ARCHIVED - Western Economic Diversification Canada - Supplementary Tables

User Fee: Fees charged for the processing of access requests filed under the Access to Information Act (ATIA)

Fee Type: Other products and services (O)

Fee-setting Authority: Access to Information Act

Date Last Modified:  1992.

Performance Standards: Response provided within 30 days following receipt of request; the response time may be extended pursuant to section 9 of the ATIA. Notice of extension to be sent within 30 days after receipt of request

Performance Results:

Other Information:

Name of Transfer Payment Program: Community Futures Program

Start date:  May 18, 1995

End date: Terms and Conditions expire October, 2, 2010 (Renewal underway)

Description: This program was designed to provide funding for a network of Community Futures (CF) organizations across Canada with WD as the delivery department for the west.  CF organizations are volunteer-led, non-profit organizations that lead strategic economic planning, and provide advice and commercial loans to local entrepreneurs, which foster economic development.

Strategic Outcomes: Communities in Western Canada are economically viable and the Western Canadian economy is competitive, expanded and diversified.

Results Achieved:

• Strategic community planning: Working with communities to assess local problems, establish objectives, plan and implement strategies to develop human, institutional and physical infrastructures, entrepreneurship, employment, and the economy.
• Business Services: Delivering a range of business, counseling and information services to small and medium sized enterprises.
• Access to capital: Provide capital to assist businesses or to help entrepreneurs to create new businesses.  

Comment(s) on Variance(s):  Additional access to capital funding provided in 2009-10 to Manitoba and Saskatchewan Community Future associations.

Audit completed or planned:  Audit completed April 2009.

Evaluation completed or planned: An evaluation was completed in November 2008.

Name of Transfer Payment Program: Western Diversification Program (WDP)

Start date: 1987-1988

End date: Ongoing

Description: This program was designed to promote economic development and diversification in Western Canada and advance the interests of Western Canada in national policy, program and project development and implementation.

Strategic Outcome:

• SO 1- The western Canadian economy is competitive, expanded and diversified.
• SO 2 - Communities in Western Canada are economically viable
• SO 3 - Policies and programs that strengthen the western Canadian economy

Results Achieved:

• - A strengthened western innovation system.
• - An expanded business sector in Western Canada.
• - Increased investment in strategic federal/regional economic development priorities that improves the viability, prosperity and quality of life in communities across Western Canada. 
• - A better understanding of Western Canada's needs, opportunities and aspirations inside and outside of the region leading to improved programs and services for western Canadians.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): Additional access to capital funding provided in 2009-10 to MB and SK CF organizations.

Audit completed or planned: Audit completed April 2009.

Evaluation completed or planned: WD agreement requires that an evaluation be completed by March 2012.

Comment(s) on Variance(s):  Actual spending includes funding spent for the Community Adjustment Fund, program of CEAP .WD has re-profiled $25,200K from 2009-10 to future years for Alberta Saskatchewan Centenaries.

Audit completed or planned: A WDP audit covering the period August 14, 2003 to March 31, 2008 started in 2008-09 and was completed September 2009

Evaluation completed or planned:  Evaluation completed October 2008.

Name of Transfer Payment Program: Infrastructure Canada Program

Start date:  October 10, 2000

End date: March 31, 2011

Description: This transfer payment program was designed to improve urban and rural community infrastructure in Canada.

Strategic Outcome: Communities in Western Canada are economically viable 

Results Achieved: Improve Canadians’ quality of life through investments that enhance the quality of the environment, support long-term economic growth, and improve community infrastructure. Build a 21st century infrastructure through the use of technologies, new approaches and best practices.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): Not Applicable

Audit completed or planned: An Audit of Infrastructure Programs covering the period April 01, 2006 to March 31, 2008 was completed in February 2009.

Evaluation completed or planned:  No evaluation planned at this time. Any future evaluation of the Infrastructure program will be led by Infrastructure Canada and conducted nationally.

Name of Transfer Payment Program:  Recreational Infrastructure Canada (RInC)

Start date: April 23, 2009

End date: March 31, 2011

Description: RInC is a two-year contribution program aimed at addressing the short-term impacts of the global economic downturn felt in communities across Western Canada. RInC will normally focus on the rehabilitation or repair of existing recreational infrastructure facilities.

Strategic Outcome: Communities in Western Canada are economically viable 

Results Achieved: The focus of RInC is to provide timely, targeted and temporary economic stimulus for local communities and help mitigate the impacts of the global recession by increasing the total amount of construction activity related to recreational infrastructure.

Comment(s) on Variance(s): This program was announced in Budget 2009 as part of the Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The unspent funding will be transferred to year two of the program.

Audit completed or planned:  Audit completed September 2009. A follow up audit is planned for 2010-11.

Evaluation completed or planned:  An evaluation is planned for 2011-12 after completion of the program.

Name of Recipient: Primrose Lake Economic Development Corporation

Start Date: March 30, 2007

End Date: March 31, 2027

Total Funding: $ 15,000,000

Description: Create a community controlled trust fund for economic development.

Strategic Outcome(s): Communities in Western Canada are economically viable

Summary of Results Achieved by the Recipient: During fiscal 2009-10, the Board completed payout of the Elders component of the parallel agreement with the province. The Board also continued building Board capacity through providing governance training for its members, and developing a policy framework to guide its operations. The Minister appointed two ex-officio members for WD in August 2009. The Board hired a part time Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The board has continued to develop its policies and programming for future community development projects and accepted various applications which are now under review.

Comments on Variance(s): Not applicable

Significant Evaluation findings by the recipient during the reporting year and future plan:
WD agreement requires that an evaluation be completed by March 2012.

Significant Audit findings by the recipient during the reporting year and future plan:
No audits performed to date. Date for an audit in the future has not yet been identified.

Name of Horizontal Initiative: Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPAs)

Name of Lead Department(s): Western Economic Diversification

Lead Department Program Activity: Community Economic Planning, Development and Adjustment; Business Development and Entrepreneurship; and Innovation

Start Date of the Horizontal Initiative: April 17, 2008

End Date of the Horizontal Initiative: March 31, 2014

Total Federal Funding Allocation (start to end date): $100 million

Description of the Horizontal Initiative (including funding agreement): WEPAs are four-year, $50 million cost shared agreements between the federal government and each of the four western provinces to promote shared economic development priorities. Approvals may be made up until March 31, 2012, although expenditures on approved WEPA projects may continue until September 2013.

Shared Outcome(s): Greater federal-provincial cooperation towards realizing the economic and regional development potential of the West by helping to create innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable communities.

Governance Structure(s): Joint Federal Provincial Management Committees

Comments on Variances: *Leverage at the time of approval, for all projects on approved and proceeding during 2009-10.

Results achieved by non-federal partners (if applicable): The Provincial governments of BC, AB, SK and MB contributed towards the mutually agreed upon priorities of each of the four WEPAs.  Federal Priority areas include Technology Commercialization, and Business Productivity and Competitiveness.  Projects were also approved/ funded in support of Provincial government priority areas such as: Community and Regional Development and Diversification, and Economic Development through Tourism opportunities.

Contact information:

Myka Pappas-Beckers, Program Analyst
(780) 495-8259
Myka.Pappas_Beckers@wd-deo.gc.ca

Has the department incorporated environmental performance considerations in its procurement decision-making processes?

Summary of initiatives to incorporate environmental performance considerations in procurement decision-making processes:

• lifecycle management of assets incorporated into WD’s Asset Management Framework;
• use of mandatory green procurement tools established by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), e.g. standing offers;
• mandatory CampusDirect Green Procurement training for WD staff  involved in purchasing; 
• Information communicated to staff, e.g. “Green Tips”, procurement bulletins, green procurement tools; and
• Green procurement commitments are included in WD’s Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS) and are not required for performance evaluation purposes.

Results achieved:

• exclusive use of electronic bid box;
• Green Procurement training for functional specialists completed;
• awareness of “green” office supplies beyond paper and office equipment;
• bi-annual staff awareness events on “Greening in Government”; and
• mandatory use of “green” standing offers for the purchase of recycled paper and office equipment including; furniture, printers, photocopiers, computers and monitors.

Contributions to facilitate government-wide implementation of green procurement:

Not applicable to WD

Has the department established green procurement targets?

Summary of green procurement targets:

• green procurement targets are based on previous year operational requirements; and 
• purchases for green office supplies, furniture and the purchase/lease of green office equipment.

Results achieved:

• in 2009, WD’s green procurement totalled $661K via contracts, purchase orders, acquisition card purchases and standing offer call-ups;
• purchases included desktop computers, laptop computers, light bulbs, paper, office supplies, monitors, fuel, seating, shredding, e-waste disposal, toner cartridges, printers and photocopiers;
• 100% of letter and legal size photocopier paper was purchased from “green” standing offers established by PWGSC; and
• 100% of printers/photocopiers were leased/purchased from “green” standing offers established by PWGSC.