Manitoba offers tax exemption for major Port of Churchill investments

The Manitoba government says major capital investments tied to the proposed Port of Churchill Plus project will be exempt from provincial sales tax as it seeks to attract private-sector investment in northern transportation and trade infrastructure.

Premier Wab Kinew announced the measure at the Canadian Global Growth Forum in Toronto, where provincial officials promoted the project to investors. The tax exemption would apply to infrastructure projects including an energy corridor, liquefied natural gas facilities, upgrades to the Hudson Bay Railway, and marine icebreaking capacity or ice-class vessels needed to support year-round shipping.

According to the province, new studies estimate that investments in icebreaking capacity and ice-class ships would cost between $100 million and $130 million. The exemption would also apply to other infrastructure improvements associated with the Port of Churchill Plus initiative.

“We are here in Toronto to tell global investors that the Port of Churchill is open and ready to expand,” said Wab Kinew. “With the right investments we can ship commodities year-round, strengthening trade between reliable partners and creating good jobs.”

The province said it is pitching more than $85 billion in mining, infrastructure and agricultural opportunities to investors, with the Port of Churchill serving as a key component of its trade and transportation strategy.