Atlantic federal ministers welcome independent, private sector-led recommendations to advance the region's growth, productivity and investment attraction
Atlantic Canada has significant momentum but realizing its full potential will require more productivity, more investment and a greater willingness to work across provincial boundaries.
Today, the independent, private sector-led Atlantic Economic Panel released Bolder Ambitions: Greater Prosperity for All, a new blueprint for strengthening our region's economy and its ability to compete globally.
The report sets out seven key recommendations. At the heart of the report is a call for all four of Atlantic Canada's provinces to increasingly act as one economic region where greater scale can unlock growth and investment. The report also contains recommendations on integrating electricity grids, developing natural resources, improving regulatory processes, scaling AI adoption, and creating a $1 billion Atlantic Canada prosperity fund to address the region's financing gap.
The Government of Canada will assess the Panel's recommendations, informing federal efforts to increase productivity, help Atlantic businesses scale, attract major investment, and create new economic opportunities across the region.
To help carry that work forward, Minister Fraser also announced nearly $400,000 in federal support for St. Francis Xavier University to host an Atlantic Economic Forum in Antigonish from May 31 to June 2, 2027. The Forum will bring together regional and national leaders to advance the conversation, identify barriers and opportunities for action, and help build momentum around the Panel's vision for the region.
The report was released at an event in Riverview, New Brunswick, attended by New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt and Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, Atlantic Economic Development Ministers, Atlantic Economic Panel members, business and community leaders, Indigenous representatives, and other regional partners.
The report's release marks the beginning of the next phase of the work: determining which recommendations can move quickly, where regional cooperation is essential, and where governments, businesses and other partners may need to reconsider long-standing approaches.
