Report on Plans and Priorities 2013-14

Minister's Message

As Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), I am pleased to present the department's 2013-2014 Report on Plans and Priorities.

Despite the global economic uncertainty all around us, Canada has weathered the economic storm well.  Our economic resilience reflects the actions our Government has taken to lower taxes, pay down debt, reduce red tape and promote free trade and innovation. In the year ahead, we will continue to focus on economic growth, jobs and prosperity for all Canadians.

To achieve our mandate, WD will continue to diversify the western economy by helping the West’s businesses grow and compete, through fostering innovation, opening our door to international markets, and being the strong advocate for western interests in national economic policy.  WD will do its part through support for pan-western projects promoting economic growth, creating jobs and ensuring that the western Canadian economy remains strong, innovative and competitive.

The department will build on the solid foundation of investing in strategic projects, partnerships and programs that contribute towards economic growth, jobs and prosperity for Canadians.

The Honourable Rona Ambrose, P.C., M.P.

Minister of State's Message

As Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification, I am pleased to share the 2013–2014 Report on Plans and Priorities.

Our Government’s current priority is economic growth, jobs and prosperity for all Canadians.  To meet that end, in 2013–14 WD will remain focused on the strategic delivery of programs that support commercialization, business development and foster economic growth for our communities.

The world is increasingly driven by a knowledge-based economy.  As such, innovation is a significant economic driver and WD will help create the right conditions for innovative ideas to get to market.  The department’s investments will promote growth and encourage the commercialization of new technology products, processes and services.

WD also recognizes that the key to job creation in the West is a collaborative approach with industry.  To help SMEs succeed in the global economy we will focus our investments to ensure western businesses are more productive and competitive.  In addition, WD will continue its work with industry and SMEs to ensure the West is well positioned to benefit from major federal procurement contracts.

I am proud of WD’s role in carrying out the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan by delivering the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF) across the West.  Over the next year we will support projects that are upgrading infrastructure and stimulating the local economies in communities across the West.

Moving forward, WD remains committed to working with current stakeholders and searching out new partners to improve the long-term competitiveness of the West, create jobs and help ensure the continued growth and prosperity of the western economy.

The Honourable Lynne Yelich, P.C., M.P.

Section I : Organizational Overview

Raison d'être

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) was established in 1987 and mandated to promote the development and diversification of the economy of Western Canada and to advance the interests of the West in national economic policy, program and project development and implementation.  The Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women along with the Minister of State (Western Economic Diversification) are responsible for this organization.

As the federal economic development department for Western Canada, WD develops and supports economic policies, programs and activities that promote economic growth and assist Western Canada in responding to the economic challenges and opportunities it faces.

Responsibilities

WD's mandate, which is outlined in the Western Economic Diversification Act, is to develop and diversify the western Canadian economy.  This broad mandate allows the department to implement tailored programs and initiatives to assist western Canadians create strong, competitive and innovative businesses and communities.  WD's policy and programming efforts promote economic growth and ensure the department is positioned to deliver national programs in the West.

With offices in each western province and its headquarters in Edmonton, WD provides a strong federal presence in the economic development of the West.  Its western base has enabled the department to develop an understanding of Western Canada and foster extensive partnerships with business and community organizations, research and academic institutions, as well as provincial and municipal governments.

These connections enable the department to identify and support economic opportunities in the West and to leverage its investments to benefit the western Canadian economy.  WD's strong ties to Ottawa, and the federal government across Canada, allow the department to communicate western perspectives to national economic policy and program decision-makers, working within the federal system to ensure that western interests and perspectives are considered in federal decision making.

WD programs strengthen:

• Business Development and Innovation: WD helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop and grow, create jobs, expand their markets, increase their exports and become more innovative and productive.  The department assists SMEs with international business engagement and works to attract investment to the region, as well as assist western Canadian SMEs access opportunities linked to government procurement.  Further, WD promotes the development and growth of the knowledge-based economy by building innovation capacity and supporting the commercialization of new knowledge-based products, processes and services.  Overall, the department's investments have contributed to the strengthening of Western Canada's economy and will provide the foundation for future economic diversification and growth.
• Community Economic Growth: WD helps rural communities sustain their local economies, adjust to changing economic circumstances and invest in public infrastructure.  Community Futures^{Footnote 1} (CF) receive operating funds to provide western entrepreneurs with the information, training and business loans they need to start and grow their business.
• Policy, Advocacy and Coordination: WD engages in activities that strengthen the western Canadian economy by promoting access to economic opportunities for Western Canada. Primarily, WD works to build strategic relationships with key decision makers across Canada and internationally, coordinates economic development activities, policies and programs across the West, and ensures western Canadian SMEs are positioned to compete for federal procurement contracts with industrial and regional benefit obligations.  WD pursues policies and programs that strengthen the western Canadian economy.

WD also delivers national initiatives on behalf of the Government of Canada in Western Canada. These have included the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF) to upgrade and expand western Canadian infrastructure, the Economic Development Initiative aimed at supporting businesses and economic development in western Canadian Francophone communities, as well as programs within the Economic Action Plan (EAP).  WD's flexibility and ability to implement programs such as these enables it to respond quickly to the priorities and needs of the West.

To ensure that its programs have the greatest impact on the West, the department will continue to focus on a pan-western approach in strategic areas—business productivity and growth, trade and investment, technology commercialization and advancing the interests of Western Canada.

Strategic Outcome and Program Alignment Architecture

The Program Alignment Architecture (PAA) provides an overview of how a department's programs and activities are aligned, and how their expected results are organized to contribute to achieving the department's strategic outcome.  It provides a structure which links the allocation and management of financial and non-financial resources with the results achieved.  Effective April 1, 2013, WD will implement a new, streamlined PAA, which will enable the department to improve its focus on objectives and outcomes in planning and reporting, allow it to improve the communication of results and benefits to the public, and assist it to strengthen the capacity to evaluate outcomes and results that will improve management capacity to allocate resources.

Organizational Priorities

In 2013-14, WD will focus on the five priorities described below.  These key areas of focus are at the core of the department's efforts to diversify and grow the western Canadian economy.

Why is this a priority?

• The commercialization of new technologies is important to economic growth, diversification and prosperity.  The global economy is driven increasingly by new ideas and knowledge-based industries.
• Business expenditures on research and development (BERD) - a key driver of technology commercialization - are lower in the West than the rest of Canada and much of the developed world.  According to Statistics Canada (2010), BERD in Western Canada was 0.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product, while for the rest of Canada, BERD was 1.1 percent.
• Technology commercialization is a priority for the federal and provincial governments, with initiatives such as Canada's Science and Technology Strategy, the expert panel report on the Review of Federal Support to Research and Development^{Footnote 3} and the Science, Technology and Innovation Council's report entitled State of the Nation 2010 - Canada's Science, Technology and Innovation System.^{Footnote 4}

Plans for meeting the priority

• Undertake new approaches to assist SMEs to commercialize new technology products, processes and services for domestic and international markets, with a particular focus on creating market-ready technologies.  This will ensure that the department's investments continue to support job creation and enable western businesses to be more productive and competitive in the global economy; and
• Support projects that enable and facilitate technology commercialization in emerging sectors in Western Canada.

Risk Analysis

External Environment

Over 30 percent of all Canadians now reside in Western Canada, and the western Canadian economy accounts for over one third of Canada's economic output.  Due to the size of its population and strong economic performance, western Canadian opportunities and challenges have a significant impact on national economic performance.

Economic growth in Western Canada is expected to outpace the national average in both 2012 and 2013.  Despite the positive economic outlook for 2013, Canada's economic situation will continue to be affected by the continued volatility of the global economy and its challenges.

Economic growth and prosperity in Western Canada continues to be largely resource-driven and the West has benefitted from prolonged periods of high demand and prices for commodities. Furthermore, growth has supported the creation of commodity-based industry clusters in sectors such as mining, forestry, oil, gas and agriculture.  While the West's natural resources provide a strong foundation for future economic growth, the resource-driven growth has masked a number of fundamental challenges facing Western Canada's long-term economic prospects.

Compared to Western Canada's competitors, businesses in Western Canada suffer from declining competitiveness and slow productivity growth, due in part to comparatively low levels of investment in research and development (R&D) and slower rates of adoption of new technologies and equipment, particularly outside of the major resource sectors.  This is due in part to low levels of risk capital financing observed in Western Canada.  Innovative start-up firms in the West face greater challenges in accessing sufficient financing for technology commercialization priorities; this funding gap is particularly pronounced for early-stage firms.  In 2013-14, WD will continue to invest in projects and activities that help businesses increase their productivity and competitiveness through the development, commercialization, and adoption of new technologies and business processes.

Western Canadian businesses also face the challenge of a small domestic market and increasing global competition.  Expanding trade and market opportunities for western Canadian businesses is an important component of economic prosperity.  The Government has reinforced its commitment to expanding trade and market opportunities for Canadian businesses through deeper Canada-China ties, a Canada-European Union Trade Agreement, a Canada-India Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, active and ongoing engagement in the Asia-Pacific region, and Canada in the Americas.  In order to remain competitive in a global economy, western Canadian businesses will need to increase their presence in these markets.  In addition, firms in Western Canada will need to participate in global value chains and attract foreign direct investment.  Foreign direct investment can help address gaps in risk capital in Western Canada by providing access to the financial base of parent companies, an important way to provide greater access to funding for R&D and technology commercialization.  In 2013-14, WD will continue to work with western Canadian SMEs, industry associations and research institutions to improve access to global value chains, strengthen international partnerships and encourage foreign direct investment, leading to enhanced international market access for Canadian products and services.

To pursue its strategic outcome in the West, WD works with a number of partners and stakeholders that bring tremendous strengths, resources and capacity to the economic development and diversification of Western Canada.  These partners and stakeholders include businesses, industry associations, non-profit organizations, research and academic institutions, provincial and municipal governments and other federal organizations.  The department must ensure that its programs and initiatives are aligned with and sensitive to the needs of key partners and stakeholders to maximize the department's impact on the western Canadian economy.

Internal Operating Environment

In response to government fiscal priorities with regard to strategic review, Budget 2012, and operating budget restrictions, WD has found efficiencies and will realize savings in internal services through the implementation of common business processes for information technology, finance, materiel, and human resources, centralization of finance and procurement functions, and other initiatives.  This will result in a reduction of the number of full time equivalent staff currently required to deliver these services and will generate operational savings.

WD has taken important steps to transform its grants and contributions delivery model.  Building on its investment strategy, introduced in 2012-13, the department will pursue a more aggressive outreach strategy in 2013-14.  Internally, the department is streamlining its operational approach to managing grant and contribution projects by moving to a project lifecycle model and has increased collaborative efforts with the other regional development agencies to achieve internal service and program delivery efficiencies in areas such as financial and project management systems.

In 2013-14, WD is transitioning to a more simplified PAA and PMF that will alter the way WD categorizes and describes its investments and activities, facilitate better communication of benefits to Canadians, and ensure greater ability to evaluate outcomes and allocate resources.  This change will also require the establishment of new performance indicators and targets in 2013-14 for WD's updated programs.

Corporate Management of Risk

As part of its risk management approach, WD integrates risk information into its key decision-making and planning activities.  To help facilitate this integration, the department updates its corporate risk profile annually to reflect its external and internal operating environment.  Key risks and mitigation strategies are assessed to determine the residual risk that could affect the achievement of the department's strategic outcome.  Specific risks for 2013-14 are rooted in the department's efforts to manage and transform the department during government-wide restraint.

Planning Summary

Financial Resources

WD invests its core resources in the following activities to support the development and diversification of the western Canadian economy:

• Administering G&C programs authorities^{Footnote 8} that advance business development and innovation, and community economic growth throughout the western provinces;
• Strengthen the impact and accountability of the WCBSN to promote economic growth activities across Western Canada;
• Advancing western interests in the development and implementation of national economic policies, programs and projects by advocating for Western Canada on important economic matters; and
• Undertaking and supporting research, consultations and other activities to improve understanding of the western Canadian economy.

WD's planned spending for 2013-14 is $180.2 million.

Human Resources

The commitment and expertise of WD's staff enables the department to deliver results to western Canadians.  With offices in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Ottawa, WD has staff with extensive local knowledge and connections with key stakeholders in Western Canada.  WD also maintains the presence and capacity needed to advance western interests in national economic decision making.

The following table provides a summary of the total planned human resources for WD over the next three fiscal years.

Expenditure Profile

WD's planned spending is $180.2 million in 2013-2014, compared to 2012-2013 forecasted spending of $196.7 million.  The $16.5 million decrease is a result of a number of normal business practices and procedures, including the conclusion of funding for certain programs and initiatives.

Completion of programs:

• $4.5 million decrease due to the sun-setting of funding to support the Rick Hansen Foundation for the operations of the 25^th Anniversary Campaign of the Man in Motion World Tour and the operations of the Spinal Cord Injury Solutions Network.

Normal cash flow variations from 2012-2013:

• $0.8 million increase due to the completion of a transfer agreement with Foreign Affairs and International Trade for funding to support the North American Platform Program;
• $0.3 million increase related to the transfer of funds to Infrastructure Canada for the Royal Alberta Museum;
• $0.3 million increase related to the transfer of funds from Treasury Board Secretariat for collective bargaining;
• $6.0 million decrease for Budget 2012 reductions related to the Deficit Reduction Action Plan and Strategic Review;
• $6.5 million decrease from what was available in 2012-2013, including an operating budget carry forward, WD's revenue collections, and eligible pay-list expenses reimbursed through Treasury Board Vote 30;
• $0.8 million decrease due to the completion of a transfer agreement with Industry Canada for funding to support the Economic Development Initiative: 2008-2013 Federal Strategy for Official Languages; and
• $0.1 million decrease in operating funding for delivery of infrastructure programming.

The department's planned spending is at the same level for the following two fiscal years, specifically $150.2 million for 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.

The decrease of $30.0 million in funding available in 2013-2014 compared to 2014-2015 relates primarily to the conclusion of the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund ($23.1 million), and a further decrease in funds as a result of the Deficit Reduction Action Plan ($6.9 million).

Estimates by Vote

For information on WD's organizational appropriations, please see the 2013-14 Main Estimates publication.

Contribution to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) outlines the Government of Canada's commitment to improving the transparency of environmental decision-making by articulating its key strategic environmental goals and targets.  The government will be consulting the public in 2013-14 regarding the second three-year cycle of the FSDS (2013-16).  The 2013-16 FSDS will be finalized in 2013-14.  It will be presented as part of year end performance reporting for 2013-14.

WD ensures that consideration of these outcomes is an integral part of its decision-making processes.  In particular, through the federal Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process, any new policy, plan, or program initiative includes an analysis of its impact on attaining the FSDS goals and targets.  The results of SEAs are made public when an initiative is announced, demonstrating the department's commitment to achieving the FSDS goals and targets.

WD contributes to Themes I - Addressing Climate Change and Air Quality; II - Maintaining Water Quality and Availability; IV - Shrinking the Environmental Footprint - Beginning with Government as denoted by the visual identifiers below.

WD contributes to Themes I: Addressing Climate Change and Air Quality; II: Maintaining Water Quality and Availability; and IV: Shrinking the Environmental Footprint - Beginning with Government, as denoted by the visual identifiers below.

These contributions are components of the following programs and are further explained in Section II:

• Program 1: Business Development and Innovation;
• Program 4: Internal Services;

For additional details on WD's activities to support sustainable development please see Section II of this RPP and WD's Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2011-14.  For complete details on the Strategy, please see the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy website.

Section II : Analysis of Programs by Strategic Outcome

Strategic Outcome: A growing and diversified western Canadian economy

Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) works to diversify and grow the western Canadian economy, helping to build businesses that are innovative and competitive globally, while diversifying the base of the western Canadian economy beyond primary resource industries.

WD's strategic outcome is advanced through the following programs:

• Business Development and Innovation: Western Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are engaged in international business, competitive and innovative;
• Community Economic Growth: Western Canadian communities have strong businesses, the capacity for socio-economic development and the necessary public infrastructure to support economic growth;
• Policy, Advocacy and Coordination: Policies and programs that strengthen the western Canadian economy; and
• Internal Services: Effective and efficient support for advancing the department's strategic outcome.

Program: Business Development and Innovation

Program Description

Business Development and Innovation supports western Canadian businesses, industry, and research organizations to enhance business innovation, productivity, and global engagement.   Value added production is strengthened through the introduction of new products, technologies, or innovations to existing processes, as well as through efforts to pursue global markets and increase investment in Western Canada.  Additionally, this program supports some members of the Western Canada Business Service Network and related partners to provide business services and access to capital in Western Canada in support of increased entrepreneurism.  Transfer payments in support of this program are made under the authority of the Women's Enterprise Initiative and the Western Diversification Program.  Funding support of the Canada Business Network is comprised of operations and maintenance funding.

The targets for the above performance indicators are being introduced by WD for the first time in 2013–14.  Historically, projects require greater than one year to realize expected results.  As a consequence, although the department will be investing in Business Development and Innovation activities during the fiscal year 2013–14, the targets for those projects are set at zero anticipating that it will take some time for these activities to realize results at the program level.  Nevertheless, WD will continue to report results against performance indicators from the previous Performance Measurement Framework in its 2013–14 Departmental Performance Report, such as the number of companies participating in export and market development initiatives, the number of spin-off companies formed and an increase in sales as a result of business productivity activities.

Planning Highlights    

In accordance with the department's investment strategy, WD plans to undertake the following business development and innovation activities in 2013–14:

• Support market-driven technology commercialization to address funding gaps that exist in later stages of the commercialization process, including undertaking new approaches to assist innovative western Canadian SMEs in commercializing new technology products, processes and services;
• Strengthen SME engagement in international markets and global value chains, including attracting foreign investment into Western Canada;
• Support targeted initiatives to improve business productivity and growth and enhance access to skilled labour in Western Canada;
• Provide operating funding for the Western Canada Business Service Network to assist western SMEs; and
• Invest in knowledge infrastructure and applied research and development, innovation linkages, as well as initiatives that enhance highly qualified personnel.

Program: Community Economic Growth

Program Description

Community Economic Growth involves economic development initiatives that support communities to advance their economies, adjust to changing and challenging economic circumstances, and recover from depressed economic circumstances.  This is achieved through both direct funding of projects, as well as operating support of the Community Futures (CF) organizations.  Additionally, this program assists communities to assess community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and potential for new economic activity, and to develop and implement community plans.  Transfer payments in support of this program are made under the authority of the Western Diversification Program and the Community Futures Program.

The Community Futures Program will contribute to realizing the first two Community Economic Growth program result, listed above.  The target associated with the first indicator – SME sales growth – is based on a trend analysis of data obtained through Statistics Canada illustrating how CF organizations have historically performed.

The target for the second indicator - the number of communities benefitting from Community Economic Growth projects - is based on a forecast of the number of community-based projects led by CF organizations and Francophone Economic Development Organizations (FEDOs), which will be completed during 2013–14 and the communities they will impact.  In addition, this target incorporates Community Development projects led by organizations other than FEDOs.

The target for the third Community Economic Growth performance indicator – number of communities benefiting from federal public infrastructure investments – is based on anticipated results to be achieved through Infrastructure Programming.  Starting in 2012–13, WD delivered the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund (CIIF) to support the rehabilitation and improvement of existing community infrastructure facilities; the department will continue delivery of this program in 2013–14.  When each of these projects is successfully completed, the number of communities benefitting from the public infrastructure investment will be captured.

Planning Highlights

• Strengthen the impact and accountability of CFs to promote economic growth activities in their communities;
• Invest in community economic growth projects that generate concrete economic results;
• Deliver national programs across the West on behalf of the Government of Canada;
• Work with clients to maximize the impact and results of investments under CIIF; and
• Renew funding for the Economic Development Initiative to continue funding projects that support business and economic development that encourages sustainable growth in Western Canada's Francophone communities.

Program: Policy, Advocacy and Coordination

Program Description

Policy, Advocacy, and Coordination arises from the Western Economic Diversification Act and empowers the Minister to advance the interests of Western Canada through policies and programs and by establishing cooperative relationships with key stakeholders.  Policy, Advocacy and Coordination efforts enable WD to: provide a strong voice for Western Canada, which results in effective strategies, policies, and programs that address economic development needs; lead federal and intergovernmental collaboration to pursue key opportunities for long term growth and diversification in areas of federal or shared federal provincial jurisdiction; and, enable economic analysis activities to be carried out, which ultimately assist with informing policy and program decisions.  Transfer payments in support of this program are made under the authority of the Western Diversification Program.

One of the ways in which WD measures success associated with its Policy, Advocacy and Coordination efforts is through surveys of stakeholders, which are conducted at the end of the five-year program evaluation cycle as well as at mid-term of this cycle.  Since this program was last evaluated for the five-year period ending 2010–11, a mid-term stakeholder survey will be conducted during 2013–14.  Stakeholders will be asked their opinion regarding how well the department is doing with respect to influencing policies and programs that strengthen the western Canadian economy.  The target of 90 percent of stakeholders who agree or strongly agree that WD is performing well in these two areas is based upon the baseline established by the 2010–11 evaluation.  As these two indicators are being retained in the department's new Performance Measurement Framework that is being implemented in 2013–14, WD's past performance against these indicators is relevant.

Planning Highlights

• Promote western interests to key decision-makers in the development of national policies and strategies;
• Build relationships with key stakeholders in western provinces and other federal organizations by proactively engaging potential partners, sharing information and collaborating on initiatives of interest to Western Canada;
• Work collaboratively with key stakeholders in pursuit of long-term economic growth and diversification of Western Canada's defence-related industries; and
• Support policy analysis to enhance understanding of western Canadian economic issues, challenges, opportunities and priorities in order to identify areas for departmental action.

Program: Internal Services

Program Description

The Internal Services program supports all strategic outcomes and is common across government.  Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization.  These groups are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; Acquisition Services; and Travel and Other Administrative Services.  Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

Planning Highlights

• Implement labour force reductions and business re-engineering processes;
• Centralize the provision of accounting and procurement services in the department;
• Implement technological improvements to modernize the way in which WD delivers programs to Canadians;
• Implement strategic partnership and formalize processes with Shared Services Canada; and
• Reduce travel and travel spending as the department employs greater use of technology to conduct its business.

WD is a participant in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) and contributes to the Greening Government Operations targets through the internal services program activity.  The department contributes to the following target areas of Theme IV of the FSDS:

• Surplus Electronic and Electrical Equipment;
• Printing Unit Reduction;
• Paper Consumption;
• Green Meetings; and
• Green Procurement.

For additional details on WD's Greening Government Operations activities, please see section 3.3 – List of Supplementary Information Tables.

Section III : Supplementary Information

Financial Highlights

Future-Oriented Financial Statements

The future-oriented financial highlights presented in the table above serve as a general overview of WD's financial operations.  For the complete set of future-oriented financial statements, visit WD's website.^{Footnote 12}

List of Supplementary Information Tables

All electronic supplementary information tables^{Footnote 13} listed in the 2013–14 Reports on Plans and Priorities can be found on WD's website.

• Details on Transfer Payment Programs;
• Greening Government Operations;
• Horizontal Initiatives;
• Sources of Respendable and Non-Respendable Revenue;
• Up-Front Multi-Year Funding; and
• Upcoming Internal Audits and Evaluations over the next three fiscal years.

Tax Expenditures and Evaluations Report

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits.  The Department of Finance publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures annually in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations publication.  The tax measures presented in the Tax Expenditures and Evaluations ^{Footnote 14} publication are the sole responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Section IV: Other Items of Interest

Organizational Contact Information

WD's contact details are as follows:

E-mail Address: info@wd-deo.gc.ca
Mailing Address: Suite 1500, 9700 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4H7
Telephone: 780-495-4164
Toll Free: 1-888-338-9378
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-877-303-3388
Fax: 780-495-4557
Website: www.wd-deo.gc.ca/eng/home.asp

Additional Information

Section 41, Official Languages Act

In 2013–14, WD will continue to work with other federal organizations to renew the Economic Development Initiative^{Footnote 15} as part of the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2013–2018.^{Footnote 16}  The department undertakes measures through a Results-Based Action Plan for the Implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act to enhance the vitality of western Canadian Francophone Official Language Minority Communities, support and assist them in their development and foster the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.

Strategic Planning Framework

The Strategic Planning Framework on the following page depicts the logical relationship between WD's strategic outcome and its programs.  The Framework also demonstrates how the department's 2013–14 priorities contribute to achieving its strategic outcome and how WD contributes to Government of Canada outcome areas.

Text version of Strategic Planning Framework 2013-14