Broader focus needed for Charlottetown development, say business groups

Government's focus for economic development in the Charlottetown area needs to include more communities, say the Greater Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Charlottetown Inc.

In 2017 the province announced the Charlottetown Area Development Corporation, which it largely controls, would be replaced by regional economic advisory councils. But that hasn't happened yet.

CADC has sponsored economic development projects in the city, with some focus on Stratford, for more than 40 years.

Chamber CEO Penny Walsh-McGuire said CADC has been behind some substantial projects and has made a significant contribution to the economy. If it's being phased out, she said it must be replaced with a new economic development entity.

"We are proposing that it would be a capital region entity. So that would be covering the geographic region of Stratford, Cornwall and Charlottetown," said Walsh-McGuire.

"We recommend that the new economic development entity be governed by an independent board of directors."

The new group should be supported by the province and the three municipalities, she said, with additional support from the federal government on a project basis.

Walsh-McGuire said the proposal has been sent to the political parties in the hopes of government movement on the proposal as soon as possible after the election.

More P.E.I. news