Will the Future of Canadian Autonomy Rest in the Hands of a Subarctic Port Town?

Churchill, Manitoba. Nestled on the brisk northwest corner of the Hudson Bay, this subarctic port town is home to around 900 permanent residents. Famous for its unique, polar bear-based tourism opportunities that draw in thousands of tourists annually, the town also boasts Canada's only deepwater Arctic port. Currently, the Port of Churchill ships supplies to Nunavut's Kivalliq region, as well as critical minerals and agricultural products abroad.

Earlier this week, a joint statement was released by Prime Minister Mark Carney and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew that there were detailed plans to expedite the major Port of Churchill Plus project. On September 11, the project was listed on the transformative strategies list for the Major Projects Office.

This project seeks to expand the current Port of Churchill's export capacity through additional trade corridors, an all season road, a new energy corridor, an improved rail line, and capacity to support marine ice-breakers. It is envisioned to become a significant, multi-purpose gateway to the northern region with four season access, unlike many precarious ice road dependent corridors common in northern Canada. Of its many potential benefits, the Port of Churchill Plus and associated projects could provide infrastructure to connect isolated communities off the Hudson's Bay, not only to one another, but also, other countries. This could radically alter the reality of life in northeastern Canada, providing access and opportunities never before possible.

This project is unique compared to other industrial initiatives in that the intention is for Indigenous equity ownership to be prioritized through the development of an MCIC, or Manitoba Crown Indigenous Corporation.

In their November 16th statement, the Prime Minister and Premier expressed their vision that the Port of Churchill Plus would contribute to "increased and diversified trade with Europe and other partners, while more strongly linking Churchill to the rest of Canada". 

They acknowledged that the MCIC board has not yet been established, following up by saying that, once it is, "the MCIC will be a full partner in the work going forward".

The statement also mentions that the "significant progress" already made towards project implementation will "only continue to pick up speed". The Prime Minister and Premier then go on to announce actionable ways that their governments will prioritize its development. First, an undisclosed amount of federal funding will be provided to the Arctic Research Foundation to conduct a feasibility study. This is intended to elucidate "the path forward for future deployment and operation of specialized icebreakers, ice tugs, and research vessels at the Port of Churchill". Alongside this, Premier Kinew will fund the community/Indigenous owned Arctic Gateway Group with $51 million for the purpose of "capital improvements to the Hudson's Bay rail line", as well as the development of a "new critical minerals storage facility at the Port of Churchill". The joint-federal provincial investment over five years presently amounts to $262.5 million, $175 million of which is federal and was previously announced. 

Carney recently told CTV News that the project is "very ambitious", and that there is "a lot of work to do". Kinew estimated a five to ten year timeline until their vision of the Port of Churchill Plus is fully executed, but noted that he and Carney will be meeting every three months to "discuss the project and other matters" in the meantime. 

Despite this apparent commitment, the project is still not on Ottawa's official major projects of "national importance". Instead, six new energy and mining projects were placed on Ottawa's fast-tracked list instead. If this project were to receive fast-track approval under the pretense of national interest, it could streamline development for mining companies seeking export through the port, enabling the potential for global trade and other uses much more quickly. 

Do you think that a project with such drastic implications for expanding access to the northern regions of Canada, both domestically and internationally, should be streamlined? Is enough being done to ensure the project is executed safely and efficiently as it stands? Let us know in the comments below.