On Feb. 25, an MHCA delegation, led by Board Chair John Highmoor, met with Premier Wab Kinew and his Chief of Staff, Mark Rosner, to present MHCA’s 2026–27 pre-budget recommendations.
The MHCA delegation included:
- Dennis Cruise, Immediate Past Chair
- Nicole Chabot, Past Chair and Chair, MHCA Aggregate Producers Committee
- Marcel Machado, Treasurer and Chair, MHCA Highways Committee
- Tony Teixeira, Secretary and Chair, MHCA Winnipeg Committee
- Richard Wilson, Chair, MHCA Workforce Development Committee
- Chris Lorenc, President & CEO
During a constructive and engaging discussion, MHCA presented the following recommendations:
1. Establish a Manitoba Economic Development Agency
The Premier announced the Manitoba Economic Development Strategy in fall 2025. The strategy aims to build a more productive and inclusive economy and position Manitoba as a “have” province by 2040, offering higher wages and sustainable career opportunities through collaboration with stakeholders. MHCA endorses these objectives. To support this strategy, MHCA recommends:
- Establishing a business-led Manitoba Economic Development Agency to spearhead a coordinated economic growth strategy.
- Prioritizing:
- Investment in trade gateways and corridors to advance trade diversification; and
- Strategic investments in the Port of Churchill, CentrePort Canada, the Emerson border crossing, and PTH #1 (including east of Falcon Lake to the Ontario border) as key north, south, east, and west trade assets supporting Canada’s global trade diversification.
2. Release a Manitoba Transportation System Investment Strategy
To equip Manitoba with an effective, efficient, and sustainable transportation system that supports growth in a trade-reliant economy, MHCA recommends:
- That MTI table a long-term, fully costed Manitoba Transportation System Investment Strategy based on system condition, needs, gaps, and opportunities; and
- That it be supported by both annual and five-year capital programs.
3. Increase MTI’s annual highways capital budget
To strengthen Manitoba’s connections to domestic, continental, and global markets, address the system’s infrastructure deficit, enhance safety, and leverage capital programming as a driver of economic growth, MHCA recommends:
- Increasing MTI’s Annual Highways Capital Program from approximately $515 million to between $900 million and $1.1 billion annually;
- Phasing in this increase over three fiscal years, beginning with Budget 2026–27;
- Aligning investments with the recommended long-term strategy; and
- Supporting implementation through sustainable, predictable annual and five-year capital programs.
4. Restore authority to tender over budget to accommodate unplanned carryover
To improve strategic and operational program delivery, MHCA recommends restoring limited authority for MTI to tender projects beyond the approved annual budget to accommodate unplanned project carryovers. This flexibility would help ensure smooth capital program delivery and maximize overall investment outcomes.
5. Restore carry-forward of unspent highways capital funds
To support fiscal responsibility, long-term planning, project continuity, and operational efficiency, MHCA recommends restoring the ability to carry forward unspent highways capital funds into the subsequent fiscal year, with appropriate reporting and oversight to ensure accountability.
6. Increase federal and provincial contributions to urban trade gateways and corridors
To ensure equitable cost-sharing for urban trade gateways and corridors that intersect provincial systems, MHCA recommends that federal and provincial governments contribute no less than 40% of total capital costs.
Examples include improvements to Route 90 and the Chief Peguis Trail extension.
The MHCA delegation left the meeting confident that the Premier understood and acknowledged the rationale for these recommendations. The delegation is hopeful that they will be meaningfully reflected in the 2026–27 provincial budget, which will be tabled later this spring.
