Last week, 60 leaders from businesses, municipalities and Indigenous communities teamed up to explore best practices in purchasing, and meeting the needs of a growing population. They reviewed legal and trade obligations as well as ways to harness their purchasing clout, getting the best value for dollars. With METRO Region municipalities projected to spend nearly $1B on goods and services in the next 5 years, looking at the best way to use their clout and ensure value is achieved, is an important area of focus. 

This first workshop, sponsored by the Winnipeg Construction Association, demonstrated that through cooperation and building understanding across sectors, we can find ways to work together that will benefit the communities we all live in.

With the Winnipeg METRO Region growing, leaders from all levels of government, business and industry, as well as NGOs, will have to find ways to work together if we are to meet the needs of a growing population. Whether it is building new community infrastructure like roads and bridges or schools, hospitals and recreation facilities – investments that make our communities competitive, vibrant and safe – there is a lot of work to be done. 

We recognize that there is value in partnerships. Businesses help build our communities and provide good jobs for residents, and NGOs help to ensure balance is achieved. Over the past few years, leaders from the Winnipeg METRO Region have reached out to business, industry and NGOs to understand their perspective and get the most up to date information to ensure the best decisions are made. Creating strong regional partnerships in the METRO region is invaluable and may be the best way to meet the demands of the future.

Perhaps if we continue to build these relationships and find new ways to work together, we may just be able to meet the demands of the future in ways we never dreamed possible.