For immediate release: November 10, 2006

McGuinty Government Supports
Women Entrepreneurs in Rural North

New Services Will Help Women Start Or Grow Their Own Business

Thunder Bay - The McGuinty government is helping to improve the economic independence and self-sufficiency of women in rural Northern Ontario, Bill Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan announced today on behalf of Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

"The PARO On Wheels, e-learning and tele-classes are new regional services offered by the PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise," said Mauro. "The McGuinty government was keen to support this innovative community economic development organization to help build rural northern leadership capacity and community partnerships."

The government will contribute $239,630 to help the PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise and Thunder Bay Ventures provide women entrepreneurs living in rural Northern Ontario access to resources for starting or growing their businesses. Services include increasing women's access to credit, skills training, child care, transportation support, networking and other programs and activities promoting economic development. The word 'paro' is Latin for "I am ready."

"We plan to build upon Northern successes to provide enhanced and accessible resources to help rural women entrepreneurs start or grow their businesses," said Rosalind Lockyer, executive director of PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise. "Thanks to the support of the provincial government, we are able to help more women in Northern Ontario be successful."

Other government initiatives that support Northern Ontario include:

• Providing $900 million over five years in assistance for the forestry industry
• Investing in northern health care, including $25 million to reduce wait times in the north, $6.6 million for telemedicine, and major hospital expansions and improvements in North bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay and Sudbury
• Investing more than $26 million in rural communities through the Rural Economic Development (RED) 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

Brent Ross
Communications Branch
416-326-9342