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Michael Mikulak, executive director of Food & Beverage Manitoba. (Photo by Jeff Gordon)

The Sustainability Surge Is Coming — Manitoba Food & Beverage Businesses Are Getting Prepared

Andrew Kaminsky 4 minute read Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022

Saying that it’s been a tricky couple of years for Manitoba businesses in the food and beverage sector might just be the understatement of the century. Coming off the back of the pandemic that forced restaurants and retailers to close their doors, only to reopen amidst a massive labour shortage has given business owners some of the most trying times of their professional lives.

That’s without mentioning the global food shortages caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and extreme weather events like the Manitoba drought in 2021 and historic flooding from earlier this year. How many more obstacles can Manitoba food growers, processors, distributors, and retailers possibly manage?

Well, there’s at least one more. Spurred on by the climate crisis, governments, investors, and consumers are now demanding that business activities meet a standard of sustainability beyond what’s been required in the past.

The good news, however, is that Manitoba is beautifully positioned to reap the rewards of the sustainability push.

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Repair, rebuild Canada’s trade-infrastructure reputation

Chris Lorenc, President of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association and the Western Canada Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association 4 minute read Preview

Repair, rebuild Canada’s trade-infrastructure reputation

Chris Lorenc, President of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association and the Western Canada Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

Premier Heather Stefanson recently noted in a public release that, this month, she assumes the position of Chair of the next Council of the Federation, and will continue the push for increased federal transfers for health care.

We agree on the priority. The pandemic has put our health care facilities and services through the ringer. Canadians should not be anxiously sitting, in pain, on unacceptably long wait lists for hip or knee surgery, or to see a doctor in an emergency room.

It will take extraordinary effort, and funding, to repair the damage that COVID-19 has inflicted upon our health care systems.

But where will Ottawa find the billions of dollars in increased annual funding the premiers are demanding?

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Friday, Oct. 14, 2022

Colin Corneau photo
Colin Corneau photo

The Green Spot keeps growing

Trina Rehberg Boyko 5 minute read Preview

The Green Spot keeps growing

Trina Rehberg Boyko 5 minute read Wednesday, Jul. 13, 2022

When Bernie Whetter started working at The Green Spot Home and Garden in Brandon, Man., in 2004, he had no idea he’d one day be running the place.

“My previous job had come to an end, I was 50 years old, and I thought, ‘Now, what am I going to do?’” he says.

He’d earned a degree in agriculture years before and decided to follow it up by going for an MBA. Needing a job while he attended school, he called The Green Spot and was told he could help in the nursery.

“I left a $90,000 a year job and got one for $9 an hour,” he says, laughing. “It was great, though. It was fulfilling work.”

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Wednesday, Jul. 13, 2022

The Green Spot, based in Brandon, truly is a one-stop shop
The Green Spot, based in Brandon, truly is a one-stop shop

Raising awareness

Jim Timlick 5 minute read Saturday, Jul. 2, 2022

It’s hardly a secret that the manufacturing sector here in Manitoba and other parts of the country is facing a critical shortage of skilled labourers.

A 2021 survey of 445 companies conducted by the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) found 82 per cent of respondents were facing labour shortages and 75 per cent felt the situation had worsened from the previous year. Numbers from Statistics Canada back it up. The agency reported there were 65,900 manufacturing job vacancies across the country in the second quarter of 2021, the highest number of vacancies in the sector since 2015.

In February, the Manitoba chapter of the CME launched a new public awareness and education campaign it hopes will help to address that labour shortage. The Manufacturing is Hiring initiative (cme-mec.ca/manufacturing-is-hiring) is designed to present the manufacturing industry in a more modern light and help individuals connect with careers in the sector that are a good match for their skills and professional goals.

“We started to think we needed a fresh way of getting in front of people who maybe haven’t considered manufacturing as a career option previously,” CME Manitoba’s director of workforce development Andrea Aiello says of the impetus behind the campaign.

Steinbach Chamber honours 25-year members in 2022

3 minute read Preview

Steinbach Chamber honours 25-year members in 2022

3 minute read Sunday, Jun. 26, 2022

The Steinbach Chamber of Commerce’s vision is “Leading Growth. Connecting People,” and our team is passionate about helping businesses succeed. Local businesses are a part of the community’s backbone, employing family and friends, donating to sports teams and charities, and investing in Steinbach and surrounding area in so many other ways.

This year, we honour two businesses for being members of the Steinbach Chamber for 25 years. On behalf of the Steinbach Chamber’s board and staff, thank you to enVision Community Living and Athens Construction for all you do for our community.

enVision Community Living

enVision Community Living is a non-profit community-based organization committed to providing supports and services for people who live with an intellectual disability. This includes opportunities for personal growth and development and opportunities to live the life of their choosing in communities throughout southeast Manitoba.

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Sunday, Jun. 26, 2022

SUBMITTED PHOTO
enVision Community Living
SUBMITTED PHOTO enVision Community Living

Summer in the city

Wendy King 5 minute read Preview

Summer in the city

Wendy King 5 minute read Friday, Jun. 24, 2022

It’s time to throw on your sun hat, fly out the front door and get into summer in the city. Summer days, though few, are long — and there’s so much to do to fill them up.

Two major attractions are back in action and waiting to welcome everyone — tots, teens and adults — to come, have fun and learn some.

Winter-weary Winnipeggers can look forward to a busy summer at Assiniboine Park with the Summer Entertainment series, which fires up mid-June and runs to the end of August with live concerts at the Lyric Theatre, Friday night movies in August — and much more!

“We plan to host some concerts in the new Performance Garden in the southeast corner of the park, which is one of six new themed areas in the Gardens at The Leaf that opened last summer. The Leaf, an indoor multi-seasonal attraction, is set to open in late 2022,” says Laura Cabak, director of communications and public relations.

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Friday, Jun. 24, 2022

SUBMITTED PHOTO
Assiniboine Park's Summer Entertainment series fires up mid-June and runs to the end of August.
SUBMITTED PHOTO Assiniboine Park's Summer Entertainment series fires up mid-June and runs to the end of August.

Local Market Value

Wendy King 4 minute read Preview

Local Market Value

Wendy King 4 minute read Friday, Jan. 7, 2022

Staying viable in any business means moving with the times —  the good times and the bad. And it’s easier to weather the storms when you have a strong connection to the community.

Steinbach’s Main Bread & Butter Company embodies the ideal, as a home-grown market that supports local producers. Owner Chris Goertzen, a former mayor of Steinbach, started the business in 1997 with his older brother, Robert, who has since moved on to other pursuits.

“Main Bread & Butter was an idea my brother and I had when we were food distributors in the area and we were coming across lots of good, locally produced foods,” Goertzen says.

At the same time, a lot of smaller, locally owned grocery stores were being bought out by big national operations that didn’t provide space on their shelves for local goods.

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Friday, Jan. 7, 2022

Photos by Darcy Finley
Photos by Darcy Finley

The Sweet Life

Wendy King 5 minute read Preview

The Sweet Life

Wendy King 5 minute read Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022

Driving through downtown Winnipeg, you can’t miss Can-D-Man, Nutty Club Foods’ iconic red-and-white peppermint stick mascot painted on the building at 149 Pioneer Ave. His friendly face is so familiar and so closely associated with the brand it’s easy to forget that Scott-Bathgate Ltd. is actually the name of the company.

Scott-Bathgate manufactures and distributes candy, nuts, popcorn, baking ingredients, seasonal treats and imported brands, including PEZ and Walkers’ Toffee. The company is based in Winnipeg and operates with the help of 65 employees and an additional four branches in Western Canada.

“We make our own popcorn, peanut butter, pancake syrup, mustard, ice-cream cones, batter mix for chicken or fish,” says Brendan Noone, sales manager.

“All of the nuts are roasted and packaged at our factory operations located at 130 Galt Ave., the old T. Eaton Company Warehouse. Candy is also packaged there.”

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Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022

Photos by 
Darcy Finley
Photos by 
Darcy Finley

Apply Now for Restaurant Work

Jennifer McFee 4 minute read Preview

Apply Now for Restaurant Work

Jennifer McFee 4 minute read Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

The pandemic has taken a bite out of the local restaurant scene, and now the current staff shortage is serving up another predicament.

Shaun Jeffrey, CEO of the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association (MRFA), outlines the impact of COVID-19 on the industry.

“It’s well known that the restaurant industry has been the most significantly impacted by COVID-19, bar none,” he says. “We were the first to lock down and the last to open. We are one of the very few industries that still have restrictions in place.”

As a result, it’s been a challenge to recruit and retain enough workers to keep forging forward.

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Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

DARCY FINLEY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
Shaun Jeffrey, CEO, Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association
DARCY FINLEY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Shaun Jeffrey, CEO, Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association

Food & Beverage Manitoba Working On Initiatives Aimed at Overcoming Worker Shortages

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Food & Beverage Manitoba Working On Initiatives Aimed at Overcoming Worker Shortages

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a shortage of workers in a variety of industries over the past 18 months and counting, it isn’t entirely to blame for a worker shortage in the food industry, says Mike Mikulak, executive director of Food and Beverage Manitoba.

“To be honest, the problems were here before, for over a decade,” he says. “While it’s tempting to blame COVID for worker shortages, we can’t.”

That said, the pandemic has exacerbated an already challenging situation.

Food producers across the province – from big to small – are struggling to find workers at a time when the demand for quality food is at an all-time high.

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Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

Supplied by Food and Beverage Manitoba
Mike Mikulak, Executive Director of Food and Beverage Manitoba.
Supplied by Food and Beverage Manitoba Mike Mikulak, Executive Director of Food and Beverage Manitoba.

Labour Landscape Facing Change And Challenge

Jennifer McFee 5 minute read Preview

Labour Landscape Facing Change And Challenge

Jennifer McFee 5 minute read Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

Manitoba’s labour landscape has been defined by change and challenge for a long stretch now, but some hope exists on the horizon.

Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour, acknowledges that working families have had a tough go during the pandemic.

“There have been shutdowns and people working from home. Health and safety issues have certainly got more attention. I think one thing people have started to realize is the importance of paid sick days, something we’ve been calling for.’’

That call needs to be answered sooner rather than later, he adds.

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Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

Supplied by Manitoba Federation of Labour
Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck (with loudspeaker) says workers are still turning to unions to ensure they are treated fairly and with respect.
Supplied by Manitoba Federation of Labour Manitoba Federation of Labour president Kevin Rebeck (with loudspeaker) says workers are still turning to unions to ensure they are treated fairly and with respect.

Nurses’ Union Hopeful For Change

Trina Rehberg Boyko 5 minute read Preview

Nurses’ Union Hopeful For Change

Trina Rehberg Boyko 5 minute read Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

The intense pressure and near-impossible work conditions nurses have faced through the COVID-19 pandemic have long been a topic of conversation, but nothing comes close to being on the front lines or advocating for those who are.

As president of the Manitoba Nurses’ Union (MNU), Darlene Jackson is a voice for nurses in the province, negotiating with employers and the government on their behalf. According to Jackson, Manitoba nurses were already working under dire conditions when the pandemic hit.

“We’ve had a chronic nursing shortage for a very long time,” Jackson says, “but what started as a chronic shortage has turned into a critical shortage.”

She describes a “transformation to health care in Manitoba” that started several years ago, when the provincial government began moving programs from one hospital to another and anticipated that nurses involved in those programs would follow.

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Saturday, Oct. 30, 2021

Nurses have been stretched to their limits during the pandemic.
Nurses have been stretched to their limits during the pandemic.

Transform your garage into an entertainment zone

Jennifer McFee 3 minute read Preview

Transform your garage into an entertainment zone

Jennifer McFee 3 minute read Monday, Sep. 20, 2021

It’s now easier than ever to equip your garage with the latest gadgets to create the ideal home entertainment hub.

If you’re building a new house or garage, try to wire as much as possible for entertainment and technology, suggests Bruno Deleau of Advanced Residential Technology, a division of Advance Electronics. For garages that are already built, it’s simple to mount a TV to the wall.

“Almost all televisions today come with the popular streaming service apps built in like Netflix, Crave, Amazon, Disney+. The cable companies offer wireless cable boxes that can be connected to the television, and their video feed is streamed wirelessly,” Deleau says.

“The only limitation is Wi-Fi, so it’s very important in today’s world to have a good system in homes to distribute Wi-Fi to all areas of the house, garage and outdoor living spaces. Rule of thumb: the more that can be hard-wired, the faster your Wi-Fi will be.”

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Monday, Sep. 20, 2021

If you’re building a new house or garage, try to wire as much as possible for entertainment and technology.

– Bruno Deleau,
Advanced Residential Technology, a division
of Advance Electronics.
If you’re building a new house or garage, try to wire as much as possible for entertainment and technology. – Bruno Deleau, Advanced Residential Technology, a division of Advance Electronics.

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