Manitoba's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 26
MANITOBA’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
26
Celebration and community support shape Johnston Group
A
bigail Wiebe
remembers being
moved almost to tears
by the outpouring
of support from the
crowd when she was standing
on the platform of the Johnston
Group Inc. float at the Winnipeg
Pride parade.
“It was emotional to see the
amount of people that were
there out of love for each other
and the community,” says the
customer care coordinator. “It was
beautiful.”
The family-owned employee
benefits company has been
part of Winnipeg’s fabric since
1983 and strives to give back to
the community through event
sponsorships, charitable giving
and rich cultural programming.
When a company is
supporting its people,
making them feel
valued and cared for,
that translates directly
into our work.
— Abigail Wiebe
Customer Care Coordinator
The employer-run experiences
have been hugely impactful
for employees like Wiebe, who
was also deeply touched by the
National Day for Truth and
Reconciliation event at Johnston
Group, a cause near to her heart.
Hoop dancers and speakers
were brought in, including
Anishinaabe writer Niigaan
Sinclair, and the organization
Employees at Johnston Group volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
made a donation to the Winnipeg
Blue Bombers Orange Shirt Game,
including donating 100 tickets for
Indigenous families to enjoy the
football game.
“That was really special,” said
Wiebe. “In that moment, I felt
so connected with the people
in my workplace but also those
community members.”
Wiebe sees community outreach
at Johnston Group as a two-forone scenario, where she wants to
make more time for giving and
her employer helps facilitate that.
“When my company offers these
opportunities at work, it aligns
perfectly for me,” she says. “I can
do the things that I want to do
while working.”
Big or small, internally or
externally, celebration and
learning are integral parts of the
Johnston Group experience. It’s
a simple philosophy, explains
co-president Will Johnston, who
shares leadership with his brother,
Matt Johnston.
“If you have to come to work,
you should be able to have a good
time with people you like while
supporting the community,”
he says.
It’s a system of giving that
Johnston’s father, who founded
the company, called the three Cs:
culture, customer and community.
By taking care of each other,
staff are better able to take
care of customers, which, in
turn, makes Johnston Group a
profitable business that can take
care of the community. “There’s
a virtuous cycle that enables us
to further extend our care of the
community,” says Johnston.
The sentiment resonates with
Wiebe, who seeks to align her
values with her employer. “Feeling
good about the company that I
work for is really important,” she
says. “I don’t want to have a moral
conflict when I’m going to work.”
Employee care isn’t all about
celebrations and learning. Wiebe
has been able to find the work-life
balance she sought at Johnston
Group thanks to the generous
benefits, hybrid work policy and
positive environment.
From the big-picture perks, like
the ability to work from home — a
genuine upside during Manitoba
