That promise, made by Summerside’s rookie mayor in the lead up to the Nov. 3, 2014, municipal election, was to bring 1,000 jobs to the city during his four-year term.
Martin, along with the city’s director of economic development, Mike Thusuka, is in Cannes, France, taking part in a four-day business conference.
For a related article on the trip's cost to the city, click here.
The duo is attending MIPIM, touted as the world’s leading property market, bringing together “influential players from all international property sectors.” Representatives from residential, retail, health-care, sport, logistics and industrial sectors are attending the tradeshow, which runs Tuesday through Friday in Cannes.
“It is an international investment show where people who have an interest in investing worldwide in cities and provinces come and essentially talk to countries and cities and individuals who are open for investment,” said Martin. “There are two reasons really why I am going. One is for Wednesday, which is really dedicated to what they are calling the mayors’ think-tank day. It is mayors, only mayors and deputy mayors, from all over the world. Essentially we spend the entire day in small groups, big groups, in luncheon sessions, hearing keynote speakers and the topic is strategies for attracting investment in cities.
“It is really all about private investment — potentially commercial, residential, industrial investment — in Summerside.”
His second reason for going is the buzz he has heard about the conference.
“I have already received a full page of emails... invitations from individuals to meet and talk about investment in Summerside.”
The hope, said the mayor as he waited to board a flight in Toronto for France, is to sell Summerside as a place to set up shop, attracting new business — and jobs — to the province’s second city.
“It is the first big step,” he said, referring to his goal of 1,000 jobs in four years. “Hopefully, individuals who have money to invest who recognize that there are opportunities in Prince Edward Island, Summerside specifically, come.”
So, how is Martin selling Summerside to the world? What’s the pitch?
“It is a great place to live, a great place to raise a family, a great place to operate a business from. It is healthy, relatively inexpensive.”
He hopes to attract a wide range of industry to the city, not only through this four-day conference, but by continually selling what Summerside has to offer.
“It should be an industry that produces a product or service that is not location sensitive. You don’t have to be in Metro Toronto to service Metro. You can be anywhere depending on the type of services and product that you produce,” added the mayor. “It has to be a product or service that we have a workforce who is readily available or trainable.”
Martin remains confident that, by the end of his term, he’ll have his 1,000 new jobs.
“I am going to get there, we are going to get there. That’s my belief.”
About the conference
— Four-day conference running March 10 to 13 in Cannes, France
— Features an expo, regional pavilions, innovation forum, networking events, open stage, awards
— To learn more about MIPIM, visit www.mipim.com