Green Prairie Economy
The Prairies are an economic, energy and agricultural powerhouse, contributing significantly to Canada’s prosperity. The Prairies have an abundance of rich natural resources, including world leading reserves of commodities such as oil, natural gas, potash and uranium. There are also promising wind, solar and hydrogen capabilities. The Prairies’ vast landscape spans nearly two million square kilometers of land and freshwater and includes more than 80% of Canada’s farmland. The region is also home to a diverse, young and highly skilled growing population. With these rich assets, the Prairies is poised to seize the economic opportunities of the future.
The global economy is changing rapidly and the people on the Prairies are rising to the challenge – adapting to opportunities and diversifying the economy to create good-paying jobs and deliver results that keep Canada as a world leader in sustainable, responsible natural resource development. People living and working on the Prairies are finding new ways to deliver more sustainable goods, services and practices to Canadians and the world, while building on regional strengths and economic opportunities in areas of clean technology, digital industries, life sciences, tourism and advanced manufacturing. They see a low carbon future as a generational opportunity to grow a resilient economy with good-paying jobs and strong communities; businesses capturing more value; seamless movement of goods, people, and information; and more inclusive economic outcomes.
People living on the Prairies have a long history of cooperation and know that realizing the full value of a net-zero future will only be possible when partners come together with a shared purpose, drawing upon the local assets and strengths across the region. They have shared that to achieve real change, we need to build on the strong collaboration that has helped to grow the economy and support communities across the Prairies. People on the Prairies have told us:
They want meaningful opportunities to shape federal policy and program development, particularly in areas that directly impact the Prairie economy. They want to see federal economic priorities informed by local priorities and knowledge.
They want stronger coordination across federal programs that can enable ambitious actions to advance sustainable economic growth. With more collaboration, the Prairies can further capitalize on these larger economic opportunities.
They do not want a one-size-fits all approach. They want to see programs and supports that respond to the diverse opportunities and challenges within and across the Prairie provinces.
The Building a Green Prairie Economy Act is a catalyst for these efforts.