Kenora, Ontario – Greg Rickford, Member of Parliament for Kenora, announced today, on behalf of the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, $850,000 in funding, over the next two years, to modernize its federal laboratory located at the Experimental Lakes Area, near Kenora, Ontario.
 
Modernizing federal laboratories is one of the many job-creating investments in the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan. The funding is part of a $250 million commitment to upgrade laboratories across the country.
 
“The Experimental Lakes Area is known world-wide as Canada’s most innovative freshwater research centre,” said MP Rickford. “Our Government recognizes that a strong economy is one that harnesses new knowledge and innovation. That's why we are investing in projects like this one -- helping to establish Canada as a leader in knowledge creation, and attracting the jobs and growth that go with it.”
 
The upgrades will ensure that scientists and staff have safer and more modern work environments, enhancing the research that is carried out at the Experimental Lakes Area. The new building will house three laboratories with a localized exhaust system, fume hoods, freezers and refrigerators. Over the next two years, construction work and the sourcing of equipment and materials will create jobs and boost the local economy.
 
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action plan, visit www.actionplan.gc.ca