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A Growing Opportunity: Atlantic Bubble to Atlantic Boom

A Public Dialogue: Co-hosted by the Public Policy Forum

In partnership with UNB Shaping the Debate, Public Policy Forum (PPF) hosted “A Growing Opportunity: Atlantic Bubble to Atlantic Boom” on June 14, 2022.

Atlantic Canada is experiencing a moment of growth with population at an all-time high and unemployment continuing to hit historic lows. But there is more to do. The region needs to close the productivity gap by embracing technology and raising up all Atlantic Canadians.

This half-day dialogue addressed important topics around building a sustainable, technological and science enabled economy to help close the gap in living standards and economic growth.

Couldn't attend the event? Watch a portion of the discussion.

Event agenda

12:15 p.m. | Registration
1 – 1:20 p.m. | Opening Remarks and Indigenous Welcome | Dr. David MaGee, VP Research, UNB
1:20 – 1:25 p.m. | Virtual greetings from Minister Ginette Petipas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
1:25 – 1:40 p.m. | Public Policy Forum’s Atlantic Initiative | Ed Greenspon, President & CEO, Public Policy Forum

1:40 – 2:30 p.m. | Fireside Chat: Scaling Up Business in Atlantic Canada — The Secret Sauce

  • Moderator: Dr. Dhirendra Shukla, Chair, J Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship, UNB
  • Panelists: Terry Malley, President & CEO, Malley Industries; Mark McAllister, CEO, VeroSource Solutions; Laurel Broten, President & CEO, Nova Scotia Business Inc.
2:30 - 2:50 p.m. | Break
2:50 - 3:30 p.m. | Breakout Roundtables
  • People: How to ensure a growing and productive labour force as a critical component to building an economy that raises living standards for all Atlantic Canadians. Moderator: Adrienne O’Pray, ED, The McKenna Institute, UNB
  • Technology: How to ensure the growing population has the training, skills and adopts the technology critical to keep Atlantic Canadian entrepreneurs, businesses, and service providers from being left behind their counterparts. Moderator(s): Dr. Dhirendra Shukla, Chair, J Herbert Smith Centre for Technology Management and Entrepreneurship
  • Enablers & Dis-enablers: How to foster education and training, understand and adapt to trends including work from home, and optimize the regulatory framework to support a strong knowledge economy; and tackle the threats to growth and prosperity with an eye towards healthcare, housing, transportation and infrastructure as important when understanding the environment for inclusive growth for all Atlantic Canadians. Moderator: Katie Davey, Policy Lead, Public Policy Forum
3:30 - 3:45 p.m. | Closing Plenary
3:45 - 4 p.m. | Lightning Talk—Digital Transformation in the region | Adrienne O’Pray, ED, The McKenna Institute, UNB
4 - 4:30 p.m. | Armchair Discussion—Fueling socio-economic growth through digital adoption
  • Moderator: Ed Greenspon, President & CEO, Public Policy Forum
  • Panelist: Frank McKenna, Benefactor, The McKenna Institute, UNB
4:30 - 5 p.m. | Closing Reception
The agenda is subject to change.

About the Public Policy Forum (PPF)

The Public Policy Forum builds bridges among diverse participants in the policy-making process and gives them a platform to examine issues, offer new perspectives and feed fresh ideas into policy discussions. They believe good policy makes a better Canada. As a national applied think tank with long-standing connections to Atlantic Canada, including the four-year-old Frank McKenna Fund, PPF is well positioned to play a role in identifying and mobilizing levers of change in Eastern Canada.

Panelists