New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant met with mayors, councillors and Local Service District (LSD) advisory committee members in Fredericton Monday to get their ideas on how the provincial government can help improve regional economic growth.
The meeting was part of his province-wide tour, discussing economic development opportunities with regional and community leaders.
New Maryland Mayor and Regional Service Committee 11 chairperson Judy Wilson-Shee attended Monday’s session, and says the top issues brought up were education,, tourism and public transportation among others.
Gallant says he hopes to incorporate the feedback he’s getting into the government’s second part of the Economic Growth Plan set to be released in the next couple weeks.
READ MORE: New Brunswick announces first part of Economic Growth Plan
Gallant says that every region has similarities but says there are differences in rural and urban needs in different areas of New Brunswick. He says the sessions have been helpful in pin pointing challenges.
Village of Chipman mayor Carson Atkinson says it’s important that all representatives work together during these types of discussions.
“I think we are all made aware of something we all know about and that’s the rural-cities divide — that the issues facing a lot of the local service districts in the towns and villages and cities are very much different,” Atkinson said.
Ward 6 Fredericton councillor Eric Megarity says more cooperation is needed among everyone in the Regional Service Committee.
The Premier left Fredericton to conduct two more meetings on Monday in Florenceville-Bristol and Kedgwick. Another meeting will be held on August 24 in Edmundston, with the tour wrapping up in McAdam on September 2, 2016.