Churchill gets fed funding to create AI powered ‘northern lights tracker’

The federal government is investing more than $1.5 million into Manitoba’s tourism industry, as the feds look to see more Canadians and Manitobans taking trips in their own backyard.

“Every trip, from a quick weekend getaway or a long-awaited cross-country vacation helps create jobs, sustain livelihoods, and boost the businesses and communities that make the prairie provinces attractive tourist destinations,” Minister for PrairiesCan Terry Duguid said in a release.

Duguid announced that PrairiesCan is investing $1.85 million into nine local projects he said will strengthen tourism and cultural experiences in Manitoba, including in several rural areas of the province.

With a recent rise in anti-American sentiment in Canada due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s continued tariffs threat and a renewed focus on buying local and Canadian products, the feds said another way to spend more dollars locally is to travel within Canada, rather than crossing the southern border.

“Not only do tourism providers offer Manitobans opportunities to support local, but they also provide visitors and locals with a chance to learn more about the province,” Duguid said.

Through the funding, the Churchill Chamber of Commerce (CCC) will receive $250,000 to create an AI powered northern lights tracker which will use “cutting edge” technology to allow travel providers to predict when and where the lights will be visible, while a portion of the money will also be used to enhance tourism marketing in Churchill.

“By providing notifications on the visibility and intensity of the Aurora Borealis from real-time ground imagery, we plan to increase visitor satisfaction while also building a deeper understanding of aurora viewing statistics, paving the way for future growth in northern Manitoba tourism,” CCC president Brendan McEwan said in a release.

Also receiving money through the funding will be the National Indigenous Residential School Museum, which is located in the former Portage la Prairie Indian Residential School building, which operated from around 1915 until 1975.

The museum which features displays and artifacts representing the experiences of Indigenous Canadians who attended residential schools, will receive $350,000 to expand and enhance, according to the federal government.

The Rosé Beach House in Winnipeg Beach will receive $350,000 to expand a retro chic boutique hotel, and increase tourism offerings in the Winnipeg Beach area, while the Falcon Trails Resort will receive $99,999 to enhance a recreational alpine and Nordic ski facility that operates in the Falcon Lake area.

According to Travel Manitoba, the tourism industry in Manitoba supports over 20,000 jobs, and contributes approximately $1.8 billion in annual visitor spending.

This story was originally published in The Winnipeg Sun. It is republished under a Creative Commons license as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.