By Chris Avery, President & CEO, Arctic Gateway Group
At Arctic Gateway Group, we have always believed that the Port of Churchill has untapped potential to connect Western Canada’s resources to the world. Potash is part of that future.
Today, we are working to ship more kinds of products through Churchill. Over the past two years, we have proven we can move critical minerals to global markets, with zinc concentrate shipments exported to Europe from the Port of Churchill. Now, through our new partnership with the Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM), we are expanding and diversifying again, this time with potash mined in Manitoba. We are also in active talks with potash producers in Saskatchewan.
This partnership is about opportunity and teamwork. Manitoba companies are working together to move Manitoba resources to world markets. Arctic Gateway, owned by 41 Indigenous and northern communities, operates the Hudson Bay Railway and the Port of Churchill. Churchill is Canada’s only deepwater Arctic port linked by rail to the national network. PADCOM is developing a potash mine near Russell, Manitoba. Together, we are building a made-in-Manitoba solution that gets products overseas faster, makes Manitoba more competitive, and supports jobs in northern and Indigenous communities.
PADCOM’s president, Daymon Guillas, said it best: “This is a story about Manitoba potash by Manitoba people through a Manitoba port. It is a good Manitoba story.” PADCOM expects to send its first test train to Churchill in 2026, a major milestone that will open new markets in Europe, Africa, and South America. Shipping north through Churchill also cuts travel time from three weeks to six days.
At Arctic Gateway, we have been preparing for this moment for years. The Hudson Bay Railway is being rebuilt and modernized. Freight volumes have doubled, travel times are three hours shorter, and new tools such as drones, LiDAR, radar, and artificial intelligence help us keep the line strong and reliable in ways that weren’t possible in the past. At the Port of Churchill, we are adding a new bulk storage facility that will triple capacity for potash and other minerals.
This partnership is about unlocking the full potential of Manitoba’s maritime coast and Canada’s Arctic Trade Corridor, showing what happens when local innovation and strong northern infrastructure come together.
Manitoba is a maritime province, and Churchill is its northern port. With PADCOM, we are charting a new course that connects Manitoba’s resources to the world and brings the benefits home to the communities that helped build it.
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