Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Inland port's potential touted

Kerry Hawkins: 'much more to do'

Enlarge Image

Kerry Hawkins: 'much more to do' (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

In in his first public address as chairman of CentrePort Canada, Kerry Hawkins characterized the potential scale of development surrounding the inland port as being unprecedented for Winnipeg.

"Thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in investment, that is the course we are on," Hawkins told a sold-out event in Winnipeg Thursday morning.

Although the 20,000 acres of land north and west of the airport is a blank slate waiting for development, Hawkins said that 40 years ago the area around the Huntsville, Ala., airport was in a similar state.

"Now there are 24,000 people employed, with payrolls of $1.1 billion (at the Port of Huntsville) and it all started as a cotton field," he said. "That's what we're talking about."

Hawkins said the search for a CEO is underway and likely to last into the summer.

In the meantime CentrePort has leased office space it will soon move into.

The creation of CentrePort, followed by federal and provincial government commitments of $212 million for the creation of a four-lane freeway that will connect the airport and the CentrePort lands with Inkster Boulevard and the Perimeter Highway, has made the project a reality.

Hawkins compared the process to the birth of a baby.

"It's not yet six months old and there is much more to do," he said. "But the creation of Canada's first inland port will have a big impact for generations to come."

While public sector infrastructure investment has kick-started the undertaking, much of the future development is going to depend on private-sector investment.

Hawkins said activities foreseen for CentrePort include intermodal operations, logistics, air cargo handling, light manufacturing, trucking operations and cargo storage facilities.

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 8, 2009 B7

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Follow

  1. WFP Hockey

    Download our new hockey app for the iPhone for Winnipeg Jets updates

  2. Editor's Bulletin

    Sign up for daily bulletins from editor Margo Goodhand

  3. Winnipeg Jets

    All things NHL on our Jets landing page

  4. Twitter

    Follow our reporters and our news feeds on Twitter

  5. News Cafe

    Check out the menu, read our blog posts or get info on coming events

  6. Facebook Fanpage

    Follow our Facebook Fanpage for story links, contests and special events

letters

Make text: Larger | Smaller

Poll

Who is the better-looking Super Bowl quarterback?

View Results

View Related Story