What do 10,000 jobs really look like?   

Ten thousand people is enough to fill more than every single hotel room in Winnipeg. It is enough to fill every seat in every major theatre in the city. And it is also the number of new private-sector positions that have been facilitated in the Real Impact campaign.   

Those numbers help put into perspective the scale of what was achieved through the five-year initiative, which was led by Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism (formerly YES! Winnipeg) through its business development, talent and foreign direct investment teams.   

Over five years, the campaign brought together business leaders across the city around a shared commitment to grow Winnipeg’s economy. Collectively, the private sector contributed $5.2 million to support this work and to enable a dedicated team to focus on business attraction, retention and expansion.   

The results speak for themselves. More than 10,130 jobs were created and supported. More than $1 billion in GDP was generated. More than $1.2 billion in capital investment was secured. These outcomes exceeded the campaign’s initial targets.   

To add more context on the impact of this campaign: a billion dollars in GDP is enough to buy more than 1,000 brand-new combines. It is nearly enough to build six Canada Life Centres. These numbers represent real activity, real investment from businesses and real momentum for our city.   

“From day one, this work was only possible because of the commitment of Winnipeg’s business community,” said Amanda Macdonald, Vice President of Business Development and Market Intelligence. “Their investment, leadership and confidence in this city made it possible to show the world what Winnipeg has to offer and who we are.”   

Success stories   

Behind those headline figures are companies choosing to grow in Winnipeg. Each story represents business success and a vote of confidence in our city’s private sector.   

The expansion of Maple Leaf Foods’ northeast Winnipeg facility helped make this location the primary pre-cooked bacon production site in Canada. The 73,000 sq.-ft. expansion in 2021 added three new production lines and a new smokehouse, creating 350 new jobs and driving $180 million in capital investment.   

Loveday Mushroom Farms expanded its Manitoba operations with a larger, modernized facility using advanced technology and state-of-the-art production techniques. That project created 150 new jobs and strengthened Winnipeg’s role in agri-food innovation.   

The Eastside Group of Companies, a leader in industrial coatings and composites, invested in a new facility focused on engineered composite components. This expansion allows the company to better serve original equipment manufacturers across North America, creating 50 new jobs and generating nearly $6 million in GDP.   

These projects represent just a few of the 36 economic outcomes facilitated through the Real Impact campaign over five years. The companies behind them had options to grow in markets across North America. Through campaign funding and strong partner collaboration, Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism worked alongside these businesses to help address barriers to growth, navigate permitting and regulatory processes and connect them to the right programs and talent. As a result, they chose to invest their capital in Winnipeg, strengthening our city’s economy.   

Together, this work helped businesses move projects forward more efficiently, reduce risk and make informed investment decisions. It also highlighted the strength of Winnipeg’s workforce, supply chains and long-term business environment through a coordinated, city-wide approach to business development.   

Economic strength through partnerships   

The Real Impact campaign was led by the private sector, for the private sector. It highlighted a simple truth: business leadership is fundamental to helping Winnipeg grow and move forward. When companies invest not only in their own operations, but also in the broader economic ecosystem, the entire city benefits.   

That work is not finished. Building on the success of the Real Impact campaign, Winnipeg Economic Development & Tourism has now entered the next chapter through its refreshed Partnership Program. This initiative is a core part of the organization’s broader strategy to strengthen Winnipeg’s economy by ensuring the business community continues to play a meaningful role in shaping the city’s future as a place to live, work, invest and visit.   

Private-sector leadership is needed now more than ever. As supply chains shift and capital becomes more mobile, companies have greater choice in where they invest and grow. Winnipeg’s ability to compete depends on continued collaboration and a clear, united case for investment.   

In practical terms, this means supporting companies already here as they scale, working directly with investors and site selectors, and actively positioning Winnipeg as a destination for new business opportunities, tourism, major events and global investment.  

“These results show what’s possible when the private sector comes together around a shared goal,” said Amanda Macdonald, Vice President of Business Development and Market Intelligence. “By working together, despite post-pandemic disruptions and a shifting geopolitical landscape, Winnipeg’s business community has strengthened our competitiveness and built real momentum for the city. Continuing that collaboration will be key as we move Winnipeg forward.”   

To learn more about how to get involved as a partner, contact our team.    

Thank you to our Real Impact campaign investors  

Architecture 49, 6P Marketing, Access Credit Union, MLT Aikins, Air Canada, Amazon Web Services (AWS), American Express, AMIK Inc., Avenir IT, Avison Young, Art Metz Contract Interiors, B.A. Robinson, BDO, Bell MTS, BentallGreenOak, BMO, Bockstael Construction, Business Council of Manitoba, Canotech Consultants Ltd., Capital Commercial Real Estate Services Inc., CIBC, Colliers International, Colliers Project Leaders, Concord Projects, Conviron, Corporate Source Inc., Covello Financial Group Inc. (Linkwell), Crestcom Leadership Development, Cushman Wakefield Stevenson (CWS), National Bank, Deloitte, Eastside Group of Companies, Efficiency Manitoba, Price Industries, Ellement Consulting Group, Encore Canada, Ernst & Young (EY), f-BLOK architecture inc., Focus Equities (Bayview Place), Focused Forward, Fillmore Riley, FlexNetworks, The Fort Garry Hotel, FWS Group, Gallagher Insurance, Gardon Construction, Gator Construction, Gfit Wellness, GHY International, Graham Construction, Canada Life, Harvard Developments, HSBC, HUB International, Hugh Munro Group, Improving, IndigPro, Indigeno Travel, Ironclad Developments Inc., James Richardson & Sons Ltd., Johnston Group, KPMG, Ladco, Lambert Nemec Group, Launch Coworking Space, Leaps & Bounds Consulting, Legacy Bowes (TIPI Legacy), Leger, MacDon Industries, Magellan Aerospace, Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Inc., Maple Leaf Construction, M.D. Steele, The Megill-Stephenson Company, MMI Asset Management, MNP, NEO Financial, Neptune Properties, New Flyer Industries (NFI), Norima Consulting, Northwest Properties Ltd., Online Business Systems, Palliser, Parrish & Heimbecker Ltd., PCL Construction, People First HR Services, Pinnacle, Pitblado, PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Princess Auto, Private Pension Partners, Probe Research, Professional Transport Driver Training School, PSB Integration, Qualico, RBC, Rogers Sports Media, Rockport Group, Scatliff + Miller + Murray, Scotiabank, Shaw Communications (Rogers), Shelter Canadian Properties, SkipTheDishes (Skip), StaffMax Staffing and Recruiting, Stretch Construction Limited, Summit Commercial Solutions, Taylor McCaffrey, TD Bank, TDS Law, Terracon, Tribal Councils Investment Group of Manitoba Ltd., Tripwire Media, Ubisoft, VanHack, Visual Lizard, Wawanesa, Wellington-Altus Private Wealth, WestJet, Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA), Winnipeg Insurance Brokers, Winnipeg Free Press, Xplore Inc.

*Economic Outcome Facilitated (EOF): In our sales process, the ultimate milestone is achieving an EOF, which is marked when a client signs an EOF letter. The letter is private sector validation of the value we have provided them through our service offering and ensures we only claim successes when our clients validate that success. The letter provides our organization with the client’s confirmation of the number of jobs expected to be created at maturity, the dollar value of capital invested, and the new payroll generated thanks to our efforts. EOFs are ultimately considered “wins” by our team and communicated accordingly.