Rosann Wowchuk, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, and Candice Hoeppner, Member of Parliament for Portage-Lisgar, visited Portage la Prairie’s Food Development Centre to meet with FDC CEO Linda Lowry and kick-off the expansion made possible through federal and provincial funding.
“For over 30 years, the Food Development Centre has been a leader in the innovation of new food products and, as we celebrate those achievements, we look to build on them with the expansion we are announcing today,” said Minister Wowchuk. “The success at the centre has led to new opportunities for local entrepreneurs and those successes have been noticed globally by many other countries.”
“I’m pleased to visit the Food Development Centre today regarding this new project,” said Member of Parliament Hoeppner. “Investments such as this are creating and protecting jobs, supporting Canadians who have lost their jobs, helping threatened industries, and laying the foundations for future prosperity and growth in the ag-industry sector. This government is taking action to ensure that agriculture succeeds during this economic slowdown.”
Federal funding of $3.3 million is being provided through the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan, while provincial and other stakeholder funding totalling $4.1 million has been committed. The total cost of the initiative is $7.4 million.
The Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) is a two-year, $1-billion national program delivered by Western Economic Diversification that will provide an economic stimulus by supporting projects that create jobs and maintain employment in rural communities.
The fund will provide $306 million over two years to support the most-affected western Canadian communities, such as those that are heavily reliant on resource-based industries, for instance, forestry, mining, agriculture and fisheries; and communities that depend on the manufacturing industry. Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD) is delivering the fund in the four western provinces.
This announcement continues the important steps the Province of Manitoba is taking to support economic growth by investing $1.6 billion this year into infrastructure to stimulate the economy, create jobs and renew the province’s roads, schools, health facilities and water treatment facilities.
