The CentrePort Canada Rail Park will be a game-changer in the transportation and logistics sector for Manitoba and Canada.
With its strategic location, state-of-the-art infrastructure and efficient connectivity, the rail park is poised to enhance Canada's competitiveness in the global market and generate significant economic benefits for the province and the country.
Focus Equities Inc. was named, in March 2022, developer of CentrePort Canada Rail Park, a 665-acre rail hub located in the heart of North America’s largest trimodal inland port and Foreign Trade Zone.
The rail park, in the RM of Rosser in the Winnipeg metro region, will facilitate the movement of goods between road, rail and air to provide a range of value-added services such as warehousing, distribution and customs clearance, and with potential to attract interest from diverse sectors including manufacturing, logistics and mining.
“Winnipeg offers companies engaged in global supply chain activities a service that they cannot get anywhere else in Canada, and perhaps North America – location, affordability, a keen workforce, a tremendous amount of existing government infrastructure, and the full support of the Province of Manitoba,” says Ken Mariash, owner of B.C.-based Focus Equities. “The rail park is attracting businesses from around the world to be located in our sustainable and innovative transportation hub.”
Manitoba has a diverse economy and a keen, affordable workforce, Mariash adds. The rail park is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs.
When the entire rail park is complete in 10 to 15 years, the economic spin-off could be as high as $1 billion, he notes. Phase 1 will consist of nine or 10 lots ranging from 10 to 50 acres. The company is set to announce its first tenants soon.
Uniquely positioned to leverage Manitoba’s geographical advantage at the centre of Canada, the rail park is situated between major North American trade corridors with the Trans-Canada Highway and Winnipeg Richardson International Airport each just minutes away. It also has access to three Class 1 railways, with CN and BNSF available through federal inter-switching, and direct access to Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC).
With CP and Kansas City Southern newly merged to create Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), it becomes the first single-line railway in North America to link Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. It is expected to create synergies that will further enhance North America’s transportation network and enable businesses to reach new markets.
Coupled with the rail park’s strategic location and efficient connectivity, businesses will be able to transport goods more efficiently and cost-effectively.
“Ken Mariash’s vision for the rail park is to create a world-class rail hub that will further transform the transportation and logistics landscape of Canada,” says Aimee Goyer, CentrePort Managing Director and Executive Director, Marketing and Communications.
“The federal government’s recently announced $18 million toward the construction of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park is a significant financial endorsement,” Goyer says. “It signifies just how substantial the project is in terms of its ability to connect and grow industry in Manitoba and Canada.”
Businesses will have the freedom to ship goods with the rail company of their choice to deep-water ports on the east and west coasts of Canada, making it an ideal gateway for international trade. The efficient transportation of goods reduces costs and increases competitiveness, enabling businesses to reach new markets and customers.
Mariash has a proven track record of developing successful projects in the real estate and logistics sectors.
He has been involved in several major projects in Canada and the U.S., including build-to-suit experience with Fortune 500 companies such as IKEA, Walmart, Loblaws, and industrial companies such as Worley Parsons, Kuehne + Nagel, and Canadian Freightways.
Mariash’s commitment to sustainability and innovation is evident in the CentrePort Canada Rail Park's design, which incorporates energy-efficient technologies, green spaces and multi-modal transportation options.
Focus’s goal is to create a hub to attract businesses from around the world, driving economic growth, job creation and innovation in Manitoba and beyond.
For more information on CentrePort Canada Rail Park, visit www.centreportcanada.ca/development-advantages/#rail-park
Photo supplied by (Focus Equities)