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April 8, 2008

Chamber News

 

Chamber AGM

This year’s AGM will be held on May 22nd at the Super 8 on Cole Drive in Windsor. Reception starts at 5:30. There will be a presentation from each of the Executive, nomination of the board and a guest speaker. A light supper will be served. There is no admission cost to our members this year.


Board Members Sought

We are currently looking for Chambers Members who wish to become active board members We would ask that individuals who wish to become board members and current board members who wish to remain on the board send an email to the info@whcc.ca address expressing their interest. The deadline for submissions is May 8th.


West Hants and Area News

This Grant has $20 Million

Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company Limited in Hantsport will become greener, reduce operating costs and create jobs at the same time. The Province announced they will invest almost $20.7 million though the Industrial Expansion Fund to build an expanded plant to convert plastic garbage into a marketable fuel source and another facility to create electricity from forest byproducts. Premier MacDonald said the Province is committed to investing in innovative and resourceful companies that contribute to job growth, a green environment and a strong economy for Nova Scotia. It produces paperboard from 100 per cent recycled material and diverts 48,000 tonnes of waste paper from Nova Scotia landfills each year. The expansion will divert an additional 4,000 tonnes of waste annually. The province recently bought about 820 hectares (2,026 acres) of land from the company adjacent to Blomidon Provincial Park. Minas Basin was founded in 1927. The company employs 180 people with an annual payroll of more than $10 million. In 2007, the company received a North American award for outstanding results in using technology to recover heat. Hantsport Mayor Wayne Folker said Minas Basin’s continued innovations bring peace of mind to his constituents. “There’s the psychological effect of people knowing that 10, 15 or 20 years from now there will still be something here.” (Sources: gov.ns.ca, NS Business Journal).


ACOA funding in the air

Nu-Air Ventilation received $500,000 from ACOA recently, almost a third of project funding for the purchase of new equipment to meet demand of their new eco-efficient technology. Incorporated in 1992, Nu-Air designs and manufactures heat recovery ventilators, energy recovery ventilators and air exchangers for residential and commercial applications. Their newest and most popular unit is called “Enerboss” which is an integrated heating, hot water, ventilation, and air conditioning system all rolled into a single small unit. Home heating and air conditioning systems usually consist of three separate pieces of equipment: a furnace/electrical heat and an air conditioning unit, including the related ductwork, baseboard heaters, ventilation fans and electrical cables. All of this can be replaced with the advanced Enerboss system in single dwellings, apartment buildings and condominiums. It’s not the first time the company has benefited by federal government programs. Nu-Air Ventilation Systems spokesperson Matthew Kimball says partnering with the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) helped advance their Enerboss technology. NRC-IRAP works with small- and medium-sized Canadian businesses to help them realize their full potential in areas of innovation and technology. With its extensive network of 260 technical advisors from a range of fields in over 100 communities, NRC-IRAP works one-on-one with businesses to help build their technological capabilities. “Everyone we worked with at NRC-IRAP provided the necessary expertise to help us achieve our innovation goals,” said Kimball. NRC-IRAP provided technical and financial support to Nu-Air Ventilation Systems for the Enerboss technology. Nu-Air Ventilation Systems' Enerboss technology was used in the Drake Landing Solar Community project in Okotoks, Alberta in 2005. "An entire product line of ventilation systems and accessories evolved from the Okotoks experience. It pushed the needle for us in terms of new technology to employ in our products." The Enerboss technology is being marketed in Canada and the United States. http://www.nu-airventilation.com 

Between the Lines

Concerns and hopes still remain surrounding the closure of the Windsor-Hantsport Railway between Hantsport and New Minas despite a study concluded the closure has little direct negative effect on the local economy. The Railway study commissioned by the Kings Economic Development Agency last fall concluded the impacts of the closure of the line between Hantsport and New Minas are minimal because there has been no reduction in expenditures for the companies who used the railway and no employees have been laid off. Three companies instead shifted to trucking over approximately 22 km on Highway 101 from Hantsport. The study also identified that $13.2 million in potential investment would be required to modernize the rail operation to current standards. The study was conducted by Opus International Consultants and Chris Lowe Group in the fall of 2007 and cost the development agency almost $42,000. ACOA provided $12,483 in funding for it.

Steering Committee member and Kings County councillor John Fuller said in a press release, “The socio-economic impact of the WHRC closure is less severe than originally projected, and has resulted in minor environmental, social and economic impacts. However, it has increased our reliance on Highway 101 for freight movement.” Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce President Greg Young noted, “we must ensure that the effects of the closure do not multiply and have adverse affects on the business and environmental climate of Kings County.” The results led the Steering Committee to recommend several follow-up activities. Wolfville councillor Bill Zimmerman noted, “rail service in Kings County has been an integral part of the transportation network for centuries and may yet play a pivotal role in years to come. A key next step will be to ensure that the rail corridor is protected to keep the door open for future opportunities.” Along with this recommendation, the Steering Committee will be encouraging the Province to incorporate short line railways into the Atlantic Gateway Initiative. They will also provide the results of the study to municipalities in Hants County for potential collaboration on next steps.
(Sources: Kings CEDA, E-News November 2007, NS Business Journal)

The “U” word

Capella Resources Ltd of British Columbia announced last week that they completed an 11 hole diamond drill program at its Titus Project, located west of Windsor Forks in the south Hants/ North Lunenburg county area. The company says they unexpectedly discovered significant uranium deposits, triggering notification of the NS government under the provincial Mineral Resources Act. According to the company's press release, the area is a complex zone of sediments, meta-sediments and exposed granitoid plutonic rocks. ”Uranium mineralization occurs in both the sedimentary and granitic rocks," the release said. Upon notification, the Department of Natural Resources established a monitoring committee to oversee the project and the possibility future drilling. Capella Resources holds over 25,000 mineral exploration claims covering an aggregate land area of over 1.2 million acres (495,264 hectares) in Atlantic Canada (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador). Each of these provinces, and others like British Columbia presently has a moratorium on uranium mining. Nova Scotia imposed both a ban on uranium exploration and mining in 1982 due to public concern about its safety. Hants County-based Citizen Action for the Protection of the Environment (C.A.P.E.) was one of several groups formed in opposition to uranium exploration and mining at that time. Minister David Morse said in January that the Province has no intention of lifting the ban without the approval of Nova Scotians.


Hang out on April 19

“It’s fun to hang out,” says Avondale author Cindy Etter-Turnbull. “I’ve built many new relationships by doing it and it is lot of fun!” While some might think she’s referring to an improved social life after initially taking a year off from working at King’s Meadows Residence in Windsor, Turnbull is actually talking about a chore some consider a bore: hanging out your laundry. But to others, nothing beats it. “You’d be amazed how universal it is, the stories people tell me, and where the stories originate.” Turnbull, otherwise known as Mrs. Clothesline, published a tribute to clothesline culture called Fine Lines in May 2006 by Pottersfield Press and distributed by Nimbus Publishing. But even before her book was finished, Cindy was pegged as Canada’s national spokesperson on the topic, which continues to this day. “I used to get a lot of rejection from publishers for this book, and now when I call someone in the industry, it’s “Oh, YOU”RE Mrs Clothesline…” What started from an appearance on Stuart MacLean’s CBC national radio show “Vinyl Café” now nets stories sent from around the world and requests for documentaries and other research. “There is a lot to be said about how you hang out your clothes,” says Turnbull. “It reflects your personality, age, sometimes occupation, and, for example, if you participate in sports.” Even Martha Stewart has etiquette for it. “But it is something everyone has a different, unique way of doing, and it’s all good,” says Turnbull. “It’s even therapeutic for some, who use the time to reflect during their day.” These days she’s busy promoting International Hanging Out Day, which falls on April 19th each year. It’s a day where hundreds of organizations worldwide encourage people to save energy and money by using a clothesline instead of their electric dryers, which are estimated to use five to ten per cent of residential energy each year. “We’re not saying stop using your clothes dryer, but when people invented the car, people didn’t stop walking,” Turnbull says, ‘It can cost you as much, if not more, to use your dryer as it cost you to buy it.”

 

But there are some political issues which put a wrinkle in these efforts: in many jurisdictions, such as in Halifax and parts of Wolfville, having a clothesline is illegal. “They say it’s considered unsightly, but by whose standards?” says Turnbull. “I love looking at clotheslines!” Nova Scotia NDP MLA Howard Epstein even introduced “right to dry” amendments to the Energy Resources Conservation Act in April 2007 to prevent these restrictions on property owners from erecting clotheslines on their property. The bill has yet to reach second reading, and Turnbull hopes it gets the air time the subject deserves. In the meantime, Cindy doesn’t just give advice on clothes, but uses them as she travels to schools. Turnbull participates in “Writers in the Schools”, a program sponsored by NS Writer’s Federation to talk to students about how to get into the business of writing. “I have different color t-shirts I hold up and ask them which one they prefer,” she says. ”The answers the kids give me basically reflect the publishing industry – everyone likes something different. So I tell them, ‘don’t be afraid to hear no…it just means you have to keep going’, until you find a publisher who likes what you do, because you like what you do.” mrsclothesline@hotmail.com  (Source: Avondale Media)

Hanging out tips to make the chore a breeze (from Mrs. Clothesline)

- Try to hang items in an orderly fashion (by colour or by size of item).

- Use extra pins to ensure heavy items don’t blow off the line.

- Pants should be hung by the bottom of the leg to speed up drying.

- Fold sheets so they billow in the wind.


Regional and National Headlines
 

Spending Decision Criticized
 

The largest Chamber in the Province is expressing great disappointment in Premier Rodney MacDonald’s decision to not apply the most recent revenue windfall to the debt but rather to spend it on current projects. “It was our hope that financial windfalls would be applied to the debt automatically” commented Valerie Payn, President of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, “and that it would be the exception rather than the rule that windfalls would be used to fund new spending.” In a release last week, the Chamber said it has met with Department of Finance senior staff in the past few months and were briefed on what was expected to be a very tight budget year. “This knowledge painted a picture that made the allocation of the as yet to be received crown share contribution in a reasonable light. The new revelation of yet more unexpected revenue changes this,” said Payn.


“The strategic investment of the Crown Share money made sense as long as the great majority was used to pay down the debt and with the knowledge that there would be no other surpluses. However, this most recent manoeuvre does not even seem to have considered paying off our debts before spending on that new car that Minister Muir referred to” says Payn. “To continue the analogy, when you are as deeply in debt as the Province of Nova Scotia is to take your income tax refund and use to buy a new car when you still have a big credit card bill is not good financial planning.”


The Chamber supports the Provincial Government’s infrastructure investments to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for Nova Scotia. “We are at a very important crossroad in our economic and social development and have to be ready to take on the world and win but we can’t do this unless our balance sheet is in order and the debt of the province is still not where it should be.” says Payn. “The Province needs to take every opportunity to get this debt down to appropriate levels.” (Source: www.halifaxchamber.com)

NSLC bags plastic bags

The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation announced this week it is also on the bag-wagon to reduce waste by eliminating plastic bags. The NSLC plans to stop using plastic shopping bags in all stores across the province this autumn. The program, called “Cheers to Change”, unveiled a reusable bag which will retail in stores for $1.49 and will be available in stores May 1st. “We are eager to eliminate the 290,000 pounds of plastic that lands in provincial landfills every year from the more than 10 million plastic bags used in NSLC retail stores,” said Bret Mitchell, NSLC President and CEO. “It’s just the right thing to do to make Nova Scotia an even better place to live.” New paper bags will also be introduced made of 100% recycled material using water based non-toxic ink. In December 2004, the agency opted to exchange their traditional blue-coloured bags for white plastic bags with a new stylized logo, which was met with widespread criticism from people who used them for recycling. The Agency is also closing its store at the Halifax International Airport on April 19 due to dwindling sales. http://www.thenslc.com

Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs


A new training program called Advance will help Atlantic Canada’s established women entrepreneurs acquire the tools and knowledge to grow their businesses. Gerald Keddy Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of ACOA, Peter McKay, announced today a Government of Canada investment of more than $286,000 to Mount Saint Vincent University’s Centre for Women in Business to develop and deliver a six-month skills-building initiative for women entrepreneurs. The initiative will provide women entrepreneurs in the four Atlantic provinces with a variety of information resources and support services such as workshops and one-on-one consultations to help them build their business. Financial assistance for this project is provided by ACOA through the Women in Business Initiative, which provides non-repayable financial support to not-for-profit business organizations in Atlantic Canada to offer women business owners the resources they need to grow their businesses and compete. http://www.msvu.ca/cwb
 

Water input

The NS Department of Environment wants to hear concerns and ideas are about water resources management in Nova Scotia. Towards a Water Resources Management Strategy for Nova Scotia (click here) outlines a number of water issues in Nova Scotia and poses key questions about how water resources can be best managed. Included with the document is a feedback form. You can submit this form to the department through the mail, via email, by fax, dropping it off in person at your local Nova Scotia Environment and Labour office. Public forums are being held across the province. None are scheduled for Hants County. The nearest will be in Kentville on April 17th. The submission deadline for forms is June 1st, 2008.  More info here.


N.S. minimum wage goes up May 1

Nova Scotians who earn the minimum wage can look forward to yearly increases beginning May 1st after the provincial government last week accepted the recommendations of a panel set up to review the minimum wage. The panel said the minimum wage — now set at $7.60 per hour — should be increased every year until 2010. The first 50-cent per hour pay increase will take effect on May 1. Labour Minister Mark Parent said the wage has to go up because of a shortage of workers. He said he doesn't expect employers to oppose an increase with their usual argument that a minimum wage hike would create more unemployment. "But that's not going to be the case. It's not the case now; not the case in the foreseeable future." Increasing the minimum wage is the right thing to do, Parent said. The minimum wage will jump to $9.65 per hour by Oct. 1, 2010. After March 31, 2011, the minimum wage will be adjusted annually based on the consumer price index. The increases are as follows:

May 1, 2008: $8.10.
April 1, 2009: $8.60.
April 1, 2010: $9.20.
Oct. 1, 2010: $9.65.


Business Events List:

Tuesday April 8th: Heroes of Hants
Multi-media reception Clockmaker’s Inn, King Street, Windsor
RSVP (902) 362-234 http://www.heroesofhants.150m.com

Wednesday, April 9th Valley Women's Business Network meeting
at 7:00 p.m. at Wandlyn Inn, Coldbrook http://www.vwbn.ca

Friday April 11th – Registration Deadline for:
Hants County Rural Women's Day will be held on April 26, 2008 at the Three Mile Plains Community Hall. The theme of our day is "Hants County Showcase" where we will discuss the "Buy Local" topic, conduct a mini tradeshow as well as have an interior decorator come talk to the group. Registration is $15 which includes a full turkey dinner. You can get more info or register by calling Catherine Manning at 798-4541.

Tuesday, April 15th - Women’s Networking Night, Centre for Women in Business
Holiday Inn Express, 133 Kearney Lake Road, Halifax. 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.
$10 for CWB members; $15 for non-members. Register by email
cwb@msvu.ca or call 902-457-6449 or toll-free outside Metro: 1-888-776-9022

Monday, April 21st – Distinguished Speaker’s Series with Hon. Michael Baker
Heritage Hall, Pier 21, Halifax. Networking: 11:30am, 12 - 1:30pm: Luncheon. Halifax Chamber Member ~ $45 Non-Member ~ $70 Taxes not included!! For more information please contact:
Jennifer Hopper 902-468-7111 jenn@halifaxchamber.com Sponsored by the Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia.
 

Penny for your thoughts?

Where would phrases like that be if a private member's bill to get rid of the penny passes? A bill proposed by Winnipeg MP Pat Martin suggests making Canada's only coin displaying the maple leaf obsolete - replacing it with something a little less than its value: nothing. Under Martin's proposal, cash transactions would be rounded up or down to the nearest nickel. The bill – no pun intended - would only count on cash transactions, and purchases made with charge or debit would still be the same price they always were. Critics say retailers would exploit the situation by making sure items are rounded up instead. Supporters say the original price of an item would not be manipulated, but retailers would simply need to adjust the final price based on whether you pay cash or debit. This also impacts the tax-added. A recent Chronicle Herald editorial supporting the bill said that retailers have no way of knowing how many small items a customer might buy, whether or not they will pay cash, and whether or not the total after tax will work out to their advantage or yours. Will it be more work for retailers to work around that? Does the penny have more value than its worth or is a nuisance? Tell us! info@whcc.ca

Did You Know?

  • According to a study conducted by the Desjardin Group in Quebec, a company which continues to lobby the federal government to take the penny out of circulation, Canada produces 1.2 billion of the one-cent pieces every year at a cost of $130 million, when overhead like labour, transportation and storage are all considered. Roughly, 4 cents to produce 1 cent.

  • The same study says 37 percent of Canadians use pennies.

  • The most recent public opinion study by the Canadian Mint, released last fall, suggests 63 per cent of small retailers and 42 per cent of consumers favour getting rid of the penny.

  • Nineteen per cent of small retailers and 33 per cent of consumers are against it, while the remainder are indifferent.

  • Both New Zealand and Australia have taken their pennies out of circulation.


Chuckles:


Why is the NHL Hall of Fame in Toronto? Because it's the only time they can see the cup.

Why do people drink out of mugs in Toronto? Because all the cups are in Montreal.

A Habs fan is driving home from work when he passes the local priest. He stops and gives him a lift. A block later they pass a man wearing a Boston Bruins jersey. The Habs fan suddenly feels an uncontrollable urge to run him over with the car. He puts his foot down on the accelerator and tries to hit him. At the last minute the Bruins fan jumps out of the way and the driver hears a thump which he figures must just be the curb. The two men proceed in silence until finally the Habs fan blurts out, "Look Father, I'm really sorry about that incident back there. I tried to run the Bruins fan over but I believe I missed him: can you forgive me father?" The Priest replies "It's Ok son, no need to apologize; I got him with the car door."

(Please note that E-News does not endorse violence toward hockey fans of any stripe. Its editor however, is hopeful a certain Canadian hockey team currently leading the Eastern Conference will win the Stanley Cup this year!)

E-News info:

E-News Deadline - Our next issue of WHCC E-News will be published on April 22nd. You are invited to submit your business news, event or announcement by April 18th.

Every two weeks, E-News is distributed to - and read by - over 200 local business contacts throughout the Windsor-West Hants area. If your business has news or events you would like to share with our readers but can’t find the words, please call our Newsletter Editor, Heather Desveaux on 790-4009 or email info@whcc.ca


Chamber Newsletter Contacts:

- Heather Desveaux, Newsletter Coordinator, (902) 790-4009

- Gordon Winstone , President, West Hants Chamber of Commerce, (902) 798- 5106

- Deadline every 2nd Friday at noon.