The promise of a new federal development agency for sa国际传媒 that will be more responsive to the province鈥檚 unique needs may be as much about improving relations as it is economic development, according to the federal minister charged with delivering the new entity.
In an interview this week, Economic Development Minister Melanie Joly said the new agency, promised as part of the federal government鈥檚 recent fiscal update, is a chance to both expand the federal footprint in the province and build a bridge from Ottawa.
鈥淭he reality is once you have an agency, the idea is to make it as close to the ground as possible and as relevant as possible,鈥� said Joly. 鈥淚t becomes a way to not only foster economic development in the community but is also a convener of many other departments from the federal government.鈥�
The agency is expected to replace Western Economic Diversification sa国际传媒, which has been used by Ottawa to distribute millions of dollars in aid to businesses and organizations in sa国际传媒, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Joly has been making the media rounds over the last few weeks talking up the plan to create a new agency that would better tailor programs for sa国际传媒鈥檚 economy and geography.
She said she does not yet have a firm timeline for when she would like to see the entity up and running, but she will be spending the next few months engaging with business and political leaders in sa国际传媒 to ensure it is a made-in-sa国际传媒 solution.
Joly is not the first federal minister to identify the divide between sa国际传媒 and Ottawa, but she may be the first to do something about it. Last year, during a housing announcement in Victoria, then Families Minister Jean Yves-Duclos told the sa国际传媒 there was clearly a disconnect between the province and the federal government.
鈥淚 think we need to increase our presence, our footprint and to make sure we take an economic development approach that is linked to the realities of sa国际传媒ers,鈥� Joly said. 鈥淭he creation of a new agency will be a good way to increase and further relations between sa国际传媒 and the federal government, and I would say to increase trust between people in sa国际传媒 and the federal government.鈥�
Joly dismissed the suggestion that it took a pandemic for Ottawa to take action.
鈥淚 had a mandate pre-pandemic to create a new vision for the regional development agencies across the country and pre-pandemic, I was very much aware there was a need in sa国际传媒 that we had to address,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 am a Quebecker and aware we can never take for granted the relationship between [the provinces] and the federal government.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a question of showing that the federal government is relevant in people鈥檚 lives and we鈥檙e here to support their needs.鈥�
She said the pandemic brought the federal government much closer to people鈥檚 everyday lives as a result of the billions of dollars in relief and aid packages that touched most Canadians, but it also highlighted the need for an agency on the ground in sa国际传媒 that could better target areas of need.
One of the biggest areas of need, one that is at the centre of the sa国际传媒 economy, is tourism, which has been devastated by the pandemic.
Joly said the federal relief and aid programs in place now are designed to ensure the industry can survive, and she promises there will also be funding to ensure it is part of the country鈥檚 economic recovery.
Asked if that means more marketing dollars for Destination sa国际传媒 and other destination marketing organizations when the pandemic is over and people are ready to travel again, Joly said her goal is to 鈥渕ake sure they survive and afterwards that they can rebound.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 convinced the sector is extremely resilient,鈥� she said.
