ATLANTIC

Economic growth on agenda as Atlantic premiers meet federal ministers

THE CANADIAN PRESS Published Friday, January 27, 2017 7:44AM AST

Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil, New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant, Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Dwight Ball and Prince Edward Island Premier Wade MacLauchlan, left to right, pose for a photo at the Hillsdale House Inn as they attend a meeting of the Council of Atlantic Premiers in Annapolis Royal, N.S. on Monday, May 16, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)

Text:

WOLFVILLE, N.S. -- Atlantic Canada's premiers are scheduled to meet today with several federal ministers to discuss the Atlantic Growth Strategy.

The meeting will be hosted by Treasury Board president Scott Brison and Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil in Wolfville, N.S.

McNeil says the meeting is important because many of the economic issues to be discussed require both levels of government to work together.

He says the talks will touch on how to continue to grow immigration to the region and on ways the provinces can continue to cooperate in areas such as energy.

McNeil says the provinces will be looking for help to grow their exports and to align federal priorities and programs with their own.

Other federal ministers to take part in the meeting include Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, Public Services Minister Judy Foote, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen, and the minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Navdeep Bains.