 centipedes and nine bullet ants strapped to his body.
Boissonnault out of cabinet to 'focus on clearing the allegations,' Trudeau announces
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced embattled minister Randy Boissonnault is out of cabinet.
Baby dies after being reported missing in midtown Toronto: police
A four-month-old baby is dead after what Toronto police are calling a “suspicious incident” at a Toronto Community Housing building in the city’s midtown area on Wednesday afternoon.
Sask. woman who refused to provide breath sample did not break the law, court finds
A Saskatchewan woman who refused to provide a breath sample after being stopped by police in Regina did not break the law – as the officer's request was deemed not lawful given the circumstances.
Parole board reverses decision and will allow families of Paul Bernardo's victims to attend upcoming parole hearing in person
The families of the victims of Paul Bernardo will be allowed to attend the serial killer’s upcoming parole hearing in person, the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) says.