MASSENA -- Officials from Massena and Cornwall met this morning to discuss potential joint economic efforts.

Several years ago, Cornwall lost Domtar, a large paper manufacturer that was to the city what Alcoa is to Massena. The company took hundreds of high-paying jobs with them.

“In the last 30 years, Cornwall lost thousands of industrial jobs, yet because of their resilience and strong efforts, their economy is growing,” Currier said. “We know we must move away from relying primarily on industrial jobs and create more diversity to broaden job sector opportunities and create a more stable local economy.”

He said representatives at the table came from the Village of Massena, the Massena Business Development Corporation, Moving Massena Forward Coalition, Development Authority of North Country (DANC), Strategic Development Specialists, St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, Akwesasne Chamber of Commerce, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne , St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency, City of Cornwall , Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and Cornwall Parks, Recreation and Economic Development.

Currier said he is “pleased to have the support and experience of the City of Cornwall as they have a history of facing adversity and bouncing back.”

“A regional approach to improving our economy with a diverse job growth strategy is a priority,” he said.