International Trade Committee on Oct. 30th, 2024

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you.

I'll turn now to Ms. Bradbury.

In terms of some of the challenges you're seeing with women-owned businesses or women-led businesses, if there were three things you could do in terms of funding to support programs, would they be on the trade side? Would they be on the operating expense side? What would you suggest to members here, based on your experience, that we need to focus on and prioritize?

[Nathalie Bradbury]

The first thing I would do in terms of funding would be to create a network opportunity to do far more events connecting women in Canada by sector and by market to our chapters abroad and elsewhere. Also, I would learn from the Canadian women business owners more, so that when we submitted to the WTO and elsewhere, we could bring their experiences to other countries so that the women, both in the chapters in Canada and in the chapters overseas, could learn from each other when they sell to each other.

We also participate in the Global Summit of Women every year. It was in Spain this year, and it's in Berlin next year. We bring women along. We'd love to create a big delegation of Canadian women to go to the Global Summit of Women in Berlin in 2025.

[Maninder Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton East, ON]

Thank you.

I know that, through the Indo-Pacific strategy, we have our team Canada trade missions that Minister Ng has been taking to some of the fastest-growing regions in the world. Part of those delegations are women-owned businesses or women leaders in business. We want to ensure that women also have access to these new, growing markets through our trade commissioner services, so they're providing a great service to those who want to trade with the rest of the world.

For those watching at home, the minister will be taking a couple more delegations to the Indo-Pacific region. If you're interested, look up “trade commissioner services” and please submit your application.

What I've heard on the ground, speaking with many of the businesses that have been on these trade delegations, is that they enable them to grow into new markets that they've never been a part of. It's helped them acquire businesses in those markets, and there are many success stories that come out of it. That's why we want to ensure that we continue doing these team Canada trade missions through our Indo-Pacific strategy.

Maybe I can turn to Madame Fortier, online.

Madame Fortier, I have the same type of questioning in terms of priorities that you think the government should be focused on. Are there certain programs that we should be funding more of, in your opinion?

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

I apologize, but you'll have to be brief again.

[Valérie Fortier]

We would certainly like to be able to continue supporting the women entrepreneurs we've been helping for a few years through our Dimension E program. To date, we have supported up to 700 agricultural producers in Canada. As part of our program, we offer free consultations with notaries, lawyers, tax experts and marketing advisers.

We were able to set up our Dimension E program through government grants. More funding would enable us to continue to offer the program and make the kind of progress we've seen in recent years across Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

We'll go to Monsieur Savard-Tremblay for two minutes and then Mr. Desjarlais for two minutes, and that's all the time we have.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Ms. Fortier, I'm going to continue with you, if you don't mind.

On March 26, 2024, the Réseau des femmes d'affaires du Québec announced the launch of the Maïa inclusive growth project across Canada. The project aims to provide information, networking opportunities and advice to women entrepreneurs wishing to access new markets.

A representative of the Réseau came here recently and said that Quebec was somewhat ahead in this area thanks to its institutions and its more hands-on approach. Do you agree with that?

[Valérie Fortier]

Since the Fédération des agricultrices du Québec is the only organization in Canada so heavily geared towards women in agriculture, I do believe that we are ahead of the other provinces.

We're starting to expand our program into Ontario. The province came knocking on Quebec's door to ask for help setting up a program similar to Dimension E for women farmers in Ontario. The Yukon has also contacted our federation, as have other provinces, to obtain assistance for women farmers across Canada.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

You have 50 seconds.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

I'll leave it at that.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you.

We'll go to Mr. Desjarlais, please, for two minutes.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thank you again to all of the witnesses for being present for this study.

It's important that as a country we look at imperative ways that will guarantee the increase of women entrepreneurs and a deep integration within our domestic economy, but of course our international economy needs to see a much more significant increase in the participation of women in these systems.

It's clear that many of these systems are working, but they could obviously be better. There's a lot that can be learned from the testimony you gave today.

I want to turn to Ms. Fortier, related to her work in agriculture.

In Alberta, we have a huge number of agricultural producers. Of course, those challenges are quite unique, in the sense that right near us are.... Saskatchewan and parts of central Alberta have these historically large, immense farms. These large, immense farms are often inherited and have this inheritance mechanism, which is passing land down to the next generation and the one after that, and so forth. That allows for a guaranteed participation of families with access to that kind of business.

However, for new individuals, women who want to get involved in agriculture, those who haven't had the opportunity, unlike yourself, Ms. Fortier, to be raised in an agricultural family....

I was raised in a beef-producing family, so I know the advantages that come along with being raised on a ranch, what it means to have calving season, etc. It's something that you get in your bones and something that doesn't really leave your body. It's part of you; it's part of your DNA when you're a producer. However, for those who want to get involved in the industry, who want to get their foot in the door, for lack of better words.... What would you advise women who want to get involved in this and don't necessarily share our agricultural upbringing?

[Valérie Fortier]

The Fédération des agricultrices du Québec has a number of programs to help women start or grow their businesses and even to facilitate business transfers.

We are starting to travel around Canada, since we get invited to events to talk to women farmers about our Dimension E program, which we would like to expand across Canada. The program is very good for networking. It helps women by providing lists of names of agricultural tax experts and even real estate agents specializing in agriculture. Those are hard to find in Quebec, and I imagine the same is true in the other provinces. Agriculture is really a world of its own, and the regulations are often different from those that apply to regular trade.

This is a program that we developed in Quebec to help women farmers. Over the past 20 years, the percentage of farms with women owners or co-owners has increased from about 4% to 27%. Quebec is making good progress. If it can be done, our federation would be pleased to expand its program into the other provinces to help other women farmers make the same progress.

[The Chair, Liberal, Judy Sgro]

Thank you very much.

Thank you to our very valuable witnesses. It was an immense amount of information. Thank you, all, for being with us today.

The meeting is adjourned.