The President of the Hudson Bay Route Association told delegates at the SARM Convention the Port of Churchill is ready to do some significant business.
Jim Berscheid says the Port has evolved in recent years from tracks being washed out around 2017-18 and subsequent repair, to upgrades made to the grain terminal. It has also changed hands a few times with the Arctic Gateway Group as the current owners.
Fast forward to today, the federal government has put more focus on projects that have the potential to benefit the country economically and Berscheid believes the Port fits into that equation.
"And the vibe that I sense that's coming back from the work that they're doing is Canada is beginning to realize that there's a very significant asset here. It's underutilized, but now it's coming to a life of its own." he said.
Governments have allocated money towards the Port. Recently, the federal, Saskatchewan and Manitoba governments announced a combined investment of $262.5 million.
Berscheid also noted Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced calls for proposals for $5 billion in funding under the Trade Diversification Corridors Fund and $1 billion under the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, so it's an opportunity for the Port to get additional government money.
Berscheid mentioned mining companies are reaching out to them about utilizing the rail line year-round as opposed to the current four to five months of service currently available.
"So the Route Association reached out to the folks in the Government of Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and Transport Canada, looking for icebreaker service. We're pleased to report that that service is available. That service is available for 12 months of the year. They're strategizing how to deliver that. But it's also available at no cost as long as we work with certain protocols, so that's something that can transform what's going on at the port. The details of this have to be worked out, but it's quite delightful to go back to a customer and say, 'Yeah, we can look after the concentrate that you're going to generate, and we can get it into an export position for you quite handily.'" he explained.
He's also excited about Saskatchewan's work on trade, especially in establishing trade offices in multiple countries around the world, and believes there is an opportunity to work with the province to further enhance the Port's potential.
"I think that's a mechanism that if we communicate with them that they can also utilize Churchill as a dependable asset to move commodities in and out. That's also going to drive the business model. So the exports coming out of Saskatchewan I think are going to be a big part of it. Saskatchewan we look to be as one of the biggest customers that's going to be moving commodities through the port."
He concluded his speech by encouraging delegates to support the Port of Churchill.
