Manitoba has a significant opportunity to play a larger role in Canada’s growing defence and security economy.
Our province is already home to the largest aerospace manufacturing centre in Western Canada and ranks third in the country for aerospace exports, supported by globally recognized companies including Boeing Canada, Magellan Aerospace and StandardAero, alongside a network of Manitoba manufacturers, suppliers and skilled workers.
Now, the scale of investment taking place nationally is creating an opportunity to build on that foundation.
Canada is entering a period of generational investment in defence and security, with more than $1 trillion in cumulative spending projected over the next decade. At the same time, there is a growing national focus on ensuring that investment builds Canadian industrial capacity, strengthens domestic supply chains and creates opportunities for Canadian businesses.
For Manitoba, the question is how we position our province and our businesses to participate.
That opportunity was on display last week as Manitoba welcomed aerospace and defence companies and industry leaders from the United Kingdom for the two-day Manitoba–UK Defence Summit in Winnipeg.
Building international connections
The Summit brought together leaders from Manitoba and the UK for discussions on the opportunities emerging from a changing defence and security environment, but just as important were the connections being made between businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Summit grew from an idea by Margaret Egan of Sinclair Barnes Limited, who saw an opportunity to bring the two defence ecosystems together, introduce UK companies and leaders to the capabilities that exist here, and quite literally, help put Manitoba on the map.
For many of the UK delegates, this was their first visit to Manitoba.
That matters. International trade and investment ultimately depend on relationships. Bringing companies and industry leaders to Manitoba gives them an opportunity to see firsthand what our province has to offer while giving Manitoba businesses direct access to potential partners, customers and new markets.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce was pleased to be part of that effort, co-hosting a reception with the Business Council of Manitoba to close the first day of the Summit at Journey to Churchill at Assiniboine Park Zoo.
We chose the venue intentionally. With discussions throughout the Summit touching on the Arctic, security, infrastructure and Canada’s North, Journey to Churchill offered our international guests a distinctly Manitoban setting and a glimpse of a part of our province that is increasingly important to national conversations.
More importantly, the reception created space for the conversations that turn opportunities into partnerships.
There was remarkable breadth and depth of expertise in the room from both Manitoba and the United Kingdom. There is tremendous capability in both markets. The opportunity is in connecting it.
A strategic opportunity for Manitoba
The Manitoba–UK Defence Summit comes at an important moment.
Canada is making significant new investments in defence while placing greater emphasis on building sovereign capacity and strengthening Canadian industry. The federal government’s Defence Industrial Strategy is intended to use that investment to grow domestic suppliers, innovation and more resilient supply chains.
Manitoba is well positioned to compete for a share of that opportunity.
Our existing aerospace and advanced manufacturing strengths provide a strong foundation. The newly established Manitoba-Canada Defence Alliance is also bringing together industry, government, the Canadian Armed Forces, post-secondary institutions and other partners to help ensure Manitoba is positioned to compete for investment and procurement opportunities.
For our broader business community, this is about more than defence spending. It is an opportunity to grow Manitoba companies, strengthen supply chains, attract investment, advance innovation and develop new trade relationships.
And those opportunities will not necessarily be limited to businesses that currently identify themselves as part of the defence sector. Increased investment can create opportunities across manufacturing, technology, construction, infrastructure, research and other parts of Manitoba’s economy.
Turning opportunity into relationships
There will be significant competition for the investment, contracts, talent and partnerships emerging from Canada’s defence buildout. Manitoba cannot assume that opportunity will come here simply because we have existing strengths.
We need to make those strengths known.
That is what made the Manitoba–UK Defence Summit important. It brought international companies and leaders directly to our province, gave Manitoba businesses access to potential partners in an allied market and helped introduce a new group of international visitors to what Manitoba has to offer.
The Summit was one step, but an important one.
As Canada builds its defence and security capacity, Manitoba has an opportunity to use this moment to grow our companies, attract investment and build new international relationships.
The opportunity is significant. Our task now is to make sure Manitoba is positioned to capture it.
