Premier MacLauchlan offers details on regional economic councils

The province's new regional economic advisory councils met for the first time today in Stanley Bridge, P.E.I.

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The councils were established to develop economic growth plans foreach area of the province and advise government on each region's particular needs.

Premier Wade MacLauchlanappeared onCompassto offer more details on the advisory councils' plansand what Islanders can expect to see from them.

Giving advice to government

"One of the first tasks they'll be asked to address is to identify strategic opportunities in their regions and then to work together to achieve those opportunitiesfor the province," MacLauchlan said.

"They will give advice to government or the broader economic community so that we can be sure wehave an opportunity to be prosperous as a province."

MacLauchlansaid members of the advisory councils applied through Engage P.E.I.He estimates more than 50 names were submitted for the volunteer positions on the four councils.

"These people are volunteers, they are coming because they are committed to their community and to the province. And they're doing it free of charge."

'They're keen, they're passionate'

In total there are 22 members on the four councils as well asfour chairs:

• West, chaired by Jason Ramsaya senior representative with McCain Produce;
• East Prince/West Queens, chaired by Rick Kennedy, a chartered accountant from Summerside and the president of the construction company Curran and Briggs;
• Capital/Central, chaired by Jennifer Dunn,a partner at BDO Canada;
• East, chaired by Scott Annear, owner and general manager of Morley Annear Ltd., a trucking company located in Montague.

MacLauchlanadded that he expectscouncils to identify"where the opportunities are, where the gaps are and where we can do things that would make a difference and really translate into a win-win."

"They're keen, they're passionate," MacLauchlan said."I'll be surprised if by Christmas they haven't made recommendations that Islanders can see are timely in terms of action we can take in a strategic sense."

The councils will answer to MacLauchlan and the "Economic Hub" a group of ministers consisting of Allen Roach, Sonny Gallant, Pat Murphy and Heath MacDonald.

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