Question Period Note: ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF QUEBEC REGIONS (DECEMBER 3, 2019)

What where CED’s accomplishments to support the economic development of Quebec regions from November 4, 2015 until October 31, 2019?

• Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions helps build a prosperous and inclusive economy, and strong communities.
• Through its interventions, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions supports regional innovation, community vitality, and key sectors such as clean technology, tourism, and women entrepreneurs.
• As such, since November 4, 2015, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions has approved 2,773 projects for a total authorized assistance of $ 1.3 billion that generated investments of $ 6.6 billion.
• The companies and organizations supported by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions expect that these 2773 projects will create more than 22585 jobs.

SUPPLEMENTARY MESSAGES
Out of these 2773 projects supported by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), there were:
• 1524 innovation projects totaling more than $676.9 million in authorized assistance with total investments reaching over $4.3 billion;
• 345 clean technology projects, totaling more than $193.3 million in authorized assistance with total investments of $1.4 billion;
• 371 tourism projects, totaling more than $164 million in authorized assistance and total investments of $1.3 billion;
• 110 projects from Indigenous Communities, totaling $46.5 million in authorized assistance with total investments reaching over $245 million.
• 70 projects Women entrepreneurship projects, totaling $20.3 million in authorized assistance and total investments of over $31.6 million
With a variety of initiatives, CED pays special attention to communities experiencing slow economic growth, either because they depend on a single economic sector or have suffered an economic shock

Examples of projects supported by CED:

Innovation: Machinex Industries Inc. (Machinex) is a world-leader in the design and production of recycling and waste management equipment. CED authorized a repayable contribution of just over $1M for a project evaluated at over $5M involving the development of a series of robotic applications incorporating artificial intelligence recognition systems.
Clean technology: CED authorized a $250,000 repayable contribution for Quebec City–based company IngeniArts Technologies Inc., which specializes in energy storage for electric vehicles. CED’s funding will allow IngeniArts to improve its production and commercialization capabilities for the electrokinetic battery that it has developed.

Tourism: CED has approved a non-refundable contribution of $228,000 over three years (2019-2022) to the Quebec Aboriginal Tourism Corporation (QATC) for the implementation of its marketing plan and for the development of the Aboriginal tourism offer to attract customers from outside Quebec.

Indigenous Communities: CED authorized a repayable contribution of $262,120 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 community is located in an RCM experiencing slow economic growth. The project involves the acquisition and installation of high-end prefabricated cottages and the construction of a multi-purpose pavilion.

Women Entrepreneurship: Supported under the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), Staca Inc. is a Jonquière company that specializes in the recovery and treatment of industrial residues from aluminium smelters, and specifically the recovery of the electrolytic bath. The company, which is managed by three women, provides a service that is unique in Canada and is the result of continuous R&D activities. As a result of Staca’s expertise, only 0.12% of the materials treated annually are sent to landfill. CED authorized a $100,000 non-repayable contribution for the acquisition of production equipment to help the company grow and improve its productivity.

None