Climate Change in the Hudson Bay Complex: Opportunities and Vulnerabilities for the Port of Churchill's Marine Operations
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This climate-impact assessment was completed by researchers at the University of Manitoba’s Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) with financial support from Transport Canada. This work is one component of a broader CEOS-Transport Canada partnership running from 2014-2016, which is a product of Transport Canada’s Network of EXpertise on Transportation in Arctic Waters (NEXTAW) program. NEXTAW is part of Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative. The motivation for this project at CEOS and Transport Canada stems from an awareness of the significant environmental changes occurring in the Canadian Arctic and a shared desire to better understand these changes and the impact they may have on marine transportation in the area. This assessment examines the impact of climate change in Hudson Bay, Hudson Strait, and Foxe Basin, and considers the resultant vulnerabilities and opportunities for the Port of Churchill’s marine operations extending to 2030 and 2050. Changes in sea ice and their consequences for shipping routes are of particular interest. The Port of Churchill’s land-based infrastructure and operations are not examined in this assessment. This document’s primary audience is those parties with a vested interested in marine transportation in the Hudson Bay Complex. This includes the Port of Churchill’s central stakeholders, such as OmniTRAX Canada, Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation, and Transport Canada, as well as community and industry members from around the Complex. More generally, it is our intention that this document will be useful to all those interested in the intersection between Climate Change and marine transportation in the Canadian Arctic.