Poilievre promises to speed up Port of Churchill construction if elected

Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks during a rally in Winnipeg on March 29, 2025. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

Pierre Poilievre has pledged to speed up development of the Port of Churchill to get more product flowing if the Conservative Party forms government after the election.

The Conservative Party of Canada leader made the comments during a campaign stop in Winnipeg Saturday morning, where he said he would honour the previous federal government commitments to the project.

“We’ll honour those funding commitments, but more importantly, we’ll get it done right now,” Poilievre said. “Infrastructure projects are ensnared in endless delay and bureaucracy, so it takes years to get the permitting.”

He said there would be one “simple rule.”

“One and done. One environmental review, one simple application, and in the case of large-scale industrial projects, no more than one year to get a permit.”

Poilievre said the government also needs to come up with a plan to export oil from the Port of Churchill, either by rail or pipeline, but says it won’t happen under a Liberal government.

“Churchill will never be a big, functioning port if the Liberals get a fourth term in power, because their radical environmental agenda will prevent anything from getting built,” he said.

Any decision to ship oil through the Port of Churchill would require significant consultation with First Nations and local municipalities.

The Port of Churchill has become a hot topic for trade routes in Manitoba in recent months. In February, Premier Wab Kinew announced $36.4 million in funding from the province to help upgrade the port’s rail lines and infrastructure.

In 2024, the port welcomed a shipment of zinc, and it has been touted as a place to export critical minerals to new markets in the wake of tariff threats from the United States.

Poilievre also pledged to honour the federal funding for the North End sewage treatment plant.

Poilievre was the first federal leader to appear in Manitoba during the campaign, and promised tax writeoffs for people in trades travelling to work. He finished the day hosting a rally with supporters.

-With files from The Canadian Press