Manitoba premier's Europe visit includes D-Day commemoration, business meetings and some time off

The province isn't sharing the precise itinerary for Premier Brian Pallister's excursion in Europe, but the government says his schedule consists of commemorating D-Day, business meetings and some time off.

Pallister opened his end of session address to reporters on Tuesday by saying he was flying to France later that day to show his respects on the 75th anniversary of D-Day, which began the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Normandy during the Second World War, and to attend several meetings.

The trip will last around 12 days, he said. 

On Wednesday, a spokesperson shared some details of the trip, which she said serves a dual purpose.

Pallister will attend commemorative D-Day events with other federal, provincial and municipal leaders, as well as economic development meetings in "key sectors that represent both existing and potential jobs in Manitoba," the spokesperson wrote in an email.

The business meetings include discussions with Roquette, the food-manufacturing giant investing $400 million in a pea processing facility in Portage la Prairie, and Ubisoft, the French video game developer that recently opened a studio in Winnipeg.

The Manitoba delegation will also speak with the parent company of the food and dairy company Parmalat, along with other companies.

The delegation will also conduct intergovernmental work, but the province wouldn't explain specifically what that meant.

"The split nature" of the trip "will involve some separate and some combined activities," the spokesperson wrote.

Pallister is joined by Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler, Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen, military envoy Jon Reyes, one political staffer and two intergovernmental affairs officials. 

After the official meetings, Pallister is taking "some short private time with his wife at personal expense" before returning to Manitoba late next week. 

We want to be a backroom player: Pallister

The premier said on Tuesday the business meetings will look for opportunities in Manitoba, in agri-business and beyond.

In unveiling a new economic development strategy last December, Pallister said the government wants to be a more of a "backroom co-ordinator of opportunities rather than the front office that delivers on economic development programs."

He said the government was partially funding close to 90 different economic initiatives, and could probably do with fewer.

As a result, bureaucrats holding certain responsibilities within the Growth, Enterprise and Trade department would be shuffled into other roles, Pallister said at the time.