Government of Canada Helps Fund Construction of Reception Pavilion at Poisson Blanc Regional Park

NOTRE-DAME-DU-LAUS, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - June 14, 2012) - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, announces that the Corporation du Parc du Poisson Blanc received financial assistance for the construction of the Bastion, the Corporation's new seat of operations and the main reception pavilion for visitors to Poisson Blanc Regional Park in Notre-Dame-du-Laus, in the Laurentides region. The organization officially inaugurated its new facility today.

"By lending financial support to this Corporation du Parc du Poisson Blanc project, the Government of Canada is demonstrating its firm commitment to promoting the development of tourism, a sector that benefits the Laurentides economy," said Minister Lebel.

The Poisson Blanc reserve, a breathtaking natural territory of the park offering countless outdoor activities, is a regional attraction that is pivotal to the community of Notre-Dame-du-Laus's efforts to diversify its economy and ensure its development. The new reception pavilion will enable the Park's administration to better serve its visitors and centralize its day-to-day operations.

About the Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE)

This $60,000 in non-repayable funding has been awarded through Canada Economic Development's Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE).

The TISQFE was brought into force in June 2010 to help communities affected by the forestry crisis diversify their economies in order to ensure their growth and create and maintain employment. The initiative's goal is also to support secondary and tertiary wood processing projects in these communities.

This measure is one of several put in place by the Government of Canada to counteract the effects of the forest crisis. Others include the Community Adjustment Fund, with its $1-billion budget over two years to mitigate the impact of the crisis, the $1 billion granted to the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program to help enterprises carry out environmentally-friendly projects, and the $238 million invested, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, for silvicultural work and the maintenance of multi-use forest roads. Workers have also received their fair share of support, with the Government of Canada introducing numerous measures to help them through the global economic crisis.

Keep up with the latest news from Canada Economic Development by visiting www.dec-ced.gc.ca or subscribing to @CanEconDev on Twitter.