Harder is optimistic that the pending arrival of a Chinese company, Grand Foods, which is setting up a honey processing facility in Winkler, is a sign of things to come, too.
"It's an industry that isn't available in Manitoba, so it's something new. That's what we're looking for. The high-tech industry is a great example; we don't have any of that in Winkler. We'd be there with open arms to accept somebody who wanted to set that up," he said.
According to the 2011 census, Winkler had 10,670 residents - up from about 9,000 in 2006 - but Harder is confident its population is well over 11,000 now.
Tight rentals
That growth has contributed to a perpetual shortage of entry-level housing in Winkler. No matter how fast the supply increases, it hasn't been enough to move the vacancy rate above zero per cent, he said.
That could be about to change, however.
To the end of August, there had been 210 housing starts - including apartments and duplexes - and Harder is confident another 20 will break ground before the end of the year. That's more than the number of starts in 2010 and 2011 combined.
"We normally have about 100 housing starts per year," he said.
Winkler's housing market is about as close to a sure thing as you can get. Don Friesen, owner of Choice Realty, said it grows 2 to 3 per cent per year, "come hell or high water."
"I've been doing this for 23 years and it's been steady for 23 years," he said.
A typical house in Winkler is a 1,200-square-foot bungalow with three bedrooms and a two-car garage that sells for about $225,000.
Winkler is home to a number of big-box stores, including Wal-Mart and Shoppers Drug Mart, as well as a number of smaller retailers and restaurants, but Friesen said there's plenty of room for more commercial development.
from Western Investor November 2012
