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Manitoba’s Top Employers: 2026 winners

Manitoba’s magic is in the mix
Manitoba has it all with economic diversity, stability and deep-rooted community spirit

It’s a combination that makes Manitoba such a rock-solid place to build a business.

“Manitoba has everything from agriculture to manufacturing, airplanes to finance and insurance,” says Richard Yerema, executive editor at Mediacorp which runs the Manitoba’s Top Employers (2026) competition. “The competition presents a very stable economic picture year-over-year but also showcases a much more diverse economy than many Canadians might realize.”

That’s something Manitoba’s Top Employers (2026) already understand. Many of the same organizations appear on the winners’ list year after year, a testament to the province’s long-term stability. Overall, the picture is one of a place where people can build a career across multiple very different sectors, not just one dominant industry.

What truly sets Manitoba’s winners apart, however, is how they invest in the growth and development of their people. Typical examples include Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg that covers 100 per cent of tuition per year for job-related studies as well as offering a variety of in-house training initiatives. Similarly, Efficiency Manitoba, Johnston Group, and Payworks all invest in targeted training, skills-gap bridging and employee education, ensuring their employees are prepared for the future.

Manitoba’s top employers also distinguish themselves with notably family‑friendly policies, competitive with leading companies nationwide. Kristina Leung, managing editor at Mediacorp, points out that the region offers strong support for maternity leave top-up as well as flexible health plans and hybrid work models, making it easier for employees to manage work and caregiving responsibilities.

Vacation practices are more generous too with a faster progression. Leung says a higher percentage of Manitoba employers will bump up most employees’ vacation at five years or less, compared with employers (that participated in Top Employer competitions) in other regions where staff may wait between seven to 10 years before going from three to four weeks.

On the community side, Manitoba has a deeply ingrained culture of giving back. Leung notes that roughly 70 per cent of this year’s winners offer paid time off to volunteer, which again is higher than other regions, signalling a solid commitment to building community.

Employers don’t just write cheques; they show up in person. For instance, regional airline Calm Air International LP sends staff north to host holiday feasts in Nunavut communities such as Baker Lake and Chesterfield Inlet, as well as running a softball tournament in Churchill to support the local team.

When you add in a well-educated multicultural workforce, a wealth of natural resources and a great central location in North America, you can’t beat Manitoba.

Methodology
How this year’s winners were chosen

Now in its 20th year, the Manitoba’s Top Employers competition recognizes industry-leading organizations that offer exceptional places to work.

The province’s leading industries include health care and social services, manufacturing, retail and wholesale trade, and the public sector, with projections indicating rising demand in these sectors driven by the aging population and steady essential goods production.

In an evolving economy, organizations that prioritize career development and clear pathways to advancement will be best positioned to secure top talent.

To determine competition winners, employers are compared to organizations in similar industries and of similar size. Employers are evaluated on eight selection criteria, which are: (1) Workplace; (2) Work Atmosphere & Social; (3) Health, Financial & Family Benefits; (4) Vacation & Time Off; (5) Employee Communications; (6) Performance Management; (7) Training & Skills Development; and (8) Community Involvement.

While the underlying criteria have remained consistent since the project’s inception, areas of review have expanded and evolved with the advent of new programs and policies. Examples include hybrid and remote work options, health and wellness initiatives, and training and development opportunities.

Any employer with its head office or principal place of business in Manitoba may apply for consideration. Detailed reasons for selection, explaining why each winner was chosen, are published on the competition’s website, Manitoba’s Top Employers.

2026 Winners

The following organizations have been chosen as Manitoba’s Top Employers for 2026 (employee count refers to full-time staff):

Access Credit Union Ltd., Stanley. Credit unions; 1,033 employees. Helps employees prepare for life after work with a defined contribution pension plan and offers significant help along the way with preferred rates on mortgages and other loans.

APTN, Winnipeg. Media production and broadcasting; 154 employees. Supports ongoing professional development with generous tuition subsidies for external courses, to $1,800 annually.

Arctic Co-operatives Limited, Winnipeg. Community co-operatives; 135 employees. Incentivizes employees to help find new talent with generous employee referral bonuses, up to $5,000 for successful hires.

Artis REIT, Winnipeg. Real estate investment trusts; 108 employees. Encourages employees to keep fit with free memberships to an on-site fitness facility and hosts an annual healthy workplace month every October to promote healthy eating habits.

BCV Asset Management Inc., Winnipeg. Investment management services; 59 employees. Encourages ongoing professional development with generous financial bonuses for the completion of certain professional accreditations and programs, from $1,000 to $10,000.

Calm Air International LP, Winnipeg. Air transportation; 531 employees. Helps older employees gradually step away from full-time work with flexible phased-in retirement work options.

Canadian Canola Growers Association, Winnipeg. Business associations; 85 employees. Supports its new mothers with generous maternity and parental leave top-up payments, to 90 per cent of salary for 27 weeks.

Efficiency Manitoba, Winnipeg. Energy conservation advocacy; 90 employees. Starts its new employees with three weeks of paid vacation, quickly moving to four weeks after only three years on the job.

Fusion Credit Union Limited, Hamiota. Credit unions; 157 employees. Supports new mothers with maternity leave top-up payments for the first six weeks of their leave along with the option to extend their parental leave into an unpaid leave of absence.

IGM Financial Inc., Winnipeg. Financial services; 3,557 employees. Helps employees balance their work and personal lives with a variety of flexible work options, managed through the formal Ways of Working (WoW) program.

Johnston Group Inc., Winnipeg. Insurance and group benefits; 418 employees. Manages a formal in-house wellness program along with a generous mental health benefit as part of the health plan, to $2,500 annually.

KGS Group, Winnipeg. Engineering services; 591 employees. Reaches out to the next generation of employees through summer jobs, co-ops, paid internships, apprenticeships and formal mentoring programs.

Magellan Aerospace, Winnipeg, Winnipeg. Aircraft equipment manufacturing; 617 employees. Helps all employees plan for the future with retirement planning assistance services along with matching RSP contributions.

Manitoba Blue Cross, Winnipeg. Insurance and group benefits; 339 employees. Encourages employees to support charitable initiatives that are important to them, providing two paid volunteer days annually.

Manitoba Hydro, Winnipeg. Hydroelectric power generation; 5,188 employees. Helps employees balance their work and personal lives with two wellness days along with six family responsibility days every year.

NFI Group Inc., Winnipeg. Transit bus manufacturing; 3,117 employees. Encourages ongoing professional (and personal) development with tuition subsidies for academic courses related and not directly related to their current position.

Payworks Inc., Winnipeg. Payroll services; 610 employees. Manages the Pay It Forward Committee to guide its philanthropic efforts and help employees find unique volunteering opportunities, in addition to offering two paid volunteer days.

Perimeter Aviation LP, Winnipeg. Air transportation; 880 employees. Reaches out to the next generation through apprenticeships and welcomes new employees through a formal orientation and onboarding program.

Pollard Banknote Limited, Winnipeg. Specialty printing; 1,212 employees. Offers employees free membership to an on-site fitness facility and maintains three outdoor putting greens for a unique way for employees to unwind and work on their short game.

Red River Cooperative Ltd., Winnipeg. Grocery retail co-operatives; 315 employees. Helps employees save for the future through a defined contribution pension plan and lets retiring employees gradually reduce their hours with flexible phased-in retirement work options.

Red River Mutual Insurance Company, Altona. Insurance services; 173 employees. Health benefits plan features a lifestyle spending account (to $1,000) that can be used for a variety of expenses, from home office equipment to airline tickets for vacations.

Riverview Health Centre Inc., Winnipeg. Rehabilitation and long-term care; 259 employees. Hosted a unique employee social event called the Maker’s Market that featured crafts and creations from employees and community members.

SMS Engineering Ltd., Winnipeg. Engineering services; 98 employees. Supports its new mothers with generous maternity and parental leave top-ups, to 95 per cent of salary for the full year of their leave.

St.Amant Inc., Winnipeg. Child and youth services; 784 employees. New parents returning from parental leave may be able to take advantage of phased-in return-to-work options, along with the helpful perk of an on-site daycare facility.

StandardAero Ltd., Winnipeg. Aircraft engine maintenance services; 2,033 employees. Plans its philanthopic efforts through a formal employee-led charitable donations committee that encourages employees to paddle, run, cycle and bake in support of community causes.

St. John’s-Ravenscourt School, Winnipeg. Elementary and secondary schools; 155 employees. Supports its new mothers with maternity leave top-ups to 90 per cent of salary for 17 weeks, as well as offering parental leave top-ups for new dads and adoptive parents for 10 weeks.

Transcona Roofing Ltd., Winnipeg. Roofing contractors; 75 employees. Helps employees plan ahead with retirement planning assistance services along with matching RSP contributions to help them save for life after work.

True North Sports + Entertainment, Winnipeg. Sports and entertainment; 329 employees. Encourages ongoing professional development throughout an employee’s career, from co-op and apprenticeship programs to tuition subsidies for academic courses, to $1,500 annually.

Turning Leaf Community Support Services Inc., Winnipeg. Community support services; 474 employees. Helps employees balance their work and personal lives with flexible work options (varying by position), including hybrid work options, flexible hours and a 35-hour workweek.

Université de Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg. Post secondary schools, university; 245 employees. Offers a full suite of helpful amenities for employees and their families, from on-site daycare to subsidized family memberships at campus fitness facilities.

University College of the North, The Pas. Post secondary schools, university; 322 employees. Provides additional paid time off between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays as well as time off for National Indigenous Peoples Day, Truth and Reconciliation Day and Louis Riel Day.

University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. Post secondary schools, university; 5,461 employees. Supports new families with maternity and parental leave top-up for all parents, as well as offering the convenience of on-site daycare when they’re ready to return to work.

Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company, The, Winnipeg. Insurance services; 3,575 employees. Hosts monthly well-being webinars and offers a generous mental health practitioner benefit as part of their health plan, to $2,500 annually.

Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc., Winnipeg. Airport operations; 265 employees. Supports professional development throughout an employee’s career, from paid internships and apprenticeships to leadership development programs and academic tuition subsidies.

Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, Winnipeg. Workplace health and safety programs; 586 employees. Supported over 20 charitable initiatives last year and encourages employees to get involved with paid volunteer time as well as matching financial donations.