ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP
PATH TO PROFITABILITY BY JUDY OWEN
ARCTIC GATEWAY GROUP IS ON A PATH TO PROFITABILITY. I t all begins with a strategic development plan that’s getting off the ground and could come together by late next year, says Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) chief executive officer Michael Woelcke. “We’re about to begin pre- development and development work for the Port of Churchill. That means looking at the business planned, doing an economic-benefit analysis, doing what’s called pre-feasibility work, which means engineering studies on the infrastructure of the port,” Woelcke said in mid-September.
“We’re getting ready to issue an RFI (request for information) for that type of work. We will be seeking partners to work with on that. We believe that this company will be profitable within five years, so we are positioning ourselves to that end.” AGG owns and operates the Port of Churchill, the Hudson Bay Railway line from The Pas to the town of Churchill and its freight services, as well as the Churchill Marine Tank Farm that stores fuel for distribution to northern communities, Churchill and its airport. The company’s ownership structure is unique. AGG is owned by OneNorth, which encompasses 41 First Nations and Bayline communities such as Fox Lake Cree Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Flin Flon, The Pas and Churchill. It will eventually be 80 per cent
Indigenous-owned and can be an example of “economic reconciliation,” Woelcke says. “It’s a very big step, I’m very excited about this,” he says of the business plan. “I see a real future for northern Manitoba for the railroad and the Port of Churchill. And because of the ownership group, I also see it as economic reconciliation in action. I see it as a significant economic benefit for Manitoba and for northern Manitoba communities.” AGG has experienced a boost in business this year, while Churchill embraced a tourism highlight. Luxury cruise ship Silver Endeavour, carrying 100 passengers who get one- on-one attention from crew, arrived at the port in July from Greenland. It was the first cruise ship to visit Churchill in
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WINTER 2023
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