Western Economic Diversification Canada
www.wd-deo.gc.ca
Common menu bar links
WD Profile
The following document is out of date.
Archived Content
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats on the "Contact Us" page.
The Departmental Mandate
Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) was established in 1987 and is a member of the Government of Canada’s Industry Portfolio. The Industry Portfolio brings together 13 key departments and agencies responsible for science, technology, regional development, marketplace services and micro-economic policy.WD’s mandate is defined in the Western Economic Diversification Act of 1988. The Act enables the Department to play an innovative and responsive role on behalf of the Government of Canada by:
-
promoting the development and diversification of the western Canadian economy;
-
representing western perspectives in national decision-making; and
-
coordinating federal economic development activities in the West.
A key component of the WD strategy is to move the western Canadian economy from being based primarily on resource extraction to a diverse range of technology, knowledge-based and value-added industries.
The Department focuses on the specific priorities of the Government to achieve a higher quality of life through accelerating the transition to the knowledge-based economy. WD is taking an active role in building a dynamic, innovative economy, ensuring the quality of our environment, building stronger communities, creating economic opportunities for all western Canadians and delivering on the Connecting Canadians(1) agenda.
WD fulfils its mandate by focusing its programs and services on the small and medium-sized business community in western Canada and by ensuring that western Canadians have access to the information, services and capital they need to start and grow a small business. WD strives to improve the climate for innovation in the West, provide federal leadership on western issues and conduct policy-oriented research on the western economy.
Organization structure of WD
The Department’s Head Office and Alberta’s Regional Office share facilities in Edmonton. Regional offices for each of the western provinces are located in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Vancouver and a liaison office is situated in Ottawa. The Department’s Deputy Minister resides in Edmonton and Assistant Deputy Ministers are located in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ottawa. The western ADMs are responsible for the delivery of all departmental programs and the Ottawa-based ADM plays the lead role in the Department’s advocacy activities.
