Industry Canada and the Industry Portfolio have many programs and initiatives to provide help related to a variety of areas, such as Aboriginal business, consumers, industry, regions, small business, research, science and youth.

• Industry Canada Programs and Initiatives
• Accessibility
• Building a Skilled Workforce
• Competition
• Consumers
• Corporate Governance
• Electronic Commerce
• Environment
• Government-Wide Themes and Management Initiatives
• Industry Development
• Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)
• Information Highway Application Programs
• Innovation, Research, Science and Technology
• Intellectual Property
• Measurement Canada
• Official Languages
• Regional Development
• Small Business
• Telecommunications
• Trade
• Youth
• Horizontal Initiatives
• Industry Portfolio Programs and Initiatives

Industry Canada has a broad range of programs and initiatives designed to benefit a diverse client base across Canada. Collaborating extensively with partners at all levels of government, as well as within the private sector, the Department has become a leader in providing client-focused programs and leading-edge initiatives.

The Assistive Devices Industry Office promotes the development of accessible products, systems and services for people with disabilities. It encourages the development and promotion of accessibility standards, promotes the growth of the assistive technology sector, fosters links between the sector and other businesses and industries, and supports Canadian efforts internationally to promote accessible products and services. It also works to ensure that Industry Portfolio programs and services are accessible to Canadians with disabilities.

The HRSDC-IC-SSHRC Skills Research Initiative (HISSRI) is a multi-year skill-related research program designed and funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC), Industry Canada (IC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada’s (SSHRC) Initiative on the New Economy. The research is grouped into four themes:

• labour market and skills implications of population aging
• employer-supported training
• adjustments in markets for skilled workers
• international mobility of skilled workers.

This voluntary labelling program provides a means by which information on the care of textile articles can be conveyed to the consumer in a simple and easily understood format. The program is based on a system of five basic symbols illustrated in the three conventional “traffic light” colours: green, amber and red. These symbols tell the consumer which procedure to use for washing, bleaching, drying, ironing and dry cleaning. The program is administered by the Competition Bureau.

The Competition Bureau chairs the Fraud Prevention Forum — a concerned group of private sector firms, consumer and volunteer groups, government agencies, and law enforcement organizations committed to fighting fraud targeted at consumers and businesses. Its mandate is to prevent Canadians from becoming victims of fraud, through awareness and education, and to increase the reporting of fraud when it occurs.

The Competition Bureau has revised its Merger Enforcement Guidelines, which provide a framework for merger analysis in Canada. The revised guidelines clarify the Bureau’s current approach to reviewing mergers under the Competition Act, and reflect recent developments in jurisprudence and economic analysis.

Launched in June 2000, the Canadian Consumer Information Gateway is a Government Online initiative that includes information on programs and services offered by 400 federal departments and agencies, provincial and territorial ministries, and non-governmental organization partners working in the consumer interest.

The Contributions Program provides Canadian non-profit consumer and voluntary organizations with the means to produce high quality and timely research on consumer issues affecting the marketplace. It also supports these organizations in developing policy advice that is both credible and useful to decision makers. Two types of funding are available under the program: Project Contributions and Development Contributions.

The Voluntary Codes Research Forum is an online discussion group facilitated by the Office of Consumer Affairs. Users of the site can access the online list of the participants in the research forum. Also available is the guide entitled Voluntary Codes: A Guide for Their Development and Use, a summary of the voluntary codes symposium held in Ottawa, and drop-down lists of the Canadian and international voluntary code initiatives currently in operation.

Corporate Governance

Initiative for the Orderly and Timely Administration of Insolvency Estates

In August 2003, the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada launched the Initiative for the Orderly and Timely Administration of Insolvency Estates. This initiative is aimed at ensuring that trustees complete the administration of bankruptcies in a timely manner.

Electronic Commerce

Launched in June 2001, ebiz.enable is Canada’s e-business portal designed to guide commercial organizations through the issues and options encountered when implementing e-business strategies. Users will find tools to determine if their company is ready for e-business, as well as information on where to start, what e-business can do, implementing e-business, how companies can assess their business, what others are doing, and where to learn more.

Environment

The Environmental Supply Chain Management Pilot Project is a five-year pilot program that began in May 2001. It was set up to explore how supply chain management can be used to raise awareness of climate change and encourage activity to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions among Canada’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Funded by Industry Canada and managed primarily by Canada’s Climate Change Voluntary Challenge and Registry Inc., the project encourages SMEs to track, manage and reduce GHG emissions through changes in business/production processes and the use of new technologies.

Industry Canada’s third Sustainable Development Strategy, for 2003–06 (SDS III), envisions Canada as a leader in the development, commercialization, and adoption of sustainable development tools, practices and technologies, throughout the economy.

SDS III is structured around three strategic outcomes for sustainable development:

• Innovation toward sustainable development: increased commercialization and adoption of eco-efficient tools and technologies



• Corporate and community sustainability: increased use by industry, institutions and communities of corporate responsibility and sustainability practices.



• Sustainable development capacity building within Industry Canada: increased capacity of Industry Canada’s sustainable development management system.

Government-Wide Themes and Management Initiatives

Management Accountability Framework (MAF)

The Management Accountability Framework (MAF) was developed by the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) in 2003 (TBS Management Accountability Framework). The MAF consists of 10 essential elements of sound management. It outlines the expectations and the steps to achieving high organizational performance. It incorporates all elements of modern management within one comprehensive tool to be used by Deputy Heads and all public service managers in measuring accountability and management excellence (MAF) (Powerpoint - 913 KB - 1 page). For more information, please visit http://www.ic.gc.ca/maf.

Industry Development

CANtex is a three-year $26.7-million initiative introduced by the Government of Canada in 2004. Its aim is to help Canadian textile manufacturing firms become more competitive and ready to take advantage of new opportunities. This initiative builds on the success of the earlier Canadian Apparel and Textile Industries Program, which is now fully disbursed.

First introduced in June 2001, the objective of the Structured Financing Facility is to stimulate economic activities in the Canadian shipbuilding and industrial marine industry by providing financial assistance to buyers/lessees of Canadian-built ships.

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT)

The Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) is the Canadian National Contact Point for the European Commission’s Information Society Technologies (IST) framework programme. CRC provides information on Europe’s IST cooperative research and development (R&D) opportunities that could help advance Canadian R&D in the field of information and communications technology.

Information Highway Application Programs

Canada’s Campus Connection, an initiative of Industry Canada’s SchoolNet, is an Internet portal that connects learners to thousands of online courses from participating Canadian colleges and universities. The objective is to help Canada’s post-secondary institutions expand their online presence at home and abroad, reach new markets with their online courses and learning materials, and make online learning more accessible by removing barriers to learner mobility.

Started in 1994, the Community Access Program (CAP) is a Government of Canada initiative, administered by Industry Canada. CAP seeks to provide Canadians with affordable public access to the Internet and the skills they need to use it effectively. Specifically, the program aims to establish universal public access sites in urban and rural communities across Canada. The typical target groups served by CAP are those facing barriers to participation in employment, learning, community integration, and other social and economic opportunities — those who are most affected by the digital divide.

The Community Access Program (CAP) Youth Initiative (YI) is coordinated by Industry Canada’s CAP and is funded through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy. CAP YI has been providing employment opportunities for youth since 1996. CAP YI aims to provide employment opportunities for young Canadians between the ages of 15 and 30 — primarily students, recent graduates, and those who are underemployed or unemployed.

Computers for Schools (CFS) is a national, federal government-led program that operates in cooperation with the provinces and territories, and the private and voluntary sectors. The program collects, repairs and refurbishes donated surplus computers from government and private sector sources and distributes them free to schools and libraries throughout Canada. CFS was co-founded in 1993 by Industry Canada and the Telephone Pioneers.

Industry Canada’s EduSpecs Initiative is Canada’s contribution to international efforts to develop common technical specifications and standards for e-learning. The underlying vision is to provide Canadians with universal access to quality online education and training resources to support their individual and collective learning needs and interests.

Established in 1998, Industry Canada’s Francommunautés virtuelles program promotes the participation of the country’s francophone and Acadian communities in the development and use of information and communications technology.

The objective of the Information Highway Applications Branch Youth Employment Strategy is to provide work internships to young people between the ages of 15 and 30 who have skills in information and communications technology. The goal is to help give them an edge in the knowledge-based economy in Canada and abroad.

The original mandate of Canada’s SchoolNet, established in November 1994, was articulated under the federal strategy, Building a More Innovative Economy. SchoolNet is a partnership with the provincial and territorial governments, the education community, and the private sector to promote the effective use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in learning. The SchoolNet program has three objectives:

• to work to position Canada at the global forefront of e-learning readiness
• to support the innovative use of ICTs to develop employability skills
• to promote the competitiveness of the e-learning industry.

Innovation, Research, Science and Technology

The Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science and Technology (ACST) was created on July 5, 1996. The ACST’s role is to review Canada’s performance in research and innovation, identify emerging issues of national concern, and advise on a forward-looking agenda with a view to positioning Canada in an international context.

The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is an independent corporation established by the Government of Canada in 1997. The CFI’s goal is to strengthen the capability of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other not-for-profit institutions to carry out world-class research and technology development.

In 2000, the Government of Canada allocated $900 million to establish 2000 research professorships — Canada Research Chairs — in universities across the country. The Canada Research Chairs Program seeks to:

• strengthen research excellence in Canada and increase Canada’s research capacity by attracting and retaining the best researchers



• improve the training of highly qualified personnel through research



• improve universities’ capacity to generate and apply new knowledge



• promote the best possible use of research resources through strategic institutional planning, and through collaboration among institutions and between sectors.

Established in 1982, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIAR) encourages research excellence in Canada and strengthens the Canadian research community. CIAR brings together world-class researchers to tackle key issues that confront human society and challenge our understanding of the natural world.

CANARIE Inc., Canada’s advanced Internet development organization, links researchers and educational communities across Canada and around the world. CANARIE also acts as a catalyst for developing and testing advanced network technologies, products, applications and services. It has successfully designed and implemented four generations of advanced research networks — the most current of which is CA*net 4.

In 2002, the federal government provided one-time funding of $110 million for five years to CANARIE to deploy and operate CA*net 4, Canada’s National Research and Education Network.

CA*net 4 operates as a national backbone that interconnects the provincial research networks and, through them, links to universities, colleges, research centres, government laboratories, museums, schools, and other eligible sites. CA*net 4 is also connected to international research networks enabling Canadian scientists to collaborate with researchers around the world.

The Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC), an agency of Industry Canada, is the Canadian government’s centre of excellence for research and development (R&D) in advanced telecommunications. Under its four research branches (Terrestrial Wireless Systems, Satellite Communications and Radio Propagation, Broadband Network Technologies, and Broadcast Technology), CRC specializes in an interdisciplinary approach to longer-term R&D in wireless systems, radio fundamentals, communication networks, photonics and interactive multimedia.

CRC initiatives work to provide broadband technologies for rural and remote areas, support small and medium-sized enterprises, create and license intellectual property, and collaborate with the information and communications technology industry in Canada and around the world.

Founded in 1994, the Communications Research Centre Canada’s (CRC) Innovation Centre is a unique facility that helps dynamic young Canadian companies develop their potential through on-site technology incubation. Companies receive office space, access to test beds, facilities and expertise, on a fee-for-service basis, as well as vital linkages to a range of services and funding. The Innovation Centre also accepts established companies requiring CRC expertise or facilities to carry out research and development on a new product.

The Framework of Agreed Principles on Federally Funded University Research between the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) and the Government of Canada was announced in November 2002. The framework was established to gauge progress toward the goal of doubling the amount of research performed and tripling the commercialization of research by 2010. The AUCC and Industry Canada have agreed on a schedule for public reporting related to the agreement, and are working together to further define how research output and commercialization will be measured. The first report on the progress toward these goals was delivered by the AUCC in October 2005.

Genome Canada is an independent corporation established in 2000. Its objective is to enable Canada to become a world leader in selected areas of genomic and proteomic research. Genome Canada brings together five provincial Genome Centres to deliver genomics and proteomics research, technology platforms, and major genomics and proteomics projects.

The National Research Council Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) supports Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with value-added technological and business advice, financial assistance, and other innovation assistance. NRC-IRAP provides non-repayable contributions, as well as mentoring support, to SMEs to help them commercialize services, products, and processes in Canadian and international markets.

To increase commercialization, the government announced in Budget 2003 the implementation of the Medical and Related Sciences (MaRS) Discovery District initiative. MaRS is a not-for-profit corporation, founded by leaders from Canada’s academic, business and scientific communities. This initiative will help increase the rate of commercialization at research hospitals and universities, encourage greater private sector investments in commercialization activities for health research, and foster closer links between Canadian researchers and the business community.

The Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE) program is a partnership among universities, industry, government and non-governmental organizations, aimed at turning Canadian research and entrepreneurial talent into economic and social benefits for all Canadians. Three federal granting agencies — the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada — combine their efforts with Industry Canada to support and oversee the NCE initiative. Established in 1989, the NCE is built on the funding for research and training in Canadian universities, provided through the agencies’ peer-reviewed research programs.

Through the Precarn Phase III Research Program, Industry Canada supports the increased development and use of intelligent systems technologies. Precarn brings together communities of common interest to focus on the development and commercialization of critical enabling technologies.

Established in 1996, Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) is a special operating agency of Industry Canada. Its mandate is to provide funding support for strategic research and development, and for demonstration projects that will produce economic, social and environmental benefits to Canadians.

• Hydrogen Early Adopters (h2EA) Program

  TPC launched the Hydrogen Early Adopters (h2EA) Program in October 2003. The h2EA Program embraces a ground-breaking federal initiative to position Canada as an international leader in the demonstration and early adoption of hydrogen and hydrogen-compatible technologies. Canada is a world leader in the evolution of the early stages of a hydrogen economy. This program is encouraging companies to work together to demonstrate the potential of these important technologies. The h2EA Program will sunset in 2007–08.

• R&D Program

  TPC’s main R&D (research and development) program is geared to pre-competitive projects across a wide spectrum of technological development. The program focuses on key technology areas, such as environmental technologies, aerospace and defence technologies, and enabling technologies. These include biotechnology and health-related applications, as well as manufacturing and communications technologies.

Through its Technology Roadmaps initiative, Industry Canada continues to foster the capacity of Canadian industry to develop and commercialize technology. Technology roadmapping is a research and development planning and management exercise that involves groups of firms in a given sector. These industry participants identify critical technologies required to meet future market demands, leading to the formation and implementation of various partnerships and consortia to develop and commercialize these technologies.

Intellectual Property

The Bank of Speakers initiative is a collaborative effort of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada. In addressing their audiences, speakers can share their expertise on a wide range of topics, such as understanding trade secrets, patents, copyrights, industrial designs and other intellectual creations. They can also provide valuable advice and direction on how intellectual property can be strategically integrated into a business.

The Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC) is the Canadian government’s centre of excellence for research and development (R&D) in advanced telecommunications. CRC’s Technology Transfer Office is dedicated to commercializing the R&D that is generated in its world-class laboratories. Its mandate is to protect, manage and exploit CRC’s intellectual property portfolio, and maximize value for CRC and Industry Canada, while providing industrial benefits to small and medium-sized Canadian companies.

Measurement Canada

Measurement Canada administers and enforces the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act and the Weights and Measures Act. It implements a number of programs to fulfill its mandate:

• programs for Authorized Service Providers (Accreditation, Registration, Delegation of Authorities)
• Trade Sector Review program
• Canada/United States Mutual Recognition of Type Evaluation Program

Official Languages

Communications With and Services to the Public (Part IV of the Official Languages Act)

Federal institutions and third parties acting on their behalf must provide communications in English, French or both official languages, based on the mandate or the location of the office or service point, as well as on the composition of the public to which the communication is directed.

In the National Capital Region and in other designated offices, members of the public must be able to communicate and receive services of equal quality in the official language of their choice, whether in person, by telephone, in writing or by electronic mail. Members of the public include contractors and their staff, and employees of provincial, territorial and municipal governments.

Each federal institution must inform the public of the location of offices and service points where services are available in both official languages. The Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada’s Burolis directory contains the list of offices and service points where the public is served in English and French. The information concerning Industry Canada is kept up-to-date by the Official Languages Unit of the Human Resources Branch.

Created in 2003, CommunAction.ca is a website targeting Canada’s official-language minority communities (OLMCs). The site features a virtual resource centre to find Government of Canada programs and services that support local and economic development. It is also a gateway to the Government of Canada’s regional development agencies, and provides links to a host of other sites of interest to OLMCs.

The Language Industry Program (LIP) is based on the Action Plan for Official Languages and on Canada’s Innovation Strategy. Launched in November 2003, LIP is a funding initiative that helps Canada’s language industry to market and brand its products and services in Canada and abroad.

Section 41 of the Official Languages Act aims at enhancing the vitality of English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada, and supporting and assisting their development. It also aims at fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. Industry Canada is one of 31 key federal institutions targeted by the federal accountability framework for the implementation of Section 41. The Department undertakes numerous projects and activities to increase the participation of official-language minority communities in Industry Canada’s programs and services, and to encourage the prosperity and vitality of these communities.

Regional Development

The Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Agreement was signed on October 20, 2000. The program represents a six-year, $680.7-million federal investment in partnership with Ontario, its local governments and the private sector. The program’s purpose is to invest in urban and rural municipal infrastructure in Ontario. It is expected to stimulate more than $2 billion in capital investment.

The Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF) is a federal–provincial–municipal program with the aim of improving and renewing municipal infrastructure across Ontario. It is designed to respond to the infrastructure needs of small urban centres and rural municipalities with populations of less than 250 000. Industry Canada is one of the partners of this five-year program, which was launched on November 15, 2004. COMRIF responds to local needs and priorities by helping to provide cleaner water, better sewage systems, upgraded waste management processes, and safer roads and bridges. The overall aim is to support “green” projects that meet Canada’s and Ontario’s environmental objectives, while improving the health and safety of Ontario residents.

FedNor’s mandate is to promote community economic development, diversification and job creation in Northern and rural Ontario. The aim is to build self-reliant communities and improve access to capital, information and markets by working with business and other community partners.

FedNor is an organization within Industry Canada, but plays a role similar to that of the regional development agencies that operate in other parts of Canada. FedNor promotes economic growth through the delivery of five key initiatives.

• The Northern Ontario Development Fund covers a very large geographic area, stretching from Muskoka to James Bay, and from the Manitoba border to Quebec. Program contributions are available to support projects in six areas: community economic development, innovation and technology, telecommunications infrastructure and applications, trade and tourism, human capital, and business financing support.



• The Community Futures Program supports a network of 61 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) throughout rural Ontario (24 in the north, and 37 serving rural communities in the south). CFDCs share a mandate to provide strategic community planning and implementation, repayable financing for local businesses, and a variety of business services for small and medium-sized enterprises and social enterprises. CFDCs are community-based, not-for-profit organizations with professional staff, and are governed by local volunteer boards. There are a total of 258 CFDCs throughout rural Canada.

In addition, FedNor and Industry Canada's Ontario Region are implementing the Government of Canada's Action Plan for Official Languages by promoting the economic development of the official-language minority community and enhancing its capacity to participate in the knowledge economy. This involves a number of initiatives, including providing business internships to youth, improving access to e-training, and enabling communities to benefit from existing programs by providing enhanced information and consulting services.

Small Business

In an effort to reduce the burden that complying with multi-jurisdictional regulations imposes on businesses, Industry Canada, in partnership with other governments, developed a project called BizPaL. Launched in spring 2005, BizPaL is a web-based tool to identify the permits and licences that businesses require from Canada's three levels of government.

Launched in April 2005, Canada Business is a national storefront service, the first place to go when entrepreneurs need information, advice and support from the government to build their businesses.

Canada Business offers an abundance of important service-to-business offerings from federal, provincial and territorial governments across Canada. Knowledgable business information officers help clients locate services, research rules and regulations, find forms, seek out funding or interest groups, and more.

The Canada Business Network provides convenient access to information, services and advice — just click, call or visit the location nearest you.

Founded by five major wireless centres and led by the Communications Research Centre Canada, the CWCnet provides Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises with a wireless network infrastructure for demonstrating and testing their products and services in a real-life environment. This step is essential to quality assurance and successful commercialization. The CWCnet was launched in September 2003.

Industry Canada launched the Capital Leasing Pilot Project under the Canada Small Business Financing Act on April 1, 2002. The five-year pilot project finances capital leases for the cost of various types of new and used equipment required for the operation of a business. Most small businesses starting up or operating in Canada are eligible for leases under the program, provided that their estimated gross revenues do not exceed $5 million during the fiscal year. The goal of the pilot is to make capital leasing more accessible to eligible small and medium-sized enterprises, especially new and younger businesses. Small businesses can access up to a maximum of $250 000 under the project.

The Canada Small Business Financing Act facilitates asset-based debt financing of up to $250 000 for small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada with revenues of up to $5 million per year. The objective of the Canada Small Business Financing (CSBF) Program is to increase the availability of loans for establishing, expanding, modernizing and improving small businesses. This is done by encouraging financial institutions to make their services available to small businesses. Industry Canada administers the CSBF Program through a network of about 1450 private sector lenders with about 15 200 points of service in all provinces and territories.

Paperwork burden — or “red tape” — remains a significant concern for small businesses in Canada. The Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative (PBRI) responds to the Government of Canada's 2004 Budget commitment to create a working group of government officials and small business representatives to measure the impact of regulatory compliance on businesses and make measurable reductions in paperwork burden.

Industry Canada, Statistics Canada and the Department of Finance Canada are working together in an ongoing effort to gather data on small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financing. To this end, the three departments have established the SME Financing Data Initiative (SME-FDI), the most current and comprehensive data collection regime on SME financing in Canada.

SourceCAN was launched in June 2001 as a collaborative partnership arrangement between Industry Canada, the Canadian Commercial Corporation and HyperNet Inc. SourceCAN is a free e-marketplace that matches Canadian products and services with thousands of business opportunities posted by domestic and foreign corporations and governments.

Launched on March 27, 1996, Strategis is Industry Canada’s program delivery website for businesses and consumers. It offers a wealth of information products, and is the front door to the programs and services offered by the Department.

Launched in March 1996, Student Connections provides practical e-business and Internet training to introduce small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to online business opportunities. Student Connections helps SMEs strengthen their competitive advantage locally and globally by creating a successful e-presence. An Industry Canada initiative funded through the federal government’s Youth Employment Strategy, Student Connections hires post-secondary students to deliver the training to businesses.

Telecommunications

The Broadband for Rural and Northern Development Pilot Program was launched in September 2002 to assist communities without broadband access. Priority is given to First Nations, Northern, rural and remote communities. The objectives of the Broadband Pilot Program are:

• to contribute to the Government of Canada’s goal of ensuring that all Canadian communities have access to affordable broadband services



• to assist communities in developing and implementing business plans for broadband connectivity, thereby providing an incentive for private sector deployment



• to increase the number of communities with broadband access.

The National Satellite Initiative is delivered by Industry Canada, Infrastructure Canada and the Canadian Space Agency, in cooperation with provincial and territorial governments. Launched in October 2003, it was created to lower the cost of broadband access for communities in the Far North to mid-North, and in isolated and remote areas of Canada, where satellite is the only reasonable means of providing broadband access.

Through the Communications Research Centre Canada’s Rural and Remote Broadband Access program, the Government of Canada facilitates scientific and engineering research to enhance the affordability and availability of broadband services in rural and remote communities in Canada, via satellite and terrestrial wireless technologies. The program began in April 2002 and will run until March 2007.

The Spectrum/Telecom Program derives its mandate from the Minister of Industry’s responsibilities under the following Acts: in broad terms, from the Department of Industry Act and, in more specific terms, from the Radiocommunication Act, the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act. The program’s mandate also involves providing a lead role in terms of certain provisions under the Emergency Preparedness Act.

The telecommunications infrastructure and radio spectrum are resources that require sound management, from both a domestic and a global perspective. Their use is crucial to the social and economic well-being of Canadians. Management of these resources is a federal obligation that is undertaken by Industry Canada through its Spectrum/Telecom Program.

In addition to three headquarters branches, the program has five regions, with a network of field offices across Canada. These offices provide public access to the full range of spectrum-related services. Approximately two thirds of the program’s staff work outside of the national capital.

The program’s diverse client base uses the radio spectrum for a variety of reasons — including safety services (e.g. police, fire, ambulance, marine and air), broadcasting (e.g. AM, FM, TV), wireless services (e.g. personal communications, mobile dispatching, paging) and consumer devices (e.g. garage door openers, cordless telephones, microwave ovens). Also included are manufacturers, distributors and users of electronic equipment, such as computers, which are capable of causing interference to communication services. The program develops the required technical rules to ensure orderly use. These rules and the spectrum used by these devices are planned and harmonized internationally to increase the benefits of international trade to Canadian manufacturers.

Several examples of spectrum/telecommunications issues of current interest to the telecommunications industry and to the public are provided below.

• Emergency Telecommunications

  Industry Canada’s Emergency Telecommunications programs work to ensure that Canadians have access to essential services in the event that the nation’s critical infrastructures are disrupted. This ongoing work will help address and change Canada’s capacity to deal with threats to the telecommunications networks (a critical infrastructure), thus ensuring Canadians’ continued access to telecommunications services in times of emergency.

• International Telecommunication Union

  The objective of the International Telecommunication Union is to achieve results across a broad range of issues. These issues relate to the international management of the radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits, the efficient and timely production of international standards, and the facilitation of connectivity, as well as capacity building, in developing countries to help bridge the digital divide.

  Industry Canada’s objectives are to secure Canada’s rights in international communications matters affecting radiocommunication, standardization and development, consistent with the Minister of Industry’s authority as stipulated in the Radiocommunication Act and the Department of Industry Act.

• Spectrum Policy Framework

  To foster an innovative spectrum management program that remains responsive to the marketplace, Industry Canada will bring reforms to its Spectrum Policy Framework. This framework, which began in 1992, contains the essential policy elements of Canadian spectrum management.

• Terminal Attachment Program

  The Terminal Attachment Program develops technical requirements and procedures for the attachment of terminal equipment to the facilities of Canadian telecommunications service providers. Terminal equipment must be certified to meet minimum technical requirements in accordance with the provisions of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission decisions and with departmental standards, as well as to fulfill the policy objectives of the Telecommunications Act. Compliance with minimum technical requirements also prevents harm to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), and is essential to allow competitively supplied terminal equipment to be connected to the PSTN.

Trade

On July 18, 1994, First Ministers signed the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), which came into effect on July 1, 1995. The AIT aims to reduce barriers to the movement of persons, goods, services and investments within Canada.

The website provides a range of information, such as:

• a summary of the AIT
• the full text of the agreement and all amendments
• a complete list of the federal contacts for each chapter of the agreement
• studies on internal trade issues, commissioned by Industry Canada
• a bibliography of material published on interprovincial trade
• a feedback mechanism, which provides the opportunity to make comments or ask questions on interprovincial trade
• links to other related sites.

Youth

Founded in 1996 by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is a non-profit, private sector organization that aims to support and develop youth entrepreneurship. Industry Canada is one of its partners. The CYBF provides loans, mentorship support and an interactive website to entrepreneurs between 18 and 34 years of age.

Since 1998, NetCorps Canada International (NetCorps) has offered volunteer internships to young people aged 19 to 30. The internships, which are approximately six months in duration, are offered in the information and communications technology sector in developing countries. NetCorps is a joint initiative of Industry Canada and the Government of Canada’s interdepartmental Youth Employment Strategy. It is managed by Industry Canada and delivered by the NetCorps Secretariat, in collaboration with the NetCorps Coalition of nine volunteer-sending organizations.

In February 2002, the Minister of Industry announced the endowment of a $125-million fund to be administered by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. The Foundation provides scholarships to promising Canadian and international students who wish to pursue doctoral studies in the humanities and social sciences in Canada. It also provides fellowships to mid-career researchers and mentorships to seasoned professionals who work in the field of public policy.

The Communications Research Centre Canada’s (CRC) VirtualClassroom program conducts research and development of advanced pedagogy, infrastructure and broadband tools for intelligent learning. The goal of the program is to research the impact of broadband tools to support video-mediated learning, distributed cognitions and the development of skills for lifelong learning. CRC’s VirtualClassroom and the National Research Council Canada’s Broadband Visual Communication Research Program are working together to develop best practices in applications for human capacity development to be used in the next generation of broadband Internet.

Horizontal Initiatives

Industry Canada is involved in a number of horizontal initiatives, whereby the Department works in partnership with other federal departments, other levels of government, non-governmental organizations or private sector organizations. Industry Canada’s involvement in these initiatives contributes to the Department’s achievement of its strategic outcomes.

Industry Canada is the lead for the following significant horizontal initiatives. More detailed information can be found on the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat Horizontal Results website.

• Canadian Biotechnology Strategy (CBS)
• SchoolNet

In addition, Industry Canada is involved as a partner in the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund. Infrastructure Canada is the lead department for this initiative.

Industry Portfolio Programs and Initiatives

Business Development Bank of Canada

The Business Development Bank of Canada assists entrepreneurs by offering financial services for business start-up, acquisitions, growth, exporting, e-business, and quality improvement solutions; venture capital; subordinate financing; and consulting solutions.

Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

Learn more about the variety of Canadian Space Agency (CSA) programs. For example, click on “Promoting Innovative R&D Initiatives” to learn more about the Space Technologies Development Program and the Satellite Communications Program. Find out about the Space Science Program by clicking on “Supporting our Space Science Community” or about the CSA’s Youth Outreach Program by clicking on “Tapping Into Space.”

Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)

The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) has a number of partnership programs to help benefit tourism in Canada. Check out the CTC’s Product Club program, which can assist in developing specific tourism products or niches.

National Research Council Canada (NRC)

Interested users can find out more about the National Research Council Canada’s (NRC) Institutes, Programs, Initiatives and Technology Centres, such as the Genomics and Health Initiative and the Industrial Research Assistance Program. Visitors may be interested in looking into the NRC’s employment programs, such as the NRC Summer Employment Program and the Women in Engineering and Science Program.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) offers a variety of programs under three major categories: students and fellows, researchers, and industry.

Student programs include scholarship and fellowship programs for undergraduates, postgraduates, post-doctoral research and university faculty awards. More information on these programs can be found on the Program Guides page.

Programs aimed at researchers include grants programs, the Research Partnerships Program and the Canada Research Chairs Program.

Three pages of industry programs provide information on getting highly qualified people on site; expanding know-how, creating opportunities and solutions; and building long-term university capability. You can also find out more about NSERC’s Research Partnership Programs.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada is an arm’s-length federal agency that promotes and supports university-based research and training in the social sciences and humanities. Visit the website’s comprehensive program section for more information.

Standards Council of Canada

Learn more about the Standards Council of Canada’s accreditation programs. These programs provide a means for Canadian businesses to demonstrate that they conform to national and international standards, helping them to sell their products and services across Canada and around the world.

Statistics Canada

Explore Statistics Canada’s products and services page for information on publications, online statistics, and seminars and conferences.

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Date Modified: 2006-12-07 Important Notices