Invest in Emerson-Franklin
Community Profile
Emerson-Franklin Story
The history of Emerson-Franklin dates back to the early 1870’s when two railway entrepreneurs, Thomas Carney and William Fairbanks, planned a settlement on the east banks of the Red River immediately north of the United States border. This settlement was named Emerson after the American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. The founders envisioned a major junction and booming trade centre located at the first US-Canadian land border crossing. The Town of Emerson had for many years been known as the Gateway to the Canadian Mid-West and the railway border town. The founders envisioned a major junction for the north to south railway, but also a major part of the east to west route across Canada. By the mid 1870’s, the Town began to see hundreds of people arrive from Europe, brought to Emerson by steamboats through the Red River. By the fall of 1880, with thousands of new settlers, Emerson was a booming trade centre. To this day, the town continues to be a major hub for international trade between Canada and the United States.
Development Areas
Emerson-Franklin has several prime development areas including: Mid Canada Gateway Development Zone (Emerson) Main Street (Dominion City) Town Centre Tolstoi Village
Access to Markets
One significant advantage of investing in Emerson-Franklin is its position along the International Mid-Continent Trade Corridor. The International Mid-Continent Trade Corridor is a network of highways and rail lines that connect cities and major metropolitan areas of North America. The Emerson-Pembina Port of Entry (POE) is the busiest commercial crossing in Western Canada and serves as an entry point into the United States facilitating critical north south trade between Canada, US and Mexico. The area that is now Emerson-Franklin has always served as a major point for trade and commerce as it was a trading post for the Hudson Bay and Northwest Company, and also the first land border crossing established in Canada in 1871. On a local scale, Emerson-Franklin is roughly a one-hour drive from other larger centres including Winkler & Morden (70 km & 82 km), Steinbach (95 km), and Winnipeg (110 km).
Roads There are two major Provincial Truck Highways (PTH) within the RM. PTH 75 is on the west side of the municipality and runs north-south and connects the town of Emerson north to Winnipeg and beyond, and south into the United States as Interstate 29. PTH 59 is on the east side of the municipality and also runs north-south and connects to Winnipeg in the north, and the smaller Tolstoi POE into the Unites States. The other major roadway within Emerson-Franklin is Provincial Road 201. This road runs east to west and connects PTH 75 & 59, also extending into the RM of Montcalm to the west and the RM of Stuartburn to the east. PR 201 is slated to receive upgrades to Road Transportation Association of Canada (RTAC) standards which can support loads of up to 24,000 kg (53,000 lbs).
Rail Most of Manitoba trade is imported by truck or rail. There are three main rail carriers located within Emerson-Franklin. These carriers are Canadian National (CN), Canadian Pacific (CP), and Burlington Northern & Sante Fe (BNSF), and carry freight north to Winnipeg and beyond.
Air While there are no airports or airstrips within the municipality, there are a number of smaller facilities in surrounding municipalities. Facilities include the Altona Airport (32 km), Rosenort Airstrip (61 km), Winkler Airport (70 km) and Steinbach Airport (90 km). The nearest international airport is the James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (YWG) located in Winnipeg.
Commerce
Real Estate & Cost of Housing On average, Emerson-Franklin approxiately has one-third of its households occupied by someone renting, about 155 dwelling units. Rental units provide affordable housing options to residents and the flexibility in choice that more people are seeking out currently. Housing ownership data was last accurately calculated in the 2016 census.
Housing prices in Emerson-Frankin are lower than the Manitoba median. Based on the 2016 Census, the average household value in the municipality was $125,907 lower than the provincial average. The average monthly costs for housing are also lower than the provincial average.
Education The 2016 Census identified 43% of people in Emerson-Franklin had completed their high school and moved on to attain a trade, college or university education.
Logistics Given the region’s proximity to Winnipeg and the United States, Emerson-Franklin’s well positioned for logistical access for commercial freight. By rail, Western Canada has 3 class one railways converging in Winnipeg including the BNSF Railway that provides direct access through the Emerson-Pembina POE into the US. By land, there are a number of trucking and courier companies able to service the surrounding areas, additionally along a national network. The availability of transportation options presents opportunities for warehousing and staging of goods.
Labour Force & Employment Emerson-Franklin has an estimated 1,105 people within their labour force. In the municipality, the ‘Trades, Transport and Equipment’ provides the largest sector for of employment, employing 20% of the workforce. This is followed by ‘Sales and Service Occupations’ and ‘Management’ both at 19% and then ‘Business, Finance & Admin’ at 16.3% of the total workforce. With the Mid Canada Gateway beginning to emerge, additional jobs in a number of industries will need to be filled in the coming years. While there is a significant group of youth that will enter the workforce in these years, the Mid Canada Gateway will also need to rely on people from surrounding municipalities to fill these new jobs. These surrounding municipalities include De Salaberry, Montcalm, Stuartburn, and Pembina County in North Dakota and Kitson County in Minnesota. Combined, this growing region has a total population of over 20,000 people. With employment beginning to reach pre-pandemic levels, Emerson-Franklin is strategically located to capture this labour force as the region grows and new commercial, agricultural, industrial, and tourism opportunities emerge.
Emerson-Franklin’s employment rate is 3.4% lower than the national average at 61.7%. The municipality maintains a lower unemployment rate than the national average at 4.5%, down from 6.4% at the time of the 2011 National Housing Survey.
Opportunities Emerson-Franklin is a community hub for various industries and employers. Located along Highway 75 and Provincial Roads 200 and 201 with available land and access to diverse markets, Emerson-Franklin is in a position to meet investment objectives. The municipality has affordable land and properties in various areas suitable for commercial services, targeted residential development, and industrial projects.
Key Sectors
Discover Emerson-Franklin's sectors of interest and the infrastructure that supports them. Emerson-Franklin's economic experts have identified, analyzed and compiled key information on the following sectors being actively targeted due to their unique and favourable opportunities in the region. Key Sectors include Targeted Residential Development, Outdoor Recreation & Tourism, Logistics Hub & Trade Corridor, Information Tech. & Energy Innovation, and Agriculture, Food & Beverage sectors.
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Our Partners
Municipality of Emerson-Franklin Box 66, 115 Waddell Avenue East Dominion City, MB R0A0H0 p: +1.204.427.2557 info@emersonfranklin.com Website
Emerson-Franklin Community Development Corporation Box 66, 115 Waddell Avenue East Dominion City, MB R0A0H0 p: +1.204.427.2557 efcdc011@gmail.com