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Startup Canada Day on the Hill signals new entrepreneur - government relationship
Historic Event for Canadian Entrepreneurs
OTTAWA, November 25, 2013 – At Startup Canada Day on the Hill, held last week in Ottawa, entrepreneurs and government leaders alike agreed a working relationship is needed to ensure Canada becomes and remains the best place in the world to start, operate, and grow a business.
More than 700 people attended this historic event including seven federal cabinet ministers, 15 Members of Parliament, and 450 entrepreneurs, bringing together the largest ever contingent of entrepreneurs to meet on Parliament Hill with government. The day consisted of numerous keynote addresses, discussion panels, and small meetings between entrepreneurs and Members of Parliament.
“Canada can realize its potential for social and economic growth by supporting entrepreneurs from the bottom up,†said Victoria Lennox, CEO and co-founder of Startup Canada. “A culture that supports entrepreneurship feeds startup growth, and government needs to work with those in the trenches, like Startup Canada, to ensure Canada remains competitive.â€
“Canada’s startups and the entrepreneurs who run them are known for their tenacity, their creativity and their innovative nature,†said Minister of State for Small Business Maxime Bernier, who hosted the event in partnership with Startup Canada. “Our job as a government is to make sure the right conditions are in place for them to grow their businesses and to succeed.â€
A number of themes emerged at Startup Canada Day on the Hill. Speaking to Canada’s role in the global economy, the Honourable Chris Alexander, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, discussed the Government of Canada’s new Startup Visa Program. The program aims to ensure Canada remains competitive in the global economy by providing sought-after entrepreneurs from around the world with permanent residency and access to business partners in Canada.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship drives economic growth and helps to secure future prosperity for all Canadians,†said Alexander. “Immigration is vital to innovation and to meeting Canada’s economic and labour market needs.â€
Seeing the opportunity to address entrepreneurs, Minister of Public Works Diane Finley announced the fourth call for proposals for the Build in Canada Innovation Program at Startup Canada Day on the Hill. The program connects Canadian companies with federal departments and agencies that have a need for innovative products and services.
“Entrepreneurs have such an important role in driving innovation in this country, which in turn creates jobs and economic growth for Canada,†said Minister Finley, while addressing the crowd. “Our job as a government is to fuel that spirit and drive in Canada, and this new Call for Proposals will help kick-start businesses by getting their innovative products and services from the lab into the market.â€
Another key theme that emerged throughout the day is the importance of investing in strong communities that support entrepreneurs. The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism, emphasized this support is needed for entrepreneurs to fill gaps government cannot.
“We recognize that government does not have all the answers to dealing with society’s social challenges,†said Minister Kenney. “Communities and businesses have long been the leaders in finding innovative solutions to helping vulnerable Canadians. Governments should tap into these solutions and no longer ignore them.â€
Beyond the event in Ottawa, Startup Canada Day on the Hill spurred a national conversation online, with the hashtag #startupday trending on Twitter across Canada. Startup Canada is celebrating this successful meeting of entrepreneurs and government at Startup Canada Day on the Hill with a flag installation on Sparks Street in Ottawa. The flags will be in place until Nov. 29.
For more information on Startup Canada Day on the Hill, Startup Canada, its programs, or to request interviews with members of Startup Canada, please contact Kathryn Forrest at 1-226-376-1895 or email Kathryn@startupcan.ca. For more on the announcements made during Startup Canada Day on the Hill, please visit our newsroom.
To view Startup Canada Day on the Hill in Tweets, please view this Storify or view the feed on EventPeeks.
To view photos from the event, please see the Startup Canada Flickr feed. If publishing one of these photos, please give credit to Startup Canada or the appropriate photographer.
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About Startup Canada Day on the Hill
On Nov. 21 2013, Startup Canada made history by bringing together the largest contingent ever of Canadian entrepreneurs to come to Parliament Hill, with the nation’s elected representatives to engage in a discussion of the important role entrepreneurs play in the Canadian economy. Held during Global Entrepreneurship Week, Startup Canada Day on the Hill signaled collaborative action amongst entrepreneurs, stakeholders and government to advance the access entrepreneurs have to support systems and funding, and to foster a culture that understands, supports and celebrate entrepreneurial ambition.
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada has built a national network of hyper-connected startup communities, sped access for entrepreneurs to local sources of support and advice, and initiated high-impact, national campaigns to fuel a culture of entrepreneurship across Canada. Startup Canada represents more than 55,000 entrepreneurs, more than 400 partner organizations and more than 250 volunteers. It is one of the most followed, active and high-impact entrepreneurship organizations in Canada, and is regarded globally as a best practice in grassroots entrepreneurship mobilization, startup communities, and cultural campaigns. Visit www.startupcan.ca for further information.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Startup Canada Day on the Hill is proudly presented by Intuit Canada, RideauStone Investment Inc., and Beijing Ottawa Summit. Startup Canada Day on the Hill is proudly supported by the Build in Canada Innovation Program, Export Development Canada, CANARIE, Wesley Clover, Sparks Street BIA, University of Ottawa, iPolitics, market2world communications inc., and Whitewater Brewing Company. Startup Canada’s sponsors include Microsoft, Gowlings, ScotiaBank, McMillan LLP and LeBarge Weinstein LLP.
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Key Announcements
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By The Numbers On The Ground
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Over 700 people attended throughout the day, including 450 entrepreneurs, 89 members of government, 15 members of the media, 56 non-profit organizations, 50 students, and more than 100 others
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Four federal cabinet ministers addressed entrepreneurs in keynote speeches
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Eight meetings were held between entrepreneurs and Members of Parliament
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Representatives from nine Startup Canada Communities attended
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10 startups helped fuel the event
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35 volunteers ran the event
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By The Numbers Online
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#Startupday was trending in Canada on the day of the event
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#Startupday had a reach of 1,025,869 and impact of 9,838,783
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Between Nov. 20-22 (time around the event), @startup_can had 1,500
interactions by 493 users, 482 new Twitter followers, 721 @mentions and 561 retweets
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The Startup Canada website had over 4,867 page views between Nov. 20-22
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Of the over 2,000 visitors to www.startupcan.ca between Nov. 20-22, 70 per cent were new visitors
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Between Nov. 20-22, the Startup Canada Facebook page received about 20,000 page impressions
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Photos
Check out the Startup Canada Flickr Channel for photos from the event.
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Tweets
Click here to see the Storify with the full Twitter chatter and click here to see the photos and videos tweeted from the event via Eventpeeks.
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Startup Day on the Hill: Canadian government should be doing more, entrepreneurs say
Nov 23 | Financial Post | Julia Johnson
Click here to read the article.
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