WINNIPEG, MB. – CentrePort Canada is North America’s largest tri-modal inland port; a unique hub for the distribution of goods to North American and global markets. With 20,000 acres of prime industrial land in both the City of Winnipeg (CentrePort South) and the R.M. of Rosser (CentrePort North), CentrePort is a transformational project for Manitoba and a significant driver of economic growth and activity in the capital region.

Significant public investment has been made in both hard and soft infrastructure for CentrePort Canada:

• CentrePort Canada Way has been constructed and significant improvements have been made to the Trans-Canada Highway, as well as Highways 59, 75 and the Perimeter;
• A new water treatment facility was constructed in the R.M. of Headingley to provide a regional solution to potable water needs in many municipalities, as well as to service CentrePort North;
• Wastewater services have been extended from the City of Winnipeg as part of a service-sharing agreement between the two municipal governments;
• A shared trenching project is bringing natural gas and telecommunications to the area; and,
• The Province of Manitoba, with the support of the R.M. of Rosser, created an Inland Port Special Planning Area (SPA). The SPA facilitates streamlined development approvals for companies.

The capital region is one of the greatest benefactors of CentrePort’s success. CentrePort has welcomed 51 new companies, 49 of which are in CentrePort North. These companies have contributed more than $300 million in new capital investment to the local economy and are having a significant impact on the municipality’s tax base. One of the latest companies to open in CentrePort North is Imperial Seed. It took just 11 months to secure approvals through the SPA and to construct Imperial Seed’s newly-opened $8 million project, which includes a research and development lab, offices and loading facilities.

With full water and wastewater servicing available on a phased-in basis in CentrePort North, new real estate options will continue to come to market, bringing with them investments that create jobs and spinoff opportunities. One recent example is that CentrePort North was selected as the preferred site for the National Research Council’s ‘Factory of the Future’. The project represents a $60 million investment and 80 new high quality jobs for Manitoba.

Estimated construction impacts of the full build-out of CentrePort total 98,377 person years of employment; $1.18 billion in provincial tax revenue; and, a boost to Manitoba’s GDP of over $7.9 billion. These staggering numbers clearly demonstrate CentrePort’s importance as a regional economic development driver and as a strategic investment in Manitoba’s future.

Diane Gray for the Manitoba Post

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Diane Gray is President and CEO, CentrePort Canada