Minister's welcome letter

 

  

The Honorable Sean Fraser, PC, MP 
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and 
   Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

 

Dear Minister Fraser,

Congratulations on your appointment as Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). We warmly welcome you to your new role, in addition to your appointment as Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.

As you well know, ACOA’s mission is to catalyze opportunities for economic growth in Atlantic Canada. We help businesses become more productive and competitive, we work with communities to develop and diversify local economies, and we champion the growth potential of our region.

You will play a key role in advancing the Government’s economic priorities, and ACOA is here to help you deliver. You can count on the agility, responsiveness and innovation of our team as they deliver place‑based programs and services for Atlantic Canadians – especially those in rural and remote communities.

It is remarkable that through the last 10 years, Atlantic Canada has experienced its strongest economic momentum in decades, transitioning from years of stagnation to historic levels of growth. However, we still have challenges. The emergence of protectionist trade policies from the United States and China pose a major risk for our region, and to all of Canada. In addition, even with promising growth trends, Atlantic Canada still struggles with low productivity, lagging business investment and the instability that comes with geopolitical uncertainty.

Since its inception, ACOA has consistently responded to these economic disruptions and helped our region adapt. The current context presents an opportunity to showcase areas where we know our region is poised to contribute to the Government’s commitment to nation building with one economy, helping to create corridors of economic strength. Key sectors such as aerospace and defence, bioscience, and energy and critical minerals are just a few of the immediate opportunities where our region can support Canada’s economic ecosystem. There are tremendous opportunities in modular homebuilding, transformative digital and cyber technologies, and artificial intelligence, which will boost productivity in a broad range of sectors.

Your team has on-the-ground regional knowledge, flexible programs and agile delivery mechanisms to act quickly and effectively. As your Deputy Minister, I am excited to work with you to achieve Government priorities and look forward to hearing more about your views and vision for Atlantic Canada.

The enclosed package provides an overview of ACOA’s work, results and impact. Our leadership team is happy to provide further details on specific files and issues as you are ready.

Welcome aboard!

Warm best wishes, 

 

 

Laura Lee Langley

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