Our Policy Wins (2024-2025)

Municipal 

  • In September, the City of Winnipeg approved the sale of Portage Place to True North Real Estate Development. This marks progress toward revitalizing our downtown and a positive outcome for The Chamber as we submitted a letter of support to the City’s Executive Policy Committee in favour of the sale. 
  • In April, City Council approved a motion to expedite water and wastewater servicing capacity inquiries. This reflects progress on The Chambers’ Advocacy efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing as outlined in our 2022 Civic Election Platform and emphasized in our letter of support to the City’s Executive Policy Committee. 
  • In June, the City launched Neighbourhood Action Teams designed to address multiple issues simultaneously, rather than sending out separate crews for each concern. This aligns with key recommendations in The Chamber’s 2022 Civic Election Platform and supports our ongoing efforts to make City Hall more responsive and supportive of business growth across Winnipeg. 
  • In July, Portage and Main officially reopened to pedestrians. The reopening of this intersection has increased street-level vibrancy, contributing significantly to downtown revitalization, which can be seen firsthand from The Chamber’s office right at the iconic intersection. 

Provincial  

  • In November, the release of Manitoba’s Public Safety Strategy included several Chamber policy recommendations, such as increased investments in police and mental health workers, focusing on addressing the root causes of crime. 
  • In December at The Chamber’s State of the Province Luncheon, Premier Wab Kinew announced that Manitoba would be reopening its trade office in Washington, D.C. This was a recommendation from the Premier’s Business and Jobs Council, on which our President and CEO serves. 
  • In January, The Winnipeg Chamber President and CEO was selected to serve on the Premier’s new U.S. Trade Council. This appointment is a significant win for The Chamber and our members as it secures us a seat at the table, where we can continue to champion the interests of Winnipeg’s business community and ensure their voices are heard. 
  • In March, the Province announced $2 million in funding for AI training through a new partnership with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce and The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce to provide free and practical programming to help businesses adopt new technology. This is a major win for The Chamber, as it directly reflected our pre-budget recommendation to invest in AI adoption as a driver of innovation, productivity, and long-term growth. 
  • In June, Manitoba passed the Fair Trade in Canada (Internal Trade Mutual Recognition) Act and went on to sign five memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the provinces of Saskatchewan, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Ontario. The Chamber is happy to see Manitoba taking the leadership role on removing interprovincial trade barriers that we advocated for in our 2025 pre-budget submission. 

Federal  

  • In June, the federal government passed Bill C-5, An Act to Enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act. This is a win for The Chamber, as it opens the door to advancing our recommendation to improve trade infrastructure, as outlined in our Tariff Policy Position. 
  • At the same time, we believe there is a shared responsibility to advance reconciliation and call on the federal government to move forward on Bill C-5 in full partnership with Indigenous rights holders to build a stronger, more inclusive Canadian economy. 

Fostering Dialogue: The Policy Exchange Series 

Policy Exchange, which launched earlier this year, served as a member-exclusive roundtable discussion with The Chamber President and CEO, offering an inside look at government policies and announcements, as well as a platform to connect with fellow Chamber members. We hosted two discussions last year. 


Our first discussion, held in January, featured a timely and informative conversation focused on two critical topics: the City of Winnipeg’s 2025 update to its multi-year budget and the evolving landscape of Canada–U.S. trade relations. This session provided members with valuable insights into the City’s fiscal planning priorities and how the evolving cross-border relationship was impacting local businesses. 


In May, our second discussion focused on Federal Leadership and Canada–U.S. Trade Relations, just days after the April 28 federal election. The event featured a presentation from Curtis Brown and Mary Agnes Welch of Probe Research, whose insights shed light on voter shifts, key election issues, and emerging economic trends.   


Engaging Members on Key Issues 

The Chamber’s 2025 annual membership survey identified downtown revitalization, affordable housing, community safety, and economic growth and productivity as the leading concerns for businesses.  

As a member-driven organization committed to responsive advocacy, we kept the Policy Working Groups active throughout the year, hosting three sessions that brought together over 50 members and engaged numerous key partners. All this input directly informed our policy development and drafting process. 

Building on last year’s work and this year’s discussions, we developed six new policy positions to guide our advocacy efforts: 

  • Affordable Housing 
  • Downtown Revitalization 
  • Community Safety 
  • Economic Growth and Productivity 
  • Environmental Sustainability 
  • Tariffs  

Navigating a period of heightened uncertainty due to escalating trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada, the policy team conducted a Business Impact Survey titled “How Are Tariffs Affecting Your Business?” We released our report, “The Cost of Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Negotiations Are Impacting Manitoba Businesses,” to support and inform our advocacy efforts as we met with various elected officials and key decision-makers.

Connecting Members with Government 

November 2024: At The Table with Gary Doer 

The day after the U.S. Presidential Election, we hosted Gary Doer to gain insights into what the new presidency could mean for our local and national business communities. 

 

December 2024: State of the Province with Premier Wab Kinew 

Premier Wab Kinew delivered his second State of the Province Address to a sold-out room, where he committed to re-establishing Manitoba’s trade office in Washington, DC, a recommendation from the Premier’s Business and Jobs Council.  

 

March 2025: State of the City Address with Mayor Scott Gillingham 

In his State of the City Address, Mayor Gillingham focused on economic growth, crime, and safety, and committed to hiring a Senior Advisor on Public Safety. 

 

March 2025: At the Table with Hazel Borys 

Hazel Borys shared with our members how the City of Winnipeg was working to increase the city’s housing and affordable housing stock through the Housing Accelerator Fund and streamlined approvals. 

 

April 2025: ECONx 

To create a stronger economic future for Winnipeg and respond to Mayor Gillingham’s call to action, The Chamber hosted our first event in our new economic summit series. ECONx brought together industry experts from across Canada, joined by our city’s business and community leaders, for a day focused on four urgent, high-potential drivers of Winnipeg’s economic growth. 

 

April 2025: Civic Leaders Dinner 

Our members had the opportunity to speak directly with City Councillors and members of the city’s senior management team about issues impacting their businesses and to discuss how we could make Winnipeg the easiest place to do business. 

 

July 2025:  Canada-U.S. Leadership in a Shifting Global Order with U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra 

Amidst a pending trade deal deadline, U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra joined The Chamber for a timely discussion about the evolving Canada-U.S. relationship and how local organizations could position themselves for success. 

 

Other meetings:  

We hosted meetings with British Consul General Jonathan Turner and Manitoba’s Honorary Consul for the UK, Dwight MacAulay, and Winnipeg Consul Rebecca Molinoff. Additionally, we participated in a roundtable led by The Honourable Terry Duguid (PrairiesCan). 

Amplifying Our Members’ Voices 

Municipal Relations 

The City released its 2025 budget, part of the 2024-2027 multi-year financial plan, and The Chamber President and CEO appeared before Executive Policy Committee to advocate for ongoing priorities such as addressing Winnipeg’s financial crisis, fostering economic growth, and enhancing public safety. 

 

The Chamber President and CEO submitted a letter of support for reducing water and wastewater wait time inquiries to Executive Policy Committee, as part of our ongoing advocacy to increase the amount of affordable housing and encourage a ‘Yes’ first culture at City Hall.  

 

The Chamber regularly meets with the Mayor and senior members of the Mayor’s office. 

 

Provincial Relations  

The Chamber met with The Honourable Adrien Sala (Finance) to discuss the recommendations in our prebudget submission. Additionally, our team participated in the Manitoba government’s stakeholder lockup ahead of the provincial budget release, with The Chamber Board Chair and CEO attending the speech from the gallery.  

 

The Chamber, as a member of the Manitoba Employment Council, met with The Honourable Malaya Marcelino (Labour and Immigration) to request the government move the apprentice ratio back to 2:1, implement recommendations to streamline the Labour Relations Act, maintain a minimum wage increase with the CPI formula, and not make any changes to paid sick leave. 

 

The Chamber penned a letter to several Manitoba Ministers recommending a number of changes to the Community Enterprise Development (CED) Tax Credit that would strengthen local business and attract private investment.  

 

The Chamber Policy and Government Relations Manager participated in Manitoba Chambers’ Advocacy Day and met with Premier Wab Kinew, several ministers, and the PC Caucus to discuss shared priorities impacting Manitoba’s business community. 

  

The Chamber participated in the IKEA delegation advocating for the removal of PST/GST on second-hand goods sold for under $250. The delegation had productive meetings with The Honourable Jamie Moses (Business, Mining, Trade, and Job Creation) and The Honourable Mike Moyes (Environment and Climate Change).  

 

The Chamber team met with the Province of Manitoba to provide feedback on the forthcoming Economic Development Strategy, emphasizing the critical importance of a highly skilled Manitoba workforce, the role of a competitive tax environment, and the strength of The Chamber network. 

 

The Chamber President and CEO regularly meets with Premier Kinew and actively participates in the Premier’s Business and Jobs Council and sub-committees focused on economic reconciliation and U.S. trade. 

 

Federal Relations 

The Chamber President and CEO participated in the Canadian Global Cities Council’s Day on the Hill in Ottawa. As a voice for the private sector in cities, the CGCC represented half of Canada’s GDP and population. Together, members raised issues impacting Canadian urban centres, including internal trade barriers, urban infrastructure, and productivity, with federal ministers. 

 

The Chamber joined forces with several educational institutions and The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce to pen a letter to The Honourable Marc Miller (Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship) to express how cuts to the Provincial Nominee Program and changes to federal immigration would impact Manitoba’s labour shortages. 

 

Following the announcement of Prime Minister Carney’s election and the appointment of his new cabinet, The Chamber sent congratulatory letters to the Prime Minister and key Cabinet Ministers.