I want to thank the honourable member for that really important question.
PDAC, of course, is Canada's pre-eminent conference for prospectors and developers— essentially the mining industry. It brings together the world. I understand this year's PDAC conference was among the largest it's ever had, with somewhere, I think, around 48,000 participants. This really means the expertise that Canada has developed here in this sector, which is leading in the world, is why the world is coming to Canada, and Toronto in particular, for the PDAC convention.
I had a really good opportunity to meet with many of Canada's mining companies of all sizes. It really reaffirmed, of course, and highlighted their leadership in the way they pursue mining around the world in a sustainable way. I also had an opportunity to meet with a number of smaller companies that really are providing those solutions along that value chain, whether it is batteries and clean energy on mining sites, whether it is water treatment to use less water or whether it is treatment that ensures less dust in the air and noise. There was a range of Canadian innovations and entrepreneurs and smaller-sized companies that go into those value chains.
I often talk about my role as minister for both international trade and small business. It is this nexus that is so important. Mining, in particular, enables Canadian businesses to grow in that value chain, because of the work they are doing and the innovations they are pursuing, and to get into those mining chains of Canadian mining companies around the world. Certainly, this is with our partners as well. I would say it was a productive meeting. Again, the Mining Association of Canada is doing really terrific work in their leadership towards sustainable mining.