04 Apr One North- Port of Churchill
Outlined in, Implications of an Infrastructure Corridor for Alberta’s economy, it summarized how the corridor to the Port of Churchill is “improving access to domestic and international markets [that] can create large economic benefits. Multimodal infrastructure corridors of road, rail, utilities and communications can improve accessibility by reducing interprovincial and international trade costs,” Trevor Tombe, A. Munzur, and K. Fellows (2021). The proposed corridor, also referred to as the NeeStaNan Utility Corridor, is designed to deliver economic, environmental and social benefits to First Nations’ communities as well as Canada by diversifying how natural resources are transported to national and international markets, safely and responsibly. The NeeStaNan, also known as the OneNorth consortium of Indigenous and northern communities said it is committed to the long-term success of the rail line and trade corridor. This is Indigenomics in Action! OneNorth, is a group of First Nations and other communities that stretches across Northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq region of Nunavut. The Port of Churchill is undergoing an equity ownership transition where the OneNorth community and Indigenous partners assume 100 per cent ownership of the Hudson Bay port and the rail line connecting it to northwestern Manitoba. With First Nations’ ownership and control, there will be significant opportunities for those living along the corridor route and beyond. As owners, these First Nation equity holders can drive their own environmental goals, maximizing the project’s sustainability while generating income, jobs, and prosperity for their communities and citizens. This transportation corridor was described further. The benefits of increased pipeline access for Alberta’s economy are well known. The benefits of infrastructure corridors, however, go far beyond pipelines. By reducing interprovincial and international trade costs, multimodal infrastructure corridors of road, rail, utilities and communications can potentially create large economic benefits.” T. Tombe, Munzur, Fellows (2021). “Our Nations are ready to step-up!” – Chief Christian Sinclair I N D I G E N O U S E Q U I T Y This equity investment would allow the OneNorth community to achieve something that is unprecedented – reducing national GHG emissions while driving economic prosperity through resource development and 100% Indigenous ownership. Written in MarketsFarm Media’s article, Port of Churchill moves to 100 per cent local ownership, “Our communities are ready to step up,” OneNorth cochair and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Onekanew (Chief) Christian Sinclair said. “We have a multi-generational socioeconomic development vision that will take this work forward as a truly northern Canadian success story.” “This project brought back and woke the self-sufficiency spirit,” Wilfred Jimmy, NewNation CEO. Partnerships are an important component to economic success for First Nations, says Jimmy. Another leader in this project, Sandford Gauchier, notes that each First Nation, and community are different, but the one thing we have all in common is, we love our nation.” The size, scale and magnitude of this project is significant on the Canadian economic landscape in particular in a northern context. This project is a demonstration of the potential of equity ownership of Indigenous nations. This is what the emerging 100 billion dollar Indigenous economy looks like! This is Indigenomics!