Atlantica and producing less poverty

The West has their Pacific Gateway initiative - and the billions of federal infrastructure dollars that go with it.

Now, the Eastern business lobby wants a piece of the action. They've developed a pretty sound business case around their idea, aptly titled Atlantica.


For those who are proponents of freer trade, it's a pretty easy sell - enhance trade links between both sides of the border, and both New England and the Maritimes will prosper.

There is a potential argument to be made that Atlantica could benefit the labouring masses as well. A few years ago, Statistics Canada released a compelling analysis of poverty in major Canadian urban centres.

One interesting factoid, discovered after 20 years of census collection? Little old Windsor, Ontario, home to the busiest Canadian border crossing, saw one of the most significant reductions in poverty of any Canadian city in the post-Free Trade era.

If the Detroit-Windsor corridor saw greater competition in border services in the form of an enhanced New Brunswick gateway promised under Atlantica, a number of average Joes and Jills could benefit. Truck drivers would be able to utilize better, more efficient routes, small accountant and delivery firms could morph into specialized customs brokerages, and more New Brunswickers could be happily found in a situation where government policy leads to more work, and not more structural unemployment.

Let's move forward with Atlantica. At the very least, it could mean a shorter drive to Montreal - Canada's one true metropolis.