No plans to nationalize Port of Churchill, Manitoba trade minister says

Provincial officials are working with the federal government to find a solution to the recent closure of the Port of Churchill, but so far, there's nothing on the table.

Manitoba's Trade and Growth Minister Cliff Cullen said he spoke with the federal Economic Development Minister Navdeep Singh Bains on Wednesday.

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"I would say the federal government shares our concerns. We're both interested in the long-term outcomes for Churchill and certainly for Northern Manitoba," he said. "That's really what we're focused on is the long-term results for northern Manitoba."

Local leaders have been calling on the provincial and federal government to take over the port or help other local groups do so since the US-based Omnitrax decidedto lay off workers and close the port.

But Cullen said that plan wasn't part of his conversation with Bains, and he couldn't say who might be able to profitably run the rail line and port.

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Rail service between The Pas and Churchill was also scaled back by about half when the port was closed.

He said there are so far no plans to nationalize the port.