For immediate release: 25 July 2006
Business Retention And Expansion Initiative
Good For Brantford Economy
McGuinty Government Invests In Brantford And Area
BRANTFORD - The McGuinty government is helping the City of Brantford
advance local tourism opportunities, Dave Levac, MPP for Brant, announced
today on behalf of Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs.
"The McGuinty government is supporting economic development in the
City of Brantford and helping to build a stronger more prosperous economy
for local residents," said Levac. "This initiative will encourage
further economic development and shows that we are on the side of families
in rural Ontario."
The government will contribute $35,000 to help the City of Brantford
- Tourism Brantford and the Brantford Downtown Business Improvement Area
(BIA) implement an effective business retention and expansion initiative.
The project will survey up to 500 Brantford, County of Brant and Six Nations/New
Credit tourism-based businesses and organizations and up to 230 Brantford
Downtown BIA companies.
"We are pleased that the government has helped secure RED funding
for this initiative," said Susan Sager, manager, tourism & marketing
of the City of Brantford - Tourism Brantford. "This initiative will
go a long way in helping to obtain and analyze data to help advance the
tourism industry in our community."
"By surveying the membership of the Brantford Downtown BIA, this
business retention and expansion initiative will help identify steps to
overcome barriers to further economic development," said Annette
Fitch, coordinator for the Brantford Downtown Business Improvement Area.
"The commercial business district of the downtown area and the tourism
sector of Brantford, County of Brant and Six Nations/New Credit will all
benefit from this initiative."
Other government initiatives that support a strong, rural economy include:
- A $500-million advanced manufacturing investment strategy that provides
loans to help industry stay competitive
- A refundable apprenticeship training tax credit
- Investing over $22 million in rural communities through the Rural
Economic Development Program.
Today's investment was made through the Rural Economic Development (RED)
Program, which invests in projects that support sustainable rural economies
and community partnerships - a key part of the government's plan for rural
Ontario.
Through the RED program, the Ontario government and its rural partners
are building stronger communities that work better for the people who
live in them.
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Contacts:
Christopher Flavelle
Minister's Office
416-326-3072
Brian Cardy
Rural Investments Branch
519-826-3787
