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- Premier To Meet With Canada's Leading Economists
- Premier Rodney MacDonald and Finance Minister Michael Baker will meet today, Nov. 17, with economic forecasters from Canada's Banks as well as the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) and the Conference Board of Canada. (More...)
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Premier's Speeches
Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce Luncheon
Delta Sydney Hotel, Esplanade
Remarks by Premier Rodney MacDonald
February 20, 2007
Thank you Ms. Gillis, Ministers Parent, Casey and Hurlburt, ladies and gentlemen.
Sunday evening I had the honour of hosting a reception and attending the ECMA's, and was so proud of our musicians who are absolutely amazing. I just want to take a moment to congratulate my good friend, Cape Breton's very own Gordie Sampson—Grammy Winner.
I am pleased to be in Sydney this afternoon. Every time I am in Sydney I find energy and optimism among the people and the businesses. All one has to do is drive along Grand Lake Road and see the growth.
I see this energy and optimism in people like Jim Kehoe, Sean Burke and Martin Chernin with Laurentian Energy and Laurentian Steel Fabricators. Let me be the first to congratulate you on your multi-million-dollar deal with Nabors Industries to build components for land-based drilling rigs here in Nova Scotia.
It truly is an exciting time here on our island. Our culture, our scenic beauty, our university and all it has to offer, announcements like Donkin Mine, the Louisbourg Resort Golf and Spa, nursing home replacements and beds, and of course the great potential of Planet Space, and ladies and gentlemen there is more to come.
At the end of the day, we all want the same things. Like many of you, I have a young child and I want him to have real options to want to stay in Nova Scotia, to work here, and to grow.
Like you, I want a vibrant business community, opportunities for our people, and a stronger and more prosperous future. I want that for all our children and future generations.
I want us to choose our own path—a path to a New Nova Scotia.
I want us to create winning conditions of success for our great province through a globally competitive business climate, a highly trained and skilled workforce and opportunities such as the Atlantic Gateway.
Gateway will enable us to take advantage of our natural assets such as our ice-free, deep ports and our geographic location to Asia via the Suez Canal. It will mean thousands of jobs, more imports and exports, and utilizing our transportation links by land and by air.
Our highways are important, but not just those we drive on—I am talking about our information highway, and that is why my government will ensure every Nova Scotian and every Cape Bretoner will have access to high speed by end of 2009. The New Nova Scotia is about seizing new economic opportunities by being a leader in information technology, R&D, innovation and in the clean and green economy.
Think about the success Doug Milburn and his team at Advanced Glazings are having and the important jobs they bring to the local area. Research and development is expanding for the company’s specialized windows, which harness the renewable energy of the sun.
We are proud to support such companies, and within six years, renewable energy (including solar and wind) will supply electricity to 100,000 homes in Nova Scotia.
My government is establishing a green forum at the deputy minister level so that the issues before government will have a green filter. My minister of environment, the Honourable Mark Parent, is working with stakeholders on a strategy dealing with electronic waste to be implemented as quickly as possible.
And once and for all we're ending the years of waiting for a cleanup of the tar ponds and coke ovens site—it's time to get the job done. This is a $400 million investment in the future of our region, with direct, indirect and induced benefits to the area that go far and above that amount. Let's make it our goal to have the cleanest most sustainable environment in the world.
The New Nova Scotia is one where we will engage youth and voters, taking positive steps such as campaign financing reform. We will build for individuals, families and communities by taking steps to ensure more active, safer, and vibrant province. Ladies and gentlemen, the New Nova Scotia will also be a place where every child and every worker is prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
My government is working with a number of partners on this front, including linking employers with skilled tradespeople who are just starting their careers. Here in Cape Breton County, AB Mechanical and JR Mahoney Contracting are among 173 employers taking on apprentices. And with Minister Casey’s leadership, the Invest in Youth Initiative has partnered with 466 employers in Sydney so teenagers and young adults can explore career options at home.
I believe the new Nova Scotia will be a place that attracts and welcomes visitors, immigrants, and a place that beckons home our friends and relatives who have dispersed across the country.
When I was in Alberta recently with the other Atlantic premiers, my regional colleagues and the media who covered our trip noted that Nova Scotia is doing something different—something right.
Let me conclude with this: We are well positioned and we’re positioned much like Ireland was years ago. If you take a look at Ireland today, it’s a vibrant place to live, a vibrant economy, and a lot of young people have returned to Ireland. It takes leadership, it takes decisions, and it takes teamwork to get it done. If our industries are successful, the province will be successful.
I thank you for the opportunity to be here today, and I wish you great success with the year ahead.