Speaking Points
Susan Truppe,
Member of Parliament for London North Centre
London, Ontario
March 6, 2015
Check Against Delivery
(4 minutes, 41 seconds)
Good morning ladies and gentlemen, friends and guests.
Thank you, Minister Holder for the warm introduction.
Thank you to the representatives from Fanshawe College for welcoming us to your London campus and for hosting today's announcement.
I'm very happy to be here today, alongside Minister Goodyear and my esteemed colleagues from London, Minister Holder and MP Joe Preston.
We are here today to deliver some great news from the Government of Canada.
As you know, our Government is committed to providing the necessary targeted investments to retain, attract and grow Canadian businesses. We are investing in smart, collaborative partnerships with a mission of growing marketable, competitive industries here in Canada.
Jobs, growth and prosperity remain top priorities for our Government and we are dedicated to making our economy stronger.
Building a resilient economy and healthy workforce is very much on the minds of many here in this region of Ontario. Our community has had its share of setbacks and job loss, with the recent closing of the Kellogg plant, and the Ford and GE Electro-Motive plants. It hasn't been easy, but we are committed to rebuilding — and we are seeing signs that our economy will regain strength.
In London alone, we have gained 8,000 more jobs since last January, and the unemployment rate now stands at 7.6 per cent.
Our Government knows that more attention and support is needed for this region of London to grow and prosper. That's why we are investing in smart partnerships between local businesses and research and development institutions that fuel their growth and advancement.
Fanshawe College is one such institution, with a fine record of conducting applied research and providing practical services to industries and businesses in this region.
With this in mind, I'm pleased to be here to deliver some great news from the Harper Government.
To support a new testing and validation centre to service many different industry sectors in southern Ontario, our Government, through FedDev Ontario, is pleased to provide Fanshawe College with up to $8.1 million.
This contribution is through FedDev Ontario's Investing in Commercialization Partnerships initiative, which is designed to support partnerships that turn discovery and innovation into commercially successful businesses — which ultimately leads to more job creation.
With this funding, Fanshawe College is going to launch the Canadian Centre for Product Validation. This new centre will have the capabilities to conduct four different types of testing in one central location. This will be very advantageous for companies that need to undergo more than one type of testing for their products.
Funding for this new facility means that industries across southern Ontario, including our vital manufacturing sector, will have the chance to develop their products and new technologies more efficiently.
And I'm sure you will all be pleased to learn that this project is expected to create up to 165 jobs for this region.
Congratulations and I wish all those involved the best of luck and success.
I'm looking forward to seeing the range of products and services that stem from great, collaborative relationships.
