Feds put up $7.1M to boost Brandon economy

Ottawa is providing five Brandon businesses and institutions with a combined $7.1 million to help grow the local economy.

The announcement Thursday morning at Assiniboine College’s North Hill campus included more than $4 million in direct funding and nearly $3 million in no-interest loans for six projects aimed to “build on Brandon’s strengths.”

“These are smart, practical investments,” Ginette Lavack, the Liberal MP for St. Boniface-St. Vital, told a crowd of about 40 college staff, business reps and municipal leaders.

“They strengthen supply chain, they support innovation, they help local companies grow and they’re going to create really good paying jobs, too,” Lavack said.

“We’re living in a period of real economic uncertainty. There’s global market volatility. Costs are rising, and businesses and workers alike — we’re all feeling the pressure.”

Lavack made the announcement on behalf of Eleanor Olszewski, minister of emergency management and community resilience and the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada.

The funding comes from multiple PrairiesCan programs.

Assiniboine College will receive the most funding — $2,250,000 to support the college’s mechatronics program and renovate a facility to house the program.

Bushel Plus is getting $577,500 for new harvest management applications and machinery.

The Brandon Downtown Development Corporation (BDDC) will receive $400,000 to assist small- and medium-sized businesses mitigate the impact of economic challenges.

Behlen Industries will receive $1 million for automation of a steel welding line, which will increase production and boost “global competitiveness,” a federal government backgrounder said.

The company is also receiving a loan worth $1,860,818 to go toward the second phase of the same initiative.

As well, Greenstone Building Products will receive a loan worth $1,088,700 to increase manufacturing capacity for components in the homebuilding industry and for new equipment.

Under the terms of the funding agreement, both companies would need to start repaying the loans within seven years, a press secretary for Olszewski said.

“Brandon is an important part of Manitoba’s economy. It’s an important part of Canada’s economy,” Lavack said in an interview after the press conference.

“We can’t overlook smaller communities. It’s not all about the big centres — there’s so much potential and interesting stuff that’s happening in rural communities across this country.”

Mark Frison, president of Assiniboine College, said the investment in Assiniboine’s mechatronics program is “fantastic.”

“PrairiesCan has been great to us on a number of projects … The things that they allow us to do is sort of go beyond it just being an academic setup to what can we do to make sure that it’s ready for applied research, that we’re able to engage industry and that we’re able to serve their needs,” Frison told the Sun.

The mechatronics program teaches and gives students experience on automated machinery found in the agriculture sector.

Ottawa’s investment in the program, Frison said, “really helps take everything to the next level and leverages it for economic development beyond it just being an educational program.”

Emmanuel Ahaneku, BDDC’s executive director, welcomed the federal funding.

“The hope is that we’ll be able to make these downtown businesses more competitive in the face of challenging times for them,” Ahaneku said during the press conference. “For me, this initiative would be a real catalyst for economic growth and development.”

He said the funding, which businesses will apply for through a program, will be for both established brands in the downtown and startups.

“This support will encourage further investment by business owners. It will contribute to job creation for Brandonites. It would help with job retention. It would also help with a more vibrant Brandon downtown economy,” he said.

Tessa Geurts with Bushel Plus said the funding her company will receive will help global food production.

The machinery produced by Bushel Plus, which is in the process of being renamed BranValt, helps harvest crops effectively, lowering the waste for farmers.

“This funding is going to allow us to continue to expand into these global markets and strengthen strategic partnerships, while continuing to invest in new technology and innovate right here at home in Manitoba,” said Geurts, the company’s chief financial officer.

She said the investment will also allow Bushel Plus to grow at home and create more jobs.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett applauded the diversified funding.

“It’s fantastic news anytime the federal government is putting these things out here to allow these companies to grow,” Fawcett said.

He said while most of the affected companies aren’t ones people talk about on a daily basis, they have big implications for the city and worldwide.

“It’s those kind of companies that drive the rest of our economy … that drive housing (and) the restaurant and retail industries. So, supporting them is really, really important,” the mayor said.

“It’s a good day for Brandon to be recognized for having these large companies that we do not talk about on a day-to-day basis, but drive an economy.”

He also highlighted the positive impacts of the funding for Assiniboine College.

Brandon-Souris Conservative MP Grant Jackson said the Liberal government coming to Westman for an announcement is “a good thing.”

“I’ve been through most of these businesses and I know that they have been looking to innovate, and so I think it is important that the Liberals have finally got around to recognizing that,” said Jackson, who wasn’t at the news conference.

“This allows them to grow our local economy, hopefully create a few more jobs and expand products,” he said, adding that the riding doesn’t receive federal funding often enough.

Jackson also called on the Liberal government to further fund Assiniboine College for its Prairie Innovation Centre.

Assiniboine is asking Ottawa for $60 million to complete the centre, which will include labs and multipurpose spaces that will serve the college and the agriculture industry.

“We continue to have conversations with them, and we’re hopeful that they all see their way clear to make that investment,” Frison said.

Last year, the provincial government announced $60 million for the centre in grant money and an additional $60 million in bridge financing.

» alambert@brandonsun.com