1.3 – WD’s Current Priorities and Strategic Support
For over 30 years, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has promoted growth and diversification in the western Canadian economy. WD’s responsive programs and services help businesses, not-for-profits, and communities grow stronger and continue to prosper. This section provides a snapshot of the department’s work.
WD will work under the direction of the new Minister to ensure that the department’s current priorities and areas of strategic support align with the government’s direction.
Current Priorities
WD’s current strategic framework elaborates on the department’s approach toward priorities of cluster growth and inclusiveness. Through investments and relationship-building, the department helps innovative western businesses scale-up and access global markets. WD is also working to increase economic participation of Indigenous peoples, women, and youth. Advancing these priorities helps unlock the potential of western Canadians and build momentum in high-performing areas of the economy.
Strategic Support
WD’s programs and services focus on five areas of strategic support:
Innovation Ecosystems: WD’s not-for-profit investments help a range of actors create an environment for innovative western clusters.
Business Growth: WD’s direct support and pathfinding for innovative western businesses accelerate their growth.
Community Economic Development: WD helps communities, big and small, take advantage of economic opportunities.
Inclusive Participation: WD provides investments and specialized business services to increase economic participation by Indigenous peoples, women, youth, and other underrepresented groups.
Grow West: Spearheaded by WD, Grow West: The Western Canada Growth Strategy is a call-to-action to work with partners on ambitious solutions to the West’s most pressing economic challenges.
The following placemat summarizes WD’s programs and services for western Canadians, as well as the goals the department is working towards to strengthen the western economy.
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Current Priorities
Cluster Growth
Help innovative western clusters scale up and capture global markets
Inclusiveness
Increase economic participation of Indigenous peoples, women, and youth
Strategic Support For
Innovation Ecosystems
- Support high-potential clusters in western Canada, with the potential to scale and tackle global markets
- Assist not-for-profit organizations, business accelerators, incubators, industry associations, and post-secondaries on initiatives that strengthen regional innovation ecosystems
Business Growth
- Shift direct-to-business support to de-risk a broader range of growth activities
- Pathfinding to increase the number of western companies accessing other government programs and funding, including Industrial Technology Benefits and the Accelerated Growth Service
- Conduct analysis to understand the demand for western Canadian technologies, products, and services
Community Economic Development
- Services and resources for entrepreneurs across the West (e.g., Community Futures and Canada Business Network partners)
- Care for communities undergoing economic adjustment or recovering from natural disasters (e.g., deliver the Canada Coal Transition Initiative in the West)
- Deliver community programming on behalf of the Government of Canada (e.g., Canadian Experiences Fund for western tourism projects)
Inclusive Participation
- Deliver the Women Entrepreneurship Fund and WES Ecosystem Fund in the West
- Launch departmental strategies to increase economic participation of Indigenous peoples, women, and youth
- Continue support for inclusive business services that focus on Indigenous peoples, women, Francophones, and entrepreneurs with disabilities
Grow West
- Grow West: The Western Canada Growth Strategy is a call-to-action to build a stronger, more innovative western Canadian economy
- The approach is to co-create solutions with our partners and accelerate new opportunities under four interrelated pillars:
- Diversification: Build a broader economy
- Trade: Seize global opportunities
- Skills: Foster talent for the new economy
- Communities: Connected to innovation and growth
- WD will coordinate the overall strategy and co-lead the Diversification pillar
What We Want To Achieve
- Expand western Canada’s knowledge-based economy
- Growth of business in innovation clusters
- More businesses led by under-represented groups
- Prosperous businesses in rural and urban communities
- Sustainable businesses and jobs
- Increased participation of Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth in western Canada’s economy
- Expand export activities
- Support whole of government approaches
- Build non-traditional partnerships
- Thriving western Canadian communities
Measures of Success
- GDP growth and diversification
- Export sales growth
- Business sales growth
- Number of jobs created
- Higher business expenditures on research and development
- Foreign direct investment growth
- Improved labour market outcomes for Indigenous peoples, women, and youth
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