The Winnipeg Chamber’s Director of Policy, Colin Fast, highlights five things Winnipeg businesses should be aware of this week:
City offers second round of support grant
The City of Winnipeg has opened applications for a second round of its Economic Support Grant Program. Businesses and non-profits with fewer than 100 employees are eligible to apply if they were forced to prohibit access to their premises as a result of the public health orders issued on May 9, 2021. READ MORE.
Chamber adopts new policies on City COVID measures and infill guidelines
The Board of The Winnipeg Chamber recently approved two new policy statements on behalf of members. The first makes recommendations about measures the City of Winnipeg can take to help assist with economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This policy was developed in response to a request from the Mayor’s Office and will help inform the City’s development of its own recovery plan. READ HERE.
The second new policy relates to the City’s proposed infill guidelines. While The Chamber supports the majority of the proposed guidelines, developers and infill advocates have identified a few significant opportunities for improvement. READ MORE.
Property tax rebates are on the way
The Province of Manitoba has started mailing education property tax rebate cheques to owners of residential, commercial and agricultural properties. In 2021, home and farm owners will receive a 25% rebate, which will increase to 50 per cent in 2022. Other property owners will receive a 10% rebate this year. For more information: READ MORE.
Province seeks feedback on proposed new highway grid
The Manitoba government has launched an online public engagement to seek input on a proposed grid of trade and commerce routes across the province. The grid would build on the existing network of highways that support Manitoba’s heaviest highway loading to ensure a reliable connection to highways that support the movement of goods. The expanded grid consists of key north-south and east-west trade (interprovincial/international goods movement) and commerce (regional goods movement) routes that support Manitoba’s economy by enabling access to interprovincial and international markets. READ MORE.
BU research says newcomers need more support to pursue entrepreneurial dreams
Researchers at Brandon University have found that many newcomers to Canada are interested in opening their own businesses but run into challenges due to language issues and a lack of familiarity with Canadian bureaucratic processes. Bill Ashton of BU’s Rural Development Institute says that while Manitoba has welcomed a large number of newcomers to work in various industries, more could be done to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of this growing segment of the population. READ MORE.
