foresee many commercial entities taking
up residence and adding a renewed spirit
to the area, especially due to the 99-year
leases. Doing business here means invest-
ments have many long years to take root
and blossom.
Aboriginal entrepreneurs are actively be-
ing encouraged to take advantage of the
opportunities in Edmundston. The past 20
years have seen a heightened growth in
Aboriginal entrepreneurship — just the pe-
riod between 2001 and 2006 saw an in-
crease of 38 per cent in the number of self-
employed Aboriginal people. The MMEDC
wants some of that entrepreneurial spirit
to come to Edmundston and is promoting
this through tax incentives.
Despite her bright projections for the fu-
ture, Bernard admits that development of
any kind is a time-consuming process. Her
“It is a long process, but if you do steps 1, 2, 3, then 4, 5, 6 come very easily
and that is the important thing. Don’t jump the steps.”
88 business elite canada
H
DECEMBER 2016
