QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Justice
Support for Tourism Sector
May 28, 2026
Good afternoon, minister. My question is about the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, or ACOA, and the Commission du tourisme acadien du Canada atlantique, the CTACA.
The CTACA was established in 2001 to develop and promote Acadian cultural and experiential tourism. Municipalities and the Maritime provinces contributed to the initiative, but the main funder was the federal government, via ACOA. The CTACA’s mandate was to create an Acadian tourism brand, and thus Experience Acadie was born.
For two decades, the CTACA supported Acadian tourism businesses by developing products and getting them to market in Canada and internationally.
ACOA funding dried up because of COVID-19, and the CTACA ceased to exist. Two decades of brand-building efforts were lost. Can you explain why ACOA cut the CTACA’s funding?
Thank you for the question. It is official: With this first question, I’ve gotten more questions about ACOA’s mandate here than I have in the House of Commons. It’s clear that we have an opportunity right now to promote the tourism industry in Nova Scotia and the Atlantic region, including and especially in the Acadian communities there.
For example, in my riding, we have an organization called L’Acadie de Chezzetcook, which receives significant funding from ACOA.
I need to look into the details. Obviously, this decision was made before I became responsible for ACOA. If you want to have a conversation later to discuss options for supporting the industry, and the Acadian tourism industry in particular, then I think that is a good idea for the region.
To be clear, even though this organization isn’t around anymore, we are still supporting initiatives that promote Acadian culture.
Thank you, minister. I think you already answered my second question, but I am still going to ask it just to be sure.
The federal government is looking to grow the economy. Tourism accounts for approximately 10% of jobs in Acadian communities in the Maritimes.
The international Francophonie represents a population of nearly 400 million people who speak French.
My supplementary question is fairly simple. If Acadian municipalities and the Maritime provinces wanted to bring back the CTACA with the support of our tourism industries, would ACOA be open to coming back to the table and supporting the initiative like it did before?
I am open to having a conversation about it, but, before I make any promises, I would have to assess the situation and ensure that there are opportunities for good investments that would boost the economy in the Atlantic region. If Acadian municipalities and communities want to hold discussions to identify the best strategies, then I think it would be a good idea for me to take part in those discussions.
