Address to the Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Conference and Tradeshow Ottawa, Ontario on October 24, 2011

Good morning. Elders, Chiefs, ladies and gentlemen. It is an honour to join Clint as Co-Chair of the Aboriginal Entrepreneurs Conference and Tradeshow 2011. The Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business has put together a great agenda for you, with opportunities for networking and information sharing.

Forums like this oen today help build and strengthen partnerships and business connections. And I am glad to be a part of this.Last January, Prime Minister Harper declared 2011 the Year of the Entrepreneur, to highlight the essential role that small and medium sized businesses play in a strong Canadian economy.

Our Government recognizes the importance of business development and growth to First Nation, Inuit and Metis people. The Prime Minister himself has stated that, “the first priority is economic development. This is obviously the most essential step for improving the lives of Aboriginal people and their communities.”

The opportunities for economic development and business growth have never been greater. And aboriginal participation in both the labour market, as well as economic development initiatives across the country are an important part of a strong and dynamic Canadian economy.

With more than 400,000 Aboriginal youth projected to enter the labour market by 2020, Aboriginal participation in the labour market will continue to be important.

Corporate Canada is working with Aboriginal business and communities. Already, over $315 billion in potential resource developments have been identified in or near Aboriginal communities.

Aboriginal leaders like:
• Chief Clarence Louie, who has made the Osoyoos Indian Band the driver of the Okanagan economy
• President Clem Chartier, who looks to entrepreneurship as a means of securing the well-being of the Métis people
• and Pita Aatami, who has steered the Makivik Corporation into the most important engine of economic growth in Nunavik

They all recognize that business strengthens quality of life and self-sufficiency of their communities.

Our government is committed to working in partnership with aboriginals across the country to increase economic development opportunities. That is why today I am pleased to announce that our government is investing more than $3 million to the Métis Entrepreneurship Fund.

The Fund is jointly managed by the Apeetogosan Métis Development Corporation in Alberta, SaskMétis Economic Development Corporation and the Louis Riel Capital Corporation in Manitoba.

This contribution will support opportunities for Métis businesses to access financing between $250,000 and $1 million. With this funding, Métis entrepreneurs will be able to expand their businesses and create jobs across the Prairies.

This is another concrete measure our government is taking to strengthen the economic development of Aboriginal peoples. This investment builds on our government’s Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development which supports the participation of Aboriginal people in the economy.

We have also taken other important steps to modernize and improve federal support for Aboriginal economic development.

Just last week, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Chief Robert Louie, Chair of the First Nations Lands Advisory Board and Chief Austin Bear, Chair of the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre Inc., which will increase access to the First Nations Land Management regime, and allow more First Nations to undertake greater responsibility for land management and respond more quickly to economic development opportunities.

I also announced in the spring a Joint Action Plan with the AFN to work together to improve the long-term prosperity of First Nation people and all Canadians. This Action plan identifies four shared priority areas for action: education; accountability, transparency, capacity and good governance; negotiation and implementation, and economic development.

We have also been moving ahead with a legislative agenda that supports economic development, strong governance and regulatory reforms in the North. We have already introduced regimes such as the First Nations Land Management, and First Nations Commercial Industrial Development Act.

Our government also has an Action plan in place on specific claims that has a strong record and is delivering concrete results. Since 2007, we have successfully addressed over 445 specific claims overall. We are committed to settling specific claims and will continue to deliver results.

Never before have so many opportunities existed for Aboriginal across Canada. Later today, you will be able to join one of the workshops on some exciting resource development projects going on in Canada.

From the diverse possibilities in the Atlantic region … to the opportunities for potash development in Saskatchewan… to mining developments in the Yukon, a wealth of business opportunities are there to be explored.

It is clear that partnership continues to grow between Canada’s business community and Aboriginal people.

By building partnerships and targeting efforts, our Government is taking action to increase business opportunities for Aboriginal people across Canada.

Together, we are working to make strategic and targeted investments that respond to the needs of Aboriginals and ensure they are well-positioned to be full participants in the Canadian economy.

As Aboriginal business people and entrepreneurs you are key to Canada’s future economic prosperity. I wish all of you every success in your endeavours.

I would now like to take this opportunity to officially launch AANDC’s video to promote and share the success of Aboriginal businesses across the country.