James Richardson & Sons, Limited (JRSL) have agreed to provide land for the future Cereals Canada hub in downtown Winnipeg, assuming the capital campaign raising money for the project meets its mark.
On Dec. 10, Cereals Canada said that a memorandum of understanding had been signed between themselves and the Winnipeg-based grain giant. The agreement lays out an in-kind contribution of land to develop GATE.
WHY IT MATTERS: GATE, which stands for the Global Agriculture Technology Exchange, is the planned new home for Cereals Canada, replacing their leased location in the Canadian Grain Commission building.
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GATE is set to go up on the corner of Lombard Ave. and Westbrook St., not far from their long-standing home, also in downtown Winnipeg. Construction is expected to be complete in 2027.
Securing land parcel is a major step forward for the project, said Cereals Canada CEO Dean Dias in a Dec. 10 press release.
“We are deeply appreciative of James Richardson & Sons, Limited (JRSL) for their generosity. Together, we are building the foundation for a project that will support Canada’s grain competitiveness well into the future,” he said.
The same release notes that the capital campaign has raised $32,150,000 towards the $102-million facility.
GATE facility
Cereals Canada’s GATE plans include space for specialty milling research, pilot bakery and pasta extrusion, malting and brewing, oat processing work, educational room and office space.
The industry groups argues that the new hub will help them position Canada’s cereals sector globally. In April, following a $13-million commitment from the province of Manitoba to the project, Dias said work coming out of the facility would provide better information for trading partners, helping efforts to grow new markets.
Provincial farm groups Alberta Grains, SaskWheat, Manitoba Crop Alliance and the Grain Farmers of Ontario have also announced financial support for the project.
Britain-based bakery Warburtons has also lined up behind the Canadian project, donating $650,000 earlier this year. The company is a long-term partner of Cereals Canada, and imports large volumes of Canadian wheat from Western Canada for their products.
Cereals Canada laid aside $5 million for the project.
GATE location
The downtown location and investment needed were not totally popular when Cereals Canada initially looked to get the project off the ground.
“It’s a very legitimate question in terms of do we need to go and build something new when there’s office space ‘here’ or empty buildings over ‘there’,” GATE campaign cabinet member David Hansen told the Co-operator earlier this year.
“But that is not a solution for what GATE is all about or what it needs.
“If we’re going to continue being the player that we are in this game on a global basis, we need the tools; we need the technologies; we need the professionals that are going to be employed in this facility.”
JRSL president Thor Richardson, meanwhile, notes that GATE fits in with the many other agricultural companies and organizations headquartered in downtown Winnipeg. He expects the project will help revitalize the area.
“The global trade environment upon which our grain industry depends is more challenging than ever, and we believe that by supporting GATE, we are helping ensure that Canadian agriculture and farming communities continue to thrive for generations to come,” Richardson said.
