Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Funding Announcement

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)

Waterloo, Ontario
November 23, 2009

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Welcome ladies and gentlemen, friends and honoured guests.

Thank you to the University of Waterloo for hosting us today. It’s wonderful to be here at this world-renown institution that inspires innovation, creativity and excellence.

I’m here to share an exciting announcement that will create jobs and will continue to put the southern Ontario region and Canada at the forefront of diabetes research.

I get to wear both of my hats today. I’m here as Minister of State for Science and Technology, or S&T as we like to call it, and as Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, otherwise known as FedDev Ontario.

Our government understands the importance of S&T in not only improving, but in changing the lives of Canadians. In our first three budgets, we have demonstrated this commitment by investing more than $2.2 billion in new S&T funding.

And as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we made one of the biggest investments in S&T in our country’s history. This year alone, we have committed more than $5.1-billion toward science and technology initiatives.

S&T and innovation play an influential role in this region’s and this country’s future.

For Canada to be successful, our communities and our regions have to be competitive, diversified and prosperous.

That’s where my second hat as Minister of State for FedDev Ontario comes in.

Canadians’ number one priority and our government’s number one priority right now is our economy.

Our Economic Action Plan builds on Canada’s strengths and sets the path for our future economic success. We have reduced taxes, paid down the debt and invested in infrastructure and post-secondary institutions.

And there is evidence that our government’s actions are having a real impact and our economy is starting to benefit from our plan.

But we still need to do more.  And you can see that right here in the Waterloo area.

There are 550 high-tech companies, and 1,500 to 2,000 jobs open every day. But the region’s unemployment rate is 9.2 per cent, which is higher than the national average.

This is why, under Canada’s Economic Action Plan, our government provided $1 billion for a new southern Ontario development agency.

The Agency was created to provide the tools and resources that communities and businesses need to diversify and become more competitive.

In other words, we assist community, research and business leaders in creating jobs, and in bringing new and exciting products and services to Ontario, to Canada and to the world.

This brings me to today’s announcement, which is about improving the quality of life for many Ontarians, Canadians and people from around the world.

It is appropriate that I am making this announcement in November, which is diabetes awareness month.

The journey to save the lives of people with diabetes started decades ago.

Of course I’m talking about scientists Frederick Banting and Charles Best’s discovery of insulin in 1921-22. Without a doubt, Sir Banting and Dr. Best’s discovery is hailed as one of the twentieth century's greatest medical discoveries.

As you know, insulin saves millions of lives worldwide. And while it’s important to celebrate this Canadian accomplishment – we can’t stop there. We must continue to work for a cure.

And that is why I am pleased to announce that, through the Southern Ontario Development Program, our government will invest $20 million in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Canada to strengthen Ontario’s position as an international leader in diabetes research and create hundreds of high-paying, highly skilled new jobs.

This investment will support the launch of a clinical trial network in southern Ontario, expand diabetes research, and help bring new technology to the marketplace, so that Canadians and people around the world can benefit.  For example, this partnership will help support the Foundation’s Artificial Pancreas Project and Regenerative Medicine Technology program.

This new partnership will diversify Ontario’s economy into research fields for which there are worldwide needs, and attract international researchers and institutions to the province.

It will also support the development of a standard model for clinical trials that will be available to diabetes researchers, institutions and funding partners across Canada and around the world.

Ladies and gentlemen – more than 180,000 Canadians are living with juvenile diabetes. And Canada has the sixth highest incidence rate for children 14 years or younger in the world.

The Foundation’s mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through research.

We are pleased to be supporting their cause.

This project will involve other institutions such as the University of Waterloo and McMaster University, along with other southern Ontario institutions. It’s about providing a strategic investment to support science from discovery to the delivery of new innovations to the marketplace.

Our government understands the importance of investing in industry-leading research and technology, because we recognize the critical role it plays in our economy. Our government is focused on creating the jobs of tomorrow – today. And that is just what we are doing, here in Waterloo and across the province.  

I look forward to working with all of you as, as we pave the way for long-term growth and prosperity.