The Hudson Bay Railway and Port of Churchill will soon be back in Canadian hands.

A consortium of Manitoba First Nations, in partnership with i-Churchill incorporated, has entered into an agreement to acquire the port and railway from Denver-based OmniTrax.

Chief Glenn Hudson, who is the head of the consortium, said that this marks the start of a new day in Manitoba that shows Canada the strength of First Nations, how true partnerships are formed, and that First Nations are key to building a stronger north, stronger Manitoba and stronger Canada.

It is expected that a request for proposals to repair the washed out line will be posted in the next few days, and that the corporate process will be concluded next month.

The rail line has been out of service since last May.