A joint government initiative is looking to complete construction work on what is being called the only mode of transportation into several northern Manitoban communities.
The Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) will receive up to $60 million in funding from the federal and provincial governments, with a focus on finishing up work on the Hudson Bay Railway, redevelopment of the Port of Churchill, and providing an additional boost to the economies of communities around the area.
The AGG, consisting of 41 First Nations and Bayline communities in the province, owns and operates the Hudson Bay Railway. It picked up ownership of the railway on Aug. 31, 2018.
In a press release on Friday, Premier Wab Kinew and the federal minister for PrairiesCan, Dan Vandal, announced the funding. They noted that the work will go far in ensuring that people and businesses across the province are well connected.
“The Port of Churchill makes Manitoba a maritime province, and both the port and the rail line offer so much potential when it comes to international trade, energy exports, and building out the supply chains that create good jobs in northern Manitoba,” Kinew said. “Our team fought to repair the rail line because we understand it is the backbone of the northern economy and a vital connection to food and fuel for the families that live here.”
According to the release, the railway is “the only affordable year-round, all-weather mode of transportation for both passenger and freight traffic” to several northern communities in the province. It further reads that the railway serves remote and Indigenous communities, connecting the Port of Churchill to the “North American surface transportation network,” with 29,000 Manitobans depending on the rail line for everything from food to health.
Since 2022, the federal and provincial governments have worked on repairing and maintaining the railway, according to the release. Over 8.9 per cent of rail ties are said to have been replaced, two-million feet of track resurfaced, and over 10 bridges repaired.
“By investing in the Hudson Bay Railway, we are investing in the future. This means jobs will be created, mining and forestry opportunities will open, and Bayline communities will have the opportunity to position themselves as a true gateway to the Arctic and the world,” Vandal said.