Winnipeg, Manitoba - Government of Canada
The Prairies are an economic, agricultural and energy powerhouse that is increasingly diversified and has a significant impact on Canada's overall prosperity. As we move towards a net-zero economy, people living and working on the Prairies are taking action and leading to take advantage of growing economic development opportunities. During six months of consultations earlier this year, partners from across the Prairies were clear about the need to seize new possibilities for good-paying jobs in a globally competitive green economy by building on the region's strengths in clean resource development, agricultural and manufacturing sectors, and the service industry.
Success requires deliberate partnerships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses, governments, communities, and others. That is why the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan, supported by nine other federal ministers, is launching the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy. It marks a new way for the federal government to work more closely with Prairie stakeholders on their priorities for a cleaner and sustainable economy that leaves no one behind.
The Framework is a principles-based approach to collaboration with local and regional organizations and partners that respects provincial jurisdiction and supports economic reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. It commits to long-term measures to enhance coordination between federal departments to drive strategic investments in the region, encouraging closer linkages with provincial governments and other stakeholders to improve access to federal programs that better meet their needs.
The Framework was tabled in Parliament December 11, 2023, and meets the legislative requirements of the Building a Green Prairie Economy Act, which also committed the government to engage extensively across the Prairies in the development of the Framework and report back to Parliament regularly.
Common themes that emerged from PrairiesCan's consultations identified five areas for collaborative action:
- growing key regional sectors, including natural resources, agriculture, and manufacturing;
- effective movement of goods, people, and information;
- expanding and capitalizing on clean electricity;
- community economic development; and,
- economic reconciliation and inclusive growth.
To kickstart this ambitious work, Minister Vandal has dedicated $100 million of existing PrairiesCan funding over the next three years to support projects aligned with the five priorities. This is intended to encourage greater collaboration on investment opportunities, leverage additional funding, and attract new investments across the Prairies.
As part of PrairiesCan's $100 million commitment, Minister Vandal announced a $10 million investment in NFI Group that exemplifies work underway to advance the green Prairie economy. This investment through Canada's Jobs and Growth Fund will enable NFI Group to build new zero-emission transit buses and motorcoaches and modernize its Winnipeg motorcoach manufacturing facility to increase production capacity. As a result, NFI Group will maintain existing jobs and add local jobs to meet future demand, while ensuring the company can capitalize on new sales opportunities and support western Canadian supply chains.
