Manitoba Regions: South Central

Working age population (15+): 46,100
Employed labour force: 31,000
Unemployment rate: 3.4%
Participation rate: 69.6%
Major construction and infrastructure activities in 2010/11:

A $19 million construction of the Prairie Dale School near Winkler is one of several provincial public school capital projects under way or recently completed. (Key Source: Manitoba Budget 2011)

A new personal care facility to replace the existing Tabor Home is under development in Morden.   A total of 100 beds, including 80 personal-care-home beds and 20 supportive-housing units, will replace the current 60-bed Tabor Home facility. (Key Source: Manitoba News Release)

A $1.1 million expansion will be made to the Schweitzer-Mauduit Canada (SMC) flax straw processing company, partly supported by provincial and federal funding.  SMC has facilities in Carman and Winkler and a mobile processing facility in Treherne. (Key Source: Manitoba News Release)

Bunge, at its canola processing plant in Altona, plans to more than double production from its facility by the summer of 2012.  Preliminary estimates of the expansion total $80 to $100 million.  (Key Source: Winnipeg Free Press)

VBine Energy has begun development and construction of a new wind turbine plant in Winkler.  The new facility, which will assemble and ship vertical access wind turbines internationally, plans to open in 2012. (Key Source: Morden Times)

South Central Region Industry Sectors 2010

From 2009 to 2010, Manitoba’s South Central region increased total employment by 4.7% to 31,000 employed.  The goods-producing sector increased by 15.8% to 13,200 employed; the services sector decreased by -2.2% to 17,800 employed.

In 2010, the largest goods producing industry was manufacturing with 6,400 employed.  The largest services industry was retail trade with 5,200 employed. 

Industries with largest year over year increases in employment between 2009 and 2010 included manufacturing - goods producing sector (28.0%) and finance, insurance, real estate and leasing - services sector (50.0%).