Province gives $120M boost to college By: Alex Lambert Posted: 3:06 AM CDT Friday, May. 16, 2025 Last Modified: 10:54 AM CDT Friday, May. 16, 2025

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The provincial government is giving a $120-million boost to Assiniboine College’s Prairie Innovation Centre, Premier Wab Kinew announced in Brandon on Thursday.

“It’s a game changer,” said Assiniboine College president Mark Frison after the announcement.

The funding breaks down to $60 million in capital funding — with $40 million going to the Prairie Innovation Centre and $20 million for a new 216-seat child-care project inside the centre — and $60 million in bridge financing to allow construction to begin by the end of the year.

Kinew made the announcement at the Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s State of the Province Luncheon at the Keystone Centre, in front of about 550 business leaders from the region.

“This is an amazing project — a big reward for us,” said Kinew. “The ag industry is the backbone of our economy here in Manitoba … This is a really solid investment for us.”

Kinew said the centre will help grow the agriculture industry, not only in Westman, but for the entire province.

“When you’re dealing with the threat of tariffs to the south and the tariffs from China, we can’t be cutting and slashing — you’ve got to be investing to keep people working,” said Kinew.

“The Prairie Innovation Centre, to me, is one of the best ways when we talk about investing in this core part of our economy, the ag industry.”

Frison said the centre will enable the college to bring in specialized programs, some of which aren’t common on the Canadian Prairies.

“It allows us to bring in new programs for the agricultural sector, some of which don’t exist between B.C. and Ontario,” said Frison. “We’re very excited about the prospect of those new programs.”

Some of the programs include chemical process technology and food science technology, which he said are especially important because Manitoba companies employ those positions.

Frison said the centre should be able to host 800 students when it’s completed around June 2028, up from the 300 students currently in agriculture-related programming at the college. He said because the province is providing $60 million in bridge financing, the college will be able to start finding contractors “within weeks” and start construction toward the end of the year.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said the province’s investment is great for the city.

“It’s great news. The enhancing and strengthening of any of our core industries in the city, including (the college) … benefits all of us,” said Fawcett.

He said it will not only help the city, but also the surrounding area, and all of western Manitoba.

“A strong college gives more opportunity for people to work, more opportunity for people to go to school. Agriculture is sort of the hub of where we are,” he said.

He said the daycare being part of the centre will also be a big help to the community.

Fawcett said it’s great that the province is providing direct funding and bridge financing, but he still wants the federal government to do its share, which he said has been lagging.

“The province has always been in, the feds, as the premier said, have been a bit slow,” said Fawcett.

“We will continue to look for that federal money.”

Kinew also called on Ottawa to help fund the centre.

Kinew originally pledged the $60-million contribution from the province during the 2023 election campaign.

The college first announced the new centre in January 2021, describing it at the time as a “vision for the future of agriculture in Manitoba.”

The previous Progressive Conservative government, under former premier Heather Stefanson, announced $10 million for the centre in January 2023, which went to planning, assessing future programs and building supporting infrastructure.

In January 2024, local philanthropists Gord and Diane Peters donated $10 million for the centre. Sunrise Credit Union gave $1 million in October 2020. Accounting firm MNP also handed $1 million in June 2022. The RBC Foundation earmarked $700,000 in October 2024. The Anthony Matlashewski Charitable Foundation donated $500,000 in June 2024. Scotiabank also gave $125,000 in November 2024. The Manitoba Crop Alliance donated $100,000 in November 2021.

Frison donated $50,000 of his money to the centre in November 2021.

Also during his announcement on Thursday in Brandon, Kinew said the new Brandon School Division K-8 school in the city’s southwest should be open by September 2027, and the new Division scolaire franco-manitobaine school in the city by the 2029-30 school year.

He also said the province should expect Canada-wide free trade for Manitoba by July 1, and is continuing to work on the Churchill port for international trade.

Kinew also urged people not to start fires or light fireworks this long weekend, citing fires in northern and eastern Manitoba, including one that killed two people near Lac du Bonnet this week.

He said even if there isn’t a fire ban in your municipality, he doesn’t want firefighters on the front lines in other areas to be pulled away to a different region.

» alambert@brandonsun.com, with files from Abiola Odutola, Colin Slark and Miranda Leybourne