Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton

Woman with brown long hair and hazel eyes

April 30 2026

N.B. chambers back province’s new economic development strategy

Katherine Del Salto News Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton, economic development strategy, Moncton, New Brunswick, Saint John, Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce

As New Brunswick faces record deficits, some chambers of commerce are welcoming the province’s ambitious new economic development strategy.

Last week, the province released its 2026 economic development strategy.

According to the plan, New Brunswick is looking to grow the provincial economy by 10 per cent by 2030 by focusing on three key strategies: increasing productivity, attracting private-sector investment and growing and diversifying exports beyond the United States.

The plan also outlines priority areas the government wants to further develop, such as resource-based industries, including agri-food, mining, forestry and fishing, as well as knowledge- and technology-driven sectors and defence.

Shannon Merrifield, CEO of the Saint John Regional Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber appreciates that the strategy acknowledges sectors where New Brunswick has “real competitive advantages.”

“We are interested and candid about what’s coming our way in terms of supports that the government is going to be providing to our region,” she said.

In March, the government released its 2026-27 provincial budget, which revealed a record deficit of nearly $1.4 billion.

Merrifield said as New Brunswick needs growth, she is encouraged to see the province setting ambitious goals.

She added that Saint John is central to the strategy, as the government intends to prioritize resource-based industries.

Merrifield explained that Saint John is deeply positioned in the industries the government has identified, such as energy, exports and advanced manufacturing, and is home to major industrial employers.

“We have the port, infrastructure, the transportation networks, and green, clean energy opportunities,” she said. “So, we shouldn’t just participate in this strategy, we should lead it.”

Merrifield also said the chamber was pleased to see the government address labour force shortages and immigration in the strategy, noting New Brunswick cannot meet these growth goals without population growth.

“We can’t grow our population fast enough without stronger immigration pathways, so we know we need that workforce and we need it now,” she said.

According to the report, the New Brunswick Growth Office will be central to advancing the province’s economic priorities, working to ensure policies and programs align to support “sustainable growth.”

Merrifield said involvement from the office will be key to ensuring communication and efforts are aligned.

Like Merrifield, Kim Wilson, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton, said the chamber supports the province’s strategy and is ready to collaborate.

Woman with black short hair smiling at the camera — Kim Wilson is the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton. PHOTO: KIM WILSON/SUBMITTED WITH PERMISSION

She said the southeast region is an “economic engine” for the province, representing 27 per cent of the population, 27 per cent of GDP and 29 per cent of jobs in New Brunswick.

“We look forward to the next steps of the plan to see what those are,” she said. “We stand ready to collaborate with the province on the plan because we believe prosperity needs to be measured broadly, and economic growth is really important for our province, but it needs to go hand in hand with social well-being.”

While the chamber supports the government’s vision, Wilson said it is looking for more details on how the province will address labour shortages and immigration, and how it will work with the federal government to attract newcomers.

Wilson said the strategy still has details to be fleshed out, but Merrifield said talks with the government have already begun following the strategy’s release.

March 21 2026

Chambers raise alarms over deficit, missing growth plan in N.B. budget

Katherine Del Salto News Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton, Provincial budget, Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce

New Brunswick chambers of commerce are raising concerns about the lack of long-term economic strategy in the province’s latest budget.

The government presented the 2026–2027 provincial budget on Tuesday, revealing a deficit of nearly $1.4 billion. This is the second year in a row the budget has projected a shortfall of more than $1 billion.

Before the budget was tabled, Premier Susan Holt had warned of “difficult decisions.”

The government made cuts primarily to the civil service, promising to eliminate 1,400 positions over the next three years, phase out the provincially run veterinary field service, and review underutilized assets.

At the same time, the government announced major investments in health care, with plans to spend $4.8 billion.

However, some chambers of commerce in the province say the budget lacks long‑term economic measures to address the deficit and growing debt.

Shannon Merrifield, CEO of the Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce, said that with a significant deficit and rising debt, the government needs a clear strategy to drive revenue growth.

“We haven’t seen a clear strategy where we recognize that we need to invest to grow, but spending alone isn’t the strategy,” she said.

Merrifield said that for Saint John, she would have liked to see more investment in infrastructure and immigration, arguing that filling workforce gaps and setting out a clearer infrastructure plan could help the city become “a corridor” to the rest of Canada.

She added that even though the budget makes important investments, the chamber is concerned about the timeline of the cuts.

“It’s something that needs to be addressed now and not four years down the road,” she said.

Like Merrifield, Kim Wilson, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton, said her chamber is concerned about the level of spending and the lack of cuts.

“We feel it is unsustainable for New Brunswick to continue to add to the net debt over the mandate of this government,” she said.

Wilson said the chamber is “disappointed” by the lack of focus on an economic strategy. She agreed that investments in health care and education are essential, but said the government also needs to build an economy capable of generating wealth and tax revenue to fund the services it is investing in.

Kim Wilson is the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton; she says the province recent budget lacked investments in businesses. PHOTO: KIM WILSON/CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR GREATER MONCTON WITH PERMISSION.

Wilson said she would have liked to see population‑growth strategies — such as immigration — and property tax reforms to support businesses in southeast New Brunswick.

With an aging population and Moncton’s rapid growth, she said securing the future workforce and supporting business investment are key to the province’s economic development.

“Investments in the private sector are imperative,” Wilson said. “Investments in businesses mean you create more tax base for the province, for the communities in which we operate.”

“Investing in businesses is investing in the communities and in their growth.”

The 2026–2027 budget includes measures the government says can generate revenue, such as the introduction of tolls on non‑New Brunswick vehicles, investments to reduce contraband tobacco, and measures to crack down on illegal lobster sales.

According to the budget, the province expects to receive $10.4 million in annual revenue from the tolls, a $3‑million increase in annual revenue from a reduction in contraband tobacco purchases, and $5 million to $8 million in previously uncollected tax revenue from unreported lobster sales.

However, with the province yet to release its economic development strategy, Wilson said many questions remain for businesses.