We’re on the road again! The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce (MCC) kicked off the first of three more Economic Development Tours this fall with visits to Manitoba’s fastest growing community outside the Winnipeg area and its sunniest spot.
Our 12th tour since we began this series brought a delegation of business, community and government leaders to the Town of Neepawa and City of Portage la Prairie for two days of connecting with local businesses, hearing inspiring success stories and exploring economic opportunities – and challenges – in the rapidly growing region.
Our guests and staff were impressed and captivated by the friendly, creative and resourceful people we met in each community.
Day 1: Exploring Manitoba’s Land of Plenty – Neepawa
We were warmly welcomed at Neepawa’s Town Office by the deputy mayor, chief administrative officer and economic development officer, who shared that Neepawa, with a population of about 6,200, is Manitoba’s third-fastest growing community in Manitoba and the fastest community that is not within commuting distance to Winnipeg. Large employers in the area such as HyLife have attracted thousands of new residents, and the town has a very proactive approach to economic development: in the last five years Neepawa has built a new middle school and daycare, RCMP detachment, fire hall, an Assiniboine College training centre and more. A state-of-the-art new hospital is under construction, and a new high school with much-needed additional daycare spots for the community will rise next to it soon.
But with more people comes the need for more places to put them, and the biggest challenge Neepawa is facing today is housing. The town recently purchased 320 acres in the northwest corner of Neepawa from a handful of local farmers and is welcoming developer interest to fill the land with new houses and housing complexes for its residents to hang their hats.
After a scrumptious lunch at Brews Brothers Bistro where some additional local business and community members joined us, we visited:
- This N’ That Manufacturing for a tour of their Dream Concepts Inc. facility where they build luxury, affordable housing for single family as well as multi residential units. Their system for building an entire home indoors in 60 days was impressive, as were their building methods and spacious-feeling compact homes.
- Tridekon, manufacturers of farm equipment that helps prevent and restrict crop damage from machine use and field work. The owners welcomed us to their farm and shared their story of how they went from inventing Cropsavers to use on their own farm, to selling some to neighbours, to manufacturing up to 900 sets each year for grateful farmers all across North America.
- Farmery Estate Brewery where we enjoyed a tour of the family-owned brewery and sampled some of their 50+ delicious brews made from locally grown and sourced ingredients, including their popular beers and newer non-alcoholic options like root beer and honey-sweetened iced tea. They make all of it on site in their huge tanks, each of which can produce about 14,000 cans of brew! Fun fact: Manitobans consume 80% of the beer sold in Manitoba in just four months (June to September).
- HyLife – the premium pork producer that is a core reason for Neepawa’s rapid growth, including newcomers to Canada, especially from the Phillipines – for a presentation about their success in exporting to 20 countries (their core market? Japan), their dedication to their 1,500 staff at their Neepawa plant (which they spend 8 hours a day cleaning) and more. HyLife’s talented chefs treated us to a delicious pork tenderloin dinner that our delegates won’t soon forget.
Day 2: Visiting the Island on the Prairies – Portage la Prairie
We loaded the bus bright and early for the hour-long trip from Neepawa to Portage la Prairie (with an obligatory pit stop in Gladstone to wave at the “Happy Rock” and grab a group photo!) Our first stop was the stunning Prairie Fusion Arts Centre for a welcome session with the city’s mayor, a councillor from the R.M. of Portage la Prairie and the region’s director of economic development. The community – which gets about 125,000 visitors each year and is the only spot in Manitoba where the CN and CP rail lines converge, we learned – has many of the same challenges as Neepawa, with a growing population and not enough places to house everybody. The city is planning about 250 new housing units and has granted more than $300 million in building permits so far this year, and is also building a $455 million regional hospital. They recently opened a new 74-spot daycare, but face the challenge of staffing it with qualified people. Even with these roadblocks, the optimism of the Portage la Prairie representatives we met was contagious.
Their positive outlook was echoed in the people we met at our next stops:
- J.R. Simplot Company, where we were greeted with tasty samples of some of the potato products they make using spuds grown at 45 Manitoba farms. Simplot processes 700 million pounds of frozen French fries and formed potato products each year for international customers, including its biggest client: McDonalds in the U.S. It was fascinating watching the fries galore travel through the various stages of production in Simplot’s facility, which the company expanded in 2019 and runs “like a giant connected computer.”
- Stride Place, Portage’s local recreation hub, which treated our delegates to a healthy lunch then toured us through its two beautiful arenas (plus a mini-stick arena for the kids!), walking track, fitness centre, meeting spaces and fantastic indoor pool/waterpark.
- RRC Polytechnic’s Portage campus, located in a historic 108-year-old building where students can access full-time diploma and certificate programs as well as a variety of part-time courses and workshops. We visited RRC’s Portage Innovation Centre and its FabLab Creative Hub, both of which offer low-cost space and support for local entrepreneurs and creative folks to bring their ideas to life.
- The National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada, for a visit that held special significance heading into the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation weekend. Delegates reflected on the past while visiting the former residential school building – which closed in 1975, was designated a Provincial Heritage Site in 2005 and gained charity status in 2018 – and touring the museum’s exhibits.
- Southport Aerospace Centre, where we began by resting our tired feet with a bus tour around the 600-hectare complex just south of Portage that combines commercial, residential, airport and recreation use. In 1992 the not-for-profit property management and development company purchased the former Canadian Forces Base Portage la Prairie, a training base for military pilots since 1940, for $3. In addition to managing tenants including aviation and aerospace training facilities, research and development of new products, light manufacturing, educational institutions, beautiful open spaces, a golf course, and a fitness centre, Southport also operated the beautiful 52-suite Barker Hotel and Suites, just steps from the Central Plains RecPlex.
Our delegates gained valuable insight into the economic potential of Neepawa and Portage la Prairie, and we look forward to future opportunities for networking and relationship building with these communities. Thank you to everyone who joined us on the tour, and to our fantastic bus driver, Kevin!
Join us on our next Economic Development Tour!
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce invites you to join our next Economic Development Tours! Experience firsthand the economic development highlights of Manitoba’s communities and contribute to their growth and prosperity as we work together to showcase all of Manitoba’s successes and exciting potential! Our next tours will go to:
- The Pas & OCN – October 8-9, 2024 (Sold out!)
- Brandon – October 24-25, 2024 (Limited spots available!)
Register now for upcoming tours!
