MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

How our members are growing Halifax

CONGRATULATIONS TO BECKY DAVISON!

The Chamber team is so proud of Becky Davison, our VP Marketing and lifelong learner! Becky put in so much extra work over these last few months to learn about Chamber best practices through the Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) program. The CCE program is designed to assess the four core components of the chamber Body of Knowledge: management; planning and development; membership, communications, and revenue; and operations. CCEs exemplify commitment to the chamber of commerce profession, dedication to managerial and leadership excellence, and leadership in state, regional, and national chamber professional associations. We’re excited to learn from Becky as she takes on this new certification!

INCLUSIVE FROM THE START

Inclusion Nova Scotia recently welcomed The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion for a visit. The Minister was accompanied by Kevin Murphy, Director of Disability Inclusion and Member of Parliament for Halifax-West Ms. Lena Metlege Diab. The recent announcements of new funding to help connect persons with disabilities to jobs, Canada's 1st Disability Action Plan, and the reintroduction of the Canada Disability Benefit Act before the House of Commons rises in June, created the perfect backdrop for us to highlight our work around Financial Security, Employment, Accessibility, and Inclusive Communities in Nova Scotia.

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR PUBLIC IMPACT AWARD

The Public Impact Award, presented by Research Nova Scotia in support of the Discovery Centre, will recognize a Nova Scotian researcher in academia, a public research institution, government, or the private sector, whose research has benefited Nova Scotians by tangibly improving the economy, environment, healthcare system, or society. The recipient’s work has developed in response to the needs of society, and is solving a problem, managing a risk, or creating an opportunity for Nova Scotians. The Award will be presented at the 20th Annual Discovery Awards on Wednesday, November 23 at the Halifax Convention Centre in Halifax, NS. Nominations are due on August 12 at researchns.ca.

NORTH END FAVOURITE DEE DEE’S ICE CREAM IS GETTING NEW OWNERS

From The Coast: After serving delicious homemade ice cream for nearly 20 years, founder of Dee Dee’s Ice Cream Ditta Kasdan is ready to retire. She assures her loyal customers that the Cornwallis Street institution is in good hands. Filling Kasdan's shoes are Jenna Mooers, co-owner of CHKN CHOP and Lindsay MacPhee, owner of the Floatation Centre. Read the full story at thecoast.ca.

HANNAH HICKS CASE ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

Hannah Hicks won the CASE (Canadian Association for Supported Employment) art contest. Her stunning abstract art "Lava Dance" will be featured at the CASE conference in Winnipeg in June. Hannah is thrilled to be able to represent Halifax and Nova Scotia as the CASE Artist in Residence. Hannah is an advocate for inclusion and is an artist-entrepreneur on a mission to spread happiness through Hannah Hicks Art.

RIDERSHIP INCREASES AS VIA RAIL IMPLEMENTS RECOVERY PLAN AND MEETS KEY MODERNIZATION MILESTONES IN 2021

Despite challenges in 2021 stemming from the global pandemic, VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail) continued to connect communities and to deliver on its mandate of operating the national passenger rail service. At the same time, the Corporation moved forward with key elements of its modernization program aimed at creating the VIA Rail of the future. VIA Rail achieved its goal of staying on budget within the funding allocated to the Corporation by the Government of Canada benefitting from an increase of 31.9% in ridership and of 54.3% in passenger revenues compared to 2020. Read the full report at media. viarail.ca

DOCTORS NOVA SCOTIA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT AND PRESIDENT-ELECT

Dr. Leisha Hawker, of Halifax, N.S., was installed as Doctors Nova Scotia’s President during the association’s virtual annual conference on Saturday, June 4, 2022. Dr. Hawker’s work has been recognized by the Nova Scotia College of Family Physicians, which awarded her the Award of Excellence in 2016, and The Medical Post named her one of the Top 20 Physicians to Watch in 2015. Also on Saturday, Dr. Colin Audain was endorsed as President-Elect. Dr. Audain is an anesthesiologist practising in the Central Zone. Dr. Audain believes there is an opportunity to work with health-system partners to improve health care in Nova Scotia. His term as President will begin in June 2023.

RECOGNIZING UNSTOPPABLE ENTREPRENEURS

Honoured to announce Amanda Rogers, CEO of iPlume Writing Inc. has been named an Atlantic finalist for Canada’s EY Entrepreneur Of the Year 2022. "I’m truly grateful to be named as a finalist and I want to express my heartiest thankfulness to EY Canada and the national sponsor, Toronto Stock Exchange, and everyone that has supported me through my journey. With a passion for creating change. I’ve built a team at iPlume Writing that wants to create change in the world. What's important is how we are enriching the lives of underrepresented communities, driving positive change, and building ground-breaking companies,” says Rogers.

THREE ATLANTIC CANADIAN EARLY-STAGE STARTUPS JOIN THE 10TH VOLTA COHORT, RECEIVING $25,000 INVESTMENT, MENTORSHIP AND RESOURCES

Three Atlantic Canadian early-stage technology startups will join the Spring 2022 intake of the year-long Volta Cohort program. The companies will each receive a $25,000 investment from a fund co-founded by Volta, BDC Capital and Innovacorp, along with resources to help grow their businesses and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. The program’s operations are supported by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA). Companies in the program will have access to the Volta community space and meet with ongoing advisors to assist them with tackling problems specific to their businesses. Visit voltaeffect.com/cohort to learn more.

PATRICK PARENT JOINS SYMPLICITY DESIGNS

Symplicity Designs is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Parent as Chief Operating Officer. Over the past 25 years, Parent has held roles in both the corporate world and the startup space, including Moosehead Breweries (VP Operations & HR), ANBL (CEO), CannabisNB (CEO), ITacit (COO), MBNA Bank among others. “From day one of my career, my focus has been on making a transformative difference and creating growth for organizations, communities and people I work with,” says Parent. A leading organizational design firm based in Atlantic Canada, Symplicity Designs has helped +550 companies with strategy, execution, and growth.

ANNOUNCING NEW PRESIDENT & CEO AT SAFETY SERVICES NOVA SCOTIA

Jackie Norman has announced her retirement after 40 years at Safety Services Nova Scotia, the last 20 as President & CEO. "It is with bittersweet emotion that I announce leaving this organization that has offered me such a rewarding career and great opportunities to grow and learn." states Norman. "The organization is sustainable and set up for success - I expect that under new leadership, Safety Services Nova Scotia will continue to prosper and grow." The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the new President & CEO, Craig Whitehead. Craig has been in many high-level operations and managerial roles and looks forward to providing quality safety solutions in road, workplace, and community safety in Nova Scotia.

INTRODUCING PROEDGE ELITE TRAINING

Proedge Elite Training is revolutionizing the fitness training industry by offering a space designed exclusively for Personal Trainers and their clients. Our Elite Trainers pay an affordable flat rate to rent our space and access all the benefits at Proedge while our members gain access to the best trainers in the city without any extra gym membership fees. Our model allows for personal trainers to set their own rates, control their schedule, keep all their profits, and take control of their career. In turn, members of the community enjoy 1-on-1/partner/group training in privacy & comfort without the commitment of a gym membership, saving them money. Learn more at proedgetraining.com!

COLLIERS PRELIMINARY Q2 2022 MARKET STATISTICS

Preliminary findings tell an increasingly familiar story for the Halifax industrial market. Demand remains ravenous and is expected to continue unabated as limited amounts of new supply are in the pipeline. New industrial developments in various stages of construction have experienced unprecedented pre-leasing activity. There are more than 260,000 square feet of new industrial space under construction in Burnside, with several of these properties already fully pre-leased. As one of the most rapidly growing cities in the country, the Halifax commercial real estate market is expected to continue to flourish. More information is available at collierscanada.com.

DISTINCTABILITY ANNOUNCES CCRW AIE INCUBATOR FUND

Nova Scotia based employment support provider Distinctability is launching a new service delivery model, Embedding Supported Technology Capabilities (ESTC), thanks to the Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work (CCRW) AIE Incubator Fund. Embedding Supported Technology Capabilities (ESTC) is designed to enhance the knowledge and understanding of assistive technologies. ESTC combines Brain in Hand, the hybrid digital self-management tool for individuals, with EmployerConnect, an innovative technology service for employers to help them shape the work experience and career development of persons with disabilities. Learn more at distinctability.ca

RBC PARTNERS WITH CNIB FRONTIER ACCESSIBILITY TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY FOR CANADIANS

RBC has partnered with CNIB Frontier Accessibility to offer BlindSquare, the world’s most widely used accessible GPS app developed for people who are blind or partially sighted, at more than 305 RBC branches across Canada. This customized integration by CNIB Frontier Accessibility will provide a new level of access for all users. Paired with thirdparty navigation apps, BlindSquare’s self-voicing technology delivers detailed points of interest and intersections for safe, reliable travel at the branches – both inside and outside. BlindSquare EVENT is available for download on the App Store.

PREDICTIVE SUCCESS AWARDED #1 PI PARTNER

Predictive Success Corporation is Canada’s leading distributor of the Predictive Index System. For the third straight year, Predictive Success Corporation has been awarded the Glengarry Glen Ross Award for having acquired more clients than any other distributor. In 2021, Predictive Success topped globally in new Predictive Index accounts out of over 1,000 agents, acquiring over 200 new clients. Predictive Success Corporation was recognized as #1 in overall sales growth with the Jack and the Beanstock Award—43% growth in 2021. Our client base exceeds 800 leading companies across the globe. The success of each client continues to be our top priority.

AMERICAN AIRLINES RETURNS TO HALIFAX STANFIELD

Travelling by air between Halifax and the United States just got easier! As of June 3, American Airlines has resumed its non-stop service to Philadelphia for the first time since 2019, marking the official return of flights from Halifax to the northeastern U.S. As of June 4, American Airlines began offering non-stop service to Boston and to Washington, D.C., a new destination for Halifax Stanfield. The non-stop flights to Philadelphia, Boston and Washington will allow Atlantic Canadians to easily explore the northeastern U.S., and beyond, while presenting an incredible opportunity to increase inbound tourism and restart business travel to Atlantic Canada as the industry recovers from the pandemic.

CALL FOR BLACK WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS PITCH CANDIDATES

Join BLK Women in Excellence for their Pitch Competition on September 10, 2022. The competition supports Black women entrepreneurs, 18 years of age and older, who have been in business five years or less. The competition will not only include women-only entrepreneurs, but also a panel of women judges highlighting female representation in entrepreneurship. The event will be streamed for the public; stay tuned for more information on how you can register to be a part of the virtual audience. Candidates interested in the competition must submit applications by August 1, 2022 to bwiecanada.com.

HALIFAX PORT AUTHORITY RELEASES ITS 50-YEAR PLAN

The Halifax Port Authority 50-Year Plan looks at port planning to 2070 and the various benchmarks that will trigger expansion projects. “We are preparing now to ensure our assets are ready for where the industry is going, not just where it’s at currently,” said Captain Allan Gray, President and CEO, Halifax Port Authority. “This includes our landside infrastructure, digital systems, and people. Containerized cargo and cruise will be the drivers of port-related growth over the next 50 years. By 2070, the Port of Halifax could be handling 1,600,000 TEU and upwards of 2.4 million cruise passengers a year. To capture the full potential of these markets, infrastructure will need to be developed in a way that is complimentary to the needs of the surrounding community.” The full 50-Year Plan 50-Year Plan and an Executive Summary are available on the One Port City Halifax website.

WELCOME BACK CAMPERS!

For everyone here at Easter Seals Nova Scotia, we are over the moon excited to finally be re-opening our beloved Camp Tidnish and welcome back our campers for the first time since Summer 2019! Camp Tidnish is the only barrier-free, fully accessible residential camping program for Nova Scotian children, youth, adults and seniors with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Due to lockdowns and restrictions, we were unable to run Camp Tidnish for the past two years. We are very fortunate to finally welcome back our campers and look forward to a summer of fun vacations, camping, swimming, picnics and reuniting with old friends we haven’t seen in way too long.

ONE YEAR IN BUSINESS

Camryn McNeil, 23-year-old Founder and Owner of Golden Living - Senior Lifestyle Support, celebrated one year in business on June 28, 2022. She started her dream business from her living room, mid-pandemic, and she has grown her business beautifully over the last twelve months. Her work has helped enrich the lives of seniors and their families along the way!