Source: Equine Canada

Ottawa, ON, July 18, 2022 – Equestrian Canada (EC) is pleased to announce the re-launch of the National Economic Impact Study.

EC will consult with Wilton Consulting Group (WCG) and Serecon throughout the re-launching of the project that is funded by Sport Canada, to conduct an environmental scan, key informant interviews, a national online survey and construct an input and output model to perform analysis.

The goals of the project are:

• To increase the understanding of the current state of the sector, including the topics of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility;
• To identify and articulate the economic and social impacts of sport and recreational participation and performance pathways within the sector; 
• To develop strategic recommendations to ensure the sustainability and inclusivity of the sector.

The previous study that was published in March of 2011, which can be found here, covered Horses in Canada in 2010, cost of ownership, economic contribution from horses and industry trends from 1998 though 2010.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Equestrian Canada again to support the country’s equestrian sport and recreation sector,” says Dr. Bronwynne Wilton, the Principal and Lead Consultant at Wilton Consulting Group. “The Measuring Impact study will build on the Response to COVID-19 for Canada’s Active Equines Summary Report, which underscored that ‘active equines are a viable component of Canada’s agricultural system.’ Through the new project, Equestrian Canada will gain a more fulsome picture of the economic and social impacts of the sector.”

The timeline of the final report, which will be reviewed by 15 people in an advisory group, is scheduled to be submitted in March 2023. This will give an overview of the evolution and current state of the Canadian Equestrian sport and recreation sector, highlight the economic and social impacts of the sector, outline challenges, opportunities and recommendations to consider.

“Our team will consider the wide variety of equestrian sport and recreation activities across Canada to accurately assess the total contribution of the equine industry to Canada's economy,” says Bob Burden, a Senior Director with Serecon.

In addition to the study, Canadian MBA student Caleigh Rutledge is currently conducting research into the Future of Equestrian Small and Medium Enterprise Profitability through a survey as part of her thesis and will be providing her report back to EC. We encourage all small and medium size equestrian business owners to provide information into the research being conducted to allow our sector to be as well informed and knowledgeable as possible.

About Equestrian Canada

Equestrian Canada (EC) is the national governing body for equestrian sport and industry in Canada, with a mandate to represent, promote and advance all equine and equestrian interests. With over 15,000 sport licence holders, 11 provincial/territorial sport organization partners and 10+ national equine affiliate organizations, EC is a significant contributor to the social, physical, emotional, and economic wellbeing of the equestrian industry across Canada.

About Wilton Consulting Group

Wilton Consulting Group (WCG) is based in Fergus, ON, and focuses on facilitating sustainability and innovation in agri-food and rural systems through a change management approach. WCG offers a specialized agri-food sector research consulting service with deep connections across the Canadian industry. WCG’s research strengths draw upon a wide range of qualitative and quantitative methods and approaches. WCG collaborated with EC on its 2020 Response to COVID-19 for Canada’s Active Equines Summary Report. WCG has also supported such national clients as the Canadian Federation of Canada, Farm Management Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

About Serecon

Serecon provides objective value-added services to the agriculture and food sectors through asset and business valuation; management consulting services; and advisory services. Serecon has ample experience developing economic impact models for various sectors across Canada including equestrian, agricultural research, and primary agriculture production projects. These models use expenditure or income indicators along with economic multipliers to measure economic activity within a specific region. Serecon’s main offices are in Alberta and the firm also has branches in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Ontario.

Serecon has worked with equestrian organizations to help them better understand their members’ contributions to their regional economies. Serecon has also collaborated with such clients as Alberta Beef Producers, Egg Farmers of Canada, and the Canadian Pork Council.

Photo: Shutterstock/Barry Fowler