Leaders gather in Antigonish as Atlantic Canadian growth outpaces the country
ANTIGONISH, NS — From Statistics Canada’s horrifying soup of numbers, percentages and awkward acronyms, a truth has been drawn: Atlantic Canada is on the rise.
“The momentum is palpable and recent, so much so that the public imagination has not yet caught up with this profound shift,” wrote Edward Greenspon, president of the Public Policy Forum in his Momentum Index of Atlantic Canada.
That is – you may not have noticed, but by almost every measure of wealth, population and economy that the Ottawa-based think tank that spans all sectors of the country can measure, Atlantic Canada is gaining the nation.
The Public Policy Forum found evidence that something was up in their numbers and created the Atlantic Canada Momentum Index to quantify it and point out both the good that comes from rising living standards and the challenges for policymakers to help those who are left behind. to help.
“Population? Up. Immigration? Up. GDP per capita? Up. Education, employment rate, productivity, housing start-up, satisfaction with life? Up,” reads the Momentum Index foreword.
“This report from (the Public Policy Forum) is the beginning of what we hope will be a joyful repositioning of the Atlantic provinces within the Confederation. We believe in the future of Atlantic Canada. The wind is in our sails.”
Prime Ministers, Prime Ministers
On Monday, leaders from academia, industry, First Nations, politics and public service will descend upon Antigonish for three days to discuss the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The first Atlantic Economic Forum is hosted by the Brian Mulroney Institute of Government and will be opened Monday evening by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna.
“There was a conference called Forefront Atlantic over a decade ago, then of course we had the Ivany report and the We choose report nowduring all those periods, the prognosis was not very positive,” said Richard Eisner, associate vice president of research and graduate studies at St. FX, one of the organizers of Atlantic Forum.
“But things have changed in the last 10 years, especially after the pandemic. And yes, there are many challenges, but there is also positive news. So the time is right to bring leaders together.”
Talk about inclusivity
Challenges for policy makers are primarily around inclusiveness – how to make sure all boats go up on a rising tide.
A visible example of the struggle is housing. Despite an increase in construction starts, housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable, not only for those on fixed incomes, but also for young working families.
Panel sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday will cover affordable housing, indigenous investment, research and development, labor sourcing and training, and the future of economic development in the region.
