Question Period Note: Achievements in terms of economic development in Quebec

Achievements in terms of economic development in Quebec

• Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions is the key federal partner for regional economic development in Quebec.
• Since November 2015, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions has approved over 4,400 projects, amounting to a total of more than $2.2 billion in funding that has generated $9.6 billion in investments and helped create or maintain over 75,000 jobs.
• Through its 12 community-focused business offices located across Quebec, CED assists businesses and the regions with a view to boosting the prosperity of our economy and our communities by supporting projects that generate long-term economic benefits.
  Supplementary response:
• CED contributes to the Government of Canada’s efforts to increase the participation of under-represented groups in the economy, including women, Indigenous peoples and persons from minority groups.
• CED acts as an accelerator of economic growth: its interventions support regional innovation, the growth of SMEs and the vitality of Quebec communities.
• CED’s interventions are aligned with Government of Canada priorities:
  * $764 million for innovation projects,
  * $263.7 million for clean tech projects,
  * $268.9 million for tourism projects,
  * $50.8 million for Indigenous projects,
  ** $85.5 million for women entrepreneurship projects.

• CED’s mission is to promote the long-term economic development of the regions of Quebec by giving special attention to those where slow economic growth is prevalent or where opportunities for productive employment are inadequate. It also supports the transition and diversification of communities that remain dependent on a limited number of sectors, or that have been affected by an economic shock.
• CED supports businesses—mainly SMEs and the non-profit organizations (NPOs) that assist them—by making strategic investments that have a positive impact on the growth and prosperity of these businesses, thus contributing to the economic vitality of all regions of Quebec by leveraging their competitive regional advantages.
• Through its regular programs and various initiatives, CED has played a key role in the delivery of federal COVID-19 emergency response measures and is actively involved in efforts to ensure that businesses are able to invest in their recovery and long-term prosperity and contribute to community revitalization.
  Examples of projects funded by CED
• Innovation: In 2019, CED awarded a $300,000 repayable contribution to Boréas Technologies, a startup company in the microelectronics sector that specializes in the design and sale of piezoelectric control circuits capable of powering touchpads (e.g., textures, vibrations) on a computer screen. CED’s funding targeted the international commercialization of piezoelectric control circuits. Boréas has been located at the C2MI in Bromont, Quebec, since its creation, and has benefited from the centre’s facilities to ensure its growth. CED supports the C2MI.
• Clean tech: CED authorized a $544,342 repayable contribution for Motrec International, a manufacturer of electric industrial vehicles made of steel, based in Sherbrooke, that markets a line of distinct, environmentally friendly and robust vehicle models. The funding awarded in 2019 enabled Motrec to integrate digital technologies for the development of a functional prototype of an auto-steer electric industrial tractor.
• Tourism: In 2019, CED awarded a non-repayable contribution of $228,000 over three years (2019–2022) to the Société touristique des aboriginals du Québec (STAQ) for the implementation of its marketing plan and the development of Indigenous tourism products.
• Indigenous peoples: In 2018, CED authorized a $262,120 repayable contribution for the startup of Innuberge, a three-star accommodation facility that plans to offer ecotourism activities in the community of Unamen Shipu on the Lower North Shore. The project involves the acquisition and installation of high end prefabricated chalets and the construction of a multi-purpose pavilion.
• Women entrepreneurship: Staca Inc., which received funding in 2019 under the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), is a Jonquière-based business specializing in the recovery and treatment of industrial residues from aluminum smelters. Managed by three women, the business provides a service that is unique in Canada and results from ongoing R&D activities. CED authorized a $100,000 contribution to help the business grow and improve its productivity through the acquisition of production equipment.
• Cultural communities: CED funds the Fonds afro-entrepreneurs in order to provide entrepreneurs from black communities in Quebec with support services tailored to their business’s specific phase of development (start-up, growth, upscaling, structuring, etc.). The $2,995,600 non-repayable contribution was awarded through the Black Entrepreneurship Program Ecosystem Fund and covers a four-year period.

With its 12 business offices located across Quebec, CED is the key federal partner for regional economic development in Quebec. Through its regular and temporary programs CED supports regional innovation, the growth of SMEs and the vitality of Quebec communities.