Minister Blackburn and Economic Players Working to Set Strategic Directions for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region

News Release

Val-d'Or, Quebec, January 14, 2008 The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada Economic Development, took the opportunity while in Val-d'Or today to meet with members of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Advisory Committee and take stock of their progress.
This Committee was mandated to conduct a diagnosis of the region's economic situation and advise Canada Economic Development and its Minister on the directions and priorities that should be adopted to further the region's development.
"I would like to highlight the rigour with which the members of the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Advisory Committee have carried out their task and the quality of the work they have done. The advice they have provided to date has already given us food for thought in our efforts to develop new initiatives or bring improvements to existing measures," stated Minister Blackburn.
In addition to matters of a more regional nature, these discussions centred on general concerns regarding the shortage of venture capital for business startups and succession. In the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, the renewal of mineral resources has become a key issue of concern whose solution lies in the mining of new mineral deposits and the development of exploration tools specifically designed for deep deposits.
"Abitibi-Témiscamingue has built a solid reputation in the mining sector. It is a target niche for Canada Economic Development's interventions in your region, and we are already funding a number of projects related to mining exploration and innovation. I, like many others, believe that we must take advantage of the new business opportunities arising from the high commercial value of metals," Minister Blackburn concluded.
The advisory committees were established to enable the regions to gain the ear of the Government of Canada, whose goal is to meet the public's needs and expectations in the area of sustainable development. This allows Canada Economic Development and regional economic stakeholders to better synchronize their efforts in order to achieve their common objectives.
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Sources:
François Bélisle
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-825-5260, ext. 235
Cell.: 819-856-3520
E-mail: francois.belisle@dec-ced.gc.ca
Jean-Philippe Payment
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-953-5646
E-mail: jeanphilippe.payment@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca

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Minister Blackburn and Economic Players Working to Set Strategic Directions for the Abitibi-Témiscamingue Region

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