Yes, I am going to speak, and I will alternate with Émilie Dussault and Michelle Grady.
Mr. Chair, ladies and gentlemen members of the committee,
thank you very much for the invitation to appear before you today regarding the temporary foreign worker program. There has been significant discussion about the program over the past two years, and suffice it to say that the program can be improved to the benefit of all Canadians.
Technicolor is one example of a company that has a legitimate need and use for the program, and changes to the program can help Technicolor in bringing growth and jobs to Canada. As such, before I get to the program, I will say a few words about Technicolor.
Headquartered in France, Technicolor is a global technology leader in the media and entertainment industry, and has been in Canada since 1986. In Canada, Technicolor delivers visual effects, known as VFX, and animation services under three different brands: MPC, Mr. X and Mikros, with 550 employees in Vancouver, 260 in Toronto and 800 in Montreal, and a total of 1,610 across Canada. We are the largest VFX and animation company in Canada, and the only pan-Canadian company.
Our VFX and animation business is focused on large-budget productions, feature and animation films, and blockbusters, requiring high quality, tight schedules, high-skilled talents, and a very large number of talent per project from 50 up to 350.
Technicolor also provides image and sound post-production and DVD distribution. Altogether, Canada is the second largest country of the group, with more than 2,300 people.