Community involvement key to renewed success: community action committee

Active community involvement is important for the Miramichi to get through tough economic times, says the chair of the Miramichi Community Action Committee.

Rogersville businessman Patrick Finnigan was part of the committe commissioned by Premier Shawn Graham to find ways to help communities in the Miramichi region prosper.

Finnigan said there will be business leaders who lead the way in the future, but it is the people on the river who will ultimately help the area prosper.

"We want to get the whole community behind it."

The committee was set up in August 2007 with a 6-9 month mandate to find ways to move forward as a community.

Finnigan said there are great leaders on the river and the group hopes to get support from the government.

"We should be successful."

Finnigan said the region needs to be successful in order for his gardening-oriented business to succeed and he joined the committee to do his share.

"I want the future of the Miramichi to be bright."

Organizations like the chamber of commerce have been very responsive, he said, and they are best suited to take over the committee's work once it disbands.

"I think we're ready."

Coordinator Lisa Cove said the committee has looked at other communities and cities to see how they have dealt with the loss of major employers.

Moncton was one of those cities, she said.

Cove said Moncton launched a program to help citizens see the city's strengths and sold those strong points through a lot of marketing.

"They sold that to the citizens."

There are many positives in the Miramichi, Cove said, which bode well for a program like the one Moncton used.

"I think it would work well here."

Cove added other communities have not been as successful as Moncton has. She cited as an example the city of Sudbury in Ontario, a community similar to Miramichi because of it's dependence on natural resources, which achieved only modest success because there has been less community involvement.

"It was able to hold its own."

It's amazing what Moncton and Halifax have been able to do, she said, adding, "I think Miramichi can do it as well."

The committee is compiling a report to send to Graham by the end of May.

Cove said the committee's mandate is not to bring business to the region.

"We're not an economic development organization."

As it final act, the committee will host a public forum and will feature as guest speaker a former Miramichier who helped Halifax rebound.

Fred Morley was the executive vice-president of development in Halifax after jobs were lost at the naval base there.

Foundations 2020 will be a full-day event involving visioning, building partnerships and growing a healthy and vibrant community for the future of the region.

Facilitator Andrew Beckett is Saint John deputy manager for programs and priorities. He is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the city's Vision 2015-Program of Excellence.

The objective of that program is to work with the community in establishing a long-term vision and goals and then to establish concrete action plans that will move the community towards achievement of this vision.

Beckett will help community members who attend the Foundations 2020 event better understand the role they play in the future of the region, as well as provide insight into visioning and building partnerships.

Foundations 2020 is set to take place April 12, at the Park Inn. Anyone who wishes to participate is invited to call 622-7890.