2021 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission - Brandon Chamber of Commerce February 17, 2021 - Brandon Chamber ...
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2021 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission
Brandon Chamber of Commerce
February 17, 20212021 Provincial Budget Submission Brief
Brandon Chamber of Commerce
February 2021
Introduction
The Brandon Chamber of Commerce is an independent, membership funded, not-for-profit organization
that represents Brandon businesses at the grassroots level. The Chamber is dedicated to encouraging
growth in the Brandon community by fostering a progressive business environment, favorable to
enhancing existing businesses and attracting new business.
For Brandon businesses, the past year has been one of the most challenging in recent times. Due to the
pandemic, many businesses have been forced to close their doors to in-person traffic and patrons for
significant periods of time. They have had to furlough or lay off many or all of their employees, and
they’ve become dependent on government relief programs to survive. They have invested additional
money in PPE, cleaning supplies and physical barriers, and yet often still have been legislated to remain
closed. In the summer of 2020, amidst the health crisis, businesses were dealt an additional blow with a
summer storm that led to significant overland flooding and damage. Many businesses already dealing
with added expenses and closures had to deal with the cleanup and restoration of damaged facilities.
We understand that the province faces ongoing challenges to balance both the health and safety
implications of this pandemic crisis and address the economic impacts to businesses and communities.
We believe that a thriving business community and strong economic growth is vital for the greater
prosperity of communities. It is with this lens and the current economic reality that we provide our
comments to the provincial government as it deliberates on its 2021 budget.
Economic Competitiveness
Overall, we have been very pleased with the efforts our Provincial government has taken the past
several years to reduce inefficiencies, balance the budget and to improve its fiscal situation. There is no
doubt that the pandemic has thwarted these efforts. To ensure a return to a path of prosperity, focus
must be given to stabilizing and strengthening the economy, preventing high business failure once
government support programs end and making Manitoba more attractive to investment and new
business.
1. The Chamber encourages the Province of Manitoba to provide continued supports for those
who need it most throughout 2021. Timely and accessible supports for businesses – especially
those in the hardest-hit sectors, such as hospitality, restaurants/bars/beverage rooms, hotels,
airlines/airports, personal services -- will prevent further layoffs, closures, and bankruptcies. We
assert that existing COVID-19 emergency relief programs should be scalable, enabling larger
businesses to access more significant relief to ensure their continuity. We also encourage
government to consider ways to promote a business stream of “buy local” (not just a consumer
campaign) to encourage selection of local supply chain inputs and investment in home-grown
products/materials.
Brandon Chamber of Commerce Page 1 of 42. The Chamber encourages the Province of Manitoba to focus on investments that will help
retrain and reskill Manitobans affected by the pandemic. We recommend that the Province of
Manitoba considers allocating funds directly to members of the business community, enabling
them to access, develop, and even deliver training and upskilling most suitable to the success of
their sector or individual business.
3. The Chamber encourages the Province of Manitoba to continue to reduce red tape to make it
easier for businesses to navigate these difficult times. In good times, government regulations
can be burdensome, costly, time-consuming, and frustrating. In these extraordinary times, the
impact is even greater. This government has done a great job with the amendments made to
the Planning Act that allow Brandon to approve its own subdivisions within its boundaries. We
believe that the continued cutting of red tape is vital in attracting outside investment and
growing our economy.
Rural Economic Development
In 2018, the government made significant strides with the launch of Manitoba’s Economic Growth
Action Plan, and more specific to the Westman area, the promise of a rural economic development
office to open in Brandon by early 2020.
4. The Chamber encourages the provincial government to commit to providing the support,
resources, and development for the long-term success of the Rural Manitoba Economic
Development Corporation (RMEDC). While we understand work to launch the RMEDC is
underway, we think it important to reiterate the importance of this entity to our region. We
encourage continued knocking down of silos and to working together when it comes to tax
funded economic development initiatives. As Manitoba’s second largest city, we would also like
to see Westman be the recipient of our share of the new private sector jobs that are being
planned.
Workforce
As a result of the pandemic, thousands have lost their job or have had to deal with changes to their
employment that will require reskilling and retraining to re-enter the workforce. Even prior to the
pandemic, there were challenges to understanding and addressing workforce gaps in the labour market.
More collaboration and communication are needed between businesses, education institutions and
government to address these barriers.
5. The Chamber asks the provincial government to commit to working with the business and
education sectors on a strategy to establish a new framework to better identify the needs of
business and the development of education programs to meet the growing demand for future
employment. We encourage the government to continue to support/expand on flexible funding
opportunities for post secondary institutions. Prior to the pandemic, it was reported that by
2025, 1 in 5 jobs in Manitoba will go unfilled in our agriculture sector, costing our economy
approximately $725 million. Assiniboine Community College wants to grow from under 300
Brandon Chamber of Commerce Page 2 of 4seats to over 800 to work at filling some of these current and future vacancies. A flexible funding
model that will allow them to react quickly to industry demands.
Social Issues
Growing social issues, including addiction, crime, and homelessness are eroding our communities and
impacting our economy. These impacts have only grown with the onset of the pandemic. For Brandon,
while a city-wide issue, it is perhaps most visible in our downtown core where more and more
storefronts are locked up and there are increasing concerns from businesses for personal safety and
property damage. Safe streets and safe communities are vital for healthy economies and the attraction
and retention of investment and business.
While the current provincial government has taken steps to address some of the glaring issues with long
term care and prevention programs as is outlined in the Safer Streets, Safer Lives Action Plan, we would
like to see continued action outside of Winnipeg and would like to see this government held
accountable for promises in these areas.
Conclusion
In the pre-budget submission provided by the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, they outline
recommendations for reopening the economy and we feel it bears repeating. As we move
forward in restarting Manitoba, it is imperative that our economic recovery be a staged process
supported by clear direction and guidance, as well as open and ongoing communication from
health care officials. We recognize that we can only recover effectively when we re-establish
Manitobans’ sense of safety and instill confidence for employers, employees, and customers.
Each region’s experience differs significantly across the province when it comes to transmission
rates, tracking and tracing capacity, and other variables. However, when the time comes,
businesses of all sizes need a predictable and coordinated effort to ensure society reopens in a
harmonized fashion that prioritizes individual safety as well as economic stability.
There are several critical elements that we encourage the Province to consider prioritizing to
ensure our recovery plan results in the greatest success:
1. A readiness plan with a focus on sectors and regions hardest hit. It is critical that
Manitoba’s employers are aware of how reopening will take place step-by-step so they
can properly prepare.
2. Advance notice. Businesses and their employees need sufficient time to prepare to get
back to work. In addition to the Engage platform which enables advance feedback on
proposed orders, we recommend at least ONE WEEK of notice regarding likely potential
changes to public health orders.
3. Clear guidelines. Businesses need to clearly understand the rules and how they will be
enforced. Inconsistent and unclear public health guidelines cause confusion among
businesses, employees, and consumers alike, and make it difficult for individuals to take
appropriate action to protect themselves and their communities.
Brandon Chamber of Commerce Page 3 of 44. Practical communication with businesses. Educational training via virtual workshops in
advance of reopening would equip employers with practical information to help them
implement proper protocols, and keep staff and customers safe. The Province of
Manitoba may also wish to consider offering virtual “awareness training” regarding
emergency relief programs.
5. Rapid testing. Sufficient and timely testing and tracing gets employees back to work
quickly, ensuring continued productivity and reduced strain on families.
6. Evidence-based decision making. A strong testing and tracing apparatus ensures the
province can accurately assess where and how the virus is spreading, so that efforts to
target restrictions can be confidently based on solid data.
7. Leveraging private sector to support vaccine distribution and deployment. Businesses
will be critical in supporting public awareness, logistical capabilities, and best practices.
Brandon Chamber of Commerce Page 4 of 4You can also read
