Sept-Îles, Quebec, February 21, 2008 Speaking at a conference
luncheon organized by the Chambre de commerce de Sept-Îles today, the
Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada
Economic Development, made clear his firm intention to follow up on the
recommendations of Quebec's 14 advisory committees.
These committees were created at the Minister's behest to advise him on the
directions and priorities that should be adopted in each region of Quebec and to
recommend the best course of action for tackling the various issues of the day
and meeting the needs of the province's communities and businesses.
"This initiative stems from my own personal conviction that citizen
participation is key to our success in economic development. These committees
have come up with 275 recommendations that now serve as food for thought in
our process to develop new initiatives and improve those measures already in
place. To the extent that it is financially feasible, I intend to follow through
on the work of these committees with the view to updating and enhancing the
support we give to regional development initiatives," Minister Blackburn
stated.
Minister Blackburn hopes to respond swiftly to the proposals put forth by the
advisory committees, and therefore wants, as his first order of business, to
extend the Community Economic Diversification Initiative Vitality and
Community Economic Facilities for the Regions measures introduced in the
first phase of his action plan.
In the wake of recommendations on tourisma sector considered a catalyst for
regional growthMinister Blackburn said he hopes to work with the
Government of Quebec in supporting certain port cities that show a clear
potential for becoming international cruiseship stops. Such action would be
consistent with Canada Economic Development's strategy to diversify and
revitalize the economy of numerous communities, which would then reap the
rewards of subsequent spin-offs.
As many of the recommendations relate to the activities and growth cycles
of Quebec enterprises, the driving forces behind job creation and wealth,
Canada Economic Development is also giving serious consideration to the possibility of
relaxing the eligibility criteria for the Partnering with Enterprises for
Commercialization initiative, most notably in the area of eligible costs and
activities, so as to bolster its support to export firms.
Minister Blackburn is placing considerable weight as well on recommendations
for the adoption of new initiatives that seek to foster innovative startups and
are consistent with the objectives laid out in the Venture Capital Fund for
Business Startups in the Regions and Capital Fund for Business
Succession established by the Minister in 2006.
Lastly, the Minister is evaluating a number of other proposals pertaining to
business spin-offs, funding for specialized equipment manufacturers in the
natural resources sector and support for experimentation projects.
"We can draw inspiration from these recommendations in order to give
ourselves tools that are well-adapted to today's reality. Thus, the regions of
Quebec, whose needs have been taken into full account throughout this process,
will be able to confidently set out along the path to sustainable development
and prosperity," Minister Blackburn concluded.
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For more information: Programs.
Sources:
Catherine ValléeCommunicationsCanada Economic Development Tel.:
514-283-0368E-mail: catherine.vallee@dec-ced.gc.ca
Jean-Philippe PaymentPress SecretaryOffice of the Honourable
Jean-Pierre BlackburnCanada Economic
DevelopmentTel.: 819-953-5646E-mail: jeanphilippe.payment@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca
