Arthur Kroeger, a former Deputy Minister and SRDC board member died on May 9, 2008. Mr. Kroeger served as a Deputy Minister of a number of federal government department over nearly 20 years including the Ministry of Indian and Northern Development, of Transportation, of Regional Industrial Expansion and of Energy, Mines and Resources.
However, it was in his role as Deputy Minister of Employment and Immigration — now Human Resources and Social Development Canada — that he had the greatest influence on SRDC. Mr. Kroeger pushed for a randomized field trial to show the effects of a “make work pay” strategy on the ability of long-term welfare recipients to make the transition to full-time employment. The project — the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) — became SRDC’s and Canada’s most famous randomized field trial. It is studied around the world.
Mr. Kroeger also saw the need for an organization to provide objective, high-quality policy evidence to government. As a result, he was instrumental in the founding of SRDC and providing it with its first major research contract in the form of SSP.
After retiring from the civil service, Arthur Kroeger joined the SRDC Board of Directors in 1996 where his extensive experience with policy-making and labour markets were highly valued. Mr. Kroeger retired from the SRDC Board of Directors in 2004.
Mr. Kroeger will be sorely missed. We offer our most sincere condolences to his family.
