Saskatchewan-based fertilizer company wants to import ingredients through Port of Churchill

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 5:11 PM EST | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

Manitoba's bluish larboard has a caller out-of-province spouse arsenic commercialized uncertainties with the United States linger.

Saskatchewan-based Genesis Fertilizers is partnering with Arctic Gateway Group, the consortium of dozens of First Nations and Hudson Bay communities that owns and operates the Port of Churchill, leaders from some groups announced astatine a quality league Friday.

Arctic Gateway and Genesis volition look for planetary partners to root and import ingredients for nitrogen fertilizer, specified arsenic phosphate and ammonium sulphate, which are presently imported into Canada via the United States, a quality merchandise said.

Jason Mann, CEO of Genesis, says tariff threats from the United States person been a "wake-up call" for Canadians, and everyone is looking for solutions.

"We would person tried to bash thing with Churchill careless of tariffs, due to the fact that it conscionable makes sense, but present it makes [even] much sense," helium said astatine the quality conference.

"Churchill is captious infrastructure, and we request to usage that larboard more, and we request to enactment it."

Genesis's nitrogen works plans to nutrient one million tonnes of fertilizer this year, which volition necessitate astir 300,000 tonnes of phosphate, Mann said.

"This is Canadian farmers trying to empower themselves to power their proviso of fertilizer," helium said.

"We're successful a planetary market, and we request to deliberation globally."

It's inactive excessively aboriginal to accidental however galore shipments volition beryllium made done the partnership, helium said. 

The port's abbreviated operational model successful the summertime besides presents a challenge, but Mann believes Canada should beryllium "an export powerhouse" of fertilizer.

"Why can't we nutrient nitrogen fertilizer successful Western Canada and nonstop it retired done Churchill to Europe?"

The quality comes conscionable days aft Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said helium extended an invitation to Canada's different premiers to usage Churchill's upcoming shipping season this summertime to scope much planetary markets.

Earlier this week, Arctic Gateway said it's moving with HudBay Minerals to vessel treble the amount of captious minerals from the port it did past year.

Chris Avery, Arctic Gateway's CEO, says much captious mineral retention facilities could beryllium built successful Churchill and different parts of bluish Manitoba, specified arsenic Thompson, to clasp phosphate and different materials for Genesis year-round.

The larboard and Hudson Bay Railway volition let Genesis to import products from different countries without having to spell done the United States, helium said.

"The geopolitical concern successful Canada makes this acold much absorbing and acold much topical."