Val-d’Or, Quebec, September 28, 2009 − The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today announced the awarding of $800,000 in non-repayable funding to the Corporation de développement industriel et commercial de la région de Val-d’Or. This amount, which comes on top of the $2.2 million granted to the Corporation earlier this year, rounds out the financing needed to complete construction of the Northern mining transit centre at Val-d’Or airport.
“It was imperative that the Government of Canada support this project given the strategic importance of such a facility for Abitibi-Témiscamingue. In addition to generating direct financial spinoffs, particularly for SME goods and services providers, it also promises to contribute to local economic growth through the infrastructure work being carried out in the Vallée-de-l’Or RCM,” explained the Minister of State.
The Northern mining transit centre answers the needs of mining companies and their suppliers who have to rely on air transport to serve their customers over the vast distances of the Great Canadian North. Necessitating an overall investment of $6.7 million, the project has already created four full-time jobs.
Mining is a promising growth sector for Abitibi-Témiscamingue, as are tourism, agri-food processing and the transformation of forest products. It is therefore in these priority areas that Canada Economic Development has decided to focus its development efforts in the region. This funding to the Corporation de développement industriel et commercial de la région de Val-d’Or has been awarded through the Community Diversification program.
“Our government adopted Canada’s Economic Action Plan in January of this year to tackle the economic crisis that has hit our country and the rest of the world. This large-scale measure is aimed not only at bringing about our rapid recovery, but also at laying the foundations for solid long-term economic growth and job creation. This Plan will lead to the investment of nearly $62 billion in our economy over the next two years,” Minister Lebel concluded.
For more on Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
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Sources:
François Bélisle
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-825-5260, ext. 235
E-mail: francois.belisle@dec-ced.gc.ca
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Cell: 613-996-6236
E-mail: simon.bachand@dec-ced.gc.ca
