Overview
- Manitoba committed $51 million for Hudson Bay Railway upgrades and a new critical minerals storage facility, lifting the province’s total to $87.5 million.
- Combined with earlier federal commitments, joint investments total $262.5 million over five years to move the Churchill initiative from concept to execution.
- Ottawa will fund a feasibility study through the Arctic Research Foundation to assess year-round operations using icebreakers, ice tugs and research vessels based in Churchill.
- Provincial officials say the new funds will cover engineering work toward Class I rail standards and new storage and loading systems to handle critical minerals, potash and Arctic supplies.
- Indigenous leadership is positioned at the center through a proposed Crown–Indigenous Corporation, with early work underway on a project charter and business case, quarterly leader meetings planned, and a full strategy expected in spring 2026.