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Western Canada's Environmental Technologies Advantage

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"BW Technologies has derived significant benefits by being located in Alberta. Key advantages have included the ability to raise funds from established entrepreneurial investors, Alberta's favourable cost of doing business, and a well-educated work force committed to meeting any challenges." — Neil R. Campbell, Director, International Sales, BW Technologies

There are more than 2,960 environmental technology firms in Western Canada, representing almost 40 per cent of the Canadian total. With more than 56,000 people currently employed in Western Canada's environmental technology sector, the workforce is growing 60 per cent faster than that of the Canadian economy as a whole. Western Canada is well positioned to continue to generate, adapt and integrate marketable technologies, thanks to

  • a strong network of skilled engineering and technical talent nurtured in cutting-edge specialized educational programs across the region;
  • progressive commercialization incentives; and
  • a well-established resource sector.

These dynamic assets coupled with access to the burgeoning environmental solutions markets of the United States, which is estimated at $1.1 billion, and the Asia-Pacific region make Western Canada the ideal location for environmental technology investment.

Competitive Strengths

Waste and Wastewater Treatment Solutions

  • Edmonton, Alberta's Gold Bar wastewater treatment plant, which cleans 100,000 megalitres annually, is one of the more innovative facilities in North America, while Earth Tech's Swan Hills Hazardous Waste Treatment Centre is the only facility of its kind in Canada and one of the few in the world.
British Columbia has the largest concentration of fuel cell expertise in Canada. 

British Columbia has the largest concentration of fuel cell expertise in Canada.

Alternative Energy Sources

  • British Columbia has the largest concentration of fuel cell expertise in Canada. Other Western Canadian “home-grown” alternatives to fossil fuels include clean fuel technologies, small-scale hydro and biomass co-generation systems, such as a full-scale wood waste gasification system developed by Vancouver's Nexterra that will be used to heat an existing lime kiln at Weyerhaeuser's Kamloops cellulose fibre mill.

Environmental Management Excellence

  • Several Western Canadian environmental firms are world leaders in environmental and engineering services, including Saskatoon's CanGlobal Management, which has developed environmental information systems for clients in North America, Central and South America, and Central and Eastern Europe; and Stantec Consulting, which has consulted on a variety of waste treatment facility and environmental remediation projects in Canada, the United States and abroad.

Western Canada—A Hotbed for Environmental Solutions

  • Alberta: Canada's third largest environmental industry, supporting the province's resources and manufacturing industries, particularly those related to energy
  • British Columbia: established clusters in fuel cell technologies, water and wastewater and increasingly in green buildings
  • Manitoba: industry dominated by environmental research and development with significant strengths in geothermal, biofuels, transportation refuelling systems and wind energy
  • Saskatchewan: mainly focused on environmental services, such as impact studies, audits and regulations, related to energy, agriculture and mining sectors

 

Why Invest in Western Canada's Environmental Technology Industry?

Western Canada's Low-Cost Business Advantage

Canada is ranked high among the nine countries surveyed from Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region in KPMG's Competitive Alternatives, a guide to international business costs. The 2006 survey also found that the cost of doing business in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Calgary was on average at least 4 points lower than their counterparts in the United States.

Solid Research and Development Environment

Environment-related Expertise at Your Doorstep

  • Excellent university programs to support R&D efforts
  • Solid selection of skilled patent and trademark law firms
  • Growing number of research laboratories and technology testing facilities
  • Easy access to market intelligence and environmental marketing expertise
  • Range of first-class government, university and private R&D facilities

The Government of Canada continues to support and work with the environmental technology sector on several important initiatives, including regulatory regimes, fiscal incentives and demonstration projects. One such demonstration project is the Weyburn CO2 Monitoring and Storage Project in Saskatchewan. Managed by the Petroleum Technology Research Centre, the project demonstrated the economic feasibility of injecting CO2 into aging oil reservoirs for enhanced oil recovery while storing the CO2 underground instead of releasing it to the atmosphere. The Canadian Light Source synchrotron, a major research facility, at the University of Saskatchewan is another exceptional project. The facility, which officially opened in October 2004, is being used by mining companies such as Areva to assess mine tailings for identification and monitoring purposes.

Innovative Engineering Creates Burgeoning Global Opportunities

Innovation within Western Canada's engineering community has resulted in numerous companies that are focused on developing creative solutions and contributing to sound resources management across Canada and around the world.

  • Kraus Global in Winnipeg is a worldwide leader in alternative refuelling station packages for compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed hydrogen fuel. The company has over 3,000 installations around the world, including the first CNG bus stations in Mexico, a comprehensive LPG refueling infrastructure in Turkey, the world's first retail-style hydrogen dispensers for “fast fill” dispensing in Munich, and the first indoor CNG bus refueling facility in the world in London, Ontario.
  • Ground Effects Environmental Services was named Saskatchewan's Trade and Export Partnership's 2005 Exporter of the Year. The Regina-based company has developed more than 70 new products since its inception in 1998 and 96 per cent of its sales are exports to countries such as the U.S., Japan, China, Trinidad and Australia.
  • Sequoia Energy, a Canadian wind developer, recently partnered with U.S.-based Global Renewable Energy Partners to develop the $90-million St. Léon Wind Energy Farm located 150 kilometres southwest of Winnipeg. The installation is one of Canada's largest wind farms and the first independent power project in Manitoba. All of the power generated from the St. Léon turbines is sold to Manitoba Hydro under a 25-year agreement.

Technology Commercialization

"Western Canada's competitive advantage in research and development of environmental technologies means higher productivity and a rising quality of life. Canada's New Government supports technology commercialization as an essential component of our future economic prosperity." — Carol Skelton, Minister of National Revenue and Minister of Western Economic Diversification

 

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Date Modified: 2011-08-10

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