NRND News

In 1920, the Golden Boy was pointed North on the Manitoba Legislative Building to signal the province’s future was tied to the development of Northern Manitoba’s vast resources of fish, forests, minerals and wildlife. This principle is still true today. The department will work with communities and industry to attract investment and job creation opportunities to the North to fulfill this view. We will advance reconciliation as a critical part of this work through meaningful consultation and economic development partnerships with Indigenous peoples.

Long term thinking and strategic planning are the building blocks needed to support this vision for Northern Manitoba. We will begin developing a large area planning framework for the North that supports community-based planning and provides stability and certainty for industry on which to base investment decisions.

Over the next year, the department will also work to increase mining investment in the province. Developing a Manitoba minerals strategy that prioritizes Indigenous participation, investment, exploration and mine development is a key element of this work. We will continue to work with Indigenous communities to create Mineral Development Protocols and a resource development sector jobs strategy. We will also continue to work with stakeholders to improve the Quarry Rehabilitation Program and streamline the permitting process for resource development projects.

We will continue to protect human health, property, and the province’s plants, animals and landscapes through focused enforcement and wildfire suppression activities. Improving recruitment efforts and investing in new equipment and training are the important next steps to ensure Manitoba’s Conservation Officer Service and Wildfire Programs are effective in keeping Manitobans safe.

Utilizing new technologies and approaches will be key to achieving these objectives and providing convenient client-focused access to department programs and services. Improving Crown lands administration, fish and wildlife population management, oil and gas regulation and forestry supervision are all areas that will undergo service delivery modernization in the coming year to elevate the client experience.

Over the next year, my department commits to expanding on these key priorities along with the performance indicators and targets that are outlined within this report. I am proud to lead a team of professionals who continue to work together to ensure our province achieves the stable financial status and positive outlook that will benefit all Manitobans.

Honourable Greg Nesbitt
Minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development