Local transportation system and sustainable communities: the case of Churchill, Canada

Abstract

With increasing awareness of the potential benefit posed by Arctic shipping, many ports and their surrounding regions have undertaken adaptation planning and proactive actions so as to build a resilient and sustained business. However, ports and other coastal infrastructure along the Arctic shorelines are still extremely scarce (and of poor quality), while professional know-how in the construction, maintenance, and operation of such facilities is in short supply. Indeed, hitherto, much attention has been paid to the ‘marine’ side of Arctic shipping while the ‘land’ side has been largely overlooked. An illustrative example is the damage of the only rail line connecting to the town of Churchill, Manitoba, Canada by a major flood in May 2017. This has disrupted land connections to Churchill, curtailing all import and export of cargoes (e.g., wheat) via Hudson Bay and inflicting hardship on residents through a substantial increase of expenditures on food and other commodities, as most supplies relied on aviation throughout much of 2017. Based on an in-depth case study on the port and town of Churchill, MB, Canada, we focus on the overall impressions of Arctic shipping development; the fluctuation of price index; employment structure and rate; the shock to tourism; the place’s vulnerabilities to Arctic shipping routes; and the establishment of adaptation and resilience strategies. This study will cause a paradigm shift in the research approach in the study of Arctic and generate vital information on how transportation disruption influences remote community and thus damage intermodal transportation development in the Arctic. Based on the literature review and analysis, this study argues that a paradigm shift in transportation operation, notably from ‘go it alone’ to ‘collaborative’ approach involving all major port stakeholders, is urgently needed. Also, the thesis investigates Public-Private-People Partnership (4Ps) under the context of the transportation system, the Churchill railway and the port in Churchill. Based on the balance theory, we investigate the triad state of three sectors involved in the transportation system: public, private, and people sectors. Simultaneously, we study the tendency of triad state, offering insights into the dynamic relationship among people and public, private sectors.