Winnipeg Inland Port Manitoba | The CentrePort Canada Initiative

CentrePort Canada Initiative Winnipeg, Manitoba
In April 2009, Prime Minister Harper announced new funding to help expand CentrePort Canada into one of North America's most important trading centres. Working together, the Governments of Canada and Manitoba will invest over $460M into Winnipeg's CentrePort Canada and related projects. Building on APGCI and related projects, Canada and Manitoba are moving forward by designating CentrePort Canada as a "Single-Window" test-case for international business development. CentrePort Canada will provide companies with cheaper, faster and more efficient access to the North American marketplace through Canada's integrated trade and transportation gateways and corridors.

The CentrePort Canada initiative includes the development of a high-speed transportation corridor for the Inland Port. The funding will develop CentrePort Canada Way, a four-lane divided expressway linking the inland port to the Perimeter Highway.

The government of Manitoba has introduced legislation to build an "inland port" around Winnipeg's James Armstrong Richardson International Airport. Intended to take advantage of the city's proximity to the geographic centre of North America, the CentrePort Canada Act would authorize the creation of a corporation to oversee the "port", and to fast track "investment and economic development decisions based upon a single, comprehensive transportation, infrastructure and land-use plan" for approximately 20,000 acres of land around the airport.

The inland port is the result of a dynamic partnership between governments and the private sector. View PDF Brochure.

Being part of Canada's Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative (APGCI) leverages our major intermodal transportation and trade systems. Canada's geographic advantages connect North America with the Asia-Pacific region by sea and air, and Canadians with the new opportunities in the global economy.

CentrePort Canada
Total Investment: $212.4 M (Building Canada Plan)
Canada's component is $101.6 M ($68.35 M Provincial Territory Base Funding and $33.25 M APCGI);
and Manitoba's component is $110.8 M (which includes land acquisition costs)

Read the Mayor's Trade Council Report

The investment packages

Hudson Bay Railway Rehabilitation
Total Investment: $60 M
(Canada contributes $20 M,
Manitoba contributes $20 M and
the railway contributes $20 M)

Port of Churchill
Total Investment: $8 M
(Canada contributes $4 M and
Manitoba contributes $4 M)

TransCanada Highway and Yellowhead Highway Interchange
Total Investment $96.5 M
(Canada contributes $21 M and
Manitoba contributes $75.5 M)

Emerson Highway 75
Total Investment: $90.2 M
(Canada contributes $42.5 M and
Manitoba contributes $47.7 M)

These improvements would emphasize highway and rail linkages, which would facilitate the shipping of goods flown into Winnipeg on massive cargo planes.

It is the prospect of those huge cargo planes flying over the pole -- unable to make the flight from Anchorage to Alaska without a fuel stopover in Winnipeg -- which is driving the push to build the "port" around the airport.

News: Manitoba's new inland port has taken a major step forward with the announcement of the first-ever board of directors for CentrePort Canada Inc., Premier Gary Doer said.

I am pleased to see such strong leadership on the first board of directors of CentrePort Canada. This group has the experience, skills and qualifications - as well as the support of government and the business community - to make our inland port a success. I want to thank the new board for accepting the job,” Doer said.

CentrePort Canada's first board will be chaired by Kerry Hawkins along with vice-chair Arthur Mauro. Other board members include Barry Rempel, Robert Ziegler, Eugene Kostyra, Chris Lorenc, Tom Payne, Bob Silver, Maureen Prendiville, David Fung, Gord Peters, Joan Hardy, Don Streuber and Ryan Craig.

The non-profit corporation has been charged with establishing and running an inland port — an economic zone focused on import/export goods and transportation — north and west of the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport.

Manitoba's plan for an inland port was given a big boost toward reality on Tuesday with Prime Minister Steven Harper
committing more than $100 million in federal funds.
Harper was in the province to observe flooded areas of southern Manitoba and announce federal stimulus funding for the port concept.

He took a helicopter tour of the Red River Valley with Premier Gary Doer then landed at Winnipeg's James Richardson International Airport
at 2 p.m. for a joint announcement with Doer about CentrePort Canada Way.

The premier announced the provincial government would contribute the other half of the funding, plus donate land near the airport, for a total project cost of $212 million.

The CentrePort plan calls for 20,000 acres northwest of the airport to be turned into a massive trucking and rail depot linked to runways with aircraft coming and going from all over the globe. The idea builds on Winnipeg's reputation as the geographic centre of North America.

Portions of the funding announced Tuesday will help develop a four-lane expressway linking the inland port to the airport. A high-speed corridor will connect Inkster Boulevard and the airport and the CP Rail Weston yards to the Perimeter Highway near Saskatchewan Ave.

Canada Post is already building a new mail distribution plant on 11 hectares of land east of the airport and a new Greyhound bus depot is under construction adjacent to the airport.

Barry Prentice, professor at the I.H. Asper School of Business, said the CentrePort "might be attractive to firms to settle here who want to take advantage of those transportation units. But in the main, what it means is employment and investment."