Biz owners buoyed by $10-M security rebate program Alarm system, camera, window-protection purchases eligible for $2,500 payment By: Chris Kitching Posted: 5:11 PM CST Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 Last Modified: 5:43 PM CST Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 Updates

Small business owners welcomed the new $2,500 security rebate launched by the Manitoba government Thursday — to help cover everything from alarms to smashed windows — after years of lobbying by retail and restaurant groups.

Michael Paille, who owns Cobra Collectibles at 555 Sargent Ave. in Winnipeg’s West End, applied for the first-come, first-served rebate to offset recent purchases of security cameras and lights, shortly after the online portal opened.

“It’s a great thing to give toward businesses to help them, with what’s going on and the amount of crime that businesses have to deal with,” said Paille, whose store has been targeted by shoplifters and vandals.

Industry groups said the $2,500 rebate won’t cover the full cost of a security system or every small business owner’s needs, but it’s a positive step following increases in crime and expenses, and concerns about staff and customer safety.

“For a restaurant that is barely eking by, and maybe the owner is eking out a $40,000 pre-tax profit, $2,500 is a good amount of money,” said Kris Barnier, a regional vice-president with Restaurants Canada, who attended the launch at a south Winnipeg coffee shop.

Barnier said a smaller restaurant might spend about $7,000 on a full system.

A survey of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business’ 5,000-plus members in Manitoba found they spent an average of $5,000 in the last two to three years on crime-related costs, said Tyler Slobogian, a senior policy analyst based in Winnipeg.

“Broken windows, damaged doors, rising insurance deductibles, stolen goods — all the security equipment really adds up quickly, especially when you’re operating with razor-thin margins like most of our members,” he said.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said $10 million is available to help applicants buy security or doorbell cameras, alarm systems, motion detectors, window protection and other equipment or upgrades.

The rebate can be applied to some crime-related repairs or expenses, including broken windows, doors and locks, damages from arson, insurance deductibles and graffiti removal.

Eligible businesses can receive up to $2,500 per location. Applicants must have a maximum of 75 employees and meet other criteria. The rebate is retroactive to Aug. 23, 2024.

Wiebe said the rebate is not a “silver bullet,” but it will help to “move the needle” in combination with other public safety measures.

“We know it’s going to impact not only the businesses we’re talking about here today, but also whole communities,” Wiebe said.

Slobogian said owners of small businesses have had to make tough decisions, while grappling with rising costs and crime.

“We’ve talked to many businesses who’ve had to lay off staff as a result,” he said, noting some have considered moving their operations online to avoid storefront crime.

In 2024 and 2025, 7-Eleven closed at least six Winnipeg stores after company officials told city council that 10 locations here were at risk of closing owing to escalating crime and concern about employee safety. One store had $300,000 in goods stolen in a short period.

Some large retail chains hire Winnipeg police officers to provide security.

Following the arrest of an alleged serial arsonist last month, police encouraged Winnipeg businesses to have good cameras and sufficient lighting to record higher-quality video of suspects.

Progressive Conservative justice critic Wayne Balcaen, a former police chief in Brandon, said $2,500 won’t go very far, given the high cost of security equipment or insurance deductibles.

“They want to see boots on the ground,” the Brandon West MLA said about the business owners he’s spoken to. “They don’t want to be having to rely on video afterwards. They want the person dealt with at the time or pre-emptively.

“We want to see offenders held in custody so they can’t reoffend. Prolific offenders need to be kept in jail.”

Barnier said a lot of crime against restaurants is the work of repeat offenders.

Some business owners have told the Free Press in the past they don’t pay the insurance deductible when their building is vandalized, or they don’t report some less serious property crimes to police.

The rebate was a longtime request by groups that helped design the program, including the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association, Restaurants Canada and CFIB.

“This is definitely a win for us,” said MRFA executive director and CEO Shaun Jeffrey, who said he’s pleased the program allows owners of multiple locations to apply for a rebate for each site.

Barnier said an expired program in B.C., which offered rebates of up to $2,000 for vandalism repairs and $1,000 for prevention measures, did not allow that.

Ravi Ramberran has spent thousands of dollars to install or upgrade security cameras and other equipment at his Winnipeg restaurants, including Four Crowns at 1030 McPhillips St., welcomed the rebate.

Decent cameras cost about $400, Ramberran said.

“The security cameras do catch people. They may not catch people the next day or even in the moment, but they do catch them,” he said.

Wiebe would not say whether Manitoba will offer a second round of rebates once the $10 million fund runs out.

“We want to see this money go out the door and we want to see it be used effectively, and then we can look at what the future looks like and how we can better support businesses,” he said.

Industry groups said more work is needed to reduce crime, including addressing root causes such as drug addiction. Slobogian hopes police response times improve if there is less crime.

In June 2024, the Manitoba government launched a program for homeowners, renters, and small business owners that allowed a rebate of $300. The initial $500,000 program was snapped up and the government topped up the fund by $1.5 million two months later.

The province renewed the $300 rebate for homeowners and renters, with another $2 million in funding, in October.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca