The release of the federal government's report on the Atlantic Gateway is generating a lot of buzz around the Maritimes. There is potential for significant regional growth. However, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill says he's concerned that the Atlantic Gateway may be used to have public finances fund private interests.
ACOA minister Peter MacKay's assessment of the potential benefits of an Atlantic Gateway may be used to garner funds from the federal government. AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill says the report is simply the government justifying spending money it's already set aside.
In this newspaper article, AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill notes that the government's call to invest in Nova Scotian ports ignores the fact that there is a lot of spare capacity right now. He says we should try to reverse declining shipping numbers by using what we already have.
In the rush to grab a piece of Asian trade, Atlantic shipping ports are in danger of working against each other say AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill. He explains that if the region wants to make money from the opportunities, it needs to make sure it's thinking about the customer's needs, not just its own.
As Atlantic Canadians wait to hear what kind of plans the federal government has for the Atlantic gateway, AIMS acting president Charles Cirtwill observes that just handing out money won't build strong businesses.
A report on the Atlantic gateway will likely see Halifax play a primary role in the project. AIMS acting president, Charles Cirtwill, notes that though Halifax will be the primary beneficiary of the gateway, New Brunswick willl also see benefits that result from infrastructure improvements.
A recent Fraser Institute study shows home-schooled children perform better than their public school counterparts. Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, says the study provides further proof that parents need many education options so that they can choose what is best for their child.
As U.S. security concerns lead to a "thickening" of the U.S.-Canadian border, trade is threatened. Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, points out that the threatened trade promises to yield big gains for Atlantic Canada.
When Halifax municipal councillors began muttering that perhaps the city had too much regulation, the Halifax Daily News turned to AIMS for comment. Acting president Charles Cirtwill says there is no doubt the city council is too quick to pass bylaws without considering enforcement, the cost or the need.
AIMS Intern in Security and Defence Policy Alex Wilner takes a look at the crisis in Sudan in this op/ed. He notes that there are specific short, medium and long-range goals that Canada must take to ensure that the refugee crisis is averted.