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Every year, Eco360 introduces thousands of children from Southeast New Brunswick and surrounding communities to environmental stewardship. Through programs delivered in schools, early learning centres, community organizations, public events, and at its Berry Mills facilities, young participants gain the knowledge and practical skills to better understand the world around them.

"Environmental education gives young people the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices. By helping them understand the impact of their actions, we're building a generation that recognizes the role we all have in protecting the environment." – Sebastian Hultberg, Director, Eco360.

Learning through experience

Approximately 4,500 young people participate in Eco360's environmental education sessions each year. They learn about waste sorting, composting, recycling, and the importance of protecting natural resources.

Eco360's team brings these learning opportunities to schools, early learning centres, and community events. Participants can also visit the Berry Mills facilities to see firsthand what happens to waste after it is collected and how different materials are managed.

Games, demonstrations, challenges, and interactive activities make these sessions engaging and accessible, giving children practical ways to put what they learn into action – from sorting materials correctly and composting food scraps to reusing items whenever possible.

"Introducing children to environmental education at an early age helps them understand that they are part of the environment and that their everyday choices matter. By building these values early, we help shape environmentally conscious citizens who will protect the world around them for years to come." – Hana Ahmady, Owner/Operator, Rumi Scholars After School Enrichment Program; former elementary teacher, ASD-E.

Taking the learning home

What children learn through environmental education often follows them home. Who hasn't heard a child remind a parent that a container belongs in a different bin or that a banana peel should be composted?

Young people share what they have learned, ask questions, and encourage family members to reconsider familiar routines. In this way, one educational experience can have an impact beyond the individual participant.

"Every activity is an opportunity to plant a seed. We want all participants to understand that their choices have a real impact on the planet. When they leave inspired to take meaningful action and encourage their families to do the same, we know our work has been done." – Arabella Bordage, Community Engagement Coordinator, Eco360.

"After attending Eco360's education sessions, I saw our students become more curious and more mindful about recycling, composting, and reusing materials. They even took the initiative to compost food scraps each day, showing how quickly environmental learning can inspire lasting behaviour change." – Hana Ahmady.

Learning supported by the community

Eco360's environmental education program is strengthened by a network of community partners. Schools welcome workshops into their classrooms, early learning centres introduce environmental concepts at a young age, summer camps incorporate environmental activities into their programming, and community organizations and municipalities create additional opportunities to learn.

These different settings give children opportunities to encounter environmental education both in their communities and in the natural world.

"Introducing children early to environmental education helps them develop empathy for animals, curiosity about nature, and an understanding that even the smallest actions can make a huge difference. The most meaningful learning happens when children experience nature firsthand, whether it's exploring local parks, participating in outdoor learning, or visiting places like accredited zoos or museums. These experiences help them build a lasting connection with nature, and when they feel connected to their environment, they're much more likely to want to protect it." – Chantal Fortin-Daigle, Visitor and Education Programs Coordinator, Magnetic Hill Zoo and Magnetic Hill Park.

An investment in future generations

At today's level of participation, a decade of Eco360's environmental education activities represents nearly 45,000 young people reached.

These young people are tomorrow's citizens, workers, entrepreneurs, elected officials, and parents. The knowledge and perspectives they gain today can influence the decisions they make and the communities they help shape in the future.

"Environmental education doesn't just teach children about nature, it gives them hope. By connecting young people with conservation projects and showing them that positive change is possible, we empower them to become part of the solution." – Caitlyn Robert, Program Coordinator, Nature NB.

Investing in environmental education today helps prepare a new generation to contribute to more sustainable communities tomorrow.

Interested in inspiring future environmental leaders?

Book a tour or one of Eco360's environmental education programs and introduce young learners to waste sorting, recycling, composting, and sustainable living through fun, hands-on learning.

Families, educators, and children can also continue the learning at home with Eco Hero, Eco360's interactive online game that teaches waste sorting in a fun and engaging way. It's a great refresher for adults, too!

Learn more, play Eco Hero, or book your visit at www.eco360.ca/eco-hero and www.eco360.ca/tours.

Immigration has been a vital driver of Southeast New Brunswick’s success. Newcomers have arrived to fill jobs, study, and start businesses. Even more importantly, they have contributed to the region’s economic, demographic and social vitality.

On the heels of this beneficial wave of newcomers, the Southeast RSC is developing its mandate to support immigration even more as an economic catalyst through the Southeast Local Immigration Partnership (SELIP). The development of the SELIP marks a shift from an urban-focused immigration partnership model to a regional coordination framework that serves the entire Southeast region.

Local Immigration Partnerships are federally funded community coordination mechanisms supported by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that help foster the successful integration and retention of newcomers at the community level.

From 2015 until January of this year, IRCC held a partnership agreement with the City of Moncton. Under that agreement, the Greater Moncton Local Immigration Partnership brought together stakeholders to build a strategy to attract, integrate and retain newcomers in the Greater Moncton area.

Under local government reform, Regional Service Commissions were given a regional coordination and convening role, bringing together organizations that deliver newcomer services to strengthen collaboration, develop a shared regional vision and improve long-term outcomes in newcomer retention, demographic growth, workforce development and entrepreneurship. That led to the transfer of the existing three-year agreement with IRCC from the City of Moncton to the Southeast RSC, with a new scope that covers the entire region.

A regional approach to newcomer attraction and retention 

With that change in geography comes a need for a new regional strategy. Since January, the SELIP -- which is housed as a unit within the Southeast RSC’s economic development department -- has been at work putting the building blocks in place for that strategy.

One of the first steps was to integrate the LIP's staff into the Southeast RSC. Erika Cantu has now settled into the role of Southeast Local Immigration Partnership Manager. The SELIP also hired Majdouline Lagrine as a coordinator to work with Cantu. The team completed a final report before the transition that showed 63 of 75 action plans in the last strategy were completed. The SELIP then updated its terms of reference in June to reflect the new regional reality, and the next step will be to create a new strategy.

A request for proposals for a Place-Based Regional Immigration Strategy closed on July 3 and an evaluation committee will now assess the proposals received. The project award for the strategy is expected this fall, and a new strategy is anticipated to be in place six to eight months after that.

Building the next five-year strategy 

The new five-year strategy will build on the success of two previous LIP strategies launched in 2014. Under those strategies, immigration to Greater Moncton grew by record numbers and retention numbers climbed.

According to an analysis conducted by the Southeast RSC, 49 per cent of all immigrants to New Brunswick settled in the Southeast Region in 2024-2025. The one-year retention rate is 64 per cent and the three-year rate is 56 per cent.

Cantu is looking forward to the new strategy, which will provide a roadmap for the new SELIP.

“The goal of the LIP is to avoid duplication and to fill the gaps,” Cantu explained. “Where are the gaps on a regional level, how can we fill them, and what things have already happened that we can build on to work together? I think the strategy is going to help us see the whole picture, the whole ecosystem.”

Immigration as an economic driver 

This regional approach also aligns with the Province of New Brunswick’s economic development priorities, where workforce development, labour market readiness and newcomer retention are recognized as key drivers of long-term economic growth.

This new regional focus on immigration marks a change from previous LIP work. There will need to be actions that focus on both urban and rural needs, anglophone and francophone communities, and bilingual communities.

Francesco Calazzo, general manager of economic development for the Southeast RSC, says the new strategy will need to reflect all these diverse needs. It will be especially beneficial to rural regions that do not have the resources to focus on immigration.

“Now you will need an immigration strategy that speaks to the needs of places like Cap-Acadie and Shediac, working perhaps in seafood processing plants. Or Fundy Albert with tourism or the Salisbury area with the milk industry. It’s a fundamentally different immigration experience from the urban centres,” Calazzo says.

He noted the Southeast RSC conducted a cost-benefit analysis of immigrant retention which shows the “net value” of keeping newcomers here. According to that analysis, there is an estimated $60,000 contribution per retained immigrant. 

“We have the advantage of knowing this is not just a good deed, but it’s a good economic undertaking that we are happy to have in-house.”

The economic development division of the Southeast RSC already provides entrepreneurship and labour market services, so there is value to having immigration grouped alongside those responsibilities.

“We want immigration to be seen through the lens of economic development,” Calazzo stressed. “Immigration is one of the most immediate economic development impacts on the region. We know it and it’s been reinforced by independent studies.”

Looking ahead 

The new SELIP will not provide direct attraction or settlement services. It doesn’t have jurisdiction over visas or any role with refugees. There are frontline agencies such as the Multicultural Agency of the Greater Moncton Area (MAGMA), le Centre d’accueil et d’accompagnement francophone des immigrants (CAFi), and the New Brunswick Refugee Clinic, which offer those services.

The SELIP, Cantu explains, is more of a consultation table. “We work more behind the scenes, supporting those agencies, providing the tools and strategy and ensuring any gaps are filled.”

While one- and three-year immigrant retention rates continue to trend upward, Calazzo says it is important the next strategy also focus on 10-year retention numbers, which have remained relatively unchanged. He is confident the new strategy will include a longer-term retention analysis for the region.

The expiring strategy had four working groups: settlement and inclusion, international student attraction and professional integration, labour market and attraction, and entrepreneurship. Cantu says it’s too early to predict what framework the new strategy may propose, but there will always be a need for settlement and inclusion. The strategy will likely build on a separate francophone attraction and settlement committee. 

“We have a bilingual mandate as an RSC, working in a bilingual region. We need to support anglophone immigration, francophone immigration, and be responsive to their specific needs,” Calazzo stresses.

Both Calazzo and Cantu are excited about the prospect of creating a new five-year strategy that will build on the Southeast’s already-enviable immigration record.

“Our immigration mandate is starting to crystallize and it’s gaining momentum with the RFP for the strategy,” Calazzo said. “We now have a manager, a coordinator, greater focus, and updated terms of reference. All the building blocks are now in place. The next regional strategy will provide a shared framework to help municipalities, employers, educational institutions, settlement organizations and governments work together toward common immigration objectives over the coming years.”

Southeast New Brunswick is home to world-class tourism attractions, from two distinct coastlines to vibrant urban centres, rural communities, festivals, and authentic Acadian and Maritime experiences. Combined with the region's bilingual hospitality, these assets make Southeast New Brunswick one of the province's premier tourism destinations.

Representing more than 40 per cent of New Brunswick's tourism revenue, the Southeast is already a key driver of the province's visitor economy. To build on this success, the Southeast Regional Service Commission (Southeast RSC) has completed the Regional Tourism Opportunity Development Analysis and Strategy, a plan designed to support sustainable economic growth and strengthen tourism products and experiences across the region.

"Developing this strategy marks an important milestone in our region's tourism journey," said Marc Landry, Director of Regional Projects for the Southeast RSC. "But its true value will be realized through implementation."

A strategy informed by research and community input

The strategy was developed through extensive research, stakeholder engagement, industry consultation, and a regional resident survey.

The findings demonstrate strong community support for tourism, with 89 per cent of surveyed residents supporting continued tourism growth and promotion. Residents identified tourism's positive contributions to the local economy, entertainment opportunities, and overall quality of life.

Research conducted as part of the analysis also highlighted the region's diverse tourism assets, including cultural attractions, outdoor recreation, festivals, heritage sites, and coastal experiences.

A strategy for sustainable tourism growth

The report outlines several key priorities, including 42 actions aimed at expanding four-season tourism opportunities, supporting the development of new tourism products and experiences, strengthening collaboration among regional partners, identifying opportunities for infrastructure and investment improvements, and enhancing communication with residents about the benefits of tourism.

The report identifies four strategic priorities:

• Serve as the central advocate and source for the regional visitor economy; 

• Support the development of tourism products and services; 

• Be the central source for research, data monitoring, and analysis; 

• Promote and provide stewardship for tourism sustainability. 

Key target markets identified in the strategy include Quebec, Ontario, the rest of the Maritimes, and travellers within New Brunswick.

The strategy also highlights the region's defining tourism experiences, including Acadian culture, Maritime culture, seafood experiences, the Bay of Fundy, and warm-water beaches during the summer season.

Sustainability at the heart of the strategy

Sustainability is a central component of the strategy. The Southeast RSC will work with tourism stakeholders to develop and implement initiatives aligned with provincial priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These efforts will help ensure tourism growth balances economic opportunities with environmental stewardship and the interests of local communities.

In addition to identifying opportunities to attract more visitors, the strategy provides a framework to increase year-round visitation and encourage longer stays by enhancing tourism experiences and strengthening regional collaboration.

Working together to strengthen the visitor economy

Landry said a key element of the strategy is collaboration with tourism organizations and partners throughout the region, including Destination Sud-Est, Destination Moncton-Dieppe, Fundy Tourism/Albert County Tourism Association, Friends of Fundy, municipalities, and tourism operators.

"By working together, we can leverage the region's unique strengths, expand four-season tourism opportunities, and build a more resilient visitor economy that creates lasting benefits for communities across Southeast New Brunswick," he said.

Over the coming years, the Southeast RSC will work closely with municipalities, tourism organizations, operators, and community partners to advance the priorities identified in the strategy. 

"Our goal is to further position Southeast New Brunswick as a vibrant, sustainable, and welcoming destination 365 days a year, while delivering lasting benefits for residents, local businesses, and communities across the region."

The very first edition of the Impact Southeast Forum took place in Moncton from April 29 to May 1. Dedicated to the region’s non-profit sector, the event brought together more than 250 participants, including New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt.

A few weeks after the event, we reached out to those who took part in this inaugural edition to hear about their experience. Here’s what they had to say.

“The Impact Southeast Forum was an excellent example of an initiative that fostered dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration among organizations, non-profits, and regional partners.

Congratulations to the Southeast Regional Service Commission for organizing this unifying event. A strong community sector is essential to New Brunswick, and opportunities like this allow organizations to build connections, share their realities, and work together to better meet the needs of their communities. This is what helps advance social and economic inclusion across the province.”

Hélène Hébert, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation

“The Impact Southeast Forum provided an exceptional opportunity to connect with dedicated partners, build new relationships, and strengthen existing collaborations. As a member of Vitalité Health Network’s Community Engagement team, this event reinforced the importance of collective action in addressing the needs of our communities.

Beyond the networking opportunities, I was inspired by the diversity of organizations, municipalities, institutions, and citizens in attendance, all united by a shared commitment to positively contribute to the well-being of our region. The conversations allowed us to discover inspiring initiatives, share best practices, and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

I would also like to highlight the quality of the presentations and discussions offered throughout the forum. Speakers, panelists, and participants shared valuable experiences, challenges, and innovative solutions that sparked meaningful reflection and encouraged forward-looking conversations about the future of our region. Their openness and willingness to share their knowledge greatly enriched the event.

Events like this are essential because they create spaces where people can come together, learn from one another, and develop partnerships that lead to tangible benefits for our communities. When we work together, we break down silos, maximize our resources, and strengthen our collective ability to address both current and future challenges.

I left this experience feeling motivated, inspired, and more convinced than ever that collaboration is one of the keys to building strong, inclusive, and healthy communities.”

Nathalie Bernard-Shea, Community Engagement Coordinator, Vitalité Health Network

“The Impact Southeast Forum offered a remarkable range of insights into local and provincial initiatives, while also providing valuable learning opportunities for people across all sectors, including non-profit organizations, businesses, and institutions. The discussions explored practical ways to create positive change for youth and young adults while strengthening the capacity of the organizations that support them. The presence of representatives from the community sector, government, and business community fostered meaningful dialogue and helped break down silos. These gatherings make it possible to address challenges and solutions collectively, rather than working independently.

I have attended many conferences over the years, but few have left me wishing I could have participated in even more workshops and learning sessions. The Impact Southeast Forum is certainly one of them.”

Byron Rayne, Program Manager, Youth QUEST Central

“The Impact Southeast Forum was an extremely enriching experience for our organization. The discussions on mental health, leadership, inclusion, and accessibility sparked important reflections on how we can continue to better support the people we serve.

I particularly appreciated the conversations around measuring social impact, which reminded us of the importance of focusing on the real changes experienced by individuals. The workshops on revenue diversification and social enterprise also provided us with practical tools and new avenues to explore, to ensure the sustainability and growth of our services.

Beyond the workshops and discussions, the forum created valuable opportunities to build relationships with other organizations and partners committed to the well-being of our communities. I left the event inspired, with new ideas and new directions that I continue to implement today.”

Nataliia Haidash, Executive Director, New Brunswick Refugee Clinic

"I had the pleasure of attending the Impact Southeast Forum held at the Moncton Coliseum from April 29 to May 1. The forum offered an outstanding lineup of informative and engaging sessions on topics such as mental health and addictions, board governance and finance, and the importance of building strong relationships between non-profit organizations and municipal governments. In addition to the valuable learning opportunities, the event provided an excellent platform to connect and network with other passionate and like-minded individuals from across the region. 

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to the organizing team for their hard work and dedication in delivering such a meaningful and impactful three-day event. The knowledge, insights, and connections gained will undoubtedly benefit both our organization and the communities we serve."

Bob Rochon, Chairperson of the Bennett and Albert County Health Care Foundation