The Manitoba government is launching a renewed five-year plan to reduce poverty that includes millions of dollars for new roads, buildings and health services in Norway House, Manitoba. Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine and Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith unveiled Pathways Forward: Manitoba’s Poverty Reduction Strategy on Jan. 13, 2026, a plan grounded in the feedback of more than 3,000 Manitobans and aimed at tailoring supports to local needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
The plan aligns with several targeted investments for Norway House, including a $55.2-million infrastructure package announced in July 2025 covering projects such as a new airport terminal and related works, and a separate $21.5-million multi-year provincial road upgrade (announced in March 2024) to repave about 30 kilometres of roads that connect the Norway House region.
The strategy also includes a commitment to restore local birthing services to the community, an action intended to reduce the need for expectant mothers to travel long distances to give birth. The province is implementing Customary Kinship Care models in child welfare, which prioritize keeping children with their own family and community rather than moving them into provincial care.
To help with the high cost of living in the north, the province is increasing Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) earning exemptions from $200 to $500 of net monthly earnings, plus 30% of any additional net monthly earnings, before benefits are reduced. This complements Indigenous-led economic development such as the Minago Nickel Project, which Norway House Cree Nation purchased on Nov. 1, 2024; NHCN has said the project could create roughly 500 direct jobs for the community.
Chief Larson Anderson of Norway House Cree Nation has said that community ownership and management of projects like Minago can help drive local benefits and contribute to breaking cycles of poverty. Other provincial supports in Pathways Forward include a provincewide universal school nutrition program intended to help families facing high grocery costs, including in northern Manitoba.
