Question Period Note: The Prairies Economic Development Canada Accomplishments

The Prairies Economic Development Canada Accomplishments

•The Prairies are an economic and energy powerhouse that contribute to the economic growth of Canada.

•In the 2023-24 Supplementary Estimates (B), the department’s total budgetary authorities will be $412.2 million. This is a net increase of $38.9 million through Supplementary Estimates (B).

•PrairiesCan continues to support the Prairie economy through targeted investments to grow prairie sectors such as: natural resources, agriculture, manufacturing, and innovation.

•PrairiesCan continues to advance community economic development and regional prosperity through eleven (11) service locations across the Prairies.

If pressed on targeted investments:
•Since 2015, PrairiesCan has invested $1.95B in over 6,300 businesses, organizations, and entities. This includes providing critical support through the Regional Economic Growth through Innovation (REGI) program to support regional ecosystems and assist scaling firms and innovation-focused projects driven by SMEs.
•Since 2015, PrairiesCan funding (including pandemic relief programming) has contributed to creating and maintaining over 150,000 jobs.
•Specifically, since 2019, REGI has resulted in over 30,000 jobs created, just over 36,000 SMEs assisted, over $3.9B in business revenue growth, and over $1.2B in exports across the Prairies.

Manitoba Examples:
• Since March 2023 PrairiesCan announced $26.6M to support 23 projects in Manitoba.
• This includes:
o $3.5M Strategic Partnerships Initiative project, to support the Manitoba Indigenous Critical Minerals Partnerships Initiative (MICMPI). This initiative provides funding to communities to facilitate economic partnerships and business development opportunities relating to critical minerals.
o $3.0M towards a new Price Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechatronics campus at Red River College Polytechnic.
o $4.98M for Métis Economic and Community Development that provide business advisory services, for Red River Métis entrepreneurs and communities.

Saskatchewan Examples
• Since March 2023, PrairiesCan has announced over $28M for 56 projects in Saskatchewan.
• This includes:
o $1M for Saskatchewan Polytechnic to establish an Alternative Energy and Sustainable Resource Management Laboratory in Moose Jaw.
o $1M for Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies to expand aerospace workforce training in Saskatchewan.
o $3M for Protein Powdered Farms to complete a plant-based fiber processing and extrusion line.

Alberta Example
• Since March 2023, PrairiesCan has announced more than $136.3M to support 60 projects in Alberta.
• For example, earlier this year PrairiesCan provided:
o $9.74M to support over 1,600 jobs in Alberta’s hydrogen sector.
o $3.7M to strengthen the regional hydrogen supply chain.
o $3M to showcase the benefits of hydrogen in heavy vehicles.
o $3M to upgrade a testing facility for hydrogen fuel infrastructure, equipment, and technologies.
o $80.5M to the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative to strengthen Alberta’s biomedical sector, increase domestic production of critical medicines, and create over 350 high quality jobs.