27-Feb-19 Scotiabank enhances jobs in Atlantic region. Scotiabank revealed details Wednesday of recent growth in Halifax as part of its renewed commitment to advancing employment, expansion and charitable giving in the Atlantic region. Scotiabank has added more than 4,000 square feet of space to its Atlantic region Customer Contact Centre, which resulted in increased employment and expanded cash management operations.
25-Feb-19 Survey on Indigenous workforce in N.S. and P.E.I. wraps this spring. The Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs is asking people in those two provinces about their education and skill levels, as well as their current employment and long-term career goals. The information will connect workers with improved job prospects and will boost economic development in the region.
22-Feb-19 New program to train Indigenous Nova Scotians for Cannabis Careers. The Mi’Kmaw Native Friendship Centre is partnering with one of the province’s first licensed pot producers as it prepares to from from 25 employees to more than 80 in the next year. The partnership will provide training for Indigenous nova Scotians interested in careers in cannabis.
19-Feb-19 Still room to improve on the value and power of engaging with women of colour in business. Nova Scotia is becoming increasingly diverse, and that is something to celebrate. With all the great work being done to advance our minority groups, there is still room for improvement. Women of colour in Halifax have been contributing significantly to our economy for years, but they are rarely in the spotlight. It’s time to take the diversity and inclusion conversation and turn it into more opportunities for women of colour in business.
19-Feb-19 Province expands apprenticeship procurement program. Government is encouraging more businesses to hire apprentices in Nova Scotia through an expanded procurement program. In January, 2016 government launched a pilot program that required contractors bidding on provincially funded school construction projects to take part in Nova Scotia’s apprenticeship program. It has now been expanded to include all provincially funded construction projects over $1 million and is now a permanent program in Nova Scotia.
19-Feb-19 Co-ops provide ‘endless value’ for employers. A Senior Recruiter with Early Talent Acquisition for RBC reports on the win/win situations presented by co-op opportunities. Martin says these co-op programs also provide “endless value” to employers, giving them access to up-and-coming talent and bridging the gap between educational institutions and the workforce. RBC hired more than 35 students across Atlantic Canada in 2018, and Martin says their goal is to hire even more in 2019.
11-Feb-19 More funding for Nova Scotia Talent Trust. The province is providing a one-time funding boost to the Nova Scotia Talent Trust as it celebrates 75 years of supporting young artists. In addition to an annual grant of $100,000, the province is supplying another $100,000 to further support young Nova Scotians who want to pursue artistic careers in theater, film/new media, literary arts, dance, music, voice, circus arts, visual arts and design.
19-Feb-19 Now or Never Five years later: Province making progress on 10 of 19 Ivany goals. In 2014, Ray Ivany told Nova Scotians it was time to act – now or never. Five years later, the results show the province is making progress on 10 of the 19 goals outlined in the report.
15-Feb-19 Peace By Chocolate pledges to hire 50 refugees, mentor 10 refugee start-ups. An Antigonish, N.S. chocolate company founded by a family who fled violence in Syria is now pledging to work with 50 refugees and mentor 10 Canadian startups run by refugees over the next few years.
11-Feb-19 More international students choosing to stay in N.S. after studies. Retaining 10 per cent of the international students that come to the province by 2024 was a major plank in the Ivany report of 2014. According to One Nova Scotia, a group which grew out of the Ivany report, the latest numbers show 9.4 per cent of international students are staying, which it describes as a “historic high,” up from about five per cent in 2014.
08-Feb-19 Conect @ X Hits the Target. Connect @ X planning began in late August as Kelsey Bowman, a summer intern with the St. F.X. Extension Innovation and Enterprise Centre, identified a need for more events bringing students and employers together, prior to graduating from university. After months of planning and preparation, Connect @ X was a huge success; hosting more than 100 students and employers for the sold-out event.
08-Feb-19 How a skills program is changing lives for young people in Nova Scotia. Edge, which is funded by the Nova Scotia government, (is) a peer support and life-skills program available to Nova Scotians who are 18 to 26 and receiving either income assistance or employment support. There are two projects, one in Kentville and the other in Halifax.
08-Feb-19 CIRA looking to fund Nova Scotian internet projects. Community organizations in need of funding for internet projects can now apply for the CIRA Community Investment Program. There is $1.25 million available. Projects must focus on either internet infrastructure, access, digital literacy, engagement and services. The deadline to apply is Feb. 28.
08-Feb-19 Home repair program in Yarmouth County aims to patch gaps in getting help. Late last year, the Tri-County Women’s Centre, using a $50,000 grant from the Community Services Department, launched the Vibrant Homes program. The pilot project allows homeowners to get small repair and maintenance jobs done, with the centre covering the labour costs and the homeowner paying for materials.
05-Feb-19 Payroll rebate for Sydney call centre. A Sydney call centre that emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership has snagged a three-year payroll rebate worth nearly $2.5 million. Nova Scotia Business Inc., the province’s business development agency, announced the plan Monday to pay out the maximum amount if the Sydney Call Centre Inc. creates 750 full-time equivalent positions by the end of 2021.
05-Feb-19 LGBT students to get new access to bursary program from province. The Nova Scotia government will broaden who is eligible for a bursary meant to promote diversity in the communications field, after Mount Saint Vincent University students and staff said they were concerned it excluded LGBT students. The Communications Nova Scotia annual diversity bursary offers three $1,000 bursaries each year to post-secondary students enrolled in courses such as public relations, journalism or photography.
02-Feb-19 To the Point: Why does Nova Scotia have a chronically under-performing economy? One of the objectives of this column is to provide factual analysis of key challenges facing our region and advocate for the kind of changes needed to increase prosperity in Atlantic Canada.
02-Feb-19 Labour Force Survey, January 2019. The number of people employed grew by 67,000 in January, mostly among youth aged 15 to 24 and in the services-producing industries. The unemployment rate increased 0.2 percentage points to 5.8% as more people looked for work.
1-Feb-19 ‘An invisible class’: former Filipino temporary foreign worker shares story of employment fraud
“This is something that’s happening right under our noses,” says Elizabeth Wozniak, a Halifax immigration lawyer, who arranged for the Filipinos to get open work permits, allowing them to find new employers. “There’s an invisible class here of people who clean our offices and take care of our kids and do all the jobs that nobody else wants to do. And then, when they get exploited, we forget to say ‘well, what about them?’”
28-Jan-19 Nova Scotia First Nation Starts Official Countdown on Boat Harbour PICTOU, N.S. — A Nova Scotia First Nation is taking a pointedly direct approach to ensuring that a highly polluted waste water treatment facility on its land is shut down. Under legislation passed in 2015, the provincial government has committed to closing the Boat Harbour facility by Jan. 31, 2020 — one year from this week — and the Pictou Landing First Nation plans to mark the beginning of an official countdown on Thursday.
27-Jan-19 Opinion: Using boomers short-term could help gap in Nova Scotia labour shortage HALIFAX — A recent report looking at the gap retiring boomers will leave in the workplace says that automation could go a long way toward filling that expanding labour shortage. The larger question, however, is what else can be done to tackle the issue — now and going forward. Somewhat ironically, boomers themselves appear to be a crucial part of the answer.
26-Jan-19 2 N.S. girls become published authors thanks to Halifax bookstore Alice Roebotham and Aliyah Lailson were ecstatic to find out they’d each won a writing competition for young authors. But to find out their books would be published? That was much more of a surprise. “I was shocked, baffled, bewildered,” said 13-year-old Lailson. “It was amazing and I just couldn’t wait to see what happened next.”
26-Jan-19 Irving hiring in N.L. over next three years Newfoundland and Labrador will benefit from an Atlantic Provinces-wide investment by J.D. Irving, Limited (JDI) over the next three years. The company announced on Thursday it has forecasted 7,500 new fulltime hires and more than 2,500 student hires in the region from 2019-21.
25-Jan-19 Introducing Nova Scotia’s Top Employers of 2019
Nova Scotia is a vibrant place to live and work, with many employers going above and beyond to make sure their employees feel respected and appreciated. “Nova Scotia’s employers are doing a lot of great things,” says Anthony Meehan, publisher at Mediacorp Canada Inc. — publishers of the annual Canada’s Top 100 Employers project.
24-Jan-19 Nova Scotia premier seeks to ‘support’ First Nation after string of suicides
HALIFAX — Premier Stephen McNeil says Nova Scotia is looking to find ways to support the province’s largest Mi’kmaq community after a string of suicides. McNeil, who is also the province’s Aboriginal Affairs minister, said the province already funds a crisis call center at Eskasoni First Nation and may “enhance” that funding.
24-Jan-19 EBAY picks Halifax as first Canadian location for its e-commerce training
Online shopping and auction giant eBay Canada has chosen Halifax as the first Canadian city for its e-commerce training course, saying the Nova Scotia capital was selected on the strength of its small business community. Andrea Stairs, general manager for eBay Canada and Latin America, said the local retail sector has strong potential to grow by reaching new customers through the company’s global online marketplace.
23-Jan-19 Ontario’s post-secondary reforms raise alarms for Nova Scotia students Student organizers in Nova Scotia are raising concerns about how Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s recent shakeup to post-secondary funding could be felt on the east coast. The Nova Scotia chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS-NS) said in a news release Wednesday that policy changes announced last week in Ontario could “hurt students studying in Nova Scotia and attack student rights.”
23-Jan-19 Nova Scotia launches African Heritage Month
The launch of the province’s African Heritage Month brought celebrations across Nova Scotia on Wednesday. The theme this year is Our History Is Your History, with the goal of recognizing the stories of African Nova Scotians and their connection to the past.
23-Jan-19 Program for African Nova Scotian students opens up more spaces
More African Nova Scotians will be able to access science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs as new Imhotep’s Legacy Academy spaces open at Dalhousie University. The academy’s new learning center, offices and Makerspace officially opened its doors at Dal’s Sexton campus on Wednesday.
19-Jan-19 Nova Scotia wants to hire more African-Nova Scotian and Indigenous jail guards Nova Scotia’s Justice Department wants to hire more African-Nova Scotian and Indigenous correctional workers for casual relief positions in its four adult provincial jails. The department is currently advertising the positions for its jails in Dartmouth, Yarmouth, Cape Breton and Pictou County, hiring that is restricted to black and Indigenous applicants. The pay range for the jobs is $24.40 to $29.91 per hour.
17-Jan-19 N.S. tax credit to boost investment in startups, small businesses Nova Scotia has launched a new tax credit aimed at spurring more investment in startup companies and small and medium-sized businesses. Effective immediately, the innovation equity tax credit will apply to investments of up to $250,000 in eligible businesses, which is $200,000 more than the current equity tax credit.
16-Jan-19 B.M.C Seafood Ltd. of Meteghan forging ahead with ambitious expansion plan Cedric Robicheau remembers the days when B.M.C. Seafoods Ltd. in Meteghan started out. It was 1995 and they were buying lobster from one boat. “I had an old ’78 U-Haul truck. Every time the boat was coming in they had to wait for me to put my paint away because I wanted to paint the rust off the truck,” Robicheau, the company’s president and owner, said during an event at the company’s Meteghan location on Jan. 15. Over time they kept adding to the company, gaining more boats to buy lobster from, while gaining more trust from fishermen, he said.
16-Jan-19 Nova Scotia expands dental coverage for youth Flouride treatment and a procedure known as molar sealants have been added to the list of eligible dental services the province will cover for children 14 and younger. The expanded services are part of an agreement between the province and the Nova Scotia Dental Association that’s retroactive to April 1, 2018.
16-Jan-19 Staying ahead in a competitive business landscape In today’s world, large well-established businesses that accept and embrace the opportunity to innovate are better able to compete in a rapidly changing business landscape. This is why the Government of Canada is supporting a strategic program that will link established businesses with a community of innovators.
15-Jan-19 Nova Scotia needs a JAIL hotline For one month, prisoners at the Ottawa Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC) have had access to a phone hotline a few hours a day to report concerns and receive support from volunteers. This is the jail where Julie Bilotta was forced to give birth unattended in 2012. Her son died, and she later settled a civil action against the province. With only a month of data, health care emerged clearly as the OCDC prisoners’ number one concern.The Jail Accountability and Information Line (JAIL) is unique in Canada. Here in Nova Scotia, when prisoners have concerns about treatment while remanded or serving a provincial sentence, they may call the Office of the Ombudsperson.
15-Jan-19 Building Equality in Architecture launching Nova Scotia chapter On Thursday, January 17, the official launch of the Nova Scotia chapter of Building Equality in Architecture Atlantic (BEA Atlantic) will be held in partnership with the national movement Building Equality in Architecture (BEA), a not for profit organization promoting excellence, diversity and equity for the profession of architecture. This launch celebrates the beginning of BEA Atlantic in Nova Scotia. The event will allow interested members to register, to learn more about upcoming BEA events and offer a great networking opportunity.
15-Jan-19 OUTSIDE IN: New trade deals have atlantic Canadian exporters feeling bullish Atlantic Canadian exporters should be smiling this year thanks in part to several free trade agreements around the world, according to those who follow the industry. “The federal government has established free trade agreements with most of the world (which) means Canada is in a good position because we are a trading nation,” said Laurel Broten, president and chief executive officer of Nova Scotia Business Inc. Fueled by American growth and new trade deals, exports are expected to buoy the gross domestic product of the region this year.
14-Jan-19 New minister is first female Nova Scotia MP named to federal cabinet Canada’s inaugural minister of rural economic development is herself a first — the first woman representing Nova Scotia in the federal cabinet. MP Bernadette Jordan was sworn into the newly minted portfolio in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet Monday morning, after MP Scott Brison announced his sudden departure last week. Jordan was also the first woman elected to represent her riding of South Shore-St. Margarets, in 2015.
13-Jan-19 Nova Scotia Woman living with dementia wants stigma to end
Dementia patients across the country are speaking out against stigma with a new campaign this month. “I feel it’s something that must be done. I feel I have a duty to try and end the stigma that hurts people, all the people who don’t have a voice,” said Marilyn Taylor, a Nova Scotian woman who is sharing her story.
11-Jan-19 Donkin mine owner lays off 18 workers
Eighteen workers have been laid off at Nova Scotia’s only underground coal mine in Donkin following a roof collapse two weeks ago. Kameron Coal, the mine’s owner, told CBC News in an email that a number of workers received records of employment on Wednesday, allowing them to apply for federal employment insurance benefits.
08-Jan-19 Clean Foundation offers job opportunities in Cape Breton A non-profit environmental organization that offers summer employment opportunities to youth is again opening applications to interested employers. The clean leaders program, formerly called the Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps, is managed by the Clean Foundation. The foundation provides young people from ages 15 to 30 with training and full-time summer employment opportunities in the environmental field, giving them essential career and leadership skills to thrive as future professionals in the clean growth economy.
08-Jan-19 Nova Scotia’s minimum wage expected to increase to $11.55 on April 1st Nova Scotia’s minimum wage — currently the lowest in Canada — is going up, with the province’s labour minister saying the pay hike will help workers and their families. The increase will see the provincial base pay rise to $11.55 on April 1, followed by increases of about 55 cents a year for the next three years.
31-Dec-18 New laws and rules coming into effect in 2019 The new year will usher in a host of new laws and rules that Canadians should be aware of, including changes to parental leave benefits and the sale of edible cannabis products. On the provincial level, 2019 will see new rules regarding distracted driving penalties, rent increases, and workplace sexual harassment.
27-Dec-18 Nova Scotia’s population is growing and that’s ‘exceptionally good news’ For the first time in a generation, Nova Scotia’s population growth is almost keeping pace with the national average — a development that signals a reversal of fortune for a province that has languished economically for much of the past 25 years. Statistics Canada confirmed this month that the province’s population had risen for the third consecutive year, adding more than 10,000 residents in the past year alone. That’s a jump of 1.08 per cent in one year, compared to the national average of 1.4 per cent.
27-Dec-18 Refresh Annapolis Valley ‘Start It Up’ participants recognized for their entrepreneurship A group of Kings County high school students who placed first at a recent business ideation competition have been recognized for their accomplishment. The competition involves teams of university students working to solve industry or community problems within 28 hours. He, Kaulback, Caplan and Petkov took home the $6,000 top prize. To the surprise of the Acadia and Dalhousie university participants, the team of four fit right into Start It Up, competing as the only group of high school students.
19-Dec-18 The Soap Company of N.S. begins selling in 23 Sobeys stores The Soap Company of Nova Scotia Ltd. announced on Wednesday it has started selling its collection of soaps, shampoos, bath and foot soaks, in 23 Sobeys stores in Nova Scotia. It’s the largest wholesale account so far for the small Nova Scotia business, according to Leigh McFarlane, founder and CEO of the company. The order has helped the soap company to dramatically increase soap production and accessibility to products, all while creating rural economic growth.
7-Dec-18 Canada’s unemployment rate fell to 5.6% last month – the lowest since 1976 A blast of 94,100 new jobs last month has knocked the country’s unemployment rate down to 5.6 per cent — its lowest level since Statistics Canada started measuring comparable data more than 40 years ago.
6-Dec-18 Nova Scotia entrepreneur launches clothing line to help discuss homelessness It started with a single grey T-shirt and a brokenhearted big sister. “This isn’t something that is chosen. This is something that can happen to anybody and I watched that,” said Miriah Kearney, who lives in Truro, N.S. Three years ago, Kearney, a Nova Scotia entrepreneur, lost her brother Lucas when he was only 29 years old.
6-Dec-18 ‘They lied to me’: Nearly 600 people are out of work as Sydney, N.S., call centre closes
Nearly 600 people lost their jobs in Sydney, N.S., on Thursday after call centre ServiCom declared bankruptcy and closed — a decision denounced as “a cowardly act,” with Christmas less than three weeks away.
6-Dec-18 2019 marks beginning of CPP enhancements to be rolled out over seven years The biggest change to the country’s pension plans in more than a decade will take place in the new year, but the effects will be felt differently depending on which generation you belong to. Beginning in early 2019, the Canada Pension Plan and Quebec Pension Plan will phase in enhanced benefits over the next seven years to provide more financial support for Canadians after they retire.
5-Dec-18 Moms, dads in new jobs won’t have to wait before taking parental leave
Parents working in Nova Scotia will be eligible to take time off to look after a newborn as soon as they’re hired, one of several leave changes that go into effect in 2019. The Department of Labour’s changes eliminate an eligibility period before people can take parental or pregnancy leave.
4-Dec-18 Report calls for minimum wage to be raised to $12.65 in Nova Scotia by 2021 A review committee says Nova Scotia’s minimum wage — the country’s lowest — should be raised 55 cents annually for the next three years. The total increase of $1.65 would see the minimum wage increased from $11 to $12.65 an hour by 2021. The recommendation is contained in a report released Tuesday by the province’s Minimum Wage Review Committee that also says the formula used to calculate the rate should be changed.
4-Dec-18 Employer obligations around medical marijuana, benefit plans With the legalization of recreational cannabis on Oct. 17, 2018, employers have been preparing to answer questions about whether their current benefits plans should provide reimbursement for cannabis products for medical purposes. Access to cannabis for medical purposes isn’t new. However, with all the attention on cannabis due to the legalization of recreational cannabis, employers need to be aware of the landscape for benefits coverage related to cannabis and its derivatives.
4-Dec-18 Growth of Student-led Entrepreneurship You are a student and you have initiated a start-up with your million dollar idea. You are in a dilemma as to how you can fuel the growth of the student-led business. There is study performance pressure as well as a lot of initial investment done in the business. You want to maintain a proper balance as well as ignite the growth of the start-up. Now you need to analyze the strengths and demerits around you. Try and weigh the assets available as well as the key problem areas.
3-Dec-18 Court rules that Nova Scotia must consult Mi’kmaq on financing of Northern A Nova Scotia Supreme Court decision says the province must consult with a Mi’kmaq community about how public money is provided to a pulp mill that has sent its effluent into an estuary near the band for five decades.
30-Nov-18 Funding announced for African-Nova Scotian community centre in Digby County Funding of $5.5-million has been announced for a new community centre serving three historic black communities in southwestern Nova Scotia. Tony Ince, the minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs, says the Jordantown-Acaciaville-Conway Betterment Association Community Centre in Digby County will celebrate the life and heritage of African Nova Scotians and serve as a gathering place for families.
28-Nov-19 First Nations summit in Halifax focuses on self-government, self-determination
First Nations leaders from across Canada gathered in Halifax Tuesday for a regional summit on self-governance, with a focus on finding a pathway to nationhood for Indigenous Peoples in the Atlantic region known as Mi’kma’ki. The leader of the country’s largest Aboriginal group said it’s time to move beyond the Indian Act and recognize treaties — intended to jointly benefit both settlers and Indigenous Peoples through shared land and resources. Bellegarde said First Nations sovereignty has to include a “new fiscal relationship with the Crown” that hinges on First Nations receiving a percentage of land and resource wealth.
25-Nov-18 Labour participation and job creation rates tell untold tale of Canadian economy
The Trudeau government painted a fairly positive picture of the Canadian economy in Wednesday’s economic update, with Finance Minister Bill Morneau touting the country’s low unemployment rate. Upon closer examination, however, the outlook for Canada’s economy may not be so rosy as serious risks hover on the horizon.
25-Nov-18 Nova Scotia Syrian Society enters contest to try and help their families The Nova Scotia Syrian Society is trying to win $50,000 and raise another $50,000 to support families like Moustafa AlKrad’s. AlKrad fled Syria with his family and spent six years in Jordan, before coming to Canada a little over a year ago. The society is one of the finalists in Atlantic Canada in a contest called Here’s to Hometowns, sponsored by Pioneer Hi-Bred Canada Company. The prize is a $50,000 grant. They entered the contest after launching a $50,000 crowdfunding campaign earlier this year.
22-Nov-18 HRM youth-led beekeeping project wins $10,000
BEEA is a three-year-old youth-led enterprise from the not-for-profit Family SOS. Youth aged 12 to 17 feed and maintain beehives before collecting and selling honey at local events and markets. They have hives in Spryfield, Dartmouth North, Dartmouth East, Halifax North and East Preston.
20-Nov-18 Steady as she goes: Halifax economy continue on slow and stable growth path this year and next “The Halifax economy will continue to experience steady growth this year and into 2019. A healthy manufacturing sector is being supported by ongoing shipbuilding work, while increased exports and higher levels of passenger traffic are contributing to solid growth in transportation and warehousing,” said Alan Arcand, Associate Director, Centre for Municipal Studies, The Conference Board of Canada.
20-Nov-18 Habitat for Humanity project stalls as decades-old clause surfaces A project billed as Canada’s largest affordable housing community has stalled over a 24-year-old clause limiting housing density on the site. Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia plans to create the 78-unit development on a five-acre site in the Halifax community of Spryfield. It would include rows of townhouses and a four-storey multi-unit building. The plans were unanimously approved by Halifax Regional Municipality and work was set to begin in the spring — until the clause surfaced.
20-Nov-18 Time lost due to workplace injury increasing in Nova Scotia While fewer injuries are occurring on the job in Nova Scotia, when they do, it’s taking longer for workers to return to work. According to WCB Nova Scotia’s Report to the Community for the second quarter of 2018, the length of an average claim and the number of days lost to workplace injury are both increasing. Average claim duration has increased to 121 days for the second quarter of 2018, from 117 days at the end of 2017.
19-Nov-18 Nova Scotia Express Entry category reopens for new applications Nova Scotia briefly reopened one of its most popular Express Entry-linked immigration categories for up to 225 new applicants on November 17. Known as Category B of the Nova Scotia Demand: Express Entry Stream, it is one of four immigration pathways that allow the Atlantic Canada province to nominate candidates in the federal government’s Express Entry system for Canadian permanent residence.
19-Nov-18 Truro-based mental health project reaching across Nova Scotia Gavin Quinn and Mike Francis are pretty excited about the new space that’s been made available to The Outsider Insight Project. Levels Game Loft has offered the organization a room inside the business, where they can host speakers and hold workshops. He feels the business is a good fit for the non-profit group, as it is already considered a safe place for marginalized groups.
16-Nov-18 Supercluster project to drive Atlantic innovation moves ahead with $153M from Ottawa A unique program to encourage ocean innovation in Atlantic Canada officially set sail Friday with Ottawa announcing its commitment to spend $153 million on the so-called Ocean Supercluster project. Part of the non-profit Ocean Supercluster program includes $45 million to develop a local innovation “ecosystem” in places like the newly opened Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) in Dartmouth and the Genesis Centre in St. John’s.
15-Nov-18 Government of Canada invests in jobs, new cargo facilities at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport The quality of transportation infrastructure and the efficiency of trade corridors are key to the success of Canadian firms in the global marketplace. The Government of Canada supports infrastructure projects that create quality middle-class jobs and boost economic growth. Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced an investment for the construction of an Air Cargo Logistics Park at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport. This project involves developing new cargo facilities at the airport and new buildings for cargo handling. The new Logistics Park will have easy access to the regional highway system, Burnside Business Park in Halifax, and cargo facilities throughout the Atlantic Region.
15-Nov-18 ADRIAN WHITE: Nova Scotia’s uncompetitive edge Here is a prediction about the future evolution of Cape Breton’s economy: “All things remaining, we are never going to witness a major industrial employer (1,000-plus jobs) with good paying salaries set up shop here on our island.” Even those who are promoting the establishment of a container port on Sydney harbour by now realize in order to be globally competitive the port would need to be highly mechanized with direct employment of no more than 150 people on site. The Sydney port while on the great circle route is geographically disadvantaged by long ground distances to get landed cargo to the heart of the North American market which adds costs to delivered product.
14-Nov-18 Employment Law And The Emerging Notion Of The Dependent Contractor Employers are generally familiar with the distinction between an employee and an independent contractor. A third category of worker, known as the “dependent contractor”, is beginning to be more widely recognized by Canadian courts.A dependent contractor falls between an employee and an independent contractor. A dependent contractor is typically found to be a contractor that is economically dependent on its principal.
14-Nov-18 Young Mi’kmaq business owners part of $1-billion strong Atlantic Indigenous economy
Young Mi’kmaq business owners in Halifax are part of a thriving Indigenous business community in Atlantic Canada that’s expected to double over the next decade. A 2016 study supported by the Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs and conducted by ATN Consulting established that “direct spending associated with the Atlantic Indigenous economy totaled in excess of $1 billion” annually.
08-Nov-18 Nova Scotia to assess the economic impact of immigration over the next 30 years The Nova Scotia government will study the economic impact of immigration, a move that comes after the number of immigrants who arrived in the province in 2016 was the highest since the Second World War. The province issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on Friday for the study, which Nova Scotia says will be co-funded by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA).
08-Nov-18 Rotating postal strike rolls through rural Nova Scotia
The rotating strike began after negotiators with the union and Canada Post were unable to reach agreement of terms on the new contract. Workers have been without a contract for 11 months. Among the unsettled items in the dispute is increased support for employees sustaining injuries.
07-Nov-18 We feel like we’re the forgotten population’: N.S. disability advocate calls for dedicated care homes
Joanne Larade has lived in the same long-term care home for four years, and while she says the staff are well-trained, friendly and helpful, each day is a challenge. At 47, she is one of the youngest residents at the facility. Although she’s happy to help out around the location she calls home, being surrounded by people up to twice her age can take a toll on the always cheerful former Cape Bretoner.
06-Nov-18 Focusing on the future of our collective work
In partnership with the Coady International Institute, the StFX Extension Department hosted a Social Innovation Lab: The Future of our Collective Work, on November 3 at the Markin Global Complex. The day-long workshop focused on the changing world of work and explored what the future of work could look like for Nova Scotia. Attendees were encouraged to share their knowledge, learn from others, and work towards solutions to help co-create a future that works for all of us.
06-Nov-18 WAVELENGTHS: Breaking down mental roadblocks to ingenuity, innovation
Creativity is widely considered to be one of the most critical leadership competencies of the future. With it comes a need for open-ended thinking, exploration and collaboration — all of which are keys to bringing creativity to life. What about well-established organizations where routine, tradition and silos reign, can creativity really come alive there? More ambitious still, is it possible for someone with an “innovate or die” mindset to find a home in an organization that’s been around a while? In my experience, there are dozens of mental roadblocks that pop up as soon as you even think about bringing creative or innovative thinking to a place where it may not be embraced. Below I tackle five of them so you can get them out of your way and get back to work!
05-Nov-18 The Surprising Stigma Confronting Mission-Driven Entrepreneurs
“Oh, so you’re a for profit.” Over the course of my 20-year career as a social entrepreneur, I’ve been on the receiving end of this loaded phrase more than a handful of times. At first, people are impressed with my company’s mission to make the world a better place. Then I explain that we make money and are profitable. With that, often, comes judgment. For those of us trying to tap into the power of economic markets for good, this stigma is unfair — and quite frankly — not helpful. Furthermore, it’s a dangerous perspective for a world that needs to promote and uplift purpose-driven entrepreneurs more than ever.
30-Oct-18 South Shore student tour showcases rural Nova Scotia opportunity
Halifax-based Saint Mary’s Sobey School of Business hosted its second annual South Shore Corporate Tour last month, which showcased the area’s opportunities and rural lifestyle. The event, which hosted 39 Saint Mary’s University students on Friday, Sept. 28, displayed local businesses and entrepreneurs in action.Corporate tours aren’t new to business schools, however, visiting a rural area isn’t a common practice.
29-Oct-18 ENTREVESTOR: Young entrepreneur shines spotlight on sales training
An interesting young New Brunswicker posed an interesting question on the Head space for Entrepreneurs Facebook page over the weekend, sparking an interesting discussion. “What do you think?,” asked Cameron Ritchie, a first-year University of New Brunswick student who heads a startup called Homewurk. “Can someone learn how to excel in sales? Or do people have to be naturally gifted in order to crush sales?” Earlier this month, Startup Canada handed Ritchie its national award as its Young Entrepreneur of the Year. It’s the second time in three years an Atlantic Canadian has won the award, which says something about the quality of education and support for young entrepreneurs in the region.
25-Oct-18 ENTREVESTOR: A golden age for pre-seed funding in Atlantic Canada
One reason Atlantic Canada will boast record funding in startups this year is the evolution of the pre-seed investment groups in the region. Every province now has at least one home-grown pre-seed fund, and they are about to get a boost. Serial entrepreneur Patrick Hankinson is launching Concrete Ventures, a fund that received $15 million from the Nova Scotia government this year. Though the fund, which will invest $100,000 to $750,000 at a time, is mainly funded by Nova Scotia, it will invest in companies in all four Atlantic Provinces.
24-Oct-18 Social entrepreneurship gains ground on Canadian campuses
Hillary Scanlon didn’t plan to be a global studies major, nor did she set out to be an entrepreneur.Finding more of a calling in the global studies program in her second year, Ms. Scanlon took an introductory course through Laurier’s social entrepreneurship option through the faculty of arts, where an idea lit a fuse. The idea was born out of another unplanned event in Ms. Scanlon’s life, which was a loss of vision. By the midpoint of her undergraduate studies, she had lost almost all of her eyesight due to a rare neurological condition called opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome. A lot changed in a short period of time. “You’re just kind of thrust into this world that’s no longer accessible to you,” Ms. Scanlon says. “The very simple tasks that I was able to do on my own, independently and quickly, became a challenge.”
24-Oct-18 Nova Scotia Syrian Society hopes to help refugees rebuild their lives in Canada
Loai Al Rifai came to Halifax in Nov. 2016 with his family, fleeing war in Syria. “I was lucky to arrive here in Canada to find a place to live,” he told NEWS 95.7’s The Sheldon MacLeod Show. Al Rifai was a medical doctor in his homeland and hopes to be able to practice here in Halifax one day. He said many people who came to Nova Scotia from Syria want to work and start building their lives here, but just need a little help to get started.
24-Oct-18 Michelin to add 150 new jobs to Pictou County site
Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. announced Oct. 23 two new projects at its Michelin Pictou County site that will see more than $20 million invested into the Pictou County site and will create 150 new jobs. In addition, the investments will make permanent 200 temporary positions that were slated previously to end in 2020, according to a release from the company.
23-Oct-18 Business Innovation in Rural Nova Scotia
Business and community leaders from across the province will gather in Yarmouth to celebrate entrepreneurship and innovation in Nova Scotia’s businesses. About 200 Nova Scotians will attend Innovation Fête at Nova Scotia Community College’s (NSCC) Burridge campus.
23-Oct-18 Canada announces $20M fund for women entrepreneurs Women entrepreneurs in Canada will now have access to $20-million in federal cash, thanks to a new fund announced by the government late last week. The Women Entrepreneurship Fund, part of the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy announced with the 2018 budget, is intended to help female business owners of small- and medium-sized businesses grow their companies and increase access to international markets.
22-Oct-18 Governments of Canada and the Nova Scotia fund projects to boost innovation in the fish and seafood sector
Canada is home to the longest coastline in the entire world – and this resource creates jobs and sustains livelihoods across our country. In the province of Nova Scotia, one in every five jobs is linked to the ocean. Healthy oceans mean a healthy, thriving and growing Canadian economy. That is why the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia today announced funding support to nine enterprises in the Nova Scotia fish and seafood sector through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund. These projects will help to innovate and grow the local economy all while protecting the environment.
16-Oct-18 Canadian youth report feeling hopeful, but nervous about future employment opportunities: new survey
An RBC survey of more than 2,000 Canadians aged 15-24, has found that across every province and major city, youth are feeling hopeful, but nervous about their future employment prospects. To help young people turn that hope and nervousness into confidence, RBC Future Launch has created RBC Upskill TM, an online resource using the most current Canadian labour market data to help young people understand how their past experiences and current skills will help prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.
16-Oct-18 New season, new start
A new season shouldn’t only mean the chance to start again, it should mean the chance to try new things. At the Chamber, we incorporate our members’ ideas and priorities into everything we do. This year, our Fall Dinner is focused on a common topic through a new angle: innovation. This word is used so often that it can lose its actual meaning: the introduction of something new. It’s a critical time for new ideas in Nova Scotia. Why? Nova Scotia is now home to seven post-secondary institutions, advanced hospitals and research labs and thousands of tech, financial and life-science firms. People are coming back to Nova Scotia because of new and greater opportunities for success.
16-Oct-18 ENTREVESTOR: U.S. firm acquires Marcato Digital of Sydney
Marcato Digital Solutions, the Sydney company that provides administrative software for music festivals, has been acquired by Pittsburgh-based Patron Technology for an undisclosed sum. Patron, which announced the acquisition in a press release Monday, provides customer-facing software such as ticketing, marketing and fan engagement, to entertainment clients and others. The company will offer a broader range of products to clients now because Marcato specializes in back-office functionality — credentialing, artist advancing, asset management and catering.
16-Oct-18 Age and Entrepreneurship: Research Shows Average Age Of Successful Founders Is Older Than You Think
If your perception of a successful entrepreneur is shaped by what’s portrayed in the media, you probably think it’s a young person’s game. New research shows this may be more myth than reality. According to a report published in the Harvard Business Review, the average age of a successful startup founder is 45.
13-Oct-18 Union launches ‘Ships Stay Here’ campain to keep shipbuilding work in Halifax
Shipbuilders at Halifax’s Irving Shipyard have launched a campaign to keep their work in Nova Scotia, as concerns mount over the possibility of repair work on Halifax-class navy ships being transferred to Davie Shipbuilding in Quebec. Members of Unifor Marine Workers Federation Local 1, which represents about 1,000 Irving workers, say the federal government has recently made comments suggesting it plans to move some work, and they’re uneasy about potential job losses.
12-Oct-18 Alleged racial work incident a chance for dialogue: Nova Scotia cabinet minister
Nova Scotia’s minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs says race relations are improving in the province, but there is still a lot of work to do. Media reports have said the victim alleged he faced racism at the worksite, and suggested the nail gun incident that punctured his lung with a nearly nine-centimetre long framing nail was deliberate.
12-Oct-18 Cape Breton youth conference tackles sustainability, entrepreneurship
A Cape Breton conference is challenging young people to think about sustainable development, and its efforts appear to be paying off. More than a hundred young people from around Cape Breton, including First Nations communities, are taking part in the conference Friday and Saturday at the Nova Scotia Community College’s Strait Area campus.
12-Oct-18 Editorial: Recruit but also retain
Every international student coming to universities and colleges in Atlantic Canada faces a key question after graduation. Should she or he stay here? Universities are well advised to extend supports to overseas students to help them overcome social, academic, financial and economic barriers. These students already face higher tuition costs, yet there are almost no financial supports or bursaries available for them. They come for a better life and the opportunities offered in Canada, but are often taken for granted. Help getting work permits and visa applications would be of real assistance in their search for meaningful employment.
10-Oct-18 Province looking for Nova Scotians to serve on agencies, boards and commissions
Nova Scotians have an opportunity to serve their community and grow their careers by becoming a member of one of the province’s 150 agencies, boards or commissions. Applications are now being accepted and all residents of the province are eligible to apply.
10-Oct-18 Businesses learning the ropes to selling and shipping products outside Nova Scotia
As a new business owner, Cory Moore has a lot of questions he needs answered. Specifically, how to target a market and to get his product to those who want and need it. Moore, who works out of his home in Portage, outside Sydney, has been selling his own line of specially made soaps and skin-care products since early September. “There’s a lot of resources for start-up companies. The exporting (process) isn’t as scary as it seems when you talk to the professionals who do this,” said Moore.
9-Oct-18 How To Recruit If Your Company Has A “Bad Reputation” As An Employer
Recruiting top talent is hard these days. One thing an organization in this job market can’t afford is a reputation as a bad place to work. Whether you’re a small company with a reputation for offering less in the way of benefits than your peers do or a large company that’s somehow become known to offer employees limited opportunities for advancement—or whether you’re anything else—solving your recruitment problem starts with taking some decisive steps.
8-Oct-18 ‘We were called savages’: Mi’kmaq elders reflect on past decades of discrimination in N.S.
Indigenous communities marking Treaty Day in Nova Scotia reflected on decades of discrimination in the province. More than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend residential schools in Canada, stripping them of their culture and traditions. The last federally-run residential school closed in the late 1990s.
8-Oct-18 New tour tells Halifax’s history through Indigenous, black perspectives
The tour tells the history of Halifax as it was lived by the city’s Indigenous, black and working-class populations, and is put on by Our Rising, a local non-profit. Saturday’s tour was a pilot project, but to meet demand another tour is planned for next month. The tour guides are Isaac Saney, a Dalhousie University professor who specializes in black Nova Scotian history, and Billy Lewis, an Indigenous elder.
5-Oct-18 Government of Canada helping to improve access to the workforce for people with disabilities in Halifax, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is receiving support through the Opportunities Fund for Persons with Disabilities (OF) for their employment support project that will encourage greater participation for Canadians with disabilities in the labour market. Over three years, TEAM Work Cooperative will seek to increase the employability, economic participation, and independence of 95 people living with a permanent physical or mental disability in the Halifax, Truro, and Amherst areas of Nova Scotia.
5-Oct-18 Plan to split warship maintenance between Quebec and Nova Scotia shipyards prompts warnings of job losses
The federal government is looking at splitting up maintenance work on the Canadian navy’s frigates between an east coast shipyard and one in Quebec, but is facing objections from Halifax workers and Irving Shipbuilding who warn the change will mean lost jobs in Nova Scotia.
4-Oct-18 Sweeping new law boosts protection for Nova Scotia cyclists, pedestrians
A sweeping new law aims to equalize users of Nova Scotia’s roads and highways – defining pedestrians, cyclists and certain others as “vulnerable road users” and doubling fines for accidents that seriously injure or kill them. The idea is to introduce the concept of “access for all,” Hines told reporters Wednesday.
4-Oct-18 Some employers to set ground rules for cannabis consumption You obviously can’t get high at work, but does your boss have the power to control when you can and can’t smoke weed? With Canada’s legalization of cannabis less than two weeks away, some employers are looking at setting restrictions around cannabis consumption.
3-Oct-18 New physician recruitment website launched by Nova Scotia Health Authority
The Nova Scotia Health Authority has launched a new doctor recruitment website. The health authority says the site will provide an enhanced visual sales pitch about what makes Nova Scotia a great place to practice medicine and a great place to live.
3-Oct-18 How raising the minimum wage keeps former inmates from going back to prison (USA Based Research)
A new working paper from researchers at Rutgers University in New Jersey and Clemson University in South Carolina examined how higher minimum wages influenced recently released prisoners. The average minimum wage increase of 50 cents reduced the probability that men and women would return to prison within a year by 2.8%, the paper found. The researchers further argued that drawing former criminals toward legal employment helped offset potential reductions in hiring caused by a higher minimum wage.
2-Oct-18 Nova Scotia dairy farmers are not interested in compensation, says association GM
The Dairy Farmer’s Association of Nova Scotia is not happy with the new trade deal struck between Canada, Mexico and the U.S. General Manager Brian Cameron said the USMCA will have a negative impact on over 200 family farms in Nova Scotia.
2-Oct-18 Social enterprise partners with entrepreneurship for shared rewards
As executive director of The Flower Cart Group, a New Minas-based conglomerate of social enterprises providing employment training opportunities to adults with intellectual disabilities, he witnesses the gap between different communities being bridged every day through his work.
2-Oct-18 Data Reveals Why The ‘Soft’ In ‘Soft Skills’ Is A Major Misnomer
With a tight labor market and an increase in employees seeking to upskill for the skills transformation happening in the workplace, companies and business leaders are reassessing the skills they deem critical to success in their employees and job candidates.
1-Oct-18 COMMENTARY: N.S needs to raise the minimum wage
A wave of rising minimum wages is sweeping our country and, indeed, the continent. In our own country, two of our most populous provinces have a $14 (Ontario) and $15 (Alberta) minimum wage. Pressure is rising in our province too, with a march planned on Tuesday. Raising the minimum wage to $15 would benefit one in three Nova Scotia workers — about 30 per cent of all workers in the province — who currently earn $15 or less.
30-Sept-18 Indigenous-led employment programs helping close underemployment gaps: report
When Kevin Chief finished his university degree, he wasn’t sure how to land his first real job. Chief’s basketball skills got him through university, but he didn’t have connections that could get him hired. When he walked through the doors of the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resources Development, everything changed. The centre connected Chief to an employment counsellor, prepared him for interviews and helped him build a resume
27-Sep-18 Peace by Chocolate founder recognized by Google
Peace by Chocolate is officially the National Hero Case in the multinational tech-giant’s Grow with Google program. Grow with Google provieds a platform for people looking to gain new skills and training in their career though search, advertise and productivity tools, as well as training videos and events all available online.
27-Sep-18 The Key to Career Growth: Surround Yourself with People Who Will Push You
When thinking about how to develop in our careers, most of us tend to focus on promotions, projects, courses, certifications. We seek out expanded roles, more senior titles, extra money. We overlook one very key piece of the learning puzzle: proactively surrounding ourselves with people who will push us to succeed in unexpected ways and, in so doing, build genuinely rich, purposeful lives of growth, excellence, and impact.
27-Sep-18 Uber hopes taxi survey results will help it crack Halifax market
Uber Canada wants to bring its ride-sharing service to Halifax. The company has shared a link to a survey currently underway by Halifax Regional Municipality that asks residents for their thoughts about taxi service in the area. “We’ve used various ways, e-mail, social media, to let them know HRM is seeking their feedback,” said Chris Schafer, Uber Canada’s public policy manager. The deadline to complete the survey is Oct. 11.”
26-Sep-18 Non-binding plebiscite being considered for West Hants residents on amalgamation issue
West Hants residents could be going to the polls just days before Christmas to cast a ballot for or against amalgamation. On the same day special legislation was introduced to see the consolidation of Windsor and West Hants municipal units move forward, West Hants councillors re-opened talks about holding a plebiscite. Coun. David Keith, who represents the Brooklyn area, made a motion Sept. 25 at the municipality’s committee of the whole meeting requesting a plebiscite be held to better gauge public support and interest in merging with nearby Windsor.
25-Sep-18 OPINION: Turn to immigrant physicians to alleviate doctor shortage
Although it’s a problem many years in the making, and despite almost daily media coverage of physician shortages, progress in recruiting physicians to the province remains slow. While there’s some promise of long-term improvement, there’s little movement in the short term, and clearly no easy way to address this complex issue. One or two simple solutions won’t work; only a multi-pronged approach is likely to see results.
25-Sep-18 Barely getting by
The percentage of Atlantic Canadians living paycheque to paycheque may have gone down since last year. But a recent survey by the Canadian Payroll Association still shows nearly half of Atlantic Canadians polled (49 per cent) are living in this predicament, which is five-per-cent higher than all employed Canadians polled. Joe White, financial advisor with White & Associates Financial Services Inc. in Charlottetown, says he isn’t surprised by the percentage of Atlantic Canadians living paycheque to paycheque.
25-Sep-18 CBC/Radio-Canada reaffirms commitment to diversity and inclusion
CBC/Radio-Canada says it has exceeded its goals to hire more Indigenous peoples, visible minorities, and persons with disabilities. The public broadcaster says the groups represented 27.2 per cent of new hires between April 1 and June 30, which surpasses its target of 25.4 per cent. The CBC did not say how many people those numbers represented.
25-Sep-18 Bill passes banning conversion therapy in Nova Scotia
Justice Minister Mark Furey called the bill “the most progressive piece of legislation around sexual orientation and gender identity in the country.” It bans the practice for anyone younger than 19 and makes it uninsurable for adults. “It entrenches the rights of individuals and a diversity that our province has become known for,” Furey said in an interview at Province House. “This really demonstrates government’s unequivocal commitment to supporting the rights and diversity of who we are as Nova Scotians, and to me it was long overdue.”
24-Sep-18 Workers’ Compensation workers from across Canada meet to discuss crushing workloads and the need for sweeping reforms for mental health injuries
Representatives of the major unions representing Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) workers in Canada met to discuss issues that impact injured workers, employers and employees of workers compensation boards. The conference focused on two primary issues affecting employees of WCB’s and injured workers alike. Sadly, unreasonable workloads are experienced by workers in multiple sectors across Canada. No one is immune from the negative health impacts of heavy workloads.
22-Sep-18 WAYNE YOUNG: Diversity in the classroom
The face of the student body continues to change. My classroom isn’t unique. In fact, about one in five students studying at the college now come from outside Canada. Nationally, statistics from the Canadian Bureau for International Education show the number of international students was just under half a million by the end of 2017, a remarkable 20 per cent jump over 2016 and well above government’s goal of 450,000 international students by 2022. In my view, that’s great news. These students bring a diversity to campus life that enhances the educational experience.
20-Sep-18 Nova Scotia’s new business community
In the last few years the Halifax Chamber has seen some distinct changes. Our events are getting bigger. The member benefits are growing. The Chamber’s advocacy efforts to government at all levels is making a difference for small business in Nova Scotia. The biggest change I’ve noticed, however, is in the crowds. If you attended our annual Spring Dinner this year, you would have seen it, too. We had more than 750 people in the new Halifax Convention Centre. We had 30-plus immigrants in the room, thanks to our Driving Diversity Initiative that sees corporations hosting a newcomer as their guest for the evening.
20-Sep-18 N.S. NDP proposes legislation to establish sick days for all workers
The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party wants to see all employees get paid for sick days. Often, people go into work when they’re not well because they can’t afford to take the time off. The NDP is proposing new legislation that would establish paid sick days for all workers in the province.
19-Sep-18 An Accidental entrepreneur
While Nova Scotia-born and raised Dawn Marie Pottier says her thriving retail business actually happened “by accident,” it is certainly no accident it is taking the world by storm. In 2009, while on maternity leave from her job with an IT company, Pottier found herself facing a unique challenge shortly after the birth of her daughter, Emily. On a family trip to Florida, Pottier’s then husband wound up in a wheelchair after a minor injury, which made visiting places like Walt Disney World and SeaWorld with her son, Jack, who was five at the time, another five-year old (cousin) and a new baby in tow, a little tricky to say the least. But, being the resourceful person she is, something Pottier credits to living in Nova Scotia’s rural Yarmouth County, Pottier came up with a plan. She fashioned a sling for her daughter that allowed her to carry Emily hands-free and hold the two five-year-old’s hands while they toured the parks.
19-Sep-18 Nova Scotia issues permit for new tidal energy project in Bay of Fundy
The Nova Scotia government is moving ahead with a project that aims to harness the immense power of the Bay of Fundy’s tides, despite the uncertain future of the Cape Sharp Tidal venture. The Department of Energy and Mines has issued a marine renewable energy permit to Black Rock Tidal Power allowing it to test a 280-kilowatt floating platform for up to six months. The floating platform will be installed in Grand Passage, between Long Island and Brier Island in Digby County.
18-Sep-18 Forest Lakes is making the numbers count
While numbers are not necessarily the most important thing when it comes to the planning and execution of a project, Forest Lakes Country Club, the up-and-coming resort-style residential community, and its world-class, 18-hole Nicklaus Design golf course, have some pretty impressive statistics. Terra Firma Development Corporation (TFDC), the developers of the project, took what was an ambitious idea on paper in 2008 and broke ground in the heart of Nova Scotia four years later. Today, Forest Lakes has nearly 30 residences built or under construction and a number of residents call the blossoming community home. But that is only the beginning.
17-Sep-18 Nova Scotia NDP want stronger stolen wage laws
The Nova Scotia NDP would like to see laws surrounding unpaid wages strengthened and the process to recoup the funds sped up, and the New Democrats are hoping to make that reality with new legislation they’ll soon introduce in the Legislative Assembly.
17-Sep-18 Mi’kmaq chiefs reject any ban on Indigenous fishing in marine protected areas
Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq chiefs say Indigenous fishermen should be exempt from any prohibition on fishing within marine protected areas because of First Nations’ treaty rights. “Our concerns and our input should have a greater weight in the decision making process than those of, for example, non-Mi’kmaw commercial fishers,” said Twila Gaudet, director of consultation for the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs. That statement was part of a submission made to a federal advisory panel charged with developing standards for marine protected areas.
17-Sep-18 N.S. NDP vows to introduce bill to protect workers’ wages
The case has inspired Nova Sc otia’s NDP to introduce legislation to protect workers from so-called “stolen wages.” The plan includes the creation of a so-called emergency fund to cover costs when employers stop paying. They would be able to go the employment wage protection program, and an investigation would be held, and if it were in fact determined that their wages had not been paid, then out of that program itself, the person would receive the money and then the government would recoup it from the employer.
14-Sep-18 NSLC workers may want to rethink U.S. travel plans once pot legalized
“As marijuana remains federally prohibited in the U.S., working or having involvement in the legal marijuana industry in U.S. states where it is deemed legal or Canada may affect an individual’s admissibility to the U.S.,” U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a statement to CBC News.
13-Sep-18 Further legal protections for people with disabilities across the country
This summer the Federal government tabled Canada’s first national accessibility law in efforts to advance accessibility for people with disabilities, where the Federal government has pledged $290 million over six years towards supporting its implementation. Bill C-81, the Accessible Canada Act, is intended to enhance the full and equal participation of all persons, particularly by the identification, removal, and prevention of barriers.
12-Sep-18 Clearwater says surf clam monopoly saves jobs, stays mum on ethics ruling
Restoring Clearwater Seafoods’ monopoly on the lucrative Arctic surf clam fishery will save jobs at its operations in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, the Halifax-based company said Wednesday. Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced Tuesday it was returning the remaining 25 per cent of the surf clam quota to Clearwater for 2018 and 2019. Clearwater, which already controlled 75 per cent of the quota, said 450 people work in its Atlantic surf clam operations.
12-Sep-18 Sea Change: A startup awakening in Atlantic Canada
“If you really want to change the economics of Atlantic Canada in a positive way, the biggest lever you have to pull is the ocean economy,” says Hanlon, CEO of the Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE), based in Dartmouth, N.S. “We have natural competitive advantages and you don’t have to change the numbers a lot to have a big impact on the overall economy.”
11-Sep-18 Booming Inverness faces labour shortage
Are you looking for a seasonal job in a seaside town? Have you considered moving to Inverness? Because the Cape Breton community looking out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence already has more jobs than it can fill. And the labour shortage is about to get more intense. “(Finding workers is) probably the biggest limitation to the success of our business.” Construction is about to begin on a new 10-hole par 3 course, clubhouse and health and wellness centre. Just across the road from Cabot, work is nearly complete on Route 19 Brewing Inc. They’re looking for 60 people, from wait staff and bartenders to kitchen staff and brewers, for their 20,000-square-foot facility.
10-Sep-18 Stay or Leave? Immigrants in Nova Scotia answer the question
Nova Scotia is attracting more and more immigrants, like Mammen and Monsivais, but keeping them here remains a challenge, according to government data. This is because population growth in the Atlantic region is slower than elsewhere in the country. It is mainly caused by lower natural population increases, higher inter-provincial migration and lower immigration levels. Without skilled immigrants to fill vacant jobs as older employees retire, the provincial economy will suffer. Employers could leave and go elsewhere — or not come at all — if they cannot find workers they need.
10-Sep-18 Trio floats idea of building homes on Nova Scotia waters
Three business partners in Dartmouth want to bring the concept of floating houses to Nova Scotia. Lynn and Scott Brogan, along with Igor Yushchenko, have built a micro home on a floating dock along Lake Micmac in Dartmouth to test out the idea. “If it works on the West Coast, why shouldn’t it work on the East Coast?” asks Yushchenko. The compact building includes a bedroom with sliding doors for privacy, a bathroom, galley kitchen and living area.
07-Sep-18 Dream machines power Sydney workshop
Startup costs for any business can be daunting but for entrepreneurs looking to make a go of it as a contractor in the world of electrical and mechanical systems, the expenses attached can be astronomical. Justin Lewis reached out to Innovacorp, the province’s private-sector early stage venture capital firm, on funding options for small business when he was told about the new makerspace workshop at the New Dawn Centre for Social Innovation in north end Sydney. If he became a member, for a nominal fee each month, he would have access to a computer numerical control milling machine, welding equipment and a manual and computer numerical control lathe machine, which removes material from a rotating workpiece using cutting tools such as drill bits.
06-Sep-18 City hall loosens requirements for criminal record checks
Canadians with criminal records have little protection from discrimination by potential employers. Yet at least some institutions are trying to head in a different direction. In the past year, HRM has adopted new practices on criminal record checks—a change precipitated in part by community groups raising concerns with the barriers to employment for people with criminal records.
05-Sep-18 Seeking second-generation Nova Scotians who’ve made a difference
The Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia is looking for some second-generation Canadians to share their stories for a new book on the long-term benefits of immigration. Anyone can nominate either themselves or someone they know (with the nominee’s permission) provided they were born in Canada to an immigrant parent. Selected nominees will be photographed and profiled in the upcoming book that will be published in hardcover, with individual stories shared online and over social media.
05-Sep-18 Half of Atlantic Canadian businesses struggling to find workers, survey shows
A new study shows Atlantic Canadian businesses have the hardest time in the country when it comes to hiring employees. According to “Labour Shortage: Here to Stay,” a survey of 1,208 entrepreneurs released Wednesday by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), 50 per cent of small to medium-sized businesses in the Atlantic region reported difficulty hiring new employees.
02-Sep-18 Why co-housing is moving closer in Nova Scotia
Every week, Dr. Bruce McLeod says seniors get dropped off at the emergency room where he works because they can no longer live in their homes. The doctor from Port Williams, N.S., is so determined not to find himself in that position that he’s building a communal housing development designed for people, like him, who are getting older. He’s among a growing group of Maritimers interested in the idea of co-housing, where private homes are built close together so residents can share services and space.
30-Aug-18 How To Make Sure Your Next Job Offers Career Growth
Career growth is a factor many job seekers prioritize when choosing their next career move. If you’re early in your career, you want to build a long-term foundation. If you’re mid-career, you want to fill in gaps your skills or expertise. If you’re later in your career, you don’t have as many moves to make so you want to ensure this next job gets you to or close to your end goal.
23-Aug-18 Record of employment
Criminal record checks are an increasingly common part of job hunting, but for former inmates looking to reenter society, they’re also a discriminatory barrier to finding employment. This past week, prisoners at the Central Nova Correctional Facility published an open letter in protest of conditions inside the Burnside jail, listing 10 demands for change. Number two on the list was access to better rehabilitation programs, including those that teach employable skills.
22-Aug-18 Missing documents key to CBRM severance issue
Neither the Cape Breton Regional Municipality nor its former director of economic development can produce any documents indicating the director is entitled to severance in the event of a dismissal. Former director John Whalley, who has filed a wrongful dismissal suit against the municipality, and Gordon MacDougall, human resources director for the municipality, both testified Tuesday that neither could find any trace of documents referring to a severance.
22-Aug-18 Dozens of promised support positions unfilled as start of school approaches
Less than two weeks before the start of class the Nova Scotia Education Department is still looking to fill dozens of new positions it created to give students who require extra help the resources they need.
21-Aug-18 Two-year wait greets some community college applicants
Of the college’s 300 program offerings at its campuses throughout the province, 14 have multi-year wait-lists. Christine Arsenault, NSCC’s registrar and director of enrolment, said although some programs do have “really heavy wait-lists,” about 66 per cent of the college’s offerings across the province are still open for this fall. However, that percentage will decrease as classes get underway this September.
21-Aug-18 Ex-CBRM manager says raising concerns about development led to demotion
The former economic development manager for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality says he was demoted after raising serious concerns about a proposed port development in Sydney. John Whalley, who resigned from his post in May 2015 after 18 years, is suing the municipality for constructive dismissal and breach of contract.
21-Aug-18 Opinion: Is the Liberals’ federal poverty-reduction strategy even really a strategy?
Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Jean-Yves Duclos released “Canada’s First Poverty Reduction Strategy,” a 100-plus-page document that is the culmination of more than a year of what seems to have become pro forma public consultations, meetings with academics (like me), and input from an advisory panel—and, it should be mentioned, that Canadians who are actually living in poverty were directly included in talks. The strategy, however, doesn’t announce any new programs, or even new funding for existing programs. So is an anti-poverty plan that doesn’t commit new money, actually a meaningful strategy? Actually, yes—and for a few reasons.
20-Aug-18 Ottawa announces extended EI pilot for seasonal workers in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Yukon
Seasonal workers in certain areas of the country will get up to five more weeks of employment insurance benefits under a $189-million pilot project announced Monday by Ottawa. An estimated 51,500 workers — in parts of Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Yukon — will benefit from the extra weeks of employment insurance. “We know that some seasonal workers have long struggled to find sufficient hours of work to qualify for enough EI benefits to carry them through the off-season,” said Duclos.
20-Aug-18 Ottawa announces $189M to extend employment insurance for seasonal workers
An estimated 51,500 workers — in parts of Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Yukon — will benefit from the extra weeks of employment insurance. Those economic regions include eastern and western Nova Scotia, Madawaska–Charlotte in New Brunswick, central Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador, excluding St. John’s, N.L. “This means families will have more support to help them go through the winter. Today’s announcement will also help close the income gap and help give individuals and families the support they need when they need it most,” said Duclos.
20-Aug-18 Nova Scotia pays millions for Northern Pulp’s treatment facility design
The province is paying for at least part of the design of Northern Pulp’s new effluent treatment facility. Tucked into the supplementary information of the Public Accounts document is a grant of $6,001,238.13 to Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corp. from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.
17-Aug-18 ‘I can’t do this’: Why Nova Scotia’s social workers are burning out
A lack of staff and an increase in complex cases, which require a large amount of paperwork, mean many social workers in Nova Scotia are burning out, says the Nova Scotia College of Social Workers. But the province says improvements are coming, in the form of new positions and hiring strategies, as well as technological solutions. The college posted a press release on Thursday reacting to a report by the Canadian Association of Social Workers released the same day, which paints a troubling picture of the state of the child welfare system across Canada
17-Aug-18 Hiring local is part of Wayfarers’ philosophy
Chris Killacky, the chairman of The Wayfarers’ Ale Society, says supporting the local economy means hiring local people. Killacky, a Wolfville resident, started Wayfarers’ with brewer Detlef Heiss of Wolfville and cellarer Jamie Aitken of Coldbrook. The society employs 19 people at the Port Williams facility during the summer months. Killacky said that means “real jobs for real people in the Valley, which is part of our philosophy as a brewery.”
14-Aug-18 74-year-old job hunter hopes humorous ad gets results
A Sydney man is hoping a little humour will lead to job search success. Don Dickson has been seriously looking for work since January and after not being able to catch an employer’s eye with his solid work history, good looks and charm, has added humour to the mix with a hilarious — but honest — ad in the Cape Breton Post. “I was getting tired of not working, so I thought I would give it a try,” said Dickson, who says he’ll be 74 in September. “I’m in good shape, though to look at me you’d never know that.”
13-Aug-18 OPINION: Shift in Nova Scotia welfare program won’t help everyone
I’m writing in response to your recent editorial about the changes in the Nova Scotia Employment Support and Income Assistance (ESIA) program recently announced by the Department of Community Services. Yes, some of the changes are long overdue and several appear to be moving in the right direction, but increases to basic welfare rates and the poverty tax credit are not as generous as they may appear.
13-Aug-18 Nova Scotia Conducts Largest Entrepreneur Draw Of 2018
New draws under Nova Scotia’s Entrepreneur and International Graduate Entrepreneur streams took place on August 7, 2018. The Entrepreneur draw saw 32 candidates issued with Invitations to Apply for Nova Scotia immigration, with the lowest-ranked candidate scoring 116 points.
13-Aug-18 Circle of giving among Syrian refugees helps launch new halal shop
Twenty-year-old Rafat Harb has risked his savings on a new grocery and halal butcher shop to serve the community that’s given his family a future. It’s a venture that wouldn’t be possible without the helping hand he’s getting from fellow Syrian refugees who, in return, are getting a boost toward achieving their own aspirations. Harb has invested his earnings from shovelling snow, working at Sobeys for a year and profits from his share in a Middle Eastern pastry business, to open Syrian Meat Shop in central Halifax three weeks ago. There’s no government money in this enterprise.
08-Aug-18 Company hiring for Tufts Cove oil spill cleanup
MFR Oil Response is one of the companies contracted by Nova Scotia Power to do the cleanup work. Mark Ring, the company’s president, said he’s looking to hire more people to do manual labour at the site.
05-Aug-18 Syrian chocolate company in Antigonish set to double in size
An Antigonish, N.S., chocolate company founded by former Syrian refugees is set to double in size, again. “We started with 200 pieces of chocolate a week. Now we are producing hundreds of thousands of pieces and chocolate bars a month,” said Tareq Hadhad, the eldest son and spokesperson for the family.
03-Aug-18 Murphy Hospitality Group’s foray into Halifax helps grow new generation of entrepreneurs
MHG’s expansion into Halifax in recent years has not only grown the company but also provided an opportunity for young entrepreneurs like Roberts. It’s MHG president Kevin Murphy’s way of handing the torch to a new generation after entering the business world himself when he was only 23 years old. A combination of growth, entrepreneurship and mentorship forms the basis of MHG’s partnership program, which enables managers in the company to become an operating partner with an ownership stake.
02-Aug-18 New Nova Scotia Express Entry Stream will invite early childhood educators August 8
The Atlantic Canada province of Nova Scotia will issue invitations to Express Entry candidates with work experience as early childhood educators and assistants on August 8 through its new Labour Market Priorities Stream. In an announcement published August 2, Nova Scotia said eligible Express Entry candidates with a minimum of two years work experience in National Occupational Classification (NOC) 4214 could be invited to apply for a provincial nomination on August 8.
02-Aug-18 ENTREVESTOR: Mashup Lab expands to Cape Breton
Budding entrepreneurs in Cape Breton now have access to the free online programming available at Mashup Lab after its recent expansion to the island. Mashup Lab is a “for-more-than-profit” business development company for rural entrepreneurs. Its Dream Business Program is a six-week online program for entrepreneurs still in the idea phase. “It really is open to anyone with a business idea and a good internet connection” said Andrew Button, the founder of Mashup Lab.
01-Aug-18 N.S. appeal shines light on extending welfare support for special needs, say lawyers
An appeal decision forcing Nova Scotia to give more money to a “desperate” welfare recipient in need of healthier housing could pave the way for others on social assistance requiring accommodation for special needs, lawyers say.
25-Jul-18 Donkin mine punished for violations under temporary foreign worker program
The operator of the Donkin coal mine is facing sanctions under the temporary foreign worker program after an investigation found the company was paying American workers far more than it said it would when the jobs were advertised to Canadians. A 2016 investigation by Service Canada resulted in Kameron Coal being levied an administrative penalty of $230,000 and receiving a 10-year ban on accessing the program.
25-Jul-18 VIDEO: Limbless man making his way across Canada
“I have my bad days, but there’s a lot of good ones too,” Koch said. “My worst days have nothing to do with missing arms or legs. It’s a breakup with a girl or a crossroads in life.” Like most of us, when there’s a problem, he figures it’s usually because he can’t get out of his own way. “That six inches between our ears is our strongest muscle, but it can also be our biggest enemy,” Koch said.
25-Jul-18 Restaurant owner still serving, 18 years after MS diagnosis
Brenda Lee Doucet wasn’t about to let illness stop her from doing what she loves. “”It’s not work, it’s my life,”” the Chéticamp, N.S., woman said in an interview. “”So I’ll have a hard time to stop.”” Doucet has worked at Le Gabriel restaurant in Chéticamp since it opened in 1987. Today she does that work in a wheelchair because of multiple sclerosis. At 57, she still greets customers in the family restaurant just as she has for decades.
25-Jul-18 Halifax entrepreneur hopes to develop contact lens for colour blindness
A young entrepreneur in Halifax is hoping to develop a contact lens to help people see in colour. About 10 per cent of Canadian men have colour blindness, which means they have more trouble distinguishing colours — often reds and greens. The rate is lower for women. Gabrielle Masone, 27, is in the midst of creating a prototype for a daily contact lens that will allow colour blind people to see certain colours.
25-Jul-18 Sackville entrepreneur launches electric bike rental company
Fahey decided to run with the idea and her background in early childhood development from working for several years at the Bridge Street Children’s Academy and her recent graduation from the Nova Scotia Community College with a social services diploma led her to consider something other than a conventional fleet of rental bikes, as she decided she also wanted to cater to people with mobility issues.
24-Jul-18 Department of Community Services most affected by Nova Scotia data breach: internal emails
Nova Scotia’s Department of Community Services was the hardest hit by a data breach of one of the government’s websites earlier this year, internal emails and memos released under freedom of information requests reveal.
24-Jul-18 N.S. funds more spots to teach pre-school educators
Nova Scotia child care centres have long wait lists and not enough teachers. The province says they’re trying to find a solution and an announcement Tuesday to fund new seats at the Nova Scotia Community College’s early childhood program is part of that.
24-Jul-18 How to Turn a Slow Work Day Into a Career Development Opportunity
Don’t let those rare quiet periods go to waste. Just in time for the dog days of summer, experts suggest projects that can benefit your career and even lead to career development opportunities.
23-Jul-18 EDITORIAL: Income boosts welcome as Nova Scotia tries to make progress on poverty
Long-needed government improvements to social assistance in Nova Scotia aren’t going to satisfy everyone — and nor should they — but, overall, the province seems to be both engaged and moving in the right direction when it comes to helping people in poverty.
22-Jul-18 Three Career Development Professionals Weigh In On The Recent Rise Of Job-Hopping
Below three businesswomen offer their perspectives on the recent rise of job-hopping. While their answers are varied, they encourage all professionals (regardless of their interest in job-hopping) to set themselves up now for success in the future.
19-Jul-18 Nova Scotia to launch monthly allowance for people living in shelters
Nova Scotians living in homeless shelters and transition houses will begin receiving a monthly allowance in October — part of an $11 million government investment for people living in poverty. The Department of Community Services announced Thursday the province will provide about $100 a month to people living in poverty to help them buy things like personal hygiene items and other essentials.
19-Jul-18 ENTREVESTOR: Google films documentary on Nova Scotia seniors
Hamblin is the head of the volunteer organization Startup Halifax and also works on the growing movement for “seniorpreneurs”, or enterprises operated by or for seniors, often both. Given that the Maritimes have the oldest population in North America, many people believe this region can be a great development market for products that help seniors.
17-Jul-18 Halifax Chamber starts the cannabis conversation
“Ninety years of cannabis prohibition are about to end. History is about to be made,” says King. “One of the things that I think matters in relation to this conference, however, is the idea of getting everybody in a room and just talking about this thing that really no one has talked about before,” he adds. “… we are at this place of acceptance now — this is real, this is happening. So, we owe it to ourselves to be vulnerable and to share that maybe we don’t know everything, but the only thing we can do is to talk about it together and take things as they go.”
17-Jul-18 Should Nova Scotia’s uranium ban be lifted?
Nova Scotia — which has uranium deposits — doesn’t allow exploration or mining. And according Bruce Nunn, media relations officer with Natural Resources and Environment, Nova Scotia’s government is not discussing nor contemplating changes to its current uranium ban policy.
16-Jul-18 Spray paint a full-time job for Nova Scotia artist
Nathan Salmon never dreamed his passion for spray paint art would become his full-time job when he got obsessed with it after a trip to Mexico. The Halifax artist was inspired after watching a street artist make the quick paintings, by request, while on his trip. When he returned, Salmon decided he was going to teach himself how to do it. Seven years later, not only has Salmon mastered the art of using non-toxic spray paints, it has become his job. Salmon travels around Canada and the United States doing about 50 shows a year, such as Sydney Ribfest and major comic book conventions.
16-Jul-18 Nurse practitioners: Nova Scotia introduces $1.4m incentive program
The provincial government has injected $3 million into putting more nurse practitioners to work in Nova Scotia. In one of two funding announcements Friday, Health Minister Randy Delorey said $1.4 million will be spent over two years on a new incentive program that will cover the salaries of up to 10 nurse practitioner students at Dalhousie University.
13-Jul-18 Government of Canada announces agreement to give Nova Scotians the tools they need to find and keep good jobs
The Honourable Scott Brison, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Canada’s Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour announced that the governments of Canada and Nova Scotia have signed agreements that will see Canada provide Nova Scotia with over $700 million over six years to invest in Nova Scotia’s workers. These agreements represent an increase in funding of over $70 million over the period, compared to previous funding levels. This increase means an estimated 17,000 more Nova Scotian workers will benefit over the six years.
13-Jul-18 Federal-N.S. deal on funding levels for workplace training, job help completed
The federal government is investing $700 million over six years in employment and skills training programs in Nova Scotia. Scott Brison, president of the Treasury Board of Canada, announced Friday the funding will be available for programs that include literacy and high school completion programs for adults.
13-Jul-18 Young worker injuries declining in Nova Scotia: WCB
WCB Nova Scotia reports that more than 40 per cent of all injuries for workers between the ages of 15 and 24 happen between June and September. In the past five years, there have been three young worker fatalities in the province. “Everyone has a role to play when it comes to creating a safety culture — from parents, to employers, to workers,” said WCB Nova Scotia CEO Stuart MacLean. “Young workers are invaluable members of our workforce and the future of this province. Employers need to ensure all workers receive adequate safety training and understand their rights and responsibilities.”
11-Jul-18 How Nova Scotia’s business community is preparing for cannabis legalization
The panel addressed a crowd of roughly 300 people invested in both the economic benefits cannabis legalization will bring and how it may impact the way their business runs. Many discussion points revolved around the importance of employers putting policies in place that specifically relate to the individual working environments.
11-Jul-18 Indigenous students’ Pathways to Shipbuilding journey complete with employment
Twelve students in the Pathways to Shipbuilding for Indigenous Students program graduated with their Diploma in Metal Fabrication on Friday, July 6, at Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) and were immediately offered full-time employment with Halifax Shipyard, Canada’s National Shipbuilder. On Monday, July 9, six of the graduates started work at Halifax Shipyard and by the end of August 2018, all 12 of the graduates will be employed as first-year apprentices, proudly building and maintaining the Royal Canadian Navy’s fleet.
10-Jul-18 WAVELENGTHS: When business becomes a force for good
The Social Shift explores a change in business that is well-underway across Canada from their perspective — as courageous filmmakers, curious learners and young adults who have developed resiliency in the face of significant challenges. The documentary was produced by Common Good Solutions in association with Mirror Image Media, which is owned and operated by the Wright twins.
09-Jul-18 Community Services minister visits Kentville, addresses poverty
New employment supports and income assistance will be unveiled throughout the summer, including the Poverty Reduction Credit in July, a child support exemption in August and in October the first part of a wage exemption that will allow those who work to exempt more of their wages so they can keep more “that will mean hundreds of dollars more a month,” said Hartwell in an interview. “It’s based more on a basic entitlement instead of people showing month after month what they need.”
09-Jul-18 Pot companies on hiring spree ahead of lucrative legal market
Considering a career in the cannabis business? Now may be the time to take the plunge as licensed marijuana companies ramp up production and rush to fill jobs ahead of pot’s legalization in Canada on Oct. 17.
09-Jul-18 IBM hosts summer tech camp for kids in Membertou
A unique summer camp was hosted by IBM for the first time in an Indigenous community in Cape Breton. About 15 Indigenous youth entering Grades 6 to 8 spent the past week learning various aspects of STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — at Membertou’s elementary school. It’s only the second time employees from IBM’s client innovation centre in Bedford have held a summer camp in Cape Breton.
06-Jul-18 Employees at Northern Pulp put faith in science, the mill
There are more than 330 employees directly employed by Northern Pulp and more than 1,500 spinoff jobs. If the mill closed, the economic impact would be large, he says. “There would definitely be a ripple effect.”
06-Jul-18 Employment gains, job hunter influx clears way for rate hike: experts
Canada received a dose of new jobs last month, maintained sturdy wage growth and saw more people searching for work — all seen as positives by experts who believe the path is clear for the central bank to raise interest rates next week. The economy added 31,800 positions in June and the unemployment rate rose to six per cent, from 5.8 per cent in May, Statistics Canada reported Friday in its latest labour force survey.
06-Jul-18 Viola Desmond: Five questions about the iconic Canadian entrepreneur answered
Viola Desmond has become one of the most iconic figures in the Canadian civil rights movement, and has been honoured in a Google Doodle. The entrepreneur, who would be 104 today, is best known for an act of defiance against racial segregation in 1946.
06-Jul-18 Restorative justice caseworkers say government funding is ‘exploitative’
Caseworkers say they do similar work to probation officers, and want to be paid like them. Caseworkers at a Nova Scotia organization who carry out the province’s restorative justice program say they’re not being paid fairly, and are prepared to strike if conditions don’t improve. Shila LeBlanc said caseworkers are paid about $38,000 annually, “so not anywhere close to a living wage in Nova Scotia.”
05-Jul-18 Workplace stress a main cause of mental health issues, study finds
t’s estimated that one in five people in the work force are experiencing some degree of a mental health issue. In any week, 500,000 Canadians call in sick due to mental health problems or illness. Based on 2017 statistics, around 20 million Canadians fall between the ages of 25 and 64, the typical time span of an employee’s 30-year career. Within this population, 16 million to 17 million work full or part time, suggesting that on any day about 3.4 million workers could be experiencing a mental health issue.
04-Jul-18 Halifax’s new town crier to raise his voice for others with Down syndrome
A Nova Scotia man with Down syndrome has been named the town crier for Olde Town of Halifax, a part of the city covering Districts 7 and 8. Brewer is believed to be the first town crier in Canada who has Down syndrome. Brewer said he has served as the town crier for some past events in the city, such as a Natal Day parade, the mayor’s tea, and even last year’s Pride parade where he walked with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
04-Jul-18 Halifax becoming a big fish in the ocean startup ecosystem, and it doesn’t stop there
It comes as no surprise that the ocean economy looms large on the Halifax innovation horizon. At an Economic Club of Canada presentation, Mayor Mike Savage noted that Atlantic Canada has 75 per cent of Canada’s ocean economy, providing plenty of opportunity. “Norway, for example, has a population that’s one-seventh that of Canada but boasts an ocean economy that is seven times more valuable than ours. The potential here is staggering.”
03-Jul-18 CBRM faces job vacancies with hundreds of retirements looming
The Cape Breton Regional Municipality will be looking to fill jobs as hundreds of workers reach retirement age over the next five years. CBRM and its youth council have released a career forecast document outlining job opportunities, to encourage young people to investigate the training and/or education they might need to replace those retiring municipal employees. “Half of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality workforce of about 800 employees will be aged 55 plus over the next five years,” reads the forecast.
02-Jul-18 New Yarmouth tech incubator Ignite Labs boosts entrepreneurship in technology, oceans and tourism sectors
Ignite Labs, which will be housed in NSCC’s Burridge Campus in Yarmouth, will provide low-cost office space, equipment and internet to reduce the financial burden normally faced by new companies so that they can focus their energy on developing products and services. Tenants and members of Ignite Labs will be able to access mentors with expertise in technology, finance, governance, commercialization, marketing and law, and will benefit from working alongside like-minded creative people, sharing concepts, ideas and experiences.
02-Jul-18 Mi’kmaq community enlists former Olympian in challenge to Nova Scotia’s marijuana monopoly
Nova Scotia First Nations appear poised to take on the province’s marijuana monopoly — including one Mi’kmaq community that has enlisted Olympian Ross Rebagliati to roll out a “seed to sale” cannabis operation. Sipekne’katik First Nation in Indian Brook, N.S., has plans to grow cannabis and sell it directly to consumers, while Millbrook First Nation is considering retail locations, bypassing the provincial Crown corporation slated to control sales once the drug is legal on Oct. 17.
29-Jun-18 Smiling Goat owner suing several former employees, union
Halifax’s Smiling Goat Organic Espresso Bar is suing several former employees and a local union for hundreds of thousands of dollars, claiming they “unlawfully conspired amongst themselves” to defame the owner and harm the company’s revenue. In March, multiple baristas spoke out publicly during a number of protests, claiming their paycheques were bouncing, and some of them hadn’t been paid in months.
28-Jun-18 What phasing out coal means for Nova Scotia to be investigated by task force
Phasing out coal-fired electricity is expected to cost some jobs and disrupt some communities across the country, but the effects are likely to be minimal in Nova Scotia, according to the local power company and its union.
28-Jun-18 Entrepreneurs Invited To Apply For Nova Scotia Immigration
The Nova Scotia Entrepreneur stream targets candidates with business ownership or senior management experience. They must live in Nova Scotia, either start a new business or buy an existing business, and actively participate in the day-to-day management of that business. Under the Entrepreneur stream, candidates are first issued a temporary work permit before applying for permanent residence after operating the business for a year. The stream uses an Expression of Interest format, where candidates in a pool are invited to apply.
27-Jun-18 Health authority CEO discusses C.B. health-care changes
The CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority says the unknown may be scary but Cape Bretoners shouldn’t be fearful of changes in their health-care system. In an interview Tuesday, a day after the province announced the closure of two hospitals, which will be replaced with community health centres and long-term-care facilities, Janet Knox acknowledged many unknowns remain about what Cape Breton’s health-care system will look like. She added the nine- to 12-month planning process that is now being launched will involve consultation.
27-Jun-18 Learning why rural areas in Nova Scotia find it difficult to retain youth
A new study is hoping to discover the stories behind why rural areas are having difficulty retaining youth. Karen Foster, a sociologist and assistant professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said statistics on rural occupational succession point to a looming crisis in independent business and production in Atlantic Canada. “The current demographic for rural regions in Nova Scotia is for every 100 people that retire in the next 10 years, there only are 75 young people to replace them.”
27-Jun-18 Nova Scotia education minister defends hiring process for education specialists
One education specialist says the government is sending mixed messages and there’s been an alarming sense of clarity regarding the future of education specialists.
27-Jun-18 CUPE meets with Minister of Labour to establish common ground
CUPE NS President Nan McFadgen along with senior CUPE staff met with Minister of Labour Mark Furey yesterday to highlight the work CUPE members are doing in the province and to establish neutral ground on which to work together on common interests. Both sides agreed that better communications, resources and timing could help resolve issues, especially in health care where reorganization has resulted in a lot of change and stress for employees.
26-Jun-18 Life on the wait list: Financial incentives for Nova Scotia doctors underutilized
Along with the registry of more than 50,000 Nova Scotians looking for a family doctor, the province has another growing list to tackle: the 70.5 family physician job openings it needs to fill. The current job openings are only a fraction of the hires that will need to be made in the coming years. The most recent physician resource plan says more than 500 physicians are needed in the next 10 years.
26-Jun-18 Halifax servers scammed by dine and dash thefts shouldn’t be footing the bill, lawyer says
As restaurant and bar staff remain on high alert following multiple dine-and-dash incidents in the Halifax area, a labour lawyer is speaking out to ensure employees know their rights and employers understand their responsibilities.
23-Jun-18 Faith-based camps feel sting of Trudeau government’s summer jobs abortion clause
The small Baptist summer camp in Jordan Falls, N.S., has relied on $4,000 in federal grant money to hire a student camp counsellor for the last four years — a job that is invaluable, according to Peacock, a member of the board that oversees the camp. But this year Camp Jordan, along with at least five other faith-based camps in Nova Scotia, didn’t even bother to apply for the Canada Summer Jobs program. The decision follows the federal government’s controversial move to require all applicants to express support for “individual human rights in Canada” — including reproductive rights and equality of LGBTQ Canadians.
22-Jun-18 Bus pass for income assistance clients rolls out this weekend
pilot program to get transit passes to people on income assistance in Halifax is beginning its rollout this weekend. The two-year pilot is being offered by the Department of Community Services and Halifax Transit. All clients on income assistance who live in the Halifax Regional Municipality, along with their spouses and dependants, will be eligible for the pass.
21-Jun-18 ENTREVESTOR: Local entrepreneur to manage $17m fund
Patrick Hankinson, a Halifax entrepreneur and investor who specializes in information technology companies, will manage the new $17-million-plus early-stage fund set up by the Nova Scotian government. The government announced Thursday that Hankinson won the competition to manage the early-stage fund, which will make investments of $250,000 to $750,000 mainly in IT companies.
21-Jun-18 NS Sandboxes bootcamp fosters creativity, innovation for entrepreneurs
For the second year in a row, ShiftKey Labs – the Dal-hosted innovation sandbox in the Goldberg Computer Science Building – co-designed and delivered a province-wide bootcamp for budding entrepreneurs: the Creativity and Innovation Bootcamp. Twelve Dalhousie students worked alongside 46 others hailing from seven universities and six other sandboxes to tackle one central issue facing Nova Scotian communities today: how might people who live in Nova Scotia reduce the amount of plastic and paper that ends up in the landfill?
19-Jun-18 YOUNG PROFESSIONALS: Tech entrepreneur thriving in Halifax
Nic Merry was entrepreneurial even as a six-year-old — shovelling driveways, washing dishes and doing anything he could to put money in his bank account. Today, at just 24 years old, he’s running the largest phone repair company in Atlantic Canada, with four locations across Halifax and a fifth in Cape Breton. The Eastern Passage native was 12 when he used some of his savings to purchase a first-generation iPod Touch. He started a YouTube channel of videos on software tips and tricks, which led to buying and reselling everything from PS2s to iPhones.
13-Jun-18 Halifax researcher says lifestyle, jobs key to boosting Nova Scotia’s immigrant retention
A professor at Saint Mary’s University says the key to retaining immigrants in Nova Scotia is being able to offer meaningful employment, and sell them on “the smell of the sea.” Ather Akbari, chair of the Atlantic Research Group on Economics of Immigration, Aging and Diversity, said Nova Scotia’s 75 per cent retention rate can be improved by providing greater economic opportunity.
12-Jun-18 Future school psychologists, speech-language pathologists won’t be part of teachers union
New speech-language pathologists and school psychologists hired in Nova Scotia will not be members of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union. In the past, any non-teacher hired for one of those jobs was required to have a special teacher’s certificate, which allowed them to work in schools with students. Among other things, it made the person a member of the teachers union.
07-Jun-18 N.S. sawmill museum blames closure on Canada Summer Jobs abortion controversy
A small Nova Scotia museum has “closed indefinitely” after it said it was denied federal funding for refusing to conform to a controversial abortion rights clause in the Canada Summer Jobs program. The Liberal government this year required that organizations seeking funding under the program check a box affirming their support for constitutional rights and the right to reproductive choice, including access to abortion. Gerald Comeau, a volunteer with the Bangor Sawmill Museum in Meteghan River, N.S., said the museum does not have a mandate to take an ideological position on abortion, and should not be compelled to do so in order to be eligible for funding.
22-May-18 MAKING HISTORY: Halifax Chamber welcomes Cynthia Dorrington as chair of the board
Cynthia Dorrington has a goal: to build a more diverse and inclusive business community — and a chamber that reflects that community. She believes we must speak our goals out loud to create accountability to ourselves and others. “If I can build bridges and provide avenues for intersections to occur and discussions to take place and make this a chamber that is worthy of our entire business community, that to me is the ultimate success,” she says. “That’s an audacious goal, but we have to say it.”
22-May-18 Souls Harbour Rescue Mission to open thrift store
In the eight years since Ken and Michelle Porter moved to Halifax from Regina and established the Souls Harbour Rescue Mission, they’ve become a crucial presence in the lives of hundreds of Halifax’s homeless and underprivileged. Now, they’re poised to expand in a big way. The mission will open a 17,000-square-foot thrift store on Susie Lake Crescent in the Bayers Lake Business Park. It’s set to open Oct. 1.
22-May-18 Syrian refugee family reflects on first two years in Halifax
The Nova Scotia community has been very welcoming towards Syrian refugees, according to Wenche Gausdal, manager of refugee resettlement at ISANS. “It’s been heartwarming to see the support they’ve received in so many different areas,” said Gausdal. “People have been eager to learn and to understand the refugee experience.”
21-May-18 The growing impatience of an industry town: ‘This has really created tension’
“Past governments have allowed it to happen because industry is important in our province,” Paul said. “I would like to see a solution that works for everyone because the last thing I want is for people to be out of work, but we also can’t jeopardize a huge fishing industry either.”
18-May-18 Coady Institute students to study Pictou County’s Assets
Janice Fraser believes that a different perspective can be a positive way to gain new insight. It’s part of the reason she’s excited she’ll have the opportunity to welcome people from various parts of the world to Pictou County on June 1. The visit is part of a course Fraser and other community leaders from Canada and about 10 other countries from around the world are taking this spring at St. Francis Xavier’s Coady Institute called Asset-based and Citizen-led Development.
17-May-18 EDITORIAL: Staying ahead isn’t easy
In addition to helping solve a range of problems including food insecurity and unsafe housing, the group says basic personal income would be a help for the many rural areas of the province. This is an idea that has increasingly come under discussion in recent years. We can expect that to continue as more and more jobs are phased out with technological advances and automation. When we see such new innovations as automated ordering starting in some fast food restaurants – a traditional spot for people to get a start in the work world, or to maintain casual employment – we know where this is heading.
17-May-18 Housing study indicates crisis in spending
According to the Canadian Rental Housing Index, 45 per cent of households in Cape Breton County spend more than 30 per cent of their before-tax income on rent and utilities. Another 19 per cent are spending over 50 per cent of their income on rent and utilities. As a province, Nova Scotia ranks first in Atlantic Canada when it comes to the portion of renters spending more than the recommended 30 per cent of income in rent and utilities (42.8 per cent) and more than 50 per cent of income in rent and utilities (19.3 per cent). That figure is also the third highest in the country behind Ontario (20.9 per cent) and British Columbia (21.3 per cent).
17-May-18 Keeping immigrants in Cape Breton
Sydney resident Pankaj Joshi, a volunteer with an immigration settlement program offered by the YMCA, said newcomers often repeat the same needs. “It’s obvious to me whenever I talk to newcomers,” she said. “It’s language training and employment. That’s the two things that everybody talks about and I think that’s what needed if you want to keep people here.”
16-May-18 $1.2M in grants announced for programs for Nova Scotians with disabilities
The province announced $1.2 million in grants on Wednesday for day programming for Nova Scotians with disabilities — and it promises more money for next year. Premier Stephen McNeil said at a press conference that grants of up to $50,000 each were given to 34 organizations that create accessible recreation and employment across the province.
16-May-18 Group wants governments to consider basic personal income in Nova Scotia
In a petition the group presented to the legislature last month the group said the guaranteed income would be cost effective, with a potential projected annual cost of $21 billion nationally, compared to estimated costs of $72 to $84 billion to keep people living in poverty. She said more than 21 per cent of children and families in the province live in poverty with rates even higher for Indigenous and African Nova Scotians. A basic income guarantee could help address the effects of poverty she said, including stress, food insecurity, and unsafe housing.
16-May-18 Atlantic Canada businesses secure $140 million in financing from BDC growth envelope over past year
Entrepreneurs in Atlantic Canada received over $140 million in financing in the first year of a two-year financing package launched by the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) to assist the region’s small and mid-sized businesses. The package has led to over 449 transactions since it was announced in May 2017. BDC committed to providing $280 million in financing over two years to assist companies in Atlantic Canada that are pursuing growth opportunities in four industries: information and communication technology (ICT), agri-food, ocean technology and tourism.
16-May-18 Ageism one of the biggest problems facing N.S. seniors, says bureaucrat
The bureaucrat responsible for designing government policy and making sure programs and services for seniors are meeting their needs has told a provincial legislature committee ageism remains one of the biggest problems facing seniors in Nova Scotia. “If we increase the workforce participation of older adults, help them start new businesses, perhaps we can create the types of revenues that can help us take care of the balance of an aging population.”
15-May-18 Saltwire Exclusive: Australia-based marijuana company building 20,000 square foot production facility in West Hants
The Windsor-West Hants Industrial Park will soon have a new tenant, just in time for Canada’s plan to legalize marijuana. Creso Pharma, a publicly traded company based in Australia, is hoping that the impending legalization of marijuana in Canada, will be a boon for its growing cannabis industry, which includes supplying recreational and medical marijuana products.
14-May-18 Now! award-winners enjoying unexpected growth
It’s been almost six months since BEEA Honey with a Heart received a $20,000 prize at the 2017 Now! Nova Scotia Good News awards. The prize was awarded to the youth-led social enterprise project with the intention of helping them expand, involve more youth and increase their impact. What’s happened since then has exceeded the BEEA team’s expectations.
14-May-18 One young person says farewell to Nova Scotia, the sea-bound coast . . .
What we were noticing was the lack of entry-level jobs available to us. This wasn’t the first time I had experienced the sentiment. Lack of critical mass in the province does not exactly make it a buzzing hub for bigger businesses — those with the capacity to offer internships and entry-level positions — to come and make camp. This phenomenon contributes to the high numbers of university grads who are either working below their qualifications or leaving the province in search of meaningful employment.
11-May-18 How newcomer entrepreneurs are making a difference in Atlantic Canada
Provincial governments in Atlantic Canada have been trying to encourage immigrants to become entrepreneurs for more than a decade. There are immigration programs for newcomers who want to start businesses and for those who buy existing businesses. Nova Scotia’s new program does not require a bond. Launched at the beginning of 2016, it requires newcomers to run a business for at least a year before they apply for nomination. So far, 1,844 newcomers have gone through the preliminary process to indicate they will be applying, but the province has not nominated anyone for permanent resident status yet.
10-May-18 Province steps up funding for youth employment effort
The province rolled out more money Thursday for programs to support young people looking for jobs. Premier Stephen McNeil was at Acadia University in Wolfville, where he announced $100,000 to expand the Connector Program into the Annapolis Valley. The Connector Program helps put local business and community leaders in touch with youths and new immigrants who want to start their careers in the province. He said the program has already created 1,000 jobs in other areas of the province.
08-May-18 HRM employees protest anti-black racism on the job
A group of workers employed by the Halifax Regional Municipality is calling for changes after employees say they’ve endured racism on the job and are passed over for promotions. The group held a protest at city hall on Tuesday afternoon, citing a 2016 employment system review report that looked at hiring practices within the municipality. “The anti-black racism and discrimination within HRM is at 1950s levels. It has not improved,” said Raymond Sheppard, the spokesperson for the group.
07-May-18 Nothing matters more than a safe return home
While employers need to take the lead, any worker in any role in any industry can and should step up on safety. That’s the underlying message in A Call to Lead, a safety video produced by WCB Nova Scotia and the Department of Labour and Advanced Education. “I will do all that I can, so you can do all that you can to make sure no one gets hurt,” is its call to action, inviting all of us to do our part to make our workplaces safer because “nothing matters more.”
07-May-18 Volunteers play an important role at ISANS
According to Denise Scott, team lead for the volunteer program at ISANS, the organization offers a diverse and flexible lineup of volunteer jobs, all working with individuals and families new to Nova Scotia. Asked about family volunteering at ISANS, Scott said the practice has been around for four or five years at ISANS, but there is more of a push now because the need is greater. More families, larger families, are arriving in Nova Scotia.
07-May-18 A seafood empire and a court battle over Trudeau’s push for Indigenous reconciliation
The federal government announced last fall it was creating a new Arctic surf clam licence and would take a quarter of the overall quota from Halifax-based Clearwater Seafoods, which had held a monopoly over the fishery since 1999. The Trudeau government said it would award that licence to an “Indigenous entity” as part of an initiative to create “middle-class jobs” for First Nations people in all four Atlantic Canadian provinces and Quebec.
07-May-18 Our planning for the future of work must include education
While we know that change is coming and the economy is shifting, we don’t know exactly how, when and to what degree. What we do know is that the proliferating new technologies, such as AI and advanced robotics, are changing the face of work. Some jobs will be fully automated. Others will require humans to work alongside emerging technologies, harnessing the best of what machines are good at — routine tasks and analytics — to what humans are best at — critical thinking and creativity. Still others will remain untouched, but how many is unknown. Which jobs will be impacted and how remains to be seen.
04-May-18 New hub for ocean research companies and startups already making waves
A new ocean hub opening in June has begun to attract national researchers and entrepreneurs to Nova Scotia. The Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE) will house ocean related startups and companies on a 20-acre facility located on the former Dartmouth waterfront coast guard site. COVE just announced its first tenants in a news release issued this week. COVE has signed agreements with five companies. In addition, six startups will also work from the centre’s startup yard incubator.
03-May-18 Houston calls for tax break for Nova Scotians 25 and under
PC Leadership candidate Tim Houston thinks he has an idea that could help encourage young people to choose to live and work in Nova Scotia rather than looking for work out west. Houston proposal is to eliminate individual Nova Scotia income tax for anyone 25 and under on their first $50,000 of earned income. The idea was first shared during Houston’s remarks at the Progressive Conservative Party of Nova Scotia’s Annual General Meeting in February.
03-May-18 All-female tugboat crew working on the Nova Scotia waters
This makeshift family really pulls together. “We’re a team but it’s also like a family here,” tug master Andrea MacDonald said of the non-traditional, allwoman crew who work the bridge, engine room and deck of the Atlantic Willow as it chugs and tugs around Halifax Harbour and beyond.
03-May-18 N.S. premier to pitch federal panel on offshore oil, gas exploration
Nova Scotia’s premier says he will make the case for allowing offshore development to co-exist with the coastal fishery, when he goes before a federal panel on marine protected areas on Friday. “We want to make sure that we work with the national government to achieve their objective of looking for marine protected areas,” McNeil said following a cabinet meeting Thursday. “But it has to be done with a thought that Nova Scotians deserve to maximize the value of the resources off their coast.”
02-May-18 NSLC employees won’t be forced to sell cannabis: CEO
People who work for the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation won’t have to sell cannabis, if they don’t want to. Instead, they will be allowed to request transfers to stores that don’t sell it. The NSLC is planning to begin employee training for pot sales, but some say there are still too many unanswered questions about something that’s only a few months away. NSLC CEO Brett Mitchell says employees will be able to help customers choose from the hundreds of cannabis products on shelves.
01-May-18 Students receive hands-on experience during Truro Maker Tech event
Grade 8 students recently learned about the value of foreign aid in a hands-on way during a Maker Tech program in Truro. Young people from 20 schools took part in the event, which was designed to teach youth about technology and sustainability, and included water filtration experiment. Each group of students was assigned the role of a particular country, and given an amount of money to buy materials.
01-May-18 Newcomers find jobs, prosperity in Atlantic Canada — if they stay
Surveys show that immigrants leave the region in search of better jobs, but research suggests that’s not what they will find. In fact, immigrants in Atlantic Canada fare better economically than the average immigrant across Canada, and in some cases better than native-born Canadians. A profile of immigrant tax filers in Atlantic Canada published by Dalhousie University professors Yoko Yoshida and Howard Ramos found that immigrants to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland were more likely to be employed and earned higher wages than the average immigrant in Canada who landed at the same time.
30-Apr-18 Tidal Salt sells Nova Scotia product across North America and in the U.K.
Duggan and his wife Audrey started their business, Tidal Salt, a year and a half ago with not much more than a bucket. By March of 2017, they were selling varieties of salt through their web site and at farmers markets, and were busy right away — at work and at home.
28-Apr-18 Booming Maritime lobster industry means long waits for new boats
Some boat builders in the Maritimes are reporting wait-lists for new boats of up to seven years. Good catches and prices the last few years have caused demand that far outstrips builders’ ability to supply — they don’t have space to build more, nor the staff. Atlantic Boat Builders is hoping to begin offering apprenticeship programs — something the 46 boat builders in neighbouring Nova Scotia have been doing for more than a decade. “That’s crucial because the biggest challenge in the industry — doesn’t matter whether it’s Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia or New Brunswick — is attracting young people into the industry to pursue a career,” said Tim Edwards, executive director of the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association.
26-Apr-18 Job fair grows at Pictou County Wellness Centre
Heather MacIsaac, an employer engagement specialist with Nova Scotia Works, was particularly proud of the employers this year – so many signed up for a berth at the job fair at the Wellness Centre that vendors filled the community room, with some having to take up space in the hall outside. In fact, so many employers wanted a table that 10 of them had to be put on a waiting list.
26-Apr-18 Google launches new job search function in Canada
Google is wading into Canada’s employment market with a new search feature and a $1 million investment into a forthcoming jobs platform. The technology giant announced Thursday that it had rolled out new search capabilities for Canadian users, allowing job seekers to browse postings that can be filtered by commute distance, job title and time commitment within the Google search engine. Google also revealed its philanthropic arm will be financially backing Toronto’s MaRS innovation hub as it develops an employment platform that will launch next year and aims to help workers navigate the changing job market.
26-Apr-18 N.S. changes Canada Day retail rules, group wants N.B. to follow suit
Nova Scotia announced on Wednesday it now requires retail stores to close on Canada Day, regardless of the day of the week it happens on. The Retail Council of Canada says New Brunswick’s government should follow suit. Until now, when Canada Day fell on a Sunday (as it will this year), stores in Nova Scotia would be open on the Sunday but would have to close on Monday.
24-Apr-18 Jobs many and varied in long-term care sector in Pictou County
By far the biggest demand at the Glen Haven facility is for continuing-care assistants and, with demand exceeding the number of graduates, Glen Haven actually runs its own training program complete with a clinical tutor. The second set of trainees will be graduating this fall. The program is particularly well suited for people who might not be able to afford the cost of going to school to get the course. This way they can learn on the job. There’s also many opportunities for employees to advance and learn new skills. Jorden herself started out as a summer dishwasher 21 years ago at Glen Haven. She later returned as Red Seal cook and then became nutritional services manager before moving into her current role as employee relations specialist.
23-Apr-18 Shaping Nova Scotia’s economic future
To begin, we recommend the establishment of a task force made up of young Nova Scotians who embrace collaboration and diversity to develop the distinct identity and unique advantage of Nova Scotia. Collaborating with existing organizations already committed to the future of young Nova Scotians, this task force will be supported by a shared communication platform.
23-Apr-18 Momentum fostering entrepreneurship in Sydney
Innovacorp, the province’s early stage venture capital organization, is in the process of hiring a director for the maker space — an incubator that is expected to draw entrepreneurs looking to build IT startups but also inventors, designers, crafters and artisans. Shared office space, a computer numerical control machine, a mill, welding equipment, a 3D printer, electronics and robotics labs, a computer station for computer-aided design and other technology are all required as part of the entrepreneurial hub.
17-Apr-18 Nova Scotia a green pasture for Halifax entrepreneur Fadi Al Quassar
I co-run a non-profit, doing community development work in other countries. Right now, we have projects in India, Indonesia and Romania. A lot of volunteers come from the tech space, companies like SalesForce, Apple, Microsoft, Netflix and others. We involve employees, finding opportunities that transfer from the profit to the nonprofit space. So instead of painting the walls or building schools, we match professional skills to the needs relevant to communities unable to access those levels of expertise.
16-Apr-18 Digital Nova Scotia encourages economic development in growing industry
Digital Nova Scotia partners regularly with post-secondary institutions and facilitators to build those skill sets in people. An example would be the One Journey program, offered in partnership with Nova Scotia Labour and Advanced Education and the Nova Scotia Community College. This is a 12-week skills development program aimed at addressing the demand for entry-level programmers across the industry. What’s more, the program connects graduates with eager employers. Beyond that, they promote their industry in a variety of settings, calling attention to local businesses that might be well known on the global stage but are relatively unheard of among Nova Scotians.
03-Apr-18 EDITORIAL: Humane first step to addressing domestic violence
The McNeil government has taken a welcome step to help victims of domestic violence with legislation giving them the right to an extended unpaid leave from work to seek medical, legal and counselling assistance. Mr. Kousoulis says the government is still consulting on paid leave days, including a request that Ottawa provide Employment Insurance in these cases.
02-Apr-18 Prison tour has senator ‘concerned’ by lack of programs, state of inmate despair
Lack of educational and re-integration programs at Nova Scotia’s federal prisons have left some inmates filled with despair and hopelessness, says a Canadian senator involved in a countrywide study. “One of the quotes that I wrote from one of the men we met with is that there is an absolute lack of hope amongst particularly many of the younger men at Springhill,” said Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard, chair of the Senate human rights committee. “And that offender used the term ‘the walking dead.”
01-Apr-18 Nova Scotia minimum wage hike to $11 per hour isn’t enough, advocates say
A Nova Scotia labour advocate is calling for change, after the province hiked its minimum wage for experienced workers by 15 cents to $11 per hour effective April 1. “We don’t believe it’s enough,” said Danny Cavanagh, president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour, of the modest increase. “The way Nova Scotia looks at minimum wage needs to change.”
30-Mar-18 Construction of Sydney boardwalk beer garden to begin again next week
The lights will be turned on this Thursday at the newest addition to the Sydney waterfront. An eatery called Portside that will feature seafood, including lobster, and craft beer, wine and spirits made in Nova Scotia is expected to open in June, according to proprietor Danny Ellis.
29-Mar-18 P.E.I.’s minimum wage increases to $11.55 on April 1
Prince Edward Island’s minimum wage will increase by 30 cents to $11.55 per hour on April 1. All four Atlantic provinces will increase their minimum wage on April 1. Newfoundland and Labrador’s wage will increase to $11.15 after that date, while New Brunswick will go to $11.25 an hour and Nova Scotia to $11 an hour, with both those provinces committing to adjust the wage annually relative to the Consumer Price Index.
27-Mar-18 Champions of diversity: Kentville-based VANSDA helps clients overcome barriers to employment through education
As African Nova Scotians are a minority, they aren’t reflected as prominently in the workforce, Lisa Diggs says. That can lead to questions during a job hunt. Sometimes, she says, when African Nova Scotians don’t see others who look like them in the workplace, it leads to worry that they won’t be accepted because of racism.
26-Mar-18 Advocacy and business a winning model
Among the most notable expressions of Brand’s commitment to service are his hiring practices. About 50 per cent of Brand’s employees identify with traditional employment barriers such as past substance abuse, a criminal record and mental or physical disabilities. Brand says the energy, commitment and positivity these employees bring to the workplace is immeasurable. What is measurable, however, is the profitability of these hiring decisions.
23-Mar-18 N.S. invests $1.4M in autism support services
This is the first time that a Nova Scotia government has invested in the needs for enhanced services and funding support for adults. Historically, Nova Scotia governments have been very focused on much-needed, and critical, early intervention supports. But this, coupled with their investment in rural communities in the form of a commitment to fund regional autism centres, represents a significant investment across the lifespan and across the province,” says Cynthia Carroll, executive director of Autism Nova Scotia.
23-Mar-18 Racism at the root of layoffs, claims union representing black janitors
‘I’ve still got to pay rent. I’ve still got to feed myself,’ says janitor
Seven black janitors being laid off from their cleaning jobs at a Halifax office building are accusing the property manager and an incoming contractor of racial discrimination. The unionized workers, who clean Founders Square, said Friday they are filing a complaint with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.
22-Mar-18 Canada: The Right Person For The Job: Nova Scotia Human Rights Board Finds Duty To Accommodate Prospective Employees
It is by now widely understood among employers across Canada that there is an obligation to accommodate employees with disabilities to the point of undue hardship. What is perhaps less understood, however, are the obligations which arise when a prospective employee requires accommodation in order to succeed in a vacant position. A recent decision by a Nova Scotia Human Rights Board of Inquiry in Yuille v Nova Scotia Health Authority, 2017 CanLII 17201 (NS HRC), offers another reminder of the expansive nature of the duty to accommodate and sets out specific limitations on that duty in case of prospective employees.
21-Mar-18 Future of Atlantic Canada at stake without success in immigration: McKenna
Frank McKenna was the opening speaker at a day-long summit being held by the Public Policy Forum in Fredericton. McKenna, now deputy chairman of the TD Bank Group, said the region has finally woken up to the plight of having both an aging population and an exodus of young people in search of employment. “”I don’t think it’s overly dramatic to say the future of Atlantic Canada is at stake,”” he told the crowd of business leaders and academics. But McKenna, who said he has been talking about the demographic shift in the region since 1995, is more optimistic now that a solution will be found than at any time in the last 25 years.
21-Mar-18 Lack of opportunity holding women back: spokesperson
A lack of opportunity is holding women back in Pictou County and preventing them from achieving full equality both locally and across Canada, says one local advocate. Speaking one day after the provincial budget was released, Shelley Curtis-Thompson at the Pictou County Women’s Resource and Sexual Assault Centre said that more needed to be done to help female workers find full-time jobs. Key to this is greater child-care support, which would allow mothers to better juggle work commitments and caregiving.
19-Mar-18 Experiencing a growth spurt: Stats show East Hants as the only NS municipality with more young people than seniors
Nova Scotia’s aging population presents a variety of issues, and increased healthcare costs and a shrinking labour force are the two big ones. It’s an issue that is virtually universal across the entire province — except for one region. East Hants is the only jurisdiction in Nova Scotia that has more young people (aged infant to 14) than seniors (65+), according to a recent socio-economic study backed up by numbers via Statistics Canada.
13-Mar-18 Bayplex workers say CBRM broke promise to save their jobs
The non-profit society that ran the Bayplex folded late last year in the face of mounting costs, unpaid utility bills and much-needed but expensive renovations. The arena was taken over by the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in November and was closed within weeks, with all the employees getting layoff notices.
09-Mar-18 Ann Terry Society’s transition to employment program for women graduates 11 on Thursday
Katelyn Morris was a struggling single mother of three young children when a prospective employer suggested she investigate the programs offered by the Ann Terry Society. Morris, from Coxheath, was offered a job by the employer but she had to turn it down because the hours made it difficult for her to find childcare for her two sons and one daughter – ages nine, eight and one year. While she’s educated with a community college diploma and is a graduate of the bachelor of arts in community studies program at Cape Breton University, she couldn’t find work that paid above minimum wage.
09-Mar-18 Atlantic Canada addressing return to work
New program aims to keep people connected to their workplace following an injury
Atlantic Canadians injured on the job tend to take longer to return to work than those living in most other provinces. To further assist workers as they recover from workplace injury, Atlantic Canada’s workers’ compensation organizations have teamed up to launch a region-wide program, Working to Well.
07-Mar-18 Diversity and inclusion give these firms a competitive advantage
Canada’s Best Diversity Employers for 2018 lead the way in trying to make the workplace more inclusive through a variety of innovative and compassionate diversity initiatives. By their example, these winning employers are sending a message to Canada and the world that being inclusive is not only the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do for business. Diversity energizes an organization by bringing fresh voices to the table, sparking innovation and boosting performance.
05-Mar-18 John Howard Society ‘provides opportunities for change
The society offers programs such as Anger Management and Emotion Intelligence, Healthy Relations, Employment Readiness and a Community Workplace Program. The society also assists clients in applying for a record suspension, which was previously known as a pardon. The society also provides in-reach programming in institutions around the province. Those programs include gardening and yoga. People in the gardening program learn skills, such as building a hothouse.
28-Feb-18 Budget makes EI program aimed at seasonal workers permanent
In Tuesday’s budget speech, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said changes aimed at seasonal industries like fish processing and tourism will address the “black hole” in Employment Insurance benefits by helping families make ends meet until the new work season begins. EI benefits vary from year to year in each region, often due to positive economic performance in urban areas, but the benefits do not always affect rural areas. This dynamic can cause disruption in benefits for workers whose main jobs are seasonal and result in a loss of income.
28-Feb-18 Finance minister says federal budget aligns with Nova Scotia’s priorities
The province’s finance minister says there are some good things for Nova Scotia in Tuesday’s federal budget. Karen Casey says she has not seen the fine details of how it will roll out, but overall she is pleased with what she has heard. “I was pleased to see that some of the investments that the federal government is making do align with some of our own priorities here in Nova Scotia,” said Casey.
28-Feb-18 Women’s Day events set for March 8 in Elmsdale
Futureworx, in partnership with the East Hants and Districts Chamber of Commerce, is inviting everyone to explore their upcoming, “Women of Possibilities” event celebrating women in business. The employment centre, located in the Lloyd E. Matheson Centre in Elmsdale, is using International Women’s Day on March 8 to showcase the many female entrepreneurs in this community by bringing them together in the foyer of the building between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
27-Feb-18 Government invests $10 million to better help underrepresented workers get jobs
The province has announced its investment of millions in a new project seeking to help people without jobs find new opportunities. The announcement happened Feb. 26 at the Valley African Nova Scotian Development Association in Kentville and revealed the project has received $10 million from the government.
26-Feb-18 Program aims to get underrepresented groups into workplace
Cregg Battiste no longer has to leave his young family and travel out West to work. The 25-year-old Eskasoni resident, a welder and pipefitter by trade, has found work locally with Marine Recycling Corp. in Sydport through the New Opportunities for Work program.
20-Feb-18 Atlantic provinces to adopt Nova Scotia plan that entices foreign students to stay after graduation
A program that helps international students to stay and work in Nova Scotia will be adopted by the three other Atlantic provinces as they try to grow their population. Federal Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen said Atlantic Canada has a retention rate for skilled immigrants that “hovers at around 60 per cent,” compared to rates of 90 per cent or higher in Ontario and Alberta.
18-Feb-18 Members of new advisory board want Nova Scotia to rethink accessibility
Cynthia Bruce, a blind activist and faculty member in Acadia University’s School of Education, said the redrafted Accessibility Act that was introduced last spring offers a profound opportunity. But we need to get it right, she said. What’s often forgotten are the larger considerations around inclusive education and employment, said Bruce, who’s one of 12 people who form the advisory board.
14-Feb-18 Organizers say Glace Bay Business Day just ‘a beginning’
Billy He is attending school in Cape Breton but he is also interested in making the island his home. “We see a lot of options here for business in Cape Breton,” he said. “My plan is to open a restaurant after I graduate. I want to do it in Cape Breton since I’ve been living here for four years. Maybe like a Chinese buffet because I don’t see a lot of buffet places around here.”
12-Feb-18 Dalhousie only seeking racially visible, Indigenous candidates for senior job
Dalhousie University is restricting its search for a new senior position to racially visible and Indigenous candidates in an effort to make the institution more diverse. In an email to the university community, provost and vice-president academic Carolyn Watters wrote that “community consultation is essential to the success of the search” for a new vice-provost student affairs.
09-Feb-18 Canada’s volatile jobs survey posts biggest monthly drop since 2009
The vigour that carried the Canadian labour market on its impressive run in 2017 hit a speed bump to start this year with its largest one-month job drop in nine years. The economy lost 88,000 positions — all of them part time — in January for its biggest employment decline in a single month since 2009, Statistics Canada’s latest jobs survey revealed Friday.
07-Feb-18 Income assistance hike not enough for people unable to work: Feed Nova Scotia
Feed Nova Scotia is both lauding and criticizing the provincial Community Service Department plans to improve income assistance. As part of ongoing and long-term plans to improve the Employment Support and Income Assistance program, the department highlighted some changes in the works, including that assistance recipients who are able to work will keep more of the income they earn, $250 per month instead of $150, and a larger percentage above that. Also, in 2019, basic support rates will increase by two per cent for those who can work and five per cent for those who can’t. It’s the latter figure that doesn’t sit well with the charitable organization.
02-Feb-18 N.S. faces shortage of skilled workers
A national construction industry organization is calling for Nova Scotia contractors to encourage recruitment of skilled labourers and increase mobility of workers between non-residential and residential sectors to overcome impending retirements and an aging population.
01-Feb-18 Effort needed to maintain construction workforce
“It will take a concerted effort to replace up to a quarter of the province’s construction workforce that’s planning to retire in the next 10 years,” said Bill Ferreira, executive director of BuildForce Canada. “Compounding the challenge is the reality that Nova Scotia has one of the oldest populations in Atlantic Canada and a shrinking pool of young workers to draw from.”
31-Jan-18 INFOGRAPHIC: N.S. minimum wage to go up to $11 an hour in April
Nova Scotia’s minimum wage will increase by 15 cents to $11 an hour on April 1. The provincial Department of Labour and Advanced Education announced the increase Wednesday. The hike will bring the minimum wage for experienced workers to $11 an hour, while those with less than three months’ experience will make $10.50 an hour.
29-Jan-18 Building community, friendships at LakeCity Employment Services
LakeCity Employment Services Association is a non-profit agency that employs people who are 19 years of age and older and live with mental illness. Workers are required to show commitment, motivation and a desire to achieve personal goals. LakeCity aims to help its workers gain independence through employment or employment related activities. The agency began back in 1972 and has been impacting lives ever since.
29-Jan-18 Caregiver benefits, only in N.S.
The government has recently introduced changes in what is now called The Family Caregiver Benefit for those looking after children. Formerly termed the Parents of Critically Ill Children Benefit, it has now been extended to a maximum of 35 weeks. Under EI there is also a new Family Caregiver Benefit for those giving care to adults that is available for a maximum of 15 weeks. Both of these may be combined with the Compassionate Care Benefit, a benefit that allows for a maximum of 26 weeks support.
Paul St Laurent and Danny McClair, the guys who make the beer and come up with the historic names, operate Annapolis Brewing Company out of a carriage house off St. George Street. Business has been good, the feedback positive, and a taproom and new, larger brewing premises are in the near future.
25-Jan-18 CFIB says Nova Scotia small businesses are optimistic
The “business barometer” used by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the province is just above the national average and is the strongest in Atlantic Canada. “It’s positive to see Nova Scotia’s small and medium-sized businesses are showing some optimism relative to the regional and national level,” said Jordi Morgan, CFIB’s Atlantic vice-president. “This would indicate entrepreneurs are generally feeling positive about the state of business health in the province.”
22-Jan-18 Bridgewater’s Rofihe’s Mens Wear to shutter its doors after 92 years in business
After nearly a century of providing quality clothing to South Shore men and boys, Rofihe’s Mens Wear — a veritable institution in downtown Bridgewater — is closing its doors for good next month. The seeds for this storied clothier were sown by an adventurous young man who travelled from his native Lebanon to Spain, then to Cuba. His intention was to seek employment in the U.S., but first he would visit his sister in Bridgewater. All told, a shipboard odyssey of more than 13,000 kilometres.
21-Jan-18 Career practitioners recognized for dedication, getting people back on the job
According to a press release, more than 22,000 Nova Scotians have received employment services at one of the 49 Nova Scotia Works centres across the province since September 2016. “My office has been very pleased to have people come through here and get some work experience, it’s important,” Porter said, acknowledging that although the institution has changed in name, the organizations within the network have been staples in their communities for many years.
20-Jan-18 Outward looking and building better workplaces: ‘Nova Scotia’s Top Employers’ for 2018 are announced
“The province continues to diversify its economic base and plan for the future,” adds Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada’s Top 100 Employers project. “This year’s winners are invested in developing their current workforce to maintain their success – and ensuring opportunities are available for the next generation.”
19-Jan-18 Ascending androids: how prepared is your province?
Wyonch explains that Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan are most susceptible to having their labour force disrupted by technological advancement. On the other hand, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta are best equipped to grapple with robots leeching into their workforce.