Allyson Beauregard
Allyson Beauregard
CAMPBELL’S BAY – The Economic Development Corporation (CDE) held its annual general meeting, April 1. After a restructuring of the MRC Pontiac’s economic development services, which resulted in a transfer of mandates and funds from the CLD to the CDE, the Rural Development and Cultural Development mandates are now the responsibility of the CDE. “[This prompted] the addition of five employees and a doubling of the annual budget; from $534,839 in 2012 to $1,083,000 for 2013,” said Donald Gagnon, CDE President. One of the new employees was full-time CDE Director, Marc Fortin.
Fortin explained the new mandates transformed the organization. “They brought the organization from its previous role of managing the development and maintenance of regional infrastructures to a role of a full-fledged economic development agency.”
In 2013, the CDE dealt with 80 files and projects that received a total of $957,551 in financing from the MRC and other sources. “With our new, well-established base, we can look forward in a positive way to undertake our mandates and contribute to the enhancement of the quality of life of the MRC population and the experience of our visitors,” concluded Gagnon.