CAP Initiatives
Committee Activities
Introduction
Regional cooperation is a dynamic, ever-evolving endeavour. The activities outlined in this section of the web site are not a finite list—rather, they build upon past and existing initiatives. New opportunities will continue to be explored and acted upon in an ongoing, continuous process. The premiers of Atlantic Canada are committed to regional collaboration and cooperation in the best interests of the provinces and their people. By working together, we will build a stronger regional economy and more effectively meet the needs of the people we serve.
Since the formal establishment of the Council of Atlantic Premiers in May 2000, premiers have publicly and collectively used this forum to:
- advocate the sustainability of health care;
- call for reform of the federal Equalization Program;
- defend the Atlantic Canadian/US softwood lumber agreement;
- request the federal government to pass new airline regulatory legislation to encourage competition;
- urge the federal government to establish a national shipbuilding and marine fabrication policy;
- harmonize the framework for regulating the licensing and sale of insurance products in the region; and
- collectively build international trade opportunities for Atlantic businesses through the Team Canada Atlantic trade partnership.
Action Plan for Regional Cooperation
Working Together for Atlantic Canada (PDF-link will open in a new window) sets out some of the current cooperation initiatives being pursued by the four Atlantic provinces. The action plan aims to improve the lives of Atlantic Canadians through joint action on measures to improve the quality and efficiency of government services. The action plan focuses on specific initiatives in:
- health
- education and skills development
- environment
- transportation
- e-government
- procurement
- research and innovation; and
- energy
This action plan will help increase our economic competitiveness by reducing barriers to business, building our research and development and energy capacities, and promoting the region in the global marketplace.
Working Together for Atlantic Canada: An Action Plan for Regional Co-operation (PDF-link will open in a new window) represents real, ongoing work taking place across the region. It is focused on practical efforts in pursuit of genuine objectives to improve the region as a whole.
Committee activities:
ACF Equity Atlantic
ACF (the "Fund") is a $30-million venture capital fund formed as a joint initiative of Canada’s seven chartered banks, the four Atlantic provinces, and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Its mandate is to make equity and quasi-equity investments available to small companies that possess a unique product, service or technology and are capable of generating significant growth.
The Fund’s initial capital draw-down of $12 million was supplemented with its committed drawdown of an additional draw-down of $9 million in March of 2000. It is anticipated that the final draw-down of $9 million will occur early in 2001.
For further information, please consult their website. 
Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium (APCCC)
The Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium (APCCC) is a regional organization, formally established in 1998. The Consortium provides an intergovernmental mechanism for coordination, collaboration, and resource sharing among the public providers of community college education and training. The goals of the Consortium (APCCC) are to enhance the quality and cost-effectiveness of the community college systems of the four Atlantic provinces through the pursuit of cooperative and collaborative initiatives.
The APCCC Board is comprised of community college presidents, senior officials of the four government departments responsible for advanced education, and a representative of the CAP Secretariat. The Chair of the Consortium and meeting locations rotate among the community colleges. The APCCC has an Executive Director, based in Dartmouth, NS, who organizes joint initiatives and acts as Secretary to the Consortium. The APCCC is administered through the Council of Atlantic Premiers.
For further information contact:
Ken MacRae, Executive Director
Atlantic Provinces Community College Consortium
Dartmouth Gate
375 Pleasant St, Unit 100
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4N4
Telephone: (902) 491-1190
Fax: (902) 491-4989
Email: ken.macrae@nscc.ca
Web: www.apccc.ca
Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation
The Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation (APEF) was established in September 1995 by agreement of the four ministers of education, replacing the Maritime Provinces Education Foundation (MPEF) which had operated since 1982. The purpose of the Foundation is to provide the framework for joint undertakings of the four provinces in the area of entry-12 public education.
For further information on the APEF, please visit the website:
http://www.apef-fepa.org/ (Link will open in a separate window.)
Agency Head:
Rhéal Poirier/Acting - rpoirier@cmp.ca
5161 George Street, Suite 1006
Halifax, NS
B3J 1M7
Atlantic Insurance Legislation Harmonization
In 1996 the Atlantic premiers directed the ministers responsible for regulation of the insurance industry to consult with industry representatives and prepare a draft insurance act to be enacted in the four Atlantic provinces. The goal of harmonizing insurance legislation is to provide insurance companies with a single business environment throughout Atlantic Canada, thereby allowing the delivery of equivalent products and services in each province.
A model act to harmonize registration and regulation of insurance companies was submitted to the industry-consumer-government committee for approval in July 2000. The Superintendents of Insurance have begun to develop draft equivalent legislation in each province and will begin to draft accompanying regulations in the coming year.
Atlantic Procurement Coordinated Committee
The Atlantic Procurement Coordinating Committee (APCC) was established by the Atlantic premiers to monitor compliance to the Atlantic Procurement Agreement (1992), and to rule on disputes arising from government tenders awarded in the Atlantic region. The APCC is comprised of two officials from each government, one senior official in public procurement, and one representing the department responsible for interprovincial trade.
APCCC discussions center on the potential benefits that the committee can provide to the region, the reduction of regional trade barriers, procurement support for regional economic development; and exploration of possible benefits through joint purchasing.
The APCC’s current focus is on improving public procurement management through the establishment of common forms and procedures, reducing thresholds for reciprocal treatment, and improving services to client and vendor communities.
|
