Good afternoon, everyone.
It’s good to be in Mirabel with Premier Fréchette and Mayor Therrien, and to be joined by Canada’s Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, Mélanie Joly.
We’re gathered here today because of the combined power of entrepreneurs, builders, and governments.
A power that is building a stronger, more resilient, and more independent Canada.
A power that is deepening the links between Canada and Asia to the benefit of our workers, families, tourists, and businesspeople.
The first link in that chain is the entrepreneur, the risk takers, and the builders. So may I salute Tony Fernandes – an entrepreneur extraordinaire.
When we last saw each other in October, in Kuala Lumpur, Tony and I discussed the various crises we have been through in the past, and how best to respond to a world that is changing even more dramatically.
We shared a vision of deepening ties between countries that are choosing to build in the face of adversity. Countries that have the confidence to link their economies, to invest in their workers, and to move forward and not turn back.
I emphasised that Canada is once again building big at home and creating reliable partnerships abroad.
Tony, thank you for placing your trust in Canadian workers and industry – you are choosing the best, at the right time.
Canadian entrepreneurs and risk takers created the C Series, the predecessor of the Airbus A220.
The workers and builders at Airbus are now making it happen.
Thank you to Lars Wagner, Guillaume Chevasson, and the team at Airbus for your leadership.
Above all, thank you to the workers here in Mirabel and across Canada who are building Canada’s excellence in aviation.
Canada has always been a nation of builders.
In February 1909, a young engineer by the name of J.A.D. McCurdy lifted off from the frozen surface of Bras d’Or Lake.
It was the first powered flight in Canada’s history – and the first in the entire British Empire.
McCurdy was both a builder and a man of daring. He dedicated himself to projects that others considered impossible; notably, the first flight between Florida and Cuba.
In 1928, McCurdy stepped away from his feats of aviation to build the industry. He settled in Montréal and founded Reid Aircraft, one of Québec’s first major aeronautical manufacturers.
The facility he developed became Canadair, then Bombardier – the legacy that gave us the C Series, which has since become the Airbus A220, which stands as a point of pride.
Currently, this aerospace industry employs over 60,000 workers and contributes about 15 billion dollars annually to our economy.
The same conviction – that ambition and drive can change the course of a nation – is what we call upon today.
Today, amidst global turmoil, Canada is focused on what we can control: building our strength at home and diversifying our trade with reliable partners abroad.
We are catalysing $1 trillion in total investment over the next five years across clean and conventional energy, new trade corridors, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, aerospace, defence, and beyond.
We are transforming our workforce, including through the new $6 billion investment in Team Canada Strong to recruit, train, and hire 100,000 new skilled trades workers over the next five years.
We are also supporting the workers and businesses impacted by unjustified U.S. tariffs.
We have put forward a $1 billion funding program for the steel, aluminum, and copper industries, together with a $500 million regional response supporting every sector of the economy – including $105 million for Québec.
We are creating new opportunities for Canadian business through more than 20 economic and security partnerships across five continents in less than a year.
And we are working toward concluding comprehensive free trade agreements with India, Thailand, the Philippines, Mercosur, and ASEAN countries – this year.
Foreign direct investment into Canada is already at its highest level in nearly two decades, running at more than twice the rate on a per capita basis as our nearest G7 competitor – and we are just getting started.
Partners around the world see what Canada is building and the certainty and stability we can provide.
Businesses are choosing Canada because we have what the world wants.
Québechas what the world wants – and, here in Mirabel, workers and innovators are building what the world wants.
I am pleased that AirAsia is moving forward with the single-largest order of Canadian-designed aircraft in history, and that these aircraft will be built right where we’re standing.
This agreement will be a game changer for Québec’s dynamic and world-leading aerospace manufacturing industry.
For thousands of engineers, electricians, steel welders, and IT specialists, it will mean high-paying and rewarding work, and an opportunity to build a world‑class aircraft – one that will connect millions of people to more opportunities, more destinations, and more time with their loved ones.
The Airbus A220‑300 is a showcase of Canadian ingenuity – with lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and a smaller noise footprint, driven by advanced propulsion systems, lightweight materials, and cutting-edge aerodynamics.
It is built with a “clean-sheet” design – developed from scratch by Canadian workers.
With more than 5,000 highly skilled workers, Canada hosts Airbus’s most comprehensive A220 program site outside Europe.
It has been a resounding success.
Since 2016, Airbus’s Canadian workforce has more than doubled.
Airbus has harnessed world-class Canadian talent across engineering, computer science, and aeronautics, through its deep collaborations with our institutions including McGill University and the University of Waterloo.
This Mirabel facility is a cornerstone of that success – combining engineering, advanced research, administration, and final assembly into one integrated operation.
Behind every aircraft assembled in Mirabel is a broader network of suppliers, builders, technicians, and innovators across the country.
The steelworker fulfilling new orders with the certainty of a stable paycheque.
The engineering graduate with their first opportunity to apply their skills.
The mechanic who will transform blueprints into the industrial marvels you see on this floor.
All working together to deliver world-class aircraft.
The entrepreneurs who imagine. The workers who build. The governments that back them. That is how Canada wins – and that is what the world is choosing today.
This is how we are building a stronger, more independent, and more resilient economy for all.
We are building Mirabel strong and Québec strong to build Canada strong for all.
Thank you very much.