Jamie Moses has one of the busiest jobs in Manitoba. As Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation, he is trying to turn the province’s minerals, its Arctic port and its workers into a stronger, less U.S.-dependent economy. I went through every news release his department has put out this year. Here’s what he is working on, what I think he’s pushing next, and why I’m cheering for it.

This is my own read of public government releases. I don’t speak for the minister or the Manitoba government, and nothing here comes from his office.

Who Jamie Moses is

Jamie Moses is the MLA for St. Vital in Winnipeg and sits in Premier Wab Kinew’s cabinet. One quick correction to something I hear a lot: he is a provincial minister in the Government of Manitoba, not a member of the federal Government of Canada. But a big part of his job this year has been working hand in hand with Ottawa, from joint federal-provincial funding to travelling with the Team Canada Trade Mission. He’s the province’s voice on business, mining and trade inside that national effort.

He was first elected in 2019 and was one of the first three Black MLAs in Manitoba’s history. Before cabinet, he passed legislation recognizing Emancipation Day in Manitoba and pushed for anti-racism work. He came to politics from agri-business, finance and coaching, and his government biography says he’s “passionate about creating opportunities for all people.” You can see that in his file: nearly every announcement is framed around who gets the jobs.

If you read his releases back to back, the same few words keep coming up: good jobs, Indigenous partnerships, diversifying trade and getting projects moving. That’s the whole agenda in four phrases.

1. Critical minerals and mining: triple the output

This is the centrepiece. On September 15 at the Canada Investment Summit in Toronto, Moses, Premier Kinew and Finance Minister Adrien Sala announced a plan to triple Manitoba’s critical mineral production. Over the past six years the province averaged 78,742 tonnes a year. The plan includes a fast-track pathway through environmental licensing for advanced projects, faster early exploration approvals, more staff to process permits, and faster hydro hookups for mines.

Moses put it bluntly: “Manitoba has the critical minerals the world needs and it’s time to pick up the pace.” He also said the province has “heard from industry what the challenges are and we’re eliminating them to make mining move faster in Manitoba.”

What I like most is who owns some of these projects. In March at PDAC, Moses put $3.4 million into the Minago project, owned 100% by Norway House Cree Nation, the first fully First Nation-owned critical minerals project in Canada. It’s a low-emission magnesium plant expected to create more than 20 permanent jobs and train over 50 First Nation participants. The province’s summit pitch says recovery tests produced 99.9% pure magnesium metal. In eastern Manitoba he’s also showcasing gold, lithium, cesium and silica sand projects, including the True North Gold mine in Bissett, aiming for production in 2027.

2. The Port of Churchill: Manitoba’s door to the world

Almost every mining release ends at the same place: Churchill. Moses sees the Arctic port as the way Manitoba minerals reach new customers, saying “Projects like the Port of Churchill Plus will play an important role in getting Manitoba minerals to new customers around the world.” The province now exempts major Port of Churchill Plus capital investments from provincial sales tax, and the port is shipping its most diverse cargo mix ever this year: potash, grain, Arctic resupply and Hudbay zinc concentrate bound for Europe.

My read: expect Moses to keep tying every new mine to Churchill, because a mine with a route to Europe and Asia that doesn’t pass through the United States is exactly what his trade strategy needs.

3. Trade: new partners, fewer barriers

The Trump tariffs hang over everything in these releases, and Moses doesn’t hide it. In August he announced more than $100 million in tariff supports, including a $50 million Trade Resilience Loan Program, a $13.7 million wage-subsidy program for workers and youth, more export help, and $500,000 to expand Made-in-Manitoba. He asked people to “continue buying local and supporting homegrown industries”.

The long game is diversification. Manitoba’s Trade and Export Growth Plan adds new trade representatives in India, Europe and Mexico and an export navigator portal built with World Trade Centre Winnipeg. On October 13, Moses and Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu joined the Team Canada Trade Mission to India with Manitoba business and First Nations leaders, backing the shared goal of doubling Canada-India trade by 2030. “By working as Team Canada, we’re helping diversify our trade relationships and build a stronger, more resilient economy,” he said.

At home, he’s tearing down walls between provinces. In July the CFIB ranked Manitoba Canada’s top province for removing internal trade barriers, with an A grade. That’s a quiet win that matters a lot for small business owners like me.

4. Defence, aerospace and the jobs of the future

Ottawa plans to spend $81.8 billion more on defence in the coming years, and Moses wants Manitoba to get its share. In September he launched the Manitoba-Canada Defence Alliance, pointing to Manitoba’s NORAD headquarters, 17 Wing, CFB Shilo and the Southport Aerospace Centre. Days later, Canada and Manitoba put more than $3.8 million into a Defence and Dual-Use Innovation Bridge with RRC Polytech, and $500,000 into training aerospace workers in applied AI and production data. He’s also merging economic development work: Winnipeg’s agency is becoming a provincewide one-stop shop for investors.

5. Good jobs and skilled trades

Every one of these files comes back to workers. Manitoba certified more journeypersons this year than in any of the past five, and on public builds like new schools and the Victoria Hospital ER, apprentices did 21% of construction hours, more than double the 10% target. In July, the province added 5,900 jobs and had Canada’s lowest unemployment rate at 5%. Moses’s line: “Despite Trump’s tariffs and ongoing disruptions to global trade, Manitoba is growing.”

What I think Jamie Moses pushes next

This part is my own prediction, based on where his releases point:

• Mining approvals get faster: the fast-track licensing pathway and risk-based rules turn into legislation or regulation, with deadlines for decisions.
• More First Nation-owned resource projects modelled on Minago, with equity, training and jobs written in from day one.
• Churchill gets year-round: more push for icebreaking, rail upgrades and an energy corridor, with mines shipping through the port.
• India deals land: follow-up announcements from the October mission in agri-food, pulses, aerospace and clean tech.
• Defence contracts: Manitoba firms winning pieces of the federal defence build-out, plus more aerospace training.
• Power for industry: mining and data center demand built into Manitoba Hydro’s next Integrated Resource Plan.

His hope for Manitoba, as I read it, is simple: a province that digs, makes and ships more of its own wealth, owns more of it with Indigenous partners, sells it to more of the world, and keeps the jobs here. I’m all for it.

Why this matters beyond Manitoba

Manitoba has some of the cheapest, cleanest power in North America, and that’s not just a mining story. It’s why Canada is building AI data centers at a record pace. If you’re weighing a Canadian site against an American one, or want to run the power bill at Manitoba rates, the numbers are worth a look. I’ve also put together a primer on the infrastructure behind these builds, and the AI Build Configurator prices out the hardware.

How to reach the minister

If you’re a Manitoba business owner, a mining company or a First Nation with a project, this is the office to talk to:

Minister’s Office, Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation
358 Legislative Building, 450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8
Phone: 204-945-0067
Email: minbmtjc@manitoba.ca
Minister’s page on manitoba.ca

Jamie Moses FAQ

Who is Jamie Moses?

Jamie Moses is the NDP MLA for St. Vital and Manitoba’s Minister of Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation in Premier Wab Kinew’s government. His office is in the Manitoba Legislative Building in Winnipeg.

Is Jamie Moses a federal or provincial minister?

Provincial. He serves in the Government of Manitoba, not the Government of Canada, but much of his 2026 work is done alongside Ottawa, including joint workforce and defence funding and the Team Canada Trade Mission to India.

What is Jamie Moses working on in 2026?

Critical minerals and mining, including a plan to triple Manitoba’s critical mineral production; the Port of Churchill; new trade partners in India, Europe and Mexico; more than $100 million in tariff supports; removing internal trade barriers; defence and aerospace supply chains; and apprenticeships and good jobs.

How do I contact Jamie Moses?

His ministerial office is at 358 Legislative Building, 450 Broadway, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3C 0V8. Phone 204-945-0067, email minbmtjc@manitoba.ca. Media requests go to Cabinet Communications.

Why does Manitoba want to triple critical mineral production?

The province says the world needs the critical minerals Manitoba has, and that more production shipped through the Port of Churchill means secure trading partners, less reliance on the U.S. market and good jobs, especially in northern and Indigenous communities.

Sources, all Government of Manitoba news releases, 2026: Team Canada Trade Mission to India (Oct 13); Plan to triple critical mineral production (Sep 15); Northern mining at the Canada Investment Summit (Sep 14); Eastern Manitoba mining and manufacturing (Sep 14); $3.4M for Minago (Mar 2); $100M+ in tariff supports (Aug 28); CFIB internal trade ranking (Jul 29); Manitoba-Canada Defence Alliance (Sep 8); Defence and Dual-Use Innovation Bridge (Sep 16); AeroTrace workforce pilot (Sep 24); Provincewide economic development agency (Aug 27); Apprenticeship growth (Sep 18); July labour force survey (Aug 7); Trade and Export Growth Plan.

Images: the featured photo of Jamie Moses is used for identification and commentary; the two graphics are originals by Kevin Katovic. © 2026 Kevin Katovic, all rights reserved for the original graphics. To license one, email support@kevinkatovic.com.