Economic diversification fund of the MRC des Appalaches: Request to extend the end date to March 31, 2028

Jeudi 17 mars 2022, ENGLISH VERSION BY MCDC

With an intervention envelope of $50 million, the Fund will end when it is fully committed or, at the latest, on March 31, 2023.

VERSION FRANÇAISE

THETFORD MINES, MARCH 16, 2022. With one year to go before the expiry of the Economic diversification fund of the MRC des Appalaches, the Société de développement économique de la région de Thetford (SDE) is asking the Minister of Economy and Innovation, Mr. Pierre Fitzgibbon, to extend the March 31, 2023 deadline for the Fund to March 31, 2028.

Let us recall that on May 7, 2018, the Quebec government confirmed the establishment of the Appalachian MRC's Economic Diversification Fund. With an intervention envelope of $50 million, the Fund will end when it is fully committed or, at the latest, on March 31, 2023.

Considering that the interventions are not on track to reach the objective related to the allocation of the envelope, since the balance is more than 25 million dollars with less than a year to go, and that multiple projects are currently being prepared in the region, the Board of Directors of the SDE Thetford region asks the Minister to postpone the end of the fund.

It should be remembered that the fund was set up following the avowed desire, in August 2012, of the future Premier of Quebec, to put an end to asbestos mining in Quebec as well as the adoption of a regulation banning asbestos mining by the federal government in 2017. The main objective of the Fund is to contribute to the diversification of the economy of the MRC des Appalaches.

Information:Luc Rémillard, General Manager
418 338-2188 ext. 231 | directiongenerale@regionthetford.com

Source: Martin Fecteau, Communication and marketing Advisor
(418) 338-2188, ext. 231 | communication@regionthetford.com