Premier Kinew Meets with TC Energy’s Leadership and Indigenous Advisory Council

Press Release

May 12, 2026

Premier Wab Kinew met today with TC Energy’s leadership team and Indigenous Advisory Council to discuss the importance of Indigenous participation in major infrastructure development.

“As we continue to advance the Churchill Plus project with the federal government, our new Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation will ensure that Indigenous nations are involved every step of the way,” said Kinew. “This major project has the potential to make Manitoba a ‘have’ province, creating good jobs for generations and historic revenue sharing opportunities that could lift some of the most isolated communities in the north out of poverty.”

Also in attendance was Amna Mackin, interim CEO of the Manitoba Crown-Indigenous Corporation and acting deputy minister of Indigenous Reconciliation, and Indigenous Advisory Council members including Karen Restoule, Crystal Smith, Bill Namagoose and Lee Ahenakew.

“This year, TC Energy marks its 75-year anniversary and history of nation-building projects including the Canadian Mainline, foundational infrastructure that continues to serve as a cornerstone of Manitoba’s energy system,” said François Poirier, president and CEO, TC Energy. “We are pleased to share our initial perspective in an advisory capacity given our decades of experience developing and delivering major energy infrastructure in partnership with Indigenous communities.

“Meaningful Indigenous participation is essential to building projects that are competitive, responsible and durable over the long term. That approach has shaped our operations in Manitoba for decades and continues to guide how we support nation-building infrastructure across North America.”

“Indigenous participation is strongest when it is built into projects from the outset, grounded in partnership, shared benefit and long-term accountability,” said Karen Restoule, chair, TC Energy’s Indigenous Advisory Council. “There is a clear opportunity to apply that approach to major infrastructure development in Canada, ensuring Indigenous nations are not only consulted, but meaningfully involved in shaping outcomes.”

Manitoba was the location for TC Energy’s semi-annual Indigenous Advisory Council meeting, which included a tour of the company’s facilities. TC Energy’s Canadian Mainline spans the entire province, 2,553 kilometres west to east, and includes 30 meter stations and five compressor stations used to measure, regulate and move natural gas across the province. The company has strong relationships with 23 municipalities, 10 First Nations communities plus the Manitoba Metis Federation and within the properties of more than 800 landowners, which contributed nearly $24 million in property taxes to the province last year.

Since September 2025, the Manitoba government has been working with the federal government’s Major Projects Office to advance Churchill Plus, a potential nation-building project that includes an upgraded port and rail line, an energy corridor supported by year-round icebreaking and an all-weather road.

An icebreaking feasibility study is already underway, led by the Arctic Research Foundation. Additionally, the Manitoba government is working with the federal government and environmental NGOs on a feasibility study for a National Marine Conservation Area in Hudson Bay. The governments of Canada and Manitoba recently signed a co-operation agreement to ensure major projects move quickly with streamlined environmental approvals.

– 30 –

For more information:

Public information, contact Manitoba Government Inquiry: mgi@gov.mb.ca or 1-866-626-4862 or 204-945-3744.
Media requests for general information, contact Communications and Engagement: newsroom@gov.mb.ca.
Media requests for ministerial comment, contact Cabinet Communications: cabcom@manitoba.ca.

ILR4