Churchill Port Reopens for Grain Exports After Six-Year Hiatus

The Port of Churchill is once again exporting grain after a six-year hiatus. A ship carrying approximately 30 thousand tonnes of Western Canadian durum wheat bound for Europe has been loaded at the port, marking the first export vessel since 2020.

AGT Foods & Ingredients, which owns and operates the port's facilities, signed a multi-year agreement with the Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) to send grain exports through Churchill. The company cited the shorter and more efficient route as a key advantage in connecting Western Canadian agriculture directly with customers in Europe and the Mediterranean.

The Port of Churchill had previously been used by the Canadian Wheat Board, which exported over 400 thousand tonnes annually before shipments dwindled to zero following the end of the CWB's single desk in 2012. Exports resumed in 2019 and 2020 after AGT and OneNorth acquired the port and rail line from OmniTrax in 2018.

AGG describes this season as the most diversified for the port to date, with grain shipments alongside resupply vessels for Nunavut, zinc concentrate, and potash fertilizer. The port has undergone recent capital work to address infrastructure needs, including structural bracing on the grain gallery, track rehabilitation, and bridge reconstruction near Thompson.

Government officials have welcomed the return of grain exports as a key step in expanding trade infrastructure and reducing reliance on other routes. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew emphasized that year-round shipping out of Churchill is achievable with modern ice-capable ships without icebreaker support, citing feasibility studies by researchers at the University of Manitoba and Fednav Limited.