Atlantic business leaders call for regional policies and more natural resource development

Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
Date: 2026-09-25 21:34:13.0
Tags: [New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Economy, Trade, Energy, Resources, Mining, Industry]

The Atlantic Economic Panel, chaired by Don Mills and commissioned by federal Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) Minister Sean Fraser, released a strategic growth plan calling for the creation of a $1 billion Atlantic prosperity fund to help regional companies scale up. The report recommends greater regional integration, including the establishment of an independent electricity system operator across the four Atlantic provinces, the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers, coordinated immigration policies, and streamlined regulatory processes for major projects. Furthermore, the plan urges a 50 per cent expansion of the region's natural resources sector, bolstered by recent provincial policy shifts such as Nova Scotia lifting bans on fracking and uranium mining and approving five new mines.