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<title>GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TEAMS UP WITH GREATER HALIFAX PARTNERSHIP TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTMENT</title>
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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>July 16, 2002 </strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>GOVERNMENT OF CANADA TEAMS UP WITH GREATER HALIFAX PARTNERSHIP TO
ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTMENT</strong></font></p>
<p>International Trade Minister Pierre Pettigrew and Industry Minister Allan Rock today announced a Government of Canada
contribution of $148,275 to the Greater Halifax Partnership. </p>
<p>"By teaming up with the Greater Halifax Partnership, we will help foster an expansion in economic activity in energy and
related sectors in Halifax and throughout Nova Scotia," said Minister Pettigrew. "This funding initiative will encourage
foreign investment, which leads to the introduction of new technologies and jobs for Canadians."</p>
<p>"A highly qualified labour force, a business-friendly climate and the presence of petroleum-based industries make the
Halifax region an attractive location for investment," said Minister Rock. "The Government of Canada is proud to
participate in partnerships that generate positive spinoffs for Canadian communities."</p>
<p>This contribution will be used for the Greater Halifax Partnership's Offshore Energy Strategy Implementation Program.
Financial partners include the Halifax Regional Municipality, Emera Inc., EnCana Corporation and the Greater Halifax
Partnership.</p>
<p>Funding for the project comes from the Program for Export Market Development - Investment (PEMD-I), established to
help communities become investment-ready, attract foreign investors and complement ongoing community economic
development programs. PEMD-I relies on cooperation among the various levels of government and local businesses.</p>
<p>"This initiative will enable Greater Halifax to boost the presence of oil and gas industry clusters, not only in the immediate
area but also in other parts of Nova Scotia," said Stephen Dempsey, President and CEO of the Greater Halifax Partnership.
"This is a terrific example of how the private and public sectors can partner on a project to drive economic growth in our
entire region."</p>
<p>The Greater Halifax Partnership's Offshore Energy Strategy Implementation Program will focus its activities on
researching and promoting opportunities in technology transfer, core competencies and international marketing ventures.</p>
<p>- 30 -</p>
<p>Backgrounders are attached.</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Sébastien Théberge</p>
<p>Office of the Minister for International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 992-7332</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade </p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p>Selena Beattie</p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Industry</p>
<p>(613) 995-9001</p>
<p>Marcel Gaumond</p>
<p>Investment Partnerships Canada</p>
<p>(613) 941-9268</p>
<p>Bill Adams </p>
<p>Director, Community Relations</p>
<p>Greater Halifax Partnership</p>
<p>(902) 490-6019</p>
<p>This document is also available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade's Internet site:
<a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070220193359/http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/">http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca</a></p>
<p><strong><font size="+1">Backgrounder</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>GREATER HALIFAX PARTNERSHIP'S OFFSHORE ENERGY STRATEGY
IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM</strong></font></p>
<p>The Greater Halifax Partnership is the private sector-led organization responsible for the economic growth of Greater
Halifax. The Partnership has an extensive network of investors that includes more than 110 local, national and international
businesses, as well as all three levels of government. </p>
<p>This project will assist in the development of a petroleum cluster in Nova Scotia. The east coast offshore area has potential
reserves of up to 20 trillion cubic feet (Geological Survey of Canada). For example, the Sable Gas Offshore Energy Project
is the largest natural gas development of its kind in North America, and there are ongoing exploration activities in other
areas. </p>
<p>The project's overall objective is to prepare the region (Halifax, as well as Guysborough and Richmond counties) for
sustainable growth in the offshore and offshore services industries. Its long-term objectives are to attract investment to the
offshore industry in the form of partnerships, licensing agreements, and knowledge/technology transfer. </p>
<p>The Offshore Energy Strategy Implementation Program focuses on three major areas of opportunity for the region:
technology, industrial and offshore services infrastructure, and administrative/head office activities. It includes research
work (identification of core competencies to serve and supply the offshore industry, receptor companies and
benchmarking); international marketing; and support activities such as database development, electronic and print materials
and site selector on-site visits.</p>
<p>The Program will benefit from information obtained through its recently released economic indicators study, developed in
partnership with the Conference Board of Canada, and its recently obtained membership in the World Energy Cities
Partnership (WECP), which provides a forum for the exchange of petroleum industry knowledge including technology
transfer. The WECP provides a network of industry support services and resources, facilitating trade missions for local
member businesses to the other member cities: Aberdeen, Scotland (sponsor of the Halifax application); Houston, Texas;
Stavanger, Norway; Perth, Australia; Villahermosa, Mexico; Maracaibo, Venezuela; Baku, Azerbaijan; Daqing, China; and
Dongying, China. St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, was also recently accepted, bringing Canadian membership in
this organization to two communities.</p>
<p><strong><font size="+1">Backgrounder</strong></font></p>
<p align="CENTER"><font size="+1"><strong>PROGRAM FOR EXPORT MARKET DEVELOPMENT - INVESTMENT (PEMD-I)</strong></font></p>
<p>Instituted in January 1999, PEMD-I is the Government of Canada's Team Canada approach to helping Canadian
communities attract, retain and expand foreign direct investment and to increasing total Canadian employment.</p>
<p>PEMD-I is made up of two parts.</p>
<p><strong>PEMD-I projects between $50,000 and $300,000</strong></p>
<p>• Aim directly at attracting investment to Canada;</p>
<p>• Complement ongoing community economic development programs;</p>
<p>• Work on a cost-shared basis (applicants are eligible for Government of Canada support of up to 50 percent of the cost of
their activities);</p>
<p>• Are developed by larger communities and regional coalitions;</p>
<p>• Involve a national approval committee; and</p>
<p>• Work with a total budget of $1.4 million per year.</p>
<p><strong>PEMD-I projects up to $50,000</strong></p>
<p>• Help communities become investment-ready; </p>
<p>• Assist in the implementation of modest program delivery (cover training, database development, studies, development
plans, and implementation of investment attraction initiatives);</p>
<p>• Work on a cost-shared basis (applicants are eligible for Government of Canada support of up to 50 percent of the cost of
their activities);</p>
<p>• Involve regional approval committees and International Trade Centres across the country; and, </p>
<p>• Work with a total budget of $3.4 million per year.</p>
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