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A former New Brunswick premier backs a single economy for Atlantic Canada, saying the region is a burning platform as a business panel urges economic transformation.
A former New Brunswick premier says a newly proposed single economy for Atlantic Canada is needed to save a region he described as a burning platform. Frank McKenna, who served as Liberal premier from 1987 to 1997, made the comment as a panel of business leaders said the four Atlantic provinces should work together on economic transformation.
Atlantic Canada could become one of the country's most prosperous regions if it leverages its abundant talent and resources as a single economy, the group of business leaders says. The Atlantic Economic Panel, made up of seven well-known executives and entrepreneurs, released a report Friday that they say could serve as a guide for the economic transformation of the region.
Business Panel Urges Atlantic Economic Transformation
The panel released its report in Riverview, N.B., arguing that the four Atlantic provinces should cooperate rather than compete on economic development. Members say the region already has the talent and natural resources needed to rank among Canada's strongest economies.
McKenna, who led New Brunswick for a decade, framed the proposal as urgent. He said the region is a burning platform that requires bold action to avoid further economic decline. The panel's report is intended as a practical guide for that transformation.
The push comes as Atlantic Canada faces mounting economic pressures. In Fredericton, Premier Susan Holt is under pressure to scrap a proposal to retaliate against American tariffs by preventing U.S. citizens from obtaining provincial hunting and fishing licences.
Holt's government is also weighing whether to drop its long-standing ban on hydraulic fracturing as it looks for ways to boost the economy and secure Canada's energy independence. The premier says her government is launching a review of the ban on extracting the province's large natural gas reserves.
Energy and Industry Pressures Shape Debate
The tariff dispute with the United States has widened the discussion. Prime Minister Mark Carney said everything is on the table if Canada cannot secure a deal to avoid a dramatic escalation in U.S. tariffs planned for next month. He was asked in Charlottetown what measures his government is considering in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to impose 50 per cent tariffs on a variety of Canadian goods.
Carney said unity is Canada's greatest strength as he and the premiers met in Prince Edward Island to prepare a response to the fresh tariff threats. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he and his counterparts are united ahead of the face-to-face meeting.
In New Brunswick, other economic files are also moving. The provincial government granted conditional approval on Friday for a 500-megawatt natural gas plant that officials say is crucial to avoid rolling electricity blackouts within the next two years.
A private Canadian firm is planning to build an explosives factory in New Brunswick that it says could double the amount of TNT produced each year by NATO countries. Nalagx Corp. chief executive Patrick Gagnon says the company chose a site near Belledune after considering other provinces and two U.S. states. Natural Resources Minister John Herron says his department identified 1,500 acres of government land for the project.
Communities Face Closures and New Services
At the same time, a small New Brunswick community has been left reeling after the owners of an aging pulp mill that has been the area's economic driver for more than half a century announced it would halt production. Politicians in the province say they are disappointed by the planned closure of the pulp mill in Nackawic, which has operated in one form or another for more than half a century.
Other developments are also unfolding. A New Brunswick member of Parliament is calling on the provincial government to reject a proposed artificial intelligence data centre in Saint John, warning that it could overwhelm the power grid. The New Brunswick government also says Carleton AgriSolutions Inc. will take over the province's large animal veterinary services beginning next spring.
Meanwhile, Canadian author Paris Marx says there has been renewed interest in his list of alternatives to U.S. technology since President Donald Trump signed an order renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America. In Charlottetown, advocates are urging the federal government to increase health care funding and impose more conditions on what the provinces can do with that money.
The Atlantic Economic Panel's report now heads to provincial governments and business groups for consideration. McKenna's warning and the panel's findings are likely to shape the debate over whether Atlantic Canada moves toward a single economy or continues with four separate approaches.
Atlantic Canada Frank Mckenna Single Economy New Brunswick Susan Holt Mark Carney Tariffs
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