Government of Canada Renews Financial Support for Bureau du cinema et de la television Argenteuil-Laurentides Inc

LACHUTE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Oct. 4, 2011) - 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 Bureau du cinéma et de la télévision Argenteuil-Laurentides Inc. (BCTAL) has received $217,000 in non-repayable funding. Over the next three years, the film and television bureau will use this financial assistance to pursue its mission of attracting film, television and commercial shoots to the region.

"The Government of Canada is happy to renew its financial support to BCTAL, whose activities help to diversify the region's economy," said Minister Lebel.

BCTAL, the Argenteuil-Laurentides film and television bureau, set up shop in Lachute 13 years ago. Since that time, BCTAL has supported the filming of more than 200 projects, which in turn have generated direct and indirect economic benefits valued at more than $60 million for the regional economy. BCTAL provides valuable services to producers, including script breakdowns, scouting for filming locations, access to its digital photo library and coordination with municipal authorities. In the last few years, the strong Canadian dollar has been a major challenge that the organization met with brio, maintaining its successful track record in a highly competitive sector.

Awarded through the Community Diversification program, this funding will help BCTAL cover its operating costs and carry out various activities, among them, participation in trade missions, updating the photo library and mapping out a strategy for integrating social networks into its promotional tools.

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