Rivière-Rouge, Quebec, April 30, 2008 – The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada Economic Development, today announced that Serres de la Vallée will receive $52,500 in non-repayable funding to modernize its facilities and boost its production capabilities.
Serres de la Vallée has been specializing in the cultivation of ornamental and medicinal plants and herbs without pesticides or chemical fertilizers since 2002. The firm intends to use this financial assistance to acquire a new greenhouse equipped with a radiant heat flood-floor and purchase other high-performance equipment. This investment will enable the company to cut costs, improve the quality of its plants, upgrade its existing greenhouses and increase its production by an additional 52,800 plants per year.
"Canada Economic Development is tuned in to the needs of the regions and committed to helping them in their efforts to maximize the development potential of enterprises operating within their territory. Quebec's small and medium-sized enterprises need to consolidate their strengths in order to create sustainable jobs. That is precisely what Serres de la Vallée is doing with this project that promises to help diversify the single-industry economy of the Antoine-Labelle Regional County Municipality," noted Minister Blackburn.
The new Serres de la Vallée facilities are expected to help the firm gain a solid foothold in Quebec's horticultural sector, where consumer demand for these types of products continues to grow. The enterprise's project will also contribute to the local employment market by creating two full-time jobs and one seasonal position.
The funding announced today has been awarded through Canada Economic Development's Community Economic Diversification Initiative – Vitality (CEDI-Vitality), whose aims are to foster the diversification of the economic base of communities, reduce their reliance on the single-industry economy and create sustainable local employment.
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Sources:
Nathalie Lévesque
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-283-0306
Cell.: 514-966-0661
E-mail: nathalie.levesque@dec-ced.gc.ca
Sylvain Frenette
Office of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 514-496-1282
E-mail: sylvain.frenette@dec-ced.gc.ca
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