Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee members, good morning.
It is with great pleasure that I speak to you today as Deputy Minister and President of Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. Let me start by telling you that we have carefully read the Report of the Auditor General of Canada on Protecting Canada’s Food System.
The report looks at various measures, including the Canadian seafood stabilization fund, implemented by the regional development agencies, including CED.
The report does not make any recommendations regarding this fund. That said, as an agency, we take the findings into account with a view to ensuring the continuous improvement of our practices.
In Quebec, in villages such as Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé, Paspébiac or Grande-Rivière, the impact of the pandemic on fishery product processing was expected to be disastrous for the communities. And so, Fisheries and Oceans Canada launched the Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund. The primary objective of this one-time fund was to help fish and seafood processors, as well as the non-profit organizations that support them, cover COVID‑19–related costs incurred since the spring of 2020.
CED implemented this initiative in Quebec and received $9.1 million to help seafood processors remain operational and seize new business opportunities. To date, CED has provided almost $8 million for some 30 businesses and organizations in the Lower St. Lawrence, the Gaspé, Magdalen Islands, the North Shore and Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean regions.
This funding not only allowed them to remain in business and adjust to new health and market requirements, it also helped them ensure their long-term viability and future positioning and maintain jobs in the context of the economic recovery.
This support for our Quebec communities and businesses has helped maintain a safe and effective food system in Canada.
Since the beginning of the COVID‑19 pandemic, CED has been centre stage, working with the other regional development agencies to implement one-time, targeted initiatives to meet the needs of SMEs and communities in Quebec.
Considering the Auditor General’s report on protecting Canada’s—and therefore Quebec’s—food system, we recognize that this system is essential to the well-being of Canadians and the strength of our economy.
We remain committed to working with all the community stakeholders to ensure that we are ready to deploy solutions in future crisis situations.
I will conclude by saying that I’d be pleased to answer any questions.
Thank you.