Evidence of meeting #9 for Industry, Science and Technology in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was support.
A recording is available from Parliament.
4:40 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Western Economic Diversification
Yes. A number of companies and research organizations are linked to share their discoveries and practices.
That's one.
4:40 p.m.
Acting Deputy Minister and President, Canada Economic Development
Quebec has a major aerospace industry that operates as a cluster. They share information about the development of alloys and composite materials, aerospace products.
Let me also point out that Quebec City is showing interest in the optophonic sector—I’m not sure whether that’s the right word. INO, a company in Quebec City, develops state-of-the-art laser technologies that help identify, among other things, the potentially dangerous powder in envelopes received through the mail. In terms of the optronic photo—I forget the name for that—
4:45 p.m.
Acting Deputy Minister and President, Canada Economic Development
I knew Mr. Baylis could help me out.
4:45 p.m.
Acting Deputy Minister and President, Canada Economic Development
That is a very important initiative in Quebec.
4:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Services, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
Yes. Like the other economic development agencies,
we also have opportunities in manufacturing in aerospace and defence, in composites and other products, and in food processing as well.
4:45 p.m.
Liberal
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and welcome to all our guests.
I'd like to start off by talking a little about the way in which the regional offices are going to be functioning now that there's just one minister responsible for the various offices throughout the country. I'm wondering whether, when you're getting information from the minister, you're finding it more complicated versus having someone in the area. When we talked about the mandate letter, that's one aspect of it, but then there have to be directions, and we would like to know whether or not that has come through.
For example, Ms. Frenette, when you speak about the high-impact firms initiative, do you have any idea where that is going, what has to be dealt with? I know it's a pilot project. I'm curious whether or not you're getting that type of feedback from the minister that you would perhaps have had if you had a minister in the particular region.
4:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Services, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
I think what's happening with one minister is that we're having more collective dialogue, and we are working with ISED and all RDAs to have these discussions. We have the big themes, the big objectives, and we are working together to define how these objectives will be met, packaging this information, and then having a dialogue at the ministerial level as a more unified coherent national approach.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Therefore, could we expect to see more things on your website as to what you're doing, where you're going, what the plans are for creating jobs, because job creation is part of what is involved with the mandate, and taking a look at what other previous plans and projects have been committed to? Is it going to be website-based for people to be able to look at it, or is it simply something you're dealing with in-house?
4:45 p.m.
Vice-President, Finance and Corporate Services, Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
I have to say that since we're still working on the initiatives, and responding to budget 2016 priorities, the communication strategy hasn't been fully developed.
April 19th, 2016 / 4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Okay, that's great. Thank you very much.
I'd like to talk about western diversification. I know that in the notes you were talking about the co-investing in innovation and other federal priorities, and that WD had the ability to get dollars out through federal programs.
Certainly back in 2009 and 2010 this was so important, to be able to get dollars out when the stimulus was required. All of the agencies worked extremely well in order to ensure that was taking place. Some of the other funding that you have.... You talked about the hemp fibre coming through the investment with the clusters. That's about the only agricultural aspect of things we've seen so far from the government, but this is simply a continuation of the type of research we've been engaged with.
With the women's enterprise initiative, I notice there's $3.9 million for that. I don't see that in the other agencies, but it's great to know we continue to look at the great work our women entrepreneurs are doing, and it expands in that regard as well.
On another point, from looking at the brief you have given us, you talk about the $800 million generated in sales of newly commercialized technologies and the $500 million generated in international sales. As we move forward with trade initiatives and that type of thing, I think that becomes so critical because trade is such a key component.
I'll finally get around to asking a question.
4:45 p.m.
Conservative
Earl Dreeshen Conservative Red Deer—Mountain View, AB
Yes, thanks.
We can look at the clean technologies investments over the last decade. In western Canada there has been so much that has been done with regard to clean energy, and I think sometimes it gets a bad rap, as though the rest of the country is alone in being innovative.
Do you have any comments about where you see the continuation of the work that has been done with clean energy initiatives?
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Western Economic Diversification
Thank you for the question, Mr. Chair.
I don't have time for the answer?
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Western Economic Diversification
Okay. It's very strong in western Canada. I mentioned 300 clean tech companies. If you look at our innovation program, 47% of it went to clean tech, and that was based on what the best projects were. Clean tech was very strong in that and was supported in other areas as well. Every province has its specialties. Hydrogen fuel cells, for example, are very big in British Columbia, along with many other technologies. Part of what we're doing is putting the strength in the clean tech sector together with areas of need, including in the oil and gas sector as well.
4:50 p.m.
Conservative
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Dan Ruimy
It's come to be expected.
Moving right along, Mr. Longfield, you have not more than five minutes.
4:50 p.m.
Liberal
Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Dreeshen, I feel your pain. It's hard to get these conversations in, in a few minutes.
It's so exciting to see what you're doing and hear the different regions working together.
In Guelph we worked on a program in 2009, coming out of the recession, to diversify our economy, so I'm going to be asking some questions around diversification. We actually used Calgary as one of our example communities in Guelph, something that was going on in Calgary that we could learn from. In Guelph we're looking at clean tech, advanced manufacturing, biotech, ag—which we haven't talked about much here today—ICT, entrepreneurship, including women's entrepreneurship, and then investing in outreach so that we understand what the rest of the world is doing and how we fit in.
The result for us is the lowest unemployment rate in Canada. We have businesses coming to Guelph. That's a goal for Canada, really, and something that we're all wanting to work on together.
I'd like to look at the different RDAs and how you might share information. I know the University of Guelph is quite involved in Atlantic Canada regarding soya meal for fish and working on fish development. Personally, I've done a lot of work with Sherbrooke, which is doing some fantastic things around advanced manufacturing support.
Could you speak to whether your strategic framework is developed to the point of knowing your key collaborations between your agencies that you could see working on? I'm looking at the west, because I'm thinking you have some really good stuff going on there.
4:50 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Western Economic Diversification
Well, thank you. We are proud of it.
Maybe there are a couple of things I could answer with. One is the collaboration we do with each other to find out exactly what we're doing. Those conversations are happening with more frequency than they were before, whether it's aboriginal economic development, potentially women's entrepreneurship, or whatever. It's best practices in terms of what we do and how we approach our stakeholder group.
The other thing I think that's important certainly at our agency, and I'm sure it's the same with my colleagues, is to get those whom we support to collaborate with each other. Often a condition of our funding will be, “Yes, but you must collaborate with X, Y, and Z”. Yes, we emphasize western collaborations—that's kind of good—but also, of course, taking advantage of expertise across the country. Now we're positioned better to figure out exactly where that expertise is, share that knowledge, and get those collaborations going.
