REGINA — A new report is putting hard numbers behind a long-standing reality for Indigenous communities and concludes when Indigenous peoples are meaningfully included in the economy, the benefits extend far beyond individual projects.
The report, released April 16 by the Indigenous Manufacturing and Contracting Network (IMCN), presents a snapshot of the most recent available data, showing that Indigenous economic activity in Saskatchewan’s manufacturing and construction sectors generated $2.6 billion in total output and supported more than 5,100 full-time equivalent jobs in 2022.
Alongside that news, the report also highlights persistent structural barriers that continue to limit Indigenous participation, raising questions about how governments and industry can move from commitment to accountability.
“The data confirms what Indigenous Nations and businesses have been saying for years: That meaningful Indigenous participation strengthens economies and communities,” said Rebecca Kragnes, vice-chair of IMCN.
The report uses economic modelling and labour data to track how Indigenous businesses and workers contribute to Saskatchewan’s manufacturing and construction sectors, including how spending creates jobs and circulates through the broader economy.
In total, Indigenous activity contributed $931.6 million to provincial GDP in 2022, representing roughly one per cent of Saskatchewan’s economy, with construction accounting for the majority of impacts due to its strong local supply chains and labour intensity.
For every $1 million spent in Indigenous construction activity, the province sees a total economic impact of $2.25 million and 5.5 jobs. Manufacturing, while still significant, produces a smaller multiplier effect — $1.60 million in output and 1.4 jobs per $1 million spent.
That gap, the report suggests, reflects deeper structural realities.
Saskatchewan’s manufacturing sector relies heavily on imported goods and services, meaning less economic value stays within the province. In contrast, construction work is largely local, keeping spending, jobs and benefits closer to home.
The findings point to a broader opportunity: strengthening Indigenous participation could significantly increase the economic returns already being generated.
“This is about Indigenous peoples building our economic future on our own terms,” Kragnes said.
The report also highlights geography as a key factor in future growth.
Urban centres like Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert, and Moose Jaw serve as major hubs for construction and manufacturing activity, with 70 First Nations communities located within 100 kilometres of those centres.
That proximity creates opportunities, not only for employment but also for Indigenous-owned businesses to access contracts, form partnerships and shape regional economies.
Yet the report suggests those opportunities are not being fully realized.
Despite accounting for roughly 17 per cent of Saskatchewan’s population, Indigenous workers remain underrepresented in both sectors, particularly in manufacturing and management roles.
Employment gains have been uneven. Indigenous participation in construction has increased over time, but still falls short of population parity, while manufacturing employment has remained largely stagnant.
At the same time, Indigenous workers are more likely to be concentrated in part-time roles and lower-ranking positions, reflecting broader challenges around access to training, career advancement and stable employment.
A key theme running through the report is the gap between participation and self-determination, with findings showing that while Indigenous businesses are contributing significantly to the economy, their involvement is too often treated as a “checkbox” rather than a pathway to long-term economic sovereignty.
“In the past, Indigenous participation has been considered something you had to do to acquire social licence in that region, and it was more of a checkbox activity,” Kragnes said. “As reconciliation advances and there is greater participation and adoption of UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples), we are seeing more meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities and businesses. This shows the benefits and underscores the need to move beyond checkbox-style engagement toward more meaningful and equitable Indigenous participation in the manufacturing and contracting sectors.”
Indigenous-owned businesses, for example, consistently generate stronger employment outcomes than non-Indigenous firms. The report found that each new Indigenous-owned business in Saskatchewan creates an average of 19 Indigenous jobs, compared to just two jobs generated by a non-Indigenous-owned business, underscoring their outsized impact on local employment. These businesses also retain more economic value within their communities, strengthening long-term economic stability, yet they remain underrepresented in major sectors and face barriers to scaling up.
“I would say the immediate things that stand out are smarter procurement policies, improved access to capital, and clearer workforce pathways, which means breaking large contracts into smaller, more manageable pieces, adjusting financial thresholds, and linking training directly to jobs,” said Kragnes. “None of this requires reinventing the system. It just requires us to use this information more intentionally.”
While the report focuses on economic data, it places those findings within a broader historical and social context, noting that barriers to Indigenous participation are not simply market-based but rooted in longstanding structural inequalities. These include limited access to transportation for work, gaps in education and training infrastructure, and ongoing challenges in accessing financial markets for business development.
Workplace conditions also play a role in long-term retention. The report found that Indigenous workers remain underrepresented in full-time employment and overrepresented in part-time roles across both sectors, highlighting challenges that extend beyond hiring. These include workplace environments that may be inflexible or culturally unsafe, particularly when employers fail to account for lived experiences shaped by intergenerational trauma and colonial systems.
The report points to practical barriers such as limited access to transportation, gaps in culturally informed workplace practices, and training models that do not reflect Indigenous ways of learning, all of which can affect retention.
At the same time, the report points to signs of progress where targeted supports are in place. Indigenous employment in the construction sector has grown from roughly 10 per cent in 2010 to nearly 15 per cent in 2025, suggesting that mentorship, culturally informed policies, and practical measures like transportation can help drive more stable and sustained participation.
The findings arrive at a time when governments and industry across Canada are facing increasing pressure to move beyond symbolic commitments to reconciliation.
Economic reconciliation has often been framed as a shared opportunity, one that benefits both Indigenous communities and the broader economy. This report reinforces that argument with data, showing that Indigenous participation is contributing billions of dollars in economic activity while also strengthening local economies, creating jobs, and building capacity for long-term growth.
The report also makes clear that current levels of participation fall short of what is possible.
“There’s a strong message in this report for government and industry leaders that Indigenous participation works and is scalable. There are a lot of Indigenous people who want these opportunities. We’ve created this report, this tool exists, and what is needed now is accountability and follow-through,” Kragnes said. “Once you see the report and the numbers, the conversation shifts from ‘should we do more’ to ‘how do we scale what’s already working?’”
The full report is available at IMCN.ca.
Windspeaker.com
