Joe Preston, MP -- Elgin - Middlesex - London

May 08, 2010

Local News
Joe Preston announced that the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation (St. Thomas EDC) will receive $800,000 to create a Business Incubator for service, light manufacturing, and ancillary retail clients. The announcement comes after months of negotiations between the St. Thomas EDC, the Elgin Business Resource Centre (EBRC), and the Government of Canada.

The new Business Incubator project will be funded through the Community Adjustment Fund, which is a two-year, $1-billion national program aimed at addressing the short-term economic needs of communities hit hardest by the global economic recession. The Business Incubator will receive an additional $90,000 from local funding sources. For more details, visit: http://www.joeprestonmp.ca/EN/3634/111621
The 2010 International Plowing Match committee received a substantial boost from the Government of Canada on Saturday, May 8th. Joe Preston announced that the government will provide through the Marquee Tourism Events $255,460. towards the 2010 International Plowing Match and Rural Expo. For more details, visit: www.joeprestonmp.ca

Government Happenings
The Government of Canada is helping Canadian horticulture producers demonstrate their commitment to delivering safe, high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables to consumers at home and abroad. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and Member of Parliament Joe Preston (Elgin-Middlesex-London) announced the investment of more than $750,000 to help the Canadian Horticulture Council develop a national on-farm food safety system that will strengthen the horticulture industry and help them show how safe their products are on the world stage. For more details, visit: http://www.joeprestonmp.ca/EN/3634/111363

The Government of Canada announced this week a pilot initiative aimed at addressing the gap between research and commercialization in Southern Ontario and encouraging collaboration between small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and post-secondary institutions. FedDev Ontario's Applied Research and Commercialization Initiative will provide up to $15 million in funding to eligible post-secondary institutions in southern Ontario. For more details, visit: http://www.feddevontario.gc.ca/eic/site/723.nsf/eng/h_00261.html

Over the course of April and May, the Minister of Finance and Parliamentary Secretary of Finance held 3 town hall s and 3 expert roundtables so they could personally hear from Canadians on improving pension and retirement income security. The Government also launched online consultations to ensure a strong retirement income system in partnership with provinces and territories to participate, visit: http://www.fin.gc.ca/activty/consult/retirement-eng.asp#background-eng.asp

Citizen Recognition
Team Canada has won the 2010 ISIHF World Championships held in Montreal, Quebec. This year’s roster includes 2 local players~ Scott Stafford of Central Elgin and Jake Vader of St. Thomas. Congratulations guys on your outstanding achievement. Let’s make it 6 in a row in 2011!!!!

Events
This is the final weekend for “The Shovel Tree”~ Joe has had the opportunity to act in this year’s annual community fundraising play for the Port Stanley Festival Theatre. Reviews have been fantastic. In Ottawa, Joe met with local realtors, the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Canada, along with regular parliamentary committees and caucus meetings.

Locally, staff represented Joe at the 65th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Navy, and the Day of Mourning at Pinafore Park.