LONGUEUIL, QUE. -- The Trudeau government is continuing a seduction offensive that has all the hallmarks of a pre-election campaign, with an increasing number of financial announcements, including one aimed at women entrepreneurs in Quebec.
While in Longueuil on Montreal's South Shore, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland announced Tuesday that a $1.05-million grant will be given to the Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec (RFAQ).
Freeland cited the well-documented reality that while COVID-19 has affected all Canadians, "women have been disproportionately affected. In the labour market, women have been hit earlier and harder, and the recovery of the jobs they hold is taking longer. This is a female recession."
The money is specifically for women entrepreneurs who own businesses.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was in Longueuil, Quebec on July 20 announcing over $1 million for female entrepreneurs in Quebec. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
Ruth Vachon, President and CEO of the Network, explained that the money will be used for training to develop contracting skills with medium and large companies to accelerate the growth of their businesses.
The RFAQ will also set up a strategic advisory office for large organizations whose objective will be to "raise awareness and accompany large organizations that want to change their ways and take concrete action to move towards the implementation of new initiatives leading to a more inclusive procurement, especially for women entrepreneurs and all other women from different minority groups," said Vachon.
She said these steps will "allow them to grow their businesses, create jobs, maintain existing jobs and allow them to contribute more effectively and more significantly to the Canadian economy."
"Quebec's economic recovery, whether in the downtown or regional areas, depends, among other things, on the strength of women-owned businesses," said Freeland.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 20, 2021.
