New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt attended a trade show recently and promoted the province as a key hub for the defence industry.
Holt was in Ottawa for CANSEC to advance opportunities for the province.
“New Brunswick has established itself as a leader in Canada’s defence sector and is uniquely positioned to seize the generational opportunities arising from Canada’s focus on defence investments,” Holt said in a statement.
“From cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing to land systems expertise and access to two deepwater ports in Saint John and Belledune, to the world-class training happening at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown, where Canada’s military is made, we’re ready to grow our economy, create quality jobs, and bolster Canada’s security.”
Defence was highlighted in the provincial government’s recently released economic development strategy as a focus for growing the economy.
Holt said New Brunswick has emerged as a competitor for large-scale industrial defence projects in the last decade, as local companies demonstrate an ability support national defence objectives and secure economic benefits for the region.
The government has made efforts to create further integration into federal defence procurement programs.
That includes a focus on streamlining certifications, enhancing supplier development programs and targeting innovation funding.
A release from the province said Holt met with leading land, sea and air defence companies while in Ottawa.
“This is a crucial time for our province,” she said. “As global economic conditions shift and uncertainty remains, our focus is on keeping our economy strong, flexible and investment-ready by seizing and supporting national opportunities that can create good-paying jobs for New Brunswickers.”
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.
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.
The Holt government has announced a new economic development strategy.
It’s part of efforts to build a more productive, investment-ready and globally connected New Brunswick.
Premier Susan Holt said the province is at a pivotal moment as global economic conditions are shifting and New Brunswickers feel the uncertainty.
“Our job is to make sure our economy stays competitive, resilient and ready for what comes next,” Holt said in a statement.
“This strategy creates the conditions for businesses to grow, for workers to succeed and for communities to thrive.”
She said government doesn’t create growth on its own. It needs people and businesses.
“Our role is to remove barriers, make smart investments and work as a team to turn the opportunities in front of us into real results for New Brunswickers.”
The strategy will focus on five enablers of growth: improving access to capital; accelerating innovation and productivity; building a skilled workforce; investing in economic infrastructure; and strengthening energy systems to support long-term competitiveness.
The plan also identifies areas where New Brunswick has a competitive advantage and growing global demand, including resource-based industries and the knowledge- and technology-driven sectors.
The move was welcomed by the New Brunswick Business Council.
President and CEO Monica Gaudet-Justason said it’s a critical time for the province.
“Sustained economic growth is essential to creating jobs, supporting strong public services and ensuring long-term prosperity,” she said.
The government also announced the New Brunswick Growth Office, intended to align efforts across departments, accelerate major projects and ensure investments deliver measurable economic results.
“The Growth Office will help us move faster and work smarter,” said Post-secondary Education and Training Minister Jean-Claude D’Amours.
