A list of upcoming federal government projects could include new port infrastructure in Churchill, Man., Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday.
Carney’s comments about the northern Manitoba site came as he said the federal government will spend half a trillion dollars on infrastructure projects, ranging from energy to ports to intelligence.
“A number of those investments, the first of which we will be formally announcing in the next two weeks, are with respect to new port infrastructure,” Carney said in Germany, where the prime minister met with Chancellor Friedrich Merz and announced an agreement with the European country on critical minerals and energy.
“Some of the examples in the public domain will include reinforcing and building on the Port Of Montreal, Contrecoeur; a new port, effectively, in Churchill, Manitoba, which would open up enormous LNG [liquified natural gas] plus other opportunities; and other East Coast ports for those critical metals and minerals.”
The Port of Churchill, which is one of Canada’s northernmost deepwater ports and has a brief operational window each summer, is owned and operated by Arctic Gateway Group, a partnership of dozens of First Nations and Hudson Bay communities. It’s the only deepwater port with Arctic Ocean access in North America that’s also accessible by rail.
Carney’s remarks come days following an announcement that talks were set to get underway to explore a sustainable, year-round shipping season at the Port of Churchill, following an agreement between the port’s ownership group and a Montreal-based dry bulk shipping company.
Canada-U.S. trade tensions sparked renewed interest in the Port of Churchill earlier this year, with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew saying it could be a good option to boost trade with Europe, and expansion could fit with the federal government’s plan for nation-building infrastructure.
WATCH | Carney says Churchill port could be ‘one of the first’ major infrastructure projects:
Prime Minister Mark Carney, speaking to reporters in Latvia on Tuesday, came close to naming the major infrastructure projects his government will prioritize. Carney named Manitoba’s Churchill Port as a possibility.
In recent years, the federal and provincial governments have spent millions of dollars on the railway line and port to secure a trade route through Hudson Bay and the Arctic to overseas markets.
Kinew on Tuesday called the announcement an exciting moment for the province.
“We have this amazing opportunity to build up an existing port, an existing asset, something that’s already shipping critical minerals to international markets this year, but really to take it to the next level,” Kinew told reporters in a video call, adding that more infrastructure is needed to hit what he described as that “next level of economic opportunity.”
“Making sure we’ve got the port capacity to load more ships, making sure that we’ve got the icebreakers to keep that shipping lane open, that’s how we’re going to be able to make this opportunity a reality for the full potential that we want to build out towards.”
A statement attributed to Arctic Gateway Group president and CEO Chris Avery on Tuesday said it welcomes Carney’s comments, adding the port “is ready to step up and play a vital role in diversifying Canada’s trade, growing our energy and critical minerals exports, and strengthening sovereignty in the North.”
When asked again about the Port of Churchill later Tuesday in Latvia, Carney said there’s “much more to it than Contrecoeur in terms of what it potentially unlocks,” in addition to LNG.
“It unlocks, and I salute Premier Kinew’s initiative here, it unlocks major Indigenous leadership and participation. It potentially unlocks pathways for critical minerals and links into Europe,” he said.
Tim Hodgson, federal minister of energy and natural resources, told reporters Tuesday he thinks the Port of Churchill is underutilized and “a tremendous opportunity.”
Feiyue Wang, a professor and Canada Research Chair in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Environment and Geography, who also directs the Churchill Marine Observatory near the port, said the update from the prime minister was “a long time coming.”
“My initial response is: finally,” said Wang, adding the port holds potential as Arctic ice melts due to climate change, leading to a longer shipping season.
“Many of us who are working in the region, we know the potential is there. And I’m glad that finally the prime minister [started] to realize that that is possible.”
But Wang said while having a longer shipping season at the port would create opportunity, there are also environmental risks, including pollution, risk of oil spills and effects on marine mammals from increased shipping.
“It requires really very thorough and careful planning and working together, especially with folks who call the region home.”
Premier Kinew said addressing any environmental concerns linked to the project will mean making sure perspectives of Indigenous leaders are taken into account and making the right investments in infrastructure.
During stops in Germany and Latvia on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney said an announcement for new port infrastructure, including in Churchill, Man., is coming in the next two weeks. The plan is being welcomed by Manitoba’s premier, but one expert says developing the port comes with risks.
