Sophie Demers
Local Journalism Initiative

OTTAWA – At the beginning of September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the federal government’s Industrial Strategy, which includes a variety of measures to mitigate the impact of US tariffs on Canadian businesses and strengthen the economy.

The measures include $5 billion to help businesses, a “buy Canadian policy” ensuring all government purchases support Canadian businesses, as well as an increase of $550 million to the Regional Tariff Response Initiative, which now totals a billion dollars. Additionally, Carney announced $370 million to assist canola, beef and seafood industries.

The Regional Tariff Response Initiative provides tariff relief funding to support small and medium-sized businesses. Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel says the program, along with agricultural funding, will benefit the region’s farming and forestry sectors.

“Hopefully this will benefit local industries and mills. They can apply and receive support to modernize to meet growing domestic demand while exploring new markets,” said Chatel.

Chatel also highlighted a $50 million measure that aims to aid workers who lose their job because of trade disruptions, offering 5 to 6 weeks of unemployment as well as training to re-orient the workers into growing sectors.

“These measures are a good thing, depending on how easily businesses can access the funds,” said UPA Pontiac President, Claude Vallière. “Sometimes there’s money available, but lots of paperwork and red tape to access it.”

Cash Allard, president of the Pontiac Forest Products Producers Board, says the initiative won’t help the Pontiac’s forestry industry unless investments are made to reopen local mills.

“We’re in a crisis, unable to sell our wood because we have almost no mills locally. We won’t see or feel any benefit from this announcement until investments are made in a mill that can handle at least 70,000 green metric tonnes. Without this, the announced grants for small and medium businesses means nothing for the forestry sector in Pontiac,” he concluded.

Chatel said the initiative is intended to be a rapid response and discussions are underway to determine how to deploy the funds in an efficient and timely manner