Norris, Daniel E. "Community Development in Industrial Cape Breton: A Means to Address Entrepreneurial Out-migration"

The Industrial Cape Breton Region in Nova Scotia has been the focus of a considerable number of planned economic development programs for the past thirty years. Despite this concerted effort the regional economy has consistently lagged behind the level of development experienced in Nova Scotia and Canada. A reexamination of the nature of the problem suggests that the long term effect of over 40 years of out- migration has been largely overlooked by economic development planning. An examination of the potential impact of long term out- migration upon the economy, and an examination of the state of community resources, lead to the proposition that entrepreneurial out- migration has reduced the capability of the region to initiate, or respond to, development opportunities. Reference to Planning Theory identifies two interdependent conditions that typically propel entrepreneurial outmigration: Deprivation and Political Alienation. The social and psychological nature of these two conditions suggests that economic development planning alone cannot address the problem of entrepreneurial out- migration. Instead, it is suggested here that a planned community development process should be implemented in the region. A case study of one such process, that implemented by New Dawn Enterprises, is undertaken in Chapter Five. Finally, recommendations to guide community development planning and programming in Industrial Cape Breton are presented in the closing chapter.

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This document was last modified on January 9, 2001.