REGINA - Canada's premiers are preparing to take stock of the economy in discussions that could amount to a performance appraisal of the federal government's efforts to deal with the recession through its economic stimulus package.
The economic situation and future growth will be the focus when political leaders from 10 provinces and three territories meet in Regina this week for their annual summer meeting, according to Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, who is hosting the event.
Wall said there will be discussion as to whether or not the stimulus package has had an impact in each province and nationally, in terms of creating jobs and helping Canada get through the recession.
There will also be questions for the future.
"Are we going to focus on the knowledge economy, on an innovation agenda that can create jobs for the longer term, create careers for the longer term?" asked Wall. "There's a big part of the agenda that's dedicated to the future, to engagement in terms of diversifying our trade relationship as well."
P.E.I. Premier Robert Ghiz also wants to know what happens after the stimulus packages come to an end.
"Right now we have stimulus dollars to keep us going for the next couple of years," Ghiz told the Charlottetown Guardian.
"What my concern is going to be is moving into the future. They took the Build Canada program, which was a seven-year program, and condensed it down. I want to know what happens after we spend all this money and there's no program available for the later years."
New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham noted it's a far different discussion from last summer when the premiers met in Quebec City.
"At that time, the governor of the Bank of Canada was very bullish on the growth in our respective provinces and territories, but much has changed in a year with the global economic crisis that erupted in September," said Graham.
"That's why the full attention of the premiers during this meeting will be on the economy and what each respective province and territory is doing to combat the global recession."
Graham said "there are optimistic signs" that the recession is over, but there's still a long road ahead for a recovery.
Two reports released last week suggested that the recession is nearing an end and that there are signs of growth, but not without pains. The Conference Board of Canada said stimulus spending by the provinces -- often to match federal cash infusions -- will leave regional governments with big deficits for some time.
The reports also warn a stronger Canadian dollar could hinder a bounceback in manufacturing.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, whose province has been hit hard by layoffs in the manufacturing sector, said he'll be putting a special emphasis on employment insurance and pensions at the meeting in Regina.
"At the minimum, what we want at this point in time is fairness so that if you lose your job anywhere in Ontario you're entitled to the same kind of benefits that there are in any other part of the country," said McGuinty.
"With respect to pensions, we've got a growing aging population and a shrinking population of young people, and we're going to have to do something to ensure that we are supported in our old age so that we have decent retirement income so that we can enjoy a decent standard of living."
The premiers will meet with national aboriginal leaders Wednesday. On Friday, they'll focus on international relationships, including trade issues with the United States, as well as climate change and energy issues.
But it's the economy that will lead the agenda when the meeting formally gets underway Thursday. That had Prime Minister Stephen Harper weighing in on the discussion, saying governments at all levels need to continue to deliver stimulus measures to keep some positive momentum going.
"I never attempt to tell the premiers what they're supposed to think. I think that would be a difficult task," Harper said from Vancouver.
"I will just say this. Our read of the economy, as you know, is that we think the worst is behind us. We are not declaring victory yet. We're seeing some flattening out, a little bit of growth. Those signs are still very tentative. A lot of work has to be done."
Environmental groups would agree and many, including Greenpeace, will host a parallel series of events including panel discussions, a movie night and a demonstration.
"There's definitely going to be an active plan on the ground," Greenpeace Canada spokesman Mike Hudema told the Edmonton Sun.
"We're not seeing leadership on the environment on the federal front. It's time the provinces took action to reduce emissions."
Hudema said Alberta's and Saskatchewan's promotion of the oilsands contributes to global warming.
"We need a leader in this country when it comes to climate change and the economic and human price we'll pay," said Hudema. "We need that leader and we'd love it to be Premier Stelmach."
One of the premier's pledges on the environmental front is to spend $2 billion on carbon capture technology, something Greenpeace dismisses as ineffective.
"Our thoughts on carbon capture is it's much more of a smokescreen than anything," said Hudema. "You're looking at citizens being on the hook to pay for it. Citizens are on the hook to pay for industries' pollution."
