From the East to the West, Projet Montréal is committed to boosting economic development in innovative and green sectors. The mayor and leader of Projet Montréal, Valérie Plante, has presented a $30 million plan to achieve this through three key initiatives:
- First initiative: Projet Montréal will create three metropolitan zones to attract innovative industries that focus on the ecological and economic transition, in the east, west and north of Montréal, in areas of the city that have been neglected for too long.
- The Pointe de l'île innovation zone, in the east, will be dedicated to the ecological transition. It will house industries that will be advancing the fields of clean technologies, green chemistry, the circular economy, green energy, and much more.
- The Saint-Pierre innovation zone in Lachine will be mainly dedicated to the innovative manufacturing sector and the scientific research sector. The Lachine Canal is a historic site of economic development that deserves to be cultivated.
- The Northern Innovation Zone will consist of two poles. The first, on the grounds of the NFB in Saint-Laurent, and the second in the Central District of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, will be dedicated to the cultural and design sectors, as well as to manufacturing and technology.
- Second measure: To act even more directly in the development of the green economy and accelerate the transformation of certain employment centres, Projet Montréal will make available key properties owned by the City of Montréal by launching five calls for innovative urban projects (APUI). The first will be launched in the Louvain Ouest sector, located in the Central District of Ahuntsic-Cartierville, and will contribute to the environmental resilience of this business sector. An allocation of $10 million will be dedicated to this project.
- Third measure: To attract investment in innovation zones and accelerate calls for projects, Projet Montréal will increase tax benefits, improve existing financial programs and make regulations more flexible. Projet Montréal will devote $20 million to :
- Decontaminate land;
- Build or renovate industrial buildings;
- Encourage sustainable mobility among employees;
- Offer tax incentives to businesses.
Quotes
"The economy was one of the top priorities of Projet Montréal's first mandate and will continue to be throughout the next four years. These initiatives in our strategic plan for innovative sectors will position Montreal as a leader in many of the industries of the future, such as information technology, digital creativity and life sciences. In addition, this strategic plan will create paying jobs for Montrealers," said Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal and leader of Projet Montréal.
"Since Projet Montréal came to power four years ago, the East End of Montréal has become one of the City's top priorities. The announcement on the strategy for innovative industries once again places the East End of Montreal at the heart of the City's economic development. And we are very excited about the creation of the Pointe de l'île innovation zone in the East end, which will be dedicated to the ecological transition," added Caroline Bourgeois, Mayor of the Rivière-des-Prairies-Pointe-aux-Trembles borough.
