Port posing as ‘lifeline of the north’

CHURCHILL, Man. — Plans to turn Polar Bear country into the Continent’s premier northern gateway continue to develop at a steady pace.

The Hudson Bay Port Co. recently signed a deal with Halifax-based MacDonnell Group to develop a "master plan" for the port’s future role and determine what further infrastructure is needed, according to the Halifax Chronicle-Herald.

The port, which had its busiest year in 2007, is already a major Arctic transportation centre. But officials of this 1,000-person community envision the northern Manitoban gateway evolving into a major shipping and cargo consolidation hub for all of Canada.

"This is a port that is part of an essential lifeline to the North," MacDonnell’s President Jeffrey Monroe told the newspaper. "It presents challenges because of a very short operating season."

There are no roads leading to Churchill. Ships can sail the Hudson during the short summer window, but for the rest of the year, only rail or air can get people and goods up there.

But that could change in the next few decades. According to the European Space Agency, more navigable waters in Canada’s arctic could be a reality in the not-too-distant future.

The group reported that satellite photos show that an ice-free passage is opening along northern Canada, Alaska and Greenland.