Government of Canada Provides Financial Support for John Lewis Industries Ltd

LA TUQUE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - July 4, 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, today announced that John Lewis Industries Ltd has received federal financial assistance to modify existing machinery, acquire specialized equipment and modernize its production chain.

"The Government of Canada's main priority is job creation, growth and long-term prosperity," stated Minister Lebel. "Our financial support for John Lewis Industries Ltd's project constitutes further acknowledgment of the fundamental role played by enterprises in that regard."

John Lewis Industries began operating in Quebec in 1945, and has contributed actively to the economy of La Tuque since setting up shop there in 1978. This SME manufactures wood products, in particular sticks for the food industry. Most of its output is exported to five countries. Its project will enable John Lewis Industries to increase its production capacity, improve its productivity and continue enhancing the quality of its products so as to meet its clients' growing demands more effectively.

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

The $900,000 in repayable financial assistance announced today was provided under the 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, for example, the Community Adjustment Fund, with its $1 billion budget over two years to mitigate the impacts 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.

To learn more about John Lewis Industries Ltd: www.industriesjohnlewis.com.

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