A Saskatchewan business development corporation is doing its part to show the north is a good place to invest.
Pinehouse Business North Developments CEO Julie Wriston recently returned from a Canadian trade mission to Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Wriston says one of PBN’s goals on the mission was to dispel myths among Asian investors that Aboriginal owned businesses are risky investments.
“Often in countries outside of Canada there’s what is referred to as ‘Indian problem’ and that’s in quotes, I certainly don’t hold true to those values,” she says. “But there’s not a lot of understanding that we’ve actually gone through quite a business renaissance here in Saskatchewan and there’s a number of development corporations that are investment ready.”
She adds one thing she learned on the trade mission is that Asian investors have some similar customs to doing business as Aboriginal investors.
“We have a cultural match with them in that they want to form a relationship first and that the speed of business is important, yes, but also forming long term partnerships where there are deep understandings of each other are paramount.”
Wriston was one of four Saskatchewan delegates that were on the trade mission which ran from Feb. 26 to Mar. 6.
The Saskatchewan delegates were there as part of the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority.
She says this was the first time an Indigenous owned business development corporation was part of a foreign trade mission like this.