Southeast Manitoba stands out against 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. Fields along the eastern Prairies edge now feature new apartment buildings, townhouses, shops, and warehouses.

Rural Appeal Drives Expansion

“It’s the rural life that people are starting to look at,” said Ken Tallaire, owner of T&T Properties, a key developer in the area. “And that’s why the southeast and all these surrounding communities are doing so well right now—it’s just the affordability and a better life for the people and their families.”

Tallaire’s La Broquerie-based firm sponsored the ElevateMB Business Expo and calls for reduced red tape to fuel ongoing business success. “You know, it’s frustrating [to hear], ‘Well, we could do it here, but you can’t do it there.’ But you know, your town’s only two miles away from the other one,” he noted. “It should be the same.”

Local Leadership Supports Quick Starts

Chris Ewen, mayor of Ritchot—the rural municipality that hosted the expo—echoes this sentiment. “We want to make sure that when you open up a business in Ritchot, you can literally open your door almost ASAP,” Ewen stated. He emphasized the link between housing availability and business prosperity: “Businesses are looking for ‘is there an opportunity for my employees to stay around home?'”

Keynote on Overcoming Challenges

Minhas Brewery founder and Dragons’ Den investor Manjit Minhas delivered the keynote address, focusing on thriving amid adversity.

Ewen, who plans to retire from politics this fall to expand his Perk Mobile Coffee Bar, shared a personal story of resilience. In 2019, shortly after becoming mayor, he lost $250,000 in six months on traditional coffee shops. “One day, we realized we had to close. The same night, I cried with my mom, and she said, ‘Don’t quit.’ And I kept going,” he recounted. “Now, I’ve been doing that coffee cart for seven years. We are all over Canada now. We do about a thousand events a year,” including serving stars from Manitoba film and TV productions.

Future-Focused Discussions

Expo attendees also explored infrastructure investments to support regional growth and the impact of artificial intelligence on businesses, according to Ewen. This marks the third annual event hosted by Ritchot, now rebranded as ElevateMB after two years as the Edge Business Expo.