It seems like it’s been one good news story after another for the Port of Churchill this year.
The port will handle and ship more than 600,000 tonnes of export grain in 2007, the most in 30 years.
Also, for the first time ever, a cargo of wheat was shipped from the Hudson Bay port to a domestic destination (Halifax).
Now comes news that $68 million will be spent to upgrade the rail line to Churchill and some of the physical infrastructure at the port.
Of that total, $60 million will be spent on fixing up and maintaining the rail line, with $20 million each coming from the Manitoba government, the federal government and OmniTrax Canada, which owns the rail line and the port.
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The rail line, which traverses rugged country on its route from The Pas to Churchill, experienced a number of operational problems this summer, although nothing serious enough to disrupt shipments.
Another $8 million will be spent on improvements to the port through the Churchill Gateway Development Corp. That will be split between the Manitoba and federal governments.
In announcing the new funding, Manitoba premier Gary Doer said it reflects Churchill’s growing importance as Canada’s only deep-water Arctic seaport.
“The rail line is an essential link that connects the port and several remote northern communities and economies to key markets,” he said during an
Oct. 5 appearance in Churchill with prime minister Stephen Harper and OmniTrax chief executive officer Pat Broe.
The Canadian Wheat Board, the biggest user of the northern port, welcomed the new investment in the northern grain export system.
“This is a cost-effective way to export grain and it’s really important to farmers that the port be kept functioning and viable,” said spokesperson Maureen Fitzhenry.
“Churchill is almost entirely reliant on CWB grains and we are committed to the port.”
So far this year the CWB is the only grain shipper to use Churchill. It expects to ship more than 600,000 tonnes of wheat and durum through the port before freeze-up.
Last year shipments of board grains totalled 384,000 tonnes. The 10 year average is around 364,000 tonnes, with a record 735,000 tonnes in 1975. In addition, 104,000 tonnes of non-board grain moved through Churchill last year.
Officials from OmniTrax, the Churchill Gateway Development Corp. and the Hudson Bay Route Association could not be reached for comment by The Western Producer’s press deadline.
