OTTAWA, ONTARIO, Jan. 25, 2016 – Today, Startup Canada launched a campaign to give every entrepreneur a voice in the Government of Canada’s Pre-Budget Consultations. In partnership with Canadian digital storytelling startup OneStory, the organization asks entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast to answer the government’s call for innovative solutions to grow the Canadian economy.
“As Prime Minister Trudeau alluded to at the World Economic Forum last week, our entrepreneurs are Canada’s greatest resources, ” says Victoria Lennox, Startup Canada Co-founder and CEO. “But to create jobs and grow the economy, the federal government has to unlock the full entrepreneurial potential of Canadians by better supporting entrepreneurs at all stages of growth, from all backgrounds, and in communities of all sizes.”
Katrina German, founder of Saskatoon-based OneStory, agrees: “We want to ensure that support reflects our real needs as startup businesses and as entrepreneurs.”
Entrepreneurs and organizations that support entrepreneurs are encouraged to submit their solutions via video at www.startupcan.ca/growingeconomy. The videos, recorded using the OneStory platform, will be posted to Twitter using #EveryEntrepreneur and the official Pre-Budget Consultations hashtag, #PBC16.
On Wednesday, Feb. 3, entrepreneurs are also invited to join a Pre-Budget Consultation specifically for startups and small businesses on #StartupChats at 12-1pm ET, hosted by Startup Canada.
“Despite great strides in recent years to build up the infrastructure of entrepreneurship and innovation, there remains much to be done to create a sustainable, national, high-impact, startup ecosystem,” says Lennox. “Canada’s entrepreneurship community is evolving rapidly and only through an open and collaborative dialogue can we ensure that national investments consider not just the needs of today, but also create long-term solutions for small business success.”
The government began Pre-Budget Consultations on Jan. 6 and Canadians have until early February to make their voice heard. For more ways to participate, visit www.startupcan.ca/growingeconomy.
To schedule an interview with Victoria Lennox, or for more information on Startup Canada, contact:
Kathryn Forrest
Communications & Marketing Manager, Startup Canada
1-844-782-7801 ext. 106