Since existing port facilities don’t have the capacity, I fully expect that someone will soon suggest that we access magical new export markets by shipping through Churchill. This is what Canadian exceptionalism actually amounts to: the stubborn insistence that we’re entitled to our dreams no matter how hard reality smacks us in the face.
But a recent announcement from one of Canada’s most successful natural resources exporters, saying that future exports will soon be shipped to overseas markets from a port in the state of Washington instead of Canada’s west coast, has raised fresh questions about whether some key Canadian ports even have the capacity to handle any more of those diversified goods. Any bottlenecks or other inefficiencies would only be magnified if exporters are able to hit Carney’s recent target that Canada will double non-U.S. exports over the next decade.
Don’t worry Quebec will get all kinds of money for their ports.
What the money will actually be spent on … ?
Remember: “the strongest economy in the G7.” We’re now finally and fully 360deg in a propaganda vicious circle.
I read somewhere Churchill as a port sucked because of the need to constantly dredge the port. I suspect navigating to Churchill also sucks. Never mind the promised climate change that will turn the place into Hawaii, still waiting for that. Apparently the rail line going there… sucks too. We have a winner, let’s pour a few billions there.
The “railway” to Churchill is getting $80 million in repairs, to see if they can fix the issues with it, and there are lot of slow orders on it with the average speed of 23 mph across it’s 1063 mile length.
The opposite of high speed rail I see. This would be an awesome project to employ those newcomers that seem to be doing all the jobs “Canadians don’t want”.
I will await the complete northern extension of Interstate 29 so it can end right at the port of Churchill.
Call it Port to Plains or something.
How does this not end up as a US tariff target? They’re not selling here, but they’re shipping through here. Sounds expensively risky.
Same way pipelines operate from the West going south of the Great Lakes to Ontario. Temporary entries for transit and exit are filed with US CBP.
I read that Vancouver, which is the busiest port in Canada, is ranked near the bottom world wide. I picked up a quote from the Internet that states the problems are capacity and supply disruptions, something that indicates they aren’t going to be the solution to our trading problems if they are already at capacity.
“Canadian ports, particularly the Port of Vancouver, have faced operational challenges, including capacity limits and supply chain disruptions. These issues hinder their ability to compete effectively on the world stage.”
If all our ports are at capacity and we aren’t building any new infrastructure to move things East and West, instead of North and South, like we currently do, how are we going to change our trade with our current partners? I don’t see any real effort to do this, the high speed rail between Montreal and Toronto certainly isn’t going to help. Its all smoke and mirrors and we are probably renting the mirrors from Brookfield and using left over smoke from Jasper burning down….
“Canadian exceptionalism” amounts to little more than petulant anti-Americanism.
Little Dog syndrome.
I would love to see Alberta aggressively pursue bitumen export through the US. There must be a way to do a deal with Trump to make this happen. F*ck Eby and the Indians at the same time! Let the nat gas go through the north.
The British got the it wrong when they named this place.
Should have called it Lilliput.
That’s funny … Canadian oil will vacation in the USA … but the people of Canada who extend their elbows … will just stay at home and freeze their shriveled … ollllld … man balls off.
Uh oh boomers. What’s the next move?
Port Nelson had several natural and logistical advantages over Churchill as a potential Hudson Bay port — one reason it was seriously considered in the early 20th century before Churchill ultimately won out.
Key advantages:
1. Deeper Natural Harbour
Port Nelson has deeper water closer to shore than Churchill.
This allows larger ocean-going vessels to berth with less dredging.
Churchill requires continuous dredging due to shallow water and silting.
Advantage: Lower long-term maintenance costs and better scalability for larger ships.
2. More Sheltered from Ice and Waves
Port Nelson is somewhat more protected from open-bay wave action.
Churchill is exposed to north and northwest winds, which can drive ice into the harbour and complicate navigation.
Advantage: Potentially safer and more reliable docking conditions.
3. Stronger River Flow Keeps Ice Moving
The Nelson River has much higher discharge than the Churchill River.
This strong outflow can:
Help break up ice earlier in spring
Reduce ice buildup near docks
Advantage: Slightly better ice management in shoulder seasons.
4. Greater Industrial Expansion Potential
The area around Port Nelson is flatter and broader, offering more space for:
Port infrastructure
Warehousing
Rail yards
Churchill’s rocky terrain and permafrost-constrained footprint limit expansion.
Advantage: Better long-term port development potential.
5. Proximity to Manitoba’s Hydroelectric Corridor
The Nelson River later became the backbone of Manitoba Hydro’s system.
While this wasn’t fully realized when the port decision was made, it reinforced the strategic importance of the Nelson River corridor.
Advantage: Energy availability and industrial synergy (in theory).
Why Churchill Was Chosen Anyway
Despite these advantages, Churchill won largely due to:
Railway routing practicality (shorter, cheaper, and easier to build)
Lower initial capital costs
Political and timing considerations
Port Nelson’s construction was plagued by cost overruns, delays, and World War I disruptions
Port Nelson was eventually abandoned in the 1920s, while Churchill became (and remains) Canada’s only deep-water Arctic port.
Bottom line
Port Nelson was arguably the better natural harbour, but Churchill was the better economic and political choice at the time. It is also the better choice right now, as very successful Canadian companies have thrown their support behind the NeeStaNan project (https://neestanan.ca/). They see the potential of developing Port Nelson using modern technology. Carney and the Liberals will waste countless tax dollars expanding Churchill, that is if they ever get around to it.
The grainhandlers at the Port of Vancouver refuse to load grain when it rains. Other coastal ports have solved the problem with covered loading bays. Not so, Vancouver. The workforce is well connected with Hells Angels and strike regularly. There are no port police in Vancouver, btw. The performance of POV is second from the bottom of all North American ports.
Shipping out of a port with ice is just f*cking dumb when you don’t have to. Only in the minds of government, read: Lazy, incompetent, useless, parasitic, never thinking only emoting, entitled sub humans.
You know it’s bad when a country bordering on oceans on 3 sides, boasting the longest coastline in the world, “from ocean to ocean to ocean” and we can’t frikking build a decent port.
Would someone know why Prince Rupert would not be considered an option for shipping potash. Rail capacity? I was under the impression the Post was under utuilized.
This is all so much performative theater at this point. I am really beginning to think that these deluded pr!cks truly believe Trump will come to his senses, and go crawling back to them to quietly strike a deal if they simply give him the coldest shoulder they have.. just a little longer.. Absolutely amazing..
It is incredible, it’s like they actually believe Canada matters. Canada used to be a decent country, a place where people could prosper and which collectively showed what kindness we could to the world’s less fortunate. That Canada didn’t matter, but was generally treated well because it was a good actor in the world. That Canada is dead.
One only needs look as far back as Yalta to see who mattered even then, it was the UK, the US and Russia. Now the UK has destroyed itself along with most of Europe, and in it’s place China and India have risen. They and the US and Russia are who matter now. The rest of the world only need FAFO.