What is Community Economic Development? Community economic development is: “action by people locally to create economic opportunities and enhance social conditions, on an comprehensive and sustainable basis.”

Economic Base:
The economy in Minnedosa is based largely on agriculture and farming in the rich fertile fields of the surrounding area. Major crops include most cereal grains and oilseeds, as well as, many forage crops for use in livestock production. There are several livestock operations in the area, which augment the prosperous field crops. Minnedosa is a full-service centre for agriculture in the area. Town businesses offer support to all aspects of the farming community, including seed, chemicals, equipment sales and service, and agronomic advice. Manufacturing is a big part of the town's economy, as well. Two major plants operate in the community, Morris Industries Ltd. producing various types of farm machinery and parts, the other Husky Ethanol Plant producing Ethanol from grain for use as an automotive fuel and many other industrial applications. Minnedosa has a thriving retail and business district where residents can purchase almost all they will ever need. The business district offers shopping and services for residents of surrounding communities.

Minnedosa Community Projects

Minnedosa Library
The Canada-Manitoba Infrastructure Program invested in literacy, local history, the environment and youth programming with a $300,000 contribution for the expansion of the Minnedosa Regional Library. The project has doubled the size of the existing library for the benefit of residents in the Town of Minnedosa and the Rural Municipalities of Odanah and Minto. "The Minnedosa library expansion was used by the community based on the library's past experience of exceeding the provincial average in circulation per capita and its central location," said Doer. "The province is pleased to join the partners in this project as we work cooperatively toward building the new library."
The 2,600 square foot expansion of the library includes a local archive to house historical data from the district, an expanded children's area, a reading lounge and computer workstations. A centre to demonstrate ecology and to promote natural resource management and sustainable development is also included in the plans.

New Wind Power Facility Unveiled
Minnedosa -- Manitoba Hydro has unveiled its first wind monitoring facility near Minnedosa, one of seven sites that will gather specific information about wind conditions in the province. The wind monitoring process will assist in determining the best location for potential future wind turbines for generating electricity.
The development of clean energy sources benefits the environment while providing economic development opportunities for our province. We congratulate Manitoba Hydro for having the vision to examine wind power generation and the benefits it brings with it. The Manitoba Hydro's leadership reinforces Manitoba's reputation as a leader in the development of clean energy. Wind power generation represents a promising opportunity for Manitoba and for the future. These monitoring sites will provide us with the information to make informed decisions about the future of wind power in Manitoba.
See More Here: www.vectorwindenergy.com
Husky Ethanol Plant
On July 3, a report on the construction of the new Husky Ethanol Plant at the Minnedosa Industrial Park was issued. Part of the $145 million project began on June 19 with 24-hour construction of concrete walls for the grain silo. It was completed on June 27, at a rate of 10 inches an hour. The silo is 130 feet tall. The whole project is expected to be complete by mid-2007.
The new plant will provide 5-10 jobs in addition to the 35 at the existing plant. The plant currently yields 10 million liters of fuel per year, which will increase to 130 million liters of fuel per year after the construction is complete.
Ethanol production for use as a blending component in Canadian gasoline began in Manitoba at Mohawk’s Minnedosa facility in 1981. That facility produces 10 million liters of pure ethanol per year.
Within Manitoba alone, there is a potential market for 140 million liters of ethanol or 1.4 billion liters of gasohol per year. There are significant market opportunities in other Canadian jurisdictions and the U.S. By developing these markets and increasing the number of export-oriented facilities, Manitoba’s productive capacity over time could expand to meet markets three or more times the provincial market for ethanol.
Minnedosa is helping to provide: Manitoba has no oil refineries, making it necessary to import all of its gasoline. Most gasoline enters Manitoba through a product pipeline that delivers gasoline and other petroleum products to a Winnipeg terminal. From there, the gasoline is distributed to various outlets throughout the province.
Morris Industries Ltd.
Morris Industries Ltd. is an international supplier of simple, practical, easy to use seeding, tillage and haying equipment. They maintain a commitment to the goals and values of the company’s founder, George Morris, who created the world's first automatic trip release in 1929. they are an international supplier of simple, practical, easy to use seeding, tillage and haying equipment. Morris Industries Ltd., a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment. Morris has announce the $1,000,000 plus expansion of its Minnedosa Plant in Minnedosa, Manitoba.
The project calls for 5,250 square feet of manufacturing space to be added to the north face of the existing facility. This expansion will include housing an 18 feet wide by 10 feet high by 30 feet long manual blast chamber and a mesh-belt blast wheelabrator capable of processing metal components and welded assemblies up to 36 inches wide by 18 inches high. Welding fabrication will also be added to this new area.
“This expansion project will give them the ability to significantly enhance their metal surface preparation”, states Mr. Dale Evans, Minnedosa Plant Manager. “ We will add the ability to media blast metal surfaces prior to the painting process, bringing them in line with the current state-of-the-art method of metal surface preparation.”
“Once the project is completed, they will be completely processing and fabricating all components for there world renowned Morris EIGHT Series Air Carts and ProAG Large Square Bale Handling Equipment. This will also significantly enhance their OEM capabilities and free up time at Morris’ Yorkton manufacturing facility. Morris Industries has always been a large employer for Minnedosa and the addition of new full-time employment opportunities is a welcome spin-off for the community,”
International Liaisons
Working around the world to bring new cultural initiatives to Our Community:
Sister City: Ishii-cho, tokushima-ken
Sister City Background:
The sister city relationship was initiated in 1995 when a delegation from Ishii visited Minnedosa. Ten delegates from Minnedosa, headed by Mayor Drebit, made a return visit to Ishii in 1996. The official sister city agreement was signed in 1997. Student exchanges are planned for upcoming years.