To highlight its 75th anniversary, BDC is showcasing the people behind the success of Canadian small- and medium-sized businesses.

The 40th edition of BDC Small Business Week™ (SBW), to be held coast to coast from October 20 to 26, will bring together entrepreneurs at hundreds of events across the country to learn and network with their peers.

As part of SBW 2019, BDC’s President and CEO, Michael Denham and Chief Economist, Pierre Cléroux will meet with entrepreneurs in cities across the country to present the findings of a new report looking at how the Canadian entrepreneurial landscape has changed in the past twenty years. Cities to be visited include Surrey, Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, London, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax. BDC will also make public a survey that takes a closer look at the people behind the businesses, to find out who are Canada’s entrepreneurs, what challenges they face and what specific skills have allowed them to succeed.

“Canada is one of the most entrepreneurial nations in the world; our history is full of great men and women who built globally competitive businesses,” says Michael Denham. “This year, we want to showcase their hard work and successes and explore the key entrepreneurial skills that have underpinned their growth.”

“Thanks to the hard work of BDC, Small Business Week has become an anticipated annual recognition of the backbone of the Canadian economy: Small businesses! When small businesses succeed, our economy grows, and middle-class jobs are created, which is why our government is working hard to reduce red tape and make it easier for businesses to start up, scale up and access new markets,” adds the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion.

For 40 years, BDC has organized BDC Small Business Week in recognition of the contributions and achievements of Canada’s entrepreneurs. In 2018, close to 300 activities across Canada attracted over 15,000 business people to BDC Small Business Week. This BDC flagship event celebrates entrepreneurship at the local, provincial and national levels.