Resetting priorities
Akey announcement from the Atlantic Growth Strategy (AGS) meeting in Summerside dealt with a new regional online health information service. Ottawa is prepared to spend $70 million to create the electronic service so residents will have better access to health records that will hopefully lead to improved patient care.
Yes, it’s an important issue and it should help people understand more about their medical history. But is this really a priority under the strategy’s mandate?
The federal and Atlantic governments launched the strategy two years ago to stimulate the region’s longterm economic growth. The focus is on supporting both innovative and traditional industries, increasing job opportunities for Atlantic Canadians and addressing persistent and emerging regional challenges. Economic themes are everywhere.
And with good reason. The latest Statistics Canada unemployment numbers for June are troubling. The unemployment rate for Newfoundland and Labrador was 15.5 per cent, P.E.I. was at 8.9 while Nova Scotia was 7.9 and New Brunswick 7.5. These chronically high unemployment numbers are well above the national average. The Atlantic region remains plagued with the persistent out-migration of young people seeking work in Ontario and Western Canada. Both issues support the urgent economic priorities of the AGS.
Instead, we’re dealing with electronic health records — a topic better suited for a regional meeting of ministers of health, pharmacists and medical associations, more than an economic strategy session.
It should be noted that Summerside delegates were told that the two biggest growth industries in the region were health care and social services — to look after an aging population and provide supports for the large numbers of unemployed and people seeking social assistance. These are not exactly the growth industries envisioned by the AGS.
There have been some AGS successes. As its first area of action, the strategy launched a three-year immigration pilot project in 2017 to admit up to 2,000 immigrants and accompanying families to address unique labour market challenges in Atlantic Canada. This initiative, combined with the Study and Stay program for university students launched in Nova Scotia and expanding to all Atlantic provinces, is bringing skilled talent to support the labour force and drive long-term economic growth.
The immigration pilot got off to a sluggish start in 2017 as businesses were slow to warm up to the idea, but interest has increased this year. Things are optimistic enough that an additional 500 new spots have been approved under the AIPP.
But apart from its two immigration initiatives, the AGS has largely failed on job creation and employment options for Atlantic Canadians. That is evident in those high unemployment and out-migration numbers. It’s time to re-focus on original economic priorities instead of wobbling off to health records and trade missions to China.
It’s certainly difficult to design an economic strategy that will fit all Atlantic Canadians — from Baby Boomers, Generator X’ers, Millennials and the incoming Generation Z.
It’s hard enough to just keep up with the demographic name changes.
Here’s a look at what was making the news 25 and 50 years ago in the Hants Journal.
25 years ago (June 30 and July 7, 1993 editions)
• A recount of the election ballots, which saw incumbent Ron Russell defeat Liberal candidate Mike Doyle, did not change the election results by much. Instead of winning by 47 votes, Russell won by 46.
•A 40-foot fishing vessel sank in the Minas Basin near Bramber, claiming the life of one crew member. Two other individuals were rescued by another fishing boat.
• The Town of Windsor reported it ran a $ 15,751 deficit for the 1992/1993 fiscal year.
• The Mantua bridge replacement project was put on hold by the new Liberal government in Halifax. A communications officer told the Journal that projects that had not been started were put on hold until the government could complete its first budget.
• The Pisiquid Aquatic Club was letting their concerns be heard after learning that the Department of Agriculture was proposing to drain the lake in August to make repairs to the causeway dam. The club operates until the end of August and were planning to host paddling championships.
In a follow up story, it was noted that the repairs to a corroded steal seal in one of the sluice gates would take three days.
• Pumpkin King Howard Dill was flown to New York for a few days to tape an interview. He was to be part of PBS’s Reading Rainbow television show, which was hosted by LeVar Burton. The segment featuring Dill was set to air in October 1993.
• A song and dance ensemble from northern Russia visited the Windsor Country Fair. The troupe was in Halifax performing with the Nova Scotia International Tattoo. The Journal noted that more Russians were seeing the outside world without defecting thanks to glasnost in the old Soviet Union. The Russian sailors didn’t speak English but the newspaper reported “they seemed to enjoy themselves.”
• Les Reid, the owner of Shoppers Drug Mart in Windsor, spoke to the newspaper following the store’s closure. He said there were too many drug stores in town and said he felt there were still too many given the population.
• Hantsport’s annual Canada Day celebrations were highlighted in the newspaper, and it was noted that the parade had 53 entries.
• Doug Fraser, the principal of Wind- sor Elementary School, was appointed to the position of assistant superintendent of schools. Fraser began his career in 1970 in Hants North Rural High School, served as an acting principal and then principal of Brooklyn District School in the early 80s and in 1985, became principal of WES.
• Four teachers were retiring from Windsor Elementary School: Audrey Koncovy, Bev Harvey, Doris Nichols and Yvonne Brown.
• Grade 12 Windsor Regional High School student Matthew MacKeeman, 17, was selected to portray Sam Slick throughout the summer months.
• The 1993 Longest Day of Golf, held at the Avon Valley Golf and Country Club, raised $4,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society. The fundraiser saw Barry Hunter, Mark Tracey, Hal Fletcher and Maurice Digdon play from dawn to dusk, representing 110 holes.
• Jeff Williams, of Ellershouse, was in the hospital recovering from appendicitis when graduation rolled around. Hants West Rural High School principal Murray Sandell brought Williams his certificate in the hospital.
• Hantsport resident Warren Tompkins retired from Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company Limited after 42 years of service. He was employed as a security officer.
50 years ago (June 26, and July 3, 1968 editions)
• Josephine O’Brien, Colin Taylor, and Harold Crowell were named honorary life members of Family and Children’s Services in recognition of their long service to the agency in Hants County.
• Mrs. William Giles retired as a teacher at Windsor Elementary School after spending 40 years teaching – 39 of which were as a Grade 2 teacher in Windsor.
• Progressive Conservative J. Pat Nowlan was re-elected as the MP for the Annapolis Valley. Federally, Pierre Elliott Trudeau’s Liberal government was re-elected with a majority in the House of Commons.
• T. Eaton Company announced its new catalogue sales office was open- ing on Gerrish Street in Windsor.
Opening day specials included free ballpoint pens to the first 150 customers, purse-size pack of hand lotion for women, candy for children accompanied by parents, coffee and doughnuts served all day and a special draw for a three-piece set of matching luggage.
Among the sales were wringer washers for $134.95, and a two-piece chesterfield suite for $179.95.
• The King Brothers Circus was coming to Windsor. One of the main attractions was the troupe of go-go elephants, which was under the direction of trainer Heide Cole.
• The Windsor Community Track Club won second place in the team standings at the annual track and field meet in Chester. Among the highlights from the meet were Diane Powell winning the women’s open cup and Bob Dill placing second in the midget class.
• The Imperial Theatre in Windsor was showing several must-see flicks, including Three Bites of the Apple, Voodoo Island, which starred Boris Karloff, A Stranger In Town, the comedy The Travelling Saleslady, the true story of The Great Sioux Massacre, and Dear John, which was described as “an unabashed look at real-life sex.”
• In the Hants History column dating back to 1943, it was noted that bootleggers were “doing a thriving business in Windsor.” In sad news, a Hudson bomber, which was based at the Pennfield Ridge airport, exploded over Summerville. Four crew members – one Canadian, one Australian, and two New Zealanders – were killed.
In news from 1918, Windsor resident Wilbert Slack was set to appear in a motion picture featuring Alice Joyce.
In wartime news from 1918, former Windsor resident Harold W. McElhiney was killed in action with the U.S. Forces. To view more photos from 25 and 50 years ago, be sure to visit