Saint John will play the leading role in a project designed to reduce poverty across Canada. Saint John will be the first of six Canadian Cities to take part in the Tackling Poverty Together Project. The federally run project will select various communities for case studies and use the information to develop strategies for reducing poverty. Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos made the announcement that Saint John would be the first city to take part on Friday. Duclos says the aim is to reduce the national poverty rate from 11.2 to 6.7 per cent. Saint John is the only community in Atlantic Canada taking part in the project.