Brennan Pearson believes Winnipeg has never before seen so many business partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous companies.
The executive vice-president of ICI Properties, a Winnipeg-based commercial real estate brokerage and development company, isn’t just talking the talk. ICI is one of a growing number of non-Indigenous firms, such as True North Real Estate, collaborating with Indigenous groups on major projects that are changing the city for the better.
He’s particularly excited about the Wiitahnookiinitaw Tahshkayzing Entrepreneurship Centre (WTEC), Canada’s first fully Indigenous-led business incubator, which opened earlier this summer. (The name means “Working Together to Succeed” in Anishinaabemowin.)
ICI found more than 5,000 square feet in the former head office of Wawanesa Insurance at 191 Broadway for the 15 government, academic and industry partners that will provide invaluable tools for Indigenous entrepreneurs—capital, legal and financial guidance, mentorship, marketing support and global business connections.
ICI is also one of those industry partners and will be providing strategic real estate and development consulting, business mentorship and training support to budding entrepreneurs. Other partners include Red Leaf Capital/Xcel Capital, Wawanesa, Deloitte, Fillmore Riley LLP and the Asper School of Business.
Indigenous entrepreneurs at WTEC will be surrounded by a team of dedicated advisors, mentors, and experts who walk alongside them through each stage of their business journey.
“It’s very exciting,” Pearson says. “The WTEC is looking to create an eco-system that can be replicated in other provinces. Anybody can go there and access consulting services and have experienced entrepreneurs and specialists answer important questions about signing contracts or accounting. We’ll do anything to ensure it’s a success.”
ICI is also collaborating with Treaty One Development Corp. (T1DC), a company owned by the seven First Nations signatories to Treaty 1 in 1871, on a $2.5-billion urban economic development zone called Naawi-Oodena. A gas bar and convenience store opened earlier this summer on Taylor Avenue but it’s just one small piece of what will ultimately be more than 100 acres of development on the site of the former Kapyong barracks on and around Kenaston Boulevard.
The master blueprints include more than 4,000 units of single-family and multi-family homes, a hotel, a 130,000-square-foot Class A office building and retail stores.
A 15,600-square-foot multi-tenant retail building, including professional, medical, insurance and a pharmacy, is slated to start coming out of the ground as early as late summer. The full build-out of the development will occur over the next 10 years to 12 years.
Kathleen Bluesky, CEO of T1DC, says the ability to open such a game-changing project under its own jurisdiction represents a shift in the power dynamic and decision-making for First Nations people.
“We have always been an economically-driven people. Historically, we’ve always been at the forefront of the evolution of trade. Due to colonial imposition, a lot of things changed. We’re trying to bring it back and get our people back into entrepreneurship, managing businesses and building businesses like this. That’s our focus,” she says.
The initial buzz about Naawi-Oodena has generated a lot of interest from other entrepreneurs wanting to work with Treaty One on other projects.
“We’ve been exploring acquisitions with other companies and we’re looking at other properties. The more people participate, the more they understand why it’s so important for us to be involved,” she says.
E.J. Fontaine, chief of Sagkeeng First Nation and president of T1DC, says Naawi-Oodena is going to present countless opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike.
“This parcel of land is about prosperity. We’re working with some of the (non-Indigenous) wheelers and dealers in the city. We’re demonstrating that we’re viable business partners and we can develop just as well as anybody. Naawi-Oodena is a symbol of hope and a symbol of promise for our people. We’re looking forward to a much brighter future with this property, not only for First Nations but for the city,” he says.
Indigenous businesses across Canada generate more than $100 billion in revenue each year and contribute more than $30 billion to the country’s GDP. Fontaine says Naawi-Oodena will have a positive contribution to the Manitoba economy through tax revenue plus having more Indigenous people on payrolls. He predicts there will be thousands of jobs associated with the project over the next two decades with a strong focus on hiring as many Indigenous people as possible.
“There has to be because our people are wanting work. This is an opportunity for them to get long-term, meaningful work,” Fontaine says.
He’s also optimistic that a new era can begin with Indigenous and non-Indigenous relations in the heart of Tuxedo, Winnipeg’s most affluent neighbourhood.
“We’re looking to change attitudes and change the behaviours of people. We’re looking at developing first-class assets here. It’s going to be a beautiful property and blend in nicely with the neighbourhood,” he says.
ICI has also worked with Southern Chiefs Organization, helping it find temporary office space while it reimagines and redevelops the old Hudson Bay Building on Memorial Boulevard. Working with Indigenous businesses isn’t just about doing what’s right, Pearson says. With every shovel that goes into the ground on joint projects, economic reconciliation becomes less of a theory and much more of a reality.
“It’s a real opportunity to make things better for everybody. These partnerships open doors to new markets, offer fresh ways of thinking and help us do business in a more respectful, community-focused way. It’s also a meaningful step towards economic reconciliation, showing that we value relationships built on respect, trust and shared success,” he says.
“Manitoba is doing more than just talking about reconciliation. It’s starting to show up in the work that’s happening, from changes in how contracts are awarded to major projects and local community-led initiatives. There’s a lot of movement. If we keep breaking down barriers and building strong partnerships, there’s a real opportunity to build lasting change that works for everyone.”
