Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - November 13, 2025, Winnipeg, Manitoba B5 THURSDAY NOVEMBER 13, 2025 ● BUSINESS@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ● WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM BUSINESS West End BIZ highlights innovative spirit in work to improve neighbourhood JOE KORNELSEN was alarmed, until he realized he was witnessing employ- ee innovation. The West End Business Improvement Zone executive director expected to be the first one at the office when he ar- rived at 5:15 a.m. one day in July, only to find the non-profit’s truck running out- side. Concerned, he entered the build- ing cautiously and found Jose, the staff member in charge of the organization’s street cleaning team, already at work. Unbeknownst to Kornelsen, Jose had implemented a 5 a.m. planter-watering shift to avoid daytime traffic — a move that on some days allowed Jose and his team to water 300 planters and 55 hang- ing baskets in half the time. Kornelsen relayed the story to a crowd at the BIZ’s annual general meeting on Wednesday to illustrate all staff members at the organization are continually thinking of new ways to im- prove what they do. “It’s no small thing to just start com- ing in at 5 a.m., right?” Kornelsen said. “And it is in the interest of saving time, saving resources and allowing those resources to be deployed in novel and better ways on behalf of members.” Kornelsen highlighted the BIZ’s ef- forts to maintain and improve the Win- nipeg neighbourhood’s image, as well as contribute to the safety of its residents during his remarks at the lunch-hour AGM. Staff have collected 8,000 five-gallon buckets of litter, Kornelsen noted, which equates to 50 per cent more litter picked up this year over last year. He added, in recent months, the organization pur- chased its first vehicle for its patrol team, which responds to safety concerns. “Oftentimes, we would show up too late to be of any assistance and now what we’re seeing is members raving to us about the speed the patrols are able to show up,” Kornelsen said. Meanwhile, the BIZ’s efforts to beautify the West End are ongoing. For the third time in four years, Kornelsen noted, the organization has partnered with Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel Mcln- tyre) to deliver a major capital project to the neighbourhood. The first two projects resulted in 15 new murals being added to the West End in fewer than two years. The latest project will be a $140,000 renovation of Sri Sathya Sai Park at the corner of Sar- gent Avenue and Banning Street. Improving Sargent Avenue is an im- portant goal for the BIZ, Kornelsen said, given it’s a major airport route and may shape people’s perceptions of the West End and Winnipeg as a whole. “An innovative, feedback-driven and leadership-oriented spirit is taking hold in the West End and driving us forward stronger than ever before,” he said to- ward the end of his remarks. BIZ treasurer Rick Shone high- lighted the organization projects excess revenue of $95,616 as the result of an increased amount of grants and spon- sorships, plus operational savings. The excess revenue will be carried over to 2026 programming. “Overall, the BIZ is maintaining a healthy and stable financial position and continues to maximize its resour- ces as best as possible,” Shone said. Every business (excluding non-profits) within the boundaries of the BIZ pays a levy based on its annual rental value. The BIZ’s 2026 budget requires an estimated levy rate of 1.88 per cent to be applied to the total ARV, Shone said, which is consistent with the levy tar- geted for 2025. The BIZ has one of the lowest levy rates out of the 16 business improvement zones in the city, he added. In addition to the $802,139 the BIZ will collect in membership contribu- tions in 2026, the organization also expects to receive $482,139 in grants, partnerships and other contributions. There are approximately 1,000 busi- nesses operating in the West End. The BIZ is geographically the largest busi- ness improvement zone in the city. aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca AARON EPP Ambassador to Canada makes co-operation pitch to premier, local business and post-secondary education leaders China, MB ‘complementary in a lot of areas’ A S Canada and China look to ease tariff-fuelled trade tensions, Wang Di has been making rounds in Manitoba and planting seeds for fu- ture collaboration. Tourism, infrastructure and artifi- cial intelligence are among the sectors China’s ambassador to Canada is eyeing. He sat down for an exclusive inter- view with the Free Press in between meetings with Premier Wab Kinew and University of Manitoba leadership on Wednesday. “In this world full of turbulence and changes and challenges, the more co-operation between China and Canada — and a better relationship between our two countries — will be good for both sides,” Wang said through a translator inside the Hampton Inn in Winnipeg. “China and Manitoba are comple- mentary in a lot of areas.” Wang’s visit comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Mark Car- ney declared a turning point in Can- ada’s relationship with China. Carney met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at an economic leaders’ meeting last month; the two committed to grow their countries’ bilateral relationship. Wang visited Winnipeg this week to advance the goal. On the ambassador’s list: talk tariffs with Kinew. Chinese and Canadian departments are working “very fast” to find solu- tions, Wang said. Currently, Manitoba farmers are being hammered by Chi- nese tariffs on canola and pork. The levies — ranging from 25 per cent on pork exports to 100 per cent on canola oil, meal and peas — are viewed as a response to 100 per cent tariffs Canada placed on Chinese electric vehicle imports last year. “We believe that as long as both sides uphold the spirit of mutual understand- ing and mutual accommodation … we will be able to find a solution,” Wang said, adding he’s in “extensive consen- sus” with Kinew. The Manitoba premier penned a let- ter to Carney last month, calling for Ottawa to resolve its trade dispute with Beijing. Thousands of Manitobans’ liveli- hoods have been threatened by the Chi- nese tariffs, Kinew noted: “Every day these tariffs remain in place, the harm to Prairie producers deepens.” Wang and Kinew also discussed sec- tors China and Manitoba could collab- orate on. The premier was not made available for comment by print dead- line Wednesday. “We’ll continue to build a relationship together through the near-term chal- lenges and the future opportunities,” Kinew said in a social media post about meeting Wang. The Chinese ambassador highlighted tourism, education, artificial intelli- gence, technology and infrastructure as collaboration areas. He also met with leadership at Arctic Gateway Group, which owns the Port of Churchill and the Hudson Bay Railway. China could assist in port construction and railway development, Wang said, adding China has a hand in 129 ports globally. The ambassador said he met with Manitoba First Nations grand chiefs; they brought up a need for all-weather roads China could play a role in con- structing. “As long as the Canadian side — in- cluding the provincial government of Manitoba — are ready to work together with China, China will encourage Chi- nese companies to co-operate,” Wang said. Meantime, settling tariff concerns should happen simultaneously with ex- ploring new areas of partnership, he added. Mining is another sector China is in- terested in, Wang said. Canada has restricted Chinese invest- ment in the past. Two years ago, Can- ada made three Chinese companies sell their stakes in Canadian mineral firms, citing national security concerns. Chinese company Sinomine Resource Group Co., Ltd. still owns a lithium-pro- ducing mine near the Whiteshell Prov- incial Park (called the Tanco mine). Wang planned to meet University of Manitoba leadership on Wednesday to discuss “educational co-operation.” Canada is one of Chinese students’ top post-secondary destinations, he said. However, Canada has slashed the number of immigrant pupils it will ac- cept. The ambassador said China hopes for the removal of such education-relat- ed obstacles. The province’s agriculture sector, too, was keeping en eye on Wednesday’s meetings. “We welcome the Chinese ambas- sador and we welcome the dialogue,” said Cam Dahl, Manitoba Pork general manager, adding local producers have swallowed millions of dollars to main- tain prices for Chinese customers. China was Manitoba’s second-largest destination for agri-food exports last year. It bought 15 per cent of the goods, or $1.4 billion worth. Canola seeds ac- counted for $649 million — it was the biggest export — and pork elicited $153 million. Manitoba is second to Quebec as the nation’s top pork exporter to China. Producers are pausing investments for now — they’re unsure what the market will look like in the next six months, Dahl said. Uncertainty has wracked canola farmers, too, said Warren Ellis, chair of the Manitoba Canola Growers, and one of roughly 7,500 canola producers in the province. Many are storing their crops in grain bins because of a demand deficit, Ellis said. The season has likely ended with an average amount of canola production, around three million metric tonnes. Canola prices haven’t tanked — it’s still a desirable product with buyers in other countries, Ellis said — but farmers are bracing for financial losses. “I do believe that this is going to get resolved,” Ellis said. “(But) we need some compensation for the losses. We need stability as well.” gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com GABRIELLE PICHÉ MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Chinese ambassador to Canada Wang Di speaks via an interpretor at the Hampton Inn in Winnipeg. Wang met with Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, among others, on Wednesday. China’s purchases of U.S. soybeans stall CHINA’S purchases of American soybeans appear to have stalled, less than two weeks after the U.S. touted a wide-ranging trade truce that signalled thawing relations between the world’s two biggest economies. After a flurry of orders late last month — which were the first of this season — Chinese imports of U.S. cargoes seem to have faltered, according to traders who asked not to be iden- tified discussing confidential information. They said they were not aware of new shipments. The pause is fuelling uncertainty over whether the biggest consumer of American soybeans will import as much as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration claims to expect. The agreement with China was seen as cru- cial for providing relief to struggling American farmers, who have been hard-hit by inflation and high input costs. China has held off buying U.S. soybeans for much of this season, hurting growers while giving Beijing a key bargaining chip during negotiations with Washington. The U.S. trade with China was worth more than US$12 billion last year. Soybean futures rallied in the weeks leading up to the deal, but have fluctuated since amid worries over a lack of visibility on purchases. Futures were little changed on Wednesday. Washington said Beijing had pledged to buy 12 million tons of soybeans by the end of this year, followed by 25 million tons annually over the next three years. China has yet to confirm the specific purchase commitments mentioned by Trump’s team, but Beijing has reduced tariffs on American soybeans and lifted import bans on three American exporters. — Bloomberg News Duha Colour Services to move U.S. firm’s operations to Winnipeg, add 94 new jobs FRESH off its acquisition of one of its leading U.S. competitors, Winni- peg-based Duha Colour Services Ltd. has announced it will use government grant money to expand its operations. The federal and Manitoba govern- ments said on Wednesday they have tabbed $160,000 for the Duha Group subsidiary — the world’s largest manu- facturer of paint swatches and colour charts — to upgrade its local plant and train 136 employees. Duha Group first announced bring- ing the U.S.-based Colwell Color Ltd. brand under its banner in October 2024. It said this week it is transporting equipment and operations to Winnipeg from Colwell’s facility in Indiana. The move — and government grant — will create 94 new positions and allow the firm to train 42 current employees. “They’ve chosen to bring their jobs back here, home to Winnipeg, to in- vest in new equipment and new oper- ations here, bringing it from the United States of America to here in Manitoba, meaning more good jobs, right here at home,” said Business and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses. Rick Duha, the firm’s chief business officer, said the manufacturer is “doub- ling down our on commitment to Mani- toba as the heart of our global business.” The company was founded in 1948. Its headquarters and largest manu- facturing facility are in Winnipeg, on Bradford Street, with additional oper- ations in the U.S., China, Germany, Ma- laysia, Singapore and Australia. Duha said the firm sees Manitoba as having a strategic advantage. “Its combination of skilled, hard- working talent pools, a business friend- ly environment and more affordable cost structures allows us to remain globally competitive, while continuing to invest in our people in our operations here at home,” he said. Duha said the firm has already made several of the new hires. Including the new roles, the company’s current com- plement in Winnipeg numbers about 300 employees. He expects about 20 more hires to be made before the end of the fiscal year. The new jobs are positions across the firm’s manufacturing division, as well as some in its front-end office. The money comes via the Can- ada-Manitoba Labour Market Transfer Agreement. erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca ERIK PINDERA ;