PrairiesCan investments of over $21
million building on Alberta's strengths in commercializing
innovative agricultural products, technologies, and services for
global markets
OLDS,
AB, July 3, 2024 /CNW/ - The Prairies are an
agricultural powerhouse, and innovators across Alberta have new opportunities to create and
commercialize technologies that benefit both the economy and the
environment. Alberta is already a
national and global leader across key sectors that contribute to
Canada's prosperity—from energy,
environment, and aerospace to digital, life sciences and clean
technology. Food production in Alberta is another important industry that is
meeting a growing worldwide demand.
Through coordination across federal departments and in
partnership with all levels of government and industry, the
Government of Canada is enabling
Alberta's small- and medium-sized
businesses to capitalize on opportunities that build on
Alberta's recognized strengths in
creating products and services that the world needs.
Today, the Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan,
announced federal investments of more than $21 million for 14 projects to build Alberta's value-added agricultural sector
through commercializing and developing new products, applications,
and services.
Examples of projects receiving support include:
- Olds College is
receiving more than $3 million to
expand its Smart Farm operations into Saskatchewan and purchase new equipment to
increase capacity to research agriculture challenges impacting the
Prairies, including food security, crop protection, livestock
health, and environmental sustainability.
- Stettler Adult Learning Council is receiving
$250,000 to establish a Regenerative
Agricultural Lab to help Alberta
food producers and stakeholders explore and adopt sustainable
regenerative agriculture practices.
- Pure Life Carbon is receiving over $2 million
to upgrade and expand an existing manufacturing facility to
increase production of its proprietary soil alternative products
used in agricultural applications.
- Wyvern is receiving over $450,000 to launch a new proprietary system and
network of satellites that significantly reduces the cost of
satellite imaging used to increase the adoption of innovative
farming solutions that help preserve ecological zones, increase
agricultural yields, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water
use.
- Alexander Business Corporation is receiving
$146,800 to assess the feasibility of
two plant-based protein opportunities for Alexander First Nation, including researching an
investment opportunity and conducting a study of a possible
nation-owned production facility that would sell raw flour to
plant-based food retailers and ingredient manufacturers.
- Alberta Bio Processing Innovation Centre and Alberta
Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator are provincially
operated facilities that are receiving a combined $1,125,000 to purchase and install new equipment,
which will enable more small- and medium-sized businesses to test
and commercialize value-added agricultural or food products.
Projects receiving today's funding will have significant
environmental and economic benefits across the province and its
strong agricultural sector, including supporting more than 800 jobs
and helping Alberta organizations
take advantage of the numerous economic opportunities associated
with value-added agriculture. Today's federal investment leverages
about $12.5 million in additional
funding through other levels of government and industry.
Quotes
"Our government is making strategic investments to build on
Alberta's solid track record of
commercializing innovative products, services, and technologies
that the world needs. The projects we're announcing today will help
ensure Alberta's value-added
agricultural sector can capitalize on the opportunity to create new
solutions that benefit both the economy and environment. These
investments dovetail with the goal of the Framework to Build a
Green Prairie Economy to create good jobs by helping build a
stronger and more sustainable economic future in communities across
the Prairies."
–The Honourable Dan Vandal, Minister for PrairiesCan
"Today's announcement is the result of great collaboration
between all orders of government, academia, the private sector, and
Indigenous entrepreneurs. I'm so pleased that our government is
supporting this vitally important industry, and I have no doubt
these projects will keep the momentum going in Alberta's innovative value-added agriculture
sector."
–The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of
Agriculture and Agri-Food
"Alberta has gained a global
reputation as a leader in developing innovative and
forward-thinking applications for a variety of sectors and
industries. Today's investments will help Alberta organizations and companies make even
more advancements in the field of value-added agriculture, helping
to further diversify our economy while creating sustainable jobs in
our communities."
–George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview
"Alberta has a thriving
agricultural sector with the ingenuity and drive to meet the
world's growing demand for high-quality sustainable valued-added
food and ag products. Thanks to the PrairiesCan investment, more
processing businesses in our province can access state-of-the-art
equipment at our Bio Processing Innovation Centre or Agrivalue
Processing Business Incubator to test unique products and bring
them to market."
–RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Alberta Agriculture and
Irrigation
"At Olds College, we work very
hard to be at the leading edge of agriculture and technology in
Alberta and around the world. We
are extremely proud to be accelerating the development and adoption
of agriculture technologies and practices, supporting small and
medium-sized enterprises, and providing invaluable work-integrated
learning for our students on the Olds College Smart Farm. By
expanding our research and Smart Farm operations, we get additional
opportunities to integrate agriculture technology into the
classrooms for an enriched learning environment, so our students
get the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the
agriculture industry."
–Todd Ormann, Vice President, Development, Olds College of Agriculture &
Technology
"PrairiesCan funding was absolutely pivotal to our company as
markets began to respond to our Charge Carbon substrate coming out
of the pandemic. Funding the last piece of automation and
supporting expansion of our first manufacturing facility in
Alberta has positioned Pure Life
Carbon to now respond to more orders, from all corners of the
globe! Supporting our company has had a significant impact in the
controlled environment agriculture space, where replacing peat moss
directly is reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as water
usage, while increasing food production. Pure Life Carbon is able
to help feed the world while healing the planet."
–Ryan Rand, CEO, Pure Life Carbon
"The timing and impact of the PrairiesCan funding for BiziSul
Inc. provided key, strategic funding to launch our product to
market at an invaluable time. BiziSul is now operating in a key
economic corridor of Central
Alberta that provides opportunities for local trades people,
transportation, and direct, full-time employability to a 24-hour
production plant."
–Ryan Brown, Director, Business Development, BiziSul
Inc.
"The principles and practices of regenerative agriculture are a
great opportunity for Alberta and
the rest of the Prairies to meet consumer demand for sustainably
produced agricultural products. PrairiesCan's investment has made
it possible for the Regenerative Agriculture Lab to create a forum
for the agri-food value chain to discuss and decide together how
they are going to seize this opportunity."
–Derek Leahy, Executive Director, Rural Routes to Climate
Solutions, Stettler Adult Learning Centre
Quick facts
- Federal funding for these 14 projects is being provided through
PrairiesCan. PrairiesCan is the federal department that supports
economic growth in Alberta,
Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
- PrairiesCan programs and services help businesses,
not-for-profits and communities grow stronger: its mandate is to
support economic growth and diversification in the Prairie
provinces and advance the interests of the region in national
economic policy, programs, and projects.
- The Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy is a long-term
commitment to work differently, through stronger coordination among
federal departments on investments for the Prairies and closer
collaboration with Prairie partners on their priorities for a
prosperous and sustainable Prairie economy that leaves no one
behind.
- In Alberta specifically, the
Framework is intended to encourage greater collaboration on
regional investment opportunities, such as growing a sustainable
agriculture sector by catalyzing more value-added activity and
reducing environmental impact; supporting decarbonization by
advancing the hydrogen ecosystem and critical minerals
opportunities; and strengthening our support for community economic
development capacity and initiatives, especially in Indigenous and
rural communities.
Backgrounder
PrairiesCan is investing over $21
million for 14 projects in Alberta through several federal programs,
including the Business Scale-up and Productivity program, the
Regional Innovation Ecosystems program, the Jobs and Growth Fund,
the Community Economic Development and Diversification program, and
the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative. These investments are
expected to support over 800 jobs and help Alberta organizations seize new opportunities
resulting from the development of innovative agricultural products,
services, and technologies.
Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program -
$2,469,236
The BSP program supports high-growth businesses that are
seeking to improve productivity, scale-up, and commercialize
technology. It offers interest-free, repayable funding to
incorporated businesses that have been in operation for a minimum
of two years. Today, PrairiesCan announced BSP support for one
project:
- G.S. Dunn Ltd. ($2,469,236)
Upgrade its southern
Alberta facility with new milling
and packaging equipment to expand production capacity and better
meet growing global demand for its mustard products.
Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) program - $8,583,222
The RIE program helps create, grow, and nurture
inclusive regional ecosystems that support business needs to
facilitate innovation. Through the RIE program, targeted
investments in not-for-profit organizations support businesses in
priority sectors to innovate, grow, and compete globally.
The RIE program also promotes inclusive growth by helping
underrepresented groups more fully participate in the innovation
economy. Today, announced investments support seven RIE
projects:
- Olds College ($3,017,720)
Expand Smart Farm operations
into Saskatchewan and purchase new
equipment to increase capacity to research agriculture challenges
impacting the Prairies, including food security, crop protection,
livestock health, and environmental sustainability.
- Olds College ($2,378,900)
Deliver programming to assist
agricultural focused start-ups in partnership with THRIVE Canada
and upgrade facilities to provide a space where small- and
medium-sized ag businesses can showcase their innovations. This
programming was delivered beginning in 2022 and facility upgrades
were completed in 2023.
- Stettler Adult Learning Council ($250,000)
Establish a Regenerative
Agricultural Lab to help Alberta
food producers and stakeholders explore and adopt sustainable
regenerative agriculture practices.
- University of Alberta
($250,000)
Purchase and
optimize a prototyping unit that will determine best practices for
producing regenerated cellulose fibre through the Lyocell process
leading to Canadian-made, environmentally friendly,
cellulose/hemp-based products including personal protective
equipment, dental floss, healthcare products, and more.
- Alberta Bio Processing Innovation Centre and
Alberta Agrivalue Processing Business Incubator ($1,125,000)
Purchase and install new
equipment in the two provincially-operated facilities, enabling
more small- and medium-sized businesses to test and commercialize
value-added agricultural or food products.
- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) ($1,038,538)
Lead a collaborative
initiative to develop knowledge and supply chains that help
organizations operating in the plant protein industry reduce food
waste by converting starch by-products into high-value sugars used
by biofuel and food manufacturers.
- Venturepark Labs ($523,064)
Host a new annual industry
event and create a national online member-based program that offers
workshops, networking opportunities, and resources to help
early-stage food and natural product businesses launch and
grow.
Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF) - $9,877,513
The JGF is a $700-million
federal program to support regional job creation and position local
economies for long-term growth. The Fund provides businesses and
organizations with either interest-free loans or non-repayable
funding to help job creators and the organizations that support
them to prepare for growth, build resiliency, enhance
competitiveness, and create jobs. Today, announced investments will
support three JGF projects:
- PIP Lethbridge Inc. ($5,215,685)
Purchase equipment, recruit
staff, and increase manufacturing capacity at the Lethbridge processing facility to better meet
demand for its plant-based protein products.
- BiziSul Inc. ($2,590,000)
Establish a new manufacturing
facility in central Alberta that
converts waste sulphur from oil and gas production into a
high-grade fertilizer.
- Pure Life Carbon ($2,071,828)
Upgrade and expand an
existing manufacturing facility to increase production of its
proprietary soil alternative products used in agricultural
applications.
Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD)
program - $446,800
The CEDD program supports economic development initiatives that
contribute to the economic growth and diversification of
communities across the Prairie provinces. Through this program,
PrairiesCan enables communities to leverage their capacity and
strengths to respond to economic development opportunities and
adjust to changing and challenging economic circumstances. Today,
announced investments support two CEDD projects:
- Alexander Business Corporation ($146,800)
Assess the feasibility of two
plant-based protein opportunities for Alexander First Nation including researching an
investment opportunity and conducting a study on a possible
nation-owned production facility that would sell raw flour to
plant-based food retailers and ingredient manufacturers.
- North Saskatchewan Watershed Alliance ($300,000)
Collaborate with diverse
stakeholders to develop a water management model that will help
inform development and water use decisions within the North
Saskatchewan River Basin.
The Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI) -
$458,344
ARRI was a national program that provided $250 million over three years to help the
Canadian aerospace sector emerge from the pandemic and continue to
compete on the global stage. The initiative supported small- and
medium-sized businesses to green their operations and adopt
environmentally sustainable practices; improve productivity and
strengthen commercialization; and strengthen integration into
regional and global supply chains. PrairiesCan delivered the
initiative across the Prairie provinces and applications are no
longer being accepted. Today, announced investment is for one ARRI
project:
- Wyvern Incorporated ($458,344)
Launch a new proprietary system
and network of satellites that significantly reduces the cost of
satellite imaging used to increase the adoption of innovative
farming solutions that help preserve ecological zones, increase
agricultural yields, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water
use.
Associated links
- Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)
- Green Prairie Economy
- The Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy
- Business Scale-up and Productivity (BSP) program
- Regional Innovation Ecosystems (RIE) program
- Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI)
- Jobs and Growth Fund (JGF)
- Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD)
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Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378 TTY
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SOURCE Prairies Economic Development Canada