I think that through the establishment of a port authority, one of the most critical pieces is the makeup of the board, because I am not going to speak for the local residents of Churchill, just as I'm not going to speak for the indigenous communities that are affected by the current corporatization of the port. Putting it into the federal realm allows the community to determine its own fate.
I have to back up. I'm from Canora, Saskatchewan, which is right on the rail line. My dad shipped grain to Churchill, which is 1,100 kilometres away. Now, if he was not retired, he would be shipping 3,800 kilometres on his own dime. This has been a critical port since the 1920s when it was built. We believe if the people who were operating the port had the authority to be able to look at other commodities and other industries, then it could be economically self-sufficient. It could be diversified. Is there an opportunity for the military to come back? Research is huge. Parks Canada is doing some significant research on the permafrost and the environment. If you're talking about clean economies, then shipping through this port is a lot greener than going through other ports.
With the right group working together—local community, province, and federal—we believe all of these conditions can easily be met as they were back in the 1970s, and in the 1920s when the port was built.