Halifax Economic Development Strategy - NWTOpportunities.com

What Lies Ahead
We will maintain
the aspects of our history,
culture, civility and
quality of place that make us
distinct, that make us
who we are.
HRM is a bustling, dynamic city – and we’re growing. We are home to
almost 40 percent of Nova Scotia’s residents and more than 15 percent
of all Atlantic Canadians. Half of our population is under 37, the youngest
profile in the Atlantic region. Our employment growth has out paced
population growth, bringing down our unemployment rate to one of
the lowest levels in Canada.
Economically we have evolved from a place dependent on government
and traditional industries to a diversified service economy with a growing
international market. We no longer rely on the accident of geography
or proximity to markets for our economic success.
Clearly our foundation is strong. Now we need to build on that
strength.
Growth today depends on access to knowledge and our ability to
innovate and adapt. Successful growth is about smart communities
attracting and retaining smart people. In a world economy centred on
talented people, what’s important is being a place where the best and
the brightest want to live.
We started this economic strategy by laying out for you the task that
lies ahead: To enrich the lives of every citizen in HRM by building a
prosperous economy that supports a quality of life that is the envy of
the world.
The economic strategy lays out how that task will be accomplished
broadly – by using our community resources more effectively so that
our economy continues to grow at a sustainable rate while giving
us a competitive edge over other regional centres worldwide, and
specifically, by spelling out new initiatives that need to be undertaken
and the existing approaches that need to be improved.
The elements of a successful tomorrow are clear. We will have a
business environment that inspires entrepreneurship, that encourages
existing business to take on the world in export markets and that draws
inward investment. We will be a place that attracts and retains smart
people. We will have a healthy environment, where a wide range of
educational and employment opportunities drive social inclusion and
promote healthier lifestyles. This creative environment will propel a
fast-paced knowledge economy that creates enviable, high-wage
jobs in fast growing sectors. We will maintain the aspects of our history,
culture, civility and quality of place that make us distinct, that make
us who we are.
Now, in this conclusion, we have come full circle. We end up where we
started – with a realistic vision of what HRM can be if we work together,
if we plan together, if we dream together. We have come, once again,
to the beginning.
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Halifax Regional Municipality’s Economic Development Strategy 2005-2010