News Release

For immediate releases
October 22, 1999

SYDNEY, N.S. -- The Province of Nova Scotia announced today a $12-million contribution to an economic strategy designed to help Cape Breton Island communities adjust to the downsizing of the coal mining industry. The Province's commitment is in addition to the $68-million package announced by the Government of Canada in January 1999.

Each level of government is accountable for its own contribution but together they will work with the community to develop an economic plan for Cape Breton Island. The federal and provincial governments also jointly announced the names of the panel members who will lead a public consultation process for the development of the economic strategy.

Michael Kelly, Principal of the Marconi Campus of the Nova Scotia Community College, will chair the panel. Other panel members include: Wilfred MacNeil, Director of Planning, Partnerships and School-Community Relations with the Strait Regional School Board; Sister Peggy Butts, C.N.D., Coordinator for Social Justice for the Catholic Diocese of Antigonish; David Nicholson, former President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC); Rick Beaton, Vice-President, Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation (ECBC); C. George Miller, a former assistant Deputy Minister of Natural Resources Canada and a Past President of the Mining Association of Canada; and Robert L. (Bob) Mac Eachern, President, Mac Eachern Broadcasting Ltd.

The consultation process, led by the seven-member panel, is scheduled to begin within the next 10 days. It will encourage Cape Breton Island residents to put forth creative and innovative ideas for economic renewal. The panel will prepare a report on the input received, hold follow-up public sessions to review and finalize the report, and submit their findings to federal and provincial government officials who will use the information as a basis for working with the community to design the program elements of the strategy.

This first step in the process is being announced jointly by the Honorable Bernie Boudreau, Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister responsible for Nova Scotia, on behalf of the Government of Canada, and by the Honorable Gordon Balser, Minister of Economic Development for the Province of Nova Scotia.

The federal and provincial governments want to work in partnership with communities to help the Cape Breton Island economy adjust to the changes in the coal industry, and to build a more diversified economy for the future, Senator Boudreau said. The economic adjustment package is intended to do that.

However, the best solutions to Cape Breton's challenges will come from Cape Bretoners themselves, he added. The public consultation process will bring together their views on economic renewal and will contribute to the long-term success of this initiative. I encourage everyone to participate in this process.

Minister Balser commented, The provincial government is very pleased to make this
$12-million contribution to increase the amount of the economic adjustment fund - this will give Cape Bretoners the opportunity to leverage even greater benefit toward the revitalization of their economy. We need a new approach to Cape Breton's economic problems and that is best done at the community level with those who have the biggest stake in seeing their economy grow.

The panel expects to gather ideas and input from a wide cross-section of community stakeholders including municipal governments, business representatives, community groups, labor representatives, First Nations communities, academics, youth, and any other groups and individuals who wish to participate.

People who wish to contribute to this process have a choice of three options - a series of public consultation sessions to be held at various locations across Cape Breton Island, a written submission by mail or email, or through a public web site. The public sessions are as follows:

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