2026-2027 Pre-Budget Submission | Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
Presented to the Honourable Rene Legacy Minister of Finance and Treasury Board Province of New Brunswick Presented by the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce Opening Presentation: Fredericton Chamber of Commerce The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce emphasizes a growth agenda that mobilizes private and public investment to deliver results in health care, education and housing, so New Brunswick can absorb recent and ongoing shocks from tariffs and global uncertainty while raising productivity and incomes. Collaboration across government, business, and public institutions converts social priorities into economic capacity, treating health, and education, and housing as economic infrastructure that underpins growth. Context If 2025 was the year of learning and stabilizing through instability, then 2026 must be the year of collaboration and delivery: harmonize systems, scale what works, and build shared accountability for results. The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce has emphasized coordinated action on productivity, commercialization, talent pipelines, and supply chain resilience, not as separate agendas but as one regional operating model. ‑chain resilience, not as separate agendas but as one regional operating model. New Brunswick, and Atlantic Canada, already anchors Canada’s value proposition (food, energy, critical minerals, forest products, advanced services), with opportunities in critical minerals, offshore energy, hydro, and wind, but realizing these areas of opportunity requires supply capacity, technology commercialization at scale, and most importantly, an strong and viable workforce. ‑to‑hydrogen At the 52nd State of the Province (Jan 29, 2026), Premier Susan Holt placed health access and a resilient, growth-ready economy at the centre of government’s 2026 agenda – including expanding collaborative care clinics, strengthening primary care attachment, and acknowledging tariff headwinds while pursuing strategic investments that set NB up for long-term success. ‑ready economy at the centre of government’s 2026 agenda‑term success. The Atlantic Economic Panel is another example of similar messaging, representing a business-led, pan-Atlantic forum, which will table practical recommendations to lift productivity and GDP per capita in 2026, aligning with the Chamber’s call for harmonization and implementation which turns collaboration into durable delivery. Key Points: Supporting Evidence — Budget 2025 (Canadian Federal Budget): What NB Can Leverage Now Response to “Difficult Decisions”: What to Invest In; Where to Reduce; How to Deliver A) Areas worthy of more investment B) Areas to reduce or reallocate (while protecting outcomes) C) Implementation guardrails Issues Specific Actions and Recommendations 1. Education: K–12, PSE & Career Opportunities — One System, One Pathway Education investments are most effective when designed as a single talent pathway, from K–12 capacity, through postsecondary learning, to work integrated experience and long-term retention in New Brunswick.‑secondary learning, to work‑integrated experience and long‑term retention in New Brunswick. Pressures & capacity: NB added 7,200 K–12 students over two years, with ~6,000 more projected over four—necessitating accelerated school builds and modern siting (urban, multimodal, net zero ready). Government has announced record K–12 capital budgets to relieve pressure. ‑zero ready). Government has announced record K–12 capital budgets to relieve pressure. Teacher supply: NB faces a documented teacher shortage; UNB has expanded B.Ed. seats while the NBTA urges faster pathways and retention supports. An Emergency Task Team (government, districts, faculties) should accelerate classroom attachment and practice-ready routes. ‑ready routes. Experiential learning & retention: The Chamber led a national experiential learning resolution (CCC AGM 2024) and co-launched Career Connects with the UNB Student Union to give students early exposure and build local roots, complementing coops and internships. ‑learning resolution (CCC AGM 2024) and co‑launched Career Connects with the UNB Student Union to give students early exposure and build local roots‑ops and internships. Education—Actions & Recommendations: 2. Health Care — Adequate Health Care Infrastructure for Existing Demand – Collaborative Care Clinics & Modernized Core Infrastructure Large, centrally located collaborative clinics: Build team based primary care hubs (physicians, NPs, PAs, pharmacists, allied health, mental health, diagnostics, virtual) with embedded teaching capacity and shared analytics. Premier Holt’s 2026 SOTP committed to expanding collaborative clinics and strengthening access; central hubs enable measurable attachment and throughput. ‑based primary‑care hubs (physicians, NPs, PAs, pharmacists, allied health, mental health, diagnostics, virtual) with embedded teaching capacity and shared analytics. Premier Holt’s 2026 SOTP committed to expanding collaborative clinics and strengthening access; central hubs enable measurable attachment and throughput. DECRH (Dr Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital) and outgrown assets. NB’s capital plans require a clear signal to expand acute and specialty capacity alongside ambulatory/community services. Why this matters to business: Primary care attachment, timely diagnostics, and coordinated community supports reduce absenteeism and raise investment confidence—health capacity is economic infrastructure. ‑care attachment, timely diagnostics, and coordinated community supports reduce absenteeism and raise investment confidence—health capacity is economic infrastructure. Fredericton Specific Actions: Health Care—Actions & Recommendations 3. Population Growth — Dual Focus Plan (Attract & Retain)‑Focus Plan (Attract & Retain) Joint regional stance (Aug–Sept 2025): The Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, with 47 local chambers (including Fredericton), sent a joint letter to Minister Lena Metlege Diab calling for a tailored Atlantic strategy that links immigration to domestic attraction and retention, protects AIP/PNP, pilots student retention initiatives, and creates an Atlantic carveout in allocations. ‑retention initiatives, and creates an Atlantic carve‑out in allocations. Fredericton Chamber’s “dual focus”: We released a local strategy aligned to ACC principles: build retention focused ecosystems for local graduates and residents while welcoming newcomers with predictable, employer serving pathways. ‑focus.” We released a local strategy aligned to ACC principles: build retention‑focused ecosystems for local graduates and residents while welcoming newcomers with predictable, employer‑serving pathways. Signals in the data: 2025 showed strain in NB’s migration flows (notably weaker net international inflow in Q3), underscoring the need for a region-specific plan that stabilizes employer access to talent. ‑specific plan that stabilizes employer access to talent. Population Growth—Actions & Recommendations. 4. Knowledge Industry — Collaboration & Connections as the Operating Model At an event hosted by the Fredericton Chamber on January 30, 2026, Minister Sean Fraser called Fredericton’s Knowledge Industry a national asset and urged faster research-to-market, better export readiness, stronger supply chains, and productivity through adoption—with a clear message: collaboration and harmonization are no longer optional. The Chamber’s January commentary echoes this: align standards/processes, scale commercialization, and treat talent as one pathway from K–12 through PSE to employment. ‑to‑market, better export readiness, stronger supply chains, and productivity through adoption—with a clear message: collaboration and harmonization are no longer optional. The Chamber’s January commentary echoes this: align standards/processes, scale commercialization, and treat talent as one pathway from K–12 through PSE to employment. Leverage Universities/Colleges/RTOs (*RPC) – one innovation fabric: *RPC (Research and Productivity Council (RPC)—New Brunswick’s Crown research and technology organization supports ~1,000 clients/year with ISO-accredited analytics, bio analytics, engineering, and product/process development (400,000+ analyses in 2023–24), making it a work integrated and commercialization hub for NB firms and trainees. ‑accredited analytics, ‑integrated