Year-round shipping on Hudson Bay without the need for costly icebreakers is feasible, according to Premier Wab Kinew’s spokesperson. Studies exploring the extension of the shipping season, a key component of the proposed Port of Churchill expansion, have shown promising results, shared Amy Tuckett-McGimpsey on Thursday.
The Manitoba government is set to disclose the findings of these studies on Friday. Arctic Gateway Group, in collaboration with shipping company Fednav, has been examining the requirements to enable year-round shipping at the Port of Churchill.
Additionally, both the provincial and federal governments have commissioned a study by the Arctic Research Foundation, led by former Blackberry chair Jim Balsillie, to evaluate the potential extension of the port’s operating season. The Fednav study has been completed, while the Arctic Research Foundation study is scheduled for completion in March 2027, as per information from Rebecca Widdicombe, a representative for Premier Kinew.
Ahead of a summit in Toronto in September, where Kinew aims to attract international investors for the Port of Churchill expansion, the premier plans to unveil details from both studies. Kinew mentioned in an interview with the Globe and Mail that the studies indicate diminishing sea ice could allow for the use of icebreakers costing between $50 million and $100 million, rather than the significantly more expensive multibillion-dollar vessels, to navigate Hudson Bay.
The commissioning of icebreakers is part of the proposed Port of Churchill expansion, which presently operates during a roughly four-month ice-free season extending from mid-July to late October or early November. Arctic Gateway Group, consisting of 29 First Nations and 12 remote northern Manitoba communities, intends to enhance the Hudson Bay Railway to support larger payloads and upgrade storage and loading facilities at the Port of Churchill.
The group is also exploring the potential for shipping commodities through Hudson Bay earlier and later in the season, utilizing both icebreakers and ice-hardened tugboats. Furthermore, Kinew has raised the idea of constructing a natural gas or oil pipeline to Churchill and establishing a year-round access road to the community.
An earlier market sounding conducted by the federal government for the proposed expansion did not disclose its results to the public. A previous feasibility study carried out by consulting firm PwC in 2023 suggested several short-term, cost-effective opportunities to increase cargo transportation through the Port of Churchill. However, it was less conclusive about the feasibility of a more extensive investment in a northern Manitoba trade corridor.
The study highlighted various opportunities to transport additional cargo through the port, including exporting nickel and silica sand, enhancing the port’s role as a resupply hub for remote Nunavut communities, and potentially shipping more grain and potash with additional investments in the port and railway.
It also cautioned that climate change might pose challenges for the Port of Churchill, with warmer temperatures leading to a prolonged ice-free season but also causing navigation difficulties due to ice jams and severe storms. The report warned of potential impacts on the Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill infrastructure from thawing permafrost, necessitating costly and continuous maintenance efforts.
The construction of an all-season road to Churchill was estimated to cost up to $1.2 billion to build and require $25 million annually for maintenance. Moreover, concerns were raised about the lack of control over tourist traffic in ecologically sensitive areas.
While there is general support among Northern Manitoba residents for modest port development to improve services on the Hudson Bay Railway, there is strong opposition to large-scale industrial projects in Churchill. Residents are particularly concerned about environmental impacts, potential disruption to the town’s ecotourism appeal, and issues related to job creation and housing competition.
Opposition was notably expressed towards projects involving the transportation of oil and activities that could harm the environment relied upon by Inuit and Indigenous communities for survival and well-being. Arctic Gateway CEO Chris Avery noted that the 2023 PwC report was written before Canada’s increased focus on major projects, emphasizing the need for a diversified and resilient business approach at the port.
Although the federal government recognized the Port of Churchill expansion as “nationally significant infrastructure” in 2025, it did not classify it as one of the major national projects authorized to proceed.