The President of HyLife has been appointed to a provincial advisory council whose goal is to strengthen the transportation sector in Manitoba.

Grant Lazaruk is one of eight individuals appointed to the new Manitoba Strategic Corridors Advisory Council. Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Doyle Piwniuk says the council was established in order to advance Manitoba's economic growth and strengthen the province's position within today's shifting supply chains and trade corridors.

"Manitoba has a long and proud history as a trade and transportation gateway. Our government is committed to strengthening the province's status as an international transportation hub and enabling strong economic activity within and across our borders," says Piwniuk. "The new Manitoba Strategic Corridors Advisory Council will provide strategic advice to enhance the performance and resiliency of our provincial transportation network, strengthen the transportation sector's contributions to the regional economy and improve provincial supply chain fluidity."

The Minister notes that in addition to its favourable mid-continental location, Manitoba is home to many comparative advantages in trade and transport. Those advantages include a strong railway network, a major trucking hub, Winnipeg Richardson International Airport, Pembina-Emerson Port of Entry, CentrePort Canada and the Port of Churchill. 

According to our province, Winnipeg's airport is one of Canada's busiest all-cargo freighter airports and the Pembina-Emerson Port of Entry is one of the busiest truck trade border crossings west of Windsor-Detroit. It says CentrePort Canada is North America's largest tri-modal inland port and Port of Churchill is the closest tidewater link for much of the prairies. 

Work done by the Manitoba Strategic Corridors Advisory Council will complement the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on economic corridors between Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta that was announced on April 11th. The new council, consisting of Manitobans with expertise and first-hand experience related to the transportation and supply chain industry across several key modes, will support the MOU objectives by leveraging their expertise in assessing private-sector and Indigenous opportunities and partnerships for improvement or development of critical economic corridors.

Barry Rempel will serve as Vice-Chairperson of the council. Rempel is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Winnipeg Airports Authority. 

"During this time of change impacting historic supply chains, opportunity presents itself once again to our region," says Rempel. "Effective policy and infrastructure are critical to success and I'm pleased to see the Manitoba government reaching for the potential this presents for the citizens of our province."

The other six members are:

  • Dennis Cruise, president and CEO, Bituminex Paving and board chair of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association;
  • Christian Sinclair, First Nation economic strategic planner and former Onekanew (chief) of Opaskwayak Cree Nation;
  • Rob Penner, president and CEO, Bison Transport and board member of the Winnipeg Airports Authority;
  • Jeannette Montufar, founding partner and CEO, MORR Transportation Consulting;
  • Joan Hardy, former senior executive, railway and grain sectors;
  • Al Babiuk, former CEO, Loewen Windows.

Piwniuk says the new advisory council will work with and complement the department's strategic infrastructure programs including the Trade and Commerce Grid Initiative, the Winnipeg One Million Perimeter Freeway Initiative and the National Trade Corridor Strategy.