Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Committee members and guests, I'm pleased to be speaking to you on behalf of the network of Sociétés d'aide au développement des collectivités, or SADCs, and the Centres d'aide aux entreprises, or CAEs, in Quebec.
This wonderful network has 67 members, including 57 SADCs and 10 CAEs. It also represents over 1,000 people, including 400 permanent employees and 600 volunteers. The operation of these organizations is funded by Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, so by the federal government.
I also want to point out that our network is part of a larger pan‑Canadian network, the Community Futures Network of Canada, or CFNC, which includes over 260 organizations like ours—the Community Business Development Corporations, or CBDCs, and Community Futures Development Corporations, or CFDCs—across Canada. Our network spans all of Canada's rural and semi‑urban areas.
Today, I mainly want to talk about the Quebec fact in relation to a green and united recovery, to which we obviously want to contribute.
I also want to talk about our relationship with Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, which has been very successful and which gives us the opportunity to develop programs for our members on behalf of the federal government. It also enables our members to develop programs in rural and semi‑urban areas, either in communities or with businesses.
I'll give you some statistics. Over the past year, through the regional relief and recovery fund, or RRRF, our members have loaned over $128 million to 2,700 businesses, which is quite significant. They also invested over $25 million in 3,800 technical assistance and local economic development projects.
We believe that, in terms of the pandemic, SADCs and CAEs have done a good job. We would now like to be part of a green recovery.
In the time that I have left, I'll tell you about what our members are doing on the ground. Each year, our members are involved in over 10,000 investment projects and over 1,000 development projects, mainly in the area of sustainable development. They carry out diagnostics, support companies, implement eco‑conscious projects or fund sustainable projects.
Several of our members are involved in industrial symbioses in the circular economy, while others are working together on net‑zero emissions projects. Some members have implemented forest biomass projects in their area, while others have even contributed to food self‑sufficiency projects in their area.
It would be good if, through the Department of Finance, the government could consider decentralizing some of the work so that the agencies and organizations that I'm representing today could play a more significant and obvious role in our communities. Our strength is our outreach and the strength of our volunteers and professionals on the ground. However, our direct connection to the communities and direct connection to entrepreneurs make us a key partner.
This sums up our work on the ground, the work of our members and the strength of the network. I look forward to answering your questions for the next while.