ARCHIVED - 2007-08 Part II - Main Estimates

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Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Department
Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation

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Ministry Summary

Vote	(thousands of dollars)	2007-2008	2006-2007	Difference
		Main Estimates	Main Estimates
	Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
	Department
1	Operating expenditures	79,093	82,785	(3,692)
5	Grants and contributions	279,191	290,391	(11,200)
(S)	Contributions to employee benefit plans	8,045	8,572	(527)
	Total Department	366,329	381,748	(15,419)
	Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation
10	Payments to the Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation	8,650	8,650	. . . . .
	Total Agency	8,650	8,650	. . . . .

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Department

Strategic Outcome

Competitive and sustainable Atlantic enterprises, with emphasis on those of small and medium size.

Program Activity Descriptions

Fostering the development of institutions and enterprises, with emphasis on those of small and medium size
Notwithstanding recent overall economic progress, some significant challenges remain and great opportunities exist for development. One of the most telling indicators of this is that, in a number of sectors, productivity remains significantly lower than in leading countries and other regions of Canada. Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) will work in partnership with Atlantic enterprises, stakeholders, industry and institutions to improve the growth and productivity of the Atlantic economy, leading to increased competitiveness, earned incomes and job creation.

ACOA works to improve the region's capacity for economic growth through a variety of strategically focused mechanisms, including assistance to enterprises, with particular emphasis on small and medium sized enterprises, to help them start, expand, or modernize their businesses, and establish and expand export activities; partnering with universities and other institutions to increase the region's research and development capacity, commercialization and productivity; and promoting and participating in the region's transition to the knowledge economy.

Strategic Outcome

Dynamic and sustainable communities for Atlantic Canada.

Program Activity Descriptions

Fostering the economic development of Atlantic communities
The Atlantic economy is built on the region's many geographic, linguistic, and cultural communities. From small remote villages to larger urban centres, the opportunities and challenges vary significantly. Communities are the fundamental building blocks on which economies are built. Given their importance in an economic development framework, ACOA focuses targeted efforts and strategies toward community development as one of the key pillars of its overall strategy for the region. ACOA supports Atlantic communities in their efforts to develop the resources they need to take full responsibility for their own economic development. ACOA works in co-operation with other levels of government, other federal government departments, non-government organizations, and community groups to lever support and co-ordinate economic development. This requires a flexible, holistic approach, based on the realities of a given community's capacities, strengths and challenges. Community development is a bottom up process that helps develop the tools, resources and initiatives that support individual and unique strategic development.

Special Adjustment Measures
There are circumstances in which federal government decisions, or impacts in an area of its mandate, have resulted in the need for a major adjustment in a community or region. From time to time, there is also a need for targeted interventions as a result of natural disasters. These measures are based on the appropriation of new funds that are delivered through ACOA as the economic development agency within Atlantic Canada. Each special adjustment measure will have specific objectives, clients and performance measures.

Infrastructure Programming
The provision and maintenance of quality public infrastructure provides the foundation for economic development and is critical for economic prosperity. Providing and effectively managing potable water, waste treatment facilities, highways, municipal roads and bridges and transit systems, all impact on economic growth, and many also have strong environmental implications. This requires programming designed to renew and build infrastructure in rural and urban municipalities in

Atlantic Canada, through investments that protect the environment and support long-term economic growth. ACOA, working with Infrastructure Canada and the provinces, oversees/ensures the flow of federal funds allocated to each region through the various infrastructure funding streams. The priorities for Infrastructure Canada programs are green municipal infrastructure and local transportation infrastructure.

Strategic Outcome

Policies and programs that strengthen the Atlantic economy.

Program Activity Descriptions

Policy
ACOA's policy work provides a well grounded base of understanding for the development of ACOA's strategic priorities and initiatives; for program design; and as input to national policy development and federal-provincial relations. This includes the development of policies, frameworks and advice.

The policy function is carried out by ACOA officials at its head office, regional offices, and the Ottawa office. It is supported by internal and external research on significant Atlantic economic issues; through ongoing analysis of issues and trends, challenges, and opportunities facing the region; and through stakeholder engagement. ACOA's policy function is supported by a dedicated research program, the Atlantic Policy Research Initiative (APRI), which funds region-wide research projects, and is designed to contribute to building the critical mass of public policy research capacity in Atlantic Canada.

Advocacy
ACOA's advocacy function is twofold. It aims to advance the region's interests in national policy and program development in order to ensure government initiatives are more responsive to the needs of Atlantic Canada. It also pursues regional industrial benefits from public sector procurement, particularly major Crown projects, to improve the position of Atlantic industries.

ACOA's advocacy function ensures the region's interests are understood and considered by the federal government's decision makers, and that regional stakeholders are kept well informed of government actions and opportunities that are relevant to the economic interests of Atlantic Canada.

ACOA's advocacy activity influences national decision making processes by engaging in the policy-making process with other departments. Furthermore, it advocates proactively on behalf of the region, by ensuring that the Government of Canada is informed on the issues and priorities essential to Atlantic Canada's interests.

Co-ordination
ACOA's co-ordination function engages a range of economic partners to address the economic priorities of the Atlantic region through a coherent approach to development. ACOA is mandated by its legislation to “[co-ordinate] policies and programs of the Government of Canada in relation to opportunities for economic development of Atlantic Canada.” Through working collaboratively with other departments and stakeholders, it develops horizontal strategies and initiatives that address developmental challenges and opportunities confronting economic development in the Atlantic region.

In order to achieve a co-ordinated approach, ACOA works in partnership with Atlantic provincial governments, communities, and a range of private and public sector stakeholders. Co-ordination takes place at all levels, from decision making to the day-to-day liaison at the working level. ACOA's co-ordination activity on emerging and priority issues includes work with Federal Regional Councils, the other regional development agencies, federal sector departments, Industry Canada, Human Resources and Social Development, federal-provincial tables, round tables, and expert panels.

Program by Activities

(thousands of dollars)		2007-2008 Main Estimates			2006-2007
	Budgetary			Total	Main
	Operating	Grants	Contributions		Estimates
			and other
			transfer
			payments
Fostering the development of institutions and enterprises,
with emphasis on those of small and medium size	53,063	1,000	151,800	205,863	280,958
Fostering the economic development of Atlantic
communities	20,918	1,000	78,901	100,819	42,799
Special Adjustment Measures	292	. . . . .	40,200	40,492	24,500
Infrastructure Programming	1,579	. . . . .	3,492	5,071	13,864
Policy	4,925	. . . . .	2,798	7,723	10,971
Advocacy	4,095	. . . . .	. . . . .	4,095	4,050
Co-ordination	2,266	. . . . .	. . . . .	2,266	1,832
Access to business information (Canada Business)	. . . . .	. . . . .	. . . . .	. . . . .	2,774
	87,138	2,000	277,191	366,329	381,748

Transfer Payments

(dollars)	2007-2008	2006-2007
	Main Estimates	Main Estimates
Grants
Fostering the development of institutions and enterprises, with emphasis on
those of small and medium size
Grants to non-profit organizations to promote economic cooperation and
development	1,000,000	1,000,000
Fostering the economic development of Atlantic communities
Grants to non-profit organizations to promote economic cooperation and
development	1,000,000	1,000,000
Total grants	2,000,000	2,000,000
Contributions
Fostering the development of institutions and enterprises, with emphasis on
those of small and medium size
Contributions under the Business Development Program
Regular programming	64,000,000	123,376,000
Programming under the Atlantic Investment Partnership for Trade,
Investment, Entrepreneurship and Business Skills Development	21,000,000	0
Contributions for the International Business Development Program	1,800,000	2,200,000
Contributions for the Atlantic Innovation Fund	65,000,000	65,000,000
Fostering the economic development of Atlantic communities
Contributions under the Business Development Program	24,001,000	8,248,000
Contributions under the Community Futures Program	12,600,000	12,263,000
Contribution for the Innovative Communities Fund	42,300,000	10,000,000
Special Adjustment Measures
Contribution for the Saint John Shipyard Adjustment Initiative	40,200,000	24,500,000
Infrastructure Programming
Contributions to the Atlantic provinces under the Infrastructure Canada
Program	3,492,000	13,000,000
Policy
Contributions under the Business Development Program	2,000,000	5,004,000
Contributions under the Atlantic Policy Research Initiatives	798,000	900,000
Total contributions	277,191,000	264,491,000
Items not required
Contribution for Trade, Investment, Entrepreneurship and Business
Skills Development	. . . . .	23,900,000
Total items not required	. . . . .	23,900,000
Total	279,191,000	290,391,000

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Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation

Strategic Outcome

Community economic development for Cape Breton and Mulgrave.

Program Activity Descriptions

Delivery Agent
As a Crown corporation, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC) has broad powers and a flexible mandate that make it ideally suited to provide services for the Government of Canada. The flexibility inherent in the Corporation allows it to deliver services and programs more efficiently and provides a greater range of mechanisms to achieve desired ends. ECBC is responsible for the delivery of the programs of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) on Cape Breton Island. In 1995, ECBC and ACOA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which ECBC delivers ACOA's programs for Cape Breton Island and the Mulgrave area. The MOU was renegotiated with ACOA for an additional five year term effective April 1, 2005. In November 2000, ECBC entered into an MOU with the Cape Breton Growth Fund Corporation (CBGF) to provide administrative and operational support. ECBC assigns staff to support the Board of Directors and the operations of the CBGF.

Support to Business
ECBC's objective for support to business is to grow the economy by encouraging private sector investment in projects that enhance the competitiveness of commercial enterprises and increase trade opportunities to produce long-term, sustainable jobs. Plans and priorities under this initiative include: Access to Capital, Human Resource Initiative and an E-Commerce Initiative for the Tourism Industry.

Support to Communities
The key objective for support to communities is to help communities plan and implement community development projects that have a direct link to long-term, self-sustaining economic activity. The Corporation undertakes a number of initiatives in this area including: community capacity building, festivals and events, convention and sporting events, community revitalization, and the Greater Cape Breton Partnership.

Investment
The key objective for investment is to attract new business investment to Cape Breton Island. Some of the initiatives that will be undertaken will include the production of investment-related promotional material as well as investment-attraction missions.

Advocacy
The key objective for this program activity is to advocate for Cape Breton Island interests, priorities and concerns in government decisions. The advocacy role is aimed at increasing Cape Breton Island's presence at inter- and intra-governmental meetings and is meant to advance the interests, priorities and concerns of Cape Breton Island in government project selection, decisions and actions.

Policy and Research
The key objective for policy and research is to help provide a sound basis for the Corporation's policy priorities and programs. Activities related to policy and research include research that is internally driven, research that is carried out with external partners and attendance at various seminars relating to economic development policy. Research is carried out in a number of areas including economic analysis, sector and issue analysis, and planning and performance management.

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