Regina & District Chamber Of Commerce - Regina

Prairies Economic Development Canada will better serve the needs of local businesses, communities, and people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba

August 5, 2021 – Winnipeg, Manitoba – Western Economic Diversification Canada

From the outset, Canada’s regional development agencies have played a key role in helping businesses and communities weather the effects of the pandemic. They have delivered a suite of direct support programs to help mitigate the financial pressures caused by COVID-19, ensuring that businesses and their employees are not only able to survive the crisis, but positioned to come back stronger in our recovery.

The Government of Canada has laid out a plan, through Budget 2021, to set businesses on a track for long-term growth, and ensure that Canada's future will be healthier, more equitable, greener, and more prosperous. This includes supporting regional economies. As Westerners move towards their economic recovery, the Government of Canada is building a more focused, locally informed approach, putting people first to foster innovation, business growth, and resilience in urban, rural, and Indigenous communities.

For the first time in more than three decades, the Government of Canada will enhance its federal economic development presence and services in Western Canada by creating two new regional development agencies for the Prairie provinces and British Columbia. This approach recognizes that economic drivers and conditions are different in each of the two regions, and entrepreneurs, innovators, institutions, and communities have unique needs linked to where they are located.

Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) will be the new regional economic development agency for businesses and communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. It will build on Western Economic Diversification Canada’s (WD) 34 year legacy by playing stronger roles as convenors, pathfinders, advisors, investors, and collaborators to achieve better economic outcomes for regional economies across the Prairies.

PrairiesCan will also benefit from WD’s existing core program funding which means an overall increase in resources available for strategic investments and community economic development on the Prairies. As a result, in addition to maintaining current headquarters in Edmonton, and offices in Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Ottawa, and expanding its Calgary satellite office, PrairiesCan will significantly extend its reach by establishing new service locations in the following provinces:

• Alberta: Lethbridge, Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie
• Saskatchewan: Regina and Prince Albert
• Manitoba: Brandon and Thompson

These locations will be launched over a period of months. When complete, this enhanced on-the-ground presence will bring the federal government closer to businesses and the communities they call home. Supporting economic development in more communities will help develop businesses and create good jobs that people can rely on.

The new agency will also maintain existing relationships with clients and partners such as the Western Canada Business Service Network, and will continue to deliver new Budget 2021 funding programs, as well as existing initiatives that help businesses scale-up, and support regional innovation.