City and RM of Portage committing to multi-year economic and tourism development deal with PRED

The City and Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie are entering a four-year funding agreement with Portage Regional Economic Development, setting the stage for comprehensive economic growth and strategic tourism promotion. Under the agreement, the City of Portage la Prairie will provide an annual contribution of $261,710, while the RM will contribute $112,162 annually.

Eve O'Leary, Director of Economic Development at PRED, says this arrangement enables proactive, long-term planning."Economic development is a very multi-faceted approach. It is quite complex, and going year-to-year for budgets is quite constraining on the administration and operational side so we really appreciate the councils taking a very pro-active approach to growing our community and economy here in Portage la Prairie.". O'Leary highlights the progressive nature of municipalities partnering to leverage assets for tourism promotion, "It is rare to see municipalities come together and promote economic development and this specifically is focused in on tourism and tourism is certainly a huge economic driver in the province of Manitoba so we should be proud to be a model for other communities across the province.". O'Leary points out PRED has recently completed an economic impact assessment with a distinct focus on tourism as an industry in this region saying, "Now we have the resources and the capacity to move that strategic plan forward and to position Portage la Prairie as one of Manitoba's premier destinations.". 

Joe Masi, Finance Chair of the City of Portage la Prairie, calls the agreement forward-thinking and an effective way to give PRED the resources they need to do the job well.

"It's significant funding to make sure that our economic development and tourism agency is well-funded so that they can do the work over the next four years to make sure that Portage la Prairie is highlighted and that it is a community of choice. The big thing is that it allows them to plan down the road, so when businesses are coming, they know every year they're going to have funding for the next four years and they know what the funding is. I think this agreement gives PRED a solid base so they can move forward and do what they do best and that's bring business, promote tourism and really make our community a community of choice in Manitoba.".  

Masi expresses gratitude to the RM of Portage la Prairie for their partnership, underscoring the importance of the collaborative approach to growing our region. The City of Portage la Prairie's current agreement is set to expire December 31st, 2024; the four-year term will expire December 31st, 2027.