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Former Deputy Prime Minister and Quebec Premier Jean Charest kicked off the first Vision 2025 engagement day in Toronto, Ont., on Dec. 10, meeting with industry leaders, government officials and educators to begin charting a course for the future of aerospace in Canada.
“Global competition has never been fiercer, and we’re at a turning point where Canada must step up to compete, or risk being left behind,” said Charest. “Ontario has 21,000 aerospace jobs, and almost as many indirect jobs as well. We need to make sure that we’re looking forward, and safeguarding good jobs here, and across Canada.”
Charest held a roundtable with aerospace educators from Ontario’s 16 colleges and universities that are host to 40 aerospace engineering and applied aerospace programs, and met with industry leaders and government throughout the day, including Ontario MPPs and the Hon. Todd Smith, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
“It was incredibly valuable to hear the insights, expertise and opinions on how we can come together and ensure a strong, vital aerospace sector that will propel Canada’s economy now and in the future.”
Charest will be continuing his leadership of Vision 2025 engagement across Canada. Upcoming dates include:
- Montreal – Dec. 13
- Vancouver – Jan. 10
- Halifax – Jan. 17
- Winnipeg – Jan. 28
While Canada’s aerospace sector ranks fifth globally and contributed nearly $25 billion to the national economy and almost 190,000 jobs in 2017 alone, a comprehensive strategy to guide the country’s investment in the sector has not been proposed for decades. Vision 2025 will culminate in a report and recommendations that reflect input gathered from the Charest-led discussions in cities with strong aerospace presence, and will provide recommendations to spur growth in the aerospace sector.
“We’re grateful to have an industry champion like Jean Charest lead us with Vision 2025,” said Jim Quick, president and CEO of AIAC. “We know that Canadian aerospace is at a critical juncture, and we need a long-term strategy and investment to keep Canada at the forefront of the global aerospace sector.”
