Partnership Background
Madawaska Maliseet First Nation and Ville d’Edmundton have found common ground in their desire to preserve their distinct cultural heritages – both Acadian and Maliseet. Their unique location along the Trans-Canada Highway offers a natural advantage to collaborative development at the “Gateway to Atlantic Canada”.
These two communities participated in CEDI Phase I from 2013-2016.
Key Milestones and Collaborative Community Economic Development Initiatives
The City of Edmundston and Madawaska Maliseet First Nation signed their Friendship Accord on October 25, 2014 at a special ceremony in the presence of AANDC Minister Bernard Valcourt, FCM President Brad Woodside and Cando Vice-President Helen Ward-Wakelin. Mayor Cyrille Simard and Chief Patricia Bernard then exchanged gifts on behalf of their communities and jointly planted a tree at the border of their communities to symbolize their as symbols of their deeply-rooted friendship.
Developed a long-term joint attraction and retention strategy, hired a consultant and are developing a joint communications plan and tools using the CEDI capacity-building grant to dispel myths and share accurate information about their partnership within their wider community.
Completed a joint communications strategy to be implemented 2016-2018 for a long-term attraction and retention strategy to promote economic growth through local entrepreneurship, business/investor attraction, and regional tourism and branding together, while the expansion and addition of three new businesses in 2016 to the MMFN Economic Development Corporation owned Maliseet Mall on the Trans Canada, continues to become ‘the gateway to the Atlantic’ and provide jobs to those from MMFN and Edmundston. The joint initiative of re-opening the Madawaska Airport has progressed to the stage where the airport is now open to recreational flyers and air ambulances. Hired a Communications Peer Mentor; that began working with the communities in May 2015.
In the Media
Quotes
"Our Government is taking action to support partnerships that can advance economic improvements across Canada. I congratulate the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation and the City of Edmundston for reaching this important agreement, with the potential to increase economic opportunities and ensure the long-term prosperity of both communities."
"Today is a historic day. In the past the City of Edmundston and MMFN usually only ever met because they needed something from each other. Today we are meeting to begin discussing our shared vision for the future and how to plan for it – this is the first time in history that we have done that together. "