The Atlantic Initiative

The east coast of Canada is experiencing a moment. Now, it is critical to define what the opportunity will be, and how the region can capitalize on it.

As a national applied think tank with long-standing connections to the region, and a base for activities available through our partnerships and the Frank McKenna Fund, PPF is well-positioned to play a role in identifying and mobilizing levers of change to amplify new and under-appreciated winds of change blowing through the eastern end of the country.

Public Policy Forum sees three key pillars for action: people, technology and enablers.

People: Through hard work and coordination, the negative population trends are starting to reverse in the region, but more needs to be done. Ensuring a growing and productive labour force is critical to building an economy that raises living standards for all Atlantic Canadians.
Technology: A growing population is a positive, but without the training, skills and adoption of critical technology, Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs, businesses and service providers will be left behind their counterparts.
Enablers: In addition to people and technology, fostering education and training, understanding and adapting to trends including work from home, and optimizing the regulatory framework to support a strong knowledge economy will either enable or dis-enable a positive path forward.
Dis-enablers: Atlantic Canada does not operate in a bubble. It is not immune to the threats to growth and prosperity. An eye towards healthcare, housing, transportation and infrastructure is important when understanding the environment for inclusive growth for all Atlantic Canadians.

In year 2 of PPF’s Atlantic Initiative, we will seek to build on the 2030 goal by focusing on people, technology and enablers. We will also build on the findings of The Atlantic Canada Momentum Index.

GOALS AND OUTCOMES

PPF’s Atlantic initiative will seek to achieve three things:

To deepen policy capacity in the region by training existing leaders and building a network of new and emerging leaders focused on improving their communities
To convene leaders from all four Atlantic provinces on national and regional issues and opportunities in the spirit of shared collaboration, problem solving and growth
To increase the voice of Atlantic Canada within the national policy landscape, and to foster the sharing of success and opportunity in the region

Leaders in the region have shared with us three ways in which PPF contributes uniquely in the region: our ability to convene all four Atlantic provinces, our support in bolstering policy capacity in the region, and by fostering the telling of our successes both within the region and to our broader national audience. These three elements will be core to our engagement. There will be an integrated approach to all elements of our work to build synergies and engagement.

HOW WE’LL WORK

We will work with our network in Atlantic Canada including PPF members, the Frank McKenna Fund supporters, PPF’s Atlantic Advisory Council, our existing Atlantic newsletter, and PPF Board members to deliver on our Atlantic initiative. We will stand up projects under each of our four pillars. PPF was pleased to kick off the Atlantic Initiative on November 3rd in Fredericton in collaboration with our Action Canada study tour to the region.

PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

As we shift our engagement in Atlantic Canada to a sustained physical presence, we welcome partnership from organizations likewise engaged and committed to long term Atlantic prosperity.