Metal Bernard Receives Funding From Government of Canada for Specialized Equipment

SAINT-LAMBERT-DE-LAUZON, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Dec. 19, 2011) - Acting on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, Jacques Gourde, Member of Parliament for Lotbinière-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière, today announced that the firm Métal Bernard Inc. has been granted financial assistance for the acquisition of leading-edge equipment.

"Our government is committed to helping Quebec enterprises grow and create more jobs. Investments like the one we are making in Métal Bernard serve to foster the productivity of Canadian businesses and improve the country's economic competitiveness," said Mr. Gourde.

Métal Bernard, a jewel in the crown of the Chaudière-Appalaches economy, specializes in the processing of metal. The subcontractor manufactures various metal parts for clients in the road and rail transportation sectors, the majority of whom export their products to foreign markets. Métal Bernard is also one of the only companies in Quebec that cuts, folds, rolls and welds large-dimension metal sheets, all under one roof.

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

This $375,000 repayable contribution has been granted 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 small and medium-sized businesses in these communities in their efforts to secure their sustainable development.

This past July 14, the Government of Canada announced its intention to allocate a further $20 million in funding over two years to support the Quebec silvicultural sector for the years 2011 and 2012.

This measure is one of several put in place by the Government of Canada in the past months 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 $230 million invested, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, for silvicultural work and the restoration of bridges and culverts on multi-use forest roads. Workers have also received their fair share of support, with the Government of Canada introducing some of the most generous measures in history to help them through the economic crisis.

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