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Government announcement
26 March 2018

The Quebec government and the Ville de Montréal join together for a strong and innovative metropolis


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$150 million for Montréal’s economic development

MONTRÉAL, March 26, 2018 – The Quebec government has confirmed that $150 million will be allocated over five years to the Ville de Montréal to complete the joint economic planning. During the past few months, the Quebec government and the Ville de Montréal have been working together on developing this planning. They have defined the following:

Five big goals:

  • Increase the employment rate;
  • Increase the proportion of full-time jobs;
  • Decrease the proportion of people over 15 without a high school diploma;
  • Increase the proportion of people over 15 with a university degree;
  • Improve the professional integration of immigrants.

Five strategic directions:

  • Promote business growth;
  • Stimulate private and collective entrepreneurship;
  • Invest in knowledge and workers;
  • Highlight the economic hubs in the city;
  • Raise the city’s profile across the country and on the international stage.

Five prioritized sectors:

  • Transport and mobility;
  • Creative and cultural industries;
  • Digital industry;
  • Clean technology;
  • Health and life sciences.

Four guiding principles:

  • Coherence and complementarity;
  • Partnership and dialogue;
  • Leverage;
  • Optimization and efficiency.

This announcement follows the Réflexe Montréal Framework Agreement signed on December 8, 2016, in which the government recognized the Ville de Montréal’s special status as a metropolis and promised to increase its autonomy and powers. As such, the Ville de Montréal will have the leeway to support projects and initiatives that it deems will contribute to bettering its economic development.

Quotes:

Quebec and our metropolis are doing better, but we want to take them even further. We want to improve Montrealers’ quality of life. Because we have rigorously managed our public finances and the debt, we now have the means to do so. Today, Quebec is in an era of big projects. In partnership with the Ville de Montréal, we are building a modern and dynamic metropolis that can take control of its own economic development. This is a major transformation, just like the new Quebec taking shape around us.

– Philippe Couillard, Premier of Quebec

Montréal is a true economic driver for Quebec and its regions. So that the city can fully fill this role, we need to join our efforts and continue to do so with the momentum from this new joint economic plan. This plan’s guiding principles will lead us to focus on complementarity, working together and efficiency. This is an initiative promoting the economic prosperity of Montréal and Quebec.

– Dominique Anglade, Deputy Premier, Minister of Economy, Science and Innovation and Minister responsible for the Digital Strategy

Today, our vision of a strong metropolis, especially when it comes to economic development, is materializing. The partnership revealed today between the government and the Ville de Montréal is historic. Now recognized as Quebec’s metropolis, Montréal will have significant control in promoting economic development within its territory and meeting businesses’ needs.

– Martin Coiteux, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy, Minister of Public Security and Minister responsible for the Montréal region

While Montréal’s economy continues to progress, the Ville de Montréal is celebrating the adoption of the Joint Economic Plan between the Government of Quebec and the city. This plan will enable us to highlight our role as one of Quebec’s economic drivers and fast track the city’s economy to a higher level. Getting increased powers with the necessary budgets will allow the Ville de Montréal to start an ambitious Economic Development Strategy, the details of which will be revealed shortly. Strengthened by a diverse, creative and innovative economy, Montréal will be able to measure up to the biggest cities in the world.

– Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal and Chair of the Montreal Metropolitan Community

Key Facts:

  • The Quebec government also tabled Bill 121, An Act to increase the autonomy and powers of Ville de Montréal, the metropolis of Quebec, which was adopted on September 21.
  • Under the Réflexe Montréal Framework Agreement, the Quebec government committed to support the implementation of the Ville de Montréal’s Economic Development Strategy and make sector-specific agreements. During the last week, it was announced that there would be a transfer of an important part of the housing powers to Montréal, as well as a $24 million investment over three years to make the integration of immigrants easier in Quebec’s metropolis.
  • These agreements will give the Ville de Montréal more flexibility when it comes to housing, fighting homelessness, immigration, culture and heritage, infrastructure, school equipment and economic development.
  • Soon, we will reach the point when 100,000 new jobs will have been created since May 2014. Montréal’s unemployment rate is at 7.2%, the lowest in 30 years. The employment rate is at 61.5%, the highest in 15 years.

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