The Grand Chief of the Keewatin Tribal Council says an upgraded Thompson Airport will be a lifeline for Indigenous communities across Northern Manitoba.
Walter Wastesicoot notes that 11 First Nations in the region have been in a state of emergency for nearly two years due to deficiencies in public safety, health and infrastructure.
The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) is investing $52 million to redevelop the airport, making it resilient to climate change. This includes a new, larger terminal to replace the one sinking into the discontinuous permafrost.
“The investment for CIB will serve to alleviate some of the existing issues with the airline industry in northern Manitoba,” said Wastesicoot.
The enhanced facility will improve access to northern regions of Manitoba and Nunavut, benefiting residents, local businesses, and visitors.
“Better infrastructure attracts new businesses, which means more local spending, jobs, and economic stability,” says airport CEO Curtis Ross.
Thompson Airport serves as a major hub for more than 37 northern communities, including remote Indigenous communities accessible only by air and ice roads. Improved infrastructure and more frequent flights will provide residents with faster access to healthcare services in Thompson and other cities for specialized treatment.
The CIB made an investment in REM station at the Trudeau International Airport in Montreal to enhance transit connectivity to downtown. It was followed by loans for terminal work at Thompson and the south shore Montreal Metropolitan airport, which will increase capacity by an additional four million travellers annually.
Porter Airlines
Porter Airlines plans to operate domestic flights from Montreal Metropolitan Airport starting in the second half of 2025.
“This additional capacity significantly enhances airlines’ ability to grow their service throughout Canadian corridors,” says Porter Airlines spokesman Brad Cicero.
The Ontario-based airline, which operates Q400 turboprops and Embrear jets, is targeting service to at least 10 domestic markets and plans a partnership with Pascan Aviation to connect with its regional Quebec-focused network, giving more remote regions much greater access to affordable, practical transportation.
Cicero said the addition of MET into the Montreal ecosystem significantly enhances the economic potential of the region and job creation. The involvement of the CIB made it possible to access the capital required to ensure this infrastructure project could move forward at the cost and timelines required for its success.
The airport investments come from the CIB’s Trade and Transportation sector, which also focuses on passenger rail, ports and logistics facilities, highways, bridges and tunnels, and critical minerals.
Critical Minerals
With a $5 billion investment target, the sector aims to deliver long-term economic growth and $3 billion in ongoing GDP contribution. Trade and transportation support stronger, more efficient corridors to domestic and international markets, helping Canadian businesses compete and grow. Its projects better connect Canadians to where they need to go and help grow the economy by easing the movement of goods to enable trade.
Divya Shah, managing director of Trade and Transportation, explains that the CIB not only provides patient capital but also extensive advisory along the way to shape the structure of the transactions. The bank’s plan to invest in critical minerals enabling infrastructure supports clean energy and electrification initiatives as well as transportation and infrastructure projects that will enable the sustainable development of Canada’s critical minerals.
Port funding will see the expansion of the Port of Prince Rupert, enhancing its capacity to move Canadian exports. The CANXPORT project will add an export logistics hub capable of handling six million tonnes of cargo and expanding rail-to-container transloading capabilities. Located near the Fairview Container Terminal, this new facility will improve productivity by speeding up container movement through one of Canada’s largest ports.
Prince Rupert Port Authority
Shaun Stevenson, CEO of the Prince Rupert Port Authority, says this balance of imports and exports is crucial for serving industries across Canada.
“Essentially, it utilizes empty containers moving westbound into Asia-Pacific markets, unlocking latent capacity in containers already in transit, and increasing efficiency in handling cargo,” he said.
Beyond airports and port logistics, the CIB has funded various projects, including improvements at Tshiuetin Railway, roadwork at Enoch First Nation near Edmonton, and community buildings at an urban reserve of the Kahkewistahaw First Nation in Saskatoon.
The CIB has also worked with VIA Rail on High-Frequency Rail and is supporting Alberta to develop the Calgary-Banff Rail project.
It is also backing efforts to build a 230-kilometre all-season road and deep-sea port linking western Nunavut to the rest of Canada. This infrastructure will unlock world-class deposits of critical minerals, particularly copper and zinc, essential to Canada's clean-energy ambitions.
Brendan Bell, CEO of West Kitikmeot Resources Corp., described the CIB's support as the "final piece" needed to move the Grays Bay project from concept to a fully permitted, shovel-ready project. This support not only closed the funding gap but also guided the development phase to ensure the project is financeable and constructable.
In addition to unlocking the critical mineral wealth of the Kitikmeot, the project will bolster Arctic security and sovereignty by Inuit people.
“West Kitikmeot Resources is an Inuit-owned, Inuit-led company, and we are only pursuing the project because of the benefits it can bring to Inuit in terms of safer transportation, more robust supply chains, and better economic opportunities,” Bell wrote in an email.