Article Feb. 1, 2019

When Government Funding Pays Off…

Essential Support

For the past 20 years, the Société de développement Angus (SDA) has been receiving substantial financial support from the governments of Quebec and Canada through Investissement Québec and Canadian Economic Development. Thanks to some visionary men and women, over $32M in loans were given to help revitalize Angus.

An Exemplary Partnership, a Social and Economic Success

The SDA is proud to have recently reimbursed the government loans in full, proving without a doubt that when the government steps up to play their part in helping the driving forces of a community, they are able to accomplish many things and develop projects that benefit the entire community.

Changing the Course of History

In 1991, the Canadian Pacific Railway officially announced the end of the grand industrial era of the Angus Shops. The Corporation de développement économique et communautaire Rosemont-Petite – Patrie (CDEC) determinedly decided to give the site new life. The SDA was established to redevelop the sector and create employment, based on the principles of sustainable development. Following seven years of hard work and preparation, the SDA began restoring the Angus Locoshop in 1998, on the same site where locomotives were assembled 100 years prior.

Since then, these exceptional, combined efforts have allowed for:

The acquisition and revitalization of 1.6 million square feet of land
A dynamic, unifying, healthy living environment to be built
Over 2,800 jobs to be created on site
3,000 people to be reintegrated into the workforce through employment integration companies
65 companies, including 7 head offices, to be established and thrive in the areas of health, services, information technology, multimedia, design and social economy
More families to gain access to home ownership
Renowned leadership in sustainable development to be cultivated and LEED-ND Platinum certification to be obtained for the quality of its urbanistic design

“The Technopôle Angus has fostered the redevelopment of the Rosemont area while generating the necessary revenue to reach a financial equilibrium and reimburse the money that the governments of Quebec and Canada lent us, and I would like to thank them for their support. Strengthened by this experience, the SDA plans to continue its mission to revitalize the city and is directing its efforts towards the East of Montreal.” Christian Yaccarini, President and CEO of SDA.