Governor Participates in N.S. Summit
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/TOURISM-Governor Participates in N.S. Summit
A delegation of 27 business and academic leaders from Massachusetts is on its way to Halifax this week for a major economic think tank.
The Nova Scotia Summit, May 12-13, is being led by Governor Paul Cellucci of Massachusetts and hosted by Premier Russell MacLellan. The summit marks the first official visit to the province by a governor of Massachusetts.
"The Nova Scotia Summit will be the most important economic conference to be held in the province this year, and possibly one of the most important in this decade," said Fred MacGillivray, chair of the summit.
"These sessions will result in increased trade and investment between the two areas and the formation of corporate linkages and academic partnerships," said Mr. MacGillivray. "But the larger and longer term goal of the summit is to begin the mapping of a common economic future involving the province of Nova Scotia and the state of Massachusetts."
Dozens of invited delegates from Nova Scotia and Massachusetts will participate in the conference on Thursday, May 13, in the Sobey Building at Saint Mary's University. The discussions will focus on developing common economic strategies in energy resources, post-secondary education, information technology, biotechnology, aerospace industries and ocean port development.
On May 12, the Massachusetts' delegates will meet with potential business clients and academic partners in Nova Scotia.
Premier MacLellan officially announced the summit in Boston two weeks ago during the Atlantic Premier's Trade Mission. "The summit follows an intense 18-month period of trade activity, during which we've reclaimed some of our historic commercial ties by making New England our priority market for trade and investment," said the premier.
Premier MacLellan noted that Nova Scotia's exports to the United States increased by 17.2 percent in 1998. The Department of Economic Development and Tourism led 82 companies on a record eight trade missions into Boston last year. Those missions resulted in more than $46 million in projected sales and contracts for Nova Scotia companies. The department has already stepped up the export pace this year, by leading nine trade missions into New England.
Some of the distinguished panelists from Massachusetts who will be joining Governor Cellucci include: Dr. Anthony Cicerone, a Canadian Studies expert from Bridgewater State University; George Gefrich, managing partner of Louis Berger Associates, who will address international transportation issues; Dr, Frank Costello, the president of Costello Associates, a noted source on information technology; and Sara L. Johnson, the North American research director and chief regional economist of Standard and Poor's DRI.
Governor Cellucci will speak at the May 13 breakfast session, while the luncheon speaker will be Ken Miller, senior vice-president of Mobil Oil Canada.
Initial meetings were held at Harvard University last June, at what became known as the Boston Summit. Saint Mary's University president Dr. Kenneth Ozmon welcomed the opportunity to provide the school's services for the summit.
"As the leading business school in Atlantic Canada, Saint Mary's is pleased to be acting as a facilitator for social, cultural and economic development," Dr. Ozmon said. "It's appropriate that the summit be held here in the Sobey Building, as the facility was designed for this type of interaction and involvement of several communities."
Governor Cellucci will arrive in Halifax at noon on Wednesday, May 12, and return to Boston the next day. During his visit, the governor will meet privately with the premier, visit a Sable offshore project work site, attend the Greater Halifax Chamber of Commerce annual spring dinner and address summit delegates at Saint Mary's University.