ARCHIVED - 2009-10 - Main Estimates

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Western Economic Diversification

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Ministry Summary

Vote	(thousands of dollars)	2009–10	2008–09	Difference
		Main Estimates	Main Estimates
	Western Economic Diversification
1	Operating expenditures	41,725	48,753	(7,028)
5	Grants and contributions	195,245	215,271	(20,026)
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	4,801	5,322	(521)
	Total Department	241,771	269,346	(27,575)

Note: Details may not add to totals due to rounding.  

Strategic Outcome

Policies and programs that strengthen the western Canadian economy.

Program Activity Descriptions

Advocacy

This program activity aims to advance Western Canada’s interests in national policies, priorities and programs. The program activity facilitates an improved understanding and awareness by policy makers of regional issues and opportunities and 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 programming or procurement in Western Canada. The activity can also involve advocating on behalf of Federal Government priorities within Western Canada. Specific examples of this activity include providing input into Cabinet submissions, establishing and participating in western-based consultation forums, advocating in support of specific regional projects or issues, and engaging western Canadian stakeholders in the development and implementation of national priorities.

Collaboration and Coordination

This program activity involves bringing people, ideas, communities and resources together. This is accomplished through engaging other levels of government, other federal departments, industry (in particular, industry associations), 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 to leverage resources and address economic challenges or take advantage of economic opportunities in a coordinated fashion.

Research and Analysis

This program activity involves 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; or in-house research and analysis involving economic overviews, environmental scans, analysis of federal or other government documents and sectoral or issue analysis that support departmental policy, planning or program development. This program activity includes external consultation on key economic issues or opportunities facing Western Canada with leaders from both the private and public sectors.

Strategic Outcome

Communities in Western Canada are economically viable.

Program Activity Descriptions

Community Economic Planning, Development and Adjustment

This program activity involves economic development and diversification initiatives that support communities to sustain their economies and adjust to changing and challenging economic circumstances. It includes facilitating economic recovery from depressed economic circumstances. It ensures that economic, social and environmental considerations are taken into account in initiatives designed to foster community growth and economic development. It involves projects that assist communities to assess community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential for new economic activity and to develop and implement community plans. The process involves community-based consultations/facilitation and strives to integrate federal programs, services and horizontal initiatives directed towards western Canadian communities.

Infrastructure

This program activity provides public infrastructure funding in Western Canada to meet the Government of Canada’s commitment to growth and the quality of life of all Canadians. This program activity will renew and build infrastructure in rural and urban municipalities across Canada allowing them to compete in the regional, national and global economy.

Western Economic Diversification delivers infrastructure programming in partnership with Infrastructure Canada and the four western provincial governments.

Strategic Outcome

The western Canadian economy is competitive, expanded and diversified.

Program Activity Descriptions

Innovation

This program activity facilitates the West’s transition to a knowledge-based economy. Through innovation, knowledge is translated into new products and services and to new ways of designing, producing or marketing existing products or services for public and private markets. This program activity 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 qualified people (HQP), 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”. This program activity will 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.

Business Development and Entrepreneurship

This program activity works with western Canadian businesses, industry and research organizations to undertake initiatives to enhance business productivity and competitiveness, support trade and investment attraction and penetration of western Canadian technologies, services and value-added products into international markets. Through this program activity, value-added production will be strengthened through support for initiatives in priority sectors to introduce new products, technologies, or innovations to existing production and processes. This program activity will also improve access to risk capital and business services for entrepreneurs and small business through programs and services offered in conjunction with other business services organizations and associations.

Strategic Outcome

The following program activity supports all strategic outcomes within this organization.

Program Activity Descriptions

Internal Services

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Program by Activities

(thousands of dollars)		2009–10 Main Estimates			2008–09
		Budgetary		Total	Main Estimates
	Operating	Grants	Contributions
			and other
			transfer
			payments
Community Economic Planning, Development
and Adjustment	3,728	1,475	75,890	81,093	109,137
Innovation	7,002	1,880	68,119	77,001	87,226
Business Development and Entrepreneurship	7,607	1,645	39,335	48,587	58,190
Internal Services	18,762	. . . . .	. . . . .	18,762	. . . . .
Infrastructure	1,665	. . . . .	5,901	7,566	2,084
Advocacy	3,246	. . . . .	. . . . .	3,246	2,683
Collaboration and Coordination	2,888	. . . . .	. . . . .	2,888	5,866
Research and Analysis	1,629	. . . . .	1,000	2,629	4,160
	46,526	5,000	190,245	241,771	269,346

Note: Details may not add to totals due to rounding.

Transfer Payments

(dollars)	2009–10	2008–09
	Main Estimates	Main Estimates
Grants
Grants for the Western DiversificationProgram	5,000,000	5,000,000
Total grants	5,000,000	5,000,000
Contributions
Contributions under programs or for projects that promote or enhance
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	180,844,369	206,771,000
Contributions to the Western Provinces under the Infrastructure Canada
Program	5,900,733	. . . . .
Contributions to western small and medium-sized enterprises in 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
Total contributions	190,245,102	210,271,000
Total	195,245,102	215,271,000

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