Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Canada's Minister of Industry announced that more than $20 million would be invested in the Biotechnology Research Institute in Montreal.
This institute, which is part of the National Research Council of Canada, works in close co-operation with the private sector. Since it opened in 1987, the BRI has helped businesses as prestigious as Ibex Technologies, Medicorp, Immunocorp, Quantum Biotechnologies and BioSignal get off the ground.
The money will be used to expand existing facilities by 50,000 square feet and create over 200 specialized jobs. This Canadian investment in Montreal's economy was made possible by FORD-Q, the National Research Council of Canada and private sector developers.
This major investment confirms the Canadian government's unfailing support for Montreal's global leadership in the area of biotechnology.