Portage la Prairie, Manitoba

BVM: What else makes Portage la Prairie a special place? May: “We have an island on Oxbow Lake in the middle of the city that has an 18-hole golf course, a twin arena, indoor and outdoor water parks, tennis courts, a disc-golf course, walking and cycling trails, and the site for the Portage la Prairie Exhibition with all the agricultural displays and the fair that takes place there. Island Park is the jewel of the city – we’ve now made it central to our brand, as ‘Island on the Prairies,’ and it’s exciting to see the public and the business sector embrace that. And the city has started an $8.2 million project to replace the 100-year-old bridge to the island with a modern three-lane road and traffic circles at each end that can adapt traffic based on flow. “A little known fact: Portage la Prairie gets the most sunny days in all of Canada. So, there are many opportunities for growth around solar energy and geothermal and exploration of renewable energies. Of course, organic composting is also allowing diversion of more food waste and household waste from the landfill that can be used as a carbon source to evergreen compost and fertilizer. As a rural community, environmental issues are very important here. “The big challenge for a lot of us in Canada is the M-T-V phenomenon – Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver. Internationally, that’s been the full awareness that people have of our country. But now, when domestic and international investors are taking a look around, they’re starting to see Manitoba and what we can do in agriculture. And the attractive price of land and infrastructure considerations are making Portage la Prairie a very pleasant surprise.” PREFERRED VENDOR n Food Development Centre www.manitoba.ca/fdc The Food Development Centre (FDC) is a non-profit, fee-for-service special operating agency under the authority of the Province of Manitoba. Its mandate is to assist Manitoba’s agrifood industry in the development and commercialization of food products; its mission is to increase the use of Manitoba ingredients for food and create a positive economic impact for producers and Manitoba communities. As a nationally and internationally recognized centre of excellence for developing and commercializing food, FDC provides access to world markets for food companies and entrepreneurs. The centre fosters the dynamic growth of Manitoba’s value-added, agri-food processing industry by developing new and innovative food products and processes that enable food companies to commercialize. FDC was founded in 1978 as part of the Manitoba Research Council. The centre was formed because many small and medium-sized food companies were unable to sustain essential research and development activities independently. Originally called the Canadian Food Product Development Centre, it was renamed the National Agri-Food Technology Centre in 1991. In 1996, the facility became a special operating agency of the Manitoba government and was renamed as the Food Development Centre. FDC is an important link in the public and private research infrastructure supporting economic development in Manitoba. The facility is a focal point for food industry research, professional services and technology, both provincially and globally. The centre is an important link in the public and private research infrastructure supporting economic development in Manitoba.