First priority: Tackling the growing gap in seniors housing in rural communities 

(Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba) — The Board of JohnQ Public Inc. (JohnQ) today announced the appointment of Michelle Pereira as its new Chief Executive Officer. 

“Michelle brings two decades of strong business leadership experience, coupled with an entrepreneurial mindset, which will serve JohnQ well as we move into our next chapter of growth and impact,” said Roy Tufford, Chair of the Board. “Her ability to bring people together, build strong partnerships, navigate complex stakeholder environments, and communicate with clarity and purpose made her the standout during our selection process.” 

First Priority: Seniors Housing 

As CEO, Pereira will lead JohnQ’s next major initiative, addressing the overwhelming need for seniors housing that is affordable in rural and northern Manitoba. 

A recent Probe Research survey (2025) found that more than 81 percent of rural and northern Manitobans want to remain in their communities as they age, yet 77 percent report insufficient housing options. Eighty-five percent of those looking for housing say it is challenging to find a suitable home. 

“I was drawn to this role because of what is at the heart of JohnQ, a simple yet powerful idea that municipalities working together can solve complex infrastructure challenges more effectively,” said Pereira. “The shortage of seniors housing in rural communities is pressing, and I am eager to apply JohnQ’s collaborative model to deliver solutions that make a real difference for Manitobans. With the support of our partner municipalities and stakeholders, we hope to share details of a new funding agreement soon that will help communities access the housing they want and urgently need.” 

The Board, in naming its next CEO, also wanted to acknowledge the contributions of retired CEO, Colleen Sklar. 

“It was through Colleen’s dedication and innovative approach to creating infrastructure that JohnQ was successfully established as a leader in municipal development,” concluded Tufford. “Michelle will have much to build on thanks to Colleen’s work and vision.” 

Pereira will work closely with JohnQ’s Board of Directors, municipal shareholders, Indigenous leaders and First Nations, stakeholders, and the team at JohnQ. She is committed to the organization’s mission of improving critical community infrastructure while delivering practical solutions for all Manitobans. 

Pereira most recently served as Director of Marketing and Communications at Multi-Material Stewardship Manitoba and previously held a senior leadership role with Habitat for Humanity Manitoba. She currently serves as Chair of the Board of Regents at the University of Winnipeg, providing governance oversight and contributing to advancing post-secondary education and community engagement in Manitoba. 

JohnQ Public’s Continued Progress on the Winnipeg Region Rail Port (WRRP)

JohnQ Public is pleased to announce continued progress on the Winnipeg Region Rail Port (WRRP) through a growing partnership with Chemawawin Cree Nation (CCN).

In August 2025, JohnQ entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Chemawawin Cree Nation to work as partners in the planning and development of the WRRP. We continue to work through due diligence aspects of the LOI and hope to share more updates in the coming months. This LOI marks an important step and reflects JohnQ’s commitment to reconciliation, inclusive economic growth, and collaboration.

On October 3, 2025, the JohnQ board, CAOs, and council members had the opportunity to provide a private site tour and project briefing for the Chief and Council of Chemawawin Cree Nation. The tour and briefing offered a chance to showcase the unique attributes of the site and build on the vision for a collaboratively owned, state-of-the-art multimodal rail port, designed to drive regional economic growth, strengthen Manitoba’s access to global markets, and create good jobs for communities across the province.

The Board of JohnQ was delighted that National Chief Cindy Woodhouse and Grand Chief Kyra Wilson attended the tour and briefing. We look forward to further opportunities to engage and discuss this exciting project, and the promise it holds for Manitoba, with all levels of government.

We are excited to take the next steps in advancing the WRRP in partnership with Chemawawin Cree Nation.

About Chemawawin Cree Nation

Located on the shores of Cedar Lake, approximately 440 kilometres north of Winnipeg, Chemawawin Cree Nation is a signatory to Treaty 5 (1876) and home to roughly 1,200 residents. The Nation has a proud history of resilience and self-determination, with a strong foundation in resource-based industries and community-led development.

About JohnQ Public

JohnQ Public Inc. is a Municipal Participation Corporation founded in 2018 by 12 Manitoba municipalities. Through collaboration, JohnQ helps communities pool resources, build capacity, and deliver critical infrastructure and services for Manitoba families. The Winnipeg Region Rail Port is one of JohnQ’s cornerstone projects, creating new trade and investment opportunities for municipalities, industry partners, and Indigenous communities alike.

For more information about the Winnipeg Region Rail Port, please visit www.johnq.ca or contact media@johnq.ca.

The JQ Built Daycare-in-a-Box project was highlighted in Child Care Now recently!

To learn more about the project and how it was constructed, check out the full article here:

Child care expansion in Manitoba: Spotlight on the Ready-to-Move initiative – Child Care Now

The JQ Built Daycare-in-a-Box project was highlighted by The Carillon recently!

To learn more about the project and how it was constructed, check out the full article here: https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2024/07/day-care-in-a-box-brings-prefab-child-care-JohnQ offers municipalities a hand – The Carillon

The JQ Built Daycare-in-a-Box project was highlighted by The Journal of Commerce recently!

To learn more about the project and how it was constructed, check out the full article here: https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/projects/2024/07/day-care-in-a-box-brings-prefab-child-care-facilities-to-rural-manitoba

Did you know that our JQ Built Daycare in a Box buildings are designed to be at least 20% more efficient than the minimum requirements of the Manitoba Energy Code for Buildings (MECB)? As part of the New Buildings Program, our JQ Built team has been able to connect municipalities with Efficiency Manitoba to ensure that our buildings are energy efficient, save community taxpayers money, and create a better environment for children.

To learn more, check out the article here: https://efficiencymb.ca/articles/ready-to-move-childcare-facilities/

To read the article on the Provincial Government’s site, click here.

July 21, 2023

Hundreds of New Child-care Spaces Opening in Rural Manitoba, More on the Way: Stefanson

HEADINGLEY—Families in rural Manitoba will soon have better access to quality, affordable child care, as the first of eight new ready-to-move child-care centres opens in Headingley, Manitoba, Premier Heather Stefanson and Kevin Lamoureux, member of Parliament for Winnipeg North, announced here today.

“Our government is taking concrete action to provide affordable, accessible child care that meets the needs of all Manitobans, regardless of where they live,” said Stefanson. “The ready-to-move child-care project is an innovative and cost-effective approach to create more child-care spaces sooner. This is a game-changer in child-care spaces in rural Manitoba to meet rising needs.”

As previously announced, Canada and Manitoba have provided more than $94 million for two phases of the ready-to-move (RTM) child-care project, which uses a hybrid construction model to quickly develop spaces. The RTM model allows high-quality, new facilities to be built under controlled conditions before they are moved to the final site and placed on a permanent foundation. Construction costs are fully funded under the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement in exchange for land, servicing and free rent space for the child-care operator.

“We know that in rural communities, families are struggling to access early learning and child care programming and services,” said Kevin Lamoureux, member of Parliament for Winnipeg North. “That is why Canada is working with our provincial, territorial and Indigenous partners to fund innovative solutions, like Manitoba’s ready-to-move program, that will offer families access to high-quality, culturally appropriate, flexible and inclusive early learning and child care, no matter where they live.”

Bright Beginnings Educare will operate the Headingley facility, with 20 infants and 54 preschool spaces.

“On behalf of Bright Beginnings, our board, staff and myself, I would like to share how grateful and pleased we are to be a part of this exciting opportunity that has been provided to us,” said Lori Renton, director, Bright Beginnings Educare Inc. “We are fortunate that we are able to provide support to more families in the area and welcoming them into our BBE family and circle of care.”

The Headingley facility will open first, followed by Oak Bluff, Whitemouth, Stonewall, East Selkirk, Ile des Chênes, Rosenort and Portage la Prairie by October.

Following a publicly available expression of interest that closed in December 2022, Phase Two will create facilities in the cities of Dauphin and Morden, the towns of Melita and Morris, and the rural municipalities of Hanover, Taché, MacDonald, Rockwood, Sifton, Ritchot, Argyle and Brokenhead, as well as Lake St. Martin First Nation and Norway House Cree Nation.

The premier noted that an additional $26 million is being invested this year to support the project including 300 more spaces, including:

• adding 148 more spaces in two newly approved projects in two more communities, the Town of Ste. Anne and the Rural Municipality of Wallace-Woodworth; and
• adding 152 more spaces across six community projects in phase two.

When complete, both phases of the project are anticipated to create 1,970 new child-care spaces in 25 rural and First Nations communities across the province.

“We have heard loud and clear from parents that we need more child-care spaces – and that’s why we are working to create thousands of new spaces,” said Stefanson. “Affordable, accessible child care helps families make ends meet and makes our communities stronger.”

For more information on child care in Manitoba and to learn more about ready-to-move child-care facilities, visit: www.manitoba.ca/education/childcare/resources/rtm.html.

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To read the article on the Provincial Government’s site, click here.

February 16, 2023

View backgrounder

More than 1,600 Child-Care Spaces Created, Ensuring Access to Affordable Care for More Manitobans

Manitoba families in rural and First Nations communities will be better able to access affordable child care following a $94-million total investment from the governments of Canada and Manitoba in the two phases of the ready-to-move child-care project to create a total of 1,670 new child-care spaces, federal Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould and Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Wayne Ewasko announced today.

“The Government of Canada is proud to announce these additional child-care spaces for rural and First Nations communities,” said Gould. “The ready-to-move pilot project is another example how the Canada-wide system leverages innovation and collaboration between federal, provincial, municipal, and First Nations communities to ensure that every family, no matter where they live, has access to high-quality and affordable child care.”

The ready-to-move child-care project is a partnership between the governments of Canada and Manitoba, municipal governments and First Nation communities to develop new child-care facilities in less than a year in areas with a demonstrated need for child-care spaces.

“The Manitoba government is making investments to ensure families in rural and First Nations communities have access to affordable child care,” said Ewasko. “To achieve this goal, our government is taking an innovative approach through ready-to-move construction technology to create child-care spaces more quickly.”

Based on the success of the first phase of the project, the second phase was expanded to increase to an additional 1,004 spaces in 14 facilities for a project total of 1,670 new spaces, and total of 23 new centres as a whole, the minister noted, adding that new facilities approved in the second phase of the project are expected to be operational before the end of the year.

“Our community continues to grow and thrive, which means our services need to continue to grow to serve our constituents,” said Mayor Armand Poirier, Rural Municipality of Tache. “The new child-care spaces in our rural municipality open up opportunities for our community members, enabling them to put their children in daycare close to home and fully participate in the workforce. I would like to thank the governments of Canada and Manitoba for working together with us to make these new ready-to-move daycares a reality to provide more options for families in Tache.”

Construction is now underway on sites announced last November during the first phase of the project with construction slated to begin at other sites in late spring 2023. Eligible applicants provided serviced land rent free for 15 years to the child-care provider, as well as building support services and maintenance and repair commitments.

“It takes a village to raise a child and today’s announcement shows we have an incredible village and support system,” said Melissa Marion, director, Tache Community Day Care. “Today is an exciting moment for the child-care community. Every child deserves access to a safe, inclusive, high-quality early learning child-care program. These new spaces will help us meet the needs of our community and provide a safe place where Tache children can grow and learn.”

For more information on the ready-to-move child-care project, visit www.gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/resources/rtm.html.

The child-care spaces being developed with this investment are part of the Manitoba government’s commitment to develop 23,000 new, regulated not-for-profit child-care spaces for children under age seven across the province by 2026.

For more information about the Canada-Manitoba Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child-Care Agreement, early learning and child-care development supports, and child-care services in Manitoba, visit https://gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ATTACHED