What Natural Resources Does Manitoba Have in Abundance?

At roughly 650,000 square kilometres (km²), Manitoba has vast land and abundant natural resources, including fertile farmland, vast boreal forests, large interconnecting rivers, more than 100,000 lakes, and rich metal and mineral deposits ^[17][20][23]. For perspective on its sheer size, and despite being the eighth-largest province or territory in Canada, Ukraine, France, or more than two United Kingdoms could fit into the province, with room to spare.

Today, Manitoba’s natural resources support countless jobs, fund critical public services, and supply products both Canadians and customers worldwide rely on daily. For many Manitobans, natural resources are an inherent part of work, play, and life.

Below, we cover several facts showing what natural resources Manitoba has in abundance and highlight just how important they are for Canadians across the province.

---

You May Also Be Interested In:

• What Natural Resources Does Canada Have in Abundance?
• What Natural Resources Does Quebec Have in Abundance?
• What Natural Resources Does Ontario Have in Abundance?
• What Natural Resources Does New Brunswick Have in Abundance?

---

Hydroelectricity in Manitoba

Quick Facts

#1 – More than 97% of the electricity used by Manitobans is supplied by hydropower, produced at 16 hydroelectric generating stations on the Nelson, Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, Burntwood, and Laurie rivers ^[1]

#2 - Manitoba produced 29.4 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of hydroelectricity in 2024, about 96% of all power generated in the province and 8.6% of Canada’s hydroelectricity that year ^[2]

#3 - The Limestone Generating Station on the Nelson River is Manitoba Hydro’s largest station, with a net capability of 1,400 MW, making it the 13^th largest hydro generating station in the country ^[1][25]

#4 - Manitoba exported 6 million MWh of electricity to the United States in 2024, the third most of any province ^[3]

#5 - Manitoba Hydro is projecting a shortfall in firm electricity capacity by the end of 2030, and as a result, is planning a long-term expansion including 1,760 MW of accredited capacity over 10 years ^[26]

Did you know that Manitoba’s rivers do much of the work of powering the province? Hydroelectric stations along five river systems supply more than 97% of the electricity Manitobans use. That strength extends beyond provincial borders: In 2024, Manitoba sent 6 million megawatt-hours of electricity to the United States, playing a critical role in keeping the lights on for homes and businesses on both sides of the border.

Manitoba’s hydro system is impressive in scale. Its 16 generating stations include Limestone on the Nelson River, Manitoba Hydro’s largest, which is also the 13th largest in Canada. With electricity demand expected to grow and a shortage expected by 2030, Manitoba Hydro plans to add capacity over the coming decade.

Learn more about hydroelectricity in Canada today.

Mining & Critical Minerals in Manitoba

Quick Facts

#1 - Manitoba’s mineral production was valued at nearly $1.2 billion in 2025 (preliminary), including about $521 million in gold and $197 million in nickel ^[5]

#2 - Manitoba mines produced 25,857 tonnes of zinc in 2025 (preliminary), about 35% of Canada’s mined zinc and second only to Ontario ^[5]

#3 - Manitoba accounted for 8.6% of Canada’s nickel mine production in 2025 (preliminary) at about 11,600 tonnes, behind Quebec (38.3%) and Ontario (28.8%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (24.2%) ^[5][6]

#4 - The TANCO Mine at Bernic Lake has produced lithium for export and processing since late 2021, and it is one of Canada’s two producing lithium mines ^[7][9]

#5 - The Government of Manitoba says the Tanco pegmatite contains two-thirds of the world’s known cesium reserves, and the Tanco Mine reported intermittent cesium production in 2025 ^[9][10]

#6 - Manitoba is home to 30 of the 34 minerals on Canada’s 2024 critical minerals list, including all six priority minerals: cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, nickel and rare earth elements ^[8]

What makes Manitoba such an exciting place for mining? For starters, the province has deposits of 30 of the 34 minerals on Canada’s critical minerals list (2024), including lithium, nickel and copper. Mining already contributes substantially to the economy: preliminary data show Manitoba’s mineral production approached $1.2 billion in 2025, with gold and nickel among its leading products.

Manitoba is also a major source of zinc, producing about 35% of Canada’s total mined output in 2025. At Bernic Lake, the TANCO Mine produces lithium for export and processing, while its mineral deposit contains a remarkable concentration of the world’s known cesium reserves. Together, these resources position Manitoba as a critical supplier of minerals sought across Canada and around the world.

Agriculture in Manitoba

Quick Facts

#1 – Manitoba’s agriculture and agri-processing industry accounted for nearly $5.5 billion in GDP in 2025, roughly 7.4% of the province’s total ^[12]

#2 – The entire agriculture and agri-food sector supported 34,607 jobs in 2025, or 4.5% of the province’s total ^[12]

#3 - Canola was Manitoba’s top farm product by cash receipts in 2025 at more than $1.9 billion, followed by hogs at $1.8 billion and wheat at $1.5 billion ^[12]

#3 - Manitoba farmers produced 5.86 million tonnes of wheat in 2025, accounting for 14.7% of Canada’s total production, along with 28% of Canada’s soybeans ^[13]

#4 - Manitoba produced 21.4% of Canada’s potatoes in 2025, second only to Alberta’s 27.1% ^[14]

#5 - Manitoba farmers marketed more than 8.8 million hogs in 2025, up 3% year-over-year ^[12]

Manitoba farmers likely helped put food on your table. The province grows everything from wheat and canola to potatoes and soybeans, and its hog producers play a major role in Canada’s agricultural economy. In 2025, canola, hogs, and wheat led Manitoba’s farm products by cash receipts, bringing in more than $5.2 billion in combined sales.

Manitoba’s agricultural prowess doesn’t stop there. In 2025, the province grew more than a quarter of Canada’s soybeans and more than a fifth of its potatoes, while its farmers produced 5.86 million tonnes of wheat, nearly 15% of the country’s total. Agriculture and agri-processing contributed nearly $5.5 billion to provincial GDP that year, and the broader agricultural sector supported more than 34,000 jobs for Canadian families – with many more indirect and induced jobs not tallied in that figure.

Learn more about farming and agri-food in Manitoba today.

Forestry in Manitoba

Quick Facts

#1 - Forests sit on about 26.3 million hectares of Manitoba’s 54.8 million-hectare land surface area, covering nearly 48% of the province ^[17]

#2 - The boreal forest is Manitoba’s largest forest zone and supplies most of the province’s forest industry with wood for kraft paper, lumber and newsprint ^[17]

#3 - About 94% of Manitoba’s forested lands are owned by the province ^[23]

#4 - Manitoba’s wood product manufacturers generated $815 million in revenue in 2022 ^[19]

#5 – Manitoba’s forestry sector plays a critical economic role in northern and remote communities, and includes pulp mills, wood panel manufacturing, and logging operations ^[11]

Spend time in Manitoba, and it’s easy to see why forests are part of the province’s identity. They stretch across nearly half the province, with the boreal forest forming its largest forest zone. The forestry sector supplies wood used to make products such as lumber, kraft paper and newsprint.

Forestry is more than a source of materials: logging, mills and wood-product manufacturing help sustain economic activity in northern and remote communities. Manitoba’s wood-product manufacturers generated $815 million in revenue in 2022. The sector is one more way the province’s natural resources support jobs and produce goods people use every day.

Fresh Water & Fisheries in Manitoba

Quick Facts

#1 - Manitoba is home to more than 100,000 lakes, and surface water covers about 16% of the province ^[20]

#2 - Lake Winnipeg is the world’s 10th-largest freshwater lake by surface area, at about 23,750 square kilometres, playing a critical role in tourism, recreation, fisheries, and hydropower generation ^[21]

#3 - Lake Winnipeg is home to 650 commercial fishers, who catch a variety of fish including walleye, goldeye, sauger, whitefish, and more ^[21]

#4 - Manitoba’s commercial fishers landed 9,082 tonnes of freshwater fish worth $30.8 million in 2024, about 35% of the value of all freshwater landings in Canada ^[22]

#5 - Yellow pickerel was Manitoba’s most valuable freshwater catch in 2024, with a landed value of $23.5 million ^[22]

In Manitoba, fresh water is everywhere. More than 100,000 lakes are spread across the province, and surface water covers about 16% of its area. Lake Winnipeg stands out: at roughly 23,750 square kilometres, it is the world’s 10th-largest freshwater lake by surface area and supports recreation, tourism, fisheries and hydropower generation.

To many Canadians' surprise, Manitoba’s freshwater lakes also support a significant fishing industry. Some 650 commercial fishers work on Lake Winnipeg, catching species such as walleye, sauger and whitefish. Province-wide, commercial freshwater catches were worth $30.8 million in 2024, accounting for 35% of Canada's freshwater landings that year.

Learn more about renewable energy in Manitoba today.

Challenges for Manitoba’s Resource Economy

Manitoba's hydro system depends on healthy river flows, and the past few years have been challenging. Fiscal 2025-26 was Manitoba Hydro's fourth low-water year in five. Hydraulic generation fell 22.6%; the provincial utility provider had to import more electricity than it exported during the peak winter months ^[1].

Mining has also had a tougher stretch. Preliminary figures show that the value of Manitoba's mineral production dropped from CAD 1.55 billion in 2024 to about CAD 1.18 billion in 2025 ^[5].

Another challenge is the province's heavy reliance on a single export market. In 2025, the United States bought 43.7% of Manitoba's agri-food exports ^[12]. To help the province reach more overseas customers, the Manitoba government announced on September 14, 2026, that major capital investments in Port of Churchill Plus, including upgrades to the Hudson Bay Railway, will be exempt from provincial sales tax ^[24].

Manitoba has the resources to build a prosperous future. To make it happen, Canadians need to support the continued development of those resources, along with the pipelines, power plants, transmission lines, ports, railways and roads that connect them to new markets.

New natural resource and trade infrastructure projects can play a significant role in strengthening Manitoba and Canada as a whole.

Join Us Today!

Join us on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to learn more about what natural resources are found in Manitoba and Canada as a whole. See more about why the world needs more Canadian energy, minerals, metals, wood, and food today!

Let’s work together to make Canada stronger! https://t.co/zb10X80V5s

— Canada Action (@CanadaAction) September 16, 2026

SOURCES:

_{1 - https://www.hydro.mb.ca/docs/corporate/annual_report_2025_26.pdf}

_{2 - https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=2510002001}

_{3 - https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251022/dq251022c-eng.htm}

_{4 - https://www.cer-rec.gc.ca/en/data-analysis/energy-markets/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles/provincial-territorial-energy-profiles-manitoba.html}

_{5 - https://mmsd.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/PDF/MIS2025TableG01-en.pdf}

_{6 - https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-analysis/minerals-metals-facts/nickel-facts}

_{7 - https://natural-resources.canada.ca/minerals-mining/mining-data-statistics-analysis/minerals-metals-facts/lithium-facts}

_{8 - https://www.gov.mb.ca/iem/explore/files/criticalmineralfuture.pdf}

_{9 - https://www.gov.mb.ca/iem/geo/industrial/pollucite.html}

_{10 - https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-cesium.pdf}

_{11 - https://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/en/market-industry-info/free-trade-agreements/canada-indonesia-comprehensive-economic-partnership-agreement/cepa-benefits-industry/forest.html}

_{12 - https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/markets-and-statistics/publications-and-proceedings/pubs/mb-ag-stats-factsheet.pdf}

_{13 - https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/markets-and-statistics/crop-statistics/pubs/estimates-of-field-crop-production-2025.pdf}

_{14 - https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251205/dq251205f-eng.htm}

_{15 - https://manitoba.ca/iem/petroleum/stats/index.html}

_{16 - https://www.manitoba.ca/iem/petroleum/oilfacts/index.html}

_{17 - https://www.manitoba.ca/nrnd/forest/forestry/index.html}

_{18 - http://nfdp.ccfm.org/en/profiles/mb.php}

_{19 - https://natural-resources.canada.ca/sites/admin/files/documents/2025-08/StateofForestReport-2024-EN.pdf}

_{20 - https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/water/lakes-beaches-rivers/}

_{21 - https://www.gov.mb.ca/sd/water/lakes-beaches-rivers/lake-winnipeg.html}

_{22 - https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/freshwater-eaudouce/2024-eng.htm}

_{23 - https://gov.mb.ca/jec/mbadvantage/theland.html}

_{24 - https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archive=&item=75298}

_{25 - https://energy-information.canada.ca/sites/default/files/2026-10/energy-fact-book-fall-2026.pdf}

_{26 - https://www.hydro.mb.ca/docs/corporate/irp/2025-irp-report-final.pdf}