Minister Chagger Discusses Building an Inclusive and Innovative Canada in Waterloo

ST. JACOB, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - July 21, 2016) - Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario)

The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, delivered a keynote address today to mentors, community leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators at the Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures Development Corporation (WWCFDC) Annual General Meeting. The Minister spoke to the nearly 60 individuals in attendance about the importance of the WWCFD and how the Corporation has helped to build the local economy. The Minister encouraged the local business community to become innovators and pointed to the successes of DK Welding and Lyndon Fish Hatchery as examples of two innovative recipients of WWCFDC support.

During her address, she highlighted Canada's Innovation Agenda and encouraged Canadians from the business community, and all walks of life, to share their ideas for building Canada as a global centre for innovation.

Minister Chagger spoke about the six key areas of action required to achieve the Government of Canada's vision:

• Promoting an entrepreneurial and creative society
• Supporting global science excellence
• Building world-leading clusters and partnerships
• Growing companies and accelerating clean growth
• Competing in a digital world
• Improving ease of doing business

The Minister also spoke about how these six areas, which form the Government of Canada's Innovation Agenda, will be the focus of a summer-long period of public engagement that will result in an action plan.

She also encouraged participants to access the website, Canada.ca/Innovation, which allows Canadians to share their ideas for positioning Canada as a world leader in turning ideas into solutions, science into technologies, skills into jobs and start-up companies into global successes.

Quick Facts

• Together, small and medium businesses across the country account for almost 98 percent of all business in Canada, employing 90 percent of our workforce and generating 39 percent of our GDP.
• There are more than 388,400 small- and medium-sized businesses in Ontario, which employ more than 3.8 million workers.
• The WWCFDC has been providing business financing and business training programs to the Wellington-Waterloo area since 2003, resulting in the creation of 3,940 jobs and the counselling of 5,697 businesses.
• In 2015-16, the WWCFDC provided business financing that resulted in 157 jobs and assisted 214 businesses.

Quotes

"The Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures Development Corporation is helping local entrepreneurs drive innovation and pursue their dreams. Our Government is committed to working with small business owners, entrepreneurs, and third-party organizations to support economic growth and create middle-class jobs in the Wellington-Waterloo region, and across Canada.

- The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism and Member of Parliament for Waterloo

"It was our pleasure to have Minister Chagger as the guest speaker at our annual general meeting, and to hear her comments about small business. As everybody knows, the purpose of Community Futures organizations across Canada is to help small businesses in our communities; it's a role we are pleased to play in Waterloo."

- Paul Rogers, Chair, Board of Directors, Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures Development Corporation

Associated Links

- FedDev Ontario

- Canada's Innovation Agenda

- Wellington-Waterloo Community Futures Development Corporation

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