Western Economic Diversification Canada
www.wd-deo.gc.ca
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Community Economic Development
Strategic Outcome
Economically viable communities in Western Canada with a high quality of life.
- Communities will thrive if they are able to respond to a changing economy and demographic realities. The risk that communities do not have the capacity to do so is a focus for WD, and the department therefore has programs and services aimed at building capacity and helping communities take advantage of diversification and development opportunities. Our priorities focus on infrastructure, investments in key trade corridors, and diversification initiatives that drive new economic opportunities.
- There are also risks to achieving economically viable communities associated with demographic trends (e.g., labour shortages) and unforeseen economic challenges (e.g., mountain pine beetle, flooding, or industry adjustments). The department will work with other public and private sector interests to help communities respond to these challenges, and focus on improved productivity, targeted supports and investments, and community adjustment initiatives.
The department provides support to communities in Western Canada in a number of ways, in each of the outcome areas. Working with our partners, including the Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs), WD helps support diversification and development initiatives that have significant impact in the West. By delivering much of the government’s strategic infrastructure programming, WD makes targeted investments that make a difference in the ability of communities to compete in the regional, national and global economy.
Program Priority:
- Rural Diversification – WD will promote rural diversification through support for projects that will increase the capacity in rural communities to undertake applied R&D and value-added processing and encourage new opportunities for skilled employment. In addition to supporting projects, the department will undertake research to identify opportunities to further diversify the rural western Canadian economy.
Other Areas of Opportunity:
- Make strategic investments in the economic and business infrastructure of the West – in partnership with public and private sectors – that support the department’s objectives of economic diversification and small business growth and competitiveness.
We will measure our success for this strategic outcome by:
- Disposable income per capita; and
- Labour productivity growth (real gross domestic product per hour worked).
