Finance committee  We've taken that on. The provincial government is a willing partner in that respect, Chair. Since 2011, we've tripled our investment in that area because it's a key priority. Part of the challenge there, quite frankly, is awareness around some of the SMEs. Some of the small-bus

Finance committee  We did.

Finance committee  Absolutely, that's the intent of our business development program.

Finance committee  Anecdotally it is. There are more instances, particularly in the trades where there was high demand for skilled workers in the trades in Prince Edward Island where they could not attract those people, and that is improving to a certain extent. Prince Edward Island still has a cha

Finance committee  The nature of our work is we take on risks that other lenders of capital don't, so we do have some business failure. About 4% to 5% of our annual portfolio goes into default, so relatively speaking, that's a manageable amount of risk. Our programming parameters and the expertise

Finance committee  To your first question around engagement with BDC and EDC, they're two organizations that are working in our province. In EDC's case, there's no office established there yet, but BDC has a presence. They're working with our firms in Prince Edward Island, and we're collaborating w

Finance committee  We have a full range of services. We have a significant loan portfolio that is at about $350 million. It needs to be managed for some time, more than 10 years. That requires resources. We have a full suite of services around innovation, productivity, international trade developm

Finance committee  I think it's a situation of place-based policy. The government has determined that, given unique challenges in particular regions, the structure and flexibility of regional development agencies can be different.

Finance committee  I don't have all the numbers that you request. We currently have eight projects under evaluation in our office that are indigenous-related.

Finance committee  Under evaluation.

Finance committee  Yes, projects.

Finance committee  Work was initiated this fall on site preparation. There was a previous announcement by the Government of Canada and the P.E.I. government on funding for the initiative. Work will continue.

Finance committee  I believe the completion date is two years, if everything goes according to plan.

Finance committee  No.

Finance committee  We do have businesses in Prince Edward Island, both in the manufacturing sector—MacDougall Steel Erectors Inc. from Borden-Carleton was a supplier to Alberta industry—and also in professional services. A number of professional services firms, IT, accounting, and others did work i