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Home : Sustainable Communities : Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPA)
Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPA):
Creating Opportunities through Collaboration
What are WEPAs?
The Western Economic Partnership Agreements (WEPAs) are joint federal/provincial
initiatives aimed at fostering increased economic activity and improving the
quality of life in communities across Western Canada. New WEPAs were signed
with each of the four western provinces in late 2003. They build on a previous
set of agreements which allocated a total of $160 million over five years towards
federal-provincial economic priorities. Cost-shared on a 50:50 basis, the new
WEPAs will invest a total of $200 million in the western Canadian economy over
the next four years.
Western Economic Diversification Canada is providing $25 million in funding
to each western province. With matching provincial contributions, each WEPA
will invest up to $50 million to create new employment opportunities, support
economic infrastructure and promote entrepreneurship.
What’s the WD connection?
WD’s mandate is to promote economic development and diversification in Western Canada. Projects funded under the WEPAs have benefited Western Canadians by helping to create a better environment for growth, business development and innovation.
Funding is directed to initiatives that support WD’s three ongoing priorities: innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainable communities. Specific priorities in some regions include tourism revitalization, development and promotion of environmental technologies, and ground-breaking health technology research and development.
Eligibility Criteria and Submission Guidelines
British Columbia | Alberta | Saskatchewan | Manitoba
What's been accomplished?
An evaluation done in May 2002 of the previous four agreements showed that:
- WEPAs have effectively leveraged additional financial resources from the private sector in the order of $458 million and partner contributions from other levels of government.
- An estimated 120 new businesses have been started from WEPA-funded projects. It is expected that in about five years time, a total of 586 new businesses will have started because of WEPAs.
- Nearly $500 million has been invested in buildings, equipment and projects, creating over 1,300 fulltime jobs.
- This funding has been instrumental in advancing projects that would not have otherwise moved forward and has sped the progress of numerous economic and community development projects in Western Canada.
- WEPAs have been a useful and an effective approach to fostering federal-provincial partnerships and diversification of the western Canadian economy.
Examples of previous WEPA projects:
 British Columbia
- Greater Vancouver Gateway Society (Gateway Council):
The Council received a $350,000 contribution to complete Phase 2 of a three-phase Major Commercial (Transportation) System (MCS) initiative to improve commercial transportation in and through the Greater Vancouver gateway. This gateway is one of the largest transportation complexes on the North American West Coast. WEPA funding for Phase 2 of the MCS project was used to conduct economic research and financial analysis and to assist in longer-range planning processes for rail and water routes within the Greater Vancouver Region.
- City of Prince Rupert Cruise Ship Terminal:
$3,000,000 in WEPA funding went to the City of Prince Rupert towards the construction of docking facilities that are designed to accommodate large cruise ships. This project will enable the Pacific Northwest Region to tap into the growing cruise ship industry. It is conservatively estimated that Prince Rupert has the potential to attract 140 cruise ships and over 250,000 passengers annually within 10 years of the new construction.
 Alberta
- Olds College Centre for Innovation (OCCI):
Canada-Alberta WEPA funding of $550,000 went towards OCCIs operating expenses and to acquire laboratory equipment for OCCI's new microprocessing centre (partially funded through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation in 2002 with a $1 million contribution). This project helps ensure that the emerging high-tech workforce has the necessary skills and abilities to operate effectively in the agriculture/agri-food sector.
- Micro Systems Technology Research Institute (MSTRI):
$500,000 Canada-Alberta WEPA funding helped create this national multi-disciplinary institute that merges microelectronic, information technology and biological science. MSTRI supports pre-commercial research in micro-detection devices, bio-analytical instruments, health and diagnostics equipment, sensors, and micro-fluidic devices. MicroFab, a key component, is a unique open-access facility available to academics and industry across Canada.
 Saskatchewan
This gear on the forehead of an ant shows the scale of micromachining possible
with synchrotron light. This technology is already yielding actuators for
computer hard disk drives, switches to activate air bags in automobiles, and
valves for drug delivery.
The CLS is a state-of-the-art synchrotron facility at the University of Saskatchewan. A synchrotron produces extremely bright light, millions of times brighter than the sun, and acts like a gigantic microscope so researchers can view the microstructure of materials they are working with. The $173.5 million facility, Canada's first, is used by researchers from across Canada and is expected to attract 2000 visiting researchers and graduate students annually. WD invested $1.83 million in developmental funding and $5 million through the Canada-Saskatchewan WEPA and is administering $15 million on behalf of the Government of Canada.- Petroleum Technology Research Centre (PTRC):
The $11 million, Regina-based Centre employs 50 scientists and graduate students who work on environmentally and economically sustainable ways of enhancing the production and value of oil resources in Saskatchewan, the rest of Canada and throughout the world. WD contributed $3 million to this project through the Canada-Saskatchewan WEPA.
 Manitoba
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Architectural concept of Festival Park
Festival Park at The Forks:
Tourists and Winnipeggers alike will be seeing green in Festival Park at The Forks, thanks to a $1.3 million contribution from the Canada/Manitoba Economic Development Partnership Agreement (EDPA). The Forks North Portage Partnership will undertake a project in the Festival Park area of The Forks to create a pedestrian-friendly environment and urban park setting as a complement to the active use and programming of Festival Stage.
- Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium:
Research on Lake Winnipeg is being conducted from the decks of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship (CCGS) Namao thanks to $326,000 in EDPA funding to cover repairs and capital improvements. These improvements, such as engine rebuilding, are necessary for the ship to regain its seaworthiness certificate. The Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium is using the vessel as a research platform, coordinating studies by consortium members and making the most efficient use of research dollars.
What’s ahead for new WEPA projects?British Columbia
Projects will fall under one of four theme areas:
Entrepreneurship: Includes investments to increase small and medium-sized
business productivity, increase export readiness, assist in business growth
and viability,
and strengthen the national and international competitiveness of British Columbia
business.
Innovation: Includes investments to increase access to knowledge-based resources,
including the Internet, to increase development and commercialization of
new technology, and to increase the participation of youth in the economy.
Tourism: Includes investments to further develop eco and cultural tourism,
market development, planning and strategies, design and engineering, critical
infrastructure,
and 2010 related projects.
Sustainable Communities: Includes investments that increase business opportunities
and economic infrastructure for further development of leading industries,
e-commerce, development of rural clusters, planning and strategy, and investments
that help
communities implement sustainable development strategies. This will also
include investments that bring about increased Aboriginal involvement in
forestry,
oil and gas, and culture and tourism sectors, increased education and skill
development
of Aboriginal youth, and increased Aboriginal participation in the British
Columbia workforce.
Alberta
In Alberta, WEPA initiatives will fall under one of two theme areas:
Innovation and value-added industries: Includes investments that strengthen
Alberta’s innovation and value-added industries by supporting initiatives
that contribute to increased capacity, awareness and use of new technologies,
as well as the development of industry-specific research infrastructure
and technology commercialization.
Regional Economic Development and Sustainable Communities: Includes investments
that improve the viability, prosperity and quality of life in Alberta
communities by supporting initiatives that contribute to a sustainable
approach to
regional development that incorporates economic, environmental and social
considerations.
Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan, projects will fall under one of five theme areas:
Business Development and Competitiveness: Includes investments to increase
small and medium-sized business productivity, increase export readiness,
assist in
business growth and viability, and strengthen the national and international
competitiveness of Saskatchewan business.
Knowledge-Based Economy: Includes investments to increase access to
knowledge-based resources, including the Internet, increase development
and commercialization
of new technology, and increase the participation of youth in the economy.
Aboriginal Participation in the Economy: Includes investments that
bring about increased Aboriginal involvement in forestry, oil and gas,
and
culture and
tourism sectors, increased education and skill development of Aboriginal
youth, and
increased Aboriginal participation in the Saskatchewan workforce.
Diversification and Value-Added: Includes investments to further develop
value-added processing activities and increase the economic infrastructure to develop primary resource industries, tourism and the environment. Economic infrastructure is investments in basic and applied research, and other pre-commercial stages of the innovation process.
Competitive and Sustainable Communities: Includes investments that increase business opportunities and economic infrastructure for further development of leading industries, tourism, and the environment in Saskatchewan communities, and investments that help communities implement sustainable development strategies.
Manitoba
In Manitoba, projects will focus on two strategic priorities:
Building Our Economy
- Develop key sites of research-led development that generate related spin-off benefits for local companies – for example, Manitoba’s health research centres and biotechnology centers.
- Build knowledge-based industries through strategies that retain and attract highly qualified researchers and scientists to Manitoba.
- Accelerate the adoption and development of new processes and techniques to improve productivity and international competitiveness in both the manufacturing and service industries.
- Build Manitoba’s emerging economic clusters in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, life science/biotechnology industries, cultural and new media industries, information and communications technologies, and environmental industries including alternative energy.
- Develop trade, investment and tourism, including heritage, cultural and eco-tourism opportunities in Manitoba.
- Train and retrain workers, no matter where they live in Manitoba or at what stage in their careers, for jobs specifically relevant to Manitoba’s 21st century economy.
- Retain youth in Manitoba.
- Provide education and training opportunities, particularly for Aboriginal people, leading to employment in the northern part of the Province.
Sustainable Communities
- Contribute to tourism and growth strategies by enhancing heritage and cultural interpretive sites/events and/or investing in cultural and visual and performing arts.
- Encourage regional approaches to economic development through partnerships with communities.
- Work with Manitoba’s communities to expand and promote the use of the Internet for commerce and education.
- Assist in the development of northern Manitoba’s human and natural resources to ensure northern Manitobans can take full advantage of the opportunities in the region.
- Assist in investments in infrastructure and diversification to sustain rural communities.
- Assist in revitalization of urban communities by supporting community economic development initiatives that undertake downtown and inner city renewal, build community capacity, enhance knowledge and skills, and foster sustainable economic development.
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