This week, the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual State of the District event, bringing together local leaders to talk about their shared vision for long-term growth and development. From schools to healthcare and business, the speakers highlighted how collaboration is helping to shape the future of Portage.
Vision for regional growth
Stefanie Dunn, Executive Director of the Portage and District Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the importance of the event as the region continues to develop.
“It's really important that we help to cultivate a healthy region. When we have a healthy community that makes people want to move here, that makes people see our region as a place of abundance, so they want to open businesses here,” notes Dunn. “Having all these stakeholders here today is part of that and part of keeping our community involved. We're all working towards a common goal."
School division expansions
The Portage la Prairie School Division Superintendent Pamela Garnham gave a presentation advocating for continued use the Aspen Centre. The division currently operates partial student programming and services at the site. If given long-term access, the division would relocate applied Fine Arts programs to the centre, freeing up classrooms and multi-purpose space in the schools.
“Our schools right now are full, they're at capacity," Garnham explains. "I've applied for two portables for Fort la Reine School and two portables for Yellowquill School as well. Part of our proposal was if they could give us the Aspen Center, we may not necessarily need the portables, but we need longevity out of it. We can't just spend the money and move all these facilities and develop the programming there and then be told in a year, ‘Well, you have to go somewhere else now.’”
Related stories:
- Portage voters engage candidates at Chamber meet and greet event
- Portage school division eyes Aspen Centre to ease overcrowding
- Portage Chamber responds to 2025 city budget
While portables offer short-term relief, Garnham pointed to the broader need for permanent infrastructure. Building a new school is part of the long-term vision—but it is not an immediate solution.
“It's very important for the community to realize that we are trying and advocating for a new school, but we have to get the portables first. They have to see that our schools are overflowing even with portables before they would attempt to build."
Aerospace and hospital updates
Southport Aerospace Centre's new CEO, Nathan Peto, shared updates on the organization's development and future goals, noting that their new offices will officially open in June. The organization is looking ahead to the next 25 years with optimism.
Additionally, Kathryn Reimer, Manager of Recruitment and Retention at Southern Health-Santé Sud, provided updates on the region's new hospital. The facility is now sealed and watertight, with landscaping scheduled for summer and interior work ongoing. Officials confirmed the project remains on track for a 2026 opening.
A Portage partnership
The City of Portage and the Rural Municipality delivered a joint presentation on their ongoing collaboration to foster new development opportunities across the region.
Mayor Sharilyn Knox shared that the city has committed to a three-year, $2.1 million investment in its road infrastructure. This initiative will focus on road reconstruction, resurfacing, and accelerating pothole repairs to enhance overall transportation quality.
Meanwhile, the RM is actively looking to encourage new residential developments, particularly geared toward older adults. A recent 55+ housing survey has provided valuable insights, which will guide the planning of future housing projects tailored to meet the community's evolving needs.
The presentation also spotlighted the Community Safety Officer (CSO) program. The City currently employs five CSOs and plans to expand the team to seven by this summer. Additionally, extended service hours will allow officers to enhance public safety and community engagement.
“City or RM, we're all part of the same community,” said Roy Tufford, Reeve of the RM of Portage la Prairie. “By working together we're building a stronger, safer and more vibrant place to live."
With voices from education, healthcare, business, and government all pointing toward a unified vision, the State of the District event left attendees with a clear message: Portage is growing stronger together.
“One of the things we hear all the time in Portage la Prairie is the power of our region's collaborative approach and I think that was demonstrated and reinforced here today, hearing all the speakers talk,” Dunn says.