The first grain vessel to export from the Port of Churchill since 2020 is being loaded and will sail to Europe this week, marking another major milestone in the return and growth of commercial shipping through Churchill.
Approximately 30,000 tonnes of Canadian durum wheat supplied by Saskatchewan-based AGT Foods is being loaded on the Fednav bulker Federal Sorey at the Port of Churchill and will be shipped to customers in Europe. The vessel is the first of three grain ships expected at Churchill this season as part of a new customer relationship between Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) and AGT Foods that will continue into future years.
“The Port of Churchill has an important role to play, providing an Indigenous and locally-owned northern gateway connecting Western Canadian producers and resources to global markets,” said Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs. “The return of grain exports is another example of what this northern corridor can deliver as we strengthen and diversify Canada’s trade infrastructure.
“At a time when the United States has fundamentally changed all of its trading relationships, we are focused on what we can control. This means building strength at home and diversifying trade, so that Canada is no longer reliant on a single trading partner.”
“Seeing Prairie grain once again moving through the Port of Churchill to European markets is an important milestone for Manitoba agriculture,” said Ron Kostyshyn, Minister of Agriculture, Province of Manitoba. “Our producers need more ways to reach customers around the world, and Churchill provides an important northern gateway that can help diversify our trade, strengthen our supply chains and create new opportunities for Manitoba and Western Canadian agriculture.”
“For AGT Foods, the Port of Churchill offers a compelling advantage: a shorter, efficient route connecting Western Canadian agriculture directly with customers in Europe and the Mediterranean,” said Murad Al-Katib, President and CEO of Regina-based AGT Foods and Ingredients Inc.
“This is what a diversified Port of Churchill looks like,” said Mike Spence, AGG Board Chair and Mayor of Churchill. “Prairie grain heading to Europe, critical minerals and Manitoba potash reaching international markets, and essential goods moving north to communities in Nunavut. There is still much more work ahead, including building up our presence as a supply base for the Canadian Arctic, but this season is showing the potential of this Indigenous- and community-owned trade corridor to diversify Canadian trade and connect northern and western Canada with new markets.”
The grain shipment is part of the most diversified shipping season in the history of the Port of Churchill. Another vessel will arrive at the Port of Churchill this week to load zinc concentrate as well as the port’s first-ever shipment of potash, mined in Manitoba by Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM). These commodities are destined for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, where AGG has developed a growing business and strategic advisory relationship with one of Europe’s largest and most active ports. AGG is also loading a northern resupply vessel destined for Nunavut, demonstrating the Port of Churchill’s growing role as both an international trade gateway and a supply hub for Canada’s Arctic.
(Photo from AGG)