Yes. Thank you.
As high-growth sectors and the push towards a green economy drive demand for critical minerals, northern Ontario is uniquely positioned to become a global supplier of choice. FedNor recognizes that these large infrastructure projects—the mining developments, those pieces that are happening—are creating a really huge opportunity for communities in northern Ontario. As such, FedNor has played a key role in leadership, and continues to play a key role, in supporting those projects by providing access in a convenor role or by providing federal funding on its own.
There are challenges, infrastructure challenges, both environmentally and in electrification as well, but we support the commitments for large infrastructure projects like the Ring of Fire through building the capacity in the communities that are in the regions and in the areas. That could be through support for planning or it could be support for economic development officers to be able to work with the communities and to do that engagement. It's community capacity building and economic diversification through planning.
We also co-chair, with NRCan, the Canadian critical minerals strategy, the interdepartmental committee, in support of developing the strategies to ensure that these developments go well and that they advance as quickly as they can. We also support Ring of Fire or other large development projects by providing innovative money, if you will, for developments for industry, for businesses to be able to develop and be able to be part of that supply chain, whether that is at the beginning or whether it is at the end of the supply chain. We offer opportunities for them to be able to develop and be part of that role.
We've developed about $15 million or $16 million, even in the last couple of years, directly towards those types of investments, ensuring that the small businesses in our region can benefit from opportunities from those types of developments.