Thank you to everyone who joined our initial South Shore Economic Alliance working group Round Table at WorkEvolved in Liverpool. The evening brought together business owners, employers, developers, tourism leaders, service providers, and community builders from across the South Shore for a candid and constructive conversation about growth, opportunity, and what comes next.

The strongest message of the night was clear: the South Shore has tremendous potential, but we are still too fragmented.

There was broad agreement that our region has the people, ideas, natural assets, and entrepreneurial energy to grow, but too often businesses, communities, and sectors are working in silos. Many participants expressed support for the Alliance becoming a stronger regional voice that helps connect people, encourage collaboration, and move important conversations toward practical action.

Workforce emerged as one of the most important themes of the evening, but the discussion made clear that this is not simply a hiring issue. Retention is just as important as recruitment.

Participants spoke about the challenges of keeping workers and families in the region when housing is limited, childcare is difficult to access, and amenities for younger people and young families are lacking. Several people noted that if we want talent to stay, or to return, we need to focus not only on jobs, but on the full experience of building a life here.

That led naturally into one of the night’s other major themes: youth retention and opportunity.

Many participants reflected on the long-standing culture of leaving Nova Scotia for work, especially among younger people. At the same time, there was strong agreement that the South Shore must do a better job of showing youth what is possible here. Earlier exposure to trades, entrepreneurship, local industries, and emerging sectors was seen as critical, as was stronger support for co-op placements, apprenticeships, and real pathways into local careers.

Another key takeaway was the importance of narrative.

The room returned several times to the idea that we are not telling our story well enough. The South Shore should not simply be marketed as a place that is affordable or scenic, but as a place where people can succeed, build businesses, raise families, and create a strong quality of life. Participants emphasized that we need to do a better job of highlighting local success stories, making local opportunities more visible, and communicating more clearly why this is a great place to live, work, and invest.

Communication, in fact, may have been the central thread running through the entire evening.

Whether the issue was workforce, collaboration, business awareness, government relations, or regional identity, many participants felt the same thing: we need better communication between businesses, between sectors, between communities, and between the private sector and government. There was interest in practical tools that could help businesses know who is here, what services and expertise exist locally, and how we can support one another more intentionally.

The discussion also surfaced real frustration with red tape and inconsistent local processes.

Business owners shared examples of delays, restrictions, and avoidable barriers that can discourage investment and slow momentum. While the conversation was not about blaming government, there was strong support for the Alliance to help bring forward a clear, constructive business voice around the need for a more supportive environment for growth.

Overall, the roundtable confirmed that there is strong appetite for a regional, action-oriented alliance that brings people together, strengthens the private-sector voice, and helps turn shared ideas into visible progress.

The opportunity ahead is not just to keep talking, but to identify priorities, improve communication, and begin building the kind of practical momentum that members and communities across the South Shore can feel.