What We Heard | Public Engagement on a Western Canada Growth Strategy

British Columbia

Executive summary

This report captures the main themes that were discussed during BC Region's Western Canada Growth Strategy roundtables. These themes are based on multiple notetakers' data, and are grouped according to the five questions which guided the roundtables. Although the roundtables covered a variety of topics, the issues that resonated the most with participants included the following:

• Measuring economic success
• Innovation (opportunities in agriculture, precision health, and the film industry).
• Skills, training and talent attraction/retention.
• Connectivity as an enabler of growth in Indigenous communities.
• Women and Indigenous Peoples on corporate boards.
• The importance of developing regional solutions.
• Capitalizing on the northern trade corridor.
• The role of Goverment of Canada as convenor.

Recommendations/suggestions for action

Roundtable participants raised a number of recommendations and suggestions for action, which align with the main themes outlined above:

• Need to look at our definition of economic success and ensure that it goes beyond thetraditional measure of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It should consider environmental and social elements, as well as inclusiveness.
• The film industry should focus on developing intellectual property (IP) in order to remain competitive globally.
• Need to implement a program to encourage entrepreneurial spirit, reduce financial burdens to innovation, and remove some of the inherent risk of entrepreneurism.
• Entrepreneurs in BC need to be outward facing and consider exporting.
• Need mechanisms to help companies build/support capacity of senior level management once a firm transitions from a medium to large size.
• Ensure we have the best infrastructure (particularly connectivity) in Indigenous communities, as this is an enabler of growth. You can't build innovative world-class companies without this.
• Continued support for childcare would improve economic participation of underrepresented groups.
• If we're looking for movement on women and Indigenous issues, we need more representation on corporate boards.
• The government should put incentives in place to develop a regional solution to economic development.
• Indigenous Peoples need better access to training and jobs in the context of resource extraction projects.
• Need more collaboration and co-development between Indigenous Peoples, government, and industry.
• The federal government can play a convenor role year after year on key issues.
• Government needs to create the environment to allow young people to stay in smaller centres.

Question #1: What does a stronger western Canadian economy look like 10 years from now?

Theme #1: Measuring economic success

• Economic success indicators: In one of the BC roundtables, there was considerable discussion about how to define economic success indicators. Participants felt that when we look at economic growth and success, we needed to look at our definition and ensure that it goes beyond the traditional measure of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). They felt that this definition should consider environmental and social elements, as well as inclusiveness.
• Examples of well-being measures: There was some discussion about current approaches to measuring well-being. One example was how the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) uses well-being measures that are comparable across countries, but doesn't take into account the richness of sectors or regions. Another example is the BC Government's Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), which is in its early days. The GPI looks at economic, social and environmental progress, and the focus is on how these three agendas move together concurrently.

Theme #2: Innovation

• The need to commercialize innovation in Western Canada: There was discussion about how we do phenomenal work on research and development in universities, but then we are slow to commercialize our innovations. Unless we make things here, we will be buying other peoples' innovations. This is a guiding theme across sectors in Western Canada: you're either a buyer or a seller (and exporter). The more energy we can put towards commercializing our innovations, the better.
• Opportunities in agricultural innovation: Agricultural innovation opportunities will become increasingly viable due to climate change, and could be a game changing sector in the future (e.g. opportunities with legal cannabis). Clean tech in agriculture will be the same model as with coal or lumber - innovative technologies increase efficiencies. The key to advancing this sector will be to find businesses who are able to accelerate these opportunities. We need to engage young people and Indigenous communities, as they are well equipped to participate in and pioneer this.
• Opportunities in precision health: There was considerable discussion in two of the roundtables about the significant opportunities in precision health. Participants noted that it could and should change our health care, but it's not being implemented. Part of the reason for this is we don't have incentives to adopt precision health in the Canadian system, but in the United States, insurance companies have huge incentives to do so. There are opportunities to develop precision health in BC, but in order to move forward, we have to stop seeing health as a cost centre and instead as an economic driver.
• Opportunities in the film industry: In one of the roundtables, there was discussion about how the film industry should focus on developing intellectual property (IP) in order to remain competitive globally. The film industry is successful in BC, but the majority of the work is service work, and the IP isn't owned here. We have the skills and talent to produce world-class content, which could be exported globally. We need to consider this as the global market increases, as IP investment opportunities could disappear in the next 10 years.

Theme #3: Skills, training and talent attraction/retention

• Challenges re: skills and training: It was noted that in some sectors in the North, little to no training is done locally, resulting in people leaving their communities to find work and businesses hiring foreign workers. Another challenge in the North is that high wages for general labour creates a disincentive for people to pursue a post-secondary education.
• Challenges re: talent attraction/retention: This was discussed in each of the roundtables. Participants noted the challenge of attracting talent in Metro Vancouver given the high cost of housing. One potential solution could be to examine our transit system and think about Metro Vancouver as one large region rather than 21 sub-regions. Participants were also curious about whether there was a strategy to retain people in their communities once large projects such as LNG were constructed.
• Indigenous intern leadership program: One participant mentioned a good example of how to retain young Indigenous graduates in their communities. Vancouver Island University has launched an Indigenous intern leadership program, under which companies hire Indigenous graduates into roles in the community.

Theme #4: Developing regional solutions/capitalizing on the northern trade corridor

• The problem with developing Vancouver-centric solutions: A lot of effort is going into solving the housing and affordability problems in Vancouver, which creates problems in other areas of BC, including smaller rural cities. It keeps people in Vancouver and draws people away from BC's smaller communities. There was strong consensus on this point.
• Capitalizing on northern trade corridors: During the roundtable in Prince George, there was considerable discussion about taking advantage of how their road and rail networks tie to the port. Participants commented that with their inland ports and expanding rail lines in the North, it is significantly more efficient than using southern ports to reach Asian markets.

Question #2: What are the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada?

Theme #1: Difficulty in spurring new growth here

• Challenges with building businesses in BC: Participants commented that it is difficult to build a business in BC. One roundtable participant (an entrepreneur) tells young entrepreneurs to not think about starting a business here because we're not set up as an economy to be big risk-takers (they are encouraged to find early adopters in the US instead). Participants also mentioned that we don't have a competitive cost structure for businesses, resulting in losing firms to other jurisdictions.
• Cost of living in Metro Vancouver: People want to raise their kids in Metro Vancouver but they're struggling. It is difficult to attract employees and managers because as soon as they see the cost of living (e.g. housing, food, taxes), they don't want to work here.

Theme #2: Need to build incentives and promote innovation

• Lack of incentives to innovate: Current incentive models aren't inducing innovation. The innovation adoption rate in Canada is low because wage growth and taxes are low, making it unnecessary to undertake expensive innovations.
• Need to promote innovation: We need to incent people to come here and take risks through removing barriers to innovation.

Theme #3: Connectivity as a tool to attract talent

• Capitalizing on connectivity in smaller regions: There was discussion about how smaller regions could act as remote hubs for Metro Vancouver, which would allow firms to hire from outside. One example is in Rossland, where there is a large number of coders and developers who come into Vancouver only when needed. If we have connectivity and a huge talent pool, this becomes a compelling case for the tech sector to open offices in other places in BC.

Theme #4: Market development

• Need to change mindsets re: market development: Participants discussed how one way to spur growth might entail recognizing regional and domestic opportunities before focusing on international exports. They also noted that entrepreneurs in BC need to be outward facing and consider exporting – such in the case of Israel, which has a mindset of innovation and exporting. Prince George roundtable participants mentioned that rural areas don't have the population density to support entrepreneurs, resulting in the need to export in order to be sustainable.

Theme #5: Supporting SME scale up

• Challenges in transitioning from medium to large companies: Participants noted that we do little to help companies make the final step to grow from medium size to large, but we do a lot for large international companies. One example is Amazon's decision of where to locate its second headquarters location – governments submitted applications highlighting incentives that they would offer if Amazon decided to locate there, but this doesn't happen for SME's.
• Helping SMEs develop management capacity once they become large companies: There was discussion about how there need to be mechanisms and programs to help companies train/change senior level management once the firm becomes large. Currently, once a start-up reaches a certain point, many CEOs can no longer be at the top of the company because they don't have the skillset to run such large enterprises. At this point, many companies choose to sell their businesses to larger players and exit. One solution to this problem is RevUp, a new program under which the CEO becomes the visionary and others are brought in to take over management roles.

Question #3: What will help the Indigenous economy continue to grow?

Theme #1: Issue with WCGS question

• We should stay away from using the current wording on question #3. This is the wrong question. Indigenous communities want to write their own plan.

Theme #2: Defining "success"

• Different versions of "success": One Indigenous participant noted that everyone wants to have purpose and hope, and this looks different to different communities. We should not impost western definitions of success on Indigenous communities. There is a significant difference in goals, and priorities will differ among Indigenous communities. It would be helpful if projects were local, and Indigenous communities were asked how they would like to be involved in the big picture. Participants noted that it would be helpful to engage with the younger generation when defining success, given that they will be living this.

Theme #3: Connectivity as an enabler of growth in Indigenous communities

• Infrastructure as an enabler of growth: We need to ensure we have the best infrastructure (transportation, connectivity, health care, etc.) as this is an enabler of growth. You can't build innovative world-class companies without this.
• Affordability of connectivity: We need to have a conversation about the affordability of connectivity in Indigenous communities. Connectivity costs at least $9-million per year in Indigenous communities, but the government doesn't cover this cost. This is unfortunate because connectivity has impacts on economic growth in these communities.

Theme #4: Changes to the Indian Act

• Challenges with the current Indian Act: Regulations around the Indian Act are problematic, as they do not allow mobility, ownership, or entrepreneurship. Expecting innovation and economic growth in this sort of system is not possible, and changes to the Indian Act will be a step in helping to resolve this.

Theme #5: Representation on corporate boards

• Increased representation on boards as a driver of change: Participants commented that if we're looking for movement on Indigenous issues, we need more representation on boards. One Indigenous member is not enough, as it is "token" and places too much of a burden on that one person. The corporate world is a closed environment, and learning about the system and its influencers is a long process. We are losing young Indigenous women as board members because they don't want to have to educate people on Indigenous issues (this is a large responsibility that typically falls on one woman).

Question #4: How can we improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups, including women, youth, and new immigrants?

Theme #1: Ideas to improve economic participation of underrepresented groups

• Childcare: There is a need for continued support re: childcare, in order to improve economic participation. We need to solve this problem particularly in the tech community.

Theme #2: Investing in youth

• Timing: Participants weren't sure that we were investing in young people as much as we should, as early as possible. Educators say that you have to reach young people by the time they're in grade 10. Grade 12 is too late.

Theme #3: Women on corporate boards

• Challenges that women face: When women achieve the highest C-suite positions, they don't enjoy the shareholder support that men have. This means that women need a lot of strength to stay in their position, and they are constantly fighting to stay in their roles and positions of power. Therefore, there is a need to focus on retention and not just placement.
• Quotas: Until we see more women on corporate boards, we need to use models such as quotas. This is something to aspire to. Including women on boards has shown to improve a company's bottom line.

Theme #4: Acknowledging the impact of extracting resources from Indigenous territories and ensuring equitable opportunity and impact

• Ideas to improve equal opportunities: When resources are extracted from Indigenous lands, Indigenous Peoples need to gain access to the jobs and wealth that are created by resource projects. Indigenous Peoples also need to have equal opportunities for training and education.
• Access to drivers licenses: Increasing access to drivers licences would improve Indigenous Peoples' prospects of employment on resource projects. This access would also provide a mechanism for Indigenous women to leave an unsafe home.

Theme #5: Collaboration and co-development of ideas

• Collaboration: There needs to be more collaboration between Indigenous Peoples, government, and industry. This will give a sense of ownership to Indigenous Peoples. Having a model that specifically does this will encourage equal participation and opportunity.
• Co-developing ideas: Coming to Indigenous Peoples with projects and asking if they are in agreement doesn't work. Rather, coming to them with opportunities for ownership does (e.g. using a Nation-to-Nation approach). This requires more work but it is necessary.

Question #5: How can governments, industry, and western Canadians work together to grow the regional economy?

Theme #1: Government of Canada as convenor

• Convening role: This theme came up in two of the roundtables. The Government of Canada can play a convenor role year after year on key issues (eg. economy, health care). One participant appreciated the role that WD plays in consultations. Participants noted that we should find fora to develop initiatives together (federal/provincial/municipal governments, together with industry leaders) on a regular basis, for an ongoing dialogue. Canadians are good at collaborating, cooperating and listening, and we need to capitalize on this.

Theme #2: The productivity storyline

• Communicating the productivity storyline effectively: Although the province is doing well economically, GDP growth is starting to show decline. It is incumbent upon public servants and businesses to tell a story that resonates with the public. This productivity storyline needs to be more real for politicians. We need to talk to politicians in terms of "standard of living growth" instead.

Theme #3: Commitment to a regional solution

• Need incentives to develop a regional solution: This theme resonated during the Prince George roundtable. Participants commented that the government should put incentives in place that demonstrate a commitment to a regional solution, and encourage project proponents to ensure that their projects are benefiting the regions that they are working in.

Theme #4: Retaining graduates in the community

• Challenge with retaining graduates in smaller communities: There is a gap in the system after students complete post-secondary education, in that there isn't much incentive to stay in smaller communities. Participants emphasized this unique situation in northern and rural environments. Potential solutions could be to attract companies and satellite offices to smaller communities, or develop co-op opportunities there. Participants noted that the government needs to create the environment to allow young people to stay in smaller centres.

Theme #5: Promoting trade corridors

• Promoting trade corridors: Participants noted that this is very important for getting Canadian products to market and promoting the Canadian brand globally.
• Trade and Export Promotion: Government support to SMEs to attract foreign investment and expand trade networks.

Alberta

Executive summary

In fall 2018, the federal government undertook engagement sessions across Western Canada to support the development of a Western Canada Growth Strategy. The What We Heard – Alberta Roundtable report brings together the comments and thoughts from roundtables that took place within Alberta. The following represents our efforts to summarize the diverse input of provincial stakeholders, including industry, academia, not-for-profits, Indigenous communities and organizations, and different areas of government.

Question #1: What does a stronger western Canadian economy look like 10 years from now?

Diversification

Alberta roundtable participants highlighted the importance of economic diversification in order to reduce the volatility of commodity-based boom and bust cycles. A common thread among participants was the need to build on our existing natural resource strengths, engage in value-added opportunities that will help to create stable growth, and to reduce our reliance on commodity price-taking. Additionally, attendees noted the need to invest in areas outside of our traditional strengths, including high-tech sectors like artificial intelligence, cyber security, and robotics, which will continue to add value to traditional industries. Other areas of potential diversification mentioned include: agri-food; clean technology; life sciences and healthcare; and tourism.

There was a strong message that diversification needs to be grounded in a recognition of the economic contribution that Alberta's oil and gas sector makes to the province and the country. Participants commented that resources are the engine of economic growth in Western Canada, but that they are also a driver for diversification. We can leverage existing resources in order to meet future global energy demand while transitioning to a lower carbon future. It was emphasized that this can only be achieved if Alberta's resources are able to reach international markets. Similarly, market diversification is critical to ensuring that Western Canada is not reliant on the United States, and that Alberta companies are integrated into global supply chains.

Indigenous participants emphasized the need for Indigenous communities and government to work together in partnership to build fully self-sustaining communities with less reliance on government programming. Some Indigenous roundtable participants stressed the importance of directing natural resources activity, including the development of revenue-sharing agreements that will support economic opportunities. Participants suggested that the designation process for land use under the Indian Act is a barrier to economic development. In addition, the need to integrate renewable energy projects into Indigenous community economic development plans, and for communities to take advantage of agriculture value-added opportunities, was also voiced by Indigenous roundtable attendees.

Innovation: According to roundtable participants, creating a more diverse economy requires shifting towards a knowledge-based economy centered on innovation. This shift requires investments in the development of smart technologies, as well as greater adoption of technologies. It also requires us to tap into the pure and applied research potential of our post-secondary institutions, to turn our inventive capacity into economic value. We need to develop an innovative culture based on continuous learning and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Provide government support for value-added processing activities related to energy and agriculture.

Infrastructure

As a large region with a small population, roundtable attendees told us that a stronger western Canadian economy requires sufficient and efficient infrastructure. Transportation infrastructure enables stronger supply chains, making it easier for us to move goods and people in and out of the province. Digital infrastructure is a particular area of concern for participants, who pointed to broadband infrastructure gaps that disadvantage rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. This lack of infrastructure limits potential economic growth and options for innovation.

Participants noted that Indigenous communities are underserved by transportation and digital infrastructure, but also by basic infrastructure such as housing, water, and sewer services. Indigenous attendees also voiced that their communities need better infrastructure to encourage a healthy livelihood, business opportunities, and to create jobs. It was suggested that improved infrastructure would also motivate young individuals to stay within their communities after completing their post-secondary studies, thereby supporting the community to become autonomous and self-sustaining.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Mandate shared access to broadband infrastructure.
• Update Canada's aging infrastructure.
• Focus on infrastructure needs of rural, remote, and Indigenous communities.

Education and skills

Roundtable participants view a stronger western economy as one that is prepared for the future, with a workforce that is more inclusive, flexible, and highly skilled. Including underrepresented participants (women, Indigenous Peoples, and immigrants) in the workforce will allow us to take advantage of untapped labour market potential. We need to be flexible in our ability to quickly retrain and redeploy people into knowledge-based industries. Alongside, participants noted that better labour force data will allow us to anticipate future talent needs and ensure alignment between skills demand and supply. All of this is underpinned by an education system that prepares students for the future economy.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Have companies, economic development groups, and government provide tours to schools across the province to increase awareness of economic and career opportunities.
• Launch a campaign similar to 'Canada Heritage Moments' on future career opportunities.
• Expand work-integrated learning programs.

Summary

Roundtable attendees see a stronger western economy as one that is diverse, resilient, and knowledge-based. In 10 years, a stronger economy will have the necessary infrastructure to support the growth of the future, including market access, as well as the education and skills that the future economy will require. Innovation will be the underlying foundation of our economy, and governments, educational institutions, and industry will be aligned in their efforts to support business growth and development. Discussions on this topic featured both excitement and energy around the enormous potential that Alberta holds, coupled with some anxiety around making sure that we move quickly enough to avoid being left behind by a future that is rapidly evolving.

Question #2: What are the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada?

Business Support

According to roundtable participants, spurring new growth will require adequate government support to provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed. Companies require access to capital in order to support their scale-up and technology commercialization, particularly those with a high-growth orientation. Businesses need funding to support training, marketing and business development. They also need access to advice and mentorship. Efforts should be made to ensure that the same services and funding are available in small, rural, and Indigenous communities. We also need to encourage Alberta companies to think beyond local markets and pursue growth opportunities internationally, recognizing that Alberta has products that the rest of the world wants.

While many good funding supports do exist, participants perceive that they are often too complicated and costly to pursue. In particular, slow government assessment processes are a disincentive. Additionally, companies have difficulty navigating the vast array of programs that exist across multiple levels of government.

Participants emphasized that government procurement is a powerful tool that can provide opportunities for local and Indigenous businesses, but many companies report excessive difficulty in acquiring government contracts. Roundtable attendees are also concerned about creating a competitive tax environment and a regulatory system that is efficient, fair, and competitive on an international level. There is a risk that we are over-regulating, which is hindering innovation and restricting growth.

Roundtable attendees voiced that capacity building is critical in helping Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs to enhance skill sets and expertise. Supporting skills development in areas such as financial literacy and management will assist communities in negotiating partnerships and setting up businesses in areas that are linked to their natural resources. Further, Indigenous participants expressed the need for access to capital for entrepreneurs and band-owned businesses, including measures such as strengthening support to Indigenous financial institutions and promoting joint venture opportunities.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Create an Entrepreneur Bank, similar to the Infrastructure Bank, to provide early stage loans or grants to businesses.
• Expand aspects of the Alberta Investor Tax Credit on a federal level.
• Create a central source that lists all government programs.
• Provide support for Intellectual Property protection to reduce up-front costs faced by entrepreneurs.
• Adopt a funder of funds model rather than funding business directly.
• Create more open-ended funding with less specific requirements, modeled after the U.S. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program or the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.
• Contract industry to help in reviewing and assessing government-funding programs.
• Adopt a two-phase application process to allow companies to verify initial project ideas.
• Create a one-stop-shop, integrated with government services, to help shepherd entrepreneurs through the process of establishing a business.
• Strengthen existing Indigenous lending institutions.
• Increase micro-lending to Indigenous entrepreneurs.
• Facilitate joint venture opportunities between the private sector and Indigenous entrepreneurs and communities.

Ecosystem collaboration

Participants also emphasized the need for better coordination within the innovation ecosystem, including government, post-secondary institutions, and industry in order to spur new growth in Western Canada. A focus should be placed on preventing duplication of programs and harmonizing efforts as much as possible. Better collaboration will allow Alberta's post-secondary institutions to collectively produce the talent and research capabilities that are needed by the future economy. A proper ecosystem will also help create receptor capacity, where established companies can then absorb the talent that is produced, thereby ensuring we are able to leverage the economic value of our own creative capacity.

Skills development

According to participants, in order to develop a workforce that is equipped for the future economy, Alberta will need to foster the proper skills to facilitate this transition. Access to skilled workers is already a challenge, and companies have to look internationally to acquire the talent they need. Greater connections between post-secondary institutions and businesses should be fostered so that both parties understand the current training needs, and are able to support those who want to pivot out of traditional industries. At the same time, many participants indicated that Alberta cannot solve all of its talent requirements domestically. Instead, filling skills gaps will require the attraction of high-performing talent from abroad.

Indigenous participants indicated that education continues to be an issue on-reserve and in remote/rural communities. Low levels of funding impact the quality of the education, which discourages students to stay in school and impedes progress on to post-secondary or trades education.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Promote Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) credits in order to attract international talent.
• Create a national competency framework to help address skills mismatches. A framework could enable people to move around geographically and across industries, as well as make it easier for new immigrants to find work.
• Focus our attention on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and arts (STEAM), in particular with women.
• Improve the quality of education and increase skills and trades training for Indigenous communities.

Other

• Providing venues and opportunities for businesses to share their information and experiences with each other fosters greater understanding of the benefits of export and other opportunities, and helps entrepreneurs grow by learning from the experience of others.
• We need to do better at promoting our strengths and showcasing our achievements to the nation and the world.

Summary

Roundtable participants identified that the best ways to spur new growth are to support business scale-up and growth activities, technology commercialization, and export opportunities. Spurring growth requires us to collaborate, to harness the advantages of working collectively rather than in silos. It also requires us to foster and acquire the skills and talent that will enable us to remain competitive in the future economy. Sharing our experiences and promoting ourselves internationally will also help to spur growth in both new and traditional markets. Overarching all of these is the concern from participants that we lack a strong vision and sense of urgency that are instrumental to spurring innovative growth in Western Canada.

Question #3: What will help the Indigenous economy continue to grow?

Cultural understanding

Roundtable participants are aware of cultural differences relating to Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. A common response across participants was the need to incorporate Indigenous understanding into all programs and policies that affect Indigenous Peoples. Being sensitive to the different needs of each Indigenous community and avoiding generalizations is important in supporting the economic growth of each Indigenous community, business, or individual.

Another theme discussed was the need for government to honour Treaties and Indigenous Rights, and to help build the public's awareness around Indigenous history. In particular, there is a need to engage, listen, and work collaboratively with Indigenous Peoples to develop approaches that take into consideration Indigenous perspectives. These actions can help address the various forms of racism that are still present today against Indigenous Peoples.

Attendees stated that it is also important to proudly recognize Indigenous success stories and showcase them as role models for younger generations. Supporting leadership from within Indigenous communities and supporting the development of Indigenous leaders is essential to constructing a future without racism and prejudices. Further, participants mentioned that attention should be given to building partnerships and fostering cooperation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous entities in government, industry, academia, and civil society. Industry and academia should recognize the cultural shocks that Indigenous youth face when entering post-secondary education or the labour force for the first time, and should practice more flexibility with their policies.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Provide cultural competency training for non-Indigenous employees in both the private and public sector.
• Create cultural spaces for Indigenous students in educational institutions.
• Help foster pride in being Indigenous, and encourage knowledge of Indigenous traditions.

Tools for success

Roundtable attendees emphasized the importance of leveling the playing field between Indigenous and non- Indigenous Peoples when supporting economic growth and development opportunities. Government, academia and industry must work closely with Indigenous communities to close the education gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. It was mentioned that due to institutional barriers, Indigenous Peoples struggle to acquire traditional bank loans. Increasing funding options for Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses, and providing access to affordable financial literacy programs as well as other capacity building programs, would help
them overcome this barrier. As the population with the highest proportion of young people, increasing workforce training opportunities and work experience programs is essential for growing the Indigenous economy. Lastly, participants voiced that procurement opportunities for Indigenous businesses from both the private and public sector is an important tool that needs to be strengthened and streamlined for efficiency
 

Suggested Future Actions:

• Implement fiscal policies that help ensure that financial barriers do not prevent qualified Indigenous students from attending and completing post-secondary degree programs. Examples of such policies include: targeted scholarships; research and training grants; and additional concessionary lending to students.
• Explore co-operative business approaches for Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs, given the strong emphasis on social integration.
• Provide incentives for equal partnership investments and development opportunities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous entities.
• Show-case examples of successful partnerships.
• Support Indigenous sporting events, as they boost inclusivity and acceptance amongst citizens and communities.
• Strengthen procurement opportunities for Indigenous businesses.

Summary

Roundtable participants recognized the need to educate the public on the barriers faced by Indigenous Peoples due to racism and the legacy of residential schools and colonialism. Discussions around this topic were coupled with both frustration and optimism over our ability to address the issues facing the western Canadian Indigenous population. Participants feel it is optimal to address these barriers through policies and programs that embrace Indigenous understandings, support the growth of the Indigenous economy and encourage the development of Indigenous leaders. In order to achieve such a goal, essential tools like basic necessities and infrastructure, quality education, broadband internet, and access to capital are critical to the economic growth of Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs.

Question #4: How can we improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups, including women, youth, and new immigrants?

Culture and education

Many participants pointed to underlying social and cultural issues as a key factor that is holding back the economic participation of underrepresented groups in Alberta. Some discussions had a hopeful tone, noting that significant progress has already been made. However, there was a recognition that our society still has a long way to go. Our unconscious biases make it challenging to acknowledge what we do not see, and often, diversity is simply not on our radar. A shift in mindset is needed in order to make lasting changes, with significant hope placed in a new generation of thinkers who will grow up with different social and cultural influences.

To shape this new generation, participants noted that we need to focus on education as the conduit to instill key values early on. This includes a focus on promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in early education to stimulate interest among children of all genders. We also need to take a comprehensive systemic look at the social norms that might prevent underrepresented groups, particularly women, from participating.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Go beyond the core subjects to provide education on entrepreneurial skills to youth.
• Pay attention to the language used in job advertisements, which may unconsciously push women away from applying.
• Update the Junior Achievement Program.
• Promote success stories.

Funding, support, and incentives

There were diverse opinions on the degree to which government should intervene to support specific underrepresented groups. Some saw the need for greater investment, incentives and opportunities specifically for women in order to address challenges in getting additional capital for growth and expansion. There was an emphasis on program criteria that are broad enough to give women a realistic opportunity to receive funding, yet specific enough to target those that need the support. Others were uncomfortable with the idea of targeted funding programs, citing concerns that such programs make women feel more marginalized and less capable. There was a sense from some participants that women do not require government funding and resources because they are women, but because they are business owners. There was broad support for other measures such as mentorship programs that would provide softer assistance to women business owners and build confidence among underrepresented groups.

Participants also emphasized the need to support youth employment and training programs that provide relevant work experience. There is a sense that businesses often do not recognize the capabilities and value that students and recent graduates bring.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Take a 'farm team' approach to investing in underrepresented groups.
• Provide support for student competitions.
• Provide incentives for diversity.
• Set up a mentorship program to give underrepresented entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn from more experienced and successful industry leaders.
• Create peer advisory boards to give women practical advice on their businesses.
• Promote skills, leadership, and entrepreneurial youth camps (Indigenous and non-Indigenous).

Barriers to participation

Participants also highlighted the need to address those specific barriers that hamper greater economic participation. These include things such as workplace flexibility and affordable childcare, as well as normalizing leave to reduce the impact to women's careers when they take parental leave. This is closely linked to deeper cultural issues and the need to create an environment where women feel that they can fully participate.

Indigenous participants cited racism, sexism, and lack of capacity as challenges faced by Indigenous youth and women to economic participation. Integrating traditional knowledge and cultural beliefs into support programs, child care and wrap around services, and mentorship and skills development services are important to overcoming these barriers.

The need to recognize the qualifications of immigrants, who represent a significant source of highly qualified personnel was emphasized. Using a credential system that evaluates diplomas and degrees does not dequately account for the true competencies and capabilities of immigrants.

Many participants shied away from the use of quotas as a potential mechanism to increase participation of marginalized individuals, citing concerns that merit requirements might be lowered. This could result in more barriers by creating a perception that individuals are not fully qualified.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Implement full-day kindergarten.
• Establish a competency-based assessment process for new immigrants.
• Implement a rewards-based system for businesses and organizations who partner with marginalized groups.
• Use public procurement as a means to encourage diversity by asking businesses how diverse their supplier network is.
• Provide wrap around services for Indigenous women and youth that are founded in traditional cultural knowledge.

Summary

According to Alberta roundtable participants, we can increase the economic participation of underrepresented groups in the province first by acknowledging and working to address the deeper social, cultural and systemic issues that form the basis of this problem. We can make changes to our education system to shape a new generation of thinkers. We can provide funding, support and incentives to help fast-track these changes, and we can take targeted action to address the barriers that underrepresented groups face. There is some optimism around the progress that has been made to date, but there is also a sense of discouragement at the slow pace at which change seems to occur. Ultimately, a stronger western Canadian economy is one that includes all participants in the economy.

Question #5: How can governments, industry, and western Canadians work together to grow the regional economy?

Communication and collaboration

Roundtable input indicated that collaboration needs to take place more broadly and with diverse groups beyond the 'usual suspects' (government, academia, and industry) when it comes to economic development. Today's changing economic landscape requires enhanced communication and collaboration between all levels of government, Indigenous organizations, post-secondary institutions, not-for-profit associations, industry, and civil society. Through convening opportunities and partnership building, trust will build between partners to strengthen the western Canadian ecosystem.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Government should play a convenor role for key players to gather and share information and experiences, create trust, and better understand how they can collaborate
• Breakdown the interprovincial barriers to collaboration to allow the west to operate as a unit on the international stage.
• Ensure government funding criteria encourages partnerships, particularly with underrepresented groups.

Business environment

Participants indicated that the government should take a supporting role to economic development by taking measures to create an environment where businesses can thrive. The need to create a more efficient and streamlined regulatory system was emphasized, as was stimulating growth through tax relief and incentives. Frustration was expressed about the duplication that occurs within and between the provincial and federal levels of government. Government needs to understand and support the 'speed of business' to allow industry to access opportunities as they emerge. Often regulations put in place in the past cause unnecessary burdens and delayed timelines.

Key barriers to regional economic growth identified by participants include: Interprovincial trade barriers; lack of government collaboration; archaic bureaucratic practices and regulations; and policies subject to election cycles.

Privatization was raised as tool to assist with streamlining and decreasing regulatory burden within government. It was suggested that Canada could learn from international examples of using privatization to allow greater growth and creation of intellectual property. Cycles of government with changing mandates and periods of inactivity for elections were also discussed. Government needs to smooth out these adjustments to decrease the negative impact on business.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Review regulatory regimes and adjust to reduce and streamline the burden placed on industry.
• Explore what no longer needs to be undertaken by government (due to technological advancements) and could be better done by the private sector.
• Simplify tax credits such as SR&ED.

Branding

Participants identified the need to be more vocal about the strengths and examples of success that are in Alberta and across the West. Marketing our expertise nationally and internationally will assist businesses in developing new markets, for example in our strength in artificial intelligence. In the bureaucratic, political, and industrial arenas, leaders need to advocate cooperatively for Western Canada. A shared vision to promote Western Canada would strengthen our image internationally.

Suggested Future Actions:

• Create awareness of the strengths of Alberta and the West through branding and marketing.
• Inform diplomatic staff abroad about Alberta and the West's strengths and capabilities, in order to help sell our country better.
• Take a 'team' approach to achieving shared goals and meeting with national and international partners.

Summary

Participants identified that collaboration and communication were cornerstones for creating the economy of the future. Government can assist by convening and decreasing barriers for collaboration. The legacies of regulations and outdated practices need to be examined and updated. Government needs to react quickly to create environments that are supportive of business development and competitiveness. More needs to be done to tell our story to the world and to build global recognition of regional strengths.

Saskatchewan

Executive summary

This report makes an attempt to amalgamate the participant feedback from the Western Canada Growth Strategy Saskatchewan engagement sessions. The session notes for each question posed from the engagement sessions were reviewed, and then compiled within each question. Participant feedback varied tremendously for each question, and therefore the synopsis that follows is not a comprehensive portrait. The impetus of this report was to construct a more qualitative narrative around the participants' feedback. The participant feedback presented in this executive summary was that which was most commonly communicated throughout the engagement sessions.

Saskatchewan round table participants see a more inclusive economy for Western Canada in a decade. This inclusive economy has greater Indigenous participation as both employers and employees. They see the active participation of all identified groups in the economy. They see technology further influencing how we work and operate a business. Given this requirement, high-speed internet access (broadband) was cited at each round table. Large transformative projects including defined modern basics for health, well-being and economic activity - water, housing, and roads were mentioned at every session. These projects were stated in addition to pipelines, rail lines and ports to move western Canadian products and goods.

Education, training and workplace understanding were discussed not just for training but also for a more inclusive economy and community. The bar for education is getting higher; we need to continue training in targeted ways. Participants stressed the need to create capacity and pathways and to use entrepreneurial education at a younger age as important to fuel economic growth. Challenges were identified in employability following training and a need to identify future needs to target job training and better utilization of immigrant and Indigenous populations' skills. The youth session identified the need for more training in the digital transformation space.

Access to capital is an on-going issue. The Indigenous representatives want to see a rapid conclusion to several Treaty Land Entitlement claims so these resources can be used to provide needed capital to Indigenous projects.

Red tape and government regulations remain a concern for business establishment, development and job growth. Although the supercluster initiative is highly supported in Saskatchewan, participants asked for more incentives for industry to work with researchers and for the financial support to be used for more innovative, "higher-risk", projects.

Question #1: What does a stronger western Canadian economy look like 10 years from now?

Saskatchewan respondents' vision for Western Canada in a decade stressed a more inclusive heterogeneous membership within the economy and the community. With a young and growing Indigenous population within the province, their vision described stronger relationships between provincial, federal, Indigenous and business leaders.

Education was a frequently discussed topic within the Saskatchewan sessions. The word was used not only in the traditional sense within the education and training system but in understanding the resources, talents and infrastructure the west has to offer the nation and internationally. The word was used in describing the amount of misinformation or complete lack of knowledge on the history of government-Indigenous relationships, the impact of federal legislation past and pending.

Participants saw a future for the west where western resources and products were easily transported out of the region to national and international markets. They saw more value-added products being produced and sold internationally. These new and/or improved products are still in our areas of strength, which fall within our cluster focus areas.

They saw tremendous changes in work and production throughout the economy, where automation and digitization are within all industrial sectors. This change will further challenge our education and training systems. It will also challenge rural businesses and operations. Further, youth want to know now; what jobs will be retained within the province with this shift.

Participants Recommendations/Suggestions for Action

Participants were looking for projects, which provided transformational changes to the region. They spoke to the need of rural and remote access to high-speed internet (broadband), large-scale water infrastructure and transportation projects.

They want to see greater emphasis and work on making a more inclusive community and economy. They want the education system to introduce entrepreneurship earlier in the school systems and support it throughout their education including post-secondary.

Summary conclusion

Saskatchewan participants are looking for large-scale projects, which support greater economic activity and participation in local, regional and global markets. They want a better understanding of our local and regional strengths to not only assist them in economic development but in telling their story to others. They believe inclusion not only means working with the individuals in the region but this feeling should be endorsed and reinforced for the West within the nation.

Question #2: What are the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada?

Saskatchewan round table participants want to see "transformative" large-scale projects to support new growth. They suggested ensuring access to high-speed internet throughout the province and west, especially rural, northern and remote communities. They cited it as an essential service. Additional large-scale projects include transportation infrastructure of goods and resources. Participants not only want support for pipelines but they want assistance in rail lines, roadways and port development in Canada.

They supported the supercluster initiative and the principles behind its creation and design. The supercluster initiative was positively endorsed because the program placed business as a key component for proceeding. In developing the program, industry needed to put in time, effort and money in creating and developing the vision and implementation plan for the supercluster. As was stated more than once, industry "has skin in the game". Participants congratulated the federal government for adequately funding the program to make a difference, not just nibble on the edges of innovation and change.

Indigenous leaders highlighted the need for all levels of government to work together. They want to see a more rapid conclusion to Treaty Land Entitlement claims. They view these funds as being able to assist them in overcoming specific financial barriers they face. They want to see a positive conclusion to federal commitments to basic needs like clean water resources and equal funding for education on reserves. All participants who commented on the topic supported these requests. The Indigenous communities and leaders want a stronger commitment to action utilizing government procurement to assist Indigenous businesses to either establish or expand.

Participants recognized the value of entrepreneurship in building the economy. There was recognition that a pipeline of entrepreneurship is needed to support future growth and development. Participants want to see entrepreneurship introduced earlier within the school system and then reinforced throughout a child's education and programs to assist entrepreneurs and start-ups. They want to see entrepreneurship as part of the inclusion package for all identified groups into the economy. They want to see financial assist for high-risk research and innovation, i.e. cutting edge technology or practices. They also want to see more incentives for business to partner with researchers.

Question #3: What will help the Indigenous economy continue to grow?

Participants noted that each Indigenous community is different, and has their own set of needs and concerns. Some individuals face basic barriers to economic participation, such as the difficulty in obtaining a bank account, or not being able to afford necessities. Some communities as a whole face barriers, such the access to clean water, reliable transportation into communities, and broadband internet access to be able to participate in the economy.

Participants also noted that Indigenous businesses needed to be supported in key ways. The inability to leverage real estate in most Indigenous communities prevents Indigenous entrepreneurs from flourishing. In some instances, if treaty land negotiations were concluded, Indigenous bands and individuals could then use their treaty land as leverage, thereby providing capital for various business opportunities. Once Indigenous businesses are established, the cyclical nature of commodity cycles can be a challenge for many Indigenous businesses. This can be offset somewhat by providing greater access to government procurement opportunities, and providing access to capital to help establish Indigenous businesses, on and off reserves.

Many communities lack the skills training and education needed to participate in the economy. Establishing a strong foothold in skills training in northern communities takes a lot of effort and capital. In these communities, programming priorities should focus on education, training, and helping young educated workers find employment. Government policy and priorities should acknowledge the differences needed in regional programming to address skills and education training.

Participants Recommendations/Suggestions for Action

Joint ventures and partnerships were highlighted as opportunities to increase Indigenous economic participation. Indigenous bands have the ability to purchase land through a settlement agreement when an opportunity is identified, while joint ventures between Indigenous groups and SaskPower have been successful in the past. Additionally, the First Nations Technical Services Advisory Group model could provide tremendous value in supporting technical services for Indigenous communities, in particular relating to clean energy.

Summary conclusion

Each Indigenous community faces their own particular set of challenges, for individuals, the community at large, and for businesses. Identifying, and dealing with those issues that serve as a constraint on economic growth and opportunity will be important for Indigenous Peoples and communities in Saskatchewan. These kinds of issues identified were basic necessities, such as the cost of living and infrastructure needs. As well, training and educating Indigenous youth, and operating a business in northern communities present their own set of challenges.

Question #4: How can we improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups, including women, youth, and new immigrants?

As Western Canada pursues economic diversification and prosperity, the inclusion of underrepresented groups is increasingly seen as an important factor in achieving this goal. These groups represent untapped economic potential. As the participants in the engagement sessions noted, each underrepresented group has specialized needs and assistance in order to participate in the economy.

Improving the economic participation of women

Lack of supports available after having a child is making it difficult for women to participate in the economy. Few child day care facilities, especially in rural locations, and few re-entry supports for women to return to work after having a child, are contributing to this problem. When women are able to return to the workforce, there should be more programming support for women in workplaces, such as the challenges women also face when trying to access venture capital funding.

Improving the economic participation of youth

Participants noted the importance of engaging with youth at a young age, by creating educational capacity and pathways through entrepreneurial training. As the bar for education is getting higher, we also need to ensure that we are training our children for the jobs of the future, as well as providing more information and dialogue on the kinds of jobs that will be available in the future. Once youth are of working age, there should be more funding for youth hiring initiatives, and more bridging programs to assist in the transfer to work and entrepreneurial activities.

Improving the economic participation of new immigrants

Participants also noted the difficulty that immigrants have finding jobs for which they are trained, leading to an over-qualified immigrant community in many instances. Canada does not always value their education and work experience in a manner that lets them utilize their skills in Canada. A robust credential transferring program and more support to transfer immigrants to roles that better fit their skill sets. Canadian Experience requirements can get in the way and can act as a form of job protection. In turn, this challenges the viability of small towns and the ability of companies to find qualified workers.

Participants Recommendations/Suggestions for Action

Better broadband access across rural communities in Saskatchewan could help to incorporate these underrepresented groups into the economy. Training partnerships with trade schools could also help equip these underrepresented groups for future careers. Organizations, such as economic development associations, Chambers of Commerce, and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association have a role to play in promoting these groups as important pieces for Saskatchewan's economic future.

Summary conclusion

Participant feedback resulted in a different set of goals to help improve the economic participation of each underrepresented group. For women, most comments centered on the need to support the re-entry into the workforce. For youth, it was important to engage with them at a young age to ensure they have entrepreneurship training throughout their education, in order to succeed in the economy. For immigrants, the skills and education they bring into the country needs to be valued in a more systematic fashion.

Question #5: How can governments, industry, and western Canadians work together to grow the regional economy?

Participants noted that in Saskatchewan, broadband access is not ubiquitous. Urban areas have reliable high-speed internet, but the infrastructure costs of providing internet across challenging terrains and large land masses remains a problem in the Prairies. High-speed internet provides many opportunities to participate in the economy and access government services. Without reliable access, isolated communities are being left behind.

Regulatory concerns were also raised throughout the stakeholder engagement sessions. Participants noted that government could do more to address the regulatory uncertainty created by some of the environmental bills being considered currently. Additionally, there were concerns the effects of Bill C-69 and the carbon tax were having a cumulative effect on the investment decisions of businesses and holding some businesses back. Government could do more to address unnecessary regulatory burdens and red tape.

Among the areas of opportunity were; increased partnerships between private and public stakeholders, as well as the prospect for businesses to participate in government procurement. Building upon the connections and sharing data between industry, government, and economic stakeholders will help to provide opportunities and will allow for increased synergy between these stakeholders. Likewise, enhancing government procurement opportunities for businesses and working more closely with the Crowns in supply chain opportunities could help to drive economic development, while also helping to forge closer ties between the private and public sector.

Participants Recommendations/Suggestions for Action

Government agencies need to work together, and streamline programming in order to provide a clearer strategy and provide more opportunities to the public. Further, there will be many challenges that Western Canada faces in the coming years. It would be better to choose those challenges that will be transformative in nature, such as providing internet to rural locations, making sure the economy is inclusive, and providing the basic infrastructure needs for every community.

Summary conclusion

The kinds of challenges and opportunities highlighted in the stakeholder engagements will require increased collaboration between government, industry, and western Canadian stakeholders. Providing broadband access for remote and rural communities, addressing regulatory uncertainty and regulatory burdens, as well as simplifying and expanding government procurement opportunities will all require a coordinated approach in the coming years. The payoff is a more economically diverse and prosperous western Canadian economy.

Manitoba

Executive summary

This report is a summary of the responses collected during the roundtables held in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Manitoba's roundtable participants communicated the need for stakeholder alignment around broader economic issues and opportunities. In addition to better coordination amongst governments, industry, and academia, participants were interested in growing the number of small business entrepreneurs in Manitoba to increase employment.

Manitoba has the largest Indigenous youth population in Western Canada. Participants were cognizant of this and stressed the need for their inclusion within economic development. Participants also felt that Indigenous entrepreneurship should be encouraged and supported, as well as supporting their post-secondary success. They also communicated the need to strengthen the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses.

Stakeholders also discussed how it was important to keep the various sectors strong by investing in research and high value products. Specifically, there was a focus on technology and the potential to commercialize products to reach new markets.

During the round table sessions, participants emphasized the importance of setting goals, benchmarks, and targets to measure economic development success. They recognized the goals and economic development approaches should be pan-western so Canada's smaller provincial economies can better compete globally. Participants stressed that creating a unified platform where all Manitobans can come together is fundamental to success.

Question #1: What does a stronger western Canadian economy look like 10 years from now?

"A stronger Manitoba economy will be underpinned by growth in emerging sectors, trade and investment growth, job creation and income growth, and an international brand that speaks to the areas of Western Canadian leadership in key sectors and innovation."

A strong, well-diversified, high-tech economy that takes a balanced approach and that requires highly skilled and diverse labour force. An economy that explores renewable energy sources and maximizes the benefits from finite Canadian natural resources by post processing to create high value exports or end products versus raw materials.

Participants identified the need for adoption and integration of technology in traditional sectors like mining and manufacturing, which seem to accelerate at a rate faster than the rest of the country. We would live in a west where automation has re-defined our cities, making them cleaner and more efficient. The population is younger, more diverse and well educated. However, participants pointed out that this scenario will require a long-term vision, especially one with a focus on building a robust talent pipeline.

Western Canada could be at the forefront of biotech R&D and other emerging industries. Instead of falling behind, we should be developing and exporting science and technology to the world.

Reduced regulations

When asked about success in the future, a common theme among stakeholders was a more integrated western economy with reduced regulations. The need for regulations must be balanced with greater economic gain. Western Canada will be viewed as having a presence that is equal to or greater then Ontario or Quebec. While diversity is a goal, we want strong and successful companies.

Stronger international brand for the region

It was argued that in ten years companies should be able to do business across the provinces, and that western Canada should be considered a hot spot for companies developing new technologies because the west is consider an "easy" place to launch new products.

The vision that was repeated by individuals in Manitoba is that a stronger economy will be underpinned by growth in emerging sectors, trade and investment growth, job creation and income growth, and an international brand that speaks to Western Canadian leadership in key sectors and innovation.

An ideal future would include an increased number of new companies developing internationally marketable solutions that flow from Western Canada's unique strategic advantages.

Export market diversification

Stakeholders felt strongly that in ten years, an ideal scenario would be that western Canada has reduced its reliance on the United States and is continuing to increase trade with other countries. There is a need to diversify exports, and to focus more on Asia and decrease our reliance on the United States.

Northern Manitoba

A common theme heard in the Manitoba roundtables was that the federal government cannot and should not forget about the North. The vision articulated for ten years from now was a "strong, engaged rural and northern economy."

In the future forward discussion, one participant articulated, "I would expect we have resolved the consultation and engagement process with Indigenous Peoples. This in turn, would have resulted in an incredible growth in the resource sector. A revitalized rail connection and deep-sea port at Churchill will create more export opportunities for western Canadian commodities".

Inclusion

In ten years, participants envisioned that western Canada would have an economy where people experiencing traditional barriers to employment have access to the labour market. There would be affordable student housing and low living costs to help retain graduates.

Themes

• More integrated western economy with reduced regulations
• Stronger branding of the West internationally highlighting key sectors
• Strong, engaged rural and northern economy
• Resolved the consultation and engagement process with Indigenous Peoples
• Greater access to the labour market
• More value-added natural resource products
• Greater integration of technology into traditional industries

Question #2: What are the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada?

"We need to develop stronger connections between the business community and Manitoba's post-secondary institutions to link up graduates with employers looking to fill a need."

Participants identified focusing in on and investing more in regional sector strengths as the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada. There is a need to increase labour market access for skilled immigrants. Stakeholders identified the need to provide greater supports to entrepreneurs. It is also important to start and retain businesses locally, and to ensure they have the supports, skilled labour, capital and ecosystem to stay. We are less likely to attract new businesses into Manitoba so there is a need to grow talent from within.

Growth is largely stimulated through business confidence. A high level of confidence drives positive decisions in investment, new market pursuits, and job creation. The areas of focus that contribute to increased confidence would include a long-term commitment to a growth strategy, and economic development programs that are aligned with the current and changing needs of industry. As mentioned in other discussions, there is a need to support an international brand for Western Canadian companies, in an environment that allows Western Canadian businesses to compete internationally.

We can spur growth by tapping into talent pipelines and focusing on delivering the best educational experiences possible and by giving current students opportunities to work with organizations in solving real world challenges. Student workplace opportunities were seen as a key to future success.

The West needs a continued focus on competitiveness (both regulatory and taxation). There is also a need to focus on innovation and new technology to help develop new opportunities. Consideration should be given to support key sectors (agriculture, manufacturing, mining, tourism, etc.) and to help develop and support value added opportunities and supply-chains.

We need to build on our strengths, including our resources, which are the backbone of the Canadian economy. One participant said Western Canada's Port at Churchill must be developed, and transportation infrastructure upgraded (road and rail) to support the movement of goods from across western Canada through the port.

Also, we need to invest in education, with programs and enhanced supports for Indigenous youth.

Themes

• Focus/invest more in regional sector strengths
• Increase labour market access for skilled immigrants
• Support entrepreneurs
• Provide students workplace opportunities
• Competitiveness, innovation and new technology
• Develop western Canada's port at Churchill
• Programs and enhanced supports for Indigenous youth
• Social enterprise solutions using social innovation
• Invest in the education and training of youth
• Grow talent pipeline
• Remove barriers to growth for SMEs
• Enhance market access
• Develop western Canada brand as hub for tech innovation

Specific recommendations

• Take advantage of emerging industries.
• Keep the manufacturing sector strong by investing in research and development and high value products.
• Focus on developing connections with post-secondary institutions to connect graduates with employers looking to fill a need.
• Encourage smaller rural business development with incentives to innovate.
• Increasing the number of small business owners would result in an increase in employment.
• Supporting emerging technologies would benefit many areas and spread across all sectors.
• It is important to maintain the base economic activities, but pursue higher risk ventures at the same time.
• Promote clusters that enhance areas that regions are already good at. Doing so will attract the best people to the area. Use the example of Montreal's approach to building a world-class AI "Silicon Valley".
• Small Indigenous businesses survive on procurement. Strengthen the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business and include Indigenous procurement requirements for contracting.
• Look globally for success stories.
• Entrepreneurs would greatly benefit from access to typically closed networks.

Question #3: What will help the Indigenous economy continue to grow?

"We urgently need to strengthen our Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses in Manitoba. Growing and sustaining Indigenous businesses must be a priority for our Federal Government."

The Indigenous economy will grow through increased participation in the economy via employment and entrepreneurship. Employment issues can be addressed largely through an increase in educational attainment and strong workplace training programs that provide employment supports for both Indigenous employees and employers. Greater awareness in workplaces of Indigenous history and culture, mentorship and greater flexibility for skill levels required for entry level positions are a few key areas for employment. The major issue for entrepreneurship is a lack of start-up capital, limited exposure to entrepreneurial role models, ineffective procurement programs for Indigenous owned companies, and lack of exposure to entrepreneurship in schools.

Highlights

• Manitoba has the largest, youngest Indigenous population in western Canada. We need to reduce barriers to increase participation in the economy.
• Promote and support Indigenous entrepreneurs.
• Primary and secondary education must be improved because currently, high school completion does not prepare Indigenous students from reserves for university level success.
• Indigenous students face barriers to academic success that must be reduced such as:
  • Paying for school while working means cutting back on course work and pushing back graduation date.
  • Less family support due to physical distance to educational institutes.
  • Lack of family knowledge to help kids navigate the institutional bureaucracy of university.
• Keep education affordable by creating more post-recruitment grants. Financial support dries up after getting people through the door.
• Educational success can be promoted by enhancing supports for Indigenous students and creating welcoming spaces.
• Employment is the most important metric for Indigenous Peoples.

Themes

• Mentoring, skill development
• Increased education, employment, healthcare, housing, and entrepreneurship
• Easier access to capital
• More initiatives like Churchill
• Consistency in Duty to Consult application across the West
• Social enterprise
• Develop broadband infrastructure

Specific recommendations

Develop a risk and recovery program to support those who want to start businesses or those organizations that are focused on developing solutions, and help to manage some of the financial risk. Build on the work of the First People's Economic Growth Fund in assessing the potential risk versus reward of an idea.

Build on the success of the Churchill rail line work to assist Indigenous communities in developing complementary and aligned regional economic development plans. Identify the key elements and investments needed to make them work.

Question #4: How can we improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups, including women, youth, and new immigrants?

"Getting the first job is usually the most difficult. Create and support work-integrated learning opportunities such as co-op education, internships, apprenticeships, etc. Include a mentorship component where under-represented groups can be supported through the first few months on the job."

Remove barriers to women's economic success through policies and legislation that support the attraction, retention, and advancement of women. For example, in the ICT sector, it is vital to stay current with technology as it evolves. Women cannot engage in skills upgrading when they are on maternity leave without impacting their eligibility to qualify for EI benefits. Women still carry much of the responsibility for managing the home and family but are often not fully supported if they require flexible hours from their employers. Pay and gender-equity are important. When women feel they are being excluded or dismissed in meetings and/or the boardroom, it is because they are. We have to address these issues from a cultural, societal, and economic perspective.

Themes

• Mentoring, skills development, education, work placement
• Knowledge awareness of existing programs
• Social enterprise partnerships
• Create policy and legislation that remove barriers to women's economic success
• Increase SME access to Global Skills Strategy
• Better foreign credentials assessment system
• Create networks to connect newcomers with employers

Specific Recommendations

• Build up newcomer community groups to support and allow new Canadians to pursue ideas.
• Newcomer programs provide basic skills. The federal government can help fund these program providers.
• Create connection network that helps students to bring ideas to markets:
  • Use networks to target underrepresented demographic groups.

Broader Inclusion Recommendations

• Enhance broadband infrastructure
• Increase access to capital
• Streamline procurement
• Focus on affordable housing
• Venture capital almost non-existent for Indigenous businesses, particularly outside of urban areas
• Lenders are too risk-adverse in Manitoba

Question #5: How can governments, industry, and western Canadians work together to grow the regional economy?

"Obvious solutions are to reduce the internal trade barriers that exist between western provinces and also ensure that regulations are as consistent as possible between provinces."

Participants expressed that we are entering a new era where economics, environmental and other considerations, trade restrictions and a whole host of regulatory and other factors are part of the business development equation. That means a strong strategic focus on partnerships designed to support new business and enterprise development is required. Innovation needs to be encouraged and our post-secondary system needs to be challenged to support new economic growth through research and skills development.

Themes

• Identify and focus and funding for regional/provincial strengths
• Reduce internal trade barriers
• Support new business
• Embrace social enterprise and tools of social innovation
• More dialogue between industry, academia and government
• Incentivize investment
• Capitalize on remote communities by enhancing broadband infrastructure

Specific Recommendations

• The Federal Student Work Experience Program is a good initiative for university to partner with government to bridge students with permanent employment. Government can remove barriers to apply and make the application process better known.
• The government work application process is tough to penetrate. Have recruitment come through campus programs, student groups, and through professors.
• Government can do a better job of explaining what economic trends mean to a student or job seeker.
• Create a more clear line of how to move from graduation to employment such as government specific career fairs.
• Roundtable participants communicated the need for setting specific goals, benchmarks, and targets to measure success in economic development.
• Employers and businesses need a range that everyone can measure themselves against that is meaningful in a global context.
• Must determine who is responsible for measuring and evaluating performance on agreed upon goals.
• Pan-western versus regional approach discussion:
  • Goals should be pan-western so Canada's smaller provincial economies can compete globally.
  • WD could take a leadership position in such a pan-western strategy.
  • A pan-western approach creates stronger outputs for companies.
  • Pan-western goals can be more difficult for Indigenous entrepreneurs because populations, economies, and access to resources vary by province.
• The focus should be broad across sectors.

Additional Comments

• An important indicator for economic success is the average salary per person as well as wage growth.
• The number of highly qualified personnel should be more important than total employment levels for measuring success.
• Most people have become happy with 2 per cent growth and the province's lack of peaks and valleys.
• Manitoba's stable, diversified economy makes businesses feel more comfortable engaging in riskier investments.
• Mentorship, high-quality personnel, and a skilled labour force are all required.
• Winnipeg has a closed-system that is tough for entrepreneurs to break into.
• Manitoba is getting attention/global investment because of its undervalued opportunities.
• Investors are looking at Winnipeg but see very low unemployment. Chronically under-employed segments of labour force must be targeted for training aggressively.

British Columbia

Axine Water Technologies
Bank of Canada
BC Council of Forest Industries
BC Mining Association
BC Tech Association
Business Council of British Columbia
Buy Social Canada
City of Prince George
College of New Caledonia
Community Futures Boundary
Community Futures British Columbia
Community Futures North Okanagan
Community Futures Stuart Nechako
Creative BC
District of New Hazelton
First Nations Technology Council
Government of BC - Ministry of Jobs, Trade, and Technology
Government of BC - Office of the BC Innovation Commissioner
Greater Vancouver Gateway Council
Innovation Central Society
Kim Baird Strategic Consulting
LifeSciences BC
Port Alberni Port Authority
Prince George Airport Authority
Prince Rupert Port Authority
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
Surrey Board of Trade
Translink
University of British Columbia
University of Northern British Columbia
University of Victoria
Vancouver Economic Commission
Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
WestGrid

Alberta

Alberta Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneurs
Alberta Community & Co-Operative Association
Alberta Construction Association
Alberta Enterprise Corporation
Alberta Forest Products Association
Alberta Health Services
Alberta Indian Investment Corporation
Alberta Indigenous Relations
Alberta Innovates
Alberta Women Entrepreneurs
Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association
Bio Alberta
Blackline Safety
Business Link
Calgary Economic Development
Canada West Foundation
Canada's Oil Sands Innovation Alliance
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
CEO - Alberta Council of Technologies Society
City of Calgary
City of Calgary's Recreation Management Team
City of Edmonton Administration
Community Futures Crowsnest Pass
Community Futures Highwood
Community Futures Peace Country
Community Futures St. Paul - Smoky Lake Region - Northeast Food Marketers
Community Futures St. Paul - Smoky Lake Region - Sector: Chamber of Commerce/Small Business, Elk Point, AB
Community Futures St. Paul - Smoky Lake Region - Sector: Not For Profits/Small Business, St. Paul, AB
Community Futures St. Paul - Smoky Lake Region - Sector: Volunteers/Business, St. Paul, AB
Community Futures St. Paul - Smoky Lake Region - St. Paul, AB
Community Futures Treaty 7
Connection Silicon Valley
Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta
Creative Destruction Labs - Rockies
Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering,
University of Alberta
Economic Developers Alberta
Economic Development Lethbridge
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
Edmonton Economic Development Corporation
Edmonton Global
Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board
Edmonton Screen Industries Office
Faculty of Agriculture, Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Alberta
Farmers Edge
Flexahopper Plastics Ltd.
GO Productivity
Government of Alberta - Economic Development and Trade
Growing Greener Innovations
Independent Community/Business Developer
Indian Business Corporation
Indigenous Services Canada
Indigenous Tourism Alberta
Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce
Lethbridge College
MacEwan University
Metis Nation of Alberta
Metis Settlement General Council
Momentum
Natural Resources Canada
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
Office of Randy Boissonnault
Paul First Nations Band
Peraton Canada
Public Service and Procurement Canada
Raytheon Canada
Rivet Management
Royal Bank of Canada
SeedUps Canada
Settlement Investment Corporation
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology
SouthGrow Regional Initiative
Technology Pathfinders
The Centre for Innovation Studies
Toma & Bouma Management Consultants, New West
Networks Inc.
Total Containment Inc.
TradeWinds to Success
Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta
Tribal Chiefs Ventures
UNIGLOBE LGI Travel
University Hospital Foundation
University of Alberta
University of Calgary
University of Lethbridge
Unmanned Systems Canada
VizworX Inc.
WaVv
Western Canadian Defence Industries Association
Women Building Futures
Yardstick Software

Saskatchewan

Ag-West Bio Inc.
Athabasca Basin Development
Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs
Cameco
Canadian Light Source
Chief Little Black Bear First Nation
Clarence Campeau Development Fund
Co.Labs
Community Futures Prince Albert
Conexus Credit Union
Co-operatives First
Des Nedhe Development LP
Economic Development Regina
EVRAZ
Federated Co-operative Limited
First Nation's Power Authority
Genome Prairie
Greater Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce
ISM Canada
Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
Keewatin Career Development Corporation
Mayor and Council for the Northern Village of Green Lake
Meadow Lake Tribal Council Business Development
Morris Industries Ltd.
Mosaic/Saskatchewan Mining Association
New North-Sask Association of Northern Communities
North West Communities Wood Products
Points Athabasca Pro Metal Industries
Sask Polytech
Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association
Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce
Saskatchewan Co-operative Association
Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence
Saskatchewan Research Council
Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership
Saskatchewan Young Professionals and Entrepreneurs (SYPE)
Saskatoon Berry Council of Canada
Square One
Tribal Chief File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council
University of Saskatchewan Department of Physics and
Engineering Physics
Westcap Management Ltd
Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc.

Manitoba

Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce
AKI Energy
Association des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba
Bioscience Association Manitoba
Commissariat aux langues officielles Manitoba/Saskatchewan
Community Futures West Interlake
Éco-Ouest
EnviroTREC
Francofonds Inc.
Government of Manitoba
Information and Communication Technologies Association of Manitoba (ICTAM)
Johnston Group
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
Manitoba Council for International Education
Manitoba Technology Accelerator
Mobilisation du Conseil de développement économique des municipalités bilingues du Manitoba
New Media Manitoba
Personnel du CDEM
Precision ADM
Projet de gestion des matières ligneuses de la région de la Rivière de Winnipeg
Projet ECA (Échanges commerciaux Canada-Afrique)
Province of Manitoba
Red River College
Réseau de développement économique et d'employabilité (RDÉE Canada)
Réseau en immigration francophone du Manitoba
University College of the North (UCN)
University of Winnipeg
Women's Enterprise Centre of Manitoba
World Trade Centre Winnipeg

Other

ABB Canada
Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Chemistry Industry Association of Canada
YMCA Canada

Delaney+Associates was commissioned to help plan the engagement and then report on engagement findings. Our approach was to structure a variety of engagement opportunities, both in-person and online, throughout the 10-week active engagement period. Stakeholders were able to provide input during multiple events running from mid-September to end of November 2018.

Delaney+Associates was commissioned to help plan the engagement and then report on engagement findings. Our approach was to structure a variety of engagement opportunities, both in-person and online, throughout the 10-week active engagement period. Stakeholders were able to provide input during multiple events running from mid-September to end of November 2018.

Purpose

The purpose of the engagement was to listen and learn from western Canadians about their ideas for economic growth to inform the development of a Western Canada Growth Strategy.

Objectives

The objectives of the engagement were:

1. To develop descriptions and measures for economic success.
2. To identify opportunities to spur new growth.
3. To gather information on how to help Indigenous economies grow.
4. To gather information on how to improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups in the economy.
5. To identify new ways for government and industry to work together.

In addition, participants provided input on other topics, which has also been captured in the findings report.

Five questions were developed in order to collect information required to achieve these objectives. They include:

1. What does a stronger western Canadian economy look like 10 years from now?
2. What are the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada?
3. What will help the Indigenous economy continue to grow?
4. How can we improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups, including women, youth and new immigrants?
5. How can governments, industry and western Canadians work together to grow the regional economy?

These same questions were asked during each engagement regardless of "technique" used. (see Techniques below)

Objective accomplishment

When conducting stakeholder engagement in support of strategic planning an indicator of success is the consistency of advice received by a representative sample of stakeholders. Western Economic Diversification Canada was meticulous to identify and directly invite a large number and diversity of their stakeholders into this engagement. The response was better than expected.

Below we assess the extent to which each engagement objective has been achieved to date.

1. To develop descriptions and measures for economic success

578 responses were received to question #1 (What does a stronger western Canadian economy look like 10 years from now?).  From these responses we identified 25 different indicators of success. Having said this, the objective was not achieved during the engagement. Information collected from stakeholder responses to the first question, their vision of success, will be used to develop a performance management and reporting framework during the strategy development phase of the project.

2. To identify opportunities to spur new growth

488 responses to question #2 (What are the best ways to spur new growth in Western Canada?) provided 16 different suggestions on how to spur new economic growth in Western Canada. It should be noted that many of these suggestions are the product of small group discussions with key stakeholders. As such they are well thought through and will be helpful to develop strategic priorities and action items.

3. To gather information on how to help Indigenous economies grow

343 responses to question #3 (What will help the Indigenous economy continue to grow?) provided 8 solid suggestions on how to help Indigenous economies grow. 21 Indigenous organizations were engaged during the Western Economic Diversification Canada roundtable process. First Nations individuals also participated in the in-person engagement sessions not hosted by Western Economic Diversification Canada, although not all participants identified their organizational affiliation.

4. To gather information on how to improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups in the economy

323 responses to question #4 (How can we improve economic participation in the West of underrepresented groups, including women, youth and new immigrants?) yielded 9 unique suggestions on how to improve participation of underrepresented groups.

5. To identify new ways for government and industry to work together

463 responses to question #5 (How can governments, industry and western Canadians work together to grow the regional economy?) produced 8 unique suggestions on how government can work with each other and together with their stakeholders in order to improve economic performance.

Engagement techniques

Engagement techniques are well-established best practices for public and stakeholder engagement in support of decision making. Different techniques are combined in a way that best meets the needs of the pending decision (in this case development of the strategy), the decision maker and stakeholders. This engagement process was designed in a way to reduce, as much as possible, barriers to participation.

With this in mind, we suggested Western Economic Diversification Canada host a series of roundtables in order to meet face-to-face with representatives of key stakeholder organizations. For those organizations that could not attend these sessions we assembled a discussion guide that provided step-by-step instructions on how to host and report on a self-organized roundtable meeting. We also suggested that, for those invited stakeholders who could not participate, people respond to the questions in a reply email. There was also an online component to the engagement program. Using a platform called PlaceSpeak individual stakeholders could participate anytime throughout the active engagement period.

Analysis

The results of each engagement were documented in individual reports and later tabulated in a database for analytical purposes. The approach to analysis was to review each individual "response" and tag the different themes "mentioned" in each. For example, one response might mention many themes, so that response would be tagged for each theme mentioned. This is referred to as feedback coding. Once all the responses were coded an analysis of the different themes and frequency of mentions was conducted.  At the end of each section above, the most prevalent themes mentioned are shown, along with the number of times each is mentioned across all responses for all techniques.

The Innovation and Competitiveness Imperative: Seizing Opportunities for Growth

• A Report from Canada's Economic Strategy Tables (PDF)

Western Canada Growth Strategy engagement

• Towards a Western Canada Growth Strategy
• Engagement Paper (PDF)

Placespeak: Towards a Western Canada Growth Strategy

Delaney+Associates

Publivate