Trip to Focus on Building Relationships, Protecting the Great Lakes,
and Promoting Wisconsin’s Leadership in Agriculture, Clean Energy
Governor Jim Doyle will depart this week on a business trip to Canada to build relationships with business and government officials, discuss protecting the Great Lakes, and promote Wisconsin’s leadership in agriculture and clean energy.
The Governor will visit the Canadian cities of Winnipeg, Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto from May 20-23, 2008. He will be joined at different events on the trip by Natural Resources Secretary Matt Frank and Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen. In addition, Commerce Secretary Jack Fischer will have a variety of business meetings in Canada next week to build relationships and discuss investment in Wisconsin.
“This trip is an opportunity to strengthen vital relationships with Canadian business and government officials, discuss the importance of protecting the Great Lakes, and promote Wisconsin as a world leader in agriculture and clean energy,” Governor Doyle said.
Canada continues to be Wisconsin’s largest international market. In 2007, Wisconsin exports to Canada grew by 7.1 percent to $5.8 billion. Nearly one-third of all Wisconsin exports in 2007 were to Canada. The state’s agricultural exports also rose 45 percent in 2007, driven by growing consumer demand in Canada and other countries for high-end food and quality livestock genetics. Since Governor Doyle took office, Wisconsin exports have increased by nearly 80 percent.
Governor Doyle’s Manitoba Meetings
In Winnipeg, Governor Doyle will address a meeting of business leaders hosted by the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and organized by Manitoba Premier Gary Doer’s office. The topic for the meeting is “Manitoba and Wisconsin: Growing our Common Economies.” The Governor will be joined by Premier Doer and DNR Secretary Frank.
Governor Doyle and Secretary Frank will also tour several Manitoba Hydro projects and meet with company officials to discuss regional approaches to clean energy. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba Hydro is the primary energy utility for Manitoba. Virtually all of its energy comes from water power produced at 14 hydroelectric generating stations located on four Canadian rivers.
Governor Doyle’s Quebec Meetings
In Montreal, Governor Doyle will meet with company executives from Agropur to discuss the company’s recent purchase of Trega Foods, a Wisconsin cheese business, and the state’s commitment to growing the dairy industry. Agropur is a leader in the Canadian dairy industry.
The Governor will also meet with top officials from Saputo, Inc. near Montreal to discuss the company’s recent purchase of the Alto Dairy Cooperative in Waupun and ways the state can help the company grow in Wisconsin. Saputo, a manufacturer of dairy and grocery products founded in Quebec in 1954, has been operating in Wisconsin for over 20 years.
In addition, the Governor will meet with Quebec Premier Jean Charest and Ministers in his Cabinet in Quebec City to discuss environmental issues, including the Great Lakes Compact, the Governor’s Clean Energy Initiative, and the MGA Climate Accords.
The Governor will be joined at his Quebec meetings by Agriculture Secretary Nilsestuen.
Governor Doyle’s Ontario Meetings
In Toronto, Governor Doyle – as Chair of the Council of Great Lakes Governors – will give the keynote address at the C. Warren Goldring Annual Lecture at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars’ Canada Institute. The topic of the Governor’s lecture is “The Great Lakes and the Environment: Common Challenges and a Shared Future.” The Goldring Lecture is the only annual lecture in Canada that focuses on cross border issues between the U.S. and Canada.
Governor Doyle will also meet with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to discuss Wisconsin’s leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the MGA Climate Accords, and the Great Lakes Compact.
Finally, during his visit to Ontario, the Governor and Agriculture Secretary Nilsestuen will tour Woolwich Dairy to discuss the company’s establishment of its U.S. headquarters in Wisconsin and how the state can help support its growth plans. Woolwich Dairy is Canada’s leading and largest goat cheese producer. Earlier this month, the company celebrated the grand opening of its new facility in Lancaster, Wisconsin – their first U.S. facility.
