, ▁and ▁that ▁a ▁common ▁strategy ▁would ▁maxim ize ▁the ▁region ' s ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁the ▁global ization ▁era . ▁The ▁goal ▁of ▁the ▁inst itute ▁seems ▁to ▁be ▁further ▁reduction ▁of ▁tar iff ▁and ▁regul atory ▁bar riers ▁under ▁N AF TA ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁cross - border ▁infrastr ucture ▁to ▁facil itate ▁sh ipping . ▁The ▁benefit ▁to ▁New ▁England ▁is ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁port ▁of ▁Hal if ax , ▁while ▁the ▁benefit ▁to ▁the ▁Atlantic ▁provinces ▁is ▁direct ▁over land ▁access ▁to ▁U . S . ▁mark ets . ▁ ▁O pp osition ▁O pp on ents ▁of ▁the ▁nas cent ▁Atl ant ica ▁project ▁see ▁it ▁having ▁a ▁ne o - li ber al ▁ag enda ▁that ▁would ▁harm ▁worker ▁pay ▁and ▁rights , ▁benefit ▁corpor ations ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁consum ers , ▁and ▁und erm ine ▁social ▁services ▁through ▁reduced ▁tax ation . ▁ ▁Protest ers ▁were ▁seen ▁at ▁the ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁conference ▁, ▁and ▁large - scale ▁demonstr ations ▁occurred ▁in ▁Hal if ax , ▁Nova ▁Scot ia ▁from ▁June ▁ 1 4 – 1 6 ▁in ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁accord . ▁One ▁of ▁these ▁protest s ▁turned ▁into ▁a ▁small ▁scale ▁ri ot , ▁when ▁the ▁Black ▁B loc , ▁which ▁included ▁perhaps ▁ 1 5 0 ▁protest ers , ▁moved ▁off ▁the ▁planned ▁route ▁and ▁ran ▁towards ▁the ▁business ▁district ▁of ▁Spring ▁Garden ▁Road , ▁likely ▁planning ▁to ▁attack ▁or ▁demonstrate ▁outside ▁the ▁many ▁out lets ▁of ▁large