WINNIPEG, Manitoba, July 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Arctic Gateway Group (AGG) is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Avery as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 15, 2024. A transition is now underway as Michael Woelcke, who joined AGG from VIA Rail in 2022, will retire in September 2024.
“The Board of Directors of AGG is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Avery as he carries on our ongoing work to connect Canada’s vast resources to the world through northern Manitoba,” said Mike Spence, Chair of the Arctic Gateway Group Board of Directors and Mayor of Churchill. “We would also like to congratulate Michael Woelcke on his well-deserved retirement. Michael has been instrumental in guiding the organization through a pivotal period of redevelopment and growth. Under his leadership, the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway are buzzing again, with hundreds of thousands of rail ties replaced, bridges rebuilt, increased reliability, and an important shipment of critical minerals departing for export this summer.”
Mr. Avery brings a wealth of experience operating in the north. He has served as president and CEO of Canada’s major northern and Arctic airline and has held senior leadership positions as vice-president with WestJet. His mandate will be to ensure Arctic Gateway’s self-sustainability, building upon the reliability and growth of the trade corridor, and making it a beacon for Indigenous economic reconciliation.
Mr. Woelcke will remain with AGG through the leadership transition.
“I’m looking forward to joining Arctic Gateway during a busy summer season and building upon our already solid foundation,” said Chris Avery. “There is critical work ahead to solidify the Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway as key pieces of strategic Canadian trade and transportation infrastructure. I’ll be working closely with our partners to make sure we can seize the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for this trade corridor.”
Federal and provincial strategic investments have enabled Arctic Gateway to remain on-track to re-establish itself as an active and competitive trade corridor for Manitoba and Canada, one that will get Canadian resources and goods to new markets, and contribute to a stronger, more prosperous Canada.
About Arctic Gateway Group
The Arctic Gateway Group is a proudly Indigenous- and community-owned Manitoba company that owns and operates the Port of Churchill, Canada’s only Arctic seaport serviced by rail, as well as the Hudson Bay Railway, which runs from The Pas to Churchill.
Media Contact:
Tom Garrett
204.806.3670
tom@chadwickconsulting.ca
