Lawrence Cannon meets Pontiac Mayors

February 26, 2010

The Member of Parliament for Pontiac and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Lawrence Cannon, met with Pontiac Mayors last Friday, March 26, to discuss the economic situation before the 2010 federal budget.
 
“This working meeting with the Pontiac Mayors allowed me to take the temperature of the population on the pursuit of the region’s economic development, said Minister Cannon.  We discussed progress to date and projects financed by the federal Government, in big part by Canada’s Economic Action Plan - an unprecedented plan to create and maintain jobs - to continue building the region, together.”
 
“We have also discussed the strategic plan « Vision Pontiac 2020 » presented by the MRC, CLD and SADC Pontiac. To this effect, I salute the unprecedented mobilization and the extraordinary willpower of Mayors and stakeholders to take their destiny in their own hands to the benefit of their communities and future generations. I would like to reiterate to them my indefectible support. I will continue to offer all the tools the Government of Canada has to offer to support economic growth, diversification and job creation.”
 
In June 2009, the Corporation de développement économique du Pontiac received $217,500 in funding for the hiring of skilled individuals to adapt the Pontiac’s global development strategy into short-term action plans for the forestry, agri-food and tourism sectors and then implement these sectoral plans. This is now a reality. This project will extend over a two-year period and necessitate an overall investment of $464,000.

The SADC Pontiac, for its part, will be given $50,000 in assistance to conduct a study on the economic, recreational tourism and social potential of operating the Beachburg Sub railway line. Running between Pembroke and Ottawa, this line connects with a 30-kilometre stretch of track extending from Norway Bay to Portage-du-Fort, in Pontiac. The study, the result of a broad regional consensus, will serve to identify the development opportunities associated with freight and passenger (commuter and traveller) rail transport services between Ottawa and rural Pontiac. Developing this railway service would help draw manufacturing companies to the area and encourage resumption of industrial activities that have been temporarily suspended. Completion of this study will require an overall investment of $120,000.