Diane Gray, the former president and CEO of CentrePort Canada Inc., accepts the Footprint Award from Carly Edmundson, the organization’s current president and CEO. (HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — Diane Gray, the founding president and CEO of CentrePort Canada, has been presented with the organization’s second annual Footprint Award.
Gray, who led CentrePort from its founding in 2009 through to 2022, was honoured at its spring mixer on Wednesday.
The award recognizes individuals whose leadership and vision were instrumental in shaping the inland port’s success.
During her tenure, Gray spearheaded the creation of CentrePort’s master plan and strategy, secured the special planning area, worked with municipal governments on staged servicing plans, and advanced the development of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park. The inland port has since attracted more than $1 billion in private sector investment and is home to more than 1,000 companies.
“This award is a shared celebration of the vision and execution by so many private and public sector partners,” Gray said in a statement. “It truly takes a whole province to see the potential and realize the opportunity for Manitoba’s economy and Canada’s future.”
At full build-out, CentrePort is projected to boost Manitoba’s GDP by nearly $8 billion and generate close to 100,000 person-years of employment.
The inaugural Footprint Award was presented last year to former Manitoba Premier Gary Doer, whose NDP government introduced legislation that eventually led to the creation of CentrePort.
Since leaving CentrePort in 2022, Gray currently serves as president of Prairies Economic Development Canada.
