Year-round navigation on Hudson Bay can be achieved without the need for costly icebreakers, according to a statement from Premier Wab Kinew’s representative.
The Port of Churchill expansion, dependent on extending the shipping season, has shown promising results in recent studies, as stated by Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey on Thursday.
The Manitoba government is set to disclose the outcomes of these studies on Friday.
Arctic Gateway Group, in collaboration with shipping company Fednav, has conducted research to identify the necessary steps to enable year-round shipping at the Port of Churchill.
Both the provincial and federal governments have also engaged the Arctic Research Foundation, led by former Blackberry chair Jim Balsillie, to explore the potential for lengthening the operational season at the port.
While the Fednav study is already finalized, the Arctic Research Foundation study is scheduled for completion by March 2027, according to Rebecca Widdicombe, a spokesperson for Kinew.
Prior to a summit in Toronto in September, where Kinew aims to attract international investors for the Port of Churchill expansion, the premier will unveil the details of both studies.
Based on the findings of these studies, Kinew mentioned in an interview with the Globe and Mail that diminishing sea ice could permit the use of icebreakers costing between $50 million to $100 million, making Hudson Bay accessible for navigation.
-
Manitoba plans to pitch Port of Churchill expansion to world’s leading investors
-
Churchill, Man., residents have reservations about Carney’s port development plan
CBC News has not independently verified the content of these studies.
Among the components of the proposed Port of Churchill expansion is the acquisition of icebreakers. Currently, the port operates for approximately four months during the ice-free season from mid-July to late October or early November.
Arctic Gateway Group, representing 29 First Nations and 12 remote northern Manitoba communities, intends to enhance the Hudson Bay Railway’s capacity to accommodate higher loads and enhance storage and loading facilities at the Port of Churchill.
The group is exploring options to transport goods through Hudson Bay earlier and later in the season, utilizing icebreakers and ice-hardened tugboats.
Additionally, Kinew has mentioned the potential construction of a natural gas or oil pipeline to Churchill and the establishment of a year-round access road to the community.
Earlier study raised doubts on feasibility
The federal government conducted a market sounding for the proposed expansion but has not made the results public.
An earlier feasibility study carried out by consulting firm PwC in 2023 indicated several short-term, cost-effective opportunities to increase cargo shipments via the Port of Churchill but was less certain about the viability of a more extensive investment in a northern Manitoba trade corridor.