Top 6 Unanswered Questions Addressed

Highlighting the Region’s Potential Chamber Luncheon

On June 13, CEO, Andrew Beckett spoke to the business community about the Saint John Region's Potential and highlighted our strengths, opportunities and challenges. Below are some unanswered questions that we didn't get to in the room. Have a question for our team? Reach out to us! 

1. Q: Is there duplication with the Fundy Region Service Commission, Municipalities, and Envision Saint John?

    A: We are dealing with very complex issues, which can result in a lot of overlap in roles and responsibilities, but this is actually a positive thing! With on-going dialogue amongst the various community partners, a variety of perspectives can be considered in the identification of actions that are required.  Through on-going collaboration - duplication at the action level can be minimized.

Our main message that we want people to know is that if you don’t know where to go, start with us! We are here to help navigate the ecosystem and connect people with the right players to move initiatives forward.
 

2. Q: The big impediment to growth is housing. We need accelerated residential development, and we need to provide demand data to developers to act more quickly.

    A: We have an extensive amount of data available on our dashboard covering the rental market, ground-based housing, and office and warehouse markets. We have also recently completed a Residential Market Study, assessing changes in the development industry and projecting how housing demand and development patterns could change in the coming years.

Our real estate team is in regular discussions with local and out-of-market developers to make them aware of the opportunities, and help them navigate challenges with projects moving forward. Currently, we are working with more than 40 developers on a pipeline of more than 70 projects, and 7,500 units. While not all these projects will come to fruition, we work to support developers on their advancement.
 

3. Q: How will the energy transformation plan affect energy cost for residents and businesses in Saint John? How will Envision engage with the community and stakeholders?

    A: We recognize that the impact on energy costs is a concern.  A recent report on Energy Poverty highlights the challenges being faced by residents. We know that energy costs are a major consideration for local businesses.

Our focus is on the business impact.  This is an area we will continue to monitor and engage with the local business community to seek opportunities that will best prepare the region for the impacts and benefits of the transition.
 

4. Q: Rising tides do not lift all boats equally. What is your role in supporting the most disadvantaged in society, considering Saint John’s high poverty rates?

    A: Our mandate and focus is on economic development.  A strong economy will benefit the region and provide needed resources that can be directed to support those addressing social issues. 

We work with a range of partners to provide training and reskilling programs for people in the region to develop expertise that will meet the needs of current job vacancies. An example of this is our partnership with TechImpact via the Web Development Bootcamp program.

A big part of our work is also bringing partners together for meaningful collaboration. By convening groups like the Local Immigration Partnership and Job Developers Network, we are ensuring alignment throughout the career development ecosystem, and effectively addressing gaps, while working in partnership on solutions. Recent Career Fairs that focused on the hospitality sector, as well as newcomers brought more than 45 employers and 850 job seekers together.
 

5. Q:  Are there any other maritime communities that you see as being ahead of the curve that you are hoping to learn from and collaborate with?

    A: Through our work of developing a Regional Economic Development Plan and a Tourism Master Plan, we have been benchmarking against a variety of communities in North America. There is much to be learned from these communities and these insights are helping to shape our strategies. A strong example closer to home is the work that Moncton has done with their Immigration file.

We have also recently been involved in building stronger collaboration with the province via Meetings & Conventions Sales, as well as our collaboration with Moncton on the 2029 Canadian Games bid. We know that when we show up together, we have a more impactful footprint that will bring stronger results. 
 

6. Q: How does Envision intend to partner with educational institutions to drive ideas and innovations for the community?

    A: We are working on two initiatives that we feel will help drive innovation and commercialization:

                 1. The Health and Technology District that will be located in Tucker Park on UNB Saint John’s campus.

                 2. The development of a Clean Energy Institute located at NBCC’s Saint John campus.

In each case we feel these initiatives will help promote job growth and address workforce development needs, as well as serve as applied research hubs – attracting inward investment, driving export growth, and progressing innovative practices.