There is bound to be a bigger onus placed on provincial and federal government staff to drive economic development in West Prince starting next May, suggests David Anderson, general manager of Resources West.
That is when the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is due to cut off core funding to 50 regional economic development organizations in Atlantic Canada.
Of the four organizations in P.E.I. that's losing core funding, Resources West is the only one that does not have assets of its own.
What's left, Anderson is asked.
"Nothing. That's it. We don't generate revenue.
"The board has made the decision, basically that, without any assets and without any core funding, we simply can't exist," Anderson reported. "We don't have an opportunity at this point in time to be able to generate revenue to sustain operations."
He said the Resources West board has been asking both levels of governments to indicate who will fill Resources West's mandate.
Board chairman Doug Fraser declined an interview Wednesday, indicating he is still looking for answers.
Resources West normally carries a full-time staff of four, plus term positions. One of the full-time positions is currently vacant and will not be filled.
Resources West takes up most of the main floor area of the Rural Action Centre on the corner of Main and Poplar Streets in Alberton. When it goes it will create another gaping hole in Alberton's downtown business district.
Resources West was formed in 2000. Anderson became general manager in 2004. Since then, he said, his organization has helped develop, facilitate and manage projects in West Prince that had a combined value in excess of $26 million.
More than 200 people have gained term employment through the projects, he said.
Those projects included the Canada Games fabrication project in Bloomfield in 2009, which employed a dozen workers for a year or more, and the redevelopment of the Culture Craft, West Point and Potato Museum projects.
Several business interns also got their start through Resources West.
Current projects include ones with the P.E.I. Shellfish Association to redevelop the Bideford Research Station for tourism potential, and further work in O'Leary and West Point.
Anderson stressed Resources West is not biding its time.
"As much as it can be business as usual, the intent is to be business as usual," he said.
"Basically, we're doing projects, probably, up until early April," Anderson said. "Anything that goes beyond the first of April, then we'll have to look at the scope of its work and make a determination whether it's something we can handle or not, and go from there."
