Dawson Trail Dispatch
Celebrating Over 25 Years of Service to Our Communities!
HyLife Fun Days Charity Gifts Make a Big Impact
November 2022
Steinbach Chamber Probes Labour Challenges By Dan Guetre
HyLife 2022 Fun Days events wrapped up with a significant donation of more than $170,000 to local charities. In Steinbach, Safe Families Director Michelle Peters was shocked to learn that the group’s transitional housing for youth initiative was getting a big boost. Submitted photo
Giving back to organizations that make an impact in the places our workforce calls home, matters. HyLife 2022 Fun Days events wrapped up with a significant donation of more than $170,000 to local charities. The employee appreciation event started in 2011 with a single celebration focused on the head office in La Broquerie, Manitoba. This year, the company branched out and held celebrations in four key locations at Windom in Minnesota, US, La Broquerie, Killarney, and Neepawa in Manitoba. To date, with many generous sponsors’ help, HyLife reported raising nearly $1.7 million for charities for its communities. “This was a chance for our company to say a sincere thanks to those who are key to our success,” said Grant Lazaruk, President and Chief Executive Officer,
HyLife. “In 2022, we took Fun Days on the road, making stops to connect with more employees, communities, and partners. The significant gifts will be put to good use at a local food bank and organizations that support youth, seniors, and our neighbours. We have created a living legacy from these events.” With the rising cost of food, Fun Days 2022 recipient, the Killarney Food Bank, has seen an increase in demand. Thanks to Fun Days’ generous sponsors, the non-profit will use the $40,000 gift to convert a room into a muchneeded walk-in cooler to increase capacity. Until now, the food bank reluctantly had to turn away perishable food donations due to a lack of cooler space. “We are beyond grateful. We are so excited, we are so happy, and gobsmacked,” shared Giselle Beaupré, Secretary and Client AdvoContinued on Page 2...
In a recent labour survey of Steinbach area businesses, the Steinbach Chamber of Commerce noted some issues employers are facing. The results showed that 47% of respondents said it was a shortage of people willing to work/be trained to work while 34% said they encountered an inability to find people with the right skills for the job. Finally, 30% said finding employees with the proper education/certification was the greatest challenge. Interesting to note the Chamber found that business with 5 or more full-time employees are more likely to find, “The right people for the job are too expensive to hire/wage expectations” as a challenge as compared to those with less than 5 employees (31% vs. 14%). “Time and cost of recruitment and training” is also a greater challenge for business with 5 or more employees as compared to those with fewer employees (21% vs. 7%). According to the Chamber, one way they are working to help with the labour shortage in the community is through their largest initiative, Eastman Immigrant Services where settlement services includes employment along with attracting and preparing newcomers for employment opportunities in the area. The statistics show newcomers served annually has increased from 254 in 2019 to 423 to date in 2022. The Steinbach Chamber hired Leger to conduct this web-based survey of Steinbach Chamber members. The primary purpose of the research was to provide the Chamber statistically reliable feedback from Steinbach area businesses that can be used to develop policies and initiatives that represent the business community in the region.