The Agency continues to work in partnership with 52 regional economic development organizations throughout Atlantic Canada, 46 of which are located in rural areas of Atlantic Canada. Funding of $7.5 million was provided for 2003-2004. All 20 organizations in Newfoundland and Labrador apply an integrated work plan approach to their activities, ensuring maximum partnership and consultation in the CED process. Similarly, 15 integrated work plans were developed for all organizations in New Brunswick. In developing these work plans, all levels of government and various community organizations are engaged. In New Brunswick, a formative evaluation of the CEDA network has been undertaken and will be completed early in the new fiscal year.

In 2003-2004, the Seed Capital ConneXion Program for Young Entrepreneurs issued $4.2 million in loans to 387 young entrepreneurs (78% first-time entrepreneurs) in Atlantic Canada, resulting in the creation of 500 full-time jobs and maintenance of 112 full-time equivalent jobs. Seed was able to lever an additional $7 million in funding, consisting of owner equity and conventional financing.
Web site: http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/e/financial/capital.shtml.

Services provided consisted of business advice, mentoring, publications, technical assistance and training.

As an example of these efforts, three projects in PEI (Tignish, Borden and Evangeline) have been approved that support the implementation of broadband services. In NL three broadband projects spearheaded by Regional Economic Development Zone Boards were approved. These included projects with the Nordic and Irish Loop Regional Economic Development Zone Boards, and another project with a group steered by the five zonal boards in Labrador.

In Nova Scotia, ACOA has supported two broadband implementation projects led by Regional Development Authorities (RDAs) (Cumberland and Western Valley). As well, ACOA in Nova Scotia has supported three RDA IT and e-commerce initiatives: Western Valley Development Authority (an e-commerce planning forum and targeted training), the Pictou Regional Development Commission (community portal), and the South West Shore Development Authority (e-commerce, including an electronic data interchange). RDAs in Nova Scotia are also the lead organizations in the roll-out of Navigating E-Business, an advanced training program designed to increase and improve the adoption and use of e-commerce by businesses.

By supporting community-led projects, SCIF made key investments in Atlantic communities in the areas of tourism development, economic diversification, strategic and community infrastructure, and improved economic development capacity.

SCIF was revised in April 2003 to add $30 million (making it a $165 million initiative) in new programming authority aimed at mitigating the short-term impact of the cod stock closures in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of St. Lawrence. This Short Term Adjustment Initiative (STAI) component supports projects that provide direct employment opportunities to displaced workers in the communities in the Atlantic provinces most affected by the closures.

Examples of approved SCIF STAI projects in NL include:

• The South West Coast Development Association received funding to enhance the Rose Blanche Lighthouse site, the Sea Lions Diving Club, and the Gateway Women's Centre. The entire project created 35 short-term jobs in this community that was affected by the cod closure.
• The Town of Fogo project completed the development of a trail network throughout the community. The trail provides scenic outlooks and a safe passage for tourists. The enhancement of historic Brimstone Head Park, one of the "four corners of the world," is also part of the project. Bridges, lookouts, interpretive and directional signage, and rest areas along the trail will provide visitors with a quality avenue through which to experience rural Newfoundland. As part of the project, the Town has also made extensive repairs to the Fogo United Church -- built in 1877 and a Registered Heritage Structure. The project provided work for 32 people directly affected by the closure of the fishery, and served to enhance the tourism product offering currently available on Fogo Island.

The focus of the CBSCs' site upgrades was not only to improve the "friendliness" of the site, but also to identify information needs currently not met by the information holdings. As a result, a number of required "Info-guides" were identified and are in development. It is expected that these will be completed by mid-2004. The Atlantic CBSCs are also continuing their participation in national efforts to further identify improvements to their information holdings and to their technology-driven infrastructure. In addition, efforts are continuing to improve and integrate on-line libraries where this meets a local need.

CBSCs regularly participate in Trade Team meetings and give training/information sessions to Trade Team Co-ordinators and other partners on CBSC's service offering to business clients, including the Talk-to-Us interactive tool and the interactive intranet site for partners. In addition, ACOA PEI opened a new Summerside regional office with bilingual services.

The implementation of the Aboriginal Service Network (ABSN) has been completed at 41 of the 42 planned sites. An Atlantic Aboriginal-specific Internet presence was launched in early 2003 and includes Aboriginal specific information products. Further improvements include increased collaboration with members of the Atlantic ABSN Working Committee and local ABSN sites in the development of new information products, including the development of new communication products, as well as training and feedback/input sessions with all the sites in order to identify future enhancements. As a result of these efforts, a number of Aboriginal specific Info Guides have been developed. In addition, all ABSN sites have received multiple training/information sessions on all of the CBSCs' information holdings and other products such as the ABSN Web site, the partner's intranet site and the Talk-to-Us interactive tool.

All four CBSCs in Atlantic Canada are committed to reviewing their partnership arrangements on an annual basis. The objective of the annual reviews is to improve the relationship among the CBSC partners and to improve the CBSC's capacity to more fully answer their clients' needs through the CBSC centres and regional access sites.

As a result of the 2003-2004 review, the parameters for determining how, where and with whom to partner have been refined, leading to a number of initiatives to improve the relationship with external partners. One of the early results is an improved alignment between the partners' objectives and those of the CBSCs. Another result is the reduction in the number of regional access sites (from 141 to 103, including the ABSN sites). The primary reason for the reduction was the realization that the goals of these sites no longer met the aims and objectives of the CBSCs' efforts in this respect. The reduction also makes it more manageable (taking into consideration the capacity of the CBSCs) to provide training and tools to facilitate the external partners' capacity to serve their business clients.

The CBSCs across the Atlantic provinces are also forming partnerships/alliances with many new partners, including groups such as the Women in Business Initiative, Youth, the Innovation group, Rural Teams, the Federal Council, other federal departments and agencies, and Aboriginal communities. The CBSCs have renewed Memorandums of Understanding with approximately 50% of the Atlantic Aboriginal communities participating in the ABSN. The six PEI regional access sites were maintained and updated with new library materials. The PEI Women in Business Association became a tenant of the Canada/PEI CBSC, strengthening partnerships with external organizations.

In addition, CBDC Web sites received 660,609 hits.

The community and stakeholders continue to participate in identifying and developing initiatives that have potential to improve the local economy. Discussions continue on several projects, including: high-speed connectivity (broadband); tourism infrastructure; and aquaculture industry development. To date, ACOA has provided project support for: research on a commercial halibut facility, establishment of an IT and digitization training centre, the Canso Technology Enterprise Centre, the annual Stan Rogers Folk Festival, and a Canso Industrial Park Expansion Study.

Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs) are poised to provide financial and counselling assistance where opportunities for development are identified. In the case of Canso, the Guysborough CBDC has been a participant in most consultations involving the community leaders, and it continues to manage a significant investment fund that was entrusted to the community a number of years ago. The CBDC also delivers an array of outreach services to Canso that includes employment related programs and support.

The strategy includes:

• Community-based research of Queens County with a view to diversification. Key activities include working with community leadership, Province of Nova Scotia and HRSDC to analyze/profile skills and business concerns and in some cases attract Foreign Direct Investment.
• Regional Development Authorities ensure community leadership focusses on key economic issues such as fishing industry decline.
• Multi-stakeholder participation in Team Guysborough, Team Shelburne, Team Eastern Shore and Team Queens. The primary focus of the teams is on regional issue identification and resolution.