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Hello,

The Greater Montréal region is unique in a multitude of ways. Be it from the perspective of creativity, innovation, knowledge, technology, business or culture, Metro Montréal truly distinguishes itself as a modern urban agglomeration and a leader of new trends. Not to mention a site ever bustling with life and an appealing destination for talented individuals and investors. All in all, Greater Montréal offers a world of opportunities.

In an effort to regularly report on the competitiveness and vitality of the metropolitan region's investment environment, we deemed it necessary to develop a special communication tool.

I am thus extremely proud to present to you the very first issue of Montréal International's new quarterly electronic information newsletter, Expansion Greater Montréal. In addition to offering a variety of relevant economic indicators, this bulletin includes a selection of interesting short articles on the major investments made in the Greater Montréal region. It also provides details on trends and major issues, regional strengths and attractivity factors, businesses and institutions which contribute to the Montréal region's wealth, and the activities of key players responsible for Greater Montréal's development.

As you will quickly note, the bulletin's originality lies in its practical format as well as the appreciable summaries offered, which provide readers with a quick overview of the metropolitan region's investment climate over the past quarter.

In creating this new information tool, Montréal International aims to continue sharing its expertise with the community, by notably delivering value for its members, partners and multiple clienteles.

I hope you will enjoy perusing this new edition and will quickly become a regular reader.

Pleasant reading!

Pierre Brunet
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Montréal International

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The Conference Board of Canada predicts that the employment growth rate for Greater Montréal will rise to 2.3% in 2007, its highest point since 2002.

The employment market in the metropolitan region has been performing exceptionally well since early 2007, with an unemployment rate that has remained under the 8% mark all year long, including an all-time historical low of 6.2% in the month of April.

Over the past few years, graduates at all levels, and more particularly those having studied in high-technology fields, have access to numerous employment opportunities.

Given the globalization of the knowledge economy, a talented and qualified labour force is a highly valued resource. Greater Montréal has for this reason opted to prioritize the training, retention and attraction of qualified employees as a means of supporting economic development. In fact, the region enjoys a vast array of employee training programs tailored to companies' needs. With 11 institutions of higher learning, including four major universities, Greater Montréal is a centre of learning of international repute. On a national level, the region is undeniably the champion with regard to university training and R&D.

The new portal Study in Montréal :-), online since last September, directly addresses these priorities. The site, which aims to attract the best international students to our city's universities, is an initiative of Montréal: City of learning, knowledge and innovation and the Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal.

The search for a qualified labour force is a challenge shared by all developed countries and even major emerging nations such as China. According to a January 2007 survey of 600 heads of multinational corporations conducted by The Economist, the availability of qualified employees is their foremost concern when carrying out activities in China or elsewhere in Southeast Asia. Unlike many other regions across the globe, Greater Montréal can rely on high-calibre infrastructures, resources and teaching personnel, all of which are key to a strong knowledge economy.

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LAB Research Inc. is expanding its Laval facilities for the second time in less than a year. The company will spend an initial $20 million to expand its space by 75,000 ft². This investment will be followed by an additional $20 million, which the company will dedicate to the purchase of new cutting-edge equipment. LAB Research currently has 225 employees at its Laval facilities, a number which should grow by around 100 with these new investments.
Press release >>>

Pratt & Whitney Canada is hiring 100 skilled workers at its Longueuil plant to support its rapid growth. The company organized a job fair last August, in its plant, to fill all of the open positions.
Press release >>>

Ericsson's R&D centre in Montréal, the company's largest such centre outside of Sweden, will be hiring 200 new employees to allow it to execute new mandates and successfully deal with a growing workload.

DRAXIS Pharma has concluded a procurement agreement with Johnson & Johnson whereby it will provide commercial manufacturing services for a wide variety of specialized products. Draxis Pharma will therefore be building a second facility in Montréal, and foresees creating 100 new jobs. "We are honoured to have been selected from more than 80 international contract manufacturers under a rigorous and comprehensive global selection process conducted over an extended multi-year period," said Dr. Martin Barkin, President and CEO of Draxis Health Inc.
Press release >>>

ExelTech Aerospace, a company specializing in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft, is investing $21 million to build a new maintenance hangar at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, hence creating 100 new jobs. "The building of this hangar clearly demonstrates ExelTech's commitment to Montréal and our unquestionable desire to continue as a key member of the aerospace community in Québec for years to come," stated Derek Nice, ExelTech Aerospace's President and CEO.
Press release >>>

Innotech Aviation is building a new painting hangar at the Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, a $10 million investment that should create around 50 jobs for specialized painters.

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Cirque du Soleil is planning to nearly double its activities, adding three new shows per year for the next three years to its current 14-show roster. This growth will allow the company to create 1,500 jobs across the globe, over 700 of them in Montréal.

The Ritz-Carlton Montréal resumes its position among the top hotel establishments in North America. Through a $100 million investment, hotel management in Montréal is initiating a complete overhaul of its establishment so as to meet the most stringent luxury and comfort criteria. Once the renovations are completed, the Ritz-Carlton Montréal will boast 130 rooms and suites, 35 condo-residences and 15 condo-suites.
Press release >>>

Mega Brands, the second largest toy manufacturer in the world, is investing $2.7 million, including government funds of $600,000, into a training program that will help maintain 175 positions and generate 30 new jobs.

Nova Bus, manufacturer of buses, is investing $6 million in a training program. Of this amount, $1.5 million is funded by the Government of Québec, through Emploi-Québec. Company leaders plan to add 100 new jobs by 2009.
Press release >>>

Avon Canada is inaugurating its new distribution centre in the Greater Montréal area, an investment of $20 million. The company hails this project as a major event in the history of Avon, the largest direct sales organization in the world.

Ville de Montréal has approved a $400 million project for the redevelopment of the former Hôtel Viger. The company heading the project, DMC Viger, plans to build its hotel and residential units, thereby enhancing the nearly 22,000-m² site. DMC Viger aims to develop a project that will henceforth be the doorway to Old Montréal.

The Hôtel Quartier is continuing to expand, with plans to build a second hotel in Montréal, a project that represents a total estimated investment of $22 million. The new 152-room establishment is slated to open in the fall of 2009.

Jefferson Wells, a provider of financial and accounting services and subsidiary of the American company Manpower, continues to expand with the opening of its second office in Canada, this one in Montréal. "Montréal is a vital, thriving city and an office there reinforces Jefferson Wells' growing physical presence in Canada, while satisfying a need in the Montréal business community," said Steve Linker, managing director of the Montréal and Toronto offices.
Press release >>>

TSLab is investing $2.5 million in the opening of a new laboratory in Terrebonne, where it will hire around a dozen additional employees within the next year. TSLab, a company founded by Industries Mailhot and Groupe HEF, is the only company in North America with its particular brand of expertise in tribology and vacuum deposition.

Alcera Consulting, a company specializing in organizational development and the development of management skills, is moving its headquarters from Kingston, Ontario to Montréal. By moving to the second largest agglomeration in Canada, the company will be better positioned to serve markets in Canada, North America and abroad.
Press release >>>

Solideal Canada, a U.S. company specializing in tires and rubber tracks, will be opening a new service centre of over 13,000 ft² in Montréal.

Titanium Metals is considering the possibility of building a titanium sponge plant in Varennes, on Montréal's South Shore. The project would represent an investment of $800 million, with production starting as early as 2009.

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Two Montréal business schools earned an admirable spot in Forbes magazine's list of top MBA programs outside of the United States. HEC Montréal was ranked among the top 11 establishments offering one-year programs, while McGill University ranked among the top 11 two-year programs. The magazine's ranking system is based on the return on students' investments subsequent to completing the MBA program.
You can view the complete ranking at forbes.com.

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Vermont's Champlain College will be the first U.S. institution of its type to "set up shop" in Montréal, with the Montréal campus open to students in all Champlain College programs. The initiative could prove particularly beneficial for students in graphic arts, multimedia, interactive development and electronic games, given Montréal's reputation, according to WIRED magazine, as one of the world's top cities with a highly developed electronic games industry. Montréal International supported Champlain College in all of the main phases of its implementation project.
Press release >>>

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Montréal was chosen as one of the nine featured cities at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Dalian, China. The Mayor of Montréal and President of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, Mr. Gérald Tremblay, the Minister of Economic Development, Innovation and Export Trade, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Montréal region, Mr. Raymond Bachand, and numerous business leaders helped promote Greater Montréal's creativity, innovative spirit, competitiveness and vitality. They recently participated, on September 6-9, in the Inaugural Annual Meeting of the New Champions, an event that brought together global growth companies that distinguish themselves by their technological leadership, business model and customer approach. Organized by the WEF, which is responsible for the major international gathering in Davos, this high-calibre rendez-vous brought together some 1,500 participants, including hundreds of CEOs of multinational companies, heads of states and international business leaders.
Press release >>>

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According to the most recent data reported by the Union of International Associations (UIA), Montréal ranks 2^nd among North American cities with regard to the number of international conventions it hosts. With 87 such events in 2006, the Québec metropolis was ahead of Washington D.C. and close on the heels of New York City.

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The second edition of Montréal International's Attractiveness Indicators emphasizes the qualities and strengths of the Greater Montréal region. Based on the primary location factors considered by foreign investors, the document confirms Metro Montréal's excellent standing vis-à-vis its main North American counterparts.

Here are some of the key highlights:
Among the major metropolitan regions in North America, Greater Montréal is:

1^st for the number of university students per capita;
1^st with regard to the competitiveness of total business operating costs;
2^nd for quality of life;
2^nd for the quality of the health care system and sanitation;
3^rd for the attractiveness of its patented inventions;

Greater Montréal is ranked no. 1 among Canada's major metropolitan areas with regard to:

amounts invested in university research;
number of university students and foreign university students;
number of university diplomas awarded to all students and to foreign students;
number of research centres;
number of research scientists and amounts invested per scientist;
number of patents held;
number of scientific publications jointly published by university and business;
venture capital investments.

To view the complete version of this document, click here.

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