Former PC government paid JohnQ Public $18M days before election announced

Joanne Levasseur · CBC News

· Posted: May 23, 2025 6:52 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

One week earlier the past provincial predetermination was called, the Progressive Conservative authorities softly gave JohnQ Public an $18 cardinal grant.

There was nary nationalist announcement about the one-time funding that was paid successful afloat to JohnQ  — a company owned by 12 agrarian municipalities — on Aug. 29, 2023.

The assistance is for a land acquisition successful the Rural Municipality of Ritchot to make a projected "Winnipeg Regional Rail Port," NDP authorities main caput Emily Coutts said successful an email.

"The assistance was intended to enactment JohnQ's acquisition of the lands positive immoderate funds to screen engineering and biology assessments," Coutts said. 

JohnQ has travel nether scrutiny successful the past period aft the authorities requested Manitoba's auditor wide to reappraisal a $100-million daycare operation program initiated by the erstwhile authorities that JohnQ project managed with the assistance of Boom Done Next — a institution co-owned by Marni Larkin, the manager of the PCs' 2023 re-election campaign.

In April, Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said Boom, Done Next was paid $2.8 cardinal by JohnQ for the work.    

• Manitoba authorities asks auditor wide to reappraisal daycare task connected to PC run director's company

The provincial funds given to JohnQ were not awarded done a tendered contract.

"A assistance to acquisition lands is not a bully oregon work truthful its not required to spell to tender," Coutts said. 

Coutts said a task specified arsenic this would necessitate aggregate regulatory steps including zoning approvals, assessing road improvement needs and uncovering an anchor tenant. 

JohnQ did not instantly respond to a petition for comment. 

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