Good morning, Mr. Chair.
The Centralia project received WD funding in 2010. That was the first time a forum like that was held in Manitoba. More than 4,000 international small businesses took part in it, and the results were very good. We finalized sales with a number of businesses, and there is also a very strong possibility that four major Manitoba businesses may be developing projects that could have a $75 million impact.
With regard to official languages, a number of western businesses, operating at the national and international levels, were able to do business in French in Manitoba. Those are very good results.
I would also like to cite the example of the Manitoba Music Industry Association because you mentioned other sectors. That association is a non-profit organization that received WD funding to develop new international markets for businesses.
In Manitoba, the cultural organization 100 NONS has long been working with francophone artists and businesses. A number of exchanges were facilitated between 100 NONS and the Manitoba Industry Association. Even though the target markets are not the same, we considered the national mandate. There are a lot of exchanges and the results are fantastic. That's another example.