MHCA acknowledges it is located on Treaty One land and the homeland of the Metis Nation

Call for infrastructure plan, investment on the table at Ministers Dinner

Annual Ministers Dinner

Manitoba’s potential economic growth is riding on boosting trade, and that relies on the roads and highways to move people and goods, MHCA President Chris Lorenc told a business gathering with Premier Brian Pallister and his cabinet ministers Wednesday.

That core infrastructure investment must start with a strategy – allowing rollout of investment over multi-year budgets – and a highways budget that recognizes other provinces are gearing up for new trade-deal opportunities opening up for Canada, Lorenc told the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce Ministers Dinner.

“An infrastructure asset-management plan values our transportation infrastructure for the long-term investment that it is,” Lorenc said. “It ensures we won’t hit the ditch, that we won’t get left behind as other provinces move to get their people to work and goods to market.”

The MHCA had five members of its Board of Directors at the dinner, which saw the Premier and cabinet ministers moving to new tables for each course of the meal. The MHCA was a sponsor, giving it opportunity to speak from the podium and place materials at the table settings.

Lorenc congratulated the Premier on the throne speech, which focused on a provincial economic development plan and moving along the Winnipeg Metro Region’s transportation strategy for the Capital Region.

Transportation and core infrastructure investment is an economic imperative, he noted, because it has high-value returns to the GDP.

“What is the return on investment? I could cite a container ship of statistics, percentages, dollar signs. But let’s just say this: The evident impact of the economic growth triggered by core infrastructure investment is immediately felt in the local economy – people’s incomes go up, sense of job security rises, they buy things, they improve their property,” Lorenc said.

“Almost as immediately, the provincial treasury sees the returns – besides PST revenues, it will see income taxes from workers, from businesses and corporations.

“Manitoba’s goal for an expanded national, continental and global trade profile rides on this.”

The address at the Ministers Dinner coincides with the advertising the MHCA, joined by Merit Contractors Association, has launched this month to highlight the damage that cuts to the provincial highways capital budget have done to Manitoba’s economy. In 2016, Manitoba’s highways investment was $628 million; this year it was budgeted at $350 million and the industry has been told it will remain at that level in 2019/20.

Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler released Manitoba Infrastructure’s construction tender advertising schedule at the MHCA’s Awards Breakfast Friday, November 16. Please see Page 2 for the details.

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Chair’s Gala

November 18, 2022
RBC Convention Centre

Close to 650pp attended from both industry, government and stakeholder partners.  It was the closing of Nicole Chabot’s two year term as Chair.  Dennis Cruise of Bituminex Paving was welcomed as the new Chair.

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2022 Heavy Santa

December 16, 2022
David Livingstone School

This event was made possible through fundraising at the MHCA Chair’s Gala and Spring Mixer.

104 goodie bags and presents were prepared for the grades 1-4 students at David Livingstone School. 

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Awards Breakfast & Annual General Meeting

November 18, 2022
RBC Convention Centre

Manitoba Transportation & Infrastructure (MTI) Award Winner

  • Grading – Strilkiwski Contracting Ltd.: PTH 6 Grahamdale
  • Paving – Coco Paving o/a Russell Redi-Mix: Bituminous Reconstruction PTH 83
  • Urban Works – Coco Paving o/a Russell Redi-Mix: Bituminous Reconstruction PA 634 and Bituminous Pavement PTH 5
  • Special Projects – Mekhana Development Corp/Arnason Industries Ltd: Theresa Point Airport
  • Major Structures – D. Steele Construction: Bridge Replacement over the Red River Floodway on PTH 59N
  • Minor Structures – Moncrief Construction Ltd.: Reinforced concrete box culvert on PTH 5
  • Water Management – Brunet Ltd.: Flood response, Morris ring dike closure

200 members and guests gathered to hear greetings from Premier Heather Stefanson and the newly elected Mayor of Winnipeg, Scott Gillingham. Hon. Doyle Piwniuk, Minister, Manitoba Infrastructure, handed out the MTI Awards.

31 companies were recognized for their milestone membership commitments.

Matthew Neziol, of Bayview Construction, received the Safety Leader Award.

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