Notes for an address by

The Honourable Lynne Yelich
Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification

Funding announcement

Corresponding Document: News Release (2010-05-19)

Check against delivery

Thank you Minister Prentice. It is always a pleasure to work with you on important collaborations such as the one we are here to announce today.

Good afternoon everyone. I am delighted to be here today at the University of Calgary’s Health Research Innovation Centre to announce a project that so many people and organizations have helped bring to reality.

The Hotchkiss Brain Institute at the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Medicine is conducting world-class research in neuroscience and mental health and is attracting internationally promising academic talent. The Institute is also committed to translating its discoveries into innovative health care solutions – solutions that will affect how we understand and manage the health of the brain and the nervous system.

The Government of Canada recognizes the importance of working with our partners in academia, government, and industry to help develop these discoveries to the point where they are ready to be transformed into commercial applications. For these reasons, I am proud to announce a federal investment of $1.2 million through the Western Economic Partnership Agreement towards improved commercialization capacity at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute.

Our investment supports the acquisition of advanced imaging and analysis equipment that will allow researchers to pre-clinically test and validate new nerve regeneration technologies. The ability to perform these tests is vital to translating discoveries into new products, technologies and services. It’s about making it easier for promising medical treatments developed in labs to reach the marketplace, and patients, worldwide.

In addition, this initiative will also advance Alberta’s reputation for biomedical innovation and help to further attract and train highly qualified people, resulting in high-tech jobs right here in Alberta. Benefits such as these contribute to building a more competitive economy by improving Alberta’s long-term capacity to innovate, develop new ventures, and attract foreign investments.

As I mentioned earlier, funding for this project is provided through the Western Economic Partnership Agreement, or WEPA as it is otherwise known.

The purpose of WEPA is to target joint strategic priorities such as trade and investment and technology commercialization, where the Government of Canada and Province of Alberta are working together with other stakeholders to help create innovative, entrepreneurial and sustainable companies and communities.

By bringing both orders of government together with our academic and industry representatives, we have taken an important step towards strengthening the capacity of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute to deliver healthcare solutions to Canadians, while also continuing to lay the foundation for a knowledge-based economy.

On behalf of the Government of Canada and Western Economic Diversification Canada, I would like to congratulate all of the partners and everyone involved in making this project a reality.

I look forward to the many positive outcomes that will be realized as a result of this collaborative project. Together, we’re building a stronger West for a stronger Canada.

Thank you.