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June 24, 2008
West Hants and Area News
Kennetcook onshore gas
Triangle Petroleum Corp. of Calgary unveiled its new
partner to participate in its onshore natural gas
project. Zodiac Exploration Corp., also from Calgary,
agreed to partner with Triangle, and drill six wells on
its 208,818-hectare property called Windsor Block in the
Horton Bluff shale formation near Kennetcook. Triangle
expects to spend $30 million to $33 million this year
and early next year to recover 69 trillion cubic feet of
gas. The potential of the Triangle shale gas discovery
was quantified late last year by petroleum consultants
Ryder Scott Co. after two deep wells were drilled on the
site. It is believed to be destined for the New England
natural gas market via the existing Maritimes &
Northeast pipeline. Natural gas is currently not
available to Hants County residents. [Source: The
Chronicle Herald]
Wile Wins Award
West Hants Chamber extends congratulations to Janet
Wile, a native of Currys Corner, for recently earning
the International Association of Business Communicators
Master Communicator Award. It is the highest award
offered by the association. There are only 27 recipients
in Canada. Ms. Wile is director of internal
communications with Barrick Gold Corporation in Toronto.
[Source: The Chronicle Herald]
Growing Fish Up the Shore
The province is investing in a land-based aquaculture
start-up in Centre Burlington that will introduce
Mediterranean Sea Bass to Nova Scotia. Sustainable Fish
Farming Canada Ltd., will receive a repayable loan of
$750-thousand dollars through the Province’s Industrial
Expansion Fund. The company’s owner, Mr. Lee, has also
made a one-million-dollar personal contribution and has
received repayable loans of 625-thousand dollars from
the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
Dartmouth-based Aafinity Contracting (yes, there are two
A’s there, it’s not a typo!) is building a $1.2 million
facility to house the company on 55 acres.The plant,
which will pump salt water in from an Avon River estuary
to sustain the fish habitat, is expected to create 5
jobs with approximately $800,000 in spinoff contracts.
Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Ron Chisholm, who
made the announcement in Windsor on Monday, says the
province is committed to supporting the sustainable
development of aquaculture and this is an opportunity to
introduce a species of fish to Nova Scotia that is in
significant demand worldwide. Mediterranean sea bass
grow to maturity quickly for faster turnaround.
Sustainable Fish Farming will also include a research
unit for halibut growth. It’s the second economic
development announcement in less than two weeks as Nu-Ar
ventilation also received a $2 million boost from the
Inudstrial Expansion Fund. The earned investment
incentive, over a five-year period, is based on the
company creating up to 78 new jobs, which will result in
new payroll of more than $2 million and tax revenue to
the province of $140,000 each year. Earl Caldwell, the
company’s president, said, “This investment from the
province will help us to acquire the automated equipment
necessary to meet the growing market demands for
Enerboss. We will also grow our operations and provide
an enhanced level of sustainable employment within our
local community." Details on the Enerboss technology can
be found in the April 8th issue of E-News. [Sources:
gov.ns.ca, ALLNS.com]
Porter tries to protect Government
Premier Rodney MacDonald and eight of his ministers are
getting subpoenas ordering them to turn over documents
about the government’s multi-million immigration
program. The subpoenas, issued last Friday by the
legislature’s public accounts committee, require them to
turn over by July 23 documents about the Nova Scotia
Nominee Program that have been withheld from auditor
general Jacques Lapointe. "It’s unprecedented that the
auditor general has been unable to get access to
documents to be able to do his work," Maureen MacDonald,
chairwoman of the committee, said in an interview
Monday. "It is the role of the public accounts committee
to work with his office and to scrutinize how
governments are spending public funds. “The committee
does not evaluate government policy, but how well
programs work or, in the case of the controversial joint
economic development and immigration Nominee Program,
how it didn’t work and ended the program in June 2006,
just after the last general provincial election.
Ms. MacDonald said while the
committee decided to issue the subpoenas, voting on the
committee was indeed split by party lines with all three
Progressive Conservative MLAs, including West Hants MLA
Chuck Porter, voting against the motion. The Committee
decided to delay inviting the Premier MacDonald, who was
the first Minister for the Office of Immigration, until
the subcommittee met to decide what order additional
witnesses should appear. In speaking for his Caucus, MLA
Porter, Vice Chair of the Committee, stated that
releasing certain documents would hurt it’s position in
a lawsuit it has against the company it hired by an
un-tendered contract to oversee the program, Cornwallis
Financial Corp. Porter also stated he thought the
Committee, in issuing the subpoenas was putting,
“politics in front of people” and that solicitor-client
privilege was “very important to the people of Nova
Scotia.” The Auditor General stated that whether or not
the documents are released to him, solicitor-client
privilege still remains intact because it only uses
documents to guide its investigation. LaPointe is also
seeking the release of documents to Cabinet. Under the
program, immigrants paid $130,500 in fees, with $100,000
of that to secure a placement of at least six months
with a Nova Scotia business, for which they’d get paid
at least $20,000. The province has since announced
$100,000 refunds for hundreds of those immigrants,
including a number who have complained publicly about
the lack of experience they got from the program. Some
immigrants were processed directly by the Province after
Cornwallis was removed from being in charge of the
program. [Sources: The Chronicle Herald, gov.ns.ca]
The Committee’s Hansard, which is the official record of
Legislative proceedings, can be found
here.
Lydia & Sally Café
The Avon River Heritage
Society’s Lydia and Sally Café along the Avon River is
now open for the summer with some delicious surprises
being served up with the tides. The museum’s
all-volunteer board decided enough was enough with
attempting to get student grant and employment co-op
programs to sustain this part of their operation.
“Nothing really fit for the café based on funding
guidelines, and it was necessary to come up with a
solution as many of our local youngsters and seniors
volunteer here,” said ARHS President Daryl “Butch”
Sheehy. “It’s important to keep them and our customers
and visitors to the area happy by having staff we can
rely on to manage it properly and reliably,” he said.
“As volunteers ourselves, we can try our best, but
there’s only so much we can do as we try to keep on top
of our own lives as well. The whole museum complex is
truly a labour of love.”
Sheehy said the Board
squirreled away some if its fundraising from the past
couple of years to lure caterer Ian McKenzie to prepare
fresh entrees on site and is relying on the public to
make it successful. McKenzie brings catering experience
from the Annapolis Valley and Bermuda. The board had a
sampling of Ian’s talents after our AGM on Sunday,”
added Sheehy. “Our visitors are going to be very
impressed,” he said. A menu of fresh fruit crepes to
fish chowder and afternoon high tea awaits. As things
get rolling for the season, the café is open from 11 am
– 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday and hoping to soon extend its
hours to early evenings on weekends. Later in the fall,
the café is hoping to make some cosmetic changes too,
thanks to a one-time grant from the Department of
Tourism, Culture and Heritage. Lydia and Sally Café, 17
Belmont Road, Newport Landing 757-3565.
Bog Road Overpass closed
The overpass that carries Bog Road over Highway 101 is
closed until the end of November to be replaced
as part of the Highway 101 twinning project. A marked
detour route is available on Rand Street, Bishopville
Road, and Old Post Road. For more information, contact
the local Area Office: 902-798-6889
Regional and National Headlines
New rules force realtors to seek
IDs
Bill C-25, passed in 2007 by the House of Commons,
kicked in this week to trigger major changes to
real-estate transactions, as part of federal efforts to
battle money laundering. Under the new regulations,
realtors will have to collect personal information from
property sellers and buyers, such as their name,
address, date of birth and occupation, backed up by
identification such as a driver's licence, birth
certificate or passport. Agents will be required to keep
that information for five years and have it available
for the Financial Transaction and Reports Analysis
Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), if needed. Otherwise, the
information will remain confidential. FINTRAC was
established by the federal government in an effort to
track suspicious property deals and prevent shady buyers
from dumping large amounts of cash into property
purchases. It is estimated that nearly 63 per cent of
money laundering is done through real estate. Calvin
Lindberg, president of The Canadian Real Estate
Association, says real estate agents have had legal
obligations under the federal government's push to
prevent criminal activity and terrorism since 2001. "In
the first phase of compliance, real estate agents were
required to report only suspicious transactions, or
transactions involving more than $10,000 in cash," he
said in a news release issued Monday. Now, real estate
agents have to complete a report on the receipts of all
funds received during the transaction, not just for
$10,000 or more. The new regulations will be
non-negotiable and buyers who are unable or unwilling to
provide the required information will not be able to
complete property purchases. Additionally, the agent
would be required to walk away from the deal or report
the buyer to FINTRAC. It’s not clear at this time how
this will affect private sellers. Riverview Realty agent
Joan Burgess says, “It’s just one more nuisance for the
industry, but I am not overly concerned about it because
we’ve been doing this for the last several years
anyway.” Burgess says with mortgage brokers and lawyers
already getting this information, it’s just one more
layer these criminals will have to work through, but
does wonder if it will really solve the problem. “The
folks who commit these crimes are ‘good’ and so are
their fake ids. If someone wants to break the law,
they’ll find a way around it,” Burgess said
It’s a small world after all
Nearly 600 small business practitioners, policy makers,
researchers and educators from 40 countries around the
globe are in Halifax for the International Council for
Small Business until Wednesday (June 25th). The 53rd
annual conference opened Monday, with Celtic pomp and
circumstance at the World Trade and Convention Centre.
It is co-hosted by the council's affiliate, the Canadian
Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship. The
Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small
Business and Tourism), on behalf of the Honourable Jim
Prentice, Minister of Industry, will offer the
Government of Canada's perspective on supporting and
growing small business. The event is organized by the
Acadia Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship,
Dalhousie University Faculty of Management, and Saint
Mary's University Business Development Centre. Ablonczy
is thought to be appearing at an unconfirmed event
somewhere in the Annapolis Valley followed by making an
announcement for NB entrepreneurs in Fredericton.
www.icsb2008.org
Atlantic Airport traffic taking off
More than two million passengers passed through one of
Atlantic Canada's airports during the first four months
of 2008, representing a 9.7 per cent increase in
passenger traffic over last year."This growth is
considerable" says Monette Connaughton, executive
director of the Atlantic Canada Airports Association (ACAA).
"And it is very encouraging that all 14 airports in
Atlantic Canada have had a positive start to the year."
Jamie Schwartz, president of the ACAA, said, “Passenger
growth among the smaller regional and local airports was
up 14.9 per cent. These airports are important economic
generators for the communities they serve and it is
encouraging to see such positive results." The Atlantic
Canada Airports Association is comprised of 13 member
airports in New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and
Prince Edward Island. [Source: Times Transcript]
Do Municipality's Measure up?
What has your municipality done for (or to) you lately?
That is only one provoking headline in a document
outlining a new comparative project AIMS, the Atlantic
Institute for Market Studies, is embarking on to help
Nova Scotians understand how well their municipalities
are managing. While the report card will not rank each
of the province's 55 municipalities, it will 'aim' to
provide a range of information about where they live,
and how "the other half" lives. The first Nova Scotia
Municipal Report Card, which they expect to publish
within a few months, will allow for comparison of all
Nova Scotia municipalities across a range of factors,
including: governance; taxation; police and fire
services; transportation; water, sewage, and waste
disposal; economic development; and recreation and
culture. The Municipal Report Card will present a set of
statistics that are adjusted for demographic and
socio-economic factors so as to provide a more apples-to
apples comparison of municipal performance. Just in time
for municipal elections, too!
www.aims.ca
Did You Know? AIMS is an independent, non-partisan,
social and economic policy think tank based in Halifax.
The Institute was founded by a group of Atlantic
Canadians to broaden the debate about the realistic
options available to build our economy. AIMS was
incorporated as a non-profit corporation under Part II
of the Canada Corporations Act and was granted
charitable registration by Revenue Canada as of October
3, 1994; it received US charitable recognition under
501(c)(3) effective the same date.
Unpaid overtime up in NS
The latest report on labour issues put out by Service
Canada states that unpaid overtime is more pronounced in
Nova Scotia than the national average. In 2007, just
under 22 percent of employees in Nova Scotia reported
working overtime compared with 23 percent nationally.
However, almost 57 percent of Nova Scotian employees who
work overtime were unpaid for their overtime hours. This
translates into approximately seven percentage points
higher than the national average. In Nova Scotia,
employees who work overtime, and are unpaid for these
hours, report working an average of 8.7 hours of
overtime per week - one hour more than the national
average.
U of M put some energy into website
With skyrocketing energy costs, these days we need all
the information we can get regardless of what side of
the border it originates. The University of Maine has
launched a helpful energy information Web site where
people can learn how to save money through conservation
and alternative energy in this time of high fuel prices.
The site, launched by the university's Cooperative
Extension, is aimed at homeowners, business owners,
motorists and farmers. It includes information on hybrid
vehicles, alternative fuels, public transportation,
conservation measures and other energy issues, as well
as links to other informational sites.
http://www.extension.umaine.edu/energy
Car insurance input
The province is seeking input on a plan to have all auto
insurance rates reviewed regularly by the province's
Insurance Review Board. Regulations anticipated for the
Fall, will require insurance companies in Nova Scotia to
provide a detailed rationale for all auto insurance rate
charges, not just those proposed to change. A discussion
paper was released on June 16, asking for input on how
often and when the companies should file detailed
applications. The deadline for submissions is July 18th.
- Draft five of the
discussion paper can be found
here.
- Search
Insurance Agents
and/or Insurance Agencies licensed in Nova Scotia:
West Hants Commercial Real Estate/Office Space
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Red Letter Philanthropy
Counsel is leasing three professional offices
adjacent to their facilities in Avonian Place on
Water Street. These spaces are high end, beautiful
fit and finish. Offices available as follows:
- 2 single individual offices (enter to main
hallway)
- 1 double office, with executive office and waiting
room
Inquiries: 902 798 0809 or
michelle@redlettercounsel.com
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WHCC apologies to Minas
Realties Ltd, who has the listing for 6000 sq feet
of space for sale currently being leased to the NSLC
in Hantsport for the next four years. Last issue we
incorrectly stated the listing was with MacKay Real
Esate. Lease info is available through the listing
office under confidentiality agreement. $499,900
Have commercial space to
lease or sell? Please send your listing to
info@whcc.ca and we will circulate the
information with our newsletter which is also posted on
our website.
Business Events List:
June – October, Windsor Farmers Market
Windsor Waterfront Time: 8.30am-1.00pm
Wednesday, June 25th – Distinguished Speaker Series
James Foote, CN. Heritage Hall, Pier 2111:30am ~
Networking
12 - 1:30pm. Luncheon Member - $45 Non-Member - $70
June 26-28th Windsor Summer Horse Show Gold
Hants Exhibition Park, Windsor Arena, Wentworth Road,
Windsor
Contact: Lisa Hines, Tel: 902-798-8759
Email:
littlehorse@eastlink.ca
Website
Tuesday July 8th – Business start-up workshop
So you want to start a business? An essential first step
for anyone who is considering starting a business.
Together with an ACSBE Business Counsellor, explore the
essentials you need to get started. Enterprise Centre,
Windsor Mall, 80 Water St., Windsor Registration:
$10.00. Lunch included. Register Early. Spaces are
limited. Contact: Chantelle Marshall Tel: 1-877-284-2687
or (902) 798-2284
Email:
cmarshall@enterprisecentre.info
Tuesday July 8-9th -
Sustainable Forestry Conference Unama’ki Institute
of Natural Resources will host a conference on
“Sustainable Hardwood Management in Today’s Acadian
Forests,” from July 8 to 9 at the Membertou Trade and
Convention Centre. Ralph D. Nyland, Distinguished
Service Professor of Silviculture at the State
University of New York will be the feature presenter.
Registration is $50 and includes lunches and nutrition
breaks. Pre-registration is required at
www.regonline.com/uinr
Saturday, September 27th
– Gala Fundraising Event
Hantsport Memorial Community Centre celebrates 60 Years.
Play in the Casino and bid for prizes. Music by Route
66.Tickets are available from the Hantsport Pharmasave,
684-3255 or 684-3166. For more info, visit
www.hantsportnovascotia.com
Chuckles:
Politics Made Simple
Feudalism: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of
the milk.
Pure Socialism: You have two cows. The government takes
them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows.
You have to take care of all the cows. The government
gives you a glass of milk.
Bureaucratic Socialism: Your cows are cared for by
ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the
chickens the government took from the chicken farmers.
The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the
regulations say you should need.
Fascism: You have two cows. The government takes both,
hires you to take care of them, and sells you the milk.
Pure Communism: You share two cows with your neighbors.
You and your neighbors bicker about who has the most
"ability" and who has the most "need". Meanwhile, no one
works, no one gets any milk, and the cows drop dead of
starvation.
Russian Communism: You have two cows. You have to take
care of them, but the government takes all the milk. You
steal back as much milk as you can and sell it on the
black market.
Dictatorship: You have two cows. The government takes
both and drafts you.
Pure Democracy: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide
who gets the milk.
Representative Democracy: You have two cows. Your
neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.
Bureaucracy: You have two cows. At first the government
regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk
them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes
both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk
down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms
accounting for the missing cows.
Capitalism: You don't have any cows. The bank will not
lend you money to buy cows, because you don't have any
cows to put up as collateral.
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