Minister Paradis Underscores Benefits of Economic Action Plan in Granby Region

GRANBY, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Feb. 24, 2011) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Natural Resources, today toured the construction site of Léonard-Grondin arena in Granby. This project, which received funding through the Government of Canada's economic action plan, resulted in local job creation and a better quality of life for the region's residents.

"The economy is the Government of Canada's number one priority. That is why we are continuing to implement Canada's Economic Action Plan," stated Minister Paradis. "Projects like the construction of a third ice rink at Léonard-Grondin arena are intended not only to stimulate the local economy and job creation, but also to encourage a greater percentage of the population to incorporate sports and physical activity into their daily lives."

The addition of a third rink at the Granby arena will help increase available ice time for residents of Granby and surrounding municipalities. Renovation of the 40 year-old building will also make the facility more functional for internal usage. Once the work is complete, the facility's locker rooms will also be accessible to users of the nearby soccer fields. The Government of Canada contributed $6,257,010 toward this project.

Granby Zoo also received a total of $7.17 million in funding through Canada's Economic Action Plan for the construction of a pavilion for South Pacific aquatic species and for the recreation of natural habitats for snow leopards and Amur leopards. The construction of the South Pacific pavilion alone accounted for $6 million in federal funding. 

Canada's Economic Action Plan is continuing to stimulate employment and economic growth through its support of more than 26,000 job-creating projects, either ongoing or now completed, in all regions of the country. 

The results are clear: since July 2009, more than 460,000 new jobs have been created and the economy has registered growth during five consecutive quarters.

Canada's Economic Action Plan provides for nearly $16 billion in funding to modernize such public infrastructure as, among other things, highways, bridges, public transit and parks, as well as to help Canadians become homeowners, stimulate the housing construction industry and improve housing conditions throughout Canada.

Meeting with entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector

While on visit to the Granby area, Minister Paradis also toured the facilities of Stedfast, a producer of textile coating and laminating technologies and of barrier textiles that are resistant to water, cold, fire, bacteria, radiation and toxic chemicals.

The Minister went on to meet with entrepreneurs from the Granby manufacturing sector to discuss the issues and challenges facing the region's industry. Minister Paradis took the opportunity to outline the benefits of the Government of Canada's Tax Reduction Plan and of its free trade agenda, which attracts investment and creates jobs.

The Government of Canada has introduced close to 120 tax relief measures, giving the country an overall tax rate on new business investment that is considerably lower than that of any other G-7 country. 

"Canadian companies and workers can compete with the best in the world while remaining confident that the Government of Canada will keep tax rates low to preserve and create jobs and open up new markets to our businesses," the Minister concluded.

For more on Canada's Economic Action Plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.