St-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec, August 25, 2011 – Acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and La Francophonie), today announced the awarding of $839,357 in total repayable financial assistance to five Bas-Saint-Laurent manufacturing firms for productivity enhancement.
"Our government is committed to supporting Quebec's regions, particularly the ones severely affected by the forest crisis, in their efforts to diversify their economies and create and maintain employment. The Government of Canada is proud to lend its assistance to these five Bas-Saint-Laurent enterprises so they can improve their performance and productivity," said Minister of State Valcourt.
The acquisition of technological equipment will help these firms raise their efficiency and cost-effectiveness while improving their manufacturing processes and product quality. They will thus be in a better position to enhance their performance and to withstand fluctuations in certain industrial sectors.
The value-added transformation of wood, metal products and innovative materials is a priority area of action for Canada Economic Development in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. The projects announced today will help consolidate the economy of municipalities hard hit by the crisis in the forest sector. This funding from the Government of Canada has been granted through the Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE).
The Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies was brought into force in June 2010 to help communities affected by the forestry crisis diversify their economies in order to ensure their growth and create and maintain employment. The initiative's goal is also to support small and medium-sized businesses in these communities in their efforts to secure their viability and sustainable development. This measure is one of several put in place by the Government of Canada in the past months to counteract the effects of the forest crisis. Others include, for example, the Community Adjustment Fund, with its $1 billion budget over the past two years to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, the $1 billion granted to the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program to help enterprises carry out environmentally-friendly projects and the $230 million invested, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, for silvicultural work and the restoration of bridges and culverts on multi-use forest roads. Workers have also received their fair share of support, with the Government of Canada introducing some of the most generous measures in history to help them through the economic crisis.
A backgrounder is attached.
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Sources:
Lyne Montpellier
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-371-5138 or 1-800-567-8637
E-mail: lyne.montpellier@dec-ced.gc.ca
Benoît Fortin
Special Assistant, Communications
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-923-9209
E-mail: benoit.fortin@tc.gc.ca
