Nova Scotia Hosts Conference for First Time
For the first time, Nova Scotia is hosting the Annual Meeting and Regional Policy Forum of the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference, held Aug. 7 to 10 in Halifax at the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel.
The theme of this year's annual meeting is, Charting the Course to a Stronger Regional Economy: Partnerships – Relationships, A New Way of Doing Business.
"We're very pleased to be hosting the conference this year," said Speaker of the House of Assembly and conference co-chair Gordie Gosse. "Many of the participants share the same challenges so this is an opportunity for us to discuss them with our neighbours and find new ways of working together to benefit all of us."
"A key part of the conference is meeting people and talking about shared interests, but there are other benefits," said Deputy Speaker and co-chair Leo Glavine. "The conference gives us an opportunity to show off the province to delegates and their families."
The Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference, located in New York City since 1937, serves five Eastern Canadian provinces, 11 Northeastern states from Maine to Maryland, plus Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
It promotes initiatives, co-operation, and the exchange of ideas between legislative, executive and judicial branch policy-makers and educates state and provincial officials on areas of concern for the region.
Highlights of the conference include the Monday, Aug. 8, Premiers and Governors Panel with Premier Darrell Dexter and Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin and Christopher Sands, senior fellow, Hudson Institute, Washington D.C. The panel will include a discussion on Canada-U.S. relations with moderator Jean Laroche of the CBC and a keynote speech by Linda Nazareth, economist with Business News Network. There will also be a keynote address by Minister of National Defence Peter MacKay.
On Tuesday, Aug. 9, there will be a panel discussion on health care in Canada and the U.S. that will examine common challenges and solutions.
Delegates will also visit Emera-Nova Scotia Power, the Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market, Dalhousie and Saint Mary's Universities, an electronics-recycling facility, vegetable farm, winery and mink farm. They will also participate in a series of offshore wind seminars to discuss alternative energy methods.
In addition, there will be discussions and workshops on:
- U.S.-Canada trade border issues
- advancing the regional clean energy economy
- electric vehicles and renewable energy
- criminal justice
- education
- agriculture
- transportation
- infrastructure challenges
Details are available at www.csgeast.org/2011annualmeeting/default.aspx .
Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference is a non-profit, non-partisan organization, founded in 1937, serving legislative, executive and judicial branch officials in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Vermont, the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as the Eastern Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Québec.
Its mission is to provide a forum for new ideas, promote successful state policy innovations, advocate multi-jurisdictional problem solving, advocate regional interests at the federal level, offer leadership training and technical assistance, serve as a catalyst for public/private dialog and forecast policy trends affecting the region.