Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew is criticizing the provincial government for coming to an understanding with the Port of Vancouver while “ignoring” the Port of Churchill with its own boundaries.
The government announced April 29 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Port of Vancouver. A “high-level, non-binding framework for general collaboration,” the MOU is intended to ensure a more efficient supply chain to Asian markets through the port. About 20 per cent of Manitoba’s total international exports are bound for Asia and half of this $2.4 billion worth of trade ships through the Port of Vancouver, including about $400 million worth of agricultural products.
“The two-way supply chains connecting Manitoba to world markets are critical for international trade and market access and economic growth prospects,” said Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler in a press release. “We are pleased to work with the Port of Vancouver to further foster international trade relationships for Manitoba through an enhanced and efficient supply chain.”
“Manitoba producers grow the best food in the world, and that food needs to get to market in an efficient and effective way,” said Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler. “This MOU is a good first step toward a stronger relationship that will ultimately help move Manitoba forward through better international trade.”
“Trade through the Port of Vancouver is increasing as the global demand for Canadian exports continues to grow,” said Vancouver Fraser Port Authority CEO Robin Silvester. “To accommodate this growth, it is critical we collaborate with key stakeholders in our western provinces to meet Canada’s ambitious trade agenda. As stewards of Canada’s largest port, we are pleased today to partner with the government of Manitoba to work to improve market access for Manitoba products through the Port of Vancouver and on to world markets.”
Kinew said in a May 21 press release that agreement could result in Churchill losing out on millions of dollars of potential economic activity as it tries to rebuild its shipping economy following years of body blows, including the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board, which shipped wheat through the Hudson Bay port, the suspension of shipping from the port by former owner OmniTrax in 2016 and the shutdown of the Hudson Bay Railway for more than year until the Arctic Gateway Group bought the railroad and the port in September 2018.
“The Port of Churchill and the families that rely on its operation have undergone extreme hardship in the last few years due to [Premier Brian] Pallister’s inaction,” said Kinew. “The sale of the port to Arctic Gateway was supposed to signal an era of renewed investment in Churchill. The Pallister government must stop ignoring the people of Churchill and surrounding communities and do everything possible to promote a bright economic future for Northern Manitoba.”
