New Richmond, Quebec, November 9, 2009 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of State for Canada Economic Development, today announced that the City of New Richmond and the Coopérative Nature Tourisme Aventure Connectée à la Terre (CONTACT) have been awarded a total of $585,100 in non-repayable funding under the Community Diversification program, to support New Richmond and Saint-Elzéar stakeholders and business people in their efforts to revitalize the local economy.
To stimulate its economy, the City of New Richmond has, since 2005, commissioned several studies on business opportunities and growth niches, that ultimately served as the basis for a strategic sustainable development plan. To date, Canada Economic Development has awarded nearly $1.5 million to projects with strong community involvement. The $485,100 in non-repayable federal assistance announced today will enable New Richmond to continue prospecting future economic initiatives and attract new small and medium-sized enterprises to the region. Special attention will be given to projects in such growth sectors as renewable energy and recreational tourism.
“To support enterprises and communities looking to transition seamlessly to new avenues of development, last January the government introduced Canada’s Economic Action Plan which will inject some $62 billion into the economy,” said the Minister of State.
Founded in 2005, the CONTACT cooperative is a sustainable development research laboratory. The project proposed by CONTACT-Nature, one of the solidarity cooperative’s three divisions, involves the establishment of an upscale ecotourism complex offering vacationers an enriching experience in a setting blending modern comfort with respect for the environment. The non-repayable $100,000 contribution from Canada Economic Development will enable CONTACT to commission the preliminary studies concerning the completion of this project: architectural and engineering plans, financing package and commercialization strategy for this innovative tourism traffic builder.
“The fruits of a collaborative effort by the economic players in Baie-des-Chaleurs, who are willing to pool all their resources, the projects announced today are bound to act as a lever for the creation of sustainable jobs. Community stakeholders can count on the support of the Government of Canada in their economic diversification efforts,” the Minister of State concluded.
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Sources:
Lyne Montpellier
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-371-5182
E-mail: lyne.montpellier@dec-ced.gc.ca
Simon Bachand
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 613-996-6236
E-mail: simon.bachand@dec-ced.gc.ca
