April 20, 2009

Fast-track plan for Winnipeg’s CentrePort Canada Way gets $212-million boost

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

A multi-million dollar joint initiative will fast-track the construction of an expressway to support the development of Winnipeg’s inland port.

CentrePort Canada is a private sector-led corporation, created by Manitoba provincial legislation last fall, to build the port and develop Manitoba’s air, rail, sea and trucking infrastructure.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Premier Gary Doer announced last week that they will spend more than $212 million to build CentrePort Canada Way, which is a four-lane divided expressway linking the 20,000-acre inland port to the Perimeter Highway.

“From the perspective of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) this is a very important initiative for all of us,” said Chris Lorenc, association president.

“This is not just localized to the construction industry, but we promoted the concept of an inland port long before the recession.”

CentrePort Canada plans to build on Manitoba’s strategic location in the heart of North America to function as an international transportation, trade, manufacturing, distribution, warehousing and logistics centre.

“We have been working on promoting the synergy between trade and transport for five years now,” said Lorenc.

“The project itself had two aspects that were identified in the budget speech, but we were working as a business community on this project well ahead of the budget. It is a happy coincidence for the construction industry that infrastructure is a major priority.”

The high-speed corridor will connect Inkster Boulevard, the James A. Richardson International Airport and the CP Weston rail intermodal facility to the Perimeter Highway near Saskatchewan Avenue.

“These improvements will help ensure further private sector investment in CentrePort Canada by enhancing access to the site, which is already a desirable location for warehousing, distribution and other industrial activity that depends on convenient and efficient access to transportation services including air, road and rail,” said Doer.

Lorenc said the project is important for Manitoba, but it is also a national asset that is an important instrument for increasing international trade.

Construction of the expressway will begin early in 2010 and will be completed in 2011.

The $212.5 million expressway is being funded jointly by the provincial and federal governments, with the federal share coming from the Provincial Territorial Base Funding Agreement ($68.35 million) and the Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative ($33.25 million).

Manitoba will match the federal funds and contribute an additional $9.2 million for land acquisition.

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Province of Manitoba launched an $80,000 initiative in September 2008 to use the expertise of local CEOs, who work in firms that would be interested in locating at the inland port.

Canada Post is 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.

The governments of Manitoba and Canada have also supported CentrePort Canada through several recent initiatives including $85 million to upgrade PTH 75, which is the key trade route to the U.S. and Mexico.

The border crossing south of Winnipeg at Emerson is the top-ranked border crossing on the prairies, processing $14.4 billion in trade traffic annually

The provincial and federal governments have also invested $48 million for upgrades to the Hudson Bay rail line and the port of Churchill, the only deep-sea port in mid-Canada.

The port of Churchill is located at the northern tip of the mid-continent trade corridor, which runs south to the U.S. and Mexico.

Manitoba is also linked to the Asia Pacific Gateway via ports in Delta, Vancouver and Prince Rupert.

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