Arctic Gateway Group Welcomes Sheila North as Community & Indigenous Relations Advisor

October 10, 2025

A nationally recognized leader and advocate, Sheila will help strengthen AGG’s relationships with First Nations and northern communities, ensuring that the growth of the Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway returns real value to the Indigenous and northern owners of AGG.

In her role, she will support clear communication and engagement with communities across northern Manitoba, making sure Indigenous and northern voices guide AGG’s growth, with a focus on making sure Indigenous and northern communities benefit with good jobs, training opportunities, and meaningful economic returns.

Sheila’s background includes leadership as Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO), as well as experience as a journalist, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and author. She has also held national and international roles focused on Indigenous engagement and advocacy, including at the International Commission on Missing Persons and the University of Winnipeg.

Her experience and perspective will help ensure AGG’s continued success as a northern and Indigenous-owned company committed to growing Manitoba’s northern economy and building prosperity in the communities it serves.

In the conversation below, Sheila shares her thoughts on what makes AGG different, and what this opportunity for can mean for northern Manitoba.

Question: What made you want to join Arctic Gateway Group?

Sheila: Arctic Gateway is truly owned by the North. It’s rare to see a company where First Nations and northern communities are not just stakeholders, but owners who guide the work and share in the benefits. That kind of model, where decisions and value stay in the North, is powerful. It’s something I want to help strengthen and grow.

Question: In your view, what makes AGG different?

Sheila: AGG is different because it’s grounded in collaboration and self-determination. The company operates major national infrastructure, but it does so with local leadership and accountability to the communities that depend on it. That’s a new way of doing business in the North, one that’s about long-term stability, opportunity, and pride of ownership.

Question: What does this opportunity mean for northern Manitoba?

Sheila: It means the chance to shape our own future. The Port of Churchill and Hudson Bay Railway connect us to the world, but they also connect us to each other. As these assets grow in their national importance, we want to make sure every community in the north grows too. The jobs, training, investments, and benefits that come with this work can build a stronger northern economy for generations to come.

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, operating from The Pas to Churchill. Together this northern infrastructure forms the nexus of Canada’s Arctic Trade Corridor, providing a reliable and efficient route for Canadian resources to access world markets.

NT5