The Haliburton County Development Corp. has been a trailblazer for businesses in Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock. The HCDC is a dedicated group of individuals who are committed to helping entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams by connecting local innovators with the resources they need to start, maintain and grow their ventures. In fact, they are one of the province’s biggest success stories for supporting local businesses. In the last three years alone, HCDC has moved over $15 million in capital financing, which has developed over 890 jobs across the area.

It is my pleasure to congratulate them on their new venue, the Link. The Link will be home to a business incubator, the chamber of commerce, the arts council, tourism and economic development staff, and services from the Business Development Bank of Canada. The HCDC has created a space that will be foundational in supporting businesses with one-stop shop convenience for local entrepreneurs.

Never afraid to think out of the box, HCDC recently partnered with the county’s Places for People to launch a new community bonds program to help bring more affordable housing units to Haliburton county.

I would like to thank the hard work and dedication of executive director Patti Tallman and board chair Pat Kennedy and their teams for providing leadership for community economic development in Haliburton county.

My question is for the Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.

Many entrepreneurs and workers choose to plant their roots in my riding of Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock for many reasons. With a high quality of life and ample opportunities, there’s no shortage of reasons why it’s one of the best places to operate and grow a business.

With the billions of dollars in investments that the government has been attracting across the province, my constituents want to know that they are also getting a fair deal and that the government is there to help their businesses stay competitive.

Can the minister explain what our government is doing to support businesses—namely, manufacturers—in my riding?

It’s great to hear that the people in Haliburton–Kawartha Lakes–Brock have not been forgotten by the government.

It’s also great to see that after years of Liberal and NDP governments making business costly and expensive in Ontario, investments and small business start-ups have roared back to life under this government.

Speaker, to keep this momentum going, we need to ensure that entrepreneurs have everything they need to be successful and to remain competitive on the world stage.

I want to ask the minister to elaborate on what our government is doing to support entrepreneurs who are looking to start and grow their businesses.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for the great work that she is doing for agri-producers.

When an Ontario food business expands, new jobs are created and more money is put back into our economy. The work by our government to promote food and beverages produced in Ontario is greatly appreciated by the 750,000 workers who are employed in the agri-food sector.

The US is our number one trading partner and is a critical market for our agri-food sector. Because of this reality, we must assist our farmers as they pursue economic opportunities worldwide. Speaker, can the minister explain what our government is doing to help businesses in the agri-food sector expand into overseas markets?

My question is for the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. With one in 10 jobs in our province connected to the agri-food sector, that represents one in 10 paycheques in my riding. My constituents depend on agri-food employers like Mariposa Dairy in Lindsay. Their two facilities, measuring over 80,000 square feet, represent North America’s largest private-label goat and sheep cheese producers.

Growth in Ontario’s agriculture and food manufacturing sector means more good-paying jobs for families across our province, but to grow our agri-food businesses, we need to access new markets for companies like Mariposa to expand. Speaker, can the minister please tell the House what our government is doing to promote Ontario’s agriculture and food manufacturers worldwide in order to provide them with greater economic opportunities?