Mr. Speaker, many departments are working to support the mining expertise that exists in the Abitibi. On this very day, Natural Resources Canada and Canada Economic Development are opening an international convention to review the results of research projects on iron deposits.
My department has invested over $2 million in our CanMet Val d'Or experimental mine for that project. Quebec, Canada and indeed the world can turn to the Abitibi region for world class expertise in the mining sector.