$60M announced for Churchill’s railway, port
Northern Manitoba’s economic future is getting a $60 million boost.
On Friday, the provincial and federal governments pledged $30 million a piece to finish work on the Hudson Bay Railway and to start redeveloping the Port of Churchill.
The funding will be distributed to Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) – a partnership between 41 First Nations and Bayline communities in the region. AGG owns both the railway and port.
According to a joint news release, The Hudson Bay Railway serves about 29,000 residents in northern communities. It is the only year-round transportation available for passengers and freight traffic. It also links the Port of Churchill as the only deep-water Arctic port to North America’s land-based transportation network.
“The Port of Churchill makes Manitoba a maritime province, and that is absolutely crucial to the future of our provincial economic success,” Premier Wab Kinew said Friday. “Not only do [the Port and railway] allow supplies to reach these communities and to Nunavut, but this is also going to help increase our status as a trading province.”
Kinew and Dan Vandal, the federal minister for PrairiesCan, made the announcement in Churchill.
“Simply put, Hudson's Bay railway is the backbone of Northern Manitoba,” Vandal said. “The rail line is essential for Northern supply chains for local food security, and for small businesses and tourism operators.”
The railway investment is expected to enhance supply chains, food security, and regional connectivity in the north. Work to repair and upgrade the rail line from The Pas to Churchill has been going on for the past two years.
Meantime, the Port of Churchill’s redevelopment aims to expand critical mineral and natural resource trade through the Arctic. The joint release notes Manitoba has 29 of the 31 critical minerals essential to net-zero transitions. In December, the Arctic Gateway Group and Hudbay Minerals Inc. announced an agreement to ship zinc concentrate out of the port in 2024.
Churchill Mayor Mike Spence, who also chairs the Arctic Gateway Group, welcomed the investment with open arms.
“They share the vision that we have… recognize the value of investments into this national strategic asset in Canada's North,” Spence said. “Today's investment will allow us to complete major capital improvement on the rail line and will allow us to shift and focus on redeveloping our port.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
At least 4 buildings burned at Jasper Park Lodge, others damaged: Fairmont memo
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge said Thursday afternoon most of its structures are 'standing and intact,' including its iconic main lodge.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.
'He was just gone': Police ramp up search for vulnerable 3-year-old boy in Mississauga, Ont.
Police in Mississauga are conducting a full-scale search of the city’s biggest park for a non-verbal toddler who went missing Thursday evening. Sgt. Jennifer Trimble told reporters Friday morning that there has been no trace of three-year-old Zaid Abdullah since 6:20 p.m., when he was last seen with his parents in Erindale Park, near Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road.
Sask. appeal court says anti-trans group cannot join constitutional dispute over pronoun law
Saskatchewan’s Court of Appeal has denied a political group that opposes so-called “gender ideology” intervener status in a legal dispute over the province’s controversial pronoun law.
Justin Timberlake's attorney disputes he was intoxicated when arrested for DWI
A hearing in the case of Justin Timberlake being accused of driving while intoxicated was held Friday, where an attorney for the singer disputed his arrest in June.
Elon Musk's estranged daughter calls out his 'entirely fake' claims about her childhood
Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk's estranged daughter, publicly refuted several recent anti-trans statements her Tesla CEO and X owner father has made about her.
What we know about 'malicious' attack on French train network ahead of Olympics opening
French transport was thrust into chaos Friday just hours ahead of the Olympics 2024 opening ceremony after a series of co-ordinated 'malicious acts' upended high-speed train lines.Here's what happened and what we know so far.
Harvey Weinstein in hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 and contracting double pneumonia
Disgraced and imprisoned movie mogul Harvey Weinstein 'tested positive for COVID and contracted double pneumonia in his lungs,' Juda Engelmayer, Weinstein’s spokesman, said in a statement Thursday.
Reported rate of child pornography increased 52% in 2023, total crime up 3%: Statistics Canada
Last year, reported child pornography cases increased by more than 50 per cent in Canada, in part due to more cases being sent to police by specialized internet child exploitation units, according to a Statistics Canada report.