A Proactive Approach

This past Saturday the Town of Harbour Breton held it's second Community Capacity Building Forum. The purpose of this forum was to engage the residents and local and regional stakeholders in the process of developing a strategic economic plan.

In May 2000 they held a similar forum and it became the basis for their 5-year Strategic Economic Plan which guided the Town's economic development activities for the following five years. On May 24th they began the process again. With representation from the Town, residents, local businesses, the Regional Economic Development Board, the Department of Tourism and the CCRC discussions were fruitful and a new planning process has begun.

Discussing the issues around Aquaculture development and the switch from a fish plant that closed in 2004 and is now operating to process farmed fish is a great indication of what can be accomplished in rural areas of the province.

One of the points made by Harbour Breton Mayor Don Stewart in his welcoming remarks that was repeated throughout the day was that they needed to be cognizant of the fact that they cannot survive as one community and it is the entire Coast of Bays Regions that must work together on these kinds of issues. That's the kind of talk the CCRC is hearing all around the province.

This event displayed great work and proactive thinking by the Town of Harbour Breton in taking the initiative and planning for a prosperous future within a functional region.