A family-owned, Manitoba-based development company is carving out a niche in the hospitality industry by focusing on hotel projects in smaller rural communities, markets many larger brands have historically overlooked.
Steel Creek Developers, the company behind the Blue Crescent Hotels brand, has been building and planning hotels in towns across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, aiming to create accommodations that support local economies while showcasing small-town hospitality.
Trevor Rempel, CEO of Steel Creek Developers, said the company’s focus on rural projects stems from a belief that many smaller communities still have strong growth potential if they have the right infrastructure.
“There are many good rural communities with opportunities,” Rempel said. “But these days there really is no status quo. If you’re not growing, you’re dying.”
Rempel said rural communities across Canada are facing ongoing migration toward larger urban centres as residents seek employment opportunities, services and amenities. Maintaining a balanced population across generations is key to sustaining those communities, he said.
“Communities need to retain each generational level within their population,” Rempel said. “If you start losing one group, it throws off the demographics that follow.”
Steel Creek launched the Blue Crescent Hotels brand specifically to address a gap in rural hospitality. While many national hotel chains concentrate on larger markets, Rempel said smaller towns often still need reliable accommodations for visitors, work crews, sports teams and family travel.
The company has already developed hotels in several Manitoba communities including Souris, Rivers, Carman and Arborg, as well as Grenfell, Sask. Another hotel is currently under construction at Deacon’s Corner east of Winnipeg, with additional projects planned.
Rempel said each development is designed to generate economic benefits that extend beyond the hotel itself.
“We think of the economic impact as concentric rings,” he said.
The first impact is the creation of a new local business that generates revenue and tax income. The second comes from visitor spending that stays within the community when travellers remain overnight rather than driving to larger centres.
“Fuel, food, shopping and events are all conduits of revenue into surrounding businesses by hotel guests,” Rempel said.
A third layer of impact comes from the company’s ownership structure, which often involves local investors.
“With mostly local ownership, the profits from the hotel stay within the community,” Rempel said. “That generates more local spending and reinvestment.”
He said rural hotel projects have also proven to be a way for communities to celebrate their small-town identity.
“In communities where we’ve built hotels, we’re not seeing the death of the small-town feel,” he said. “We’re actually seeing the celebration of it.”
Hotel staff frequently act as informal ambassadors, sharing local attractions, events and history with visitors who may be exploring rural destinations for the first time.
Rempel said that trend has been reinforced by a growing interest among Canadians in discovering destinations closer to home.
“The hospitality industry across the country is experiencing a bit of a boom as Canadians become more intentional about exploring their own country,” he said.
Steel Creek has also adapted its hotel designs based on experience in rural markets.
Amenities such as guest laundry, bag lunches for extended-stay work crews and locally inspired artwork have been incorporated into properties to better reflect the needs of guests and the character of each community.
One example was the addition of a pool and waterslide at the company’s Carman hotel, an investment Rempel initially viewed as a financial risk in a smaller market.
The feature ultimately proved popular, attracting sports teams, family staycations and visiting relatives.
“It brought enough additional stays to make a positive impact,” he said.
Rempel also credited Manitoba’s Small Business Venture Capital Tax Credit program with helping make many of the rural projects possible.
The provincial program reduces financial risk for investors who participate in small business ventures, which can help unlock capital for projects that might otherwise struggle to move forward.
“We’ve used that program on several hotel developments now,” Rempel said. “For investors who already run their own businesses, it provides that extra peace of mind.”
Among the company’s newest projects is a planned Blue Crescent Hotels property in Stonewall, which is expected to begin construction this summer as part of the town’s planned Aging in Place development.
Rempel said projects like that reflect the company’s broader goal of building infrastructure that helps rural communities continue to grow while sharing what makes them unique.
“These hotels act as ambassadors for their towns,” he said. “They help introduce visitors to the stories and experiences that make each rural community special.”
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Mar 11, 2026 at 09:06
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