‘We must act as one Atlantic Canada’: Fraser presses for united region for prosperous future

Sean Fraser, the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, says the region must shake its “poor cousins” attitude and embrace a cultural shift if it hopes to overcome longstanding economic challenges and build a more prosperous future.

“I’m very proud to be from Atlantic Canada,” Fraser said during a discussion Oct. 14 with Halifax business leaders at an event hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.

“But I’m not proud to have the three Maritime provinces at the very bottom of these 60 jurisdictions in the United States and Canada when it comes to productivity.

“We need to replace a culture of ambition. Right now, I meet with people around the world and across the country, and we take it for granted that we’re going to be permanently in this position as these poor cousins of the federation that relies upon others to send transfer payments so we can pay for our schools and hospitals.”

The Central Nova MP was back in his home province to discuss Atlantic Canada’s economic future following last month’s release of the Atlantic Economic Panel’s report.

The report outlines how Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador must break down provincial barriers, address chronic productivity challenges and invest more aggressively in people, infrastructure and businesses if the region hopes to become one of the country’s most prosperous by 2035.

The panel, appointed by Fraser in November 2025, is chaired by Nova Scotia businessperson and former pollster Don Mills. Its report sets out seven core recommendations intended to transform the economies of the four Atlantic provinces.

“It was really important to me that we put together a private sector-led group of people who have unquestionable experience over the course of their careers, who not only care about your own business but the impact of business in this region,” Fraser said.

The goal, Fraser said, goes beyond increasing gross domestic product.

“We’re not just trying to grow the GDP for the sake of Stats Canada. This is about delivering a higher quality life for the people who call this part of the world home,” he said.

“When we have a vibrant economy, that means better paid jobs for people who are able to put food on table, who are less stressed and who make sure that they have a place for their family to live with a roof over their head and the community is safe. It means better access to health care, it means better quality education, which delivers a higher quality of life for a generation to come.

“We actually can create a brighter, more prosperous future for this part of the world. But we know that without a strong economic focus, those ideas will just remain ideas rather than our experiences.”

At the heart of the report is the argument that Atlantic Canada, with a population of about 2.7 million, can no longer afford to approach economic development as four separate provinces operating largely independent markets.

Instead, the panel argues, the region must think, act and grow as one integrated economy, not four separate, silent provinces.

“We must think, we must act, we must scale, as one Atlantic Canada,” Fraser said.

The proposed “One Atlantic Canada” approach would not mean a political union or the elimination of provincial governments. Rather, it would require governments to work together to remove barriers to trade and labour mobility and promote the region as a unified destination for business and investment.

Fraser said the current economic framework was not designed to meet the challenges ahead.

“The house we live in isn’t built for the storm that is coming for us,” he said. “We need to build an entirely new house, one that’s built for purpose.”

He pointed to the contradictions created by interprovincial trade barriers as an example of how Atlantic Canada can undermine its own economic potential.

“When you start to realize that it’s easier for us to get a bottle of wine from France than it is to get beer across the border from New Brunswick, you start to ask yourselves, ‘Why are we getting in our own way?’” he asked rhetorically.

The panel argues that stronger regional co-operation and a more ambitious approach to investment are essential to improving Atlantic Canada’s long-term economic prospects.

Its seven recommendations call for:

• An integrated regional electricity system
• A One Atlantic Canada approach to economic issues
• Faster decisions on major projects
• A $1-billion Atlantic Prosperity Fund
• Fuller development of natural resources
• A business growth mindset driven by productivity and artificial intelligence
• A concerted effort to win the competition for talent.

The panel proposes an integrated electricity network managed by an independent, region-wide system operator.

The aim is to improve co-ordination among the provinces, strengthen energy security and support future economic growth through a more connected electricity system. The proposal would require an estimated $25 billion in infrastructure investment.

Fraser questioned why the region had not already developed a more integrated system.

“The idea that we don’t have a regional electricity grid is beyond me,” he said.

The report’s central recommendation is to treat the four provinces as a single economic region while retaining their existing governments.

That would involve eliminating interprovincial trade and labour mobility barriers, recognizing workers’ credentials across provincial boundaries and establishing a regional investment platform to promote major opportunities to domestic and international investors.

Reducing those barriers could make it easier for businesses to expand across the region, for workers to move to where jobs are available and for investors to assess Atlantic Canada as a larger, more integrated market.

The panel also calls for faster and more predictable approval processes for major developments.

Lengthy reviews and complex regulatory requirements can increase costs, delay investment and undermine Atlantic Canada’s ability to compete with other jurisdictions, the report argues. Accelerating decisions could help the region attract investment in energy, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing and other industries.

Recognizing that major projects and business expansions often face financing challenges, the panel recommends establishing a $1-billion Atlantic Prosperity Fund to help bridge investment gaps.

The proposed fund would form part of a broader effort to mobilize private and public capital for regional development.

Fraser acknowledged the challenge of finding the capital needed to move projects forward.

“That capital funding gap is something that we need to address. Obviously, when you see a report like that, the pressure’s going to be on me to figure out what we can convince a finance minister to find in the couch cushions,” he said.

“But in the meantime, we’re looking internally to figure out what we can do with the tools that we already have to solve this gap.”

Natural resources remain a cornerstone of Atlantic Canada’s economy, but the panel says their contribution can grow substantially through new investment, innovation and expanded processing and manufacturing capacity.

The report calls for increasing the value of the region’s natural resource economy by at least 50 per cent, supported by the mobilization of $100 billion in new investment.

The recommendation focuses on building more economic value from the region’s resources, including expanding the activities and industries that manufacture resource-based products.

The report calls for the region to exceed the national average in artificial intelligence adoption, enabling businesses to improve productivity, develop new products and services, and compete more effectively in domestic and international markets.

Earlier this week, Fraser announced an additional $40 million in federal funding for Atlantic Canadian businesses seeking to adopt artificial intelligence to “improve their operations and bring new AI technologies to market.”

He identified changing attitudes toward technology and new ways of working as a central part of the transformation.

“If we don’t have a shift in mindset to embrace new technology and new processes, we are going to be left so far behind,” Fraser said.

To address the pressures of labour shortages and an aging population, the panel recommends maintaining annual population growth of 1.8 per cent through immigration and by attracting Canadians from other parts of the country.

The report also calls for increased international student enrolment and better co-ordination of workforce planning across the provinces. Recognizing professional credentials throughout Atlantic Canada would make it easier for workers to move between provinces and take jobs where their skills are needed.

All these recommendations come as the Atlantic provinces contend with fiscal pressures and uncertainty over international trade, including the Canada-U.S. trade dispute.

Fraser said the changing relationship with the United States has added to the challenges facing the region.

“We’re finding ourselves in a position where our largest, longest-standing and most trusted trading partner ceases to hold any of those titles,” he said.

Whether governments and businesses can translate the panel’s recommendations into concrete policy changes remains to be seen.

For Fraser, the challenge is as much about changing attitudes as it is about implementing individual policies.

“If we are willing to do things differently, if we have the courage to do things differently, we can bring something different and better for the next generation,” he said.

“Our failure is not inability to come up with good ideas. It’s our inability to take action.

“At the end of the day, I want to build communities in this part of the world that no one would ever dream to move away from. We have an opportunity to offer the highest quality of life of any place in the world. And shame on us if we don’t take the opportunity to build it.”