Mr. Speaker, following a 1999 report by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, Industry Canada established the sustainable cities initiative to help bring Canada's niche environmental expertise to other countries.
SCI uses an innovative public-private business model to provide host cities with Canadian solutions to their environmental problems. SCI's partners have successfully generated interest in 58 projects and $3 billion in potential economic activity.
One such partner, ADI Group based in Fredericton, is currently finalizing a deal that will provide the city of Katowice, Poland with a $3 million waste water treatment facility.
As Mr. David Beatty, president of ADI Limited, explained “SCI is a very useful vehicle for heightening Canadian firms' visibility in international markets”.
My congratulations to Mr. Beatty and ADI on their successful bid. It is my hope that SCI will be expanded to full program status. This will allow our Canadian firms the opportunity to share their environmental expertise with the rest of the world.