Trends

The secret ingredient

Reestablishing sustainable growth at Halifax Stanfield

JOYCE CARTER

PRESIDENT AND CEO HALIFAX INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY

There’s something special about Halifax. We’re quaint but dynamic, bold yet refined, beautiful and understated. A little sweet and a little salty.

Our reputation precedes us. It’s engrained in our culture — even the volunteers at our airport are known for it. It’s the people, your businesses, our communities. That’s what makes Halifax special. It’s what separates us from the rest of the world.

And when the world seemingly shut down, the people and businesses of Halifax rose to the occasion. It’s been gritty and challenging to say the least, but you’ve shown up with integrity and courage to make Halifax a safe and hopeful place to do business, all while highlighting what’s needed for a better way forward.

Like so many of you, we took the opportunity to re-evaluate our plans and now starting to see them unfold. As an integral part of the air transportation supply chain and the larger travel ecosystem, we’re working to safely return Halifax Stanfield to previous business activity levels and reestablish sustainable growth.

We’re focused on recovery, but we’re also looking forward to address ongoing challenges. We’re streamlining processes, filling labour shortages, getting new destinations, ensuring there’s enough demand, attracting people to Halifax, and connecting with our community.

By working together, we can better understand where we can make the greatest impact. Our airport contributes to the vibrancy and accelerates the growth of our region in myriad ways. From welcoming newcomers, to investing in infrastructure that allows for more imports and exports or increasing non-stop flights that save you time and money. We’re inspired and want to create Canada’s best gateway airport for you.

When you put all the pieces together, it’s no wonder Halifax has so much to offer. Despite recent challenges, we’re more motivated than ever to improve and grow. The world better watch out.

Joyce Carter will be speaking to Chamber members on Wednesday, November 9. Get your tickets now at: halifaxchamber.com/events.

Invest in your workplace wellbeing

Employers must develop and maintain healthy work environments to compete for talent

ERIN CHRISTIE

COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CANADIAN MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION NOVA SCOTIA

Quiet quitting. Hybrid workspaces. Vaccine policies. The pandemic has impacted the way we feel about where we work, how we work, and the way we work. Job vacancies are at a high, having climbed 3.2 per cent in June from a month earlier, as employers sought to fill more than one million positions for a third consecutive month.

October is Canada’s Healthy Workplace month, a national initiative that focuses on raising awareness around the importance of workplace mental health. Prioritizing the mental well-being of workers is not only the right thing to do but a smart business move. Peoplecentric spaces and programming that support overall health are becoming essential to attract and retain top talent.

Reviewing workplace processes, policies, and access to support can seem like a challenging and overwhelming task. But it is well worth the time, cost, and energy. It’s an opportunity to both get it right with employees and improve the work landscape for the future.

The Canadian Mental Health Association — Nova Scotia Division (CMHA NS) offers workplace wellness information and psychological health and safety training, as well as free programming that supports mental health literacy and wellness. These trainings and programs cover a range of topics, from stress management, to building boundaries, to self-care, to community suicide prevention.

To discover how CMHA NS can help employers and employees meet their mental health and wellness goals, visit: novascotia.cmha.ca

Electrifying opportunities

Leveraging Québec expertise into partnerships for a greener Nova Scotia

Submitted on behalf of the Bureau du Québec dans les Provinces atlantiques

As Nova Scotia moves forward with its goal of becoming Canada’s first carbon neutral province by 2050, Québec innovators and entrepreneurs are poised to assist their Maritime neighbours in meeting their ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets. With a large percentage of current GHG emissions in Nova Scotia attributable to the transportation sector, Québec’s thriving electric transport mobility sector offers a smorgasbord of partnership opportunities that may hold the key to transitioning to an electrified future.

In May 2022, that future was brought into focus when Québec’s Nova Bus announced it had entered a contract with Halifax Transit for the purchase of up to 60 new electric buses. The new 100% battery electric buses will replace up to 60 diesel-powered buses by 2024, helping to advance the City of Halifax’s pursuit of its 2050 goals.

Dressed for success

In recent years, Québec expertise in the electrification of transport has matured to a level where the province enjoys a reputation as an emerging North American leader. Québec’s concentrated efforts to continue developing innovative technologies and manufacturing capabilities positions the province as a global force in the electrification of transportation. From the manufacture of electric school and public transportation buses to 100% electrified commercial vehicles and sidewalk sweepers, Québec has developed an eye-opening ecosystem of ingenuity and expertise in the sector.

In total, Québec’s electric transport sector accounts for $1.3 billion of the province’s annual GDP, with 147 businesses actively engaged in exporting an estimated $830 million of related goods and services. Beyond the provision of electric vehicles, Québec’s thriving ecosystem extends to infrastructure expertise for the maintenance of vehicles, the installation of electric terminal stations, and the storing of heavy electric vehicles. Additionally, Québec is home to more than 80 players dedicated to every facet of lithium-ion battery production and battery recycling processes. With Lion Electric’s announcement of a new $185 million battery manufacturing plant and innovation centre set to open in Québec in 2023, the sector continues to expand at a rapid pace as invaluable links in the supply chain continue to close.

Fostering collaboration

The Bureau du Québec dans les Provinces atlantiques (Québec Office in the Atlantic Provinces) is a gateway to Québec expertise and business opportunities. Since 1980, the office has represented the gouvernement du Québec in intergovernmental and institutional relations, cultural partnerships, and economic and commercial development — first in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, and then in Newfoundland and Labrador. As part of its mandate, the office’s economic Attachés promote Québec innovation and know-how in the Atlantic provinces. They also provide strategic market intelligence to Québec businesses looking to expand into those markets, as well as to Atlantic businesses interested in partnering and investing in Québec.

Under the guidance of Maud-Andrée Lefebvre, Chief Representative, the office has organized hundreds of meetings, in a variety of economic sectors, between Québec and Atlantic province businesses. As a result, a growing array of Atlantic municipalities have expressed interest in tapping into Québec’s transport electrification ecosystem. The Québec Office’s introductions have included collaborations with Propulsion Québec, an organization comprising more than 260 startups, established companies, institutions, research centres, and mobility operators tasked with consolidating Québec’s industrial cluster of electric and smart vehicle expertise.

The road ahead

The future is brightly illuminated with electrified visions of mobility hubs featuring high concentrations of transportation modes, including public transit, bike sharing, ride sharing, electric vehicle charging stations, and much more. As Nova Scotia pursues its ambitious NetZero goals, Québec’s innovative entrepreneurs are willing and able to share their expertise to help pave the road to a better world.

Learn more at: sqrc.gouv.qc.ca

Think Africa

Spotlighting opportunities for Nova Scotia businesses to access the fastest growing continent

KEN OGUZIE

INTERNATIONAL TRADE ANALYST AND CONSULTANT AFRICA CANADA TRADE AND INVESTMENT VENTURE PLC

The Government of Canada has continually stated its commitment towards strengthening Canada’s connections to the global economy. A key part of this strategy is around increasing overseas exports by 50 percent by 2025 as well as attracting Foreign Direct Investment to Canada (see international.gc.ca for more information).

Canada will require an “outside the box” export and investment attraction strategy to meet this target. It will require a focus on “non-traditional” high traffic markets in a bid to penetrate these markets. As always, the Government of Canada must create the necessary “comfort” programs to give private sector businesses access these markets.

As of today, Canada’s major trade partners include USA, China, Japan, and the European Union. The focus on the Asia-Pacific region was a result of the rise of the middle class in Asia; a diversification strategy was developed in line with the changing demographic, and this strategy has yielded visible results to date. However, in light of recent socio-political events affecting China (to a larger extent) and the USA (to a lesser extent) — as well as the Brexit situation in the UK and the rest of Europe — a business case for diversification into new markets has become a focus for discussion.

The recently enacted Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) made Africa the world’s largest free trade area. Along with AFCFTA and a market of 1.2 billion people, Africa seems to be a logical destination to support Canada’s Trade and Export Diversification Strategy. Africa today accounts for around 17% of the world’s population. Countries such as Nigeria (a population of over 200 million people), South Africa, Kenya, and Egypt all lead the pack with consistently growing economies (4.5% average) and unlimited international trade opportunities. The AFCFTA agreement will not only boost intra-African trade — it will also make it easier for exporters to access the African market.

According to data from Nova Scotia Department of Finance and Treasury Board as well as OECD, Nova Scotia’s top exports include rubber products, seafood products, fishing and aquaculture products, pneumatic tyres, and uncoated paper. These are all products sought after in the African Market. Specifically, Nigeria currently imports more than 2.5 million tonnes of seafood annually and South Africa currently imports paper and paper board estimated at $800 million USD annually. Services and products related to IT, engineering, and technology all present opportunities for companies based in Nova Scotia to explore.

A recent review focused on major companies based in Europe and the USA who have made major successes in Africa. According to the review, their strategies included building partnerships with local companies in the target market and developing mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers. Critical to the success of this strategy for Nova Scotian businesses will be utilising the various supports available for businesses looking to export their products and services.

As we move into the post-pandemic recovery phase, with the “economy reset” button turned on, it is imperative that Nova Scotian businesses seek out new export markets outside the traditional export destinations. With recent socio-economic and political changes in China, the USA, and Europe, there has never been a better time to explore the markets in Africa.

Learn more at: activafr.com