Attracting Investment and Creating Jobs in Southwestern Ontario

November 28, 2011

McGuinty Government Announces New Development Fund to Help Local Communities: $80 million

Ontario is moving forward to help businesses and communities in southwestern Ontario attract new investment and create jobs with a proposed new development fund. Premier Dalton McGuinty was in London today at Digital Extremes -- a video game developer -- to announce that the government will be bringing forward legislation to create a new and permanent Southwestern Ontario Development Fund.

The proposed new fund would build on the strengths of southwestern Ontario and help address local economic development challenges in a time of global uncertainty. The fund will attract investment and help businesses move forward with new projects and investments to help them create the jobs of tomorrow.

Partnering with business and supporting local economic development projects are key elements of the McGuinty government's plan to create jobs for Ontario families.

QUICK FACTS

The new fund would be modeled on the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, which has already helped create and protect over 11,700 jobs and leveraged over $485 million in investment across Eastern Ontario.

The Financial Times of London named Ontario a top destination for foreign direct investment in North America in 2010.

Digital Extremes employs almost 170 people including graphic designers, artists and computer programmers.