Examples of previous WEPA projects

What's been accomplished?

The current Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPAs), which allocate a total of $200 million over five years towards federal-provincial economic priorities in the four western provinces, build on previous sets of similar agreements. The following are examples of projects that have received financial support through WEPAs.

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Alberta

FP Innovations ($4.4 million)

WEPA funding is helping to increase the value derived from Alberta’s forest resources. WEPA funds enabled FP Innovations to hire Industry Advisors to compile information and identify ways to increase product value in the forestry sector. Consequently, Alberta’s forest industry will soon have a detailed roadmap identifying how to increase productivity in mills, improve product attributes and quality, support product and market diversification and foster investment. 

Energy INet CO2 Management Program ($6.0 million)

WEPA funding supported the development of the Energy INet CO2 Management Program, created to foster Alberta’s expertise in Carbon Capture and Storage. WEPA funding was used to create a network of professionals to participate in international research on carbon sequestration, monitor measurement and verification at the Penn West Enhanced Oil Recovery Site, and conduct risk-assessment research for future storage sites. This project is strengthening Alberta’s Carbon Capture and Storage sector and contributing to its expansion.

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British Columbia

Kelowna Flightcraft - Boeing 757 Aerospace Maintenance & Training Facility ($3.0 million)

WEPA funding helped establish a new $5.2-million aircraft maintenance and aerospace training facility at Kelowna International Airport to respond to demands for more skilled workers in B.C.'s growing aerospace industry.  The Kelowna Flightcraft facility is the largest airport hangar in B.C.'s interior and is large enough to service Boeing 757 and 757-700 aircrafts. Kelowna Flightcraft includes a dedicated training facility for aircraft maintenance engineering programs in avionics, which led British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) to partner with Kelowna Flightcraft to train Aircraft Maintenance Engineers in structures and avionics.

Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences Society ($2.4 million)

WEPA funding enabled British Columbia’s Centre for Aquatic Health Sciences to purchase laboratory equipment and undertake leasehold improvements, creating office and laboratory space in the Campbell River Maritime Heritage building. Funding this Centre helps position British Columbia for future growth in the seafood industry, supports improved safety and quality of BC seafood products and creates more jobs and economic benefits.

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Manitoba

Composites Innovation Centre ($8.6 million)

Since 2004, Winnipeg’s Composites Innovation Centre (CIC) has been addressing the technology needs of Manitoba’s composite sector.  The Centre provides project management, engineering consulting, and process development and testing services to develop and commercialize composite materials, products, and processes focusing on the aerospace, bio-materials, ground transportation, and civil infrastructure sectors. Project successes include the start-up of three new companies in rural Manitoba (two biomaterials, one ground transportation) and the creation of 35 new jobs directly related to the composites industry. In addition, the Centre has facilitated seven new technology transfers to Manitoba companies and trained 186 people in composite-related technology. As of January 2009 the Centre had more than 100 projects completed or in progress. 

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters’ Advanced Manufacturing Initiative ($3.0 million)

Since 2004 WEPA funding has helped support the Advanced Manufacturing Initiative (AMI) of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Manitoba Division. The initiative assists companies and trains Manitoba workers to implement lean manufacturing principles that focus on the reduction and removal of waste from manufacturing processes to increase productivity, customer satisfaction, employee morale and business success. More than 4,400 Manitoba manufacturing employees have participated in over 50,000 hours of AMI activities including Lean Training, Human Resource Development, Advanced Manufacturing and Hands-On Consulting. 

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Saskatchewan

Springboard West Innovations Inc. ($2.2 million)

Springboard is a non-profit organization that is helping to get inventions and new products created by Saskatchewan researchers and entrepreneurs to market.  Established in 2007 with the support of WEPA funding, Springboard provides one-on-one advisory services and business education seminars that help innovators move their ideas into production and market them globally.  The developers of the Regina Pipe Crawler, a robotic device that tests underground sewer pipes without shutting the system down, were one of Springboard’s first clients.

Canadian Light Source (CLS) ($8.0 million)

Synchrotron light – millions of times brighter than the sun – illuminates the microscopic nature of molecules and materials enabling scientists to develop solutions to today’s health and environmental challenges. The University of Saskatchewan’s state-of-the art Canadian Light Source (CLS) research facility is Canada’s only synchrotron.  The Canada-Saskatchewan WEPA supported the construction of this world-class facility and has also provided operational funding to support the development of beam lines for dedicated industrial and commercial applications – scientific research that is strengthening the West’s knowledge economy and solidifying its research and development sector.