The delegates of the Team Atlantic trade mission and the New England companies who have met with them over the past four days are examples of what is possible for the two regions, New Brunswick Premier Camille Thériault said at a business lunch today.
Premier Thériault was the final guest speaker for the trade mission, which wrapped up today in Portland. The New Brunswick premier said he is proud of all 40 Atlantic Canadian companies who took part in the delegation.
"You have been true ambassadors of Atlantic Canada," he said. "You have made all of us proud to be from Atlantic Canada."
He promised the New Brunswick delegates that his government will be there for them as they grow and add jobs.
"You are important to us, because you create so many jobs."
He said that the Team Atlantic mission is proof that companies do not have to fear one another, that they can be partners as well as competitors, and they can grow together.
"I say to all of you today build relationships. Build bridges. We should not be afraid to complement each other," he told the crowd of Atlantic Canadian and Maine companies. "Don't be afraid to dream. Don't be afraid to see your companies grow in a new marketplace."
Team Atlantic is a four-day trade delegation representing the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. The purpose of the trade mission is to establish new business partnerships, increase trade and investment, and build strategic alliances between businesses in Atlantic Canada and companies located in the New England region.
Team Atlantic is an initiative of the Conference of Atlantic Premiers and is being funded by the Canada/Atlantic Provinces COOPERATION Agreement on International Business Development, a pan-Atlantic trade agreement between the federal government represented by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and Industry Canada and the four provincial governments.
Representatives of 40 Atlantic Canadian companies, including 10 from New Brunswick, met with New England companies to try to generate business opportunities in this region.
Premier Thériault said it is satisfying to see how pleased the Team Atlantic delegates are about the mission. He said that while travelling to Maine, one of the delegates summed up the relationship between the Atlantic Canada and the New England companies.
He said, "It's a win-win situation for all of the people and the companies involved in trading."
The premier said that the two regions have been partners for centuries, and that the relationship is still growing.
"It should definitely, definitely continue."
Delegates for the ACOA-sponsored mission arrived in Boston Sunday night and moved to Burlington, Vermont, and Manchester, New Hampshire before wrapping up in Maine today. The delegates will return to Atlantic Canada on Friday.