Government of Canada Funds Fromagerie Montebello Startup

MONTEBELLO, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Oct. 27, 2011) - The Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, today announced that Fromagerie Montebello was granted $185,000 in repayable financial assistance to help fund its startup.

"The Government of Canada chose to support the establishment of Fromagerie Montebello because of the role this project will play in expanding the range of processed agri-food products available in the Outaouais region," said Minister Lebel.

Fromagerie Montebello used this financial assistance, granted through the Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies (TISQFE), for the purchase of equipment and development of products. The company's cheeses are sold to local and tourism clienteles, gourmet restaurants and specialty shops. The firm, which opened its doors this past August 28, manufactures, among other things, specialty cheeses made from regionally-produced cow and goat milk. A total of $750,000 was invested in the project by its various financial backers.

About the TISQFE

The Temporary Initiative for the Strengthening of Quebec's Forest Economies was brought into force in June 2010 to help communities affected by the forestry crisis diversify their economies in order to ensure their growth and create and maintain employment. The initiative's goal is also to support small and medium-sized businesses in these communities in their efforts to secure their viability and sustainable development.

This past July 14, the Government of Canada announced its intention to allocate a further $20 million in funding over two years to support the Quebec silvicultural sector for the years 2011 and 2012.

This measure is one of several put in place by the Government of Canada in the past months to counteract the effects of the forest crisis. Others include, for example, the Community Adjustment Fund, with its $1 billion budget over two years to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, the $1 billion granted to the Pulp and Paper Green Transformation Program to help enterprises carry out environmentally-friendly projects and the $230 million invested, in collaboration with the Government of Quebec, for silvicultural work and the restoration of bridges and culverts on multi-use forest roads. Workers have also received their fair share of support, with the Government of Canada introducing some of the most generous measures in history to help them through the economic crisis.

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