Montreal, December 20, 2004 On behalf of its some 7,000 members, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has filed its brief with the City of Montreal as part of the city's consultation on the Economic development strategy and action plan. Our first concern with regards to the City of Montreal 's economic development strategy is to make sure that it is harmonized with the strategy of the Montreal Metropolitan Community (MMC). The Board of Trade considers it essential to create a real spirit of cooperation and collaboration among the stakeholders on the metropolitan territory. In this regard, if we want to successfully implement a coherent economic development plan for Montreal, it is vital that the actions correspond to the regional strategy defined by the MMC, affirmed Isabelle Hudon, interim president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.
In its brief, the Board of Trade identifies three high-priority initiatives that would make a formidable contribution to Montreal 's economic vitality and wealth creation.
For the Board of Trade, developing the Montreal harbour front and the downtown core, as well as the construction of the McGill University and Université de Montréal super hospitals are three structuring projects that are highly promising for Montreal's economic development and that should be identified as such in the city's economic strategy, continued Isabelle Hudon.
The main challenge to achieving the plan's ambitious growth objectives will be to ultimately succeed in mobilizing and getting all the development stakeholders in the metropolitan region to tangibly support the plan. For example, the Board of Trade recommends setting quantified objectives for a series of indicators so as to highlight the importance of the contribution of all the stakeholders to Montreal 's economic progress. What's more, this involvement must be cultivated in the early stages of the strategy's development. In this regard, the City of Montreal should explicitly define how it plans to work together with the stakeholders, notably, the local sectorial groups and chambers of commerce, concluded Ms. Hudon.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of the business community of the Greater Montreal and to provide individuals, merchants, and businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec 's leading private economic development organization.