News Releases

News Release - Manitoba

November 1, 2016

Manitoba Government Names Co-chairs to Lead Development of Northern Economic Development Strategy



Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Cliff Cullen today announced the co-chairs of a task force created to lead the process of implementing the Manitoba government’s Northern Economic Development Strategy.  

“Our government recognizes the need for economic diversification and development in our province’s north,” said Cullen.  “We are undertaking an in-depth process to engage communities and stakeholders in the partnerships necessary for the attraction of new businesses, the development of entrepreneurial opportunities and the expansion of existing expertise and investment.

“Innovation and vision are necessary to create the long-term economic solutions we need in northern Manitoba, particularly in areas such as the sustainable development of natural resources and the expansion of tourism.”

The development and implementation of this strategy will be led by co-chairs Onekanew (Chief) Christian Sinclair of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation and Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

“Manitoba’s north is undergoing a period of necessary economic transformation,” said Sinclair. “Working in partnership, Aboriginal communities and northern businesses will look to models that have been successful in other northern and remote regions of Canada and the world, and will move forward on a new path toward the expansion of existing sectors and the development of new economy-building enterprises.” 

“Northern Manitoba has always been viewed as a key asset and a region full of growth and opportunity to support the provincial economy,” said Davidson, whose organization represents 69 Chambers of Commerce in Manitoba and close to 10,000 businesses.  “Our hope is that through this process we will develop a forward-looking and proactive strategy that will unleash the north’s true potential.”

A formal request for proposals (RFP) has been posted online through the Communities Economic Development Fund (CEDF) to identify a partner organization that will work with the Manitoba government and the co-chairs on the final development and implementation of the province’s Northern Economic Development Strategy, Cullen said. 

CEDF and the Northern Manitoba Sector Council (NMSC) will act as the technical and support leads to the strategy’s task force.

Further details on the requirements of a proposal to partner with the Manitoba government on an Economic Development Strategy for northern Manitoba can be found online at https://www.merx4.merx.com/public/solicitations/236300260/abstract.  The deadline for submission is on Monday, Nov. 14.

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