Small Business | 2025

A Supplement to the Free Press

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

A SUPPLEMENT TO

OCTOBER 2025

MONTH

Rooted in Manitoba, Growing Together This Small Business Month, discover how local makers and leaders — from brewers to beekeepers — are shaping a stronger, more connected province.

Report workplace injuries on time. It’s good for business.

If your employee is hurt at work, we’re here to help. Learn more at wcb.mb.ca/report-an-injury

View online at winnipegfreepress.com/fp-features

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

A BRIGHT SIDE AMIDST THE TURMOIL PUBLIC NOW HAS A GREATER APPETITE FOR SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESS, CHAMBER PRESIDENT SAYS

“It’s still a trying time for small businesses in Manitoba, but they have resilience and optimism,” says Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. “But the reality is that the pressure has been non-stop. It’s had a piling on effect. It’s been difficult for them to get into a position to grow their businesses.” That said, bright spots often appear during turmoil – that turmoil now being the tariffs that Donald Trump slapped Canada with. One bright spot has been consumers making a conscious shift to support local businesses. “If there’s been a bright side, it’s that the public now has a greater appetite for supporting local businesses,” Davidson says. “People have come to better understand the importance of small business both in the city and rural Manitoba.” While there has been a definite shift to buying local goods – as well as Canadian-made goods – small businesses still need to work hard to survive. “It (the focus on buying local products) helps to a certain extent, (but) small businesses are still being impacted more by pressures such as supply chain issues, the Canada Post strike and rail issues. Those things are an additional hindrance to businesses as they create more cost pressures.” With those issues in mind, Davidson says he and his chamber colleagues will continue to be in conversation with the different levels of government.

BY TODD LEWYS

If there’s one word that describes Manitoba-based small businesses, it would be resilient. J ust take a look at the past five years and the numerous chal- lenges they’ve faced. First, it was the COVID-19 pandemic, where they were forced to pivot when every business that wasn’t deemed an essen- tial service was forced to close its doors. Most survived thanks to some quick thinking, where they sold their goods online and took government loans to stay afloat. Next came the severe inflation that was part and parcel of the pandemic. Profitability was cut significantly due to the added cost of sourcing supplies and goods – and the fact that business was a fraction of what it would normally be. Still, businesses survived. Today, small businesses are dealing with another pair of issues: workforce challenges and the onerous tariffs that have been im- posed on Canadian goods by the United States. You can’t blame small business owners for wondering when they might get some relief from the unrelenting pressure.

Chuck Davidson, president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. PHOTO BY MANITOBA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE

WINTER 2023, VOL. 23

LOOKING AHEAD The economic horse pulls the social cart: Q&A with The

Honourable Wab Kinew

MANITOBA’S PREMIER MAGAZINE ABOUT LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THE PEOPLE BEHIND THEM.

Read online at winnipegfreepress.com/fp-features

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. They’re where young people get employed, they donate to teams and organizations and are critical to small communities.”

— Chuck Davidson

The provincial government needs to provide support to ensure that small businesses in the province thrive, says the head of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce. (JLCO) JULIA AMARAL / ADOBE

“There’s a role for them to play, such as in creating an environ- ment to reduce barriers, such as interprovincial trade barriers. There’s been some headway, but we still need to create supply chains,” he adds. Which means there has to be leadership aimed at creating an en- vironment that will allow small businesses to thrive. “Barrier removal needs to be an ongoing process and needs to be led by the federal government and the premiers,” Davidson says. “There needs to be serious discussion on how to take down barri- ers so businesses can become more productive.” He adds that the federal government and provinces can’t afford

to drag their feet in addressing interprovincial trade barriers. “There needs to be a sense of urgency on every level. Otherwise, many small businesses won’t be able to continue.” Failure to properly support small businesses nationwide could be calamitous, Davidson notes. “Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. They’re where young people get employed, they donate to teams and orga- nizations and are critical to small communities,” he says. “They take risks to provide essential services, and businesses like restaurants and stores and other small businesses are integral to the strength of communities.”

Davidson says the provincial government needs to provide the support that small businesses need to be sustainable, thriving ventures. “We continually have conversations with them every day about how they can support small businesses. They pay taxes and pro- vide the services Manitobans are looking for. So, both the provin- cial and federal governments need to look at the barriers and cost pressures small businesses are dealing with to provide the resources they need to succeed.”

Find comprehensive, exible coverage and options built for your company. Benets can include: Trust your team’s health and well-being to the homegrown company that looks out for Manitobans in everything we do. Group health benefits... the way.

 wellness spending  disability  life insurance  accidental death and dismemberment  critical incident  travel health  and more!

 health and dental  prescription drugs  vision  employee assistance (counselling)  virtual care  wellness plan  health spending

Get a free quote:

mb.bluecross.ca

®*The Blue Cross symbol and name are registered marks of the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans, independently licensed by Manitoba Blue Cross. †Blue Shield is a registered trade-mark of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. 2025-0128

Or contact your benefits advisor

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

ONE BUSY BEE THE FARMER’S

DAUGHTER ARTISNAL

HONEY BUSINESS OWNER SAVOURS SUCCESS.

Bailey Gitzel, owner of Carman-based small business The Farmer’s Daughter.

The growing success of The Farmer’s Daughter has generated considerable buzz. Last year she was selected as one of five Red River Métis Female Entrepreneurs to Watch by the Manitoba Mé- tis Federation. It’s an honour Gitzel didn’t take lightly. “I felt so proud to be selected for that and just to be recognized for all the work that I have done basically since I was a kid. It felt like people were appreciating it. It felt really nice,” she says. The Farmer’s Daughter remains “small scale,” something Gitzel believes sets it apart from other similar businesses. Every product is produced and packaged by hand at the office space she leases in Carman. While Gitzel is the sole proprietor of the business, it is something of a family affair. It’s not uncommon for grandpa Bob, grandma Betty, mom Robyn or younger brothers Hunter and Dawson to lend a hand during the busy part of the honey season. “I call them my worker bees. They’re mostly free labour,” she says, laughing. It seems somehow fitting that Gitzel ended up becoming a bee- keeper and that her hives are located where they are. Her fourth great-grandmother was a beekeeper on the same farmland that her father owns today where her own hives are located. “Apparently, I’m very much like her,” she says. “It’s kind of cool because I’ve had my bees on the same land that she homesteaded on.” The success of The Farmer’s Daughter isn’t something Gitzel takes for granted. In 2018 she suffered a heartbreaking setback when a garage fire at her parents’ home wiped out her beekeeping supplies and honey stock for the year. She’s been steadily rebuild- ing the business since then.

BY JIM TIMLICK

You might say bees have always been the bee’s knees for Bailey Gitzel. G rowing up on her family’s farm near the town of Carman, Gitzel became fascinated with the tiny winged insects as a kid after reading the book The Secret Life of Bees. By age 14, she already had her first beehive and began selling honey and honey-flavoured baked goods at the local farmers market a short time later. Today, Gitzel is the proud owner of The Farmer’s Daughter, a Carman-based small business that produces a line of artisnal honey products including flavoured honeys, beeswax candles and food wraps, lip balms, bubble bath elixir and handmade cutting boards with a beeswax finish. More than a decade after devouring author Sue Monk Kidd’s best-selling novel, Gitzel’s fascination with her busy little friends hasn’t abated. “Honestly, I think bees are just fascinating,” she says. “It’s not just about the honey, it’s how the hive works together. They figure stuff out; they can do everything. They build all that wax and they take care of each other like nurses. The whole pro- cess is really fascinating to me.” Gitzel’s operation has grown from that single beehive (which was originally gifted to her by fellow beekeeper Garth Allan) to as many as 40 at a given time. Her products are available for pur- chase at her company’s online store and at several markets includ- ing the Wolseley Farmers Market.

It’s not just about the honey, it’s how the hive works together.”

— Bailey Gitzel

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

The Farmer’s Daughter produces a line of artisnal honey products including flavoured honeys, beeswax candles and food wraps and lip balms.

Last year Bailey Gitzel was selected as one of five Red River Métis Female Entrepreneurs to Watch by the Manitoba Métis Federation.

“It was a huge setback, massive. I remember getting the call right before I was going to walk into one of my university exams and it felt like the world exploded,” she recalls. “That was really hard.” Gitzel says she is extremely grateful for the moral support she received during those rebuilding efforts from organizations like the MMF and the Infinity Women Secretariat. The IWS con- nects Métis women throughout the province and promotes their social and economic wellbeing through events like its digital marketing brunch and learning sessions. “As a small business owner, you don’t really get a chance to have water-cooler talk in a normal office situation,” she says. “Just having people that you can talk to and who have kind of gone through the same stuff as you or know what you mean, it’s just so nice.” Gitzel hopes to continue to grow her business. She is continual- ly tinkering with recipes for new products and is looking to in- crease the number of locations where her products are available including opening her own road side stand near her home in Ste. Agathe.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER

SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS CAN SAVE ENERGY & MONEY

GET IN TOUCH TO START SAVING efficiencyMB.ca/SmallBusiness

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Jordan Kroeker and Steph Klassen say their craft brewery was designed to promote engagement with other patrons and the community as a whole.

PHOTO BY JILL REIMER

SOMETHING SPECIAL BREWING IN STEINBACH THE PUBLIC BREWHOUSE AND GALLERY WAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT WITH PEOPLE, GOOD BEER AND CONTEMPORARY ART.

BY JIM TIMLICK

When you first walk into the taproom of The Public Brewhouse and Gallery in Steinbach it doesn’t take long to notice there’s something a little bit different about it compared to other licensed establishments. U nlike most watering holes, you won’t find even a single screen on any of its walls. In fact, one of the very first things the owners of the small craft brewery decided when they opened for business four years ago was to declare it a television-free zone. That means you won’t be assailed by obnoxi- us airhorns or loud organ music from the night’s big game and can enjoy a quiet conversation with friends, instead. “One of our first values that we wrote down was that this was going to be a screen-free zone with the emphasis on engagement: engaging with a quality product in your glass and local, rural con- temporary art on the walls,” says Steph Klassen, who co-owns the brewery with her husband and business partner Jordan Kroeker. “There are lots of places to catch the game if you want and that’s great. But if you really want to dive into a conversation, this is more of the environment for that.” The Public Brewhouse and Gallery has grown steadily since it opened in December 2021. Production of the two-person opera- tion’s core pours, including its Legit Lager and Cream Ale, has increased by 25 per cent since that time. They’re also now on tap at a growing number of local businesses including the Southeast Event Centre. While Klassen and Kroeker were always confident their enter- prise would succeed, they did have to deal with some bumps along the way. Perhaps none was bigger than the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting public gathering restrictions that were enacted and crippled many restaurants and bars just as their business was getting ready to open its doors.

A crisp golden pint from The Public Brewhouse and Gallery takes centre stage.

PHOTO BY THE PUBLIC BREWHOUSE AND GALLERY

“Yeah, it was kind of strange timing to be that optimistic and open a place where people can get together,” recalls Klassen, laughing. “It was a very hopeful act, thinking that these times will change and people will go back to being able to gather. I guess our hopes were accurate that people gathering would keep increasing.” In addition to its popular lager and cream ale, The Public Bre- whouse offers its Southeast Citra ale, Big Friendly golden ale, American Pale Ale, Red IPA, Stony Brook Stout, Grapefruit

Radler and a series of rotating seasonal pours. Klassen says one of the things that distinguishes the Steinbach brewery’s beers from other brews is that they are “well construct- ed,” thanks in large part to the recipes crafted by her husband Jor- dan, who studied brewing at Olds College in Alberta. In addition, the brewery makes every effort to source local in- gredients for all of its beers, something she stresses not only gives their brews a distinctive flavour profile, but also shows its support for the community that supports it.

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Steph Klassen and Jordan Kroeker inside the taproom of The Public Brewhouse and Gallery in Steinbach.

PHOTO BY JILL REIMER

There are lots of places to catch the game if you want and that’s great. But if you really want to dive into a conversation, this is more of the environment for that.”

“Our goal is to build community,” Klassen says. “We want to live that out in how we source the ingredients that we need. We want to enact local support as much as we can. If we’re asking people to (support) us, we want to make sure we do that for the businesses around us as well. We’ve got to walk the walk.” Something else that distinguishes The Public Brewhouse from other craft brewers is the fact its home to southeastern Manitoba’s only contemporary art gallery. The gallery, which was the brainchild of one of Klassen and Kroeker’s founding partners who has since moved on, features a variety of works by artists from Steinbach and the surrounding region. It’s drawn rave reviews from the establishment’s customers and local artists alike.

“There aren’t a lot of places for rural artists to share their work with the community in their own community without having to move to larger cities,” Klassen says. “(The reaction) has been great. I think people are surprised at how many artists are around here. They appreciate seeing the range of work … and the kinds of ideas that are communicated. I think it’s a good expression of community diversity.” At present, The Public Brewhouse’s beers are only availalble by the glass or in 32 and 64 ounce growlers. The brewery has no plans to begin offering its products in cans or bottles any time soon. “Our production right now is so small that we’re doing a good job of keeping up with our local demand and taproom demand,” Klassen explains. “And I think people get a real kick out of the growlers. Not everybody does them anymore.”

— Steph Klassen

Report workplace injuries on time. It’s good for business.

Reporting injuries within five days will help your employees get the support they need.

If your employee is hurt at work, we’re here to help. Learn more at wcb.mb.ca/report-an-injury

Learn more at wcb.mb.ca/report-an-injury

SMALL BUSINESS MONTH - SUPPLEMENT TO THE FREE PRESS - SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2025

Cooking FPDI has something special

By Jim Timlick A new program being offered by First Peoples Development Inc. (FPDI) is cooking up something special. FPDI has partnered with the Manitoba Tourism Education Council (MTEC) to deliver the Line Cook Program. The immersive five-week training session provides two weeks of in-class instruction as well as three weeks of hands-on training in the kitchen that covers a variety of subjects including the fundamentals of food preparation, cooking techniques and plating. Participants also receive certification in several customer service and safety initiatives such as CPR training, budgeting and how to deal with difficult situations. Tuition as well as items such as a jacket, hat, paring knife and all necessary food supplies are provided at no cost to eligible participants. The first cohort of five students graduated from the program in June. A second intake of students commenced studying in September. Aleyna Harper, 23, and Jordan Whiteway, 19, were among the first students to graduate from the program. Both state they learnt a great deal and developed as individuals as a result of participating in the program. “I really enjoyed working in the kitchen, just learning about new foods and new ways to cook things. It was so amazing,” says Harper, who was raised in Winnipeg and is part of Island Lake First Nation. “I was also happy that we got to learn a whole bunch of things like budgeting. It wasn’t just cooking.” Whiteway, who lives in Winnipeg and is a member of Berens River First Nation, says the part of the program he enjoyed the most was its hands-on approach to learning.

Harper was only eight or nine years old when she started “messing around” with different foods and recipes and quickly realized she had a future in food preparation. Whiteway became interested in cooking as a kid thanks in large part to the inspiration of his dad who studied culinary arts. He learned about FPDI’s line cook program shortly after graduating from Maples Collegiate and leapt at the opportunity it presented. Shortly after completing the Line Cook Program, Harper and Whiteway were given an opportunity for a six month work-experience to gain skills for full-time employment as line cooks at the new FPDI Café located in the Free Press building on Mountain Avenue. FPDI program coordinator Darcy Paul says the pair showed plenty of promise while enrolled in the program and have been a great addition to the FPDI Café since it opened in July of this year. “Aleyna and Jordan were very eager to learn. They were energetic and really wanted to learn new skills and be able to practice those in the workplace,” she explains. Harper and Whiteway were thrilled when they learnt they had been hired to work at the FPDI Café and say they have been enjoying every minute of the experience so far. “It’s been amazing,” Whiteway says. “I didn’t expect myself to enjoy this so much. I thought I was going to be a lot more nervous about handling different situations, but it’s been a lot of fun.” “I enjoy it very much,” Harper adds. “There’s some awesome people here that come to the Café. There’s a few regulars we have and I like to get to know them. To be honest, they make my day.” While Harper and Whiteway both have some long-term career aspirations, the duo says they are too focused on the here and now and improving their skills to think about much else.

“I enjoyed that a lot because I’m a hands-on person when it comes to learning stuff and I like to be able to do things myself,” he says. He also appreciated the fact that the small class size meant he and his fellow students got plenty of one-on-one attention from their instructors. “Because we were a smaller group … if you were struggling on something, they were able to help you because they (didn’t) have to worry about a lot of other people,” he says. Harper and Whiteway both had a deep and abiding interest in food even before they enrolled in the FPDI line cook course.

The FPDI Café , located in the Inkster Industrial Park , oers a wide variety of delicious menu options to suit any appetite. Be sure to try their daily lunch and soup specials .

FPDI Cafe

1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg Free Press building

8:00am - 2:00pm (Monday - Friday) Entrance through the west side patio doors

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8