Manitoba software firm seeks shot at snagging online provincial park pass contract

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This article was published 13/02/2025 (246 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A Steinbach businessman believes his company has the right stuff to take over virtual retail sales of Manitoba park passes.

John Pendergrast, founder and CEO of RocketRez, emailed Premier Wab Kinew last week to express his software firm’s interest in exploring a partnership with the province to manage and modernize the sale of provincial park passes.

Aspira has been contracted to sell provincial park permits online since 2020. Pendergrast sent the email after Kinew on Feb. 4 criticized the contract the former Progressive Conservative government signed with the Dallas-based company.

“It doesn’t make any sense, whatsoever,” Kinew said amid the threat of a trade war with the U.S. “Shouldn’t we be paying a Manitoba company to enjoy Manitoba?”

Pendergrast wants RocketRez, which he founded in 2011, to be that company.

It services high-volume tourist attractions like zoos, aquariums, water parks and museums.

Last year, it processed more than $390 million in transactions for its North American clients.

“We have been watching the campsite reservations vertical for some time and feel there is an opportunity to bring our system’s flexibility, scalability and user-friendly design to this market,” Pendergrast wrote in his email to the premier.

“I kindly request the opportunity to discuss this matter with you and your team at your earliest convenience. We would be grateful for the chance to demonstrate how our evolving technology could strengthen Manitoba’s park reservation services and provide an enhanced experience for all users.”

Pendergrast told the Free Press he sees this as an opportunity for the government to support a Manitoba business and for RocketRez to grow its operation in the province.

He likens Manitobans supporting Manitoba businesses to participating in the “100-mile diet,” which involves eating and drinking only products grown within that radius.

“I think technology can be like that, too,” Pendergrast said. “We have a lot of great tech companies in the Manitoba ecosystem. They’re all eager to grow and they all have hungry talent. I think sometimes we overlook that.”

Manitoba’s agreement with Aspira, an outdoor recreation software company, is slated to expire in April, but there remains an option to extend it for two consecutive one-year terms.

If RocketRez and the province were to reach an agreement, Pendergrast said, the company could be ready to take over the system in 2026.

After sending his email to Kinew, Pendergrast followed up with a phone call to the premier’s office and was told he could expect a response in three to four weeks. The province did not respond to a request for comment by print deadline.

In the meantime, Pendergrast has approached his local MLA, former Tory interim premier Kelvin Goertzen (Steinbach), for help.

Goertzen confirmed RocketRez reached out to him because the company wants to better understand the park reservation system needs in Manitoba and inform the government of the company’s capacity.

“It is a discussion that I encourage and am happy to facilitate,” Goertzen said in a prepared statement.

Pendergrast looks forward to connecting with the provincial government.

“What we’re looking for is to have a conversation with our premier or whoever he delegates,” he said. “We just want to have an opportunity to consult and see if we can find a fit.”

RocketRez has grown from 20 people in 2021 to 70 today. The company regularly competes against the top ticketing software companies in the world, including Accesso and Gateway Ticketing Systems, its CEO said.

“We’ve created a really great product and we have a really great team of experts to service them,” Pendergrast said.

Aspira did not respond to a request for comment by print deadline.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca