Hello. Thank you for inviting me to join you today.
My name is Cathy Pelletier, as Mr. Arseneault said. I am the general manager of the Edmundston Region Chamber of Commerce.
I am also pleased to say that the Edmundston Region Chamber of Commerce is the largest francophone chamber of commerce in New Brunswick.
The role of our chamber of commerce, as you know, is to always provide the best support possible to our businesses in terms of economic development. We manage two initiatives to support our businesses. First, we operate the Retiree Employment Agency, which has a pool of retired persons. We also have the Emploihabilité Plus service, which helps people with special or specific needs return to the labour market.
Our chamber of commerce has over 360 members, from the smallest businesses to the biggest, including manufacturing and the tourism sector, which is quite strong in the region.
We are in the northwest of the province. We of course share a border with the United States on one side, and also share a border with Quebec. Given our unusual geographic location, it is not always easy to host or accommodate people or businesses.
I listened to the witnesses earlier and can say that the majority of our businesses are run by francophone entrepreneurs. Given our geographic location, however, they need to offer services in English, and increasingly in Spanish as well.
I will stop here and wait for the members' questions. I will answer to the best of my ability.