In a talk at the Canadian Club Tuesday afternoon, Isabelle Hudon said the Business Development Bank of Canada—which paid the federal government $735 million in dividends in 2022—could be taking more risks when it comes to serving entrepreneurs in a macroeconomic climate in which many small business owners are struggling. (The Logic)

Talking point: The Crown corporation has a dual mandate to generate profits for the federal government, its sole shareholder, and to fill lending and investing gaps for entrepreneurs whom traditional financiers may deem too risky. Achieving both those goals—which can seem at odds—is a balancing act. While Hudon said the organization can take more risks, it isn’t as if it hasn’t been serving the market. She noted that BDC works with one in 12 small and medium-sized enterprises in Canada, having doubled its number of clients in the past five years and increased its venture capital commitments by 40 per cent in two years.