International Trade committee  As for measuring our work, we do that as I just explained. There’s a way to measure all the services provided, whether by exporters or people we work with in the provinces and communities. Currently, many Canadian communities are very active in terms of economic development. We work in either our regional offices or our missions abroad on promoting industries present across Canada.

International Trade committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. The most recent change to our budget occurred in the context of the global commerce strategy, wherein we were allocated additional resources providing us with a certain amount of flexibility. Our opening of new offices in China was one of the results of having this little bit more flexibility.

International Trade committee  At this point, no, our budget hasn't been reduced, but the trade department, like all departments of government, is very much concerned with making a contribution to deficit reduction and measures will be taken in terms of the 5% and 10% scenarios in line with the strategic operating review.

International Trade committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, I am Peter McGovern, assistant deputy minister for Asia-Pacific in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. I'm also chief trade commissioner of the Canadian Trade Commissioner Service. I am proud to represent the service and explain how it helps Canadian firms of all sizes create and sustain jobs for workers in all regions of the country by engaging successfully in international business.

Government Operations committee  No.

Government Operations committee  One million dollars.

Government Operations committee  The lake was about $50,000 of the whole project.

Government Operations committee  Mr. Chairman, excuse me if I gave the impression that the corridor was solely about a fake lake. There was a reflecting pond. That reflecting pond was used by thousands of journalists over the course of the meeting, including breakfast television in the U.K., which wanted to do a live broadcast from Muskoka to their audience in the U.K., only to discover, of course, that when you come on at two in the morning, it's somewhat dark out.

Government Operations committee  No.

Government Operations committee  First of all, the reflecting pool was one dimension of this particular quarter, which comprised three parts. You had the element that was highlighting the Muskoka region. We had an intermediary zone where we highlighted Canadian cuisine. And we had a connectivity dimension where we highlighted Canadian innovation and high technology.

Government Operations committee  Mr. Chair, I think those projects, which were deemed to be G-8 infrastructure projects, are not an element of either my work or Mr. Elcock's work.

Government Operations committee  I think the G-8 dimension is a bit of a misnomer. They are infrastructure projects and are administered, if I'm not mistaken, by the infrastructure individuals.

Government Operations committee  Mr. Chair, the fake lake was actually an idea that I think was a wild success. The interesting dimension of that is that--

Government Operations committee  --we took the opportunity to promote Canada as a high-tech, innovative society by leveraging the presence of the 3,700 media who were there. If, Mr. Chair, the member looks at the Olympic model, he'll note that most of the provinces had pavilions in Vancouver to leverage potential investment.

Government Operations committee  Yes, Mr. Chairman. I'll begin by addressing some of the benefits for the City of Toronto. With the Olympics and the G-8/G-20 being held in Canada, it very much was Canada's year, with the eyes of the world focused on us. In terms of a message I received from Toronto tourism, they indicated to me that the hospitality industry in Toronto profited to the tune of about $50 million over the course of that particular weekend.