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Ministry Summary
Vote | (thousands of dollars) | 2008-2009 | 2007-2008 | Difference |
Main Estimates | Main Estimates | |||
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Western Economic Diversification | ||||
1 | Operating expenditures | 48,753 | 42,527 | 6,226 |
5 | Grants and contributions | 215,271 | 205,495 | 9,776 |
(S) | Contributions to employee benefit plans | 5,322 | 5,188 | 134 |
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Total Department | 269,346 | 253,210 | 16,136 | |
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Note: Details in the “Ministry Summary” and “Program by Activities” tables may not add to totals due to rounding. |
Strategic Outcome
Policy, Advocacy and Coordination - Policies and programs that support the development of western Canada.
Program Activity Descriptions
Collaboration and Coordination
Organizing and coordinating meetings, conferences or other events with other levels of government, other federal departments, industry, academia, or the not for profit sector in order to plan or precipitate actions that result in a greater degree of development and/or diversification of the western economy. This can involve the process of developing policies and programs with other governments or partners, but is distinct from the advocacy activities (below) in that it is more broadly based and less focused on specific issues and near term outcomes. The Assistant Deputy Minister Ottawa office and Director of Policy play key roles representing the department in Ottawa and coordinating pan-western activities.
Research and Analysis
Preparing and disseminating information that results in an increased understanding of western Canadian challenges, opportunities and priorities, and which provides the factual intelligence necessary to undertake internal or external policy and program development. This can include externally generated research sponsored by Western Economic Diversification (WED) through agencies such as the Canada West Foundation and the Conference Board of Canada; or in-house research and analysis involving economic overviews, environmental scans, analysis of federal or other government documents (such as Budgets and Throne Speeches), and sectoral or issue analysis that support departmental policy, planning or program development.
Advocacy
Organizing and attending meetings (including meetings involving the Treasury Board and Cabinet submission processes), writing correspondence, or taking part in any other communication or engagement activities that promote the interests of western Canada and western Canadians. The activity should facilitate an improved understanding and awareness of regional issues and opportunities that leads to action by the federal government, partners or stakeholders to help achieve a more balanced, regionally sensitive approach to western Canadian priorities, or that results in a greater share of federal program activity or procurement in western Canada. The activity can also involve advocating on behalf of federal government priorities within western Canada.
Strategic Outcome
Community Economic Development - Economically viable communities in Western Canada with a high quality of life.
Program Activity Descriptions
Community Economic Planning, Development and Adjustment
Projects that help communities assess community
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and potential for new
economic activity, and to implement community plans. These would
not be primarily innovation related. The process involves
community-based consultations/facilitation. It also includes:
projects that strive to integrate federal programs, services and
horizontal initiatives directed towards western Canadian
communities, such as community economic development processes and
projects, and the Northern Saskatchewan Agreement, etc.; projects
that support the viability of the local economy, enhance
available facilities and/or increase the participation of
community members; and projects that assist communities facing
severe adjustment impacts due to changing economic circumstances
to identify options and responses that will create new economic
opportunities, and to help the communities put the plans into
effect.
Infrastructure
WED delivers the
Infrastructure Canada Program (ICP) in western Canada. The
program was developed to meet the government's commitment to
Canada's growth and the quality of life of all Canadians.
Introduced in 2000, the program provides funding for physical
infrastructure and will expire in March 2009. In partnership with
provincial, territorial and local governments, First Nations and
the private sector, the Infrastructure Canada Program is helping
to renew and build infrastructure in rural and urban
municipalities across Canada. The ICP is a national initiative,
intended to complement and augment the existing capacity of
provincial, territorial, and municipal governments to invest in
physical infrastructure. It is expected that WED will continue
contributing to the renewal of Canada's infrastructure through
delivery of the new Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund and key
Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund projects in the west on
behalf of Infrastructure Canada.
Strategic Outcome
Entrepreneurship and Innovation - A competitive and expanded business sector in western Canada and a strengthened western Canadian innovation system.
Program Activity Descriptions
Business Development and
Entrepreneurship
WED addresses the needs of small and
medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs through a variety of
service delivery mechanisms and partnerships. These include more
than 100 offices of the Western Canada Business Service Network
consisting of Community Futures Development Corporations, Women's
Enterprise Organizations, Francophone Economic Development
Organizations and Canada Business Service Centres. WED has
created new and alternative sources of capital for small and
medium-sized businesses by working closely with financial
institutions to create a specialized series of loan programs
under the Loan and Investment Program. These loan programs target
industry sectors important to western Canada, micro lending and
targeted groups and provide patient and flexible debt capital on
terms especially suited to the unique needs and cash flow
requirements of these small businesses. These programs are
provided on commercial terms by financial institutions such as
chartered banks, credit unions, trust companies, the Farm Credit
Corporation and the Business Development Bank of Canada. Each
lending institution funds its own program and makes the decision
on all loan approvals. WED's strategy in support of trade and
investment involves activity in four key areas: research, trade
policy, trade promotion and investment attraction. Activities
vary from strategic participation in Team Canada missions to
taking action when western companies are impacted in trade
actions such as the softwood lumber dispute. WED has partnered
with other federal departments, the provinces and local
organizations to enhance overall support for trade and investment
in the west through participation in such organizations as Trade
Team Canada Inc., Regional Trade Networks, Provincial Trade Teams
and Western Trade Officials. WED funding supports projects that
result in industry collaboration, joint venturing and strategic
alliances that support entrepreneurial development.
Innovation
WED's innovation focus is
on economic development and diversification leading to wealth
creation. Innovation is the process through which new economic
and social benefits are extracted from knowledge. Through
innovation, knowledge is applied to the development of new
products and services or to new ways of designing, producing or
marketing an existing product or service for the public and
private markets. WED's approach to innovation recognizes that
innovation occurs at the firm level, through a highly complex
interdependent system that includes elements such as knowledge
infrastructure, basic and applied research and development,
highly skilled people, access to adequate patient financing,
technology commercialization facilities, and support systems and
mechanisms to link these elements to each other. The process of
innovation is not linear or isolated but occurs within a broader
context known as an innovation system. WED's goal is to
strengthen the western innovation system in order to facilitate
the development of clusters and to enhance the potential of
innovation to create value and wealth.
Program by Activities
(thousands of dollars) | 2008-2009 Main Estimates | 2007-2008 | |||
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Budgetary | Total | Main | |||
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Operating | Grants | Contributions | Estimates | ||
and other | |||||
transfer | |||||
payments | |||||
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Community Economic Planning, Development and | |||||
Adjustment | 14,289 | 1,475 | 93,373 | 109,137 | 101,452 |
Innovation | 9,243 | 1,880 | 76,103 | 87,226 | 55,333 |
Business Development and Entrepreneurship | 16,558 | 1,645 | 39,987 | 58,190 | 53,777 |
Collaboration and Coordination | 5,751 | . . . . . | 115 | 5,866 | 5,885 |
Research and Analysis | 3,582 | . . . . . | 578 | 4,160 | 4,157 |
Advocacy | 2,568 | . . . . . | 115 | 2,683 | 2,660 |
Infrastructure | 2,084 | . . . . . | . . . . . | 2,084 | 29,946 |
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54,075 | 5,000 | 210,271 | 269,346 | 253,210 | |
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Transfer Payments | ||
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(dollars) | 2008-2009 | 2007-2008 |
Main Estimates | Main Estimates | |
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Grants | ||
Grants for the Western Diversification Program | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
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Total grants | 5,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
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Contributions | ||
Contributions under programs or for projects that promote or enhance |
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the economic development and diversification of Western Canada, | ||
including the initiation, promotion or expansion of enterprises, the | ||
establishment of new businesses, research and development | ||
activities, the development of business infrastructure, and selective | ||
contributions to other programs affecting regional and economic | ||
development in Western Canada | 206,771,000 | 169,038,000 |
Contributions to western small and medium-sized enterprises in |
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strategic growth industries through the establishment of specialized | ||
Loan/Investment Funds, on commercial terms, in cooperation with | ||
private and public sector providers of debt/equity capital | 3,500,000 | 3,500,000 |
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Total contributions | 210,271,000 | 172,538,000 |
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Items not required | ||
Contributions to the Western Provinces under the Infrastructure Canada | ||
Program | . . . . . | 27,957,000 |
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Total items not required | . . . . . | 27,957,000 |
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Total | 215,271,000 | 205,495,000 |
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