The first shipment of critical minerals in over 20 years departed from the Port of Churchill in Manitoba on Aug. 16. The shipment of zinc concentrate was mined from Hudbay Minerals’ operations in Snow Lake, located around 200 kilometres east of Flin Flon, and was shipped by the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG), which is a partnership of 41 First Nation and Bayline communities in Manitoba that owns and operates both the port and the Hudson Bay Railway. 

The shipment marks a major milestone for the AGG, the federal and provincial governments and other stakeholders in their efforts to restore the Hudson Bay Railway, expand the port and capitalize on the chance to enhance Canada’s Arctic trade corridor to international markets. The AGG and Hudbay Minerals came to an agreement back in 2020 that has allowed the group to ship zinc concentrate through the port to better access international markets. 

“The collaborative work done between all levels of government and the leadership of the AGG has paved the way for this historic day,” said Dan Vandal, minister of northern affairs, in an Aug 16. press release from the AGG. “With a revitalized Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill, jobs will be created, mining and forestry opportunities will open, and Bayline communities will have the opportunity to position themselves as a true gateway to the Arctic and the world.” 

The Port of Churchill is the country’s only Arctic seaport that is serviced by rail, running from the town The Pas to Churchill. During the last two months, over 100 rail cars containing zinc concentrate from Hudbay’s Snow Lake operations were brought to the port, with the concentrate being temporarily stored at a newly developed storage facility, the first new building at the port in over 20 years. AGG completed construction of the facility in May of this year and said that it will be important in the export of critical minerals through the Churchill port.   

In addition to reviving the port, some of the tasks being carried out by AGG on the railway for the 2024 construction season include replacing 125,000 rail ties, rehabilitating several crossings and improving various bridges. 

On Feb. 23, Vandal and Wab Kinew, the premier of Manitoba, unveiled a joint investment from the federal and provincial governments of up to $60 million for the AGG to help support the completion of the Hudson Bay Railway, initiate the redevelopment of the port, and provide further benefits to the communities and economic sectors dependent on the AGG’s activities. 

According to the Aug. 16 press release, when work on the port and railway is finished by 2028, the Canadian economy is expected to benefit from over $1 billion annually in economic activity. This development would also support more than 5,500 jobs each year and reduce the cost of resupply shipments to Arctic communities, thereby enhancing food security.