RMEDCorp

As National Indigenous Peoples Day is observed this Sunday, the RMED team joins others across Canada in honouring the cultures, languages, and knowledge systems of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples, and recognizing their ongoing contributions to communities.

We remain committed to supporting Indigenous-led economic development in rural Manitoba and advancing economic reconciliation.

Partnerships are strengthened through ongoing collaboration and opportunities to connect.

This week, RMED’s Economic Development Advisor, Eric Forster, participated in the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce 2026 Economic Development Tour to the City of Winkler, where he reconnected with Marie-Cécile Alvarez from CDEM.

RMED and CDEM have worked together on initiatives that support rural Manitoba communities, including Community Growth Strategy Assessments for bilingual municipalities. Opportunities like this provide time to reconnect, exchange ideas, and continue building relationships that support communities across rural Manitoba.

The tour highlighted Winkler’s strong manufacturing and business sector through visits to local industry leaders and discussions on community growth, innovation, and economic development.

Thank you to the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce for bringing partners together and showcasing the communities that contribute to Manitoba’s economy.

Supporting young entrepreneurs means investing in the future of Manitoba's economy.

Yesterday, RMED's Alexander Lavoie, CITP and Devin Shtykalo attended Futurpreneur's Made in Canada. Made by Youth event, celebrating 30 years of empowering young entrepreneurs through financing, mentorship, and business support.

The event highlighted the importance of strong partnerships and a connected entrepreneurial ecosystem in helping young business owners succeed. Organizers also reflected on Futurpreneur's impact in Manitoba over the past three decades, including support for hundreds of youth-led businesses across the province.

In his remarks, Manitoba's Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation, Minister Moses, captured the spirit of the event, saying, “When we support each other, we all grow stronger; a rising tide lifts all boats.”

At RMED, we value opportunities to engage with partners who are helping build resilient communities and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs across Manitoba.

Congratulations to Futurpreneur on 30 years of championing youth entrepreneurship and inspiring future business leaders.

Thank you, EDAM, for another successful forum.

RMED was proud to sponsor this year's event and to showcase our resources, including the Pulse of Rural Manitoba and Interactive Regional Profiles.

It was a pleasure to engage in conversations, answer questions, and demonstrate how these tools support data-informed planning and economic development across rural Manitoba.

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat with our team. We appreciate the opportunity to share our work and look forward to continuing the conversation.

If you did not have a chance to visit our booth, you can explore RMED's resources at https://rmedcorp.ca/resources/

We're looking forward to connecting with attendees at the 2026 EDAM Forum.

As a proud sponsor of this year's event, RMED will have a booth where you can meet our team, ask questions, and discuss the tools and resources available to support economic development in rural Manitoba.

Stop by to learn more about:

-The Pulse of Rural Manitoba

-Interactive Regional Profiles

And other RMED resources that can support planning, investment attraction, and informed decision-making.

Stop by our booth for a live demonstration, ask questions, and discuss how RMED's resources can support your work.

We look forward to seeing you in Russell!

What does the data tell us about the future of rural Manitoba?

How are population trends, housing pressures, economic activity, and community capacity shaping opportunities across rural communities?

These are some of the questions explored in RMED's webinar, Insights from The Pulse of Rural Manitoba Report.

Developed in partnership with the Rural Development Institute, Brandon University, The Pulse of Rural Manitoba brings together key indicators and research to provide a clearer picture of the trends influencing rural communities across the province. The report is designed to support evidence-based planning, informed decision-making, and meaningful conversations about rural Manitoba's future.

If you missed the live session, the recording is now available.

Watch the webinar recording: https://youtu.be/d4Nh88bC1ig

📊 Download The Pulse of Rural Manitoba report: https://rmedcorp.ca/reports/

Webinar Series Pulse of Rural Join Rural Manitoba Economic Development (RMED) and the Rural Devel...

We are looking forward to joining innovators, economic development professionals, and municipal leaders at the Innovate Rural Conference in Estevan, hosted by Southeast Techhub.

RMED CEO Margot Cathcart will be presenting on the topic “From Data to Development: Mapping Rural Opportunity,” a session focused on how data, technology, and regional insight are helping reshape rural economic development conversations across Manitoba.

We will also be exhibiting at Booth 13, where attendees can connect with the RMED team and see a demonstration of our new Interactive Regional Profiles portal and other rural data tools.

If you are attending the conference, stop by and say hello. We would love to connect and continue the conversation around rural innovation, visibility, and investment readiness.

Not everyone had the opportunity to attend the launch of the Pulse of Rural Manitoba report. This webinar is an opportunity to take a closer look at the report and what it is telling us about rural communities across Manitoba.

Join RMED and the Rural Development Institute, Brandon University, for a discussion on key demographic and economic trends shaping rural Manitoba, including housing, workforce patterns, immigration, and regional growth.at Brandon University

The session will also explore what these trends could mean for planning, workforce development, and long-term community resilience.

If you work in economic development, municipal leadership, planning, business, research, or community development, this conversation is worth attending.

📅 Thursday, June 4, 2026

🕙 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CST

Register here:https://rmedcorp.ca/workshop/webinar-series-topic-tbd-2/

Members of the RMED team recently attended a workshop hosted by Community Futures Westman featuring Peter Kenyon, focused on storytelling, community identity, and the growing role of the experience economy in shaping local development.

One idea that stayed with us is this: people are no longer only choosing products or places based on function alone. They are choosing experiences, connection, authenticity, and stories they can remember and share.

For rural communities, that shift is significant.

It changes how we think about tourism, downtowns, local businesses, events, investment attraction, public spaces, and even how communities tell their story.

The conversation was a reminder that economic development is not only about infrastructure and statistics. It is also about how people experience a place, how welcomed they feel, what they remember, and what makes them want to return, invest, live, or build there.

Thank you to Community Futures Westman for organizing the session, and to Peter Kenyon for the practical insights and stories shared throughout the day.