October 18, 2011 – Montreal, PQ \u2013 <\/strong>Today, the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) hosted the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) at a roundtable with eight CYBF young entrepreneurs, at the Montreal showroom of local kitchen designer and CYBF entrepreneur, Group 3R.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The roundtable, held in celebration of the Year of the Entrepreneur and Small Business Week\u00ae, focused on the importance of strengthening youth entrepreneurship across Canada. Young entrepreneurs are critical in fostering Canada\u2019s growth, creating jobs and cultivating innovation and prosperity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At a press conference following the roundtable, Minister Bernier used the opportunity to formally launch Small Business Week\u00ae and to announce the recent federal grant earmarking $20 million over two years in funding for CYBF. The funding will enable the national organization to launch more than 1,000 new businesses which are expected to create more than 6,700 new Canadian jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Canadian Youth Business Foundation is grateful to the Government of Canada for its ongoing commitment to young entrepreneurs,\u201d states Vivian Prokop, chief executive officer of CYBF, widely considered the go-to organization driving youth entrepreneurship in Canada. \u201cThis contribution will help CYBF to continue to support the ideas, the innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit of Canada\u2019s youth, and enable us to unleash the entrepreneurial potential of young people to generate ideas, expand innovation and create jobs and wealth in communities from coast to coast to coast.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2018\u2019The $20 million we are investing today through the next phase of Canada\u2019s Economic Action Plan demonstrates our government\u2019s continued support for small businesses, the motor of job creation and economic growth,\u2019\u2019 said Minister of State Bernier. \u2018\u2019 We are committed to supporting the CYBF as it works with the business leaders of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and board member of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation, we are delighted with the federal government\u2019s ongoing commitment to Canadian Youth Business Foundation,\u201d said Catherine Swift. \u201dEntrepreneurship is key to Canada\u2019s current and future success as a strong economy and society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n (\u00ae)<\/sup> Small Business Week is a registered trademark of the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n -30-<\/p>\n\n\n\n About the Canadian Youth Business Foundation \u2013 Canada\u2019s Entrepreneur Gateway<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is the \u2018go to\u2019 place for youth entrepreneurship. As a national charity, we are dedicated to growing Canada\u2019s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character, not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-34, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring. We help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business. www.cybf.ca<\/p>\n\n\n\n