Government of Canada invests in Western Canada tourism

Federal Tourism Strategy to create tourism jobs for the middle class in communities across the country

OTTAWA, Sept. 9, 2019 /CNW/ - Tourism is an inclusive sector that showcases Canada's culture, diversity, natural beauty, and unique experiences to the world. It also delivers economic benefits across the country by supporting one in 10 jobs. That's why the Government of Canada is investing in our tourism sector's businesses and assets.

Today, the Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), announced funding of more than $11 million to support 65 tourism projects across Western Canada. These investments are being made through the Canadian Experiences Fund (CEF), which supports Canadian businesses and organizations seeking to create, improve, or enhance tourism products, facilities, and experiences.

The projects announced today will advance all five targeted tourism activities, including:

• winter and shoulder-season;
• Indigenous tourism;
• inclusiveness, especially for the LGBTQ2 community;
• rural and remote communities; and
• farm-to-table, also known as culinary tourism.

Government of Canada funding ensures Canadians and visitors to Canada will be able to experience the best of what Western Canada has to offer, not just in summertime, but throughout the year.

The announcement also takes place in the wake of the announcement by Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, of Canada's tourism strategy: Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal Tourism Growth Strategy. The Strategy, which was developed based on feedback from Canadians and the work of the Advisory Council on Jobs and the Visitor Economy, highlights the importance of Canada's tourism sector as an economic driver for communities across the country.

Quotes

"Innovation doesn't only happen in big cities; it happens all across Western Canada. That's why we are helping local tourism businesses turn innovation into economic growth and good jobs for Canadians. Through the Canadian Experiences Fund, our government is investing in the development of our tourism sector and the economic potential of our vibrant communities."
– The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for Western Economic Diversification Canada

"These investments will enable communities and businesses in Western Canada to develop tourism products and experiences to attract more tourists year-round. This will help communities big-and-small reap the benefits of the global tourism boom to diversify their economies and create good jobs for middle-class families while showcasing Canada's brand, centred on shared values of diversity and equality."
– The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie

Quick facts

• Tourism represents more than 2% of Canada's gross domestic product.
• Tourism supports more than 1.8 million jobs in Canada.
• Regional development agencies, such as WD, are one of Canada's four flagship platforms supporting innovation, along with the Industrial Research Assistance Program, the Strategic Innovation Fund and the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service.
• By 2025, the Government of Canada is targeting revenue of $128 billion in the tourism sector, a 25% increase over 2018, and 54,000 new jobs (a 7.3% increase).

The projects announced today include:

Organization	Project Description	Location	Funding
Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC	Create business development and online tools to scale up Indigenous tourism businesses	West Vancouver, BC	Up to $150,000
Alberta's Food Incubation Hub Ltd.	Develop facility to showcase local farm-to-table products, chefs, and businesses	Edmonton, AB	$99,999
Anderseed Farms Ltd.	Enhance tourism infrastructure and culinary experience in Sturgeon County	Sturgeon County, AB	$99,912
Aseniwuche Winewak Nation of Canada, A Fellowship of Aboriginal People	Support tourism development for the Aseniwuche Winewak Nation of Canada	Grande Cache, AB	Up to $310,000
Assiniboine Park Conservancy Inc.	Support the creation of the Zoo Lights Festival at Assiniboine Park	Winnipeg, MB	Up to $380,000
Barkerville Heritage Trust	Expand Barkerville Historic Town & Park's infrastructure and interpretive programming	Barkerville, BC	Up to $264,968
Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs Inc.	Develop Indigenous tourism cultural experiences in the Battleford area	North Battleford, SK	$200,000
Beausejour Brokenhead Development Corp	Implement the Beausejour Brokenhead Tourism Strategy	Beausejour, MB	Up to $60,000
Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park Ltd.	Revitalize Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park	Siksika, AB	Up to $250,000
Boston Bar First Nation	Develop the Tuckkwiowhum Heritage Village attraction	Boston Bar, BC	Up to $158,000
British Columbia Craft Brewers Guild	Expand and promote the BC Ale Trail to attract domestic and international visitors	North Vancouver, BC	Up to $160,000
British Columbia Wine Institute Society	Develop a wine & food tourism chef exchange program	Kelowna, BC	Up to $250,000
Canadian Badlands Passion Play Society	Construct an event centre and renovate a commercial kitchen at the Badlands Amphitheatre	Drumheller, AB	$200,000
Canadian Chili and BBQ Society	Expand the Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ	Langley, BC	Up to $30,000
Canadian Rockies Gay Rodeo Association	Produce Canadian Rockies Rodeo North 2019 in Calgary, Alberta	Calgary, AB	$20,000
Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council	Deliver LGBTQ2 market-readiness workshops to western Canadian businesses	Ottawa, ON	Up to $500,000
Centre Communautaire d'Edmonton	Expand the Flying Canoe Volant Festival by adding a race and skills competitions	Edmonton, AB	$130,000
Community Futures Wild Rose	Create agri-tourism experiences in Southern Alberta	Strathmore, AB	$99,575
Conseil de développement économique de l'Alberta	Develop francophone and Indigenous tourism experiences in northern Alberta	Bonnyville, AB	Up to $131,250
Dauphin Derailleurs Cycle Club Inc.	Expand the multi-use bicycle trails in the Riding Mountain National Park area	Dauphin, MB	Up to $335,000
Eau Claire Distillery Ltd.	Create unique farm-to-glass tourism experiences in rural Alberta	Turner Valley, AB	$99,999
Edmonton Regional Airports Authority	Deliver International Tourist Attraction and Indigenous Connections Program	Edmonton, AB	$400,000
Fairy Tales Presentation Society	Develop and implement a marketing strategy for the Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival	Calgary, AB	$75,000
Farmery Estate Brewing Company Inc.	Enhance the farm-to-table tourism experience at Farmery Estate Brewery	Neepawa, MB	Up to $99,999
Fort Nelson Events Society	Develop winter tourism industry in Fort Nelson, BC	Fort Nelson, BC	Up to $200,000
Friends of the Broadway Inc.	To expand and diversify Winterruption, an arts and culture festival held in Saskatoon	Saskatoon, SK	$100,000
Greater Victoria Visitors and Convention Bureau	Develop four-season culinary and agri-tourism trail on the Saanich Peninsula	Victoria, BC	Up to $219,967
Huu-ay-aht First Nation	Expand and scale up the Pachena Bay Campground	Port Alberni, BC	Up to $244,000
Indigenous Tourism Association Canada	Develop Indigenous Tourism capacity in Western Canada	Vancouver, BC	$750,000
Jack Millikin Centre Inc.	Support facility heating  water, and septic system upgrades to the Jack Millikin Centre	Big River, SK	Up to $100,000
Jasper Pride Festival Society	Produce the 2020 Jasper pride festival	Jasper, AB	$20,000
Kelowna Pride Society	Create OUT in the Valley culinary event to promote LGBT2Q+ tourism in the Kelowna area	Kelowna, BC	Up to $100,000
La Société de Développement Économique de la Colombie-Britannique	Develop four bilingual tourist experiences the Kooteney region	Vancouver, BC	Up to $205,500
Meewasin Valley Authority	Develop authentic Indigenous tourism experiences through on-line interpretive panels	Saskatoon, SK	$250,000
Métis Nation of Alberta Association	Design and deliver a culinary experience at Métis Crossing	Smokey Lake, AB	Up to $500,000
MLTC Program Services Inc.	Develop Indigenous tourism in the Meadow Lake Tribal Council region	Meadow Lake, SK	Up to $225,289
Moose Jaw Pride Inc.	Develop a communications and marketing plan specifically for LGBTQ2+ visitors to Moose Jaw.	Moose Jaw, SK	$95,000
New Westminster Tourism and Convention Development Association	Scale up the Feast on the Fraser to attract domestic and international tourists	New Westminster, BC	Up to $100,000
North Campervans Inc.	Expand campervan fleet, marketing and customer service program	Rocky View County, AB	$99,999
Old Red Barn Ltd.	Expand rural agri-tourism at the Old Red Barn to include shoulder season events	Leduc County, AB	$97,500
Painted Warriors Ltd.	Expand the Painted Warriors Ranch facility to enhance visitor experience	Cremona, AB	$60,000
Rebellious Unicorns Production Company Inc.	Support Peak Pride events at Big White Resort, Sun Peaks Resort, Silver Star Mountain and Red Mountain Resort	Kelowna, Kamloops, Vernon and Rossland, BC	Up to $93,800
Regina Folk Festival Inc.	Enhance and grow the Regina Winterruption Festival	Regina, SK	$95,000
Saskatoon Diversity Network	Hire a new staff person to oversee all research, collaboration and development of a new suite of LGBTQ2+ and Indigenous two spirit focused tourism products and procure professional services as appropriate, to help facilitate these efforts.	Saskatoon, SK	$100,000
Saskatoon Fireworks Festival Inc.	Develop and execute a new international lighting festival in Saskatoon	Saskatoon, SK	Up to $100,000
Saskatoon Visitor and Convention Bureau Inc.	Establish the Saskatoon Experience Development Investment Program. The objective is to increase the number of visits by independent tourists and trips organized by international tour operators.	Saskatoon, SK	$300,000
Sea Wolf Adventures BC Inc	Purchase a new vessel and conduct marketing activities to promote Indigenous tourism activities	Port McNeil, BC	Up to $99,000
Silver Skate Festival	Add culinary programming to the Silver Skate Festival	Edmonton, AB	$100,000
Southern Gulf Islands Tourism Partnership Society	Improve the Southern Gulf Islands' event coordination and transportation infrastructure	Salt Spring Island, BC	Up to $120,000
Spearhead Huts Society	Promote adventure tourism by completing the interior of the Kees and Claire backcountry hut in the Spearhead range	Whistler, BC	Up to $200,000
Talon Point Camp Ltd	Develop and complete the interior of Talon Point Camp in Burns Lake BC	Burns Lake, BC	Up to $44,998
The Banff/Lake Louise Tourism Bureau	Support expansion of a winter festival in Banff, Alberta	Banff, AB	$250,000
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences	Promote the local culinary scene via the Juno Gala Celebrity Chef farm-to-table experience	Saskatoon	$150,000
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada	Deliver training to grow culinary, shoulder-winter season, and rural and remote tourism	Western Canada	$625,000
The Vancouver Out on Screen Film and Video Society	Scale up marketing for the Vancouver Queer Film Festival	Vancouver, BC	Up to $100,000
Tourism Saskatchewan	Implement import and market readiness activities in Saskatchewan	Regina, SK	$90,000
Tourism Saskatchewan	Expand and develop United States market for the Saskatchewan outfitting industry	Regina, SK	$150,000
Town of Churchill	Support the growth and coordination of the tourism industry in Churchill, MB	Churchill, MB	Up to $500,000
Town of Neepawa	Develop the Neepawa Area Multi-Use Trail Park	Neepawa, MB	$150,000
Travel Penticton Society	Develop culinary tourism trails and support accessible farm-to-table tourism in the Penticton, Naramata, and Okanagan Falls areas	Penticton, BC	$112,500
University of Saskatchewan/ Saskatoon Food Council	Promote the local food trail	Saskatoon, SK	$60,000
Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society	Support inclusiveness initiatives at the Celebration of Light fireworks festival	Vancouver, BC	$185,000
Vernon Winter Carnival Society	Expand the Vernon Winter Carnival in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons	Vernon, BC	Up to $150,000
Waskesiu Recreation Association Inc.	Expand Waskesiu Lake Music Festival to showcase Indigenous programming	Waskesiu Lake, SK	$24,000
White Rock Multicultural Society of BC	Support multicultural festival with strong Indigenous participation	White Rock, BC	Up to $15,000
TOTAL FUNDING			Up to $11,685,255

Additional links

• Western Economic Diversification Canada
• Grow West: Western Canada Growth Strategy
• Innovation and Skills Plan

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SOURCE Western Economic Diversification Canada

Media Relations, Western Economic Diversification Canada, 613-408-8987, [email protected]

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