A representative for Premier Wab Kinew mentioned that it is feasible to conduct year-round shipping on Hudson Bay without relying on costly icebreakers. Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey stated on Thursday that studies exploring the extension of the shipping season, a critical component of the proposed Port of Churchill expansion, have shown positive outcomes.
The Manitoba government is set to disclose the findings of these studies on Friday. Arctic Gateway Group, the owner of the port and the Hudson Bay Railway, collaborated with shipping company Fednav to assess the requirements for enabling year-round shipping at the Port of Churchill.
Additionally, both the provincial and federal governments commissioned a study by the Arctic Research Foundation, a non-profit organization founded by former Blackberry chair Jim Balsillie, to evaluate the feasibility of prolonging the operational season at the port.
The Fednav study has been finalized, while the Arctic Research Foundation study is expected to be completed by March 2027, as per statements from Rebecca Widdicombe, a spokesperson for Kinew, made earlier on Thursday.
Prior to a summit in Toronto scheduled for September, where Kinew aims to present the Port of Churchill expansion to global investors, the premier intends to disclose details from both studies. Kinew, in an interview with the Globe and Mail later on Thursday, noted that the studies suggest a reduction in sea ice will permit icebreakers costing between $50 million to $100 million to navigate Hudson Bay, instead of requiring multibillion-dollar vessels.
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CBC News has not independently verified the contents of these studies.
The acquisition of icebreakers is just one part of the proposed Port of Churchill expansion, which presently operates for about four months during the ice-free season from mid-July to late October or early November. Arctic Gateway Group, comprising 29 First Nations and 12 remote northern Manitoba communities, aims to enhance the Hudson Bay Railway to handle larger loads and upgrade storage and loading facilities at the port.
Furthermore, the group is exploring options to transport goods through Hudson Bay earlier and later in the season, utilizing both icebreakers and ice-hardened tugboats. Kinew has even floated the idea of constructing a natural gas or oil pipeline to Churchill and establishing a year-round access road to the community.
Previous Study Cast Doubts on Feasibility
The federal government conducted a market sounding for the proposed expansion but did not release the results publicly. An earlier feasibility study completed by consulting firm PwC in 2023 indicated several short-term, cost-effective opportunities to increase shipping activities through the Port of Churchill, albeit with less certainty regarding a more ambitious investment in a northern Manitoba trade corridor.
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