The Winnipeg Chamber’s Director of Policy, Colin Fast, highlights five things Winnipeg businesses should be aware of this week:
Upcoming State of the Province Address with Premier Heather Stefanson
You can hear more about the province’s new approach to doing business when Premier Heather Stefanson steps up to the Chamber podium for the State of the Province address on December 2nd. With more than 900 business and community leaders in attendance, this will be the new Premier’s largest audience to date. Individual tickets and tables are still available until Tuesday, November 30th. Buy tickets here.
Provincial Throne Speech
Tuesday’s provincial Speech from the Throne struck a good balance between public and economic health, according to Winnipeg Chamber President and CEO Loren Remillard. “There’s definitely an appetite to listen to what business has to say and act on those recommendations,” he said. The speech included commitments to follow through on several issues that Chamber members have identified as priorities, such as improving access to capital, helping businesses develop and attract more talent, and improving the alignment between post-secondary programs and labour market needs. Full details of the speech can be found here.
City Budget Announced Tomorrow
The City of Winnipeg will release its draft 2022 budget this Friday, and on Monday morning The Winnipeg Chamber is proud to host Councillor Scott Gillingham, Chair of the Standing Policy Committee on Finance, to break down the numbers during our annual Budget for Breakfast event. Councillor Gillingham will review the highlights of next year’s budget plan, talk about the ongoing impact the pandemic is having on city finances, and take questions from those in attendance. Seats are still available. Buy tickets here.
New Bill to Extend Pandemic-related Financial Supports
The federal government has introduced a new bill that would extend some pandemic-related financial supports for business until next spring. The bill would continue the Canada Recovery Hiring Program until May, and introduce three new programs — the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program, the Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program, and the Local Lockdown program. Notably, the government is expanding eligibility for the Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program beyond what was originally announced last month. Full details can be found here.
Town Hall for Provincial Budget
The provincial government is inviting Manitobans to participate in in-person and telephone town hall engagement sessions to help inform Budget 2022. The first live event will take place on November 29th at 7 pm at the RBC Convention Centre. There will be additional virtual and telephone town hall sessions in the new year for Winnipeg. The province will release its full public engagement schedule along with an online survey at https://engagemb.ca/budget-2022, and invites email feedback at budget2022@gov.mb.ca.
