July 28, 2015 – Ile-a-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan – Western Economic Diversification Canada
The Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse will construct a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) certified fish packing and processing facility thanks to a $950,000 investment from the Government of Canada announced today by Rob Clarke, Member of Parliament for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, on behalf of the Honourable Michelle Rempel, Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification.
According to the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC), there is a growing consumer demand for fresh wild-caught fish nationally and internationally. The Ile-a-la-Crosse facility currently takes fresh caught fish from local fishers and sends them to the FFMC to process and distribute. This investment in a new federally registered facility will expand the existing fishing industry in Northwest Saskatchewan by introducing new value-added products, such as northern pike roe and deboned northern pike fillets, which will be exported to new international markets. The new facility will have the capacity to process the increasing amount of fish delivered by local and regionally-based fishers.
Rhonda Laing
Director, Policy, Planning and External Relations
Western Economic Diversification Canada
Telephone: 306-975-5944
Email: rhonda.laing@wd-deo.gc.ca
Celine Favreau
Project Coordinator
Sakitawak Development Corporation
Northern Village of Ile-a-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan
Telephone: 306-833-7335
Email: sdc3@sasktel.net
WD Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-WEST (9378)
Teletypewriter (TTY): 1-877-303-3388
Website: WD is online at www.wd-deo.gc.ca.
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