New manufacturing processes, new cheese

Government of Canada awards $100,000 in funding to the Société coopérative agricole de l’Île-aux-Grues

Saint-Antoine-de-l’Isle-aux Grues, Quebec, November 19, 2007 – The Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn, Minister of Labour and Minister of Canada Economic Development, today announced that the Société coopérative agricole de l’Île-aux-Grues has been awarded $100,000 in funding, half of it in the form of a non-repayable contribution, to modernize some of its manufacturing processes and diversify its cheese production.

This assistance from Canada Economic Development will enable the Société, the leading employer in l’Île-aux-Grues, to mechanize some of the steps in its production of such renowned cheeses as Riopelle de l’Isle, Mi-Carême and Tomme de Grosse-Île, more closely control the quality of its products and acquire and install equipment needed for the development of a new specialty cheese.

“In today’s world, innovation, the design of new value-added products and the development of new processes are the building blocks of a strong economy. Investing in a project like the one being carried out by the Société coopérative agricole de l’Île-aux-Grues means banking on the consolidation of what has become a flagship of the archipelago. By helping this cheese manufacturer improve its productivity, Canada Economic Development is looking resolutely to the future. Indeed, it is precisely with a view to giving our country the means it needs to make the most of today’s economic conditions that our government has introduced Advantage Canada, a strategic plan designed to make our country more prosperous, today and for generations to come,“ stated Minister Blackburn.

The financial support announced today has been awarded through the Community Economic Diversification Initiative – Vitality, a measure aimed at helping Quebec regions in difficulty preserve and develop their economic base.

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Sources:

Guylaine Beaudoin
Communications
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 418-648-4679
Cell.: 418-580-8215
E-mail: guylaine.beaudoin@dec-ced.gc.ca

Jean-Philippe Payment
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Jean-Pierre Blackburn
Canada Economic Development
Tel.: 819-953-5646
E-mail: jeanphilippe.payment@hrsdc-rhdsc.gc.ca