About Us

Who is JohnQ?

The name “John Q” has historically been used to represent the everyman, an everyday individual in the community. Your mailman, the owner of your local convenience store, your neighbour, your friend. We adopted the name because it speaks to our core value: improving the quality of life for the Manitoba everyman by building and improving infrastructure that brings our communities together. Our vision is that by laying the groundwork today, we will make our communities stronger in the future. Our leaders are leaving a legacy of collaboration and cooperation for Manitoba’s future.

At JohnQ, our identity is linked to grassroots efforts and community-driven solutions, making trust and cooperation central to our work. As a not-for-profit organization, any funds we earn or generate that exceed the budgets of our projects are reinvested back into other projects, helping kickstart or boost even more of our work that support the needs of Manitoba families and communities.

History and Makeup

Our story begins with a group of Manitoban municipal leaders who recognized that the way they had historically been delivering infrastructure was becoming more and more challenging. With budgets tightening and projects becoming more complex, they sought a better, more efficient way to delivery critical infrastructure to their communities large and small. In 2018, these leaders helped found JohnQ, a voluntary Municipal Participation Corporation (more on that later) built on the principle that Manitoba’s communities are stronger when they work together. Currently, our organization represents 12 municipalities around Winnipeg, and we are guided by an expert Board of Directors made up of 15 elected officials and subject matter experts. With their leadership and oversight, we are demonstrating how collaboration and efficient development practices can drive communities forward and support Manitoba families.

Take a look at the communities that have benefited from our work.

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How We Operate

JohnQ is a voluntary Municipal Participation Corporation, which sets us apart from other economic development entities or committees of council.

We fill gaps where they exist and deliver our projects by partnering with the business and industry members that live and work in Manitoba – the experts! By working closely with local experts, we ensure that our solutions are both effective and rooted in community insight for a lasting impact

When we make money at JohnQ, we reinvest profits back into Manitoba communities by supporting local infrastructure and service projects. This model allows us to focus on providing direct, tangible benefits in the service of many: governments, communities, and families in our province, putting the needs of Manitobans first.

JohnQ communities took a big step when they first envisioned a voluntary non-profit corporation in support of community projects that could be better done as a team. In doing so, they move to a collaborative approach, opening the door to even more cooperation in the future. Now, any community across Manitoba can participate in our projects if they see value in the team approach – our model provides a way for municipalities to work together with no strings attached.

Our founding members made a one-time investment when they joined JohnQ. This investment established the corporation and kicked this off. Communities are never asked to contribute financially beyond that.

Today, our board continues to focus on JohnQ’s vision for the future: to make Manitoba stronger and support its communities by delivering what Manitobans need today and tomorrow.

A perfect example of how successful our shared resourcing approach can be is the recent Daycare-in-a-Box project. You can learn more about this project on our JQ Built page, but the gist is this: through municipal collaboration and an innovative pre-fabrication construction method, we helped bring 22 daycares to communities throughout Manitoba that needed them in just over 18 months.

That project, in a nutshell, is who we strive to be: a for-the-people development company that identifies gaps in our communities’ essential services and finds creative, collaborative solutions to fill them.

Who is JQ Built?

JQ Built was created in 2022 by members of JohnQ Public to test a new and practical approach for delivering community infrastructure. This team approach provides communities, large, small, rural, or northern a clear process to support the design and construction of important community infrastructure.

JQ Built, builds on the principle of teamwork. By working as a team to develop a clear process, pooling our resources and sharing our expertise Local Governments can shorten construction timelines and save taxpayer dollars and ensure communities have the services they need.

Together we can cut through the complex process of construction and project delivery, we can deliver the highest standards – saving time and money.

JQ Built brings everyone to the table – elected leaders, administrators, public works, and planning professionals to share their knowledge and expertise, roll up their sleeves and be part of delivering what our communities need.

In the JQ approach Local Governments are active partners in the process.

With the JQ Built delivery method Local Governments working as a team can:

• Share administrative capacity & expertise
• Reduce project risks
• Get better value for their dollars
• Reduce project timelines

First out of the gate – Daycare in a Box

JQ Built’s Daycare Pilot Project has created a replicable model for the delivery of Daycare facilities for ten communities across southern Manitoba. The JQ Built “Daycare in a box” model has been documented and refined to ensure a smooth process that can be used across Manitoba, Canada and beyond.

Toolkits and templates are part of JQ Built’s – Daycare in a box – by blazing trail we can ensure others have a path to follow!

JQ Built’s expedited delivery process leverages the benefits of economies of scale to reduce costs, material waste, project delays, and increase quality. A focus on advanced building solutions including the use prefabrication and hybrid process further reduces waste, costs, and project time.

Quality is never compromised!

This hybrid construction reduces the risk of delays and cost overruns. By building multiple sites with the same design and construction method, we can ensure the highest standards of quality and that each location complies with all codes and standards. Working together we can engage experts to ensure we are doing it right and getting the best value for our communities.

An energy-efficient future.

Together, we’re helping communities across Manitoba save energy and cut costs, no matter their size. By partnering with Efficiency Manitoba, we’ve created JQ Community Energy Lead, an initiative designed to give municipalities the support they need to upgrade, retrofit, or replace infrastructure. What’s the goal? To reduce energy use, lower costs, and ensure community buildings and facilities serve residents well—today and for generations to come.