Good morning and thank you Anne for that kind introduction.
And, of course, Kellie, my sincere congratulations on this much deserved award.
Madames et messieurs, c'est un grand plaisir d'etre ici avec vous aujourd'hui. It's a pleasure to be here at the Ivey Global Health Conference.
I see the theme of this year's conference is one of innovation, and the potential it has to transform the health care system.
And I can tell you this is something that ties in well with our approach at the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, or FedDev Ontario as we're commonly known.
It's no secret that innovation is the key to success, not just for the health sector, but for all sectors throughout our region.
New ideas, new products, new approaches. These are crucially important to ensure our nation's prosperity.
Ladies and gentlemen, I can tell you that our Government remains committed to what is most important to Canadians.
We continue to focus on maintaining and creating jobs and securing economic success. We remain focused on keeping taxes low and returning to balanced budgets; maintaining our exemplary banking system; keeping our families and communities safe; standing up for Canada; and being ever so vigilant about the uncertain world economy. The results of these actions have been quite clear.
We are in fact the leaders of the G7 on job creation, and we are the envy of the world with respect to our balance sheets.
And we believe the time is now here to start turning the page on the turbulent economic times and look towards the future and our prosperity—as a country, of course, but also as a collection of regions. We know that it is by working together that we can make this happen.
And folks, that really is the prime focus of FedDev Ontario.
In our first four years, we have committed over $1.1 billion, resulting in partnerships with more than 5,300 organizations and over $1.5 billion in additional leveraged investments from almost exclusively non-government sources to support businesses, manufacturers, organizations and communities in southern Ontario.
This includes a number of innovative projects designed to bring benefits for the health care sector and people throughout southern Ontario.
One of the first big projects we got involved with at FedDev Ontario was through our $20-million investment in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, or JDRF. Our funding is helping the JDRF further develop an artificial pancreas for type 1 diabetes and simultaneously establish a Clinical Trial Network in southern Ontario.
Our investment has helped accelerate the development of the Artificial Pancreas Project — a system that will revolutionize diabetes care and will greatly improve the lives of those living with type 1 diabetes.
It is targeted research like this that leads to the development of new technologies that make us healthier, save lives, and improve our quality of life.
Another project from our early days was our investment of $10 million to help Sick Kids perfect the KidsArm, a robotic technique allowing surgeons to safely and efficiently perform less invasive surgical procedures on the most precious of patients in our health care system.
The development of KidsArm, while improving quality of life for kids, was estimated to create 80 jobs – this includes a wide range of professionals: engineers, manufacturing workers, researchers, clinicians and many more.
Earlier this year, we announced funding of up to $5.3 million to help B'nai Brith to create the Centre of Innovation Excellence for Alzheimer's Care, which, as you know, is managed in partnership with the Ivey International Centre for Health Innovation.
Our investment helped complete construction of the Centre and hire eight dedicated employees, who are leading collaborations among industry, research and not-for-profit partners. Within the Centre, partners will develop, test and commercialize new Alzheimer's technologies, products, and care approaches, with the ultimate goal of reaching international markets. In fact, Dr. Snowden and I were just there a few weeks ago for the grand opening.
I'm extremely proud of the difference we're making through projects like this.
I can tell you, our efforts so far have put thousands of people in the region back to work while improving the economic climate for innovation, entrepreneurship and collaboration. This has improved productivity and allowed us to compete with other economies around the world. It has also lead, as just demonstrated, to some exciting and innovative ideas within the health sector that helps improve the lives of Canadians.
But obviously we know there is still important work to do.
Our businesses and workers, more than ever, need to be innovative and improve their productivity. They need to access new markets, build world-leading products, and integrate into global value chains. Our industries, including our manufacturers, need to adopt new technologies and equipment into their operations.
And of course, this applies to all sectors in all corners of southern Ontario, including the health care sector.
It is up to all of us to foster this culture of innovation.
As we know, our population is aging on the whole, and expanding in number. We need to be able to make sure that our older folks have a quality of life that is reflective of our appreciation for what they have achieved, and the contributions they have made for each of us.
Now more than ever we need to invest in innovative health care and preventative measures.
In September, I was pleased to announce more than $15 million for the Connected Health and Wellness Project, which, as you know, is a technology platform containing an integrated suite of compatible technologies and apps designed to improve the health of Canadians.
This project will allow patients to access and share their health records with their family, friends and care teams, including a health coach, to collaboratively manage their health and wellness. This technology will allow hospitals, physicians and other healthcare professionals to access and update this information on an ongoing basis. It is also positioning southern Ontario as a leader in advancing health coaching, which is intended to help Canada and other countries around the world find new ways to decrease healthcare costs.
FedDev Ontario's investment in the Connected Health and Wellness Project is helping to create the conditions necessary to make southern Ontario's businesses and not-for-profit institutions global leaders in the development and delivery of integrated electronic healthcare software.
These are the types of things we need to do. Generate new ways of thinking, and new solutions to old problems which will result in improved health outcomes and a better quality of life for our people here in southern Ontario, and across Canada.
And, I do not need to tell any of you here today, as we all know, you don't have anything if you don't have your health. I therefore commend you for your efforts in ensuring, through hard work and innovation, that Canadians get top notch health care.
Thank you. Merci.
