Atlantic Regional Approach

Atlantic PTA Advocacy

Municipal associations from across the Atlantic provinces meet regularly to discuss shared advocacy priorities to bring to Ottawa:

Critical gaps in mobile service persist across rural, remote, Indigenous and coastal communities in Atlantic Canada
Inadequate cell coverage threatens public safety and limits economic development and equitable access to vital cellular networks
Existing federal funding (e.g. Universal Broadband Fund) was focused on internet, not cellular infrastructure
Telecommunications policy and infrastructure remain under federal jurisdiction, yet communities are being forced to act alone

Establish a dedicated federal funding program to expand rural and remote cellular infrastructure
Reframe mobile service as essential public infrastructure, not just a private-sector investment opportunity
Develop a national strategy for cellular equity, alongside broadband strategies
Incentivize and regulate private carriers to expand coverage in under-served areas

Atlantic Canada faces accelerated wildfires, sea level rise, erosion and storm surge due to land subsidence and climate change.
Small municipalities lack the capacity for climate adaptation planning and long-term monitoring
Vulnerable groups may experience inequitable impacts
Current federal funding does not support maintenance, policy experimentation or nature-based solutions

Continue support for programs like CLIMAtlantic, FHIMP, and Climate-Resilience Coastal Communities with focus on small and coastal municipalities
Create long-term, flexible funding streams for maintenance, monitoring, and adaptive management of climate adaptation projects
Invest in nature-based solutions, digital twins, and erosion/storm surge modelling tools
Fund collaborative research between municipalities and universities to enable policy experimentation in low-risk settings
Establish a non-competitive fund to support public dialogue and planning on managed retreat in coastal areas

Federal reductions in immigration targets are disproportionately affecting Atlantic Canada
Regional economic sectors (construction, fish processing, healthcare, hospitality) depend on immigration for viability
Atlantic Immigration Program and Provincial Nominee Program are effective, but current caps limit regional flexibility
The cap on international students will worsen long-term workforce shortages

Maintain or increase Atlantic immigration targets to reflect regional demographic needs
Expand and resource the Atlantic Immigration Program and the Provincial Nominee Program
Allow more regional discretion in setting immigration priorities to address local labour force shortages
Reconsider the international student cap, particularly for smaller institutions and provinces that rely on newcomer students for community growth

Aging infrastructure (roads, water and wastewater) in small municipalities is increasingly unaffordable
Climate-related damage is compounding infrastructure strain.
Existing federal infrastructure programs are expiring or tied narrowly to housing development
Application-based funding processes disadvantage municipalities with limited staff or expertise

Develop a 10-to 20- year infrastructure strategy focused on right-sized, innovative solutions suited to Atlantic Canada’s geography and capacity
Create regional infrastructure funding models to support shared services and planning across small communities
Expand non-competitive and capacity-building funds to help small municipalities access and implement federal infrastructure programs
Allow stacking with provincial funds and avoid tying solely to housing