SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1993
NEW HK OFFICE PREMISES IN TORONTO OPENS
**
THE NEW PREMISES OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE IN TORONTO WAS OFFICIALLY OPENED YESTERDAY (FRIDAY).
IT IS A THREE-STOREY HERITAGE BUILDING AT ST GEORGE STREET IN DOWNTOWN TORONTO.
THE COST OF ACQUIRING AND RENOVATING THE 100-YEAR-OLD HOUSE IS ABOUT CANADIAN $2 MILLION.
Ji
OFFICIATING AT THE OPENING WERE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, MR TH CHAU, PRESIDENT OF CANADA'S TREASURY BOARD, MR ART EGGLETON, ONTARIO'S MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE, MR RICHARD ALLEN, CHAIRMAN OF METRO TORONTO COUNCIL, MR ALAN TONKS, MAYOR JUNE ROWLANDS OF TORONTO, MAYOR JOYCE TRIMMER OF SCARBOROUGH, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SPADINA, MR TONY IANNO AND DIRECTOR OF HONG KONG ECONOMIC AND TRADE OFFICE, MR STEPHEN LAM.
SPEAKING AT THE CEREMONY, MINISTER EGGLETON NOTED THAT THE OPENING OF THE NEW PREMISES WAS AN IMPORTANT AND SIGNIFICANT SIGNAL BETWEEN CANADA AND HONG KONG IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL LINKS.
HE CONFIRMED THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA'S DESIRE TO EXPAND AND OTHER LINKS WITH ASIA-PACIFIC, IN PARTICULAR HONG KONG,
TRADE
MINISTER ALLEN SAID THE HONG KONG OFFICE IN TORONTO REPRESENTED AN IMPORTANT ONGOING LINK BETWEEN ONTARIO AND THE HONG KONG MARKET,
י
HE SAID: "AT A TIME WHEN ONTARIO BUSINESSES FACE INCREASED PRESSURES TO BE MORE COMPETITIVE ON AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, IT REPRESENTS AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO SOLIDIFY AND EXPAND OUR TRADING AND INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES.'
FI
THE OPENING OF THE HONG KONG OFFICE WAS CELEBRATED AT A GALA DINNER IN THE EVENING, WHICH WAS WELL. ATTENDED BY SENIOR OFFICIALS FROM THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING CANADA'S NEWLY APPOINTED MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE, ROY MACLAREN, FIVE CITY MAYORS, AND MORE THAN 200 LOCAL DIGNITARIES, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PROMINENT BUSINESS PEOPLE.
/2