Prairie Manufacturer - Issue 1 • Volume 7

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Issue 1, Volume 7 • Spring 2022

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Manufacturers and industrial businesses are constantly evolving

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Publisher Ronda Landygo ronda@prairiemanufacturer.ca 877.880.3392

In this issue The Human Factor: Rewards & Recognition “It’s the thought that counts.” While that’s mostly true, there are times when you need more than just the thought to show someone you appreciate them. Learn why you need some strategy behind your company’s rewards and recognition program.

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A co-operative take on succession planning How best to structure business succession from one generation to the next is often answered with tax planning. Unfortunately, that narrow focus might neglect the long-term needs of the business, the next generation, and the community in which it operates.

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Food, glorious food (and drink, too!)

The Prairies might historically be known as Canada’s breadbasket, but those days of being only growers of grain and seed are long gone. Meet some Prairies-based food and beverage companies who are filling our plates and glasses with delicious food and drink made right here at home.

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Getting ahead of the labour market Manufacturers are heading into a perfect storm of demographic shift, technology upheaval, and market uncertainy like you wouldn’t believe.

There’s no silver bullet, but NGen is working with industry to find solutions that will help address skills gaps and productivity improvement.

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Rising injury numbers presenting opportunity Overall trends in safety metrics for the manufacturing sector are heading in the wrong direction. Jamie Hall with SAFE Work Manitoba shares stats and insights on why and what we can do to turn the tide and keep all our people safe and productive.

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Outsourcing and logistics The decisions your business makes about outsourcing, insourcing, or anything in between are critical to your success, no matter how you slice it. Sometimes it makes sense to keep everything in house, while other times you want to focus on your core competencies.

Learn how some companies make these decisions, how they might change their minds over the business lifecycle, and what this means for transportation and distribution of their products to and within the market.

Booking deadline: August 12, 2022 Material due: August 19, 2022

Editor Jeff Baker jeff@prairiemanufacturer.ca Special thank you to our editorial advisory committee.

Creative Director Dana Jensen dana@titaniumgraphicdesign.ca Sales info@prairiemanufacturer.ca © Copyright 2022 Prairie Manufacturer MagazineTM All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of the publisher.

Publications mail agreement #43155015 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Prairie Manufacturer Magazine 207 Hugo St. North, Suite 3 Winnipeg, MB R3M 2N1 To change your address, or to be removed from the mail list, email info@prairiemanufacturer.ca.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in and the reliability of the source, the publisher in no way guarantees nor warrants the information and is not responsible for errors, omissions or statements made by advertisers.

Opinions and recommendations made by contributors or advertisers are not necessarily those of the publisher, its directors, officers or employees.

Cover photo courtesy Cocoabeans Gluten-Free Proudly printed by Quantum Graphics & Consulting Printed in Canada | 3/2022

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

Editor’s Notebook

On the face of it Sometimes being up front means going behind the scenes

By Jeff Baker

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s I write this column, it’s the Family Day long weekend where I live (Louis Riel Day for those of you in Manitoba), and since our last spring issue, it feels like the year has gone slower than molasses in January, yet has blown by at lightning pace, leaving everyone in its dust. There’s no inbetween, from what I can tell.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve all had two of every annual event or milestone, and here at Prairie Manufacturer Magazine, it’s no different.

This issue marks our sixth anniversary of publishing, and it’s our second full year of sharing the stories of manufacturers’ pivots and shifts thanks to this worldchanging pandemic. But you know what?

Despite the challenges and hiccups we’ve been forced to deal with, I don’t think I would change anything about it. Not for a million dollars!

‘Why?’, you might ask. Well, for one thing, I think this pandemic has given us the opportunity to re-evaluate the priorities in our lives – both professional and personal – and that’s a good thing.

The manufacturers and other professionals with whom I’ve spoken over the last year, so many of them tell me the

last couple years have allowed them the space to create or implement changes they’ve been considering for months or years. They needed a fire lit, and, boy, did they get one!

Yes, there have been challenges of some sort for everyone and every business in our community, but for the most part, they haven’t been insurmountable. We’ve been pushed outside of our comfort zones, and it’s been exhausting, but it’s proven again and again the mettle that runs so strongly through the manufacturing community and its people.

See something, be something Sure, there’s been some ‘interesting’ one-off things that have happened in the last while, too, and there are going to be more; I guarantee it.

One thing that happened was being named Manitoba Magazine of the Year for 2021. That was a nice feather to put in our magazine cap, and it helped buoy the spirits of the team here. Still, in this business, you can’t rest on your laurels.

Each issue of Prairie Manufacturer is a curated collection of stories, information, and insight from, for, and by manufacturers and makers just like you.

We hear it from folks across the spectrum that seeing themselves in the world – in the things, jobs, and companies – is important to feeling engaged and valued by the larger community.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

The best part of being editor of this magazine is getting to apply my rampant curiosity to uncover stories, subjects, interviews, and other industry-related information to share with you, our readers. I love getting to speak with the folks behind the scenes of the amazing stuff that is made right here in the Prairies; it gives me life every time.

Finding stories that are unique, different, and challenging the status quo is what gets me excited, and I hope it does for you too. I aim to uncover the ‘hidden’ manufacturing industry that is all around us and show the variety of this sector to the world.

That’s why in 2022 and beyond, Prairie Manufacturer Magazine is taking on a mandate to highlight the diversity of the manufacturing industry across the region – of the people, the products, and the customers.

We hear it from folks across the spectrum that seeing themselves in the world – in the things, jobs, and companies – is important to feeling engaged and valued by the larger community. That seeing folks like them in a variety of situations and environments helps inspire them and give them something to reach for.

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The Future is Now In a world where labour and skills shortages are only getting more dire, and when we’re more interconnected than ever – it’s critical that we engage with everyone in the community and reach out when we can.

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Authenticity at work C

Behind that commitment to exploring and honouring the diversity of the manufacturing sector, there’s an equally important commitment to authenticity in everything we do at Prairie Manufacturer.

When you pick up a copy of Prairie Manufacturer, you’re placing your trust in our magazine, in its content, in the stories we share, and in us as the people behind it all. We consider it an honour and privilege that you choose to place that trust in us and spend your time and energy with us through the pages, on the website, or over the phone.

Our editorial content is not – and will never be – a pay-to-play situation. Our front cover isn’t for sale, and if there’s content inside that is sponsored in any way, we tell you by tagging it.

Companies covered in our features or folks interviewed for a story aren’t required to buy advertising to be included or quoted.

In our industry’s terms, we maintain full separation of church and state. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s part of the Canadian code of ethics for magazine publishers. Even though we’re not a member of an association, we abide by these codes because we honour the trust that you place in us each issue.

With all that, there’s only one thing left for me to say: thank you.

Thank you for continuing to support Prairie Manufacturer Magazine as we work to shine the light on all the amazing M

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Hosted by

AEROSPACE

MANUFACTURING & MRO CONFERENCE

October 18-19, 2022, Winnipeg, Canada If you have any inquiries, please contact Barb Bowen, Manitoba Aerospace at bbowen@mbaerospace.ca

work you and your teams are doing across this region that we call home.

Thank you for taking the time to let us know how we can keep improving and keep serving you – our community.

And thank you for continuing to show the world what Prairie manufacturers can do!

Until we chat again, I hope you enjoy the read.

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6:3

THE HUMAN FACTOR

Rewarding recognition

By Tereena Morelli

K

eeping everyone happy is a prominent yet challenging goal of most well-run organizations.

Managers and human resource departments are continually striving to find ways to identify and address the needs of individuals to create and maintain a productive, inclusive, and rewarding workplace. Variety in the workforce through cultural background, gender identification, religious beliefs, and political affiliations (and more!) create unique challenges when it comes to developing cohesion.

The good news is there is one element universally shared by all - regardless of these differences: the need to feel appreciated.

How to achieve this has been a topic of debate for years.

The words ‘thank you’ certainly go a long way, but the old saying ‘actions speak louder than words’ also applies here.

So, how do we effectively, yet efficiently achieve this? The simplest way is by breaking it down into three categories: Team Appreciation, Goal Recognition, and Special Acknowledgment. Each of these areas presents opportunities to create special moments that resonate with the recipients and communicate the message that they make a difference.

Team Appreciation From grand Christmas parties and golf tournaments to more intimate co-worker birthday cakes and staff retreats, organizations have always found ways to show their employees they value their commitment and efforts.

Historically these events were viewed as a valuable way in developing team camaraderie and job satisfaction. However, a decline in attendance and/or lack of enthusiasm for these events has forced many companies to question if these appreciation activities are still effective in the modern-day workplace.

The answer for those folks questioning the value, is that Yes, these events are valuable and productive… if done right! You probably need to change it up and keep things fresh!

The secret is to keep the experience from becoming predictable and - heaven forbid – boring!

Consider a theme for the annual Christmas Party. Perhaps each year celebrate a different decade. In 2022 dance the night away at a Flapper-inspired Roaring 20’s party. In 2023, a 1930’s ‘Dust Bowl’-inspired event hosted in the party room at the local heritage park. The food, décor, and music all choreographed to create a memorable experience each year which can be enjoyed by everyone regardless of their personal interests, age, or gender.

How about incorporating an element of surprise in the obligatory office birthday cake ritual? Celebrate quarterly, rather than monthly, and make it something exciting everyone

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

looks forward to. In March, have an executive chef come in to demonstrate the gourmet talents of flaming a Baked Alaska.

In June, hire a singing birthday clown to wander the offices, delivering balloons, cupcakes, and smiles! Something completely different each quarter will keep everyone intrigued and curious to see what will happen next time.

Goal Recognition Goal recognition requires the exact opposite approach to team appreciation. No surprises here; this form of employee recognition needs to be structured, anticipated, and consistent to be successful.

Years of Service and Safety Awards programs are two prominent categories in this area. Team members understand a clear goal that is to be achieved and the form of recognition that they will receive upon successful completion.

The prize should be tangible in nature and have a universally perceived value. A pair of hockey tickets, a custom company jacket, or a points reward program to choose your own gift are all excellent examples of recognition gifts widely used in this area.

The presentation of this award to your team member should include a public acknowledgement of their accomplishment.

Depending on the goal this could be as simple as a highlighted mention in the monthly company bulletin or newsletter, or it could be a formal presentation if the achievement warrants that level and/or can produce encouragement for others.

Keep in mind, though, there is room here for some lighthearted fun, too. For example, if members of your organization are big supporters of the Movember charity event for men’s health issues, incorporate an employee driven contest for the best moustache. Who wouldn’t want a Bronzed Razor trophy hanging over their desk?!

Special Acknowledgment The pinnacle of Employee Recognition is in the category of special acknowledgement. This is the one area when all eyes are on the organization and its rewards and recognition program.

This is where the adage ‘it’s not the gift, but the thought that counts’ is 100 per cent correct. A great amount of thought should - or should I say must - be put into this type of recognition because it is viewed and analyzed by all others about how the organization truly appreciates its team members.

Numerous movies have capitalized on the scene of the primary character in the office surrounded by balloons, cutting the cake, then finally sitting at their desk alone looking at the

obligatory and hackneyed company-branded gold watch and asking, ‘Is that all that the past 40 years was worth?”

The reason everyone knows this scene all too well is because organizations have done this so poorly for so long. We must take these rare opportunities to highlight those that have worked so hard and cared so much about the organizations they work for, and we have to do this by working equally hard to show that we sincerely care about their contributions.

any of our organizations from making our own Employee Appreciation Day a thing. But don’t just limit it to a single day; make it a part of your corporate culture and corporate DNA. Tereena Morelli is proudly Edmonton-born and raised and is co-owner of Islay Agencies – Printing & Promotional Products. With a background in marketing and personnel management, Tereena is also a connoisseur of enlightened travel, gourmet dinners, and Warner Brothers cartoons.

Coming to a head One Alberta-based oil well service company absolutely nailed the special acknowledgment category when one of its long-term team members was retiring.

To celebrate the occasion, a wonderful dinner was organized in his honour. It included a cocktail reception, dinner, formal presentations, and this gentleman was surrounded by his coworkers, friends, and family. All the lovely elements one would come to expect at the end of a successful career. What he didn’t see coming was one little special element that was to be added to his day.

As he stood at the podium, concluding speech in hand, a few team members make a grand entrance – boxes in tow – for the final presentation.

Inside those boxes? Hundreds of miniature replicas of him, in his company hockey goalie jersey and stick in hand, with disproportionately large heads on each figurine bobbling back and forth! Guests excitedly lined up to get one of these coveted bobble heads autographed by the company’s soon-to-be-retiring most famous goalie!

Moments and memories like that cannot be bought; they must be made with creative ideas that reflect the thought and care from those who present them.

Recognition matters… now more than ever

PHOTO COURTESY: ISLAY AGENCIES

The challenge to find ways to tell your team members that they are valued and appreciated has never been more important.

The difficult work atmosphere and mental health strain that COVID-19 has placed on so many of us has taken and continues to take its toll. As we move slowly towards the end of the pandemic, we absolutely need to make sure those folks who have stood by and persevered the storm with us know exactly how much they are appreciated.

In the United States, the first Friday in March is National Employee Appreciation Day. While it might be a different country, and the date may have passed, that shouldn’t stop

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ECONOMIC ROUNDUP

Food Manufacturing is Booming in Western Canada

By Jayson Myers

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ood processing is the single largest manufacturing sector in Canada – and it is even more important in the Prairies.

With sales amounting to $124 billion in 2021, the industry accounts for more than 17 per cent of the total value of goods sold by Canadian manufacturers. It’s 37 per cent larger than transportation equipment manufacturing and 72 per cent larger than petroleum refining, the next two largest manufacturing sectors in the country.

Across the Prairies, food processors realized sales of $32 billion in 2021, just over a quarter of the Canadian total.

Food products account for almost 26 per cent of total manufacturing sales in the Prairies. That’s 69 per cent more than petroleum refining, 75 per cent more than chemical production, and twice the size of metal fabricating and machinery manufacturing combined! Food manufacturing is an important business, especially for Western Canada!

It's also a rapidly growing business. While total manufacturing sales across Canada increased by three per cent between 2019 and 2021, factory-gate sales of food products jumped by more than 16 per cent. Growth has been even stronger across the Prairies. Prairie manufacturing has expanded more rapidly than across the country as a whole, increasing 11 per cent between 2019 and 2021; for its part, food manufacturing shot up by just over 31 per cent, nearly twice the national figure.

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Sales growth in the food processing industry in Western Canada has come from a combination of productivity improvements and higher prices. Factory-gate selling prices for food products rose by 13 per cent between 2019 and 2021.

Employment in the industry declined. On average 35,347 employees were working in Prairie food manufacturing in 2021 – 2,379 fewer than in 2019. That means productivity (real output per worker) has risen by more than 24 per cent over the past two years. That’s much stronger performance than the 13 per cent overall rate of productivity improvement achieved by Prairie manufacturers.

Productivity improvements have accounted for just over three-quarters of the growth we’ve seen in sales and for all the 17 per cent increase in production volume in Prairie food manufacturing since 2019.

Food manufacturing outperforms in Manitoba Food product manufacturers in Manitoba realized $6.2 billion in sales in 2021. The industry is the largest of all manufacturing sectors in the province. Food processing accounts for 30 per cent of the value of all goods produced and sold by Manitoba manufacturers. It’s big enough to be on par with sales from the province’s chemical, machinery, and transportation equipment sectors combined!

Food manufacturers’ factory-gate sales have grown throughout the pandemic. They were 27 per cent higher in 2021 than in 2019, compared to eight per cent growth in overall manufacturing sales in the province. Accounting for industry price increases, production volumes have risen about 12 per cent over the past two years.

Manitoba’s food processors employed 10,103 workers in 2021. That’s 704 fewer than in 2019. However, they increased productivity by about 20 per cent. Like the Prairie average, productivity improvements have accounted for three-quarters of

Ready, Set, Impact.

the sales growth and for all the increase in manufacturing output in Manitoba’s food processing sector over the past two years.

Strong growth near the industry average in Saskatchewan The value of food products manufactured and sold by Saskatchewan manufacturers amounted to $5.7 billion in 2021. Food processing accounts for 29 per cent of total manufacturing sales in the province. That’s almost as much as

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the wood products, chemicals, metal fabricating, and machinery manufacturing sectors combined.

Factory-gate sales of food products increased by 21 per cent between 2019 and 2021, just a little faster than the 20 per cent growth rate for all of Saskatchewan manufacturing.

Employment in the province’s food manufacturing sector averaged 4,707 workers in 2021, down 112 positions from 2019.

Meanwhile, productivity in the sector increased by almost 10 per cent. Those productivity improvements accounted for about half the growth realized in sales as well as for the entire seven per cent increase in output volumes realized by Saskatchewan food processors over the past two years.

Alberta in the lead Alberta manufacturers produced and sold about $19.9 billion of food products in 2021. Food processing accounts for 29 per cent of all manufacturing sales in the province.

Comparable statistics are not available for all industry sectors in Alberta, but as a comparison, sales by food manufacturers amount to almost three times the value of the products sold by the province’s chemicals sector last year.

Factory-gate sales by Alberta food manufacturers have grown throughout the pandemic, increasing 36 per cent between 2019 and 2021. That compares with an 11 per cent growth rate for Alberta’s entire manufacturing sector over the same period.

Despite strong sales growth, there were 1,563 fewer people working in Alberta’s food processing sector last year than in 2019. Employment in the industry averaged 20,538 workers in 2021.

On the other hand, productivity improvements have been significant. Food manufacturers in Alberta increased output per

worker by almost 30 per cent between 2019 and 2021. Those productivity improvements accounted for all the 20 per cent growth in output volumes and for more than 80 per cent of sales growth achieved by Alberta food product manufacturers over the past two years.

Outlook for growth Across Canada, food manufacturers are facing stiff headwinds in the form of supply chain disruptions, pricing volatility, and labour shortages. Those challenges have been aggravated by the pandemic and are unlikely to end any time soon. In fact, labour shortages will intensify as more workers will retire rather than enter the sector over the next decade. Further hefty productivity improvements will be essential for food manufacturers to compete and sustain production levels, let alone grow.

Prairie food manufacturers face the very same challenges, but they are taking quicker action to boost productivity than their counterparts in other provinces. Food processors across Canada have increased output per worker by about 10 per cent since 2019 – less than half the rate of improvement realized by food manufacturers in the Prairies.

The more rapid adoption of advanced technologies is a major differentiating factor. The latest data reported by Statistics Canada for 2019 show that 58 per cent of Prairie manufacturers have implemented advanced technologies compared to 52 per cent of all manufacturers across Canada.

Prairie manufacturers lead the country in the adoption of advanced processing, business intelligence, and quality control technologies, as well as emerging technologies like integrated industrial IOT, additive manufacturing, and biotechnologies. That bodes well for the future.

Productivity improvements have accounted for just over three-quarters of the growth we’ve seen in sales and for all the 17 per cent increase in real output volume in Prairie food manufacturing since 2019.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

Food processors across Canada have increased output per worker by about 10 per cent since 2019 – less than half the rate of improvement realized by food manufacturers in the Prairies.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has recently published an analysis of strategic technology trends that will shape the future of the entire food industry in Canada – from farm to fork.

The report flags five key trends for the sector, all of which present new opportunities for food manufacturers. They include: 1) Enhanced nutrition in the development of new forms of protein and meat alternatives, value-added nutritional ingredients, food products based on personalized genetic characterizations, and fortified foods based on new bioactive compounds; 2) New processing and production technologies, including processes that reduce food waste, 3-D food printing, new nutrient extraction methods, genetic engineering, and bacteriophages that ensure food safety and reduce contamination; 3) Packaging technologies that enhance traceability, shelflife, food safety, and anti-tampering while reducing environmental waste;

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4)Enhanced food safety technologies including processes enabling rapid detection, supply chain traceability, contaminant elimination, improved quality assurance, and new types of personal protective equipment; and 5) AI-enabled technologies to improve supply chain resilience.

Prairie food manufacturers are well positioned to take advantage of these emerging opportunities. Faced with continuing labour shortages, they’ll need to double down on innovation, automation, and productivity improvements, which is exactly the formula they will need for future success.

Jayson Myers is CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada – the country’s advanced manufacturing supercluster. An award-winning business economist and leading authority on technological change, Myers has counselled Canadian prime ministers and premiers, as well as senior corporate executives and policymakers around the world.

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The Legal View

Succession Planning the Co-operative Way

By Kristen Wittman

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he question of how best to structure business succession from one generation to the next is often answered with tax planning in an effort to reduce the impact of the taxes arising on transfer between generations. Unfortunately, that narrow focus risks neglecting the long-term needs of the business and the next generation of business owner and the community in which the business operates.

The changing legal landscape Bill C-208 - An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (transfer of small business or family farm or fishing corporation) - received

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

Royal Assent in 2021, changing federal income tax laws that seem to be designed to encourage more inter-generational transfers between family members.

But what if the family is not the best successor for the business? Or, if the next generation is the right buyer, what if the transfer saddles the new generation with a long-term obligation to pay out the previous generation at high rates of interest? Or what if the only seeming solution is to sell to a buyer that has no interest in keeping the business in the community?

Changes that have been implemented to the provincial legislation governing co-operatives in some jurisdictions should

encourage consideration of the co-operative as a vehicle to enhance a succession plan. Co-operatives in most jurisdictions in Canada can now have passive investors (shareholders who are not necessarily members) or more than one membership group (multi-stakeholder cooperatives).

A co-operative? But how?

A co-operative can be formed by key employees for instance, and the co-op can acquire the ownership of the operating entity. If that entity is a corporation, in some jurisdictions the corporation can then be wound up into the co-operative, making it the operating entity.

The beauty of this or similar structures is the spread of risk across a group of owners who have equal say in the strategic planning of the business, rather than limiting that risk (and control) to a small (family) group that may not be well-equipped to handle it or may have returns on investment as their sole focus.

A critical difference between traditional business structures and co-operatives rests in the governance.

Governance and control In a co-op, every member has an equal say, regardless of the capital contributed or at risk (the one member- one vote principle). Severing the connection between capital and control is a distinctive quality of the cooperative. That may sound like a bad thing in a business that has been closely held through its growth phases, but if it is correctly understood, it is the key to long-term success.

Most businesses have hit their stride when the time comes to look at succession, and do not need private capital to assist with growth. Rather, the business, being established, can secure the capital it needs from lenders, and needs the energy of its executive to drive it forward.

When that executive is empowered with membership control and recognizes its purpose as providing value to its nonshareholder stakeholders (consumers, employees, suppliers, the environment within which it operates), the business can move into a new and more responsible phase. Growth for growth's sake ceases to be the driving force; the business shifts its focus away from providing ROI at all costs and the risks associated with that singular objective.

The rubber hits the road Take, for example, a manufacturing firm, owned by a family consisting of the founding parents, with four children only one

of whom is actively involved in the business. The family can achieve a tax-efficient extraction of its capital by selling the shares of the corporation to a group of employees who have formed a worker co-operative. That co-operative's purpose is no longer the generation of profit for a small group of owners (although it does not have to exclude that purpose). Now, the purpose of the business is to generate work for the employees.

This shift in focus allows the business to sustain itself within the community where it operates and where its employees live.

What if the founding business owner wants to remain active, or defer some of the tax bite for a while (if not all the capital gain realized on the sale can be sheltered from tax)?

The co-operative can issue a form of investment share to the founding shareholder, potentially as a tax-deferred rollover.

Of course, any tax planning needs to be carefully examined by a qualified professional to ensure compliance with current tax laws. While shares in the co-op do not necessarily equate to membership, they do potentially provide the shareholder with a voice, albeit small, as non-member shareholders can be permitted to vote up to 20 per cent of the Board of Directors.

Success through successful succession Of course, succession is only successful when the people involved are focussed and committed to see the succession through. That said, saddling a business with a cookie-cutter solution that worked well once can mean that no matter how good the talent, the result will be the ultimate demise of the business, either in the form of insolvency or absorption by a larger conglomerate that has no interest in maintaining jobs or a head office in the original community.

A good succession plan is one that considers the sustainability of the business far beyond the initial transfer and beyond the needs of the initial owners. Saving tax on the transfer of the business should be only one of many considerations.

The key driver might be the likelihood of success of the business once transferred. An equally important factor should be ensuring the sustainability of the business in its original location, feeding the economy that once fed it into existence.

Kristen Wittman is a partner practicing in the corporate commercial department at Taylor McCaffrey LLP, a full-service law firm.

Kristen's practice is specifically focused on cooperatives. Kristen is also a director of the Canadian Cooperative Investment Fund.

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PHOTO COURTESY: COCOABEANS GLUTEN-FREE

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

The Prairies on your plate From peas to perogies, from teas to tarts, you won’t go hungry (or thirsty) on these folks’ watch!

By Jeff Baker

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ood, glorious food! Oh, and drink!

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes find that catchy little number from the 1960s musical and movie Oliver! running through my head while I’m cruising the aisles at my local supermarket or gourmet food store. The sheer variety of food and beverage products available to us on any given day in this country is simply astounding, and the amount of product available is mindblowing to say the least.

Long gone are the days of choosing food simply for the caloric content (or lack thereof), being forced to choose between the yellow cheese or the orange cheese, or even selecting your breakfast foods based solely on the type of cardboard they might have tasted like.

Today, we’re spoiled for choice in every aspect of the food and beverage products we consume. Whether being spoiled in such a way is a good thing or not so good thing is a point on which not everyone will agree.

But one thing’s for sure: food and beverage manufacturers in the Canadian Prairies are whetting appetites and quenching thirsts across the region (and beyond!) with their creative and innovative takes on food and drink.

Let’s dine around the region and raise our glass to some of these fine folks!

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Cocoabeans Gluten-Free - Winnipeg, MB

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Winnipeg. “I’m diagnosed celiac and so are my three kids, so this gluten-free stuff is personal.”

“Everything really started with the diagnosis, and then I found a cookbook for celiac-friendly foods,” says Hiebert, “but so many of the recipes ended up with meals or products you really didn’t want to consume, let alone serve to your family or friends.”

PHOTO COURTESY: COCOABEANS GLUTEN-FREE

hen your family is diagnosed en masse with celiac disease, it’s like your entire world turns upside down. And not just your culinary world either.

“You get very used to reading and deconstructing menus at restaurants and ingredient lists on products you buy or consume,” says Betsy Hiebert, founder and owner of Cocoabeans Gluten-Free in

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

Not one to throw in the towel so easily, Hiebert took matters into her own hands (which, when you’re baking and cooking, is a very good thing!) and set out to develop gluten-free recipes that were tasty and gave the same experience and enjoyment of the traditional recipes.

What started out as a bakeshop and café on trendy Corydon Avenue has now expanded into a business making

packaged ingredients and mixes for the home baker and selling pre-portioned, prepared, frozen meals in single- and multiple-serving sizes, plus a roaring trade in gluten-free crusts for local pizzerias.

“The pandemic hit us hard,” says Hiebert, “like it did for everyone in our market. There was so much unknown at the time, but our core team was amazing through it all.”

The Cocoabeans team pulled together and pivoted the business in a matter of weeks into one shifted away from in-café service into take-away and home delivery for meals and selling prepackaged versions of the mixes behind some of their most popular baked goods, so folks could have the fresh-baked experience at home.

“The times when the rules were eased for small home gatherings gave us a bit of a lift,” Hiebert explains. “Folks had been apart for so long that these little

get-togethers were when they wanted to share something food-wise and enjoy their time.”

“Last year, heading into Christmas, we sold something like 400 pies in a single weekend,” says Hiebert, “and we could’ve sold a ton more, but we simply ran out! We ended up having our best holiday season ever… and in the second year of COVID!” Cocoabeans has expanded their offerings well beyond simple gluten-free breads and biscuits, going headlong into other delicious offerings including comfort foods like chicken fingers, pot pies, lasagne, dainties, and cinnamon buns.

In addition to being gluten-free, most of the company’s offerings are also some combination of dairy-free, vegetarian, vegan, and allergy-sensitive.

Hiebert says, “It’s more coincidence than anything that gluten-free products tend to be friendly to the other diets,

but it does open us up to a much larger market and helps a lot more people experience the joy of delicious food!”

“One thing we keep getting requests for is a gluten-free croissant,” explains Hiebert, “but those are such a tricky item given their traditional ingredients and the method by which they’re made.

It would be amazing, though, if we can figure it out.”

And perhaps Hiebert and her team will be able to figure out that croissant challenge when they move into their new production and packaging space this summer.

“We’re moving into space that was already an approved food production facility, so it’s really not a lot of work for us to get it up to speed,” says Hiebert. “The landlord wanted to keep the space in the food processing sector, so we’re taking it over, and we’ll see where things go!”

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Merit Functional Foods - Winnipeg, MB “The seed cake was used for animal feed, but we’re able to extract the protein content and sell it as a higher value ingredient,” Bracken says.

“The process we use actually extracts the desired protein, but it also removes the impurities that impart the negative taste attributes and the darker colour that was not wanted,” says Bracken.

“We’re offering a functional and great tasting protein that’s perfect for meat alternatives, daily alternatives, lifestyle nutrition products, and even vegan bakery products. There’s different proteins needed for different purposes, and we’re able to offer something different,” explains Bracken.

“The canola protein is going to be better for some applications like those where whipping and folding characteristics are more important, like iced coffees, ice creams, and plant-based coffee creamers.

Bracken says that when the right protein product is used for an application, it can give food manufacturers the ability to streamline their ingredients list and present a more simplified product to the consumer.

PHOTO COURTESY: MERIT FUNCTIONAL FOODS

If you tried plant-based protein products in the past, you might have been left with an impression that these foods and drinks were ‘challenging’ when it came to taste and mouthfeel. They were plant-based protein products, and they let you know that (not in a good way, though.)

Of course, as with most things, some time and effort in the continued development of the ingredients behind these products has paid off in spades.

Plant-based protein no longer means sacrificing the deliciousness or ‘feel’ of the Real McCoy in the name of dietary needs.

Ryan Bracken, co-CEO of Merit Functional Foods in Winnipeg explains that the company’s proprietary processes mean that pea protein and canola protein are now able to meet the most demanding requirements for taste and texture without leaving the plant-based goodness behind. “‘Canola has traditionally been seen as an oil seed,” says Bracken, “but the leftover from that process still had tremendous value that we’re now able to capture and turn into something useful and consumable for humans.”

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“They don’t need to add some of the binding agents or multipliers like methylcellulose into their products, so you’re going to see fewer of those longnamed ingredients that some consumers don’t necessarily want to see.”

Asked about the environmental footprint of Merit’s protein products, Bracken explains the company’s products compare very favourably.

“We’re located in the heart of plant protein crops – peas and canola – so transport of the raw materials is minimized. We’re centrally located to our customers, so that shipping is less than other regions. And in Manitoba, we’re fed with clean hydroelectric power from Manitoba Hydro which produces almost no greenhouse gas emissions,” says Bracken.

“Merit’s protein products are second to none, and we’re ready and able to grow to meet demand for years to come.”

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Angel’s Share Cocktail Co. - Winnipeg, MB “I was working behind the bar at the Ritz-Carlton in Toronto, so I was already into the spirits side of things,” explains Masters, “and I got a lot of one-on-one coaching with the head bartender, who sort of ignited this passion for mixology.”

“A lot of it was self-taught, and there’s a lot of trial and error,” Masters says, “but I have a culinary background, so I understood flavours and combining them into something unique and interesting that people would enjoy.”

Masters and Racine want to clearly differentiate their company’s products from the mass market mixes found on supermarket shelves. Angel’s Share focuses on high-quality, hand-crafted, and seasonal mixes that appeal to cocktail connoisseurs, but they still

PHOTOS COURTESY: ANGEL’S SHARE COCKTAIL CO.

The angel’s share is a term used by spirit producers – especially whiskey makers – to denote the portion of liquor naturally lost to evaporation during the barrelaging process due to the porousness of the wooden barrels. Typically, this loss is about two per cent of the liquor per year, so, for example, a 12-year-old scotch can lose about 24 per cent of the barrel’s original content.

For the angels to be taking such a good-sized portion of any given liquor, it must be the good stuff they’re after.

So, why not name your craft cocktail mixology company after it?!

That’s just what Winnipeg’s Shane Masters and Marie-Pier Racine did when they started Angel’s Share Cocktail Co.

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have a lineup of more ‘traditional’ cocktails with an artisanal flair.

“Not everyone is going to want a cocktail made with beets, carrots, quinoa, or some other ‘wild’ ingredient,” says Masters, “but we can entice them with a great quality Moscow Mule, Tequila Sunrise, or Old Fashioned.”

“It was actually a Negroni that launched me down this mixology path,” Masters says, “so I understand not everyone has to dive in at the deep end.

You can start where you’re comfortable and begin exploring from there.”

Cocktails, especially artisanal cocktails, are a growing business around the world, and Angel’s Share is taking their place alongside some of the best in the world.

In 2021, Angel’s Share entered the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the largest in the world with more than 3800 entries, and garnered Gold for their Jus de Carotte and Silver for the Zombie cocktail mix.

“For us, for a cocktail mix, to be recognized at such a level, by some of most renowned bartenders, mixologists, and spirits experts, it’s an amazing accolade, for sure,” says Masters.

In addition to supplying their customers with innovative and refreshing beverage mixes, Angel’s Share is also working to ensure the business’s environmental footprint is well managed.

“We source our ingredients as locally as possible as the seasons

allow,” Masters says, “but there’s not a lot of citrus fruit growing in Manitoba!”

The company offers a bottle return program for their customers, giving them the opportunity to earn free cocktail mixes and giving the company the chance to reduce the need to purchase new bottles for their products.

Currently running the business from a kitchen hub facility in Winnipeg, Masters says they would, in the longer term, like to be in their own processing space.

“We’d be able to better monitor and control the water usage and power consumption and find ways to become more efficient and more sustainable.

That’s really our goal.”

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Rocky Lake Birch Works - The Pas, MB compounds – and bottled for distribution to customers across the country.

“The difference between birch and maple,” says McLauchlan, “is in the ratio of sap to syrup. Maple takes about 40 litres of sap to make one litre of syrup, while birch is about 125 litres of sap to get one litre of syrup. We have to collect a lot more sap, and we have to do a lot more boiling down.”

McLauchlan credits his wife and business partner, Johanna, as being the magician of the two when it comes to the syrup making.

“I get the sap boiled down to a certain point – 70 to 80 per cent of the water is gone at this point – and we transfer it from the evaporator to the finishing pan, where Johanna takes the syrup across the finish line,” says McLauchlan. “The sap is finally syrup, we take it off the heat, she bottles it, labels it, and gets it out the door. It’s really her baby!”

Rocky Lake Birch Works sells two different types of their birch syrup,

PHOTO COURTESY: ROCKY LAKE BIRCH WORKS

In the forest north of The Pas, Manitoba, the McLauchlan family is hard at work making what many folks consider liquid gold: birch syrup.

“When folks think of syrup – tree syrup, in particular – they tend to think of maple syrup,” says Alan McLauchlan, coowner of Rocky Lake Birch Works. “The birch syrup industry in Western Canada – let alone Canada – is much, much smaller, and it’s a different product than what has typically ended up in Canadian kitchens.”

“I like to tell people to cleanse their pallet before trying birch syrup,” McLauchlan says. “If you’re thinking you’ll get just another maple syrup, you’re in for a bit of a surprise!”

The process for making birch syrup is essentially the same as making other tree syrups, including maple. Trees are tapped during the early spring to extract the sap, which is then transported via plastic tubing to a central collection point.

The collected sap is boiled to reduce the water content to a specific level - leaving behind the sugar and aromatic flavour

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explains McLauchlan, each of which has a place in the kitchen thanks to their different flavour profiles.

“We make a pure birch syrup, that if you hold it up to the light, it’s dark – almost black – and the flavour is very much like molasses,” says McLauchlan.

“I use it in my yogurt, but I primiarly use it for cooking, like in barbecue sauces, glazes, or even on fish in the smoker.”

The other syrup the McLauchlans produce is a lighter variety, made by adding natural fructose during the boiling process, which results in a lighter, more golden product similar in appearance to a maple syrup.

“It’s more familiar for folks who are used to a maple syrup on their table,” McLauchlan says. “The difference is that our birch syrup is going to have a wee bit of a smoky taste, but it is still a premium product that will go well on your pancakes, ice cream, or on anything you would normally use syrup.”

HEYRU Canada - Winnipeg / Warren, MB of having a conversation and getting to know the suppliers and growers in the source regions.

“Before COVID-19, I would regularly travel to Africa to find the growers and producers, meet with them, and build a relationship person-to-person. That’s really the key to our company’s success in securing the highest quality ingredients,” says Edogbeni.

“It’s tougher now, due to the pandemic, as goods that we’ve purchased and arranged for import, are taking so much longer to arrive,” Edogbeni says, “and they’re often getting stuck in transit because of global transportation issues.

Ingredients we had planned on selling during last Christmas season, they still haven’t arrived, so we missed out on the holiday shopping.”

Undeterred, however, Edogbeni and the Heyru team continue to source new ingredients and products to process locally and share with Canadian consumers.

PHOTO COURTESY: HEYRU CANADA

HEYRU (pronounced ay-roo) is rooted in a word meaning ‘natural beauty’ in the Isoko language of southern Nigeria.

And that word is the name of Joseph Edogbeni’s company in Winnipeg that sells globally sourced natural food and cosmetic products processed locally in Manitoba for the Canadian and international markets.

“Our company was founded on the concept of natural beauty,” says Edogbeni, “and it is core to everything we do. I grew up with a passion for natural wellness and oneness with the world, so I built the business to bring these products to the Canadian market.”

Heyru’s product offering currently includes herbal teas sourced from Kenya, pure hibiscus flower tisanes, monk fruit sweeteners from southeast Asia, and moisturisers and cosmetics based on shea butter from Central Africa.

Edogbeni explains that sourcing the products and ingredients processed by Heyru comes down to the simple act

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“I grew up in Nigeria with all these natural products and with folks knowing which plants had what benefits, and I am glad to be able to share these with Canada,” says Edogbeni. “The hibiscus flower is one of those plants that can offer health benefits when used on its own, instead of as an ingredient in other preparations.”

The products Edogbeni and the Heyru team source from Africa and Asia are imported to Canada and processed locally in a facility in Warren, Manitoba, where the end products are packaged into biodegradable and sustainable containers for sale to consumers.

“We’re working to improve the visibility of these natural products in the market, and we’re seeing good interest,” Edogbeni says. “There’s a great appetite for what we’re producing, and people are finding out the difference that these natural foods can make in their lives.”

Farmery Estate Brewery - Neepawa, MB adding value to what we produce. It’s the value-add that lets you get in front of things and start having some say in what’s going to happen!”

The brothers developed the idea of a family-owned estate brewery as the new business for their family’s farm. Then came all the hard work of establishing a craft estate brewery in rural Manitoba.

“We needed to grow, at a minimum, barley and hops,” says Chris. “Those are the basics when it comes to beer. We knew we could grow barley, but hops were a bit of a wild card for us.”

The Warwaruks’ Prairie work ethic came out in spades, and they took on the challenge of not just cultivating hops but building a full hops yard setup with former hydro poles and lines to support the fast-growing vines.

“For us to be an estate brewery, we use what we grow,” Chris explains, “and that’s really our limiting factor. Of course, we also need to work with local suppliers who malt our barley and process other ingredients, so it’s a fine balance.”

Of course, being a brewery, beer is at the heart of Farmery’s offering, but that doesn’t mean they’re a one trick pony.

“We also make non-alcoholic beverages, including sodas and energy

drinks, spirits, hand sanitizer, and we even worked with another company on a hops-infused sleep aid pillow spray,” says Chris. “We learned that pillow sprays were actually a huge thing in Japan, and that the essential oils and aromatics from the hops we grow are a natural sleep aid.”

“When you grow and harvest the hops once a year, and when you might not use all of what you grow,” says Chris, “you don't just want to send stuff to the compost. That’s why we take the excess hops, process them to extract the oils, and we can either store or sell the oil on to other users.”

The explosion of craft brewing across North America, combined with a growing consumer thirst for local products means that Farmery Estate Brewery has a market that is expanding every day. The brewery has even become a bit of a tourist destination, creating a new draw for visitors who plan entire holidays around visiting craft breweries.

“The pandemic shifted a lot of things for everyone,” says Chris, “and that new ‘hyperfocus’ on local business and hand-crafted food and drink is definitely helping us – and lots of other folks – grow and thrive.”

PHOTO COURTESY: FARMERY ESTATE BREWING COMPANY

For the Warwaruk brothers, Chris and Lawrence, growing up on the family farm outside Neepawa gave them insights into the challenges and opportunities in making a living dependent on Mother Nature.

“We saw our dad working so hard every year to get the crops in and then off in the fall, and just fighting the elements the whole way,” says Chris. “The goal was always just to get as much grain out of the field each year and send it to market for whatever price was there.”

Like many farms, the Warwaruk’s struggled and eventually hit a dead end.

Chris explained that growing up, he and his brother and other family members had part time jobs off the farm to help make ends meet. Eventually, they were working full-time in other occupations.

“Looking from the outside, we could see that the traditional model of grain farming was broken,” Chris explains. “So much energy is spent growing the crop, harvesting it, and sending it off to the world market and hoping you get a price that will cover your costs. There was no control of your own destiny.”

“Farmers,” Chris continues, “don’t have any problem growing crops. We have a problem with marketing and

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Perfect Pierogies - Garson, MB Aitkenhead, CEO, explains that 95 per cent of the ingredients going into the company’s perogies are sourced hyper-locally.

“Almost everything that goes into our products is from within about a 15-minute drive from our kitchens,” says Aitkenhead. “It’s all natural, real food, so no powders or fillers or flakes. You’re getting a locally sourced and locally cooked perogy on your plate.”

When asked what separates Perfect Pierogies’ products from the typical perogy, Aitkenhead says it comes down to the human factor.

PHOTOS COURTESY: PERFECT PIEROGIES / FACEBOOK

When you think of the village of Garson, Manitoba, you might think first of the quarries that have been providing their signature Tyndall stone limestone to the construction industry for more than 120 years.

But what if I told you that there’s a converted school building home to a company producing more than five million perogies each year, supplying the fresh and frozen dumplings to stockists and consumers from coast to coast to coast?

Meet Perfect Pierogies!

When asked what makes Perfect Pierogies’ perogies perfect, James

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“The recipes we use are passed down within the families for generations, the techniques – like rolling the dough thinner than typical commercial perogies – are closer to the ‘authentic’ product,” explains Aitkenhead. “These are the perogies we grew up with.”

“Our production process still has people at its heart. Even the machine we use to pinch the perogies closed was custom built for us and the pinchers use a die that was made from my grandmother’s fingers,” Aitkenhead says. “The pierogies still have my grandmother’s fingerprints along the

edges, and the people in our process provide quality control at about six different points.”

Perfect Pierogies’ genesis in 2006 was thanks to the retirement of the local grocers’ perogy-pincher.

“It was a local woman, just around the corner from the grocery store who would make the perogies sold there,” says Aitkenhead, “but one day she just said, ‘my fingers aren’t pinching the way they’re supposed to, and my arthritis is hurting.”

“One of our company’s owners was distressed that his favourite perogy wasn’t going to be available for much longer, and he’d tried a number of other companies’ perogies,” Aitkenhead says.

“He couldn’t find anything authentic, until he eventually stumbled upon my mother, Carol, who had been running a catering company for decades.”

“She presented him with her version of a perogy, and he said it was the closest thing to what loved that he’d ever found!”

While the company and its products are firmly rooted in tradition and history, it doesn’t mean progress and change isn’t driving them forward.

The company’s production of about 100,000 perogies each week is about to explode as they set up in a new facility just around the corner from their current facility.

“We’ll have the capacity to ramp up to about 300,000 perogies each week,” says Aitkenhead, “and our new facility is allowing us to remove bottlenecks and pinch-points from the process, and we’re able to introduce new technologies into production.”

“We’ll finally be able to get a forklift in there, and we’ll be using electric induction cooking for our perogies,” Aitkenhead says. “The process will keep everything consistent, and we’ll continue to be able to deliver perfect perogies to our customers across the country.”

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Getting Ahead of the Labour Market

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The last two years have served as a major wakeup call for manufacturers around the world. With significant supply chain risks, labour market inefficiencies and heightened geopolitical tensions, the tightened global operating environment has hastened the transition towards smart manufacturing and uptake of Industry 4.0 technologies.

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n a global economy that is already experiencing a drive towards automation to meet productivity targets, the pressures resulting from the pandemic have accelerated the pace at which business must adopt new technologies to continue along their growth trajectories.

In the Canadian manufacturing sector, we see several opportunities ripe for disruption. One example, the automotive industry must transition from an internal combustion engine product mix to an electric vehicle (EV) product mix. With only ten suppliers accounting for 49 per cent of powertrain revenues, the need to transition to more flexible manufacturing is essential for two reasons: the ability to pivot and meet customer needs, and to become a more costcompetitive jurisdiction.

EV powertrains are approximately 20 per cent more expensive than internal combustion engine powertrains, and this increase in cost means vehicle manufacturers will push some of these additional costs back down onto the supply base. Investing in automation to meet the new product mix, initially lower volumes, and higher cost pressures will be essential to retaining jobs within the industry.

The shifting powertrain mix may also see vehicle manufacturers producing powertrain components themselves. The type of assembly for an EV powertrain may also reduce the number of individual robots involved in the assembly, rather replacing them with larger, more complex robotic assemblies.

As new opportunities emerge in the Canadian manufacturing sector, employers need to ensure they are prepared with a labour force that is equipped with the right digital skills and training to capitalize.

Demographic shifts bring significant challenges The labour transition out of the baby-boom era has been a predictable one, and Canada is not alone in this challenge. Other countries, such as Japan,

have experienced significant downturns in the labour market which have presented major economic challenges. One common solution to this challenge is in the form of replacing missing labour with new technologies that can drive productivity.

The issue is not that there is a lack of jobs, but that in an inefficient labour market, workers do not necessarily have the skills that match the industry’s job requirements. Manufacturers and goods producing sectors are the hardest hit by this challenge as they rely on more highly skilled and technical labour.

As of 2026, 20 per cent of Canadian workers will be eligible for retirement. With a large contingent of the workforce exiting the labour market in the coming years, manufacturers will have to turn to new tools and technologies – especially automation and robotics – to boost productivity, remain competitive, and grow their business.

In the face of a mass exodus from the workforce, Canada will be counting on fewer people to grow the economy that will provide income supports to retirees.

Manufacturers need to boost productivity by 25 to 30 per cent over the next decade simply to keep output levels where they are today – even more if they are to grow their business. This is not a challenge that can be solved by simply importing more labour – that will only lead to more unintended economic consequences.

In addition to retirement, Canada is also seeing a demographic shift away from rural areas and into city centres, representing a new infrastructure and staffing challenge for the manufacturing operations that often employ people outside of the big city limits.

Manufacturers must not only attract younger workers into the workforce, but make sure that they have the skills required to manage the business, processes, and tools that will lead to future business growth. We need a workforce that can step up and work with digital technologies, which is why NGen launched the Careers of the Future campaign, which is

Manufacturers need to boost productivity by 25 to 30 per cent over the next decade simply to keep output levels where they are today – even more if they are to grow their business.

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designed to attract the next generation of workers into the world of advanced manufacturing.

We encourage more companies to support this campaign and use it as a platform to promote jobs in their businesses. Every company and every Canadian needs to see this as a critical component of the way forward.

Careers of the Future As the leader of Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, we believe in harnessing the intellectual strength of youth. That’s why we decided to launch Careers of the Future, designed to educate young people about advanced manufacturing and inspire them to pursue fulfilling careers in the sector—careers that are at the forefront of innovation and sustainability.

Traditionally, when you think of manufacturing, an old-school image comes to mind: workers in overalls and work boots standing around a conveyor belt in a steely, dirty factory belching out clouds from smokestacks. That image couldn’t be further from reality.

Today, advanced manufacturing is clean, safe, highly automated, and begging for young people with the creativity and problem-solving capabilities to make things better. It’s about a wide variety of new cutting-edge technologies, but it’s also an industry that depends on a highly skilled and diverse pool of talent.

While most careers require STEM-based courses (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and experiences, there are several career paths one can take that will lead to jobs in advanced manufacturing. The more hands-on careers can include creating, building, designing, and maintaining technologies, machines, computers and other technological innovations, such as robotics and artificial intelligence.

On the scientific side, youth may have the chance to research and develop cleantech and clean energies, as well as developing products like new medical devices and vaccines, and more. Even more surprising to many is that advanced manufacturing can also include work in art and design, marketing and communications, government affairs, business

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Contrary to popular belief, advanced manufacturing is not just about automation and digital technologies. It requires a dedicated group of individuals working together to develop, create, execute, and deploy the multitude of products and processes that are developed within the industry.

management, writing, publishing, and editing. The opportunities are endless.

Contrary to popular belief, advanced manufacturing is not just about automation and digital technologies.

It requires a dedicated group of individuals working together to develop, create, execute, and deploy the multitude of products and processes that are developed within the industry. It’s about ideas and creativity, technique and ingenuity, teamwork and problem-solving, and how technologies are used to make all sorts of customized things and create the career opportunities of the future.

No matter a student’s skills, interests, passions or strengths, there is an opportunity waiting for them within advanced manufacturing.

Why should young people learn about careers in advanced manufacturing?

When you integrate new technology into manufacturing, the potential to help people and solve problems is limitless. That’s what makes a career in advanced manufacturing so fulfilling. New technologies like 3D printing, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics are improving how we make things and inspiring new products and industries by: • Delivering product and process innovation toward clean, sustainable, flexible manufacturing

• Solving productivity, health & safety, and sustainability challenges • Building future supply chains • Evolving agricultural production • Solving global challenges such as meeting energy demands through marine renewable energy, fisheries, aquaculture, oil & gas, defence, shipbuilding, and transportation The sector offers a wide range of career options, many of which don’t require a high degree of technological skills. Opportunities exist in accounting, marketing, sales, and human resources, all of which contribute to building a bright future for advanced manufacturing in Canada. Jobs are constantly evolving, requiring people to learn new skills and consider new ideas, while helping to make the world a better place.

You can choose a path in medicine, healthcare, sports, education, energy, transportation, agriculture, and fishing, to name a few.

At NGen, we are committed to informing young people, their parents, and educators about advanced manufacturing in hopes that today’s bright young minds will be open and interested in pursuing a career in this sector. For us, the Careers of the Future campaign is essential if we are to address skills shortages in manufacturing today and in the future, especially those related to the use of advanced digital and production technologies.

For more information or to find out how you can support Careers of the Future, visit www.careersofthefuture.ca

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Homegrown leadership achieves global success

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Väderstad Bringing Innovation and Opportunity to Saskatchewan

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äderstad Industries has been a leading producer of agricultural machinery for decades. The driving force behind that sustained success is the Saskatchewan manufacturer’s ability to develop new technology that has positioned Väderstad as a world leader in innovation.

The evolution of Väderstad’s Seed Hawk air seeder is the perfect example of how that has led to lower costs and greater yields for producers. In 2021, the company unveiled new updates to Seed Hawk’s proprietary section control technology, called SCTx, which enables the air seeder to operate more efficiently.

“SCTx is an exciting development that takes our existing system to the next level of performance and accuracy. Our customers wanted a highly functional system, that required less operator input, making the machine as user friendly as possible. That’s what we have delivered with SCTx”, said Nigel Jones, Vice President OtD North America.

SCTx uses an additional GPS receiver to enhance system capabilities allowing for more complex maneuvers in the field, the addition of turn compensation, and more capability to properly predict where the seeder’s drill should turn on and off. With the increased precision comes better seed and fertilizer placement, more uniform plant stands resulting in even maturity, and increased yields and better soil structure.

“Since its inception, Väderstad has been at the forefront of farming innovations, on multiple occasions doubling the speed or efficiency of traditional seeding, planting, and tillage operations,” said Jones.

Väderstad’s global presence is significant, with representation in over 40 countries and on all continents.

The company has manufacturing facilities located in Sweden, Saskatchewan, and more recently, in North Dakota to supply the global distribution network.

Väderstad Industries is located in Langbank, Saskatchewan, a small town in the southeast corner near the Manitoba border. That is where the Seed Hawk air seeders have been designed and manufactured for the last 30 years. The seeders are exported mainly to buyers in Western Canada, the United States and Australia. The company prides itself on being a major supporter of local initiatives, not just in the surrounding communities, but in all areas of Canada where it operates.

Väderstad is driven by a strong commitment to investing with purpose, in their people and in the communities in which they operate, said Jones. The company focuses on creating a work environment that empowers creativity and collaboration, so employees can focus on what they do best and are most passionate about: creating innovative solutions to improve agriculture, manufacturing and support for their customers.

“Since 1992, Väderstad has grown steadily in Canada, and we now employ 250 people, 200 of those at our manufacturing facility in Langbank, SK. Being a remote, rural location, we rely heavily on the surrounding communities for our employees. With a vision of being an employer of choice, we are a multi-year recipient of the Saskatchewan Top Employer Award,” said Jones.

Väderstad, now into its third generation of ownership, also takes pride in its roots. It started as a small family business in the early 1960s and that ideal is still the heart and soul of the company. The company’s

history is characterized by an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to improve and modernize farming, which is still being used to develop business plans and to ensure profitable growth.

It’s hardly surprising that a company valuing its agricultural heritage and focused on developing efficient farming machinery and methods would find a home in Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan is an agricultural powerhouse that specializes in manufacturing equipment for precision dryland farming. The province’s agriculture sector is a major driver of economic growth and the development of innovative agricultural technology.

Saskatchewan is fertile ground for companies like Väderstad because it offers a strong, accessible supplier base, a sophisticated local market for advanced technology equipment, a central North American hub for easy transportation, a skilled and productive workforce, and lower operational costs.

Saskatchewan also offers competitive incentives and tax credits for companies that choose to manufacture in the province. Väderstad has used the Manufacturing and Processing tax credit to invest in capital expenditures and the Saskatchewan Job Grant for training new and existing employees.

“Saskatchewan is the birthplace of numerous innovative dryland farming practices and provides a business-friendly environment for manufacturing. As a result, we will continue to invest in our operations, and remain committed to a long-term presence in the province,” said Jones.

In 2021, Väderstad celebrated a major milestone when it built its 5,000th Seed Hawk air seeder in Saskatchewan. With its continued focus on developing new technology to help farmers and their crops, the innovative company expects more production milestones are on the horizon.

Saskatchewan: Canada’s leader in ag equipment manufacturing Saskatchewan has the infrastructure, the workforce and the right incentives to drive manufacturing growth: •

Low corporate income tax rate for manufacturing and processing of 10%.

•

Strong cluster of agricultural implement manufacturers and local suppliers.

•

Manufacturing and processing exporter hiring tax incentives.

•

Saskatchewan Commercial Innovation Incentive offers a 6% corporate income tax rate on qualifying innovation for 10 to 15 years.

Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Trade and Export Development will work with you to help you grow your business or start a new venture in Saskatchewan.

thinksask.ca

2020 Saskatchewan Manufacturing Shipments

$13.9 billion

2.5 %

per year (2010 - 2020)

Dream Update:

Travis’s Bedroom Makeover Dream Comes True!

For the most part, Travis is your average teenager - but one with a string of some pretty bad medical luck. In 2020 Travis had 6 surgeries.

In February 2020, he was diagnosed with a Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma (a benign tumour at the back of the nasal cavity) that has grown and spread rapidly through his face, to both his brain and his skull. Over the course of a few months, there have been many other health issues that arose during surgery that prevented the surgical team from completely removing the tumour as soon as they would have liked.

But Travis has stayed brave and fought hard through it all.

He is a brilliant thinker and a creative soul, with a very quick wit that is always thinking outside of the box. These are all qualities that his friends love about him.

Travis and his best friends love to hang out, watch YouTube or anime, and laugh over Snapchat about all of their inside jokes.

As a typical teenager, he loves his gaming computer, eating burgers, and drinking hot chocolate.

One of the things that has been toughest on Travis has been wanting to hangout with friends or work out, but instead being stuck in the hospital. That’s part of why his dream come true is to have his room transformed into a fun spot for him and his buddies to hang out, and a safe space for him to come home to after tough surgeries and appointments.

From all of us at The Dream Factory thank you for making dreams come true!

And this past December, Travis’s ultimate bedroom makeover is COMPLETE because of YOU, our incredible Dream Community! This makeover has been a year in the making! In December 2020 our amazing friends at Park Line Coffee were busy making the Warrior Hot Chocolate - nearly 900 cups, to be exact - in support of his dream. This raised an incredible $14,000 to help bring Travis’s Dream to life!

And during the Warrior Hot Chocolate campaign, Travis’s mom shared: “10 months, 8 surgeries, 2 flatlines, 1 staph infection, 5 blood transfusions, lots of medical confusion, a ton of surgical experts, many days in PICU, hours of waiting in the waiting room and a million emotional highs and lows later... We can officially announce that THEY GOT IT ALL... and it’s finally over! Travis is tumour free and forever a warrior!”

Thank you to everyone who purchased a cup of Warrior Hot Chocolate, all of the matching donors for the Warrior Hot Chocolate: Amber van den Broek & Associates - Re/max Executives Realty, Bonafide Construction Solutions, Lehigh Hanson, MJ Roofing, one Anonymous Donor, and to Park Line Coffee for hosting this wonderful fundraiser Finally, a massive thanks to Hilton Homes for building the perfect space for Travis to call his own. The Hilton Homes team did a wonderful job bringing Travis’s vision to life by creating a peaceful space to rest and unwind.

Help make dreams come true for kids like Travis today – visit www.thedreamfactory.ca/donate and become a Dream Maker for a child here in Manitoba fighting a life-threatening illness.

We can’t do it without you!

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

An All-Women Leadership Team

By Marney Stapley

I

t wasn’t intentional. We realized in 2021 that we have an allwomen leadership team at North Forge, running one of the largest publicly accessible fabrication labs in North America and an incubator/accelerator.

Part of the North Forge Team My entire working career has been in the technologybased industry, which has been predominantly male. It’s evident when attending additive manufacturing conferences over the last seven years, especially in the lines for the washrooms. I’m hoping when I attend the next in-person conference, those lines will be more equally divided, or better yet, one big line into a gender-neutral washroom.

There are some characteristics and behaviours that are seen predominantly in female leaders. There is more of an understanding today that women bring with them their whole lives into their jobs. There are fewer expectations to fully separate the two.

Women carry a wide range of roles of responsibilities that are difficult to separate from work. A mentor of mine once said, “keep your head where your feet are.” This rang truer when we worked in a physical office. Now, with many of us having to work full or part-time from home, this statement seems moot.

Support and Encourage An all-women leadership team supports and encourages everyone, including working in situations requiring additional family responsibilities. The support and encouragement we provide each other as a team has provided for a respectful, positive, and happy work culture.

This work culture started at the top with Joelle Foster, one of the original founders of North Forge and the current CEO. “I want a female entrepreneur to be able to walk into our space at any point and feel welcome; that they belong,” says Foster. “I want to remove any ‘bro culture’ and for women to feel that their ideas are worthy and that they feel supported and empowered.”

“There are unique challenges that female founders encounter. We understand these challenges. We have a

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

PHOTO COURTESY: NORTH FORGE

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Not all leadership teams need to be all-women, but there needs to be proper and effective representation in the boardroom and on boards.

number of women from across Canada approaching us to be in our incubator because of our all-female leadership team,” says Foster. “Our programming is always open to everybody.”

Looking ahead, Foster has plans to continue growing North Forge’s offerings and break barriers for women-led start-ups in technology, STEM, and advanced manufacturing.

“We’re living in a time of disruption and transformation, where technology is one of the fastest growing sectors in the global economy. Yet, despite the incredible opportunities this sector offers, not enough women are pursuing technology as a career path,” explains Foster.

Representation and Engagement Matter Not all leadership teams need to be all-women, but there needs to be proper and effective representation in the boardroom

and on boards. Research has shown that businesses with more women in senior positions are more profitable, more socially responsible, and provide safer, higher quality customer experiences (among many other benefits). This all can lead to increased innovation and better business outcomes.

It's imperative that women in industry have a voice to let others know if, or when, women are not being represented.

I recently spoke up when I noticed the panel and lineup of speakers at a conference I was looking to attend were not diverse. The conference organizers were thankful for my opinions and legitimately seemed not to realize their error. Subsequently, they have developed a new procedure to vet speakers through a diversity lens. One person can make a difference!

Diversity at the North Forge FabLab The FabLab is a 16,000 square foot manufacturing facility with over $3.2 million of advanced manufacturing equipment located in downtown Winnipeg’s Innovation Alley.

In 2017, when the FabLab grew to needing an employee to look after aspects of the lab that volunteers were no longer able to provide, I knew that this was the job for me.

Full-service accounting for industry clients across Canada Tailored services for Canadian businesses at all stages for 27+ years Making numbers make sense for manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers Sharron Smith-Hnatowich, CPA, CGA 204.774.5595 • hnatowichandassociates@shaw.ca • 318-3025 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3K 2E2

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

I was one of the original volunteers, working, at the time in management for a corporate technology company. I was ready to retire from the corporate job, and I expressed interest to the president of North Forge at that time. I said that I could run the fabrication lab and that they needed a woman, in particular, to take the lead.

Five years ago, the FabLab was primarily skewed towards men. Today, on any given day, it’s proportionately gender equal.

I am a firm believer in ‘if you can see it, you can be it.’ I knew that I could help efficiently run the operations while inspiring other women to become involved and succeed in creating businesses.

See it, Be it One of these female entrepreneurs is Ande Brown. They are the founder of i-co globes, a business run out of the FabLab, using the facility’s advanced manufacturing equipment to produce 20-sided representations of planet Earth.

The i-co name reflects the shape, an icosahedron, and a love of interpersonal connection through intercontinental travel.

The globes are made of wood, metal, cork, and leather. Each

manitobaaerospace-halfpage_AEROSPACEISHIRING_PRINT.pdf

PHOTO COURTESY: NORTH FORGE

i-co globe is given a distinct name, for example, “Courage”, Resilience”, and “Thrive” to reflect the uniqueness of everything in the world. Before attaching the final piece to close a globe, Ande whispers an inspirational message into the globe as a way of spreading positivity into the world.

1

2021-09-03

5:59 PM

C

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CM

MY

CY

CMY

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Studies show that as we drive more businesses created by women, the ecosystem grows, jobs increase, and the economy strengthens.

Another female FabLab entrepreneur is Avery-Anne Gervais, the founder of Tiny Maker Mind, manufacturer of environmentally friendly toys from sustainable materials designed to last generations. Her most popular wooden alphabet blocks are milled locally and delivered to the FabLab, where they are laser etched, sanded, routed, and packaged for shipping.

I sat down with Ande and Avery-Anne to ask them about being female founders. I started by asking them what message they would give to younger people interested in manufacturing.

Avery-Anne: “Seek out an encouraging mentor, or two, or three. Being a small business owner is rewarding but also incredibly challenging at times. I’d suggest having a few people who you can call on when you need some extra support.”

Ande: “The most important part of anything you do in life is to be passionate and engaged in what you’re doing. Also, listen to your heart, and don’t be influenced by what other people think you should do.”

What inspired you to quit your steady 9-to-5 job and start your own business?

Avery-Anne: “I’ve always been passionate about product development and growing small businesses. Having been burnt out with the travel and tradeshows of 9-to-5 sales jobs, I decided I wanted to work more with my hands and challenge myself to learn some equipment at the FabLab. Now having acquired some skills, I’m able to do product development for my line of children’s toys, as well as some unique contract work.”

Ande: “For way too many years, I worked in an environment of ineffective bureaucracy and unengaged co-workers.

After returning from a lifelong dream trip to Antarctica and motorcycling through South America, I decided enough was enough and that no job is more important than living an authentic heart-centred existence and pursuing your passions.”

Lastly, I asked them, what motivates you?

Avery-Anne: “I’m motivated by knowing one day I will know how to use all the equipment…and be able to accept all kinds of contract work to keep things exciting and grow my skill sets.”

Ande: “I’m motivated by living a self-directed life where I own my time and spend it in pursuit of learning, creating and collaborating on interesting projects, as well as showing kindness to others and surrounding myself with positive individuals.”

Studies show that as we drive more businesses created by women, the ecosystem grows, jobs increase, and the economy strengthens. At North Forge, we are going to continue to roll out initiatives that will increase female participation and provide opportunities. A great quote from Bonnie Ware comes to mind, “You don’t need to know all the answers, you just need to be courageous enough to take the first step and trust where it leads.”

Marney Stapley is Vice President of North Forge Technology Exchange, a Winnipeg-based incubator accelerator and entrepreneur community fueling Manitoba’s innovative science-based, technology-enabled, and advanced manufacturing start-ups. Marney heads up North Forge’s fabrication lab facility, North America’s largest publicly accessible nonprofit fabrication laboratory.

Women & their Partners Making, Exporting & Innovating

Helping you grow your business is our business.

Advice • Training • Networking Financing • Peer Mentorship

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Tehani Jainarine & Ravi Ramoutar, Head Turnerz Restoration

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

In conversation with…

Dr Jason Kindrachuk L

ast spring, Prairie Manufacturer’s editor, Jeff Baker, spoke with Dr. Jason Kindrachuk, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, at the University of Manitoba to learn more about COVID-19 and what lay ahead for us at that point.

Jeff recently reconnected with Dr Kindrachuk to chat about what we’ve learned over the past year about COVID-19, the difference that vaccines are making, how the end of the pandemic might look, and what individuals can do – separately and together – to bring the end closer for all.

This conversation took place on February 11, 2022 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Jeff Baker (JB): Last time we chatted it was almost a year ago – almost to the day. We’ve had a lot of stuff happen. In your view, what is different, what’s the same? What have we learned that really stands out for you?

Jason Kindrachuk (JK): The biggest thing is, and I think there's really no debate, is that vaccines work. We have not only one vaccine, but we have multiple vaccines that are available and have been widely distributed that are amazingly effective in being able to reduce the healthcare toll that we've all been concerned about. To me, that's been one of the biggest lessons that I hope we learned. With these vaccines, we’re able to change the course infectious disease outbreaks and endemics very, very quickly - much more rapidly than we ever have previously, and that’s hugely important for us.

Now, we can't be solely reliant on vaccines, though. We have to appreciate that whether it was luck, or the combined focus and expertise, it’s all contributed to how the vaccines have helped us, but we just don’t know whether this would bear out in the same timeframe or the same way with other infectious diseases.

The other thing that I think we need to appreciate is the challenge of vaccine-hesitant or vaccine-reluctant people; it’s something we certainly need to meet head-on. We can’t assume that everybody is on board and that the people who aren't are just a very tiny minority that don't wield any sort of authority or influence in the larger community.

We’re talking about fighting emerging infectious diseases.

Now, it’s not only about battling the virus; it’s also about battling misinformation through good public messaging and science communication. Not many of us have been trained specifically

in science communication and public outreach, but I think we've learned a lot and learned from so many people around us. It’s going to be a long-term process that we’re not going to solve in the next couple of weeks.

With all that said, there’s still some areas of concern that we need to address. While we’ve got many parts of Canada talking about removing restrictions and opening things up again, there is a large part of the global population that still doesn’t have regular and sustainable access to the vaccines.

This is about equity in terms of vaccination, and it’s about equity of health care access and supporting infrastructure and resources that give the ability to move vaccines into the communities that need them. We can’t forget that the pandemic isn't going to be over until it's over globally.

Discussions seem to be moving towards ‘learning to live with the virus’ and needing to ‘get comfortable with the virus,’ or that it’s becoming endemic. Well, part of living with the virus is continuing to learn about the virus. We also need to appreciate that living with the virus isn’t necessarily the most optimal move going forward.

A virus becoming endemic doesn’t mean it’s mild. Other endemic diseases, like malaria, still have a significant impact on the lives of a vast swath of our global community. We already face a lot of infectious diseases on an endemic basis, so are we comfortable with adding another one onto the pile? Let's do everything we can to try and minimize the toll it will have.

JB: I know you’re not a historian or a political scientist, but you do know your stuff, Jason. Are there examples of other pandemics or viruses that have become so political?

JK: We can look back at the pre-1900 smallpox vaccination campaigns in the United States and see that there were some groups pushing back against vaccination. In the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, we saw similar pushback against mask mandates, too.

I think part of the difference today is that we have social media and the ability for us to communicate globally instantaneously. We’re no longer talking about a situation where we have nations that are isolated and the ability to transfer information from one continent to another takes a long time.

Those messages disseminate amazingly quickly, and, of course, there's a co-ordination behind this which makes it much more

Talk of pandemics and viruses tends to gravitate towards the thought of eradication. However, we’ve only eradicated one human virus in all of history – smallpox – and it was unique to the human population.

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We need the public advocating to our governments, and certainly to international organizations, about the importance of getting the rest of the world vaccinated.

challenging. This isn’t necessarily grassroots organizations that that are driving the campaigns.

While we didn't want to see the situation come to this which is the reality we’re living – there is an opportunity for us to learn. We need to look at things, acknowledge they are not perfect, and figure out what we need and want to change from a communication standpoint. I think that’s going to be the biggest question for us.

JB: We keep seeing new variants of SARS-CoV-2 popping up around the world. How do these variants keep happening? Can we prevent additional variants from appearing?

JK: Viruses have been in existence for eons. When we think about RNA viruses – SARS, influenza, etc. - they're very good at what they do, but they’re also very good at not being efficient.

What happens is we get random mutations that often don't amount to anything because they're very random and they don't change the virus’s behaviour. Occasionally, through chance events, you get the right combination of random mutations that can provide the virus with some sort of fitness advantage. It changes the behaviour enough that the new variant can outcompete other variants around it.

As we investigate the patient populations, we’re learning more every day. We’re getting more information now that suggests chronic infections are related to the mutations, because you have this continual turnover of basically the same virus in a specific individual, and over an extended period it provides more time for mutations to occur. It gives the virus a bigger playing field to create and ‘try out’ these mutations.

Another thing to appreciate is that SARS-CoV-2 is no longer restricted to only humans. That’s important when we look at things through a global ‘one health’ lens that accounts for human health, animal health, the environment, and how it’s all interlinked.

We know that cats and mink (among numerous other species) have tested positive for the virus, and now we’re seeing deer not only infected, but there seems to be ongoing transmission within the deer population. So, now the question becomes ‘when the virus is in those other animal species, what is it doing?’ What are the mutations that are occurring? Could they jump back at humans? Could they be making the virus worse for humans when it does jump back?

Testing every animal species for the virus isn’t necessarily feasible, so how do we apply what we’ve learned in the field, through computer modelling, and through machine learning to go forward? How does this inform the long-range plan for the virus?

Talk of pandemics and viruses tends to gravitate towards the thought of eradication. However, we’ve only eradicated one

46

Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

human virus in all of history – smallpox – and it was unique to the human population. With SARS-CoV-2, I don’t see eradication as feasible. Even if we get transmission down to essentially zero in the human population, we just don’t know how far and wide its distribution is in the animal population.

The discussion then moves to controlling the virus, minimizing transmission generally, and continuing to adapt to what the virus is telling us about itself. If we want to reduce the emergence of variants, including variants of concern, we've got to think beyond our borders. This is a global issue.

JB: So, if the key is getting transmission down, what can individuals do to play a part in ending the global pandemic, regardless of what our local or regional politicians are trying to tell us?

JK: Yes, this is a global issue, but we can have control over this, and what we can do as individuals is help reduce the potential for ongoing spread. The vaccines aren’t going to end the pandemic on their own. We do this by getting vaccinated and by shifting our behaviours.

We all need to get our third doses – and further doses, too, if that’s what this requires. We also need to shift our behaviours in the community so that if you’re sick or have symptoms, you don’t go out in public or you use a mask and be more conscious of your behaviours that could be contributing to the spread.

We need the public advocating to our governments, and certainly to international organizations, about the importance of getting the rest of the world vaccinated. And as we move out of the pandemic, we need to make sure we don’t make the same mistakes we made following SARS, Ebola, or the 2009 influenza, mostly in cutting sustainable funding for research and surveillance.

We often see funding ramped up for a few years, then when people and governments lose interest, they tend to reduce the funding. We need to keep up the pressure on governments to make long-term investments, and not just when a new virus or disease emerges, but prior to those events occurring.

JB: There are variations on the theme around the world, even within our own country, about what living in the pandemic looks like. But what does the end of this pandemic look like?

JK: Looking back to history – I was three years old at this point – to 1980 with the eradication of smallpox, there was massive media coverage of the announcements. The fact that we were able to eradicate this virus was ground-breaking. It’d never

happened before. It’s probably not going to be the same situation with COVID-19 though.

We’ll see a move away from the toll the disease had on our health care systems, and we’ll start to see the scientific community move away from a sole focus on COVID-19. Most researchers I know, independent of their backgrounds in different viruses, they shifted their research to focus on COVID, but we need to get back to that other research too.

Truly, COVID-19 has been a galvanizing event for the scientific community; we’ve been working so closely together and collaborating in so many ways, but those other research areas have unfortunately been neglected for the last couple years.

I would say the true end to this pandemic is based on when we stop seeing high transmission rates in low- and middleincome countries. Yes, we’re seeing a light at the end of the tunnel in higher-income countries, and it’s very bright, but we need to make sure that light shines for everyone in every country.

Look at influenza, for example. We talk about it being ‘just the flu,’ but the virus still kills 500,000 people a year across the globe. And influenza is a vaccine-preventable disease that still has disproportionate effects on the most vulnerable areas of the world.

How many more diseases do we look at as being ‘just another flu;’ how many more do we want to add to that list? We don't want to add anymore, so let's do everything we can so we keep that list down to a minimum.

JB: Five hundred thousand deaths from influenza each year?

That’s horrible. It’s like the cities of Regina AND Saskatoon disappearing each year, every year.

JK: One hundred percent.

Again, I go back to this idea that with what it is now a vaccinepreventable disease, there are still individuals and populations that will have high risk of severe disease, even with vaccinations, but we have the tools and knowledge that can reduce the toll.

If we’ve got this virus and let it continue to transmit widely, we know what's going to happen. We've watched Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron, among others, so we need to, at some point, say ‘let’s not keep letting the same thing happen.’

I work in virology. It’s a world of doom and gloom because emerging infectious diseases are not fun things to work on, but there is some reason for optimism. We just can’t let that optimism hide or minimize the situation that is still at hand in some parts of our world.

FROM POTENTIAL TO PERFORMANCE Whether you are seeking a new career direction, greater work-life balance, or greater success, we'll meet you there and empower you to achieve your goals.

Together we will unlock your potential by providing the knowledge, inspiration, and tools to help you perform at a higher level.

Success Is In You www.rogerfish.ca

(647) 624-9393

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47

Rising Injury Numbers Present Opportunity for Employers Changes in workforce mean safety must remain a focus

By Jamie Hall

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

W

e often hear that for every challenge or problem that arises, there is also an opportunity to be found.

For employers in the manufacturing sector, which is currently experiencing a rise in overall injury claim numbers, there are ways to help slow the tide of injuries and turn the situation around.

But first, it’s important to understand the numbers – and the effect of COVID-19 on these numbers. Including COVID claims, there were 1,219 time-loss claims (those that result in an employee being away from work) across all sectors in December 2021, according to data from the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB). This number was essentially the same as the five-year high set last year at 1,225. There were 379 COVID time-loss claims in December 2020 compared to 67 in December 2021. If COVID claims are excluded, the December 2021 time-loss claim number would not have reached a five-year high, but the claim level was still very high at 1,152 claims, or 21 per cent higher than the five-year average.

Although the manufacturing sector was one of the sectors experiencing a five-year high in time-loss injuries for the month of December, it was not alone in experiencing more injuries.

Injury numbers in the healthcare, trade, and construction sectors

are also at or close to five-year highs. On the monthly time-loss claims chart, the trend is strong in recent months, with injuries in several months higher than the five-year average.

Breaking it down Looking at sub-sectors in manufacturing, 13 of 16 subsectors had an increase in time-loss claims in 2021 compared to 2020. The largest increases were in heavy metal working, meat processing, wood and millwork, and food and beverage processing. Aircraft manufacturing and repair, clothing/textile manufacturing, and construction manufacturing were the only three sub-sectors with fewer claims.

Behind the trend The pandemic resulted in significant fluctuations in manufacturing payroll. The current 2021 payroll estimate is a six per cent increase over 2020, one of the largest increases in the past 20 years. This may help explain the increase in manufacturing injury claims. A shortage of skilled labour in manufacturing is likely another factor behind the growing number of injury claims. Over the past five years, the average

December Year-End Time Loss Counts by Manufacturing Sub-Sector (Excluding COVID-19) Sub-Sector

Dec 2017

Dec 2018

Dec 2019

Dec 2020

Dec 2021

2021 VS 2020

Agriculture Manufacturing

84

59

63

56

66

17.9%

Aircraft Manufacturing and Repair

74

74

52

40

33

-17.5%

Clothing/ Textile Manufacturing

45

53

34

35

31

-11.4%

Construction Manufacturing

86

63

59

63

58

-7.9%

Food & Beverage Processing

176

152

164

142

169

19.0%

Heavy Metal Working

577

481

446

363

502

38.3%

Light Manufacturing

128

139

105

93

125

34.4%

Manufacturing Chemicals/Paint

25

23

24

15

23

53.3%

Manufacturing Electronics

21

18

22

14

15

7.1%

Manufacturing Medication

44

30

37

30

33

10.0%

Meat Processing

108

87

112

135

176

30.4%

Other Manufacturing

27

11

26

19

20

5.3%

Paper & Printing

85

75

58

53

54

1.9%

Plastic Manufacturing

98

114

80

63

78

23.8%

Vehicle Manufacturing

151

138

100

85

106

24.7%

Wood & Millwork

243

204

192

200

232

16.0%

All Manufacturing

1,972

1,721

1,574

1,406

1,721

22.4%

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49

Top 5 injuries in the manufacturing sector in 2021

On the monthly time-loss claims chart, the trend is strong in recent months, with injuries in several months higher than the five-year average.

1. Struck by objects 2. Bodily reaction (applies to injuries or illnesses resulting from a single incident of free bodily motion which imposed stress or strain upon some part of the body, e.g. injuries or illnesses resulting from the assumption of an unnatural position or from voluntary or involuntary motions induced by sudden noise, fright, or efforts to recover from slips or loss of balance) 3. Overexertion 4. Fall on same level 5. Caught in objects

years of service of injured workers in the manufacturing sector has decreased.

Turning the numbers around Made Safe, an industry-based safety program in Manitoba, provides safety and health services designed for the needs of the manufacturing environment. In partnership with SAFE Work Manitoba, Made Safe makes it easier for employers and workers to ensure workplaces are safe and productive. Since its inception in 2016, Made Safe has provided industry-specific safety and health training for workers and assistance to employers in developing safety programs and services for their workplaces.

With Made Safe, employers can look forward to: • access to an extensive range of member services, including more than 30 training courses • fewer time-loss injuries and days lost from work • 15 per cent rebate on WCB fees upon becoming SAFE Work Certified • Lower WCB costs for everyone as a result of a safer industry.

Earning safety certification is another way for employers to reduce injury numbers. SAFE Work Certified is Manitoba's safety and health certification standard that helps make workplaces safer and provides a financial reward to employers that prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. Employers who receive certification have lower WCB premiums over time and improved employee engagement. They can also be confident in meeting legal safety requirements. Employers that achieve SAFE Work Certified can qualify to receive a rebate of 15 per cent on their

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Jamie Hall is the Chief Operating Officer of SAFE Work Manitoba.

He is part of a team of people who are passionate about changing the landscape of safety in order to realize significant improvements in safety performance in Manitoba.

Proud designer of Prairie Manufacturer Magazine

Publications

TITANIUM graphic design

WCB premium, while smaller employers will receive up to a maximum of $3,000.

If you need help decreasing injuries in your workplace, I encourage you to contact Made Safe at madesafe.ca or 204.949.1454 and reach out to SAFE Work Manitoba by calling 204.957.SAFE (7233) or 1.855.957.SAFE (7233), or by emailing information@safeworkmanitoba.ca.

Issue 1, Volume 6 • Fall

2021

www.prairiemanufac

For all your design needs call 204-510-3772 or email dana@titaniumgraphicdesign.ca

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

turer.ca

CASE STUDY

Effective Use of the Hierarchy of Controls for Machine Safeguarding

T

he Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) implemented the Research and Workplace Innovation Projects (RWIP) program in 2009 to make available funding for projects that contribute to the prevention of workplace injuries and illness. In 2019 Workplace Engineering Solutions (acquired by EHS Partnerships in 2019) applied for funding for its project “Effective Use of the Hierarchy of Controls for Machine Safeguarding”. Machine Safety incidents are significant in their severity and often are life changing to the individual involved.

Goals of the Project This project sought to impact the root of machine safety incidents. The root cause being lack of understanding of hazards and the consequences of contact. This comes from a poor selection of controls and reliance on lower forms of control. The Hierarchy of

Controls is important for machine safety control selection. The top controls are the most effective (Elimination) and become less effective as you move down the hierarchy up to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The goal was to identify the hazards and controls and learn what tools are needed to lift the reliance on lower-level controls. An audit tool was designed to be used by floor level supervision to talk to operators to find out what the current situation was.

Findings of the Project 500 audits were completed in the province, and results demonstrated the reliance on what level of control. For operator controls, Manitoba was only 34.6% reliant on engineered controls or better. Engineered controls physically restrict access or stop hazardous motion when operators get close. It shows most of our reliance is on lower than awareness controls. Awareness controls can still be physical shields, but those

shields may not completely prevent access to hazards and just control inadvertent contact. They still can be a sufficient control for some level or risk and may be necessary to allow the operator access to the working part of the machine. The question was a proper risk analysis done to ensure higher levels of controls could not be used before moving to lower level of controls.

Manitoba still struggled with hazard identification and control identification at the operator level.

Moving forward from the Project The project used the audit tool to highlight some conclusions and the way forward is better tools to identify where an organization stands and training tools to help them move forward. We need to move in the direction of better controls. The Hierarchy must be used to first identify whether a hazard can be eliminated and then move down. Audit tools and training tools were developed to facilitate this change.

If you are interested in the tools and training, they can be accessed here. www. wesguard.ca/academy.html

ADDICTION affects EVERYONE in your workplace.

Substance abuse costs the Canadian Economy $46 billion a year, and directly costs Canadian business over $30 billion per year in the form of:1 • absenteeism • accidents • health care/insurance costs • lost productivity Substance abusers affect other employees – Up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of industrial injuries can be linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism2 You have the POWER to protect all of your employees, their families and your business.

Contact us for a confidential assessment with our Work Place Impairment Screening. www.safecarecanada.ca

1 2

safetyservicesmanitoba.ca (from Canadian Addictions Study 2002) https://www.madd.ca/english/research/real_facts.pdf

5

QUESTIONS

on plant protein and plant-based co-products with Bill Greuel, CEO of Protein Industries Canada, the nation’s plant-based protein Supercluster

Who is Protein Industries Canada?

Protein Industries Canada (PIC) is an industry-led, notfor-profit organization created to position Canada as a global source of high-quality plant protein and plant-based coproducts. We are one of Canada’s five innovation Superclusters.

NGen is one of our colleague Superclusters, tasked with driving advanced manufacturing.

PIC works with private sector industry partners to create co-investment projects that have the potential to transform the agriculture and food production sector, allowing Canada to secure our position as a global leader in the production of plantbased products and co-products.

The goal of the Supercluster is to challenge Canadian businesses to collaborate with other businesses, and postsecondary and research institutions to create projects that have the potential to transform the food processing sector in Canada, creating jobs and stimulating local economies.

What is the market outlook for the plant-based food sector?

The global demand for protein is growing, with the demand for plant-based foods and ingredients seeing a particularly sharp increase. This presents a unique opportunity for Western Canada, due largely to the area’s natural resources.

According to a report by Ernst and Young and commissioned

by Protein Industries Canada, the global market for plant-based food and ingredients is expected to rise to $250 billion by 2035. Much of these foods and ingredients will be made from crops grown, and potentially processed, in Western Canada, particularly pea, canola, oat and pulses.

It looks very promising for the crops that we produce at scale here in Western Canada. Consumers want choice, and these diverse sets of plant-based ingredients that we can create from the crops we produce give that choice.”

How much of the market will Canadian producers be able to serve?

The Ernst and Young report estimates global demand for crops used in meat-alternative products could grow to anywhere between 41 million and 66 million metric tonnes by 2035. Because of Western Canada’s strong agriculture footing, we expect the country could supply the ingredients for approximately 10 per cent of the world’s plant-based food and ingredients by 2035, including alternatives to dairy, eggs and seafood.

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Prairie Manufacturer Magazine • Spring 2022

If we look at what the overall size of what the plant-based foods market will be by 2035, we think that that’s going to be about a $250 billion market. It’s reasonable that Canada can achieve 10 per cent of that overall global market share, so $25 billion in annual sales. Just for context setting, today Canada is about 3.3 per cent of the global agrifood market. So, we think we can punch well above our weight.

What will it take for Canada to get to there?

Fulfilling this potential will take some strategic work over the next 10 to 15 years. Already Canada’s plant-based food sector and its supporters have begun investing in the area, through increased processing, research into new crop types and higher protein varieties, and development of new on-farm technologies.

They have also worked together to develop The Road to $25 Billion, a strategic roadmap that outlines goals and actions the sector needs to collaboratively achieve in order to reach its global market goals. The actions within the roadmap centre on the areas of innovating, scaling, and prospering, with a focus on increasing processing capacity within Canada, including the Prairie Provinces. This increase in infrastructure will lead not only to new products for consumers to enjoy, but also an increase in new jobs, increased GDP among local economies, and opportunities for new and existing SMEs to establish and scale their operations.

What sort of competition are we facing, or will we face?

While this work puts us on a good base moving forward, there’s plenty more to do. Other countries are also investing significant resources into their plant-based food and ingredient sectors, with this investment expected to rise over the next five to seven years. Importantly, some of those countries are starting out with sectors already competitive with Canada’s.

Their reason for investing is the same as ours: The plantbased food and ingredients market isn’t going to disappear.

It’s a lifestyle built not only on population growth, but also the growing consumer desire to balance convenience with protecting the environment, maintaining human health, and protecting animal welfare.

These as underpinning market forces—not fads, not trends. They’re long-term, sustainable forces that are going to drive the growth.

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TO OUR 2022 RECIPIENTS

CME pays tribute to manufacturing and exporting excellence in Manitoba at our annual Gala Awards Dinner. Join us for a celebration alongside more than 400 of manufacturing’s influencers, job creators and thought leaders!

A SPECIAL SALUTE TO OUR 2021 RECIPIENTS

2022 GALA AWARDS MARCH 24, 2022 RBC CONVENTION CENTRE CELEBRATING MANITOBA EXCELLENCE IN MANUFACTURING & EXPORTING

HALL OF FAME AWARD AL ALEXANDRUK & TOM WILTON, THE PROLIFIC GROUP

EXPORT AWARD

This year, CME’s Gala Awards Dinner will include a special salute to our 2021 Award Recipients, as we honour those who graciously accepted their awards as a part of our virtual celebration in 2021.

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HALL OF FAME, Ivor Perry PIONEER, Ernest Guertin (awarded posthumously) EXPORT, RTDS EMERGING, International Truck Body

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AMP UP

by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada

Workforce Development NGen Canada is the industry-led, non-profit organization that runs Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster.

NGen is founded on the principle that the transformation to advanced manufacturing will enrich the lives of Canadians,

delivering better products and good jobs while generating the economic growth essential to a better future.

Our network has over 4,000 members today!

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“Advanced manufacturing is about

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44 Courses Available 81 Training Institutions 50% of the cost of training covered* Visit ngen.ca/workforce/amp-up for details Prepare your workforce for the challenges of tomorrow.

*Under AMPUP, NGen will cover 50% of the cost of training for Canadian manufacturers to enroll their employees in selected skills development and certification programs offered by established trainers.