Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec – Good afternoon, everyone.
I would like to begin by thanking my good friend, Denis Lebel, for his kind introduction.
Denis is a valuable ally to mayors thanks to his wealth of experience, and in his capacity as Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, he is well acquainted with the issues facing the regions.
He is also doing a tremendous job as Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and deserves a warm round of applause.
Mr. Mayor, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is always a pleasure to be back in the beautiful city of Rivière-du-Loup.
I can easily understand why one of the Fathers of Confederation, John A. Macdonald, was so taken with your region… in summer, that is.
Yes, this is true, it is history.
Our very first Prime Minister was advised by his doctor that Rivière-du-Loup was the most appropriate place for him to regain his health, at least in the summertime.
And so it was that for almost two decades, Sir John A. Macdonald kept a summer residence in Rivière-du-Loup just by the river.
This site remains very vibrant today, and is home to a lodge on the banks of the river – an ideal vantage point from which to admire the St. Lawrence Valley.
Regardless of the time of year, your region has a lot going for it.
You can count on an industrious workforce, a dynamic business community and modern infrastructure.
Recently the Fondation de l’entrepreneurship recognized your region for its dynamic spirit and innovative culture.
The foundation conferred on you the title of “leading model community for entrepreneurial culture in Quebec.”
So it is safe to say that your business community is not afraid of challenges.
And we all know that there has been no shortage of challenges in recent years.
But our Government has remained fully committed to economic development in every corner of our great country.
We have made major investments, especially to encourage innovation in such key sectors as the forestry and manufacturing industries.
These innovations are crucial for creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity.
Needless to say, now is not the time to take our foot off the pedal.
We must continue building a stronger economy and more prosperous communities, with more and more quality jobs.
To that end, our Government is proud to contribute to the success of our economic mainstays.
In your region, one such mainstay is Premier Tech Ltd. Thanks to the leadership shown by Bernard and Jean Bélanger, a homegrown company has carved out a place for itself on the world scene.
Today Premier Tech and its subsidiaries are present in 19 countries all over the world.
Bernard and Jean deserve our congratulations.
They have succeeded, but they have also been generous.
Despite their success in places like Italy, India and Indonesia, Premier Tech’s head office is still right here in Rivière-du-Loup.
It is my great pleasure to announce today that our Government will be making a significant repayable contribution to help Premier Tech develop and commercialize new products, and in so doing, maintain and create over 200 high quality jobs.
We’re talking here about a slew of projects that will develop some 60 new products over a three-year period, and most of the jobs will be created right here in Rivière-du-Loup in such sectors as science and engineering, agricultural microbiology, plant pathology and marketing.
Jobs will also be created in Joliette, Lachenaie, Drummondville, Montreal and Point-Lebel.
This investment will be made through the federal government’s Quebec Economic Development Program and is part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, a plan that delivers concrete results.
The Canadian economy has created over 900,000 net new jobs since the depths of the recent global recession, one of the best job creation records in the developed world.
Our plan contains targeted, reasonable investments that will help companies like Premier Tech create jobs.
Our plan also calls for a return to balanced budgets by the end of the current mandate, because in controlling spending, we ensure the viability of our programs while keeping taxes low for both workers and businesses.
And the concrete measures in this plan, like the one announced today, will continue to create jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity for all Canadians.
Again, my sincerest congratulations, and thank you very much.
