A proposed new economic strategy for the Halifax Regional Municipality recommends a five-year plan to increase the population by more than 50,000 people.

Currently there are 418,000 people living in the region. The strategy suggests a goal of 470,000 by 2021.

The plan also recommends Halifax increase its gross domestic product from $19 billion to $22.5 billion over five years and its workforce from 224,000 to 271,000 people.

To do that, the municipality will have to figure out how to retain the 2,000 immigrants who arrive here every year as well as the 1,300 young professionals who leave for work elsewhere.

There are several suggestions on how the city can reach those goals:

Making Halifax more family- and child-friendly

Ensuring access to arts, culture, recreation and natural assets

Improving transportation

There is also a recommendation to make Halifax a more affordable place to live.

The plan points out that the Conference Board of Canada predicts Halifax will have the second-fastest economic growth rate in the country in 2016.

But to take full advantage of that growth, Halifax has to make it easier for people to do business, says the economic advisory committee that wrote the report. The city also has to play to its strengths, such as marine-based industries and its creative and educated workforce.

The plan points out that Halifax's growth is important to the rest of the province where the population is both aging and declining. By 2036, Nova Scotia as a whole is predicted to have 100,000 fewer people of working age and 60,000 more people over the age of 65.

There were 16 people on the economic advisory committee and they came from a variety of backgrounds including university, military, health care, small business and large industries.



The plan has to be approved by Halifax Regional Council, and is on council's Tuesday agenda. Read the full report here.