Province of Manitoba Profile:

Highway Distance to Nearest Major Metropolitan Areas

Major Roads & Highway Systems

• Trans-Canada Highway No. 1 (east-west) directs connection to all major urban centres in Canada.
• Manitoba Provincial Truck Highway (P.T.H.) No. 75 south connects Manitoba with U.S. Interstate No. 29 and Minnesota No. 94 (Border crossing - Emerson).
• Manitoba Provincial Truck Highway (P.T.H.) No. 59 to connect with Minnesota No. 59 and U.S. #2 (Border Crossing - Tolstoi)

Trucking

Air Transportation

Winnipeg International Airport

The Winnipeg International Airport (YWG) is Canada’s only major international airport between Toronto and Calgary and is competitively positioned as a 24-hour unrestricted airport. Only 7 km (4.5 miles) from the city’s downtown, it provides convenient access for Winnipeg business and visitor traffic alike.

YWG is Canada’s longest serving international airport. Opened in 1928, it was named Stevenson Field, after Captain F.J. Stevenson D.F.C., a noted Manitoba aviator. YWG offers a broad range of air passenger and cargo services, including international carriers, commuter airlines, jet freight carriers, fixed base operators, and various charter operations. It serves over 3.0 million passengers and handles over 150,000 aircraft (landings and take-offs) and over 100,000 tonnes of cargo annually.Winnipeg’s leaders have recognized the significance of the airport to the city’s future.

A visionary $100 million expansion and facilities improvement initiative, which began several years ago, is helping ensure that YWG can handle increased passenger and commercial demand well into the next century. Priorities include improved trans border air services and direct services to the U.K. and Europe, and the establishment of containerized cargo carrying capabilities as well as truck-air capabilities. Winnipeg is positioned as one of North America’s important and major air gateways, due to its favourable central location relative to global flight paths.Winnipeg currently receives scheduled air services from Air Canada, Canadian Airlines Ltd., Northwest Airlines, First Air, Westjet, Calm Air, and Perimeter Aviation Ltd.Cargo handling is also a major activity at the Winnipeg International Airport. All airlines serving Winnipeg handle cargo shipments into and out of Winnipeg on an "other cargo" basis, while Air Canada also handle full-cargo containers.

The airport is also served by two full transcontinental cargo operations, - Canadian Airlines and Air Canada.Freight handling facilities at the Winnipeg International Airport currently consist of the Air Canada Cargo building of 10,405 square metres and the International Aviation Terminal Building of 7,618 square metres. All major couriers, such as Federal Express (FedEx), Purolator and United Parcel Service (UPS) have facilities in Winnipeg to regularly service the provincial and regional markets.New Developments At The Airport.

The airport has completed major projects on the east side of the property including the upgrading of Sargent Avenue leading to the cargo/courier development area and the improvement of the east side drainage system. The new $2.5 million FedEx facility opened in February 1995 in this development area. Purolator Courier also upgraded its distribution infrastructure by investing in a $6.6 million sorting facility. Other major developments included the completion of the Administration Building project involving a new air traffic control system, restoration of the Air Terminal Building high and low roofs, and a complete renovation of food and shopping services, the commissioning of the new RAMP radar for the airport, and a new world-class bulk storage fuelling facility owned by an airline consortium.

Railroads & Intermodal

Winnipeg is centrally located on the main lines of both the Canadian National Railway (CN) and the Canadian Pacific Railway, now known as CP Rail System (CP). CN and CP have been renamed to reflect the continental nature of the combined operations of their Canadian and U.S. rail lines. Both CN and CP maintain extensive and modern marshalling yards with major service facilities. At CN’s Symington Yards over 3,000 cars can be handled in a day. CP’s yard processes an average of 2,000 cars per day.

With three rail connections to the U.S., Winnipeg enjoys ready access to the world’s largest market. Service to the United States is provided by CN and CP together with their respective US operations which are now integrated into one or both Canadian operations.

CN North America, together with its U.S. rail division, the Grand Trunk Corporation, has some 29,000 miles of track, stretching coast to coast in Canada and servicing the U.S. industrial core.

Both railways use the intermodal transportation system that combines the benefits of two transportation modes, rail and truck, and eliminates many of their drawbacks. With a fleet of flat cars, intermodal customers are provided with a distribution centre that enables them to serve markets coast to coast and to connect them to Canada’s leading ports. CP Rail System’s intermodal terminal handles an average of 35,000 units per year. CN’s Winnipeg Intermodal Terminal handles more than 50,000 containers per year (Source: Canadian National Railway, CP Rail System, Burlington Northern).

Water Transportation

The port of Churchill provides Manitoba with a unique distinction among the Prairie provinces - direct access to the sea. Churchill provides the Prairie provinces with a much shorter route to European markets than by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River ports.Churchill can be reached by rail, air and sea. The rail line was built primarily to link western wheat lands to the port, but it has also proven to be an invaluable transportation artery for northern Manitoba and the Central Arctic region. The line has been upgraded to 263,000 lbs., the same as all main line track.Canadian Airlines International Ltd. and its partner Calm Air provide daily service (Monday through Friday) from Winnipeg to Churchill during the peak summer months.Inbound freight to Churchill can also be brought by sea. Churchill is 2,575 nautical miles from Halifax, 2,850 nautical miles from Montreal, and only 3,380 nautical miles from Liverpool.

The port of Churchill acts as a major distribution point for cargo barged to communities within the Keewatin Region of the Northwest Territories. The port offers a viable opportunity to Manitoba businesses to supply products such as building materials, machinery and bulk fuel to Keewatin Region Communities.Storage and warehousing are available in the Churchill area through leases from the Canada Department of Public Works. Freight-handling services are available from several local firms. Also, bonded warehousing with 7,617 square metres and open storage with 23,225 square metres.Manitoba is well serviced by intermodal marine container transportation service. CN North America and CP Rail provide this service to serve the shipper’s distribution requirements. CP and CN intermodal services connect most of the Canada’s leading ports - Saint John, Quebec City, Montreal, Trois Rivieres, Halifax and Vancouver.