Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, October 13, 2011 – The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced the awarding of $642,768 in non-repayable funding to the Centre technologique des résidus industriels (CTRI).
“CTRI’s knowledge and expertise can go a long way to helping the region diversify its economy. That is why the Government of Canada is pleased to lend the Centre its financial support,” said Minister Lebel.
CTRI has acquired state-of-the-art equipment related to waste biomass sectors, notably forestry, in order to make it available to regional small and medium-sized enterprises in the secondary and tertiary transformation sectors, that will use it to ensure growth by focusing on value-added products.
CTRI is a college-based technology transfer centre whose mission is to stimulate innovation and technological development through the creation of value from industrial waste and under-utilized resources generated primarily by the forestry, mining and agricultural sectors.The financial assistance announced today has been granted through Canada Economic Development’s Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies ( TISQFE).
About the TISQFE
In force since June 2010, this initiative is aimed at helping 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 past July 14, the Government of Canada announced its intention to allocate an additional $20 million over two years to support the Quebec silvicultural sector in 2011 and 2012.
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 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.
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Sources:
François Bélisle
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 1-800-567-6451
E-mail: francois.belisle@dec-ced.gc.ca
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Canada Economic development
Tel.: 514-496-1282
E-mail: pierre.florea@tc.gc.ca
