WINNIPEG, MB. – Manitoba needs a public campaign of confidence building to encourage growth and investment. It is time to focus on the strengths of our people and the strength of our underlying economy, including its diversity. We need to boast about the fact that because we are small we are also nimble; getting things done in Manitoba is a straightforward business.

Even as we are dealing with past fiscal transgressions, we need to encourage growth and enterprise by letting each other and the world know that we are excited and open for business.

For too long we have tried to build an economy in a teacup where the government spends money creating jobs whose income supposedly provides money to fuel purchases, growth and more taxes. For the short term, the optics may be good, but the temporary energy created by tax and spend stimulation soon loses its momentum.

In Manitoba, we need to move out of the teacup economy and explore the possibilities around us. We need to replenish the cup through individual creativity and enterprise and build a bigger, stronger more beautiful cup! We need real growth.

Investing the provincial output into government projects does nothing to promote long term health and prosperity, but neither does drastic reduction of public sector activity alone; we are simply moving dollars around in the same stagnant atmosphere.

There has been enough attention on the fiscal challenges. Now is the time to change the conversation. Let’s talk about our advantages, strengths and potentials. Let us now set our sights on being the strongest most progressive province in the country.

The premier knows how important this is. Almost immediately upon taking office, he invested in future opportunity by increasing funding to Travel Manitoba, and more recently he has established the Look North initiative, co-chaired by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce’s Chuck Davidson and Chief Christian Sinclair of the Opaskwayak Cree Nation. Both of these are good moves, building on a strong business ethic with the help of a tremendous but underutilized resource — our indigenous population. As well, rumour has it that there has been a shift in the Trade Department with a more outwardly focused marketing strategy in the works.

Others have been on the move as well.

Based on the optimism the election of the new government injected into the community, the Capital Region movement has been given new energy. Colleen Sklar and her cohort of 17 municipalities, including Winnipeg, have determined that now is the time to really make things happen. They have a conference called Shifting to Drive to be held at the Metropolitan theatre on March 9, hearing from experts across the continent about how to make collaboration work for economies.

In a small province such as Manitoba, collaboration is a natural and critical asset. With what we often refer to as “one degree of separation”, it is easy to get things done as long as the players are open to working together. So while Winnipeg is out looking for travel and investment in the human rights and peace movement inspired by the Canadian Human Rights Museum and the new Convention Centre, they should not lose sight of the opportunities to collaborate with the International Peace Garden which has been a symbol of peace talks among various warring factions for eons. A visit to this unique symbol of international cohesion could add dimension to world summits and conferences and provide an amazing en route tour though southern Manitoba, the home of a multitude of outward-looking enterprises. (Plus, Winnipeg, did you know the Peace Garden has an airstrip that can accommodate aircraft up to Learjet size?)

There are just so many possibilities. I know of a project slated for the North that could be a game changer for a certain population as long as there is an open approach to competition and enterprise. I know of another plan that was put on hold in the past because of a limited view about trade possibilities but that would have made a real difference to local indigenous populations and helped spur growth for small Winnipeg businesses.

What’s holding these and other folks back? In some cases, it has simply been a sense that business needs permission from government to move forward; you do NOT need permission. The other is a habit of protectionism that has been fostered by a lack of confidence nurtured by the idea that everything has to be sanctioned by Big Brother.

So once again, let’s change the conversation. This is a great province. It’s open for business and it is excited to help and promote business ideas. It’s a fabulous place to raise a family; homes are affordable and available; schools are good and getting better, the labour market is smart and reliable, the arts and culture community is second to none in the country, we live in a sunny, lake-bound playground with clean air and clean water; we have efficient, accessible transportation . . . and most of all, we have a positive, welcoming and outward-looking attitude where people of all stripes and origins can feel at home.

Wow! What a conversation we can have with the world!

Dorothy Dobbie, Manitoba Post

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