New study to help assess potential impact of expanding port on Hudson Bay

The Port of Churchill in Churchill, Man. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods

WINNIPEG — The federal government is taking another step toward a potential expansion of the Port of Churchill in Manitoba and increased shipping through the Arctic.

Ottawa, along with the Manitoba government and other partners, is launching a market-sounding study on how road, rail and port improvements might attract more business from exporters.

The idea of expanding trade through Churchill and the Arctic Ocean has been discussed for decades but faces obstacles, including a short ice-free season and a railway that would need upgrades to handle heavier, more frequent traffic.

The project made a list of initiatives being considered as “transformative” by the federal government last year, although it was not among five projects highlighted in September for an initial round of nation-building infrastructure work.

Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed funding in November for a study on the potential of specialized icebreakers and tugs that could extend the short shipping season.

The new study, due to conclude in March, is to consult senior executives in mining, energy, grain and other sectors to gauge their interest in using the facilities with improved infrastructure.

“The Port of Churchill is set to play a central role in our government’s vision to build a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy that is better connected to global markets,” Steven MacKinnon, the federal transportation minister, said in a news release Thursday.

An expanded port could also include an energy corridor and an all-weather road to Churchill, a town of about 900 on the west shore of Hudson Bay that’s currently accessible by air and rail.

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has floated the possibility of a pipeline to Churchill that would carry energy from Western Canada to Europe and beyond.

The federal government said it would spend up to $248,600 on the market-sounding study.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 19, 2026.

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press