The Deputy Prime Minister of Canada, Chrystia Freeland, is in Kitchener today to discuss the challenges and opportunities currently facing Canada’s tech sector.

Freeland stopped in the Waterloo Region to visit Communitech and meet local innovators and entrepreneurs.

“This area, the Waterloo-Toronto corridor is one of the best technology ecosystems in the world. There are more tech workers here in this corridor than in Chicago, LA, Seattle and Washington DC, Freeland said. “Something we should all be proud of as Canadians, Canada’s tech workforce is growing faster than any center in the United States. We are already the best there, the trend is our friend, and I want people who work in this sector to know that our government is very proud of it. We understand how important this is for Canada today and for our future, and we are committed to continuing to work with you to put us first.

The hope is to meet top tech leaders to discuss challenges and opportunities in the Canadian tech sector.

Freeland was joined by several local MPs, beginning with a tour.

“Seeing the work you do here, talking to people, made me even more excited about the current reality and the future of Canadian technology,” Freeland said. “The Region of Waterloo is a renowned hub for technology and innovation and, as Chris pointed out, has the second highest density of start-ups in the world.

The tour took the Deputy Prime Minister around Communitech looking at different projects the startups have worked on, including a special type of flight simulator.

“It’s a bit bumpy here, there are always economic cycles, but if you look at the big numbers, $3.6 billion invested in Waterloo Region in the last 16 months, more than the previous three years combined. We have all these big companies blowing up, and it’s really great to have the Deputy Prime Minister here today to kind of celebrate that success, but work with us for what’s to come,” said Chris Albinson, CEO of Communitech.

Later this afternoon, Freeland will host a panel discussion to discuss ways to help the industry get back on track.