New Manitoba Trade Alliance Strengthens Inland, Air and Arctic Corridors
Ports Manitoba Project unites the Port of Churchill, CentrePort Canada, and Winnipeg Airports Authority in first-of-its-kind trade partnership
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Jan. 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Together with Prairies Economic Development Canada and the Province of Manitoba, Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), and CentrePort Canada Inc. announced the signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will strengthen Manitoba’s trade network, further diversify Canadian trade routes, and provide better access for businesses to global markets.
The agreement, called “Ports Manitoba Project,” brings together the combined strengths of the federal and provincial government together with three of Manitoba’s most important transportation and logistics assets:
- The Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway, owned by 41 northern and Indigenous communities through Arctic Gateway Group (AGG);
- CentrePort Canada, one of North America’s largest trimodal inland ports and Foreign Trade Zones;
- Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), a major Canadian international cargo airport.
Under the new partnership, the three organizations together with government partners commit to developing an integrated, resilient supply chain that moves goods and people more efficiently across air, land, and sea. The agreement emphasizes shared goals of expanding access to international markets, increasing trade capacity, attracting international investment, and leveraging Manitoba’s central location and maritime access through Hudson Bay.
“Building one Canadian economy means working with key partners to strengthen the trade corridors that bring Prairie products to domestic and global markets”, said the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada. “This initiative advances that work and build on our government’s recent investments in Arctic Gateway Group, the Port of Churchill and CentrePort which have improved supply-chain efficiency, reduced barriers to interprovincial trade, and advanced trade diversification.”
“Manitoba sits at the centre of the country and now we’re building our place at the centre of trade,” said Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation for the Province of Manitoba. “With partnerships like this — and initiatives like the Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation — we’re working alongside our transportation sector partners and Indigenous nations to make sure major projects deliver real benefits for Manitobans. That’s how we create jobs, grow the economy, and strengthen Manitoba’s role in global trade.”
“Canada needs new routes to global markets, and Manitoba is primed to step up and deliver,” said Chris Avery, President & CEO, Arctic Gateway Group. “By bringing together the Port of Churchill, Winnipeg’s international airport, and CentrePort, we’re aligning Canada’s Arctic Trade Corridor with its largest inland port and its premier cargo airport to build something far greater than the sum of its parts.”
AGG’s northern transportation network, which includes Canada’s only rail-connected deep-water Arctic port, will be strategically linked with the airport’s year-round air cargo capabilities and CentrePort’s unparalleled rail, road, and industrial land infrastructure.
CentrePort Canada will play a central role in supporting companies seeking streamlined access to multiple modes of transportation.
“Companies around the world are looking for reliable, resilient supply chains, and Manitoba is ideally positioned to deliver exactly that,” said Carly Edmundson, President & CEO, CentrePort Canada Inc. “By working together, we catalyze Manitoba's trade-enabling infrastructure to allow goods to move more easily throughout Canada, and enhance our connections with global markets.”
“This MOU is about strengthening how Manitoba’s trade and transportation assets work together,” said Nick Hays, President & CEO, Winnipeg Airports Authority. “Improved multi-modal coordination enables a more integrated and resilient trade network. This in turn supports long-term economic opportunity for the province and for Canada.”
The MOU outlines several areas of collaboration, including:
- Providing a single-window access to services, business connections and support for companies who want to invest;
- Enhancing Foreign Trade Zone access and usage, leveraging the 15 free trade agreements held by Canada;
- Building a resilient and integrated supply chain between The Port of Churchill, CentrePort Canada, and the Winnipeg Airports Authority to allow companies to access global trade partners; and
- Supporting the ongoing development of the Port of Churchill and Hudson’s Bay Rail Line, CentrePort Canada and the Winnipeg Airports Authority.
This agreement strengthens Manitoba’s capacity to compete globally, positioning the province as a logistics leader, a crucial continental link, and a foundation for long-term Arctic economic development.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bbe6e19c-2e9a-43db-a39c-d686a03fa6cd
AGG Media Contact Brad Hartle Brad@chadwickconsulting.ca 204.266.8297
Signing Ceremony for Ports Manitoba Project
Honourable Jamie Moses, Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation, Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, Nick Hays, President & CEO Winnipeg Airports Authority, Chris Avery, President & CEO, Arctic Gateway Group, Carly Edmundson, President & CEO, CentrePort Canada
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