Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has thrust the long-mooted Hudson Bay Energy Export Terminal into the national spotlight, framing it as both an economic imperative for Western Canada and a unifying “nation-building project.”
“Alberta has an energy economy, and they’re looking to find tidewater. So let’s work together and send a message that there’s a place for that in Canada,” Kinew told Power & Politics.
By routing resources through Manitoba’s Hudson Bay coast, he argues, Canada can “expand their provincial economies at the same pace that the rest of the country can.”
Securing private financing hinges on regulatory clarity. Kinew urged Ottawa to signal unequivocal support—“that they’re going to green-light, that they’re going to invest and that they’re going to make sure that the environment is such that the private sector can succeed”—and promised Manitoba would seek regulatory equity in return.
The premier sees this as more than a pipeline debate; it’s about “getting the private dollars that are sitting on the sideline right now into the game to bankroll something like that.”
“I think a pipe is probably a part of it for us as Manitobans with clean hydroelectricity… Exporting hydropower to Saskatchewan and Alberta is a huge opportunity for us, but if there’s a pipe there, you know, we’d be open to hearing the pitches from the private sector,” he said.
Kinew stressed the project must proceed “with respect for the environment” and “inclusive with Indigenous nations as well,” framing hydropower exports and potential oil or gas pipelines as dual opportunities for clean-energy leadership and job creation.
“I think the message is we’re open for business. There’s a window of opportunity right now. How can we work together to build up Canada?” he ended.
Earlier, Kinew called for Hudson’s Bay artifacts to be given to the public rather than auctioned off, arguing that “items held by Canada’s oldest company are part of Canadian and Indigenous history and don’t belong in private hands.” Canadian Tire Corporation is to absorb Hudson’s Bay Company’s most recognizable brands and trademarks in a $30 million deal, rescuing key intellectual property from the 354-year-old retailer’s collapse under creditor protection.
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