Winnipeg – Creating more clean mass transit options gets Canadians around their communities quicker and helps in our fight against climate change. Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, announced a federal investment of $15 million for NFI Group to expand operations and fully manufacture New Flyer transit buses in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This investment will enable NFI Group to competitively respond to growing demand for Canadian-made zero-emission transit buses, adding hundreds of skilled jobs to the company’s Canadian operations with more opportunities for local suppliers, and growing Manitoba’s role in the green Prairie economy.
Canadians want greener options, and municipal governments are responding. By increasing bus manufacturing capacity in NFI Group’s Winnipeg-based facilities, Canadian public transit authorities will be able to purchase more Canadian-made zero-emission buses to address their fleet renewal needs. The funding will ensure NFI Group can meet Canadian standards and will support the development of workforce training specific to zero-emission vehicle manufacturing including a proposed “Zero-Emission Pre-Apprenticeship Program.”
In 2023, Minister Vandal dedicated $100 million of existing PrairiesCan funding over three years to support projects aligned with priorities of the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy, which include growing our manufacturing sector and capitalizing on clean electricity to seize new opportunities in the net-zero future. The Framework and funding are intended to encourage greater collaboration among governments and industry, leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the Prairies.
“This is a significant step forward by NFI Group. Increasing manufacturing capacity in the zero-emission heavy-duty vehicle sector is good news for Canada and solidifies Manitoba’s leadership in this field. – Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan
“Canada is a world leader in the low carbon economy. Today’s announcement with NFI Group builds on important investments that our government is making to build Canada’s zero-emission vehicle supply chain, including in commuting systems. This is an expression of confidence in our manufacturing sector and in our efforts to build a sustainable economy of the future that is part of Canada’s path to net-zero.” – François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry