I’ve just spent four days (at the tail end of Stampede, no less) working with 500+ businesspeople and government officials at the 20th annual summit of the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region. With over $1 trillion of “gross regional product,” the region is a growing powerhouse, well positioned to serve as the Asia-Pacific gateway. In fact, the audience was regularly reminded that if the region was independent (fondly called “Cascadia”) it would be in the top 20 world economies. While it sounds like pure PR (and FH was both a summit sponsor and the media co-ordinator), PNWER really does offer a “unique coming together of business and government leaders” and a “cross-border forum for discussion of topical issues in the region. “
PNWER – which currently consists of Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, the Yukon Territory and the Northwest Territories – was formed in 1991 as the result of a conversation between Alberta’s then deputy premier Jim Horsman and Washington state senator Alan Bluechel. Their vision was to create a vehicle that could collaboratively address common issues, encourage economic competitiveness, and preserve the environment. Both founders were in attendance this weekend, and they seemed genuinely surprised at the organization’s growth – and that they were remembered as driving forces behind that success.
The cold economic fact is that parochial politics, barriers to trade, commerce and employment, combined with geographical distance from the political centre are not conducive to prosperity. Or feeling heard. Consequently, a large geographic area with a relatively low population will always benefit from coming together to share ideas, eliminate restrictions to trade and commerce and deal directly with regional issues.
Many Canadians may be unaware that in May, the Premier of Saskatchewan joined the Premiers of Alberta and BC to announce a “New West Partnership” to “cement the West as the economic powerhouse of Canada.” This partnership has four pillars: removing barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility; co-operating on trade and investment missions to international markets; co-ordinating efforts to attract investment and talent; and forming a procurement alliance that leverages combined buying power. The Premiers consummated the deal with joint mission to China and Japan later that month. The New West Partnership is an inevitable flex of the economic muscle western Canada is building and it is very much government-driven and politically led.
What is intriguing about PNWER is the tone and manner of the just-completed summit, where a vast array of federal, provincial and state legislators came together with members of industry and academia to discuss regional solutions to global challenges. Perhaps a reflection of the region itself, the gathering was restrained (while there was a lot of Stampeding outside the sessions, breakfasts were well attended) and thoughtful, with enough meaty sessions about energy, technology, environment, tourism, agriculture, water, health care, security, innovation, and transportation to keep delegates very busy.
