The Greater Halifax Partnership was established in 1996 to drive economic growth in the newly amalgamated Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). At the time of the Partnership’s inception:
- Business and consumer confidence were very low
- Unemployment ranked as primary economic concern
- Growing frustration in the business community with approaches to economic development
A handful of visionary business leaders recognized the remarkable potential of Greater Halifax and that if properly guided, Greater Halifax could grow and prosper by building on its inherent strengths, including:
- Size – Halifax is the largest city east of Quebec City and north of Boston
- Access – our port and airport offer superior accessibility by air and sea
- Workforce - highly educated and productive
- Population - young and growing
- Quality of Life – a mix of big city and small town feel, offering a quality of life that is unsurpassed
Halifax needed leadership and momentum. Working with the Halifax Regional Municipality, and led by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, a group of business leaders devised a new model for economic development. A public-private model, led by the private sector, for supporting and accelerating economic growth – a partnership.
Business and government would share the:
…of economic development for Halifax
As a result, the Greater Halifax Partnership was born. A partnership that brought together all three levels of government together with the private sector to drive the economic growth of our region.
Within 18 months, the Partnership had successfully brought the private sector and key government agencies together to generate economic growth for our bigger, better community. Core funding from the public sector, along with private sector investment, helped stimulate, and continues to stimulate, growth within Greater Halifax.
Recognized as a leader and innovator in community economic growth, the Partnership has emerged as a national model of private and public sector cooperation.