The Council of Atlantic Premiers met on February 9 with Alberta business and community leaders at a luncheon hosted by the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Premier Robert Ghiz of Prince Edward Island; Premier Shawn Graham of New Brunswick; Cecil Clarke, Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Nova Scotia; and, the Honourable Shawn Skinner, Minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development of Newfoundland and Labrador, led a delegation of Atlantic companies to expand trade, business opportunities and partnership between the four Atlantic Provinces and Alberta.

"We welcome this opportunity to speak directly to Alberta�s business leaders and to profile what Atlantic Canada has to offer. During this period of economic uncertainty, it is tremendously important that inter-provincial trade is not only encouraged, but fostered through events such as this," said Premier Robert Ghiz. "Prince Edward Island currently has a strong trading relationship with Alberta. Our objective on this mission is to continue to support that relationship and to work with our Island businesses in promoting the products and services which they provide and identifying new partnership opportunities which are mutually beneficial to Alberta and Prince Edward Island."

"We are in Alberta because New Brunswick believes strongly in the long-term competitiveness of the Alberta and Atlantic markets," Premier Graham said. "New Brunswick is one of the most trade-active provinces. Amid the current global economic challenges, it is vital that governments and businesses continue to work together to eliminate trade barriers and position our economies for fast recovery. This mission provides an opportunity for Atlantic businesses to strengthen relationships with Alberta partners so that we can respond quickly and efficiently to Alberta�s supply chain needs even in tough economic times. New and enhanced trade partnerships are integral to New Brunswick�s growth and efforts to become self-sufficient by 2026."

"Nova Scotia businesses have great confidence in the resilience of the Alberta market, and we want to continue to build on the partnerships established during previous trade missions," Minister Clarke said. "Appropriate economic stimulation and stabilization of commodity prices will lead to renewed exploration and development of energy resources. Nova Scotia companies have world-class expertise and quality workmanship in metal fabrication, engineering, production, and design. We encourage business leaders in Alberta to continue to look east for their supply chain needs."

"Newfoundland and Labrador is a leading player in the world�s energy economy and through the development of our resources have acquired extensive experience in some of the world�s harshest environments," said Minister Skinner. "As a government, we believe that we can build on the positive, productive partnerships that have emerged between our provinces � partnerships that leverage the expertise and knowledge enabling us to maximize production and competitiveness. We are confident that through initiatives of this nature we will be able to collectively target new opportunities and build upon existing relationships."

The Council of Atlantic Premiers (CAP) was formed by a memorandum of understanding between the four Atlantic provinces in May 2000, and is committed to identifying and pursuing opportunities for joint action among the region�s provincial governments. This commitment builds on a strong foundation of regional unity and intergovernmental cooperation spanning more than three decades.

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