Business in Winnipeg

[Urban recluse]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

Nice to see Winnipeg getting some love in the Globe today. Terrific article. Now about posting those links on here...

Does anyone subscribe to the G&M? It would be interesting to see if this article truly examines the economy, or simply repeats how government funded projects are keeping the construction industry busy. I find many articles like this unbalanced because they neglect the fact that the number of people leaving the province has been on the rise again. If the economy is so bright, why are they leaving? People will leave. No way to completely stop it because some want lifestyle options not available in Winnipeg, etc. Moreover, the reporter should also cite the large inventory of condos, retail space and office space. I have no use for puff pieces: I want a balanced examination of all facets.

[jmt18325]

Aren't people also coming here in record numbers? There's a difference between balance and highlighting things with a negative slant.

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Aren't people also coming here in record numbers? There's a difference between balance and highlighting things with a negative slant.

There's also a difference between immigration and interprovincial migration. It's true that it's relatively easy to convince people from the Philippines or Latin America to emigrate to Canada via Manitoba, but interprovincial out-migration consistently exceeds in-migration (and better reflects the province's economic position vs. the rest of the country).

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by Andy6

There's also a difference between immigration and interprovincial migration. It's true that it's relatively easy to convince people from the Philippines or Latin America to emigrate to Canada via Manitoba, but interprovincial out-migration consistently exceeds in-migration (and better reflects the province's economic position vs. the rest of the country).

Right now it reflects the fact that retirees prefer the climate in b.c. That won't change.

With the decline in the oil patch young people will be staying in,and, in many cases returning to Manitoba. The narrative is changing.

[Danny D Oh]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Does anyone subscribe to the G&M? It would be interesting to see if this article truly examines the economy, or simply repeats how government funded projects are keeping the construction industry busy. I find many articles like this unbalanced because they neglect the fact that the number of people leaving the province has been on the rise again. If the economy is so bright, why are they leaving? People will leave. No way to completely stop it because some want lifestyle options not available in Winnipeg, etc. Moreover, the reporter should also cite the large inventory of condos, retail space and office space. I have no use for puff pieces: I want a balanced examination of all facets.

It's a puff piece IMO. If we're doing well, I'd hate to see what bad looks like. I graduated from university 5 years ago and very few from my cohort of friends and acquaintances from high school or university have found stable employment in Winnipeg. The majority who have left the city, either moving to cities elsewhere or rural areas of Manitoba. Seems like this isn't really something the money types are all that worried about. More encouraged by the low interest rates so we can borrow money cheaply when they talk about my generation.

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by Danny D Oh

It's a puff piece IMO. If we're doing well, I'd hate to see what bad looks like. I graduated from university 5 years ago and very few from my cohort of friends and acquaintances from high school or university have found stable employment in Winnipeg. The majority who have left the city, either moving to cities elsewhere or rural areas of Manitoba. Seems like this isn't really something the money types are all that worried about. More encouraged by the low interest rates so we can borrow money cheaply when they talk about my generation.

Well, if you really want to see what bad looks like, go spend some time in Calgary.

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

Does anyone subscribe to the G&M? It would be interesting to see if this article truly examines the economy, or simply repeats how government funded projects are keeping the construction industry busy. I find many articles like this unbalanced because they neglect the fact that the number of people leaving the province has been on the rise again. If the economy is so bright, why are they leaving? People will leave. No way to completely stop it because some want lifestyle options not available in Winnipeg, etc. Moreover, the reporter should also cite the large inventory of condos, retail space and office space. I have no use for puff pieces: I want a balanced examination of all facets.

As a longtime subscriber to the Globe, I can say the idea they would write a puff piece on Winnipeg is quite humorous. Unless of course they were trying to balance out all their hatchet jobs over the years.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Andy6

There's also a difference between immigration and interprovincial migration. It's true that it's relatively easy to convince people from the Philippines or Latin America to emigrate to Canada via Manitoba, but interprovincial out-migration consistently exceeds in-migration (and better reflects the province's economic position vs. the rest of the country).

That would be fine. Except, you'd have to compare Manitoba's in migration to a place with almost as many people, Nova Scotia. Not only do far fewer people move there, but far fewer stay there. Manitoba has some of the best immigrant retention stats in Canada.

Like I said, a lot of glass half empty people around here lately. Manitoba has been growing faster than the majority of Canada for the last decade, and has a per capita GDP now almost equal to Ontario and BC. Equalization has fallen by 20% since it's peak. Job growth is amongst the best in the country.

[Tacheguy]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

That would be fine. Except, you'd have to compare Manitoba's in migration to a place with almost as many people, Nova Scotia. Not only do far fewer people move there, but far fewer stay there. Manitoba has some of the best immigrant retention stats in Canada.

Like I said, a lot of glass half empty people around here lately. Manitoba has been growing faster than the majority of Canada for the last decade, and has a per capita GDP now almost equal to Ontario and BC. Equalization has fallen by 20% since it's peak. Job growth is amongst the best in the country.

This city and province are moving ahead. People can believe what they want.

[Urban recluse]

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/m...show-1.2980582

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Urban recluse

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/m...show-1.2980582

Right - but those stats predate the oil crash.

We're always going to lose to people to larger markets. We're doing better than ever at keeping the people we bring in.

[The Saint]

There will always be people who choose to leave Winnipeg, regardless of what immenities we have, or what the tax situation is. There are those who can't find happiness, no matter where they go. The winter climate will forever chase some away, ( too soft if you ask me, grow a pair maybe ). Myself, I couldn't live where there is no winter. Few places in southern Canada present the opportunity to enjoy winter activities like we can here. I am an outdoors enthusiast myself, and love the snowmobiling and ice fishing we have, which is regarded as some of the best on Earth! We here in Winnipeg are recognized as being some of the friendliest people anywhere, and it seems to me, that friendly people are happy people. If life here is so miserable, why are we so happy then? (can't wait to hit the beach this summer)

[esquire]

Well, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later...

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/can...377782931.html

[BigG]

Breaking news this morning, BCE just bought out MTS for nearly $4 billion dollars. Some of the mobile aspects of it may be handed over to Telus, as Telus is also owned by Bell. The company will be known as Bell MTS.

http://www.cjob.com/2016/05/02/mts-s...llion-dollars/

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by BigG

Breaking news this morning, BCE just bought out MTS for nearly $4 billion dollars. Some of the mobile aspects of it may be handed over to Telus, as Telus is also owned by Bell. The company will be known as Bell MTS.

http://www.cjob.com/2016/05/02/mts-s...llion-dollars/

Terrible news. Thanks Gary Filmon. Took a little longer than I thought but here it is. How much did you end up making?

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by BigG

Breaking news this morning, BCE just bought out MTS for nearly $4 billion dollars. Some of the mobile aspects of it may be handed over to Telus, as Telus is also owned by Bell. The company will be known as Bell MTS.

http://www.cjob.com/2016/05/02/mts-s...llion-dollars/

Bell doesn't own Telus afaik. They do have a partnership of sorts on networks but I think that's the extent of it.

I wonder what this sale means for cell phone plan pricing in MB now? Will it go up to other province's pricing structures? MTS was one of the main reasons Manitobans enjoyed cheaper cell phone plans vs othe provinces due to the local competition.

[esquire]

^ I think it's a safe bet that without a strong independent player in the market, prices are going to go up. It's just a question of by how much... i.e. are we going to get Ontario rates for everything or will the hikes be a little more moderate?

From a consumer standpoint we've had one of the more ideal setups in Canada with regard to options and prices... now really only Saskatchewan is left in that boat.

[Tacheguy]

There were a large number of good corporate jobs at mts. One of our few large head offices. I wonder how many good jobs will be associated with the western headquarters that Bell will have in Winnipeg, and whether those jobs will be sustained after the regulatory dust settles. I think from an economic development point of view this could be a blow to the peg. I hope that won't be the case..

[Tacheguy]

I should also mention that mts procured a lot of goods and services locally. Big changes for a lot of those companies too..

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Tacheguy

There were a large number of good corporate jobs at mts. One of our few large head offices. I wonder how many good jobs will be associated with the western headquarters that Bell will have in Winnipeg, and whether those jobs will be sustained after the regulatory dust settles. I think from an economic development point of view this could be a blow to the peg. I hope that won't be the case..

Right from the get-go we're effectively losing another head office function of a significant publicly-traded company in exchange for a regional HQ. Even if not a single job is lost that loss in stature is considerable.

Few of head offices in Winnipeg have simply up-and-left or disappeared as we saw with, say, HudBay or Canwest. More often than not it's a slow bleed where most of the important local jobs are lost in a takeover, or the company's presence here is dramatically reduced as with Agricore United/Viterra or CWB.

It seems that with every passing decade the city's corporate base - not so much the guys out in industrial parks building buses or furniture, but the people whose business is predominantly conducted in big office buildings - gets steadily chipped away with little coming up to replace it. This is just the latest example.