This Amherst Daily News article covers a talk given by Dianne Kelderman, president of Atlantic Economics, and a member of the AIMS Board of Directors. Speaking to the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce, she outlines the potential benefits Atlantica and the creation of a trading bloc with a population of 43 million and a potential GDP $1.43 trillion.
PEI has literacy and numeracy assessments for grade three and nine students, but it's not making the results public. Instead it is just releasing individual student results to the students. AIMS acting President Charles Cirtwill says such assessments are a more valuable performance assessment tool when released as school and board results.
After the federal Speech from the Throne, reporters in Ottawa turned to AIMS for better understanding of how policies outlined in the speech could help the region.
New Brunswick recently announced plans to set up a new program to give grants to small businesses in the province. Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, says that encouraging growth would be better served by implementing more business-friendly policies.
Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, says that New Bruswick's new business ambassador program is certainly creative, but it needs to be backed by business-friendly policies.
As the new PEI government prepares to release its first budget, AIMS Director of Research Ian Munro has a few words of advice. In this op/ed that appeared in The Guardian, Munro goes through some of the actions needed to make a good first impression.
With property values rising, so too does the tax collected by municipalities. In New Brunswick, some local governments are considering cutting the tax rate. AIMS Director of Research Ian Munro says such discussions are an indication that people understand how property taxes work.
Now that Nova Scotia has made peace with the federal government over the Atlantic Accord some pundits are calling for other provinces to negotiate their own deals. However, Charles Cirtwill, AIMS acting president, notes that the federal government was obliged to honour a previous agreement and that provinces without that deal have little leverage.
Transportation expert and AIMS author Dr. Mary Brooks notes that there are a lot of issues that need solutions before the Atlantic Gateway can succeed.