CANADA, January 31 - MONCTON (GNB) – The provincial government announced today it is committing funding of up to $40 million over ten years to the regional service commissions (RSCs) to support their economic development, labour force development and newcomer retention services.

The funding will allow the commissions to expand their services to meet their new responsibilities under the local governance reforms.

“Economic development is critical to the continued growth of our province. This support will help create the conditions to sustain our recent success,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Trevor Holder. “Our government is also committed to empowering regions to develop their economy at the local level.”

The provincial government is in the process of signing separate, long-term, performance-based funding agreements with all the commissions except the Fundy Regional Service Commission, which already has an agreement in place.

The commissions will have the flexibility to either deliver their new services directly or by paying a third-party to deliver them.

“Our government wants to do everything we can to promote collaboration between our communities and we expect this funding to encourage even more local co-operation,” said Local Government and Governance Reform Minister Daniel Allain. “These agreements will provide our regions with the ability to forge their own future through local decision making that will allow each of the 12 regional service commissions to tackle economic development in a way that works for them.”

The agreements will begin in fiscal 2023-24. Funding is provided through WorkingNB as part of the Canada-New Brunswick Labour Market Agreements.