Success Stories

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.

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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.