I think basically they're doing it because we have the shopping capacity. The City of Temiskaming Shores is fortunate in that it's located about two hours from any other large centre, which increases the size of the catchment area for shopping.
In northern Ontario—and I grew up in southern Ontario and relocated up here about four years ago—there seems to be a different Ontario-Quebec relationship than I experienced historically in southern Ontario. The border here truly is invisible. People will relocate from Ontario to Quebec, live in Quebec and work in Ontario, live in Ontario and drive to Quebec to work. The border is just a line on a map and not something that impacts daily life.
We know business owners who draw a great number of customers from Quebec simply because they have the goods and services that the persons living in Quebec want that aren't available on their side of the border. Likewise, my business goes across to Quebec, although we're based in Ontario, to provide services to various businesses and communities that they couldn't otherwise obtain in the area. I think it's an economic necessity that we band to together simply because of the geographic location and I think we're better for it. We have a greater understanding of the issues facing Quebec. I think Quebeckers in this area have a pretty good understanding of the challenges facing Ontario, and to be honest, we make it work. It benefits both communities and it's good.