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![\"MIKE](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/4087993_web1_260325-Sala-0204.jpg\")
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MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Finance Minister Adrien Sala speaks during the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce provincial budget review event at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg on Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve made advancements and signed (memorandums of understanding) with neighbouring provinces to help ensure that we can move more of our products and people to create more economic growth opportunities in Manitoba, but this is that next step in actually helping businesses to get to Saskatchewan, get to Alberta, and bring those businesses to Manitoba.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Manitoba chambers has connected businesses to trade opportunities within the province since 2018, but the funding gives it the opportunity to expand nationally, said president and CEO Chuck Davidson.<\/p>\n
Around 20 to 30 business leaders will go on four delegation trips \u2014 two to Alberta and two to Saskatchewan \u2014 and will host two trips in Manitoba.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve talked so much about getting rid of internal trade barriers in this country \u2026 it\u2019s all great to get rid of the barriers, but if nobody takes advantage of it, then who cares?\u201d Davidson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is what this is really meant to do, to start developing some of those relationships across provincial boundaries.\u201d<\/p>\n
In December, Manitoba hosted a delegation of businesses from Alberta, and those meetings have already resulted in new contracts between companies in the respective provinces, Davidson said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we\u2019re really trying to do is (ask): how can we lessen that reliance on the U.S. and start looking at other partners within our own country?\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n
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As of the third-quarter update, the province has reduced its procurement from the United States by nearly 30 per cent.<\/p>\n
Bringing business owners from outside of Manitoba to the northern town of Churchill to see that community\u2019s deep water port firsthand is one of the organization\u2019s first goals, he said.<\/p>\n
The provincial government\u2019s budget includes $10 million for building private-sector interest in the Churchill rail and port trade corridor.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I think about the biggest economy growth opportunity we have ahead of us, there\u2019s no question that it\u2019s Churchill,\u201d Sala said Wednesday.<\/p>\n
malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n
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Malak Abas Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg\u2019s North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Reporter
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