Government of Canada Plans to Allocate $20 Million for Silvicultural Work in Quebec

CHAMBORD, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - July 14, 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, today announced that the Government of Canada intends to allocate a total of $20 million in 2011 and 2012 to support Quebec's silvicultural sector.

"This funding will serve to support silvicultural work in regions affected by the forest crisis, thereby helping to create hundreds of jobs in a traditional sector that is essential to the Canadian and Quebec economies and to keep skilled labour in the regions," explained Minister Lebel.

These reforestation and forest maintenance projects will come under a new $40 million Canada-Quebec agreement and will be funded in equal part by the governments of Canada and Quebec.

"Canada and Quebec are working together for the good of the province's forestry workers and communities. A new agreement to support this sector is yet another fine example of federal-provincial cooperation," the Minister added.

The funding authorized under this new agreement will be granted through the Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE). The agreement will respect both the Softwood Lumber Agreement and Canada's policy on forestry industry investment incentives.