Food and Beverage Processing Sector Announcement

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

Hamilton, Ontario
February 3, 2010

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Bonjour. Welcome ladies and gentlemen, friends and honoured guests.

Thank you to Springer’s Meats for hosting us here today.

It’s a pleasure to be in Hamilton, one of Ontario’s most economically diverse regions.

Despite this fact, this region has not been immune to the effects of the economic downturn. Over the past few years, the area has experienced reduced output in the manufacturing sector and falling employment rates.

But a new study by the Conference Board of Canada has indicated that things are looking up, as recoveries in manufacturing and construction are anticipated to help the GDP expand by three per cent this year. And Statistics Canada reports that Ontario employers have created 50,000 new jobs since last summer.

I want to publicly thank David Sweet and Rick Dykstra for their hard work on your behalf, alongside Dean Allison, Mike Wallace, Minister Finley and Minister Rob Nicholson from this region. There is not a stronger team of representatives to be found anywhere in Parliament and it shows what we have been able to accomplish here in greater Hamilton and the Niagara region.

For example, here in Hamilton, our government made many important new investments in the first year of our Economic Action Plan. We have provided more than $19 million to McMaster University to help build the Centre for Spinal Cord Injury and to support nuclear research at Mac.

We also invested nearly $4 million to help the City of Hamilton upgrade its recreation facilities and to support the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority through the Recreational Infrastructure Canada Program.

It is these types of good news stories that make me proud to be leading an organization dedicated to getting stimulus funding out the door and supporting job creation - the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, or FedDev Ontario.

Our Agency was created as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan to provide the tools and resources that communities and businesses in southern Ontario need to diversify and become more competitive.

In fact, since August I’ve announced more than $300 million in new investments to help strengthen the southern Ontario economy.

One of our key funding programs is the Southern Ontario Development Program (SODP). This program supports productivity, innovation, commercialization, community economic development and diversification.

Overall funding for the SODP is $100 million in 2009-10 and is being allocated to targeted areas that need it the most.

One such area is the food and beverage processing sector, the second largest manufacturing sector in Ontario.

Hamilton is home to a large number of food and beverage companies involved in the processing of meats, fruits and vegetables, dairy, bakery, snacks, confectionery and beverages. These companies are also ideally situated with access to a marketplace of more than 130 million people within a day’s drive.

Given the importance of this sector, I launched a food and beverage intake process in November, setting aside $20 million for this from the SODP.

I’m pleased to announce today that our government will invest $362,500 to help Springer’s Meats upgrade its meat processing plant.

This family-owned business, which recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, has expanded over the years, making their products available throughout Ontario and across the country. 

Our contribution will help them to purchase equipment they need for storing and shipping their products, which range from pepperoni, hot dogs, sausages, and pizza toppings, to smoked meats and deli meats.

I’m also pleased to announce $125,565 in support of new equipment at Henry of Pelham Inc. This St. Catharines wine producer makes more than 70,000 cases of wine per year – and is proudly VQA certified.

Our contribution will enable this company to continue using high technology and innovative techniques to produce high quality products. 

By supporting these types of projects, our government is delivering on a commitment to create jobs and invest in the economy of the future — today. This is a commitment we made in our Economic Action Plan just over a year ago, to benefit communities, workers and businesses.

And now, as we enter the second and final important phase of implementing Canada’s Economic Action Plan, we will also address future challenges. These include restoring a balanced budget once our economy is fully recovered and building a strong foundation for our economic future.

Over the course of the next several weeks, Prime Minister Harper, the cabinet and I will be meeting with and hearing from Canadian families, homeowners, workers, business-owners and industries from across the country about how best to meet our goals for Phase Two of Canada’s Economic Action Plan.

In fact, I was here in Hamilton meeting with local business leaders a few weeks ago and had a very productive session.

I look forward to working with many of you as we drive forward results for the people, communities of businesses of southern Ontario. Together, we are clearing a path that will lead this region back to prosperity.

Thank you. Merci.