Atlantic Chamber of Commerce Policy Priorities 2025

Driving Growth and Resilience Across Atlantic Canada

As Atlantic Canada navigates a time of change and opportunity, the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce (ACC) is championing the priorities that matter most to our region’s future. Rooted in feedback from our member businesses, our 2025-26 Policy Priorities focus on the key areas where action is urgently needed.

Together with our partners and policymakers, we’re working to ensure Atlantic Canada remains competitive, sustainable, and prosperous.

1. Addressing the Availability of Qualified Workers

The Challenge:
Labour shortages and skills mismatches are creating roadblocks for growth across every sector. The talent gap is real and growing.

ACC’s Call to Action:
To ensure a strong, adaptable workforce, we recommend governments:

• Expand training programs tailored to regional and industry-specific needs.
• Improve immigration pathways to attract globally skilled talent.
• Recognize out-of-province and international credentials to enhance mobility.
• Collaborate with employers to align training with evolving skills needs.
• Invest in settlement support, experiential learning, and early workplace integration.

Talent is the engine of economic progress — and we must act now to power up.

2. Strengthening Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

The Challenge:
SMEs are the heartbeat of Atlantic Canada’s economy — but rising costs, red tape, and regulatory fragmentation are holding them back.

ACC’s Call to Action:
To fuel SME growth and innovation, we recommend governments:

• Cut the regulatory burden with mandatory business impact assessments.
• Deliver government services with speed, fairness, and efficiency.
• Harmonize regulations across provinces to make inter-provincial trade seamless.
• Introduce targeted job creation incentives for employers.
• Guarantee service response times so businesses can plan with confidence.

Let’s give small businesses the freedom and flexibility to thrive.

3. Tackling the Cost and Availability of Housing

The Challenge:
Skyrocketing housing costs and limited inventory are stifling regional growth. Businesses across the region are struggling to attract and retain the talent they need — because workers can’t find or afford a place to live.

ACC’s Call to Action:
We urge governments to take bold, coordinated steps to unlock housing supply and affordability by:

• Streamlining permitting and approvals to cut delays and reduce costs for new developments.
• Modernizing housing formulas and eliminating barriers to enable developers to build more housing faster.
• Investing in skilled trades training to boost the workforce that builds homes.

Housing is not just a social issue — it’s an economic one.