French aviation firm Aérolia announced Friday that it will get a foothold into the North American market through a $82.4 million investment into the Montreal-Mirabel industrial park, where it will assemble fuselages for Bombardier's Global 7000 and 8000 business jets.

The undertaking will create around 170 jobs after the completion of a 7,300 square metre facility, which will house the headquarters of the Canadian subsidiary of Aérolia, as well as workshops, a shop and a logistics area.

Aérolia – a subsidiary of aerospace giant EADS - is a leader in aerostructures as well as the design and manufacture of equipped fuselages,

The initial lease is for 15 years with three renewal options of five years each .

This project is part of the strategy of Aéroports de Montreal to create an industrial zone dedicated to aeronautics, both in Montreal and Mirabel.

In addition to Bombardier Aerospace, several other major industry players, including Pratt & Whitney, have facilities in this area.

The ADM has invested $9.5 million into the project. The provincial government has provided an interest-free loan of $10 million plus extra funding in the form of a $5 million grant to create jobs.

Ottawa has put up $2.4 million in loans through the Canada Economic Development's Quebec Economic Development Program, as part of the $8 million pledged by the federal government last July to support the Quebec and Canadian aerospace industry

Premier Marois was present for the announcement Friday, as was Nicolas Marceau, the PQ cabinet minister responsible for the dossier. Denis Lebel was on hand to represent the federal government.

The deal was originally struck in June of 2012 when the Charest Liberals still held power in Quebec.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici was also in attendance and even fielded a question about the values charter controversy. He said he didn't want to "be offering lessons to anyone," but then he proceeded to extol the general principle of a religion-free state.

He called secularism a beautiful notion that has long been at the heart of France's vision of government and which actually creates unity -- not division.

Marois declined to take a question on the values charter. She has adopted the custom lately of only answering questions on the chosen topic of a given news conference.

-With a file from The Canadian Press