Thank you for the question, Mr. Chair.
To start out, there are a couple of points I would make. We do have a significant presence. We, ACOA, are staffed outside of Halifax. For example, on mainland Nova Scotia there are approximately 12 people who are actually physically based and work with clients outside the Halifax area. As a result, that enables them to get a good understanding of just what the needs are in the rural areas, in the areas outside of Halifax.
In our Sydney office in Cape Breton, we have approximately 30 folks there, 30 staff. Again, they're very well positioned. By physically being based there, they have a good understanding of the issues and what some of the opportunities are.
We've made a concerted effort ourselves within ACOA Nova Scotia to ensure that we do focus on rural opportunities and to assist companies that are based outside of Halifax. One of the examples I mentioned earlier was in the agriculture and seafood sector. Most of those companies are based outside Halifax. The support we're providing to them will enable them—in a couple of cases recently with lobster processing companies—to produce a higher value-added product, to pursue additional markets. That really ensures the maintenance of jobs and, in a number of cases, the creation of additional jobs.
We are very much attuned to that. In addition, we do have our funding for communities through the innovative communities fund. Again, we work very closely with communities to identify opportunities, the things they can do to make their particular area more attractive to increase business or perhaps to assist young people in terms of getting a job in their community.