Shipments of critical minerals through the Port of Churchill are set to expand significantly, the Arctic Gateway Group announced on June 23, 2026. The growth is driven by new copper concentrate from a mine in northern Saskatchewan and continued zinc exports from a Manitoba operation, highlighting Churchill’s growing role as a northern trade hub.
Eldorado Gold Saskatchewan will soon begin shipping copper concentrate from its McIlvenna Bay mine, located 65 kilometres west of Flin Flon, through the Hudson Bay Railway’s Flin Flon subdivision to eastern Canada. The shipment comes after Eldorado Gold Corporation completed its $3.8-billion purchase of Foran Mining in April 2026, giving it ownership of McIlvenna Bay. Prime Minister Mark Carney had earlier named the site a Project of National Importance.
Meanwhile, Hudbay Minerals is in its third straight year of sending zinc concentrate from its Lalor Mine in Snow Lake to European markets through Churchill. “As we enter our third consecutive year of moving our critical minerals through the Port of Churchill, this corridor continues to demonstrate its value as an efficient and sustainable gateway to global markets, creating mutual benefits for our operations and northern communities alike,” said John O’Shaughnessy, vice-president of Hudbay’s Manitoba business unit.
The growth builds on recent expansion. In 2025, Hudbay and Arctic Gateway Group doubled shipments to 20,000 tonnes of zinc concentrate, up from 10,000 tonnes the year before. The port also tripled its storage capacity for critical minerals to 30,000 tonnes.
The increased traffic comes as the Hudson Bay Railway undergoes a modernization push. The federal government committed $175 million over five years starting in March 2025, and the Manitoba government has put in $87.5 million. The upgrades are meant to bring the line up to modern North American industrial weight standards so it can fully connect with Canada’s main rail network. The larger vision, called Port of Churchill Plus, was referred to the federal Major Projects Office in September 2025 and includes multibillion-dollar port upgrades, an all-weather road, an upgraded rail line, a new energy corridor, and ice-breaking capacity.
Arctic Gateway Group is owned by a partnership of 41 Indigenous and Bayside communities, including 29 First Nations. The group operates the Port of Churchill, Canada’s only Arctic seaport with rail service, the Hudson Bay Railway from The Pas to Churchill, and the Churchill Marine Tank Farm.
