Northern Deep-Sea Ports Eyed as Arctic Melts

"The Russian ship slipped into Canada's northern seaport under the cover of darkness yesterday, and its arrival was hailed as an historic step in the construction of an Arctic bridge between the two countries.

The Kapitan Sviridov docked in Churchill, Man., yesterday morning, having sailed from Estonia loaded with bags of fertilizer destined for sale to North American farmers. It's the first time the port has accepted imports from Russia.

Officials from the Russian embassy greeted the ship yesterday, along with representatives of the port of Churchill, the Murmansk Shipping Company and the government of Manitoba.

"Today represents the first successful shipment on the Arctic bridge," said Mike Ogborn, managing director of OmniTrax, the company that owns the port. "It is a great step forward in showing the world that the port of Churchill is a two-way port."

The concept of the Arctic bridge has long been a priority for the government of Manitoba, which sees vast potential for Churchill as the northern hub of a mid-continent trade corridor that would extend to the Gulf of Mexico. Churchill already boasts the advantage of having the shortest sea route between Canada and northern Europe, and it received a substantial boost this month when Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced $68-million in public and private funding to upgrade the aging port and railway.

The port has primarily been used for exporting, but ships coming in empty still have to pay the round-trip rates. And it is plagued by the same problems as other seasonal ports; But the port's fate may soon change, especially with the Arctic summers becoming longer - less ice means more traffic."