The same old attitude won’t cut it any more if we want to spark the entrepreneurial flame of younger generations

On the tip of our tongues, it lies beneath the challenges to local economic development in Atlantic Canada. It compels me to ask the question: How can we plan, strategize, and project 10, 20, 50 years into the future if our youth population does not stay put to grow our towns and cities?

We live and work in an era of youthful exuberance and unbridled ambition. In addition to this, or as a result of it, it’s increasingly difficult to keep us in one place. Today’s youth are mobile. We leave home for university, for jobs, for perceived opportunities, and for a place in which we fit. This has been termed the search for “elsewhere community.”

I am an example of youth who has followed this trend. Born and raised in rural New Brunswick, my family owned and operated a general store for generations. This was the place to buy bread, paint, shoes, and tools— mostly locally designed and manufactured. The store was a hub for social capital, cultural exchange, and an anchor to a strong local economy.

My grandfather tells a story of the late 1950s when he boasted to a traveling salesman that the road running through the town and in front of the store was being paved. The unimpressed salesman replied, “As soon as that road is paved, you’ll watch your customers drive by.” And so it was. The lure of the big, shiny, new, and improved overtook the small, local, community-focused way of life. The population relocated, especially the youth—including myself.

In Atlantic Canada, we’ve recognized this trend and are seeking ways to retain youth. There’s currently some investment, but it remains difficult to find employment. Many jobs require a minimum of three years experience; so graduates leave for places whose policies have embraced their fresh minds.

A recent conference in London, England on “Transition Towns” opened my mind to the new economy. This local development strategy has been adopted in over 160 places around the world. It helps communities of varied sizes build resilience by creating a business climate that encourages small-scale local innovation.

These early adopters demonstrate how innovation and ideas breed innovation and ideas. People are using local resources to establish small businesses that fill product and service gaps while often becoming notable examples of sustainable living in our own backyards.

Atlantic Canada could benefit from investment in such a new economy that activates our youth population’s creative thinking to grow our local economies and solve problems for the future. It could enable youth to be entrepreneurial rather than leave when facing unemployment. Then, someday, I may be able to harness my exuberance and ambition to reopen the family general store.

Rachel Derrah is a young community designer in Halifax working to make sustainability part of our daily lives. She can be reached at rcderrah@gmail.com or follow her @ carolinederrah on Twitter.