‘We love our U.S. friends, but we need to diversify'
Suits appear to be the jersey of choice for players scouted for 'Team Manitoba.'
Roughly 270 business executives gathered Thursday at Economic Development Winnipeg's annual investor breakfast. Politicians, panelists and the economic development agency shared a similar message: it's time to band together.
'Given the landscape in the (United) States and around the world and that uncertainty, it's even more important for us to be investing in ourselves,' Manitoba Economic Development, Investment and Trade Minister Jamie Moses told the crowd at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS
Economic Development Winnipeg hosted its annual investor breakfast at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Thursday, with a panel moderated by EDW vice-president Alberto Velas- co-Acosta (from left) and featuring Marty Maykut of Price Industries, Brad Elias of Winnipeg Airports Authority, Chris Reiter of Focus Equities and Katie Hall Hursh of Megill-Stephenson Co.
Both he and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham underscored their respective governments' promises to foster a business-friendly climate.
It comes amid an investment chill felt within the private sector. Economic Development Winnipeg clocked a slowdown of investment in March.
Repercussions from U.S. President Donald Trump's November election win hit Winnipeg before his tariffs were launched against Canada. In late 2024, a major foreign direct investor backed away from entering Manitoba after nearly inking a deal.
The company would have brought 'significant' jobs with it, said Amanda Macdonald, Economic Development Winnipeg business development vice-president. She declined to share the company's name, adding it could plant roots in the future.
The uncertainty Trump has unleashed worldwide is drawing new opportunities, said Economic Development Winnipeg's vice-president, international Alberto Velasco-Acosta.
The agency made inroads with Sweden and Finland, when a delegation of European ambassadors visited last month, he added.
'We love our U.S. friends, but we need to diversify,' he said. 'We need to be proactive in other markets.'
Attracting investment requires becoming speedier with permitting, approvals and project evaluations, Velasco-Acosta listed.
Better information sharing and systems alignment between economic development-related entities would also help, Macdonald said.
Organizations in Manitoba are already making headway, she added — instead of having 'too many cooks in the kitchen,' an investor may deal with one contact point who's sharing information on behalf of several groups, including real estate agencies and EDW.
'From a client perspective, you want just a few constant people,' Macdonald said. 'Like a concierge type of approach.'
Macdonald presented Winnipeg as a 'blank slate' to event attendees.
Last fall, Economic Development Winnipeg contacted roughly 60 American site selectors about the city's business perception. Executives knew more about Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.
'Being neutral isn't necessarily negative,' Macdonald said in her speech. 'It simply means others are more top of mind. That's a challenge for us, but it's also an opportunity.'
She highlighted Winnipeg's location, clean energy and low operating costs as competitive advantages to broadcast.
'(We should) leave with a sense of optimism and not only share with each other, but with the rest of the world,' panelist Katie Hall Hursh, vice-president of the Megill-Stephenson Company Ltd., told the crowd.
Arnaud Franco, BDC director of economic research, clocked 'a lot of optimism' in Winnipeg's business community when he visited Monday, one day before Prime Minister Mark Carney met with Trump at the White House.
Franco provided an economic outlook to BDC clients. Currently, the business bank projects a one per cent increase in Manitoba's GDP this year. The number is similar to the 1.1 per cent growth seen in 2024.
Economic conditions could improve if a deal with the U.S. materializes, Franco noted. He's booked 11 speaking engagements across Western Canada this week.
'A lot of people want input, because this feeling of uncertainty that they've been facing, it's paralyzing for small businesses,' Franco said. 'They don't know if they should hire. They don't know if they should invest.'
BDC hasn't tracked an influx in Manitoba business closures or layoffs due to tariffs, he added.
Nor has Indeed noticed a sharp decline in job postings. There's been an overall decrease since early 2023, following a post-pandemic hiring boom. Manitoba mirrors a national trend.
'I think employers are still holding off on totally changing their hiring plans until we've got some clarity on the situation,' said Brendon Bernard, a senior economist with Indeed.com, a recruiting and jobs online platform.
Still, Indeed has experienced a 'modest decline' in Canadian job postings, he continued.
Posts dropped 4.3 per cent nationally between the start of February — when U.S. tariffs were first expected to arrive — and mid-April. Manufacturing job listings plunged 10 per cent during the same time.
Robert Half, a human resource firm, is seeing companies hire staff. Paused investment likely comes on the project front, said Mike Shekhtman, a senior regional director.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
'It's a challenge because companies are trying to weigh some of their short-term, but also look at the long-term, repercussions for not hiring,' he stated.
Economic Development Winnipeg expects to launch a strategy guiding Winnipeg's five-year economic growth this fall. Its goal is to be in 'full alignment' with an economic development strategy the Manitoba government is creating, Macdonald said. The provincial document is anticipated for release this year.
EDW facilitated $281 million in capital investment last year, resulting in 644 jobs and $234 million worth of GDP growth, per data it shared Thursday.
It surpassed its goal of drawing $350 million in capital investment and generating $900 million in GDP growth between 2021 and 2025. By the end of 2024, those numbers hit $1.16 billion and $919 million, respectively.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Gabrielle PichéReporter
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cision Canada
21 minutes ago
- Cision Canada
As U.S. Uncertainty Sparks Travel Boom in Canada, RVezy Urges Canadian RV Owners to Cash In on Soaring Demand Français
With 300% increase in U.S. travelers to Canada, RV rental platform RVezy calls on Canada's 2 million RV owners to list their vehicles and earn thousands this summer OTTAWA, ON, June 10, 2025 /CNW/ - Political instability south of the border is fueling a surge in Canadian travel—and RV owners have a golden opportunity to cash in. RVezy, Canada's leading peer-to-peer, RV rental platform, is reporting a 300% year-over-year spike in bookings from American travelers, along with a major increase in interest from overseas visitors. As international and domestic demand hits record levels ahead of the summer season, the company is issuing a national call to action: RV owners, list your RV now and earn thousands this summer. "With over 2 million RVs sitting idle across Canada and demand hitting all-time highs, we need more RV owners to list—today," said Michael McNaught, CEO of RVezy. "This isn't just about travel—it's about helping Canadians earn meaningful income while supporting our national and local tourism economy." Big Earnings, Big Impact: Renting Pays Off RV owners on RVezy earn an average of over $10,000 per year, with many earning significantly more during the peak summer months. Yet most RVs sit unused for 11 months of the year. With rising prices and economic pressures affecting households across the country, renting out an RV is an easy, practical way to generate additional income. And because travelers spend on average $300 per day in local communities, every RV trip fuels spending at local shops, restaurants, campgrounds, and small tourism operators. "We're seeing this incredible wave of interest in Canada—not just from Americans, but from international visitors looking for safe, scenic, flexible travel," added McNaught. "Every RV rental helps support Canadian families—on both sides of the keys." No Worries, Full Protection: RVezy's All-Inclusive Approach For RV owners concerned about liability or damage, RVezy provides full insurance coverage that protects the entire value of the RV. Every rental includes 24/7 roadside assistance and is backed by a dedicated Host Experience team to guide owners through every step of the process. RVezy is a proudly Canadian company— founded by Canadians, operated by Canadians, and located in Canada, RVezy is committed to building a stronger local travel economy. Call to Action: List Your RV Before Peak Season Hits With unprecedented traveler demand and limited vehicle availability, RVezy urges RV owners across the country to list now—especially in popular gateway regions like British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes. Whether you're an occasional camper or a seasoned RV enthusiast, listing your RV this summer could make a serious difference.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
War is in the air
Opinion 'There is a clear, present risk, particularly as Vladimir Putin does see himself as being at war with the West. The homeland is again (in peril)… Air and missile attacks will potentially cause civilian casualties (in the United Kingdom) in very large numbers.' Therefore, concludes Gen. Sir Richard Barrons, the U.K. needs to bring back air-raid sirens and air-raid drills. I'm not making this up. Barrons, a former deputy chief of the defence staff who retired from the British Army in 2016, is not just an aging military fantasist longing to relive the Blitz he was too young to experience first time around. He co-wrote the British government's Strategic Defence Review, published last week, and the government adopted it wholesale. It's not just the U.K. In only four months, the NATO countries of Europe have managed to talk themselves into the belief that their continent is on the brink of war. Almost the entire Russian army has been bogged down in Ukraine for three years and there is no other military threat in sight, yet the rhetoric suggests that Armageddon is just around the corner. This is yet another consequence of that highly infectious disease, Trump Derangement Syndrome. The American president's penchant for making random radical comments, often just for the hell of it, has a way of panicking other countries into making policy decisions that are premature or just plain wrong. For example, the European members of NATO are now convinced that the United States is cancelling its eight-decade commitment to the defence of Europe. In particular they think that the U.S. is ending its guarantee of nuclear retaliation against a Russian attack, which enabled all of them (except Britain and France) to avoid getting nuclear weapons of their own. They are right to be concerned about all that, because that is certainly being considered by some factions in the Trump circus. But it is far too early to base policy on these concerns, because Trump himself has no idea where he is going with all this. Could the United States end up in a de facto alliance with Russia when the dance ends (or at least pauses for a while)? Unlikely but possible, given Trump's highly personalistic style and his bizarre but undeniably very close relationship with the Russian leader. What would become of the existing Russian-Chinese alliance in such a case? Hard to say, but Putin might prefer an American alliance that would deliver Ukraine into Russia's hands. That would be a more equal partnership (assuming continuing American decline) than Russia's current precarious alliance with a Chinese giant that has aspirations on Russian territory. Does that then leave China free to join with Europe and the more or less free-trading countries of Asia in an effort to preserve or restore the rules-based, law-abiding world order that is under attack by Russia and the United States? The possible permutations and combinations are almost endless. It is unfortunately true that flurries of last-minute changes in alliances often happen just before the great powers go into a great war, but that is another reason not to rush into radical changes now. This will require a high tolerance for make-believe on the part of Europe, but wait-and-see is probably the continent's least bad strategy for the time being. The European members of NATO should do everything possible to sustain Ukraine's resistance even when Trump cuts it off again, and rebuild their own defensive capabilities as fast as possible in case Trump does take the Russian option. But there's no need to practise bleeding, as the soldiers say: try to sustain the fiction of a united NATO as long as possible. And if you're in need of consolation as the talk of war swamps the news, remember that the only genuinely revisionist great power at the moment is Russia. People will tell you China is revisionist too, but that is untrue apart from Taiwan. Beijing believes it can overtake the United States by economic means alone, and with Trump's help it may be right. Gwynne Dyer's new book is Intervention Earth: Life-Saving Ideas from the World's Climate Engineers.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Russia skirts Western sanctions to ramp up its military footprint in Africa
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Even as it pounds Ukraine, Russia is expanding its military footprint in Africa, delivering sophisticated weaponry to sub-Saharan conflict zones where a Kremlin-controlled armed force is on the rise. Skirting sanctions imposed by Western nations, Moscow is using cargo ships to send tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and other high-value equipment to West Africa, The Associated Press has found. Relying on satellite imagery and radio signals, AP tracked a convoy of Russian-flagged cargo ships as they made a nearly one-month journey from the Baltic Sea. The ships carried howitzers, radio jamming equipment and other military hardware, according to military officials in Europe who closely monitored them. The deliveries could strengthen Russia's fledgling Africa Corps as Moscow competes with the United States, Europe and China for greater influence across the continent. The two-year-old Africa Corps, which has links to a covert branch of Russia's army, is ascendant at a time when U.S. and European troops have been withdrawing from the region, forced out by sub-Saharan nations turning to Russia for security. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have been battling fighters linked with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group for more than a decade. At first, mercenary groups with an arms-length relationship to the Kremlin entered the fray in Africa. But increasingly, Russia is deploying its military might, and intelligence services, more directly. 'We intend to expand our cooperation with African countries in all spheres, with an emphasis on economic cooperation and investments,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 'This cooperation includes sensitive areas linked to defense and security.' From the ports, Russian weapons are trucked to Mali Russia's 8,800-ton Baltic Leader and 5,800-ton Patria are among hundreds of ships that Western nations have sanctioned to choke off resources for Russia's war in Ukraine. The ships docked and unloaded in Conakry, Guinea, in late May, AP satellite images showed. Other ships made deliveries to the same port in January. They delivered tanks, armored vehicles and other hardware that was then trucked overland to neighboring Mali, according to European military officials and a Malian blogger's video of the long convoy. The military officials spoke to AP about Russian operations on condition of anonymity. The AP verified the blogger's video, geolocating it to the RN5 highway leading into Bamako, the Malian capital. After the latest delivery in Conakry, trucks carrying Russian-made armored vehicles, howitzers and other equipment were again spotted on the overland route to Mali. Malian broadcaster ORTM confirmed that the West African nation's army took delivery of new military equipment. AP analysis of its video and images filmed by the Malian blogger in the same spot as the January delivery identified a broad array of Russian-made hardware, including 152 mm artillery guns and other smaller canons. AP also identified a wheeled, BTR-80 armored troop carrier with radio-jamming equipment, as well as Spartak armored vehicles and other armored carriers, some mounted with guns. The shipment also included at least two semi-inflatable small boats, one with a Russian flag painted on its hull, as well as tanker trucks, some marked 'inflammable' in Russian on their sides. The military officials who spoke to AP said they believe Russia has earmarked the most potent equipment — notably the artillery and jamming equipment — for its Africa Corps, not Malian armed forces. Africa Corps appears to have been given air power, too, with satellites spotting at least one Su-24 fighter-bomber at a Bamako air base in recent months. Moscow's notorious secret unit For years, French forces supported counterinsurgency operations in Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. But France pulled out its troops after coups in Mali in 2020 and 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023. Russian mercenaries stepped into the vacuum. Wagner Group, the most notable, deployed to Sudan in 2017 and expanded to other African countries, often in exchange for mining concessions. It earned a reputation for brutality, accused by Western countries and U.N. experts of human rights abuses, including in Central African Republic, Libya and Mali. Of 33 African countries in which Russian military contractors were active, the majority were Wagner-controlled, according to U.S. government-sponsored research by RAND. But after Wagner forces mutinied in Russia in 2023 and their leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed two months later in a suspicious plane crash, Moscow tightened its grip. Russian military operations in Africa were restructured, with the Kremlin taking greater control through Africa Corps. It is overseen by the commander of Unit 29155, one of the most notorious branches of Russia's shadowy GRU military intelligence service, according to the European Union. Unit 29155 has been accused of covertly attacking Western interests for years, including through sabotage and assassination attempts. The EU in December targeted Unit 29155 Maj. Gen. Andrey Averyanov with sanctions, alleging that he is in charge of Africa Corps operations. 'In many African countries, Russian forces provide security to military juntas that have overthrown legitimate democratic governments, gravely worsening the stability, security and democracy of the countries,' the EU sanctions ruling said. These operations are financed by exploiting the continent's natural resources, the ruling added. The Russian Ministry of Defense didn't immediately respond to questions about Averyanov's role in Africa Corps. Africa Corps recruitment Researchers and military officials say the flow of weapons from Russia appears to be speeding Africa Corps' ascendancy over Wagner, helping it win over mercenaries that have remained loyal to the group. Africa Corps is also is recruiting in Russia, offering payments of up to 2.1 million rubles ($26,500), and even plots of land, for signing a contract with the Ministry of Defense, plus more on deployment. Within days of the latest equipment delivery, Wagner announced its withdrawal from Mali, declaring 'mission accomplished' in a Telegram post. Africa Corps said in a separate post that it would remain. The changeover from Wagner to Africa Corps in Mali could be a forerunner for other similar transitions elsewhere on the continent, said Julia Stanyard, a researcher of Russian mercenary activity in Africa. 'Bringing in this sort of brand-new sophisticated weaponry, and new armored vehicles and that sort of thing, is quite a bit of a shift,' said Stanyard, of the Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. Armed groups in Mali have inflicted heavy losses on Malian troops and Russian mercenaries. The al-Qaida linked group JNIM killed dozens of soldiers in an attack this month on a military base. Insurgents also killed dozens of Wagner mercenaries in northern Mali last July. Some of the latest hardware could have been shipped over specifically in response to such attacks, military officials said. They said the jamming equipment, for example, could help defend against booby traps detonated using phone signals. Russian escort's red flags The latest convoy attracted attention because a Russian Navy warship, the Boykiy, escorted the ships after they set off in April from Russia's Kaliningrad region on the Baltic. Last October, in what's considered a hostile act, the Boykiy's radar systems locked onto a French Navy maritime surveillance plane on patrol against suspected Russian efforts to sabotage underwater cables, according to military officials. The convoy included a third sanctioned Russian cargo ship, the Siyanie Severa. It continued onward as Baltic Leader and Patria unloaded in Conakry, docking in Bata, Equatorial Guinea. Satellite imagery from May 29 shows trucks lined up on the dock as the ship unloaded. The AP could not verify whether the cargo included weapons or the ultimate destination for the shipment, though Wagner has maintained a strong presence in the nearby Central African Republic. ___ Leicester reported from Paris and Biesecker from Washington. Beatrice Dupuy and Rachel Leathe in New York contributed.
