Seeking ‘fair share of all the wins’

Manitoba lags behind other provinces in attracting international investment, a local economic development agency says.

Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism counted six announcements of global investment projects in Manitoba last year.

Saskatchewan saw 13, Alberta and British Columbia pulled 68 each, while Ontario and Quebec drew 278 and 95, respectively. Both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also announced more projects than Manitoba (19 and eight, respectively).

“We’re not getting a fair share of all the wins coming to Canada,” said Alberto Velasco-Acosta, Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism vice-president international.

The economic development agency presented the numbers to a Winnipeg hotel ballroom full of politicians and private-sector leaders Wednesday morning. It hosted an event spotlighting international investment attraction.

Manitoba’s lag reflects a decade of decisions, Velasco-Acosta said, adding he hopes to see different results “a few years down the road.”

Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism has built a foreign direct investment team over the past six years; staff went on nine trips abroad in 2025 to highlight Manitoba internationally.

They sometimes travel with partners such as the Winnipeg Airports Authority and government representatives. Still, the competition is fierce, Velasco-Acosta said.

Saskatchewan has 11 international offices; Alberta funds 19; Ontario and Quebec hold 15 and 34, respectively.

Manitoba opened a trade office in Washington, D.C., last year. The U.S. trade representative’s compensation has since made headlines; it exceeds $479,000 per year.

It’s led some, including Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative party, to question whether the spend benefits the province.

“Those people are getting lead generators,” Velasco-Acosta said of the offices. “They help … to start knocking doors.”

He and colleague Amanda Macdonald, the agency’s vice-president of business development, suggested Manitoba would benefit from opening more offices globally.

“It’s not that we necessarily need to go out tomorrow and open a bunch of offices,” Macdonald said. “Increasing that presence … is going to be kind of the last step in making sure we can play at the same level as other provinces.”

Manitoba Business Minister Jamie Moses wasn’t available for an interview by end of day Wednesday.

Saskatchewan funds its economic development arm on a multiyear timeline, allowing for greater business attraction, Velasco-Acosta said. He’d like to see the same model implemented at Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism.

Continuing to fall behind other provinces in attracting foreign companies will lead to Manitoba being “out of sight.” It’ll negatively impact the province’s economic growth, Velasco-Acosta added.

Representatives from Calgary, Hamilton and Quebec City economic development agencies spoke on a panel during the Wednesday event.

“I go once to Japan, if I meet an investor — these projects, these $50 (to) $100 million projects, they will not be closed (quickly),” said François Robitaille, a senior director at Québec International. “You need to follow up.”

Jennifer Patterson, a business investment manager for the City of Hamilton, preached the importance of listening to investors and having an “ecosystem” of support.

It’s another area where Manitoba struggles, Macdonald said.

Companies want to know about wastewater infrastructure capacity, rezoning timelines and utility servicing.

Manitoba liasons may be “vague” and not make commitments, Macdonald said, adding the province and city are making progress on being more business-friendly.

“Time is money,” Macdonald said. “If we can’t give them that clarity quickly, they’ll go elsewhere.”

Calgary Economic Development has hired a futurist, someone to consider the next 50 to 100 years in the city’s private sector.

“It just takes a lot of time,” Christopher Brown, the agency’s vice-president of business development, said of building up industries.

In Manitoba, 75 per cent of the 102 businesses Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism surveyed plan to expand over the next two years, Macdonald told the crowd Wednesday.

Nearly three-quarters of those businesses expect to hire more people, and just over half plan to add services or product lines.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com