What We Do

Western Economic Diversification Canada's (WD) mandate is to promote the development and diversification of the economy of Western Canada and advance the interests of the West in national economic policy. To achieve this mandate, we support initiatives that contribute to the following project activities:

• A strengthened western Canadian innovation system (Innovation) and a competitive and expanded business sector in Western Canada (Business Development and Entrepreneurship);
• Economically viable communities in Western Canada with a high quality of life (Community Economic Development); and

These priorities are supported by WD's Policy, Advocacy and Coordination activities and are consistent with the Government of Canada's long-term economic plan to improve business competitiveness, Advantage Canada:  Building a Strong Economy for Canadians.

This mandate is delivered primarily through grants and contributions programs, which enable the department to contribute strongly to the productivity and competitiveness of the West. This is achieved through collaboration with partners including the private sector, other levels of government, academic and financial institutions, as well as research centres, to maximize investment in Western Canada and to create alternative sources of funding for commercial ventures. We also support the Western Canada Business Service Network, which provides over 100 points of service to assist new and existing entrepreneurs in cities and rural communities to create and grow their businesses.

What are WD’s Priorities?

As a result of broad-based engagement across Western Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) has developed a strategic agenda to help create jobs and economic growth for western Canadians, focusing on the following priorities.

What information is available?

A large selection of publications, research papers and special reports is available electronically on our Website, including:

• Recent and archived news releases, which provide information on announcements made by WD.
• The annual Report on Plans and Priorities, which provides information on strategies, initiatives and planned results, including details on human resource requirements, major capital projects, grants and contributions, as well as the budget estimates for our programs.
• Our annual Performance Report, which notes achievements against the performance expectations and commitments as set out in WD's Report on Plans and Priorities.

More About Us

Visit our Department section for more information about WD, including information on our Minister, the department's structure, mandate and how you can contact us.