Southeast Manitoba defies Canada’s two-year trend of stagnant population growth, with hundreds of attendees at a recent business expo in Ile des Chenes determined to maintain the momentum. Developers transform rural fields into apartment complexes, townhouses, shops, and warehouses along the eastern Prairies edge.
Rural Appeal Drives Expansion
Ken Tallaire, owner of T&T Properties, highlights the shift toward rural living. “It’s the rural life that people are starting to look at,” Tallaire states. “That’s why the southeast and surrounding communities thrive—affordability and a better life for families.”
Based in La Broquerie, Tallaire’s firm served as title sponsor for the ElevateMB Business Expo. He urges reductions in regulatory hurdles to fuel ongoing prosperity. “It’s frustrating to hear, ‘We could do it here, but not there,’ when towns are just two miles apart,” he notes. “Rules should align consistently.”
Local Leaders Advocate Quick Starts
Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen, whose rural municipality hosted the event, echoes the call for streamlined processes. “We ensure businesses in Ritchot open doors almost immediately,” Ewen affirms. He links housing availability to business retention: “Companies seek opportunities for employees to live nearby.”
Keynote on Resilience
Minhas Brewery founder and Dragons’ Den investor Manjit Minhas delivered the keynote, emphasizing perseverance amid challenges.
Ewen, retiring from politics this fall to expand his Perk Mobile Coffee Bar, shares a personal resilience story. In 2019, shortly after becoming mayor, he lost $250,000 on traditional coffee shops in six months. “One day, we closed. That night, I cried with my mom, and she said, ‘Don’t quit.’ I persisted,” he recounts. “Now, the coffee cart operates seven years strong, serving a thousand events annually across Canada, including Manitoba film and TV productions.”
Expo Focus Areas
Discussions also covered infrastructure investments to support regional expansion and artificial intelligence’s business role, according to Ewen. This marks the third annual expo in Ritchot, rebranded as ElevateMB after two years as Edge Business Expo.
