Question Period Note: Supplementary Estimates C

The 2025-26 Supplementary Estimates C includes $63.75 million in additional transfers for PrairiesCan.

• The 2025-26 Supplementary Estimates C were recently tabled.
• They provide PrairiesCan with additional transfers of $63.75 million, which brings the department’s total budgetary authorities to $435.9 million.
• This increase of $63.75 million includes:
o $13.75 million in transfers from the Department of Defence to fund specific projects through the Regional Defence Investment Initiative; and,
o $50 million in transfers from the Department of Defence for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative.
• With this funding, PrairiesCan will continue to support a strong, sustainable, and competitive Prairie economy while also making Canadians safer by increasing production and commercialization of critical medicines in Canada and contributing to our national defence priority.

• Canadian Critical Drug Initiative:
o In 2023, the Government of Canada announced an initial $80.5 million over five years for the Canadian Critical Drug Initiative (CCDI).
o The 2025-26 Supplementary Estimates C provides an additional $50 million in transfers from the Department of National Defence to support the CCDI.
o This integrated research, development, and manufacturing initiative aims to strengthen Alberta’s biomedical and life sciences sectors, while increasing the domestic production of critical medicines and the commercialization of new medicines.
o The initiative is led by Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, a not-for-profit organization, in partnership with the University of Alberta. Federal funding for the program is provided through the Regional Innovation Ecosystem program, administered by PrairiesCan.

• Regional Defence Investment Initiative:
o The Regional Defence Investment Initiative (RDII) will provide $376.2 million over three years through Canada’s Regional Development Agencies to support the integration of Canadian businesses into defence supply chains.
o The RDII focuses on building the supply chain for small and medium enterprises and regional ecosystems to support the growth of the defence sector, and is part of Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy.
o Through the RDII, PrairiesCan will help businesses in the Prairie defence sector to adopt new technologies, build capacity, become more productive, and commercialize new technologies.