Last week, members of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce board and leadership team were pleased to meet with The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance in Winnipeg.
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce President and CEO Chuck Davidson and Vice-President of Policy and Government Relations Elisabeth Saftiuk attended along with Chambers board members Alison Kirkland (chair), CEO, Women’s Enterprise Organizations of Canada; Jamie Dumont, Jamie Dumont Consulting, and Michael Woelcke, CEO, Arctic Gateway Group.
On behalf of the Chamber and its members, Davidson shared ongoing concerns related to workforce, both attraction and retention, and its impact on business growth across Manitoba; economic competitiveness and the need for tax competitiveness to attract and retain new investments; and economic development connected to the creation of an accessible venture capital fund and supportive tax credit policies to leverage investment in the growth of new and existing businesses.
Alongside business colleagues from the Business Council of Manitoba, and Chamber members Frontiers North Adventures’, Bockstael Construction and the Manitoba Mining Association roundtable participants emphasized that growing the economy needs to be a key priority, a national trade corridor is necessary, and that a continued focus on access to capital is critical so that businesses can grow and thrive in Manitoba.
