AMHERST – What would it be like to live and work in a region with endless business and economic opportunities, a population base of 43 million people and an economy size listed as fourth largest in the world?
How about a region with the potential gross domestic product values of $1.43 trillion and state of the art infrastructure?
Dianne Kelderman, president of Atlantic Economics, brought those issues into the minds of members of the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday night.
“Now what would the opportunities be for us, as business people, and citizens of this region? Endless right?” Kelderman asked.
The region Kelderman talks about consists of Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States, a region now called Atlantica.
“Now add to your thinking, the added benefits and opportunities aligned with trans-national economic policies, transportation policies, airport and security policies, and border policies, just to name a few.
“We would be one of the economic envies of the world.”
Kelderman told a group of more than three-dozen people that Atlantic Canada and the northeastern United States have a great deal in common including historical, economic and strong political connections.
“We are both faced with a lack of population and a comparative lack of economic opportunity that typically accompanies a diverse and more populous area,” she added.
“But, collectively, as a region we could be an economic powerhouse. From the pure gross domestic product basis perspective, we would be the fourth largest economy in the world.”
A cohesive region, says Kelderman, will result in greater economic opportunities and greater economic and business efficiencies.
“Common economic policies would create a win-win for us both.
“The Atlantica agenda is not intended to lobby people, it is intended to excite and inspire them. It is intended to show the possibilities, to talk about the future, to create a shared vision.”
The only thing holding the province and region back are attitudes and visions, adds Kelderman, noting it’s time to “stand up, take charge and begin the task of building the Atlantic Region as a vibrant place to do business, to create opportunities, to live, work and invest.”
