Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is calling for more investment in the Port of Churchill to help the town expand its role in international trade and strengthen Canada’s presence in the North. In recent national media appearances, Kinew said the Port of Churchill is uniquely positioned as the only deep-water Arctic port connected to the North American surface transportation network via rail.
The federal and provincial governments announced a joint investment of up to $60 million on Feb. 23, 2024 to support repairs to the Hudson Bay Railway and initial redevelopment work at the Port of Churchill. The work is overseen by the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), a partnership owned by 41 First Nation and Bayline communities that acquired the Hudson Bay Railway, the Port of Churchill and related assets in 2018.
New proposals for the region include a multi-use corridor that could carry natural gas, oil or other energy products from Alberta to Hudson Bay for shipping. Proponents such as Western Energy Corridor have advanced studies and promotional materials suggesting such a corridor could create jobs and reduce transport costs, but the proposal remains at the planning/assessment stage.
While these ideas could bring more business to the region, challenges remain — notably the port’s short operational season because of ice and the high cost of making year-round shipping viable. To advance northern trade links, Manitoba and Saskatchewan signed a Memorandum of Understanding on July 22, 2025 to cooperate on a Northern Trade Corridor that would strengthen connections to the Port of Churchill and improve market access for prairie producers.
Local leaders like Churchill Mayor Mike Spence have stressed that, beyond big-picture plans, the priority is steady infrastructure work that benefits the roughly 900 residents of the community. Reporting by CBC and others has noted that keeping the rail line reliable — despite thawing ground and other climate-driven challenges — is central to making broader plans for the port feasible.
