Thank you very much.
I come to you today from the unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia, the people of the dawn.
It's been very interesting to hear what all the witnesses have had to say about mental health and health and businesses in indigenous communities.
I really wish you all the very best, because I know it's a very difficult time right now. It's a very difficult time for all businesses. I'm sure most businesses that I've talked to would have loved to have grants instead of loans, but such is business, in a way. It's all about trying to become successful and then being able to maintain that. It's a very difficult time right now to do that.
Mr. Metatawabin, when you spoke in the spring, you also mentioned that you'd just signed the contribution agreement with Indigenous Services Canada with respect to the $306.8-million fund for indigenous SMEs. At the time, you were expecting the funding to start flowing by mid-June.
Chief Perry Bellegarde of the Assembly of First Nations noted that only 6,000 businesses would be able to benefit from that funding, leaving most of the 40,000 indigenous businesses in Canada without support.
How many indigenous businesses have actually received funding to date? Is there any funding left? If so, how many more businesses will receive funding?