Kelsey Schaefer

The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s 18 municipalities account for over two-thirds of Manitoba’s population and about 70 per cent of its provincial GDP. The Winnipeg Metro Region is the fastest-growing area of the province—expected to reach 1.1 million residents by 2050.

To accommodate this growth and ensure we have what it takes to meet the needs of our growing communities, businesses, and industries, the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR)—through its mandate by the Province of Manitoba—took on the challenge of developing a first draft of a long-term land use and servicing plan: Plan20-50.

Draft Plan20-50 will allow us to balance the needs of today while planning for investments in infrastructure and servicing in the future—meeting all challenges head on and providing a quality of life that is second-to-none.

Building on the success and best practice from other regions across Canada and North America, the expert project team engaged over 400 stakeholders and organizations—including local, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments; sector stakeholders; knowledge institutions; professional associations; the development community; planners; economic development professionals; and social and environmental non-government organizations—for input on the plan. Through a detailed research and analysis of our region, five key policy areas have been identified.

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure

One Environment

Investment & Employment

Resource Management

Collaborative Governance

The first draft of Plan20-50 is expected to be complete by spring 2021. Through the five integrated policy areas, Plan20-50 allows municipalities to harness the benefits of regional collaboration while maintaining local character—creating a globally competitive Winnipeg Metro Region.

***

There are two things that are essential to the success of Draft Plan20-50: The first is ongoing collaboration, so that the finished plan reflects the input, needs, and realities of all WMR municipalities. The second is good data—so that, as we move forward, we can do so with an accurate understanding of how the population, housing, labour, and land needs in our region are likely to evolve over the next 30 years.

Collaborative Governance

Regional planning creates opportunities for all municipalities and reduces the development of local economies in isolation—this improves the Winnipeg Metro Region’s position to participate in the global marketplace.

Across North America, successful regions have increased respect between individual municipalities while creating a clear, consistent framework to support all regional members. Good working relationships are the foundation to incorporate the needs of communities and build a prosperous Winnipeg Metro Region for all. Good governance and sound decision-making require access to shared data, an environment of trust, and systems for collaboration across all levels of government.

We’re building a plan to benefit all municipalities. Everyone knows the financial benefits of bulk purchasing. Regional collaboration means new opportunities to work together to improve the services citizens count on and bringing costs down for everyone.

Draft Plan20-50 will identify a framework to establish improved data sharing across the region, simplify the process of creating shared service agreements, improve collaboration between municipalities and Indigenous governments, manage common assets, and establish fair and consistent land use planning, servicing, and development processes.

That’s why Draft Plan20-50 is so important.

The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s 18 municipalities account for over two-thirds of Manitoba’s population and about 70 per cent of its provincial GDP. The Winnipeg Metro Region is the fastest-growing area of the province—expected to reach 1.1 million residents by 2050.

To accommodate this growth and ensure we have what it takes to meet the needs of our growing communities, businesses, and industries, the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR)—through its mandate by the Province of Manitoba—took on the challenge of developing a first draft of a long-term land use and servicing plan: Plan20-50.

Draft Plan20-50 will allow us to balance the needs of today while planning for investments in infrastructure and servicing in the future—meeting all challenges head on and providing a quality of life that is second-to-none.

Building on the success and best practice from other regions across Canada and North America, the expert project team engaged over 400 stakeholders and organizations—including local, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments; sector stakeholders; knowledge institutions; professional associations; the development community; planners; economic development professionals; and social and environmental non-government organizations—for input on the plan. Through a detailed research and analysis of our region, five key policy areas have been identified.

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure

One Environment

Investment & Employment

Resource Management

Collaborative Governance

The first draft of Plan20-50 is expected to be complete by spring 2021. Through the five integrated policy areas, Plan20-50 allows municipalities to harness the benefits of regional collaboration while maintaining local character—creating a globally competitive Winnipeg Metro Region.

***

There are two things that are essential to the success of Draft Plan20-50: The first is ongoing collaboration, so that the finished plan reflects the input, needs, and realities of all WMR municipalities. The second is good data—so that, as we move forward, we can do so with an accurate understanding of how the population, housing, labour, and land needs in our region are likely to evolve over the next 30 years.

Resource Management

Agriculture is one of the most important sectors for Manitoba’s economy, contributing approximately $1.6 billion annually and representing 35 per cent of the provincial labour force.

Resources provide substantial economic opportunities for the region as they generate income, employment, and export opportunities. A regional approach to resource management protects resource-related lands. It creates consistency and fairness, reduces friction between homeowners and agricultural/industrial operations, helps reduce fragmentation and conversion of prime agricultural lands, and supports economic growth and investment.

We’re building a plan to protect our resources. With the Winnipeg Metro Region being the fastest-growing area of the province, we must work together to balance growth with the need to protect our air, water, and soil for the future. Not only do resource lands support economic prosperity, but they are also vital to environmental stewardship and can be an important component to building a climate-resilient Region.

Draft Plan20-50 will advance efforts to preserve economic development resources, ensuring the agricultural industry supports the region’s food production, supply, and security in addition to being a strong and stable source of employment.

That’s why Draft Plan20-50 is so important.

The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s 18 municipalities account for over two-thirds of Manitoba’s population and about 70 per cent of its provincial GDP. The Winnipeg Metro Region is the fastest-growing area of the province—expected to reach 1.1 million residents by 2050.

To accommodate this growth and ensure we have what it takes to meet the needs of our growing communities, businesses, and industries, the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR)—through its mandate by the Province of Manitoba—took on the challenge of developing a first draft of a long-term land use and servicing plan: Plan20-50.

Draft Plan20-50 will allow us to balance the needs of today while planning for investments in infrastructure and servicing in the future—meeting all challenges head on and providing a quality of life that is second-to-none.

Building on the success and best practice from other regions across Canada and North America, the expert project team engaged over 400 stakeholders and organizations—including local, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments; sector stakeholders; knowledge institutions; professional associations; the development community; planners; economic development professionals; and social and environmental non-government organizations—for input on the plan. Through a detailed research and analysis of our region, five key policy areas have been identified.

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure

One Environment

Investment & Employment

Resource Management

Collaborative Governance

The first draft of Plan20-50 is expected to be complete by spring 2021. Through the five integrated policy areas, Plan20-50 allows municipalities to harness the benefits of regional collaboration while maintaining local character—creating a globally competitive Winnipeg Metro Region.

***

There are two things that are essential to the success of Draft Plan20-50: The first is ongoing collaboration, so that the finished plan reflects the input, needs, and realities of all WMR municipalities. The second is good data—so that, as we move forward, we can do so with an accurate understanding of how the population, housing, labour, and land needs in our region are likely to evolve over the next 30 years.

Investment & Employment

Manitoba’s economy is poised for growth. By planning regionally, we reduce the development of local economies in isolation and identify, protect, and plan for strategic trade-enabling infrastructure, ensuring the region’s position to participate in the global marketplace. Regional economic development helps us build a strong reputation and brand to attract industries and opportunities that provide jobs and bring investment.

The Metro Region provided approximately 375,000 jobs in 2020 and is forecasted to add approximately 138,000 jobs as we move toward 2050.

We’re building a plan to attract investment and create jobs. Regional collaboration means being able to compete for new business in a way that municipalities could never do on their own. Draft Plan20-50 will support working together to plan for investment in critical infrastructure, strategic servicing, and human resources needed to be competitive.

Competing as a region means building a business-ready climate where investor expectations for real-time land, labour, resource, and planning data can consistently be met. Draft Plan20-50 will ensure the Winnipeg Metro Region has the tools to compete on the global stage.

That’s why Draft Plan20-50 is so important.

The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s 18 municipalities account for over two-thirds of Manitoba’s population and about 70 per cent of its provincial GDP. The Winnipeg Metro Region is the fastest-growing area of the province—expected to reach 1.1 million residents by 2050.

To accommodate this growth and ensure we have what it takes to meet the needs of our growing communities, businesses, and industries, the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR)—through its mandate by the Province of Manitoba—took on the challenge of developing a first draft of a long-term land use and servicing plan: Plan20-50.

Draft Plan20-50 will allow us to balance the needs of today while planning for investments in infrastructure and servicing in the future—meeting all challenges head on and providing a quality of life that is second-to-none.

Building on the success and best practice from other regions across Canada and North America, the expert project team engaged over 400 stakeholders and organizations—including local, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments; sector stakeholders; knowledge institutions; professional associations; the development community; planners; economic development professionals; and social and environmental non-government organizations—for input on the plan. Through a detailed research and analysis of our region, five key policy areas have been identified.

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure
One Environment
Investment & Employment
Resource Management
Collaborative Governance

The first draft of Plan20-50 is expected to be complete by spring 2021. Through the five integrated policy areas, Plan20-50 allows municipalities to harness the benefits of regional collaboration while maintaining local character—creating a globally competitive Winnipeg Metro Region.

***

There are two things that are essential to the success of Draft Plan20-50: The first is ongoing collaboration, so that the finished plan reflects the input, needs, and realities of all WMR municipalities. The second is good data—so that, as we move forward, we can do so with an accurate understanding of how the population, housing, labour, and land needs in our region are likely to evolve over the next 30 years.

One Environment

A watershed is a defined geographic area where all surface water drains into a common point. In efforts to best manage water, land, and biodiversity resources in Manitoba, watershed districts were developed in January 2020. There are five watershed districts and 18 sub-districts within the Winnipeg Metro Region. This means that all residents across the region have a direct impact on—and are directly impacted by—the quality of our freshwater resources, even those who do not live near a shoreline.

Over the years, it has become increasing clear that we must plan for climate change and build resiliency in our region. Municipalities must work together to respond to floods, droughts, and the effects of extreme weather events. Wise environmental stewardship supports healthy ecosystems, biodiversity, and watersheds and ensures optimal water quality and quantity while balancing the needs of the natural environment, the needs of communities, and the needs of a growing economy.

We’re building a plan to protect our environment. Collaboration is vital to the long-term protection of the natural resources that we all share. As the Winnipeg Metro Region continues to grow, a collaborative approach is critical to preserving agricultural and sensitive lands while facilitating new development.

Draft Plan20-50 will provide effective and consistent approaches to protect, restore, and enhance our ecosystems, watersheds, and environmentally sensitive areas across the region. It will also recognize the social and economic importance of traditional lifestyles, recreation, and tourism for future generations. We are all connected by water and we will benefit by working together to protect it.

That’s why Draft Plan20-50 is so important.

The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s 18 municipalities account for over two-thirds of Manitoba’s population and about 70 per cent of its provincial GDP. The Winnipeg Metro Region is the fastest-growing area of the province—expected to reach 1.1 million residents by 2050.

To accommodate this growth and ensure we have what it takes to meet the needs of our growing communities, businesses, and industries, the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region (WMR)—through its mandate by the Province of Manitoba—took on the challenge of developing a first draft of a long-term land use and servicing plan: Plan20-50.

Draft Plan20-50 will allow us to balance the needs of today while planning for investments in infrastructure and servicing in the future—meeting all challenges head on and providing a quality of life that is second-to-none.

Building on the success and best practice from other regions across Canada and North America, the expert project team engaged over 400 stakeholders and organizations—including local, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments; sector stakeholders; knowledge institutions; professional associations; the development community; planners; economic development professionals; and social and environmental non-government organizations—for input on the plan. Through a detailed research and analysis of our region, five key policy areas have been identified.

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure
One Environment
Investment & Employment
Resource Management
Collaborative Governance

The first draft of Plan20-50 is expected to be complete by spring 2021. Through the five integrated policy areas, Plan20-50 allows municipalities to harness the benefits of regional collaboration while maintaining local character—creating a globally competitive Winnipeg Metro Region.

***

There are two things that are essential to the success of Draft Plan20-50: The first is ongoing collaboration, so that the finished plan reflects the input, needs, and realities of all WMR municipalities. The second is good data—so that, as we move forward, we can do so with an accurate understanding of how the population, housing, labour, and land needs in our region are likely to evolve over the next 30 years.

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure

Across our growing region, municipalities are planning for the future through their local planning processes. A regional plan does not take away from the local processes, nor the need to plan locally. A regional plan ensures that local plans can be coordinated where one municipality supports and enhances its neighbours’ plans.

A regional approach can identify and plan for infrastructure that is necessary to support our economy and way of life. It allows us to take a bird’s eye view of what’s happening on the ground today as well as what’s anticipated in the future.

Strong communities provide residents with housing choices, local employment opportunities, regional transportation networks, recreation, and leisure activities while protecting and preserving valuable resources—like agricultural lands and water—for future generations.

We’re building a plan to improve quality of life in our communities. Important economies of scale can be reached when municipalities explore shared approaches to service delivery—creating efficiencies and savings that can be locally reinvested. A regional plan is key to addressing future infrastructure needs that aren’t limited by municipal borders—such as next-generation Internet, transportation corridors, and sustainable sewer and water.

These infrastructure needs require regional collaboration. Draft Plan20-50 will support integrated planning and infrastructure investment to increase our economic competitiveness and create connected, safe, and vibrant communities.

That’s why Draft Plan20-50 is so important.

As the devastation caused by extreme weather events continues to unfold in Texas, we imagine what could happen in Manitoba and the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region if we should experience such mass power outages combined with freezing temperatures.

The impacts of a changing climate are being felt across Canada and the globe—and building our capacity (resilience) to manage the extremes has become top of mind for leaders, planners, engineers, scientists, and environmental groups alike. Building resiliency requires a collaborative approach and a team effort—something we know is not always easy but is critical if we are going to protect communities, ecosystems, and our economy from challenges once thought far on the horizon.

Understanding and addressing the shocks and stresses extreme weather can produce is a foundational focus as the leaders at the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region develop the first draft of Plan20-50: a long-term land use and servicing plan that calls for collaboration across municipal boundaries.

Establishing climate change resiliency is essential to the region’s sustainable development. Through collaboration, innovation, and best practice, the first draft of Plan20-50 looks to facilitate economic competitiveness and growth while protecting land and water. This creates a high quality of life for residents in a way that supports a growing economy and cultivates sustainability.

Flood and drought resilience; climate change adaptation; and long-term protection of water, air, and soil are tasks require a collaborative approach. Wise environmental stewardship supports healthy ecosystems, biodiversity and watersheds, and ensures optimal water quality and quantity—balancing the needs of the natural environment, the needs of the communities, and the needs of a growing economy.

Our water is one of our greatest economic and environmental opportunities. To effectively plan our future and build our competitiveness, we must understand our strengths and our weaknesses and plan for a future that may throw us a few curve balls.

That’s what Plan20-50 intends to do.

“It has taken us generations to create the sustainability challenges we now face for ourselves in Canada and globally; and it will require generations to solve these problems,”

Bob Sandford Tweet

Circular Economy diagram from Waste Reduction Week Canada

If you follow the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region social channels, you’ve almost certainly heard the term “circular economy” more than a handful of times—and for good reason.

Canada announced in June 2020 that it would be joining Finland and the Netherlands in advancing the circular economy strategy to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and fight climate change.

Building Strong Communities: A Circular Approach

For the first time, leaders of the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region are partnering with the Dutch government by hosting a global online conference—Building Strong Communities: A Circular Approach. This conference will feature representatives from Metabolic—an international team of experts from the Netherlands whose mission is to transition the global economy—to discuss how circularity impacts the following:

people living in urban areas
agricultural land development
natural areas
food security
community building
waste reduction
energy uses

This event will also feature sustainable living expert John Coyne from Unilever, who will speak on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan—which sets out to decouple our growth from our environmental footprint, while increasing our positive social impact.

So, let’s take some time to explore what this term means and why these discussions are so important.

What exactly does “circular economy” mean?

In order to explain what a circular approach is, we should first understand what a linear approach is.

Put simply: a linear economy takes raw materials and makes something out of them to be used and then disposed of.

This is how much of the world operates today, and this is why issues like pollution have become a global problem.

The solution is in the circular economy approach—where we design products so resources can be reused and reinvested in new products again and again.

How is this different from recycling? Rather than having to find a recycling solution after a product is designed and brought to market—like the plastic straw—recovery and material reuse is part of the design and manufacturing process of the product from the beginning.

A circular economy also supports the idea of access over ownership. Streaming services like Spotify and Netflix rent access to content without you needing to own anything like CDs and DVDs. By shifting to access over ownership, the responsibility falls to manufacturers to make longer lasting and more efficient products that are designed with repair and reuse as primary considerations.

What can we do as consumers?

two person's hands holding turned-on phones

These changes are really effective at the institutional and local government levels (we’ve seen the benefits of circular economy business parks), but every single person has a part to play in changing the status quo and creating a better tomorrow. Consumers have unbelievable power to evoke change, especially when it comes to sustainability.

Let’s look at some things that you can start doing right now.

1. Purchase smartly designed products meant to be reused, refurbished, and dismantled.

Whenever you pick up a product, ask yourself some of the following questions:

Is this a one-and-done product?

Is this packaging recycleable?

Do I NEED to own this, or do I really only need it in this instance? And, if so, is there a way I could rent / borrow one? (Think back to the previous point about services like Netflix and Spotify)

Many local organizations are innovating their products and services to make these decisions easier on consumers. For example: local environmental shop Generation Green doesn’t just offer a store full of sustainable and environmentally-friendly products, it also offers a BYOB program where customers can bring bottles to fill with products like detergents, shampoos, and baby products. And customers who collect Green Points get double the rewards!

2. Find opportunities to “go circular” around the home.

See what kinds of products you have at home that could be refurbished into something else. Think old jars, clothes you no longer wear, food waste, etc. Start approaching the things you own with the following question:

“Can I extend this product’s life cycle somehow?”

Old jars can be reused over and over again for pickling, dry food storage, or even vessels for small houseplants.

Clothes can be donated to serve another person or, if really old and tattered, can become cleaning rags.

Food waste has epic opportunity to serve a greater purpose than just rotting away in your trash can and then releasing GHGs in a landfill. The Government of Manitoba has excellent resources to help you get started on composting—something that can help make a huge difference in waste reductions for our province.

What can Manitoba do?

Our province—in addition to every other province and country, for that matter—first needs to explore how shifting from a linear economy to a circular one would work. And the first step to making change is understanding why change is necessary and what exactly needs changing.

Canada needs a circular economy that is restorative and regenerative by design; and aims to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times.

We can re-design the way our economy works by designing products and services that limit consumption, improve the value of materials, and protect resources.

A good point to remember is that the circular economy aims to design out the concept of “waste.”

Circular business models will prove essential for businesses that want to be future-proof in a society where resource constraints are a growing problem.

So, when it comes to how we can approach these shifts, there a five circular business models:

1. Circular supplies: Supply fully renewable, recyclable, or biodegradable resource inputs to support circular production.

2. Resource recovery: Eliminate material leakage and maximize economic value of product return flows.

3. Products life extension: Extend the current lifecycle of a product: reparability, upgrading, reselling.

4. Products as service: Stimulating collaboration among product users.

5. Sharing platforms: Products are used by one or many customers through lease or pay-for-use arrangements.

Where do we go from here?

Design, produce, distribute, consumer use, reuse or repair, recycle

Our province, and country, are doing a lot of work in shifting towards a circular approach. The Winnipeg Metropolitan Region’s upcoming conference in February aims to move Manitoba from talk to action when it comes to implementing a circular approach.

If you’re curious about learning what a circular economy might look like for Manitoba, register for the event here, or simply follow Winnipeg Metro Region on Facebook or Twitter to stay updated.

The 2021 edition of the landmark circular economy event of the year, the World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), will be held in Toronto, Ontario, at the Beanfield Centre, from September 13 to 15, 2021. WCEF2021 will mark the first time the forum is held in North America.

This event will focus on the cross-cutting issues and topics that are central to economic recovery and the circular transition. WCEF2021 will identify the key actions and systemic changes needed to create the conditions for long-term success on the path to a thriving global circular economy.

For more information about the work and events that have already happened, click here.

I hope this short post helped give you a little bit of an understanding as to what a circular economy means and why our country is making these changes.

As a policy innovator and the Executive Director for the Winnipeg Metro Region, I’m very excited about this idea for Manitoba as it means less waste in our waters and landfills, more reusing of resources, and a cleaner and more competitive province overall.

This week brought a fantastic meeting on regional planning with participants from all over the province, the country, and the world.

Collaboration has been one of the principles of the work of the WMR since its inception in 1998. Today, we are not only collaborating as communities to develop the first draft of the first-ever Winnipeg Metro Region Land Use Plan—Plan20-50—but we are collaborating with experts from across Canada and the globe to ensure that we are rigorous, thorough, and disciplined in our approach to Draft Plan20-50.

We at the WMR were pleased to have two very special guests join us in the meeting: the Honorable Derek Johnson, Minister of Municipal Relations, and the Deputy Consol General of the Netherlands, Jorn Leeksma, along with two of his colleagues: Marjan Lahuis, Senior Advisor Economic Affairs, and Virginie de Visscher, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Manitoba.

We also had presentations by the consulting firms—Metabolic, Strategic Community Consulting (SCC), PRIME Strategy & Planning and NIXA. They each provided a brief overview and introduction to the work they are doing on Draft Plan20-50 and the development of a resiliency data portal and platform to ensure the Winnipeg Metro Region can predict, mitigate, and plan for the risks associated with a changing climate.

Draft Plan20-50 sits firmly on a foundation of data and it seeks to ensure that it incorporates best practices from across the globe to deliver on the outcomes that our local leaders have prioritized.

This meeting demonstrated that we are following the priorities as outlined by our leadership at the local and provincial level, as well as priority areas identified from the over 400 stakeholders from across sectors consulted on Draft Plan20-50.

This plan requires us to look farther on the horizon and ensure we are creating the conditions for our communities, our region, and our province to be strong, prosperous, and sustainable.

What 2020 has demonstrated is that we must be ready to respond to situations that we could have not even imagined.

Over past few years as a member of the Winnipeg Metro Region, I have seen local leaders build the foundation to move our region forward:

We have commissioned experts to help us analyze where we are relative to the rest of the world.
We have gathered the necessary data to help us measure our efforts.
We have reached out to embrace the best practices for our challenges.
We have listened to our communities, consulted with experts, and challenged ourselves to integrate our learnings.

As a result, we believe that Draft Plan20-50 will be an active road map—truly for the benefit of all.

It will be fair and equitable to each municipality while remaining grounded in the ultimate measurement of success: our regional economy.

Minister Derek Johnson

We were so thrilled to welcome Derek Johnson, Minister of Municipal Relations, to the meeting this week, and are especially appreciative that he was able to join during such a busy week—having just sworn into his newly appointed role only days before.

We are pleased to have the support of the provincial government on Draft Plan20-50. We know that working together is not always easy, and we look forward to continuing to work with our government to provide a table for these regional conversations to turn planning into action.

Jorn Leeksma

I had the opportunity to attend a resiliency mission to the Netherlands a few years back and got a first-hand look at the important leading work that is collaboratively happening on water, waste, and climate, as well as the partnerships between governments, industry, agencies, and universities that allow the Netherlands to lead the way.

Over the past few years, I have been able to meet with Deputy Consol General Leeksma and discuss the work of the mayors and reeves and look for opportunities for partnerships with the Netherlands.

It was a great pleasure to have Jorn and his colleagues with us (virtually) to kick off this important partnership.

Lisa Prime

As our lead strategic planner on Draft Plan20-50, Lisa Prime of PRIME Strategy & Planning provided some additional information.

Draft Plan20-50 has three transformative moves:

1. Creating a regional structure that will allow us to apply policy differently across the region to respect the unique character of all of your communities, while creating a greater connection.

2. Integrated planning, which calls us to think about the design of our communities, jobs for residents, transportation corridors, housing, access to fresh water services, while keeping an eye on quality of life benefits at the community level.

3. Access to regional data—during the meeting, we discussed data and the work of the team around this transformative move.

Metabolic HQ

It was a great pleasure to include the team from Metabolic HQ, who have joined our Draft Plan20-50 team. They will be reviewing the plan to ensure its policy reflects global best practice on water, waste, circular economy, and building the necessary resiliency to ensure we are ready for anticipated changes in climate and the economy.

Along with policy review, Metabolic will lead a series of workshops for the mayors, reeves, and chiefs along with administrators and staff to understand what the trends are in managing waste, water, and community design with the principles of resilience and circular economy.

Strategic Community Consulting (SCC)

Strategic Community Consulting is a professional engineering and consulting firm that works with communities on identifying integrated solutions, cleantech solutions, and cleantech R&D in the areas of water, waste, and climate.

SCC will be part of the team that is peer reviewing Draft Plan20-50 to ensure it anticipates and accounts for a changing hydrological cycle and the impacts expected from a changing climate. They will also be part of the team that will be working on a digital climate risk tool for the region, focusing on flooding and drought.

SCC will model and geo-visualize flood and drought stress in river basins within the WMR using RCP4.5 and 8.5 PCIC climate scenario data, a HEC-HMS hydrologic model. LiDAR and 3D visualization will be used to geo-visualize elevated flood risk within the WMR, and the elevated frequency and duration of drought risk to municipalities in the WMR.

This study component will provide a concise example of how Draft Plan20-50 coheres with holistic and integrated watershed development and how the plan can ensure we are ready for the investments needed to keep us competitive—in fact, we may benefit from a changing climate if we are prepared.

Nixa

Lastly, we welcomed to our meeting Marc Adam from Nixa. Nixa is firm specializing in computer programming and web development based in Montreal, Quebec.

Nixa is building data platform for the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region website, allowing us to share regional data and provide tools and information to constituents and decision makers on regional issues, in addition to creating a national/international presence online.

Nixa’s web platform will be the central location that will host the work of SCC on climate risk, as well as showcase features on other important regional topics and serve key data from Draft Plan20-50 for planners, economic development officers, and elected leaders to incorporate into their processes to facilitate decision making that aligns with regional objectives.

To sum it all up…

As you can see, we have incredible experts supporting the efforts of the WMR team as we put together what we believe will be the foundation for addressing the regional data gap. The need to gather and share data at a regional level is one of the three transformative moves identified in Draft Plan20-50.

With this expert team, we are ensuring that this first draft of Plan20-50 is leaving nothing to chance.

I want to thank Minister Johnson, Jorn Leeksma and his colleagues, and all the consultants for joining us for this exciting meeting. We will continue to work with each of them on Draft Plan20-50 as we believe we have a team that can deliver on the vision of leadership.

As we begin to dig our way out after the COVID pandemic and find our footing as a province, a country, and as a global community, partnerships between countries and the sharing of best practice across jurisdictions offers us an important way forward and tools to deal with new and emerging issues.

Draft Plan20-50 reflects the fact that we’re strongest when municipalities work together. Regional collaboration will strengthen our post-pandemic economic recovery and will let us harness future opportunities that create jobs, attract investments, and strengthen our commitment to building strong communities.

With this, we can confidently move forward from the status quo.

This time last year, we were hard at work preparing for our “Driving Competitiveness” event where we welcomed over 300 of Manitoba’s leaders to the release of For the Benefit of All—a report authored by Dr. Robert Murray that set the course for creating a coordinated economically competitive Winnipeg Metro Region and Province of Manitoba.

Honourable Premier Brian Pallister spoke at the “Driving Competitiveness” event on Oct. 31, 2019

For the Benefit of All highlighted the need for collaboration in the form of a regional growth management and servicing plan—something that the WMR leaders have been working on ever since. Plan20-50 will optimize efforts and establish collaboration across the region for the benefit of all Manitobans. Dr. Murray provided a three-step process with the ultimate goal to increase the Winnipeg Metro Region’s overall economic competitiveness and ability to attract and retain investment.

1. Develop a culture of collaboration

2. Build a foundation for ongoing economic success

3. Develop an investor-ready climate by focusing on regional economic development

City of Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman spoke at the Driving Competitiveness event on Oct. 31, 2019.

Today, exactly one year later, we are all trying our best to carefully maneuver through the challenges and hurdles that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought. This pandemic has called on all Manitobans to be creative and generous in spirit. It has shed a light on many realities, and one of the greatest lessons has been that working together is the key to our success in Manitoba. As we reflect on the past year and the beginning of Plan20-50, it as become abundantly clear that this work has never been more important.

Much has changed in one year, but the pandemic’s impact on our economy and our way of life has not diminished the need for collaboration—if anything, it has shown us that we must double down on this path.

“Only by moving forward together can the Winnipeg Metro Region achieve its fullest potential and achieve benefits for all Manitobans.” —Dr. Robert Murray.

The representatives for the WMR continue to develop the work that was outlined at the Driving Competitiveness event on Oct. 31, 2019.

Even before COVID-19 arrived in our province, municipal leaders across the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region were wrestling with important questions:

How do we make our communities more resilient in the face of constant change and uncertainty?

How will we attract economic investment as the nature of work and business evolves?

How can we ensure the places we live are healthy, prosperous and livable, not just for today’s residents, but for our children and generations to come?

The pandemic has given questions like these new urgency and relevance. The 18 municipalities that make up the Winnipeg Metro Region, which includes the City of Winnipeg and the fast-growing municipalities that surround it, are working together to find answers.

By the end of this year, the Metro Region expects to complete a first draft of its new long-term growth plan—Plan20-50—reflecting input from municipal leaders, provincial and Indigenous governments, businesses, environmental groups, land planning professionals, and individual citizens.

Plan20-50 emphasizes the fact we’re strongest when municipalities work together. Regional collaboration will strengthen our post-pandemic economic recovery and will let us harness future opportunities that create jobs, attract investment, and enhance our quality of life.

One important aim of Draft Plan20-50 is creating an investor-ready climate across the region. Investors increasingly expect seamless, real-time access to relevant data such as available land, availability of skilled labour, and access to resources and zoning information. Only through a collaborative approach can we create and maintain this type of regional economic dashboard.

A critical outcome of this process will be a data-rich prospectus that we can use to market and champion the Winnipeg Metro Region to investors around the world.

Plan 2050 will enhance quality of life for all Manitobans, making it a competitive region with other Canadian provinces.

The long-term health of our environment also demands a shared approach. Climate-change adaptation, flood and drought resistance, and long-term protection of water, air, and soil can’t be addressed by any single municipality. Draft Plan20-50 will ensure effective, consistent approaches to environmental protection across the region. The plan will also contribute to long-term certainty with respect to sensitive lands and planning, while protecting the environment for future generations.

Draft Plan20-50 will also enhance quality of life and ensure citizens’ needs can continue to be met as the region grows. The Winnipeg Metro Region is already the population centre of our province, home to two-thirds of all Manitobans, and is also the fastest-growing.

Consider, however, that our population is also changing. As one example, we know from our data that the region can expect to welcome 4,000 to 6,000 new residents per year, yet we also know older adults aged 70 and over are the fastest growing segment of the population. Good long-term regional planning is critical to making sure the estimated 110,000 new housing units we’ll need over the next 15 years account for these population trends.

A bird's eye view of a plethora of houses. Winnipeg Metro Region is expected to grow significantly in coming years.

Similarly, the regional transportation needs of a fast-growing, fast-changing population will also continue to evolve and these changes must also account for how land is used in the future as the nature of business, industry, and agriculture continues to shift. A long-term regional growth strategy is essential to effectively anticipating and planning for these future needs.

The creation of Plan20-50 has been a long time coming. The need for a cohesive and coordinated approach to planning, development, and economic growth in the region was chronicled two decades ago in a 95-page Capital Region Review. We’ve been talking about it since. Today, with new provincial legislation in place mandating a collaborative approach in the Winnipeg Metro Region, we have both the need and the directive to get it done.

Working together, we’re creating a plan that reflects months of consultation, including seven stakeholder engagement sessions, direct consultation with more than 60 different stakeholder groups, and a webinar series that will continue through the summer. The plan will also reflect the results of public and stakeholder surveying that will take place through the fall including online tools where any citizen, business, or organization in the Metro Region can share their views.

While our plan will be uniquely ours, having a long-term regional growth plan will also put us in good company: the collaborative metropolitan model has been adopted by capital regions across North America and abroad. A recent academic review from the Institute on Municipal Finance and Government highlights metro region partnership and collaboration across Canada.

The creation of Plan 2050 reflects a proven best practice — one that will enhance our regional competitiveness and ensure the Winnipeg Metro Region remains a great place to live or do business for years to come.

Three people jump for joy as Manitoba becomes an economically competitive province in Canada.

Find more information about the Winnipeg Metro Region and Plan20-50 at www.winnipegmetroregion.ca

Collaborative Governance—Five Policy Areas of Plan20-50

Collaborative Governance

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Resource Management—Five Policy Areas of Plan20-50

Resource Management

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Investment and Employment—Five Policy Areas of Plan20-50

Investment & Employment

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One Environment—Five Policy Areas of Plan20-50

One Environment

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Integrated Communities & Infrastructure—Five Policy Areas of Plan20-50

Integrated Communities & Infrastructure

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Plan20-50—Water Protection and Climate Resiliency

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Circular Economy FAQs

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What can Manitoba do?

Where do we go from here?

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Working Together on Plan20-50

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What a Difference One Year Can Make

1. Develop a culture of collaboration

2. Build a foundation for ongoing economic success

3. Develop an investor-ready climate by focusing on regional economic development

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Metro Region needs collaborative growth plan

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