New economic initiatives are underway in the RM of Ritchot, and the news is being welcomed by local business owners, potential investors, and residents alike. On September 11, Mayor Chris Ewen unveiled details of the initiatives to attendees of the Ritchot Chamber of Commerce Open for Business networking mixer.
Delegates at the event included Ted Falk, MP for Provencher, as well as the President of the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce, Chuck Davidson.
“I believe every single one of you are key people in making the future of Ritchot a strong part of Manitoba’s economic development,” Ewen told the crowd of local business owners. “The opportunities [council is introducing] will ensure the municipality continues to grow sustainably as well as forge stronger relationships between government and business owners… Our council has developed creative ways to ensure that the strength of our commercial and industrial partners continues.”
To open, Ewen released details of the first initiative: the Main Street Revitalization Enhancement grant. This grant has been created as a business improvement and beautification incentive for commercial locations existing along Ritchot’s main thoroughfares.
Business owners and commercial landlords are encouraged to apply with Ritchot’s Community Development Corporation (CDC) to receive up to $5,000 from the municipality for this cost-matching program. Funding can be applied to improved signage, landscaping, or beautification projects within or outside a building.
Because the total funds are limited to $50,000, Ewen recommends that business owners apply quickly in order to ensure their acceptance. A similar program was run by council two years ago and funding was fully allocated within a two-week period.
A second announcement made by Ewen covered details of a new business incentive bylaw, adopted by council three weeks ago. The incentive targets existing business owners who are willing to make substantial upgrades that increase their current assessment values. It also targets new investors to the region.
“After reviewing notes from the past Economic Development Officer’s files, council took it upon themselves to stop talking and start acting,” said Ewen. “This business incentive bylaw will give opportunity to not only new commercial developers and investors, but current businesses will get a chance to receive a complete municipal tax rebate.”
While municipal councils don’t have the authority to exempt businesses from paying municipal taxes, Ritchot’s council, along with their legal team, have found a creative way to allow a reimbursement of taxes once they’ve already been paid.
The incentive provides for a sliding scale model where business owners can receive a percentage of their municipal tax back for the first year and up to five years running. The length of term applied to the tax break will be dependent on the amount of the increased assessment value. In the first year, each applicable recipient will see 100 percent of their municipal tax returned. Each year thereafter, a reduced percentage will be applied.
“We have structured this bylaw so that any business, small or large, new and current, can benefit from it,” says Ewen. “Our goal as a municipality… is to create long-term, strategic relationships with our commercial and industrial partners and investors… This bylaw is our way of saying thank you for taking a chance on us, and we will continue to work with you year after year to do whatever it takes to grow in the right direction together.”
Davidson openly applauded council’s new incentive.
“It’s not the government’s role to create jobs,” Davidson told those gathered. “It’s the government’s role to create the climate… [When] the local government creates the climate, the local business makes the investment to grow their business, expand their business, to hire one more person, to increase those wages. That’s what grows the economy.”
Ritchot Chamber of Commerce President Marc Palud then took the podium with some exciting initiatives the Chamber has been working on.
“Our current [Chamber of Commerce] volunteer board has been working on expansion plans to increase our regional footprint into the RM of Tache, the RM of Ste. Anne, and the town of Ste. Anne,” Palud announced. “We fully expect this work to be completed by the end of this year and this will create a regional Chamber which will allow more businesses to be represented with the same resources that we have right now.”
Palud introduced the board’s newest member, Patrick Trudeau, who will be taking responsibility for member relations and membership sales going forward.
Trudeau will also be providing services for promotional videos shot onsite, upon request, at Ritchot’s business locations. The videos will be showcased on the Chamber’s social media platforms.
A final invitation was extended to everyone to nominate Ritchot businesses for the upcoming Business Gala Awards ceremony, which is to be held on November 16 at the TransCanada Centre in Île-des-Chênes.
