Introducing - The Atlantic Economic Forum

The Atlantic Economic Forum will take place in Antigonish, hosted by StFX University.

We had some big news for the Atlantic Canadian economy last week!

The Atlantic Economic Forum is something I’ve been working on over the past few years, and in particular since the beginning of the pandemic. Last week, StFX University announced the event is officially going ahead with a contribution of $200,000 from the federal government, and that it will be hosted at the new Mulroney Institute of Government on campus in Antigonish.

In the early days of COVID-19, it became apparent that the pandemic was going to have a severe and negative impact on the Canadian economy. As we began to roll out many of the emergency programs to help support households and businesses, I wanted to ensure we didn’t lose sight of the need to foster economic growth in Atlantic Canada on the back end of the pandemic for the years to come.

To help address the need to kickstart economic growth in our region, I began working alongside former Prime Minister Mulroney, and StFX University to establish the framework for the new Atlantic Economic Forum.

The Forum is meant to bring together leading voices in business, government, and academia to help create opportunities for investment in Atlantic Canadian businesses and develop policy ideas that will spur economic growth in our region.

Atlantic Canada is poised for profound economic growth in the wake of COVID-19 if we seize the opportunity at hand.

We have garnered the world’s attention with one of the most successful pandemic responses anywhere on earth and our high rate of vaccination is likely to allow us to safely open up our economy before much of the world.

Through the resilience of our entrepreneurs and business owners, and the support of government programs, our business community is overcoming the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. As things re-open these networks of businesses will help create job opportunities for people at home and ensure our communities can offer a superior tourism product when visitors return.

Atlantic Canada has extraordinary colleges and universities which help strengthen a skilled workforce that will ensure businesses thrive. Here in Nova Scotia, most of our communities have now been connected to high speed internet, or are scheduled to be connected with projects that are currently underway.

The quality of life people can enjoy here with liveable communities, access to the country’s nicest beaches and warmest oceans, and vibrant cultural and culinary scenes is already attracting workers from across Canada who have learned they can do their jobs from anywhere. In fact, the latest economic data from Statistics Canada indicate that the vast majority of jobs lost during the pandemic have now returned, and that many new ones are emerging.

These are just a few of the reasons why we are poised for lasting and sustainable economic growth across our region. The Atlantic Economic Forum will help make the most of the opportunity for a robust recovery in the years ahead.

I’m looking forward to seeing the contributions this new and important event will bring to our region.

My hope is that the Forum will become an annual fixture and make a meaningful difference to the Atlantic Canadian economy not only for the pandemic recovery, but for the generations of Atlantic Canadians that come after COVID-19 is finally a thing of the past.