They’re calling it a ‘national unity’ corridor.Western and Northern premiers have closed ranks behind a bold new push to develop a third deepwater export port in Canada’s North, anchored by a utility and trade corridor to a third deepwater port on Hudson Bay.In a joint statement following two days of meetings in Yellowknife on Thursday, the premiers of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the territories said it’s time to “build nation-building infrastructure” in Canada’s remote and often-overlooked North, with an eye toward establishing new export routes independent of the US.“Western Canada is ready to become the economic engine of this country,” said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe. “The only thing standing in the way is a lack of infrastructure and the political will in Ottawa to help us build it.”.At the heart of the proposal is a multi-modal corridor linking the Prairies to a deepwater port on Hudson Bay to carry oil, gas, hydrogen, electricity, uranium, and other resources to tidewater, bypassing the bottlenecks, and political gridlock that have plagued export routes through BC and Quebec.Over the past two years, feasibility studies have been funded, provincial agreements signed, and quiet consultations with First Nations begun in earnest. Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have all formally endorsed the corridor, and a trilateral agreement on infrastructure planning was reached in Churchill last year..Now, with premiers voicing support, the proposal is morphing from regional pipe dream into a potential nation-building project.The timing is no accident.American President Donald Trump’s tariff threats have spooked investors and renewed calls for trade diversification. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing mounting pressure from Prairie premiers to support energy infrastructure that doesn’t rely on goodwill from Washington or Quebec..“Every time we try to get a pipeline built, we’re blocked by court challenges or vetoed by other provinces,” said Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. “We need to control our own destiny, and the Hudson Bay corridor gives us a path forward.”But the consensus isn’t without friction. BC Premier David Eby has balked at Alberta’s renewed calls to revive the cancelled Northern Gateway pipeline and lift the north coast tanker ban. During the talks he suggested existing infrastructure like the Trans Mountain pipeline — now owned by the federal government — be maximized first.“If the urgency is to get product to tidewater, I’d start with what we already have,” Eby said, brushing off any talk of opening up BC’s north coast..But not even Eby can stop the momentum. That’s because Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has been a vocal proponent of turning the Port of Churchill into a modern energy and export hub. Earlier this year, he publicly pressed Carney to make the Hudson Bay corridor a national priority, framing it as both an economic and sovereignty issue in the Arctic.“This is how we build real security and resilience — not just for the West, but for all Canadians,” he said.The joint communique from Yellowknife also called for new federal funding programs targeted at remote and northern economic corridors, including ports, highways, pipelines, nuclear projects, and transmission lines. The premiers also raised concerns about Arctic security, indigenous infrastructure gaps, and the growing impact of federal bottlenecks on Canada’s global competitiveness..With all premiers set to meet in Saskatoon with Carney next month, the Hudson Bay corridor is expected to take centre stage — particularly as Ottawa looks for ways to mollify growing independence sentiment in Alberta and Saskatchewan.“I think if the prime minister acts on our ideas, it would take the wind right out of any separatist movement,” Smith told reporters. “This isn’t about East versus West. It’s about Canada finally building like a serious country.”That sentiment echoes a growing chorus across the West — one that no longer sees Ottawa as a reliable partner unless backed by action, not platitudes. “Churchill, not Vancouver or Quebec City, might be the key to keeping this country together,” Western Standard Chairman Jeff Callaway wrote in 2022. Now, premiers from both coasts and Canada’s northern frontier seem to agree. The only question left: will Ottawa?
