Participants from Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon will participate in business summit, cultural events.
August 14, 2014– Edmundston, NB – Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)
Atlantic Canadian business and cultural stakeholders will have the opportunity to build and strengthen relationships with their counterparts from Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon, thanks to an inbound mission to Grand Falls and Edmundston, NB; Dégélis, QC; and Fort Kent, Maine, taking place this month. This mission coincides with the 2014 Acadian World Congress, taking place from August 8-24.
From August 18-22, the delegation from Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon will participate in business activities including workshops on exporting and tourism, business-to-business meetings and networking opportunities with Atlantic Canadian companies, and a breakfast focused on business opportunities in Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon.
The mission is made possible through the Joint Regional Cooperation Commission between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon, created 20 years ago as part of an agreement between France and Canada. The mission was organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in Canada, Atlantic Network.
The Government of Canada, through ACOA, also supported the Festival international de Théâtre communautaire en Acadie, a cultural program to help bring theatrical and cultural presentations and workshops from Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon as part of the broader celebrations of the 2014 Acadian World Congress.
Quick Facts:
- In 1994, Canada and France signed an agreement to foster regional cooperation between the Atlantic provinces and Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the agreement, which created the Joint Regional Cooperation Commission. ACOA is the Canadian co-chair on behalf of the Government of Canada.
- Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon is an archipelago located 25 kilometres southwest of Newfoundland, close to Fortune and the Burin Peninsula. The islands, which are home to 6,500 inhabitants, have been part of France since the Treaty of Paris in 1763.
- The Acadian World Congress is a major celebration of Acadian culture and history which has been held every five years since 1994. This year’s congress will feature more than 300 activities, expected to attract up to 50,000 visitors. The estimated economic impact on the region is $55-million, according to organizers.
- The ACOA-funded activities demonstrate clear steps to support Canada’s commitment to reinforced cooperation with France, in particular, with Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon. Specifically, in demonstrating action to assist participation of the Acadian community of Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon’s in the Acadian World Congress as highlighted in the Canada-France Enhanced Cooperation Agenda.
Quotes:
“Our Government is committed to strengthening its economic relationship with the European Union and France. For Atlantic Canadian businesses, close proximity to Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon has great potential as a springboard into these markets. Our priority is to help small and-medium size businesses grow, expand and export in new markets around the world, which we know creates jobs and opportunities at home.”
- The Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency)
“The French Chamber of Commerce in Canada – Atlantic Network is proud to take part in the economic component of the Congrès Mondial Acadien and to accompany key economic actors and entrepreneurs from Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon. This economic mission is a unique opportunity to strengthen existing ties and forge new ones between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon.”
- Isabelle Lafargue-Ruel, Acting Director, French Chamber of Commerce in Canada, Atlantic Network
“My participation in the 2014 Acadian World Congress is a tremendous opportunity for my establishment to develop ties with professionals in the region. We are sometimes isolated on our little island. These meetings will allow me to broaden my horizons and share best practices.”
- Patricia Detcheverry, Proprietor of Nuits Saint-Pierre
Backgrounder – Joint Regional Cooperation Commission:
The Joint Regional Cooperation Commission is mandated to examine opportunities for cooperation between Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and Atlantic Canada and to implement regional cooperation projects in a variety of areas. These files are overseen by an administrative committee and six sub-committees covering health, economic and trade relations, security, tourism, agriculture, aquaculture and the environment, and education and culture. The Canadian portion of the committee is comprised of members from the federal and Atlantic provincial governments, as well as from community groups.
In June 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and President François Hollande released the Canada-France Enhanced Cooperation Agenda.
The cooperation agenda devotes a full section to regional cooperation between Atlantic Canada and Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon, stating that the two countries will: “continue the new dynamic in regional cooperation between Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon and the Atlantic provinces, through the engagement of federal, provincial and local stakeholders [and…] support the development of strong social and economic ties between Canadian and Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon civil society organizations.” The agenda also supports “France’s participation at the World Acadian Congress in 2014, in particular the Acadian community of Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon.” This confirms the importance of the Joint Regional Cooperation Commission’s work and the relevance of its mandate. The document also clearly supports ACOA’s role in reaching the objectives set by the two countries’ leaders.
Each year, ACOA provides approximately toward $150,000 regional cooperation, and the French government invests an equivalent amount. This is in addition to funding by the provinces and other Government of Canada departments and agencies.
The Joint Regional Cooperation Commission meetings alternate between the two countries. Canada is hosting the 16th Joint Regional Cooperation Commission in 2014, and hosted a meeting of the Administrative Committee April 14-16, 2014, in Summerside, Prince Edward Island. A plenary meeting will follow in the fall of 2014 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Associated Links:
• http://cma2014.com/fr/economique/sommet-economique
• http://cma2014.com/en/component/content/article/20-actualites/586-une-conference-sur-l-exportation-lors-du-cma-2014
• http://www.cpscnb.com/premiere-edition-du-festival-international-de-theatre-communautaire-en-acadie
• http://www.grj2014.com/fr/
• http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2013/06/14/canada-france-enhanced-cooperation-agenda
• http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/eng/Agency/mediaroom/NewsReleases/Pages/3672.aspx
Contacts:
Kelsie Corey
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
613-941-7241
Natalie Belliveau
Senior Communications Officer
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
506-962-4149
natalie.belliveau@acoa-apeca.gc.ca
Isabelle Lafargue-Ruel
Acting Director / Project coordinator
French Chamber of Commerce in Canada – Atlantic Network
506-850-5620
info@ccfcra.ca
