Press release
The Flaherty budget: some promising news for Montréal
Montréal, February 26, 2008 The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal welcomes some of the budget measures announced today with a specific impact on metropolitan Montréal.
For the Board of Trade, the decision to make permanent the gasoline tax-sharing program for infrastructure investments will have a beneficial impact on Montréal and Canada's other major urban centres. In fact, making this transfer of funds recurring and foreseeable over the long term will greatly facilitate the planning and financing of needed investments in our urban infrastructures, especially public transit, declared Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade.
In the same vein, we welcome the announcement of a $500 million investment that should be used in part to finance the rapid link needed between the city centre and Montréal-Trudeau airport. This project has long been one of the Board of Trade's priorities, and the availability of these funds gives us hope that this project will be carried out in the coming years, continued Hudon.
The Board of Trade also appreciates some of the budget measures aiming to improve Canada's international relationships.
Whether we are talking about continued investments in border infrastructures or increasing the resources devoted to Canadian representations overseas, we believe it is still essential to support Canada's position on the world stage. This is all the more important at a time when companies would be well advised to diversify their markets, noted Hudon.
We are also pleased by the series of initiatives related to university research, including the creation of the Vanier scholarships for the top Ph.D. students and support for the creation of research chairs. While these are highly targeted measures, they can be expected to deliver tangible benefits, primarily by making it easier to attract and retain high-calibre talent. This is all the more positive for Montréal, which is home to some of the country's most successful and most internationally renowned universities and research institutes, concluded Hudon.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of the business community of the Greater Montreal and to provide individuals, merchants, and local businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca