Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, met with stakeholders from the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations (OACFDC) for their 20th annual conference on September 25th. It was noted that while Ontario has made significant progress (creating jobs and growing the economy) since 2009, Southern Ontario is still under considerable pressure. Businesses in Ontario need to be more innovative and productive. They must strive to access new markets.
In order to support businesses in Ontario, the Economic Action Plan 2013 renewed funding for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). They are providing $920 million over five years, including $200 million for a new Advanced Manufacturing Fund (AMF) in Ontario starting on April 1, 2014. FedDev Ontario has also extended the Eastern Ontario Development Program (EODP) to promote business development, job creation, and self-reliant communities.