The provincial government has come through on a campaign promise to boost Assiniboine College’s incoming Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture project.
The facility, poised to become the new hub for agricultural programming, is earmarked for $60 million.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture is part of Assiniboine College’s plans to vastly expand its agricultural programs.
Read Also
Mazergroup’s Bob Mazer dies
Mazergroup’s Bob Mazer, who helped grow his family’s company into a string of farm equipment dealerships and the main dealer for New Holland machinery in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, died July 6 from cancer.
Premier Wab Kinew had promised the funding to college in 2023, prior to the NDP’s successful election bid.
On May 15, the province also announced another $60 million in bridge financing so contruction on the centre can start.
In January 2024, the college said they were in the homestretch for the long-fundraised for project. Their capital campaign had met its goals, and they had a commitment of provincial funding. At the time, the college was hoping for federal funding to fill their remaining needs.
“This is an amazing project to create a bigger workforce in our ag industry. The ag industry is the backbone of our economy here in Manitoba, so we’ve got to make the investment,” Kinew said May 15.
In a press release, Kinew added that agriculture is “critical to our province’s economy and to staying resilient against Trump’s tariffs.
“The Prairie Innovation Centre will house new and expanded training, so Manitobans can learn the skills they need to get good, in-demand ag jobs here in Westman and across the province.”
Of the $60 million in capital funding, $40 million will go directly to the Prairie Innovation Centre and $20 million is earmarked for a new 216-seat child care project within the centre.
The hundreds of training seats provided by the centre will feed a growing agriculture sector in western Canada, Kinew said.
The college has also noted the increasingly technical nature of ag-related jobs in the region, including food processors.
“We’re going to create 1,000 jobs in the process of building this thing, and then from there, Assiniboine College is going to be able to more than double the amount of grads that they’re producing, who can then go on to work in the ag industry, so this is a timely investment,” Kinew said May 15.
The Prairie Innovation Centre will feature collaboration with industry groups, cutting-edge research, and an expanded training capacity, all in aid of helping to meet labour market needs, according to the college.
College president Mark Frisson said he’s pleased with the province’s decision to finance the centre, since it will help to improve value-added processing and export development capacity across the agricultural industry.
“Today’s commitment allows us to go tender immediately. We look forward to working with the province to finalize participation of the government of Canada in the project,” Frisson said in the release.
The Manitoba government is actively lobbying the federal government to support the project. The province has written to Prime Minister Mark Carney on a number of initiatives, including funding for the Prairie Innovation Centre.
“We hope the federal government will be able to join us in this important investment to build up the ag sector and build up our country,” Kinew said. “They were just sworn in this week, so we’ll give them time to get up to speed.”
