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 fill fields beyond local communities with apartment buildings, townhouses, shops, and warehouses.
Rural Appeal Drives Expansion
Ken Tallaire, owner of T&T Properties—a La Broquerie-based firm constructing homes and commercial spaces—attributes the surge to rural affordability. “It’s the rural life that people are starting to look at,” Tallaire said. “That’s why the southeast and surrounding communities thrive—offering affordability and a better life for families.”
As the title sponsor of the ElevateMB Business Expo, Tallaire calls for streamlined regulations. “It’s frustrating to hear, ‘We could do it here, but not there,’ when towns are just two miles apart,” he noted. “Rules should align across areas.”
Local Leaders Support Swift Business Launches
Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen, whose rural municipality hosted the event, echoes the need for efficiency. “We ensure businesses in Ritchot can open their doors almost immediately,” Ewen stated. He links housing availability to business vitality: “Companies seek areas where employees can live nearby.”
Keynote on Overcoming Challenges
Minhas Brewery founder and Dragons’ Den investor Manjit Minhas delivered the keynote, emphasizing resilience amid adversity.
Ewen, retiring from politics this fall to focus on his Perk Mobile Coffee Bar, shared a personal story of perseverance. In 2019, shortly after becoming mayor, he lost $250,000 on traditional coffee shops in six months. “One night, after deciding to close, I cried with my mom, and she said, ‘Don’t quit,'” Ewen recalled. “I’ve run the coffee cart for seven years now, serving a thousand events annually across Canada, including Manitoba film and TV productions.”
Key Expo Topics
Discussions highlighted infrastructure investments to fuel regional growth and artificial intelligence’s role in operations, according to Ewen.
The event marked the third annual expo hosted by Ritchot, rebranded as ElevateMB after two years as the Edge Business Expo.
