Roughly 65 people participated in a meeting discussing the province's economic future at the Best Western in Cookville Wednesday night. The 'Nova Scotia Commission on Building Our New Economy' hosted the meeting to gauge ideas from local residents and business owners on new directions for wealth creation. Among the discussion topics included what people would change about the area and why they choose to live here. Wileville resident Elspeth McLean-Wile believes solving issues in rural Nova Scotia will start with its residents.People believe some of the factors working against the area include out-migration of youth and workers, cost of living and lack of public transit. People were also asked during the evening to provide one word they could use to improve the area. The most-requested suggestions included more jobs, less-government, sustainability, and education. The commission now moves on to Shelburne for a meeting at 9am Thursday morning at the Fire Hall. They plan to release an interim report on their findings in April.
