PFRA and Partnerships

PFRA's efforts in resource care and rural growth have been strengthened through partnerships with individuals, community groups, the private sector, wildlife groups, and other government agencies. By working with as many skilled and dedicated partners as possible, we believe we'll be able to meet the challenge of ensuring rural development is economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. PFRA actively seeks partners to ensure client needs are fully met.

For more information about partnering with PFRA, contact:

Partnerships help develop effective solutions to rural issues that cut across sectors and jurisdictions. At the local level, staff are developing partnerships for the delivery of program and non-program activity. At the provincial and program level, partnerships help to set priorities, target activities and remove the risk of duplication. PFRA's partnerships are often federal-provincial in nature, but can include multiple government agencies and non-governmental organizations.

PFRA's strengths are our technical competence, client service, ability to translate national policy into a local context, and a grassroots approach to programming and delivery. As a federal agency working across the Prairie region, PFRA brings an ability to help transfer information and skills across boundaries.

PFRA provides federal delivery capability on a number of agreements in partnership with provincial governments dealing with resource conservation and rural development. PFRA also works with other branches of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and other federal departments and wildlife organizations. PFRA is actively involved in joint implementation of many projects with other levels of government, communities and local economic development organizations.

Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between partners on specific activity areas are also an effective tool for delivering programs. They allow for a coordination and integration of activities and result in targeting priority issues without duplication among the partners. PFRA is involved in a MOU on Water Development in Alberta with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and Alberta Environmental Protection, to coordinate water development related activities. In addition, PFRA has an MOU on Environmental Sustainability with three prairie provinces, an MOU on Saskatchewan Representative Area Networks (RAN) with Saskatchewan Environment and Resource Management (SERM) and many more.

Another example is the Sustainable Water Well Initiative (SWWI) with Droycon Bioconcepts, Red Deer College and the Regina Water Research Instititute at the University of Regina. Through the SWWI, partnership arrangements have also been established with communities such as the City of North Battleford and the Town of Wynyard. For more information on joint venture and applied research projects, contact Cal Straub, Director, PFRA-Technical Service.

Clients often require assistance to help them identify and develop opportunities. PFRA has an extensive knowledge of the capabilities of federal, provincial and industry agencies and assists clients in accessing the relevant services. Some key partners in each province that PFRA consults and works with on a regular basis, are:

Peace River District of BC: Peace River Regional District, BC Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, BC Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, BC Ministry of Forests, Peace River Agriculture Strategic Planning Society, Regional district of Fort Nelson-Liard , Kiwanis Enterprise Centre, Community Futures, North Peace Economic Development Commission, Peace Value Added Food Association, Peace River Soil Conservation Association, Peace River Forage Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada, BC Grain Industry Development Council, BC Grain Producers, South Peace Stockmen's Association, Northern Lights College and others.

Alberta: Alberta Agriculture and Food Council, Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Alberta Conservation Tillage Society (ACTS), Alberta Irrigation Projects Association, Alberta Reduced Tillage Initiative, Alberta Cattle Commission, the Association of Irrigation Producers (AIP), the Alberta Federation of Water Co-Ops, the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties (AAMD&C), commodity groups and conservation organizations.

Saskatchewan::Saskatchewan Provincial Agriculture and Food, SaskWater, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), Saskatchewan Ground Water Association, Canadian Ground Water Association, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Saskatchewan Association of Rural Water Pipelines, Saskatchewan Council for Community Development (SCCD), Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association (SSCA), Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, Saskatchewan Forage Association, Sask ADD Boards, commodity associations, Saskatchewan Food Processors Association, and others.

Manitoba:: Manitoba Agriculture, Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP), the umbrella farm organization, Keystone Vegetable Producers, the Association of Irrigators (AIM), Agassiz Irrigation Association, Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) , conservation districts and others.