LISTEN: All four Atlantic provinces raise minimum wages on April 1st, New Brunswick Power's independent review delivers 50 recommendations for reform, and federal immigration cuts hit Atlantic Canada harder than anywhere else in the country

This week on the Atlantic Canada Business Report, host Peter McCully covers a broad range of economic, regulatory, and workforce developments across all four Atlantic provinces. Business and community leaders are warning that federal immigration reductions could slow economic growth and worsen labour shortages across a region with some of the oldest demographics in the country. A federal Auditor General report found that all four Atlantic provinces experienced international student permit declines of 59% or greater in 2024 — far beyond what Ottawa had projected.

All four provinces raised minimum wages on April 1st, while the Canadian Federation of Independent Business cautioned the pace of increases is unsustainable for small business owners. An independent panel released a sweeping 50-recommendation review of New Brunswick Power, calling for structural reform and regional grid integration. Prince Edward Island is grappling with seven consecutive quarters of more business closures than openings. In Newfoundland and Labrador, a major federal defence investment at Five Wing Goose Bay was announced alongside a shift in the Argentia wind-hydrogen project to wind-only development.

Highlights:

Atlantic Canada - All four Atlantic provinces raised minimum wages on April 1st — Nova Scotia to $16.75, Prince Edward Island to $17.00, New Brunswick to $15.90, and Newfoundland and Labrador to $16.35, tied to consumer price index adjustments.

Nova Scotia - Membertou First Nation passed a resolution barring the RCMP and the province from cannabis and tobacco enforcement on its lands, citing treaty rights.

New Brunswick - An independent panel has delivered 50 recommendations for New Brunswick Power, calling for an end to political interference, a spin-off of Point Lepreau Nuclear, and talks with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island on a regional grid operator.

Prince Edward Island - The Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports business closures have outnumbered new formations on the island for seven consecutive quarters, with 286 more businesses closing than opening from 2024 to 2025.

Newfoundland and Labrador - The federal government has committed up to $8 billion in long-term defence investments at Five Wing Goose Bay in Labrador, plus an initial $187 million energy performance contract to modernize base infrastructure.

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