MBiz

15 WINTER 2024 Turning Manitoba into a trade destina- tion is truly a group effort; the companies paving the way are as interconnected as the supply chain itself. Along with its top trucking companies and Class 1 rail- ways, CentrePort works closely with the Winnipeg Airports Authority. Nick Hays, CEO of the WAA, agrees location and an amicable business community are what make the province so unique. "An understated part of Manitoba's ap- peal is its people," he says. "And that is demonstrated in the business community as there is an eagerness to work together. There is an understanding here that we need to work together to build this prov- ince in a way that honours the past and realizes the tremendous opportunity for the future. And others are taking notice as we are experiencing a Manitoba moment." Recent years have seen an increasing demand for cargo flights out of Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, which has recently broken ground on a new multi-tenant air cargo logistics facility located off Sargent Avenue. It will provide modern infrastructure — including a CEIV- certified cold storage facility to house and ship certified cold products like fresh pork, vaccines and pharmaceuticals — that al- lows the province to compete on a global trade stage. The Winnipeg Airports Authority is also in the planning stages for the develop- ment of the west side of the airport that will tap into over 200 acres of unused airport property. "It was really the business community that came together and said it's time to reinvigorate this idea of us being this trade hub in the middle of the continent." – Carly Edmundson, CEO of CentrePort Canada PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY ACCESS TO NORTH AMERICAN MARKETS VIA CENTREPORT CANADA

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