Jessiman Family Investments plans to develop a massive 700-acre industrial park at Winnipeg’s CentrePort Canada.

The company has filed a development application to develop the site in the CentrePort South area of the 20,000-acre business park. The project is expected to become the largest industrial development in Winnipeg’s history.

The proposed development, called Catalyst Park, is the first major private-sector investment made possible by Winnipeg City Council’s 2022 decision to extend municipal services to CentrePort South. The infrastructure initiative was originally championed by Mayor Scott Gillingham during his time as councillor for St. James.

“This is a big step forward for Winnipeg’s sky economy, bringing a high-growth investment opportunity to CentrePort South,” said Gillingham. “We are already seeing interest from the aerospace sector in locating at this new site if it’s approved.”

To support investment in the area, the city created the CentrePort South development team, a cross-functional concierge group that co-ordinates approvals, addresses issues and helps major projects navigate the planning process. The city said the team has worked with the Jessiman Family Investments project over the past year to ensure it aligns with existing planning policies.

“We are thrilled to see the first industrial development come to market in CentrePort South, marking the largest development project in CentrePort’s history,” said Carly Edmundson, president and CEO of CentrePort Canada.

She called the announcement of the development application a “significant milestone” for CentrePort and the city.

Gillingham said he has written to members of the Assiniboia community committee to advise that the city has a “strategic economic interest” in the success of Catalyst Park. The economic interest stems from the development site’s proximity to Richardson International Airport and Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg, said the city.

“As Mayor, I want to see CentrePort South reach its full job-creation potential,” he said. “That means working proactively with all stakeholders to remove barriers where we can, while respecting the public- process.”

According to the city, the proposed development would be more than twice the size of St. Boniface Industrial Park when it opened in 1977 and would become the largest development site in CentrePort’s history. The application envisions space for modern industrial users, including aerospace and air-freight companies, along with complementary retail uses.

Jessiman Family Investments is a Winnipeg-based private investment company. CentrePort Canada is North America’s largest tri-modal inland port and foreign trade zone, integrating road, rail and air transportation to support industrial and logistics development.

Pictured: CentrePort Canada inland port in Winnipeg.

Photo: CentrePort Canada