Policy Wonk Stance: Building Economic Prosperity Through Community Economic Development

Economic prosperity is the vision, and community economic development is the process that gets us there. Driving through this municipality, I see opportunities — not just buildings and landscapes but potential for economic growth. It’s clear: money is the name of the game when running a municipality, especially one with the rich history and unique character of West Hants. But it’s not just about attracting businesses or landing the next big corporate investment; it’s about understanding the mechanics of building a thriving, sustainable economy rooted in our community.

When I worked in Halifax, I often asked, “How do we build a municipality that thrives throughout the resident lifecycle?” That means thinking beyond short-term gains. It’s about designing an interconnected system that fosters the flow of the local economy while attracting and sustaining investment. Traditional economic development often focuses on fast growth. However, with its unique historical and environmental context in a region like ours, we need to normalize “sustaining growth” — slow, steady, and resilient.

To achieve this, we need to focus on two core strategies. Today, I’ll highlight one of them: the visitor economy.

Maximizing the Visitor Economy: A Key Asset

One asset we have in abundance is the wealth of experiences tied to our region's culture, environment, and experiences. Our landscapes, paired with this region's cultural significance, form the perfect foundation for the year-round experiential tourism sector that connects to an international airport growing yearly.

As someone who has lived and breathed tourism since I was able to walk, I understand the value of anchoring our tourism strategy to what makes us truly unique. I’ve seen firsthand how the visitor economy generates jobs and revenue for local communities. A well-developed experiential tourism industry can increase the number of people visiting, dining, and exploring our region. I imagine a world where visitors take the Evangeline Trail through our region, staying at Bed and Breakfasts, eating farm-to-table goodness, and leaning into the experiential approach. Imagine a future where cruise ship passengers dock in Dartmouth and take a direct route to downtown Windsor, exploring our local businesses, enjoying a wine tour along the Hants Shore, or hiking through our beautiful landscapes.

With organizations like Cruise Atlantic Canada and the potential creation of a tourism destination agency within the Valley Regional Enterprise Network, the infrastructure is on the horizon. But are we ready? Are we prepared to ensure visitors flow seamlessly throughout the region, from our bustling downtown to the small, unique tourism businesses scattered across West Hants? This is where a comprehensive tourism strategy comes into play. We must plan for where we want to go as a region, and now is the time to start.

Building an Economic Toolkit

Let me be clear: tourism alone will not fix everything. But it is the first step in building the economic toolkit we need for a diverse and resilient economy. As it stands, we need multiple revenue streams, which requires deliberate planning. If anyone claims they can “fix” our economy in a four-year term, they’re missing the mark. Building economic resilience takes time, foresight, and a deep understanding of our assets.

What we can do, however, is prepare ourselves for the shifting demands of the future while amplifying what we already have. Our province plans to lean into the regional economic design, and I want to ensure we meet our counterparts at the table as the province grows. As I walked through the Garlic Festival recently, I was reminded of our potential. I saw folks from Halifax who had never been to Windsor before, and now, with Exit 6 open, we are truly open for business. This is just one example of how we can attract new visitors and show off what our community offers.

A Call to Action: A Region Open for Business

As we head into the fall, with more visitors flocking to the Valley, we must encourage people to get off the 101 and take the old highway through West Hants. Let’s capitalize on the opportunity before us, not just as a stop along the way but as a destination in its own right.

Focusing on both short-term opportunities and long-term planning can help us build a sustainable and thriving regional economy. This is about amplifying our strengths, investing in our future, and taking control of our narrative.

West Hants Regional Municipality is open for business — let’s make sure everyone knows it.