The Manitoba community economic development lens

In Manitoba there has been a rich history of community economic development. This has particularly been the case in the context of Winnipeg, where a rich and diverse range of civil society organizations have pursued community development. In part, the growth of these community development organizations reflects the specifics of the Manitoba case. In Winnipeg the inner city is beset by problems of chronic poverty. At the same time there is a vibrant left-wing political tradition committed to concepts of economic and social justice and a large urban Aboriginal population with an activist leadership inspired by concepts of self-governance and self-determination. These factors contributed to the emergence of a "CED vision." This was furthered by a government under Gary Filman's Conservative party that, throughout the 1990s, was committed to pursuing a neo-liberal political agenda that did not involve a great deal of support for local community driven initiatives. The Filman Tories had largely abandoned the inner city, leaving questions of economic and community development to the community itself.