Happy holidays!
The MBP office is closed from December 23, 2024January 3, 2025. Please visit our social media channels (X, Facebook, Instagram) for news and updates over the holiday season. The weekly newsletter will return on Friday, January 10, 2025.
Manitoba Government Expands Aerial Wildlife Survey Program
(December 20, 2024 E-Newsletter Content) The Manitoba government’s aerial wildlife surveillance program will cover more areas of the province to collect data that will inform critical decisions to manage wildlife populations, Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures Minister Ian Bushie announced.
“Aerial surveys are an important source of knowledge to see changes in moose, elk and caribou population trends over time,” said Bushie. “While the previous government fell short on surveillance, our government is ensuring we collect more data to inform decision-making by expanding the Wildlife Survey Program to greatly increase the areas surveyed annually from previous years.”
Announced last year, the Manitoba government entered a new contract that uses modern, innovative technology including solar-powered, long-range drones and infrared cameras to conduct aerial surveillance. Infrared cameras detect heat signatures of mammals, providing a more effective way to collect data for multiple wildlife species. This technology allows surveys of multiple species at one time including, moose, elk and caribou, which provides important information for conservationists, Indigenous treaty rights holders, and all Manitobans, the minister noted.
“I am pleased the Manitoba government is taking this step to better understand the moose population and I believe the numbers will validate the concerns of First Nations,” said Chief Heidi Cook, Misipawistik Cree Nation. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the Manitoba government to ensure the sustainability of our moose population and to ensure that meeting our food needs is given first
priority when it comes to moose hunting. This is a good first step and I extend my thanks to the minister for hearing our concerns and taking action to resolve them.”
“The Manitoba Wildlife Federation believes strongly in science-based management decisions that support conservation and the sustainability of Manitoba's natural resources,” said Chris Heald, senior policy adviser, Manitoba Wildlife Federation. “This funding will be a major benefit in assisting biologists with data collection and we commend Minister Bushie and the Manitoba government for this significant investment in aerial surveys.”
The Manitoba government is investing a total of $1.61 million to expand coverage for the 202425 aerial surveillance program. Funding has quadrupled for this year to enable the collection of data from eight game hunting areas, up from two to three areas covered in previous years.
“We are working in the spirit of renewed engagement in conservation,” said Bushie. “We wish to better manage wildlife resources together with stakeholders and Indigenous communities. Adding more study areas to our aerial surveillance program and openly sharing this and other on-the-ground knowledge and information will allow us to more effectively monitor and manage moose populations and work to better maintain a healthy ecological balance for generations to come.”
Annual reports for the big game aerial surveys are available at https://manitoba.ca/nrnd/fishwildlife/resource/articles-andpublications.html?wg=wildlife_and_fisheries_br anch&term=survey
Multi-Year Infrastructure Investment Strategy
Details Roadmap to Improved Highways, Airports and Water Infrastructure for Manitobans
(December 20, 2024 Province of Manitoba News Release) The Multi-year Infrastructure Investment Strategy, which outlines planned capital investments for highway, airport, waterrelated and general infrastructure over the next five years, is now available, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced today.
“Building the Manitoba of tomorrow starts with this new visionary plan,” said Naylor. “The Infrastructure Investment Strategy outlines our government’s priorities in connecting Manitobans across the province for years to come. Many of these projects will improve road safety, ensuring families can travel safely while also creating new opportunities to expand our economy and create thriving businesses and jobs.”
The strategy provides a comprehensive overview of the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure’s project priorities through to 2029 to improve transparency and provide advance notice to stakeholders and rightsholders, while still providing flexibility to accommodate emerging issues, the minister noted.
Some multi-year project highlights include:
• twinning of Trans-Canada Highway from five kilometres (km) west of Provincial Road (PR) 301 to the Ontario boundary to improve public safety and support trade through this major corridor;
• interchange construction on the south Perimeter Highway at McGillivray Boulevard and St. Anne’s Road as part of the Perimeter Freeway Initiative;
• projects on PTH 75 including a structure renewal at Morris River 0.6 km north of PTH 23 and surface reconstruction from 6.6 km north of PTH 14 to 3.4 km south of PTH 23;
• $600 million, conditional on a memorandum of understanding, to enhance flood protection to communities in the Lake Manitoba-Lake St. Martin area and to strengthen Manitoba’s existing network of flood mitigation infrastructure;
• progress toward construction of a new airport at Wasagamack Airport;
• continued work toward construction of a bridge at Sea Falls;
• intersection improvements on TransCanada Highway at Provincial Trunk Highway (PTH) 5; and
• surface reconstruction on PTH 6 from 0.6 km south of PR 239 to Fairford River.
“We’re pleased to see the Manitoban government outline a strong commitment to improve the infrastructure that keeps Manitobans moving, as we know the importance of our roads, bridges and flood protection systems to creating a strong economy,” said Chris Lorenc, president and CEO, Manitoba Heavy Construction Association. “A five-year plan ensures we’re able to meet the demands required by these important projects and we look forward to advancing Manitoba as a transportation hub not just in Canada, but across the continent.”
Multi-Year Infrastructure Investment Strategy
Details Roadmap to Improved Highways, Airports and Water Infrastructure for Manitobans
Projects outlined within this document are organized to reflect projects under four strategic investment categories: infrastructure renewal, economic development, climate resiliency and connectivity and innovation. These investments will strengthen and complement projects under ongoing initiatives such as the Trade and Commerce Grid Initiative, Perimeter Freeway Initiative, and Enhancing National Trade Corridors Strategy, noted the minister.
These investments also build on previously announced projects such $30 million to build a
northern corridor to the Port of Churchill to export resources to reflect the Manitoba government’s goal of making Manitoba an intercontinental trade gateway, a commitment of $15 million over several years for the capital redevelopment of the Thompson airport and continued support for the development of the CentrePort Canada Rail Park.
To read the Multi-year Infrastructure Investment Strategy, visit: www.gov.mb.ca/mti/myhis/pdf/2024_multiyear_infrastructure_investment_strategy.pdf
Manitoba Agriculture Update re: Agricultural Crown Land Invoices for 2025 - Canada Post Strike Impacts
MBP note: The follow was posted by Manitoba Agriculture prior to the strike ending and mail services being restored on December 17, but Canada Post has indicated there will be a backlog of mail to process.
As posted by the department:
Due to the ongoing postal disruption with Canada Post, 2025 ACL invoices will be delayed. Manitoba Agriculture is closely monitoring the situation and exploring alternative options for delivery. The department recognizes the impact the strike has in ensuring payments will be received by annual due dates of December 31, and will address concerns and adjust payment deadlines accordingly. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this period.
Manitoba Agriculture invites clients to proactively sign up for electronic accounts to ensure they receive information about their invoices and other important communications. Contact your local Farm Production Extension Specialist - Crown Lands (FPES-CL) or the Real Estate Services Branch (RESB) for information about signing up and options for paying outstanding bills in the event mail-in payments are not possible.
As a reminder, if you no longer require the lands you lease, you must submit a surrender form to Real Estate Services Branch (RESB). The form must be received by January 1, 2025. Contact
your local Farm Production Extension SpecialistCrown Lands (FPES-CL) to obtain a surrender form.
If your surrender form is received by January 1, 2025, you will not be responsible for the 2025 invoice amount. If your surrender form is not received by January 1, 2025, you will be responsible for the 2025 invoice amount. Partial surrenders of your lease and/or permit may not be approved.
ACL Cropping Lease and Permit Auction Planned for 2025
In 2024, Manitoba Agriculture paused the Agricultural Crown Lands Leases and Permits Auction. In 2025, the ACL Leases and Permits Auction will be limited to cropping leases only. There will be no forage leases and permits auction taking place for 2025. With significant program changes to the ACL forage lease program over the past five years, Manitoba is taking time to review the effectiveness of the changes and determine future program priorities. Casual permits will continue to be available for vacant properties (forage and cropping) through the regular application process for 2025. For more information about the Agricultural Crown Land Leasing Program, visit manitoba.ca/agriculture/landmanagement/crown-land/leasingprogram.html
Beef and Forage Days Austin
Beef and Forage Days 2025 Eriksdale, Austin & Roblin
Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., supper to follow
Place: Eriksdale Community Centre
21 Railway Ave., Eriksdale MB
Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Time: 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Place: Austin Community Centre
60 – 1st Ave., Austin MB
Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Place : Roblin Community Centre
55 6th Avenue N.E., Roblin MB
Agenda – Coffee and registration
Pasture and Hay Production and Rejuvenation
Livestock and Forage Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture
Cattle Market Update and Outlook for 2025
Rick Wright Cattle Consulting
Ask the Vet- Animal Health Update (Austin location)
Deanne Wilkinson Extension Veterinarian Manitoba Agriculture
Forage Efficient Beef Cows
Optimizing Greenfeed & Silage Production with Annual Crops (Roblin location)
Greg Penner, University of Saskatchewan
Beef Cattle Nutrition- Copper and Mineral Supplementation
Dr. John McKinnon, Western College of Veterinarian Medicine
Extended Grazing Options with Fall Rye Plus Teff for Forage and Dual Purpose
James Frey, Manitoba Agriculture– Roblin location only
For more information, contact Manitoba Agriculture:
Arborg 204-768-0534 (please register in advance)
Roblin 204-247-0087 (please register in advance)
Portage 204-239-3353
Province Issues 2024 Manitoba Basins Fall Conditions Report
(December 17, 2024 Province of Manitoba News Release) Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure’s Hydrologic Forecast Centre has released the 2024 Manitoba Basins Fall Conditions Report, which indicates soil moisture levels at the time of freeze-up were normal to below normal for most areas of Manitoba and river and lake levels are near normal throughout the province.
The report notes soil moisture at freeze-up was generally near normal to below normal for most Manitoba basins except for portions of the Red River basin in Manitoba and the United States, which have above-normal soil moisture, and portions of western Manitoba, which have wellbelow-normal conditions. From November to early December precipitation was significantly higher than normal.
The report also contains a long-term precipitation outlook as well as forecasted flows and levels throughout Manitoba basins that includes:
• Global weather prediction centres indicate a weak La Niña climate condition is expected to develop and persist through the winter. In Manitoba, this generally brings below-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation from December to March.
• Flows and levels on most Manitoba rivers are near normal for this time of the year and are expected to remain at normal levels through the winter.
• Most Manitoba lakes are at normal to below-normal levels for this time of the year and are within their respective operating ranges.
Near-normal to below-normal soil moisture levels and near-normal river and lake levels thus far indicate potential for near-normal to belownormal spring runoff across Manitoba basins. However, the extent of spring runoff is largely dependent on precipitation throughout the winter and spring and snowmelt conditions. The 2025 spring flood outlook will be released in the later weeks of February and March.
The Hydrologic Forecast Centre works collaboratively with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the National Weather Service and flood forecasters in neighbouring jurisdictions to monitor watershed conditions and winter precipitation patterns. The Manitoba Emergency Management Organization continues proactive preparations for emergency response efforts in advance of spring runoff.
To read the 2024 Manitoba Basins Fall Conditions Report, visit: https://gov.mb.ca/floodinfo/pdf/2024/2024_fall _conditions_report.pdf.
Intake Period Open for Federal Agricultural Clean Technology Program –
Research and Innovation Stream – Accelerator
(Source: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada) The following is information about funding opportunity offered through the federal Agricultural Clean Technology Program –Research and Innovation Stream – Accelerator.
The Accelerator is a pilot initiative that will provide up to $28 million in funding over 3 years through the ACT Program. The Accelerator will provide funding to eligible not-for-profit organizations (Initial Recipients) that will, in turn, use their specific networks and expertise to further distribute these funds to other organizations (Ultimate Recipients) in support of their research and innovation objectives. Aims include supporting technology development at a range of pre-market readiness levels, with a focus on early stages of development, as well as late-stage technology demonstration; supporting a variety of innovative clean technologies, specifically targeting those that align with key priorities; leveraging the existing networks and expertise of the Initial Recipients to expand the reach of funding.
The intake period is open: Applications will be accepted from November 25, 2024, to January 10, 2025.
For more information and to apply, please visit: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en/programs/acce lerator
For any questions on the Accelerator, please contact: aafc.act-ri-tpa-ri.aac@agr.gc.ca
https://www.truenorthfoods.ca/
2024 Intake of the Climate Action Fund Open and Now Accepting Applications
The 2024 intake of the Climate Action Fund (formerly known as the Conservation and Climate Fund) is open and now accepting applications.
The Climate Action Fund (the Fund) supports projects with up to a maximum of $150,000 in grant funding to help businesses, communities and non-profit organizations address the challenges of climate change while building a low-carbon economy and making life more affordable for Manitobans.
The three priorities of the Fund are:
• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Manitoba
• Supporting enhanced resiliency to the impacts from a changing climate
• Increasing affordable and clean energy technologies in Manitoba
Applicants to the Fund must be one of the following:
• Incorporated non-profit organization
• Academic or educational institution
• Manitoba municipality
• Northern Affairs Community
• Indigenous community or organization
• Business, including Social Enterprise Businesses
For municipalities, Northern Affairs Communities and Indigenous communities, up to maximum $15,000 is available for the development of climate adaptation or net-zero plans to support climate action. Municipal applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for complementary funding from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities programs.
The Fund will support projects to enable the purchase and installation of eligible Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations and related infrastructure, with a focus on communities along or near Manitoba travel corridors or in communities with limited EV chargers. The Fund will also support the installation of EV chargers in multi-unit residential buildings (MURBs). Applicants for EV Charging Infrastructure projects must be one of the following:
• A municipality or Northern Affairs Community.
• Indigenous community.
• A business, not-for profit organization, or other organization that partners with a municipality, Northern Affairs Community or Indigenous community
• Owner or operator of a multi-unit residential building.
Please note the deadline to submit applications is 12:00 pm Noon Central Standard Time on January 20th, 2025.
For more information on the Fund including, the guide and link to the online application form, visit Manitoba Grants Online at: https://www.gov.mb.ca/grants/index.html
The Canada Beef Performs e-news team wants your feedback. We’d like to hear what you think of the newsletter, the articles you read and what you’d like to see more (or less) of in Canada Beef’s free monthly newsletter via a short survey.
The survey is open until January 10, 2025. Click the red box on the digital ad to share your feedback about Canada Beef Performs. Candid or complimentary, Canada Beef appreciates feedback from current and new subscribers. Not a subscriber yet? Join now via the link on the ad.
Contest Rules and Regulations
Open to age of majority residents of Canada. Ten (10) $100 CAD prepaid credit card prizes are available to be won. Contest starts December 06, 2024 (10:00 am ET) and ends January 10, 2025 (11:59 pm ET).
One (1) entry per participant/email address. No purchase necessary. Odds depend on number of eligible entries. Math skill-testing question required to win. Terms and conditions apply, visit: here for full rules.
Be a Food Influencer!
Job Type
Part-Time/Term
Compensation
Competitive freelance salary to be negotiated based on duties assigned
To Apply
Please submit a resume video sample and minimum three references to Great Tastes of Manitoba Senior Producer, greattastesmb@gmail.com, by January 17, 2025
We thank all those who apply, but only applicants who meet the qualifications will be contacted for an interview.
Great Tastes of Manitoba is a farm-to-table collaboration showcasing the nutritious, affordable, delicious foods grown by Manitoba’s farmers. The well-known brand reaches consumers through a multi-platform approach which includes a website, social media presence, YouTube channel and Manitoba’s longest-running locally produced television series. We are seeking a diverse team of entertaining, food personalities to appear in our videos starting in June 2025. Successful cast members will appear in sponsored food-related video content targeting a consumer audience and represent the Great Tastes of Manitoba brand on the @GreatTastesTV YouTube channel. Cast members will report directly to the series’ senior producer, Donalee Jones.
Duties/Responsibilities
•Participation in content development meetings with series producers
•Recipe research and development
•Contributing personal experiences and knowledge to script development
•On camera delivery of scripted video content with a Teleprompter
•Ability to cook on camera
•Possible participation in Great Tastes activations at live events
•Ability to self-record vlog and social media content
Qualifications
•Successful candidate must have permanent residence in the province of Manitoba
•Excellent verbal communication
•Experience or keen interest in culinary arts/cooking/food & nutrition
•Have taken or be willing to take a Certified Food Handler Training Program
•On camera/performance experience
Benefits of joining our team
•Flexible work hours
•The ability to work with the team of video production professionals at Frank Digital and film on location in Frank’s Kitchen
•The opportunity to share your love of cooking with local food with a wider audience online
•Term contract renewal would be negotiated annually as funding allows
data-driven?
Job Type
Part-Time/Term
Compensation
Competitive freelance salary to be negotiated based on duties assigned
To Apply
Please submit a resume and minimum three references to Great Tastes of Manitoba Senior Producer, greattastesmb@gmail.com, by January 17, 2025
We thank all those who apply, but only applicants who meet the qualifications will be contacted for an interview. Are you
Great Tastes of Manitoba is a farm-to-table collaboration showcasing the nutritious, affordable, delicious foods grown by Manitoba’s farmers. The well-known brand reaches consumers through a multi-platform approach which includes a website, social media presence, YouTube channel and Manitoba’s longest-running locally produced television series. We are seeking a part-time Manager of Data & Analytics to join our expanding team from February to December 2025, with the potential for renewal. Due to the flexible nature of the position, hours will be determined based on the candidate’s strengths and availability, which could be up to 12 hours per week. The Data Manager will report directly to the series’ senior producer, Donalee Jones.
Duties/Responsibilities
• Working with the GTOM Senior Producer & Digital Producer to implement a targeted digital marketing plan
• Tracking digital marketing and social media analytics and providing recommendations based on results
• To develop customer surveys and report results to sponsors
• Participation in client-facing meetings and communication
Qualifications
• Successful candidate must have permanent residence in the province of Manitoba
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to work independently
• Post-secondary education in marketing, communications, or creative field
• Proficiency with Meta Business Suite, YouTube Creator Studio, WordPress, Survey Monkey and Google Analytics
• Minimum 2 years experience in Sales/Marketing or similar creative field
• Post-secondary education in marketing, communications, or creative field
• Experience or knowledge of agriculture in Manitoba will be considered an asset
• Experience or knowledge of culinary arts/food will be considered an asset
Benefits of joining our team
• Work independently from home OR at our offices at 509 Century Street (free parking)
• Flexible work hours
• On-the-job training and professional development opportunities
• Term contract renewal would be negotiated annually as funding allows