September 7, 2006
Sackville, Nova Scotia
Young people from across Canada will now have the
opportunity to explore the possibilities of relocating to
Nova Scotia to live and work. A new pilot project entitled
Make Way for Youth, aims to match youth with opportunities
in rural areas of Halifax Regional Municipality and
Colchester County. Make Way for Youth assesses personal suitability, arranges
exploratory visits, and seeks to match youth with
entrepreneurship, local industry, culture, heritage,
tourism and employment opportunities. The project also
works to counter out-migration by reaching out to current
resident youth between the ages of 14 and 17 and educate
them on their impact in the future of their communities.Canada's New Government is investing $335,220 in Make Way
for Youth. The announcement was made today by the
Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of Foreign Affairs and
Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)."This initiative encourages young people to return to build
their futures right here in rural Nova Scotia," said
Minister MacKay. "It shows them that we recognize their
potential, we value their creativity, and we believe that
they are an important part of our future." "Engaging youth in our communities is a priority of our
economic growth strategy," said Nova Scotia Economic
Development Minister Richard Hurlburt. "Matching their
strengths to local needs is necessary to encourage their
continued participation in developing Nova Scotia's rural
economy." "Make Way for Youth gives young people a reason to live and
work in rural Nova Scotia. It is a program that aims to
support young people in this transition, commented Lisa
Jarvis, Halifax Regional Development Agency, Make Way for
Youth Coordinator. Government of Canada financial support came from the ACOA
($155,660) under the Innovative Communities Fund (ICF) and
the Rural Secretariat's Models for Rural Development and
Community Capacity Building Program ($179,560). The
province of Nova Scotia's Office of Economic Development is
also providing financial support for this initiative
($50,000). ACOA's support for this project was provided through the
ICF, a five-year $175-million initiative to support
economic development throughout Atlantic Canada in critical
areas such as innovation, community development, training
and improving the climate for business growth.
For further information on Make Way for Youth contact John
Hartling at 800-650-0039 or Kelly Nauss 866-227-6182 FOR BROADCAST USE:
Young people from across Canada will now have the
opportunity to explore the possibilities of relocating to
Nova Scotia to live and work. A new pilot project entitled
Make Way for Youth, aims to match youth with opportunities
in rural areas of Halifax Regional Municipality and
Colchester County. The Government of Canada announced today
a $355,220 investment in this initiative. Financial
support for this project is also provided by The Nova
Scotia Office of Economic Development.
For more information contact:
David Harrigan
Media Relations Officer
ACOA (Nova Scotia)
(902) 426-4238
Lisa Jarvis
Provincial Coordinator
Make Way for YOUth Nova Scotia
Halifax Regional Development Agency
Tel: (902)869-4084
