FIRST GRAIN EXPORT SINCE 2020 LOADED AT PORT OF CHURCHILL, BOUND FOR EUROPE

Initial 30,000-tonne shipment of Canadian durum wheat, with two more grain vessels expected this season

Churchill, Manitoba, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The first grain vessel to export from the Port of Churchill since 2020 is being loaded and will sail to Europe this week, marking another major milestone in the return and growth of commercial shipping through Churchill.

Approximately 30,000 tonnes of Canadian durum wheat supplied by Saskatchewan-based AGT Foods is being loaded at the Port of Churchill and will be shipped to customers in Europe. The vessel is the first of three grain ships expected at Churchill this season as part of a new customer relationship between Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) and AGT Foods that will continue into future years.

“At a time when the United States has fundamentally changed all of its trading relationships, we are focused on what we can control. This means building strength at home and diversifying trade, so that Canada is no longer reliant on a single trading partner,” said the Honourable Rebecca Chartrand, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs, and Minister responsible for CanNor, Government of Canada. “The Port of Churchill has an important role to play, providing an Indigenous and locally-owned northern gateway connecting Western Canadian producers and resources to global markets. The return of grain exports is another example of what this northern corridor can deliver as we strengthen and diversify Canada’s trade infrastructure.”

“Seeing Prairie grain once again moving through the Port of Churchill to European markets is an important milestone for Manitoba agriculture,” said the Honourable Ron Kostyshyn, Minister of Agriculture, Province of Manitoba. “Our producers need more ways to reach customers around the world, and Churchill provides an important northern gateway that can help diversify our trade, strengthen our supply chains and create new opportunities for Manitoba and Western Canadian agriculture.”

“Churchill is once again moving grain to international markets,” said the Honourable Lisa Naylor, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, Province of Manitoba. “Our government is making the investments needed to strengthen the port and Hudson Bay Railway, support trade and keep this important transportation corridor moving. We are seeing Churchill take its place again as an important gateway for Manitoba and Western Canada. There is more work ahead, but this grain shipment shows what Churchill can do for producers, northern communities and our economy.”

“For AGT Foods, the Port of Churchill offers a compelling advantage: a shorter, efficient route connecting Western Canadian agriculture directly with customers in Europe and the Mediterranean,” said Murad Al-Katib, President and CEO of Regina-based AGT Foods and Ingredients Inc. “We are proud to be part of the return of grain exports through Churchill and to establish a relationship that will see additional shipments this season and in future years.”

“This is what a diversified Port of Churchill looks like,” said Mike Spence, AGG Board Chair and Mayor of Churchill. “Prairie grain heading to Europe, critical minerals and Manitoba potash reaching international markets, and essential goods moving north to communities in Nunavut. There is still much more work ahead, including building up our presence as a supply base for the Canadian Arctic, but this season is showing the potential of this Indigenous- and community-owned trade corridor to diversify Canadian trade and connect northern and western Canada with new markets.”

The grain shipment is part of the most diversified shipping season in the history of the Port of Churchill. Another vessel will arrive at the Port of Churchill this week to load zinc concentrate as well as the port’s first-ever shipment of potash, mined in Manitoba by Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM). These commodities are destined for the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, where AGG has developed a growing business and strategic advisory relationship with one of Europe’s largest and most active ports. AGG is also loading a northern resupply vessel destined for Nunavut, demonstrating the Port of Churchill’s growing role as both an international trade gateway and a supply hub for Canada’s Arctic.

PORT AND RAILWAY UPDATE

Alongside a busy shipping season, AGG is continuing significant construction, engineering and modernization work across the Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway:

At the Port of Churchill:

• Multiple studies have now confirmed that year-round shipping operations from the Port of Churchill are possible with existing ice-strengthened vessel technology, with next steps being further planning, Rights Holder consultations, and ecological and environmental impact assessments.
• Work continues on the refacing and rehabilitation of the port’s wharf, strengthening the long-term integrity and reliability of its marine infrastructure.
• Work was completed on the port’s grain gallery, specifically the structural bracing and strengthen of this critical grain-handling infrastructure.
• These projects build on recent investments in new storage facilities, full environmental remediation of the Churchill Marine Tank Farm, and equipment modernization to support more diverse port operations.

Across the Hudson Bay Railway:

• SYSTRA Canada is undertaking engineering work examining the next stage of the railway’s modernization, beginning with the Flin Flon Subdivision and identifying the improvements required to bring the railway to modern industrial weight standards capable of seamlessly intertying with Canada’s Class 1 rail network.
• A major bridge reconstruction project outside Thompson was in August.
• AGG has added an additional weekly freight train to better support northern communities and growing demand along the corridor.
• Track rehabilitation and maintenance continues, including rail, tie, surfacing, drainage and other infrastructure work across the network.
• AGG continues to use modern technologies to keep the railway in the best condition it has ever been, including LiDAR, ground-penetrating radar, drones and artificial intelligence to monitor the railway and guide maintenance and capital investment.

The Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill are owned by OneNorth, a partnership of 29 First Nations and 12 northern communities, and operated by Arctic Gateway Group.

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About Arctic Gateway Group
The Arctic Gateway Group is a proudly Indigenous- and community-owned Manitoba company that operates the Port of Churchill, Canada’s only northern seaport serviced by rail, as well as the Hudson Bay Railway, operating from The Pas to Churchill, and the Churchill Marine Tank Farm. Together this northern infrastructure forms the nexus of Canada’s Northern Trade Corridor, providing a reliable and efficient route for Western Canadian resources to access world markets.

Attachments

• Port of Churchill Grain Export
• Port of Churchill Grain Loading

Brad Hartle
Arctic Gateway Group
204-266-8297
brad.hartle@arcticgateway.com