Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame - Celebrating 25 Years! by Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia

achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame

CELEBRATING YEARS of Excellence

Honourees share their stories and lessons learned along the way

+ Learn how

supporting JA makes a difference in your community

Proud to support our youth entrepreneurs. Gold Sponsors for the Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame.

1-866-230-7700 eastcoastcu.ca

Table of Contents 7

WELCOME MESSAGE COLIN MACDONALD AND MARK PARKHILL SHARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING INVOLVED WITH JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT AND THE NOVA SCOTIA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME

10 EMCEE PROFILES STUDENTS AAMIR WAHHAB, SOPHIA HEIN, AND RYAN HARTLEN HOST THE EVENING’S FESTIVITIES 12 VOLUNTEERS MANY PEOPLE GIVE THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO MAKE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SUCCESSFUL 13 LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE CHRIS HUSKILSON SEEKS TO REVIVE NOVA SCOTIA’S LONG HISTORY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION

21 TRUE TO HIS ROOTS J.D. EISENHAUER BUILDS A BUSINESS EMPIRE FROM HIS SOUTH SHORE HOME TOWN 25 WALK BEFORE YOU RUN MICHAEL DONOVAN IS BEST KNOWN FOR SUCCESSES, BUT HIS FAILURES TAUGHT HIM HIS BIGGEST LESSONS 28 PAST LAUREATES THE ROSTER OF NOVA SCOTIA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME TELLS THE STORY OF NOVA SCOTIA’S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION 33 MAKING A DIFFERENCE SUPPORTING JA LETS JEAN-PAUL DEVEAU HELP OTHERS TO FIND THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL PATH

Shatter doubt.

Hatch is where Nova Scotia’s young entrepreneurs compete to win $10,000 to start their business. Learn about the winners of the 2017 Hatch competition at janovascotia.ca/hatch

Presented by

JABHoF 4 25 Years

Platinum Sponsor

from here

Jr. Achievement ad

to there. JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF NOVA SCOTIA

FINANCIAL LITERACY | WORKPLACE READINESS | ENTREPRENEURSHIP For every $1 invested in Junior Achievement programming, $45 is created in economic prosperity.

Donate or Volunteer today - janovascotia.ca 3107 JAoN- JA NS Communications Plan & Execution_Print Ad_8.1875x10.75.indd 1

JA Nova Scotia A Member of JA Canada

2017-05-02 11:25 AM

2 11:25 AM

Dear friends FOR 25 YEARS, THE NOVA SCOTIA BUSINESS HALL OF FAME HAS RECOGNIZED THE ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTION OF BUSINESS LEADERSHIP TO THE HEALTH AND PROSPERITY OF OUR PROVINCE. THROUGH THE BUSINESS HALL OF FAME PROGRAM, WE HAVE CELEBRATING THE INDUCTION OF 86 LAUREATES WITH THREE NEW MEMBERS TO BE WELCOMED ON MAY 31, 2017: JIM EISENHAUER, MICHAEL DONOVAN AND CHRIS HUSKILSON. When the Business Hall of Fame was first established, the vision was to develop an opportunity to honour the valued achievements of the titans of industry, while also supporting the financial sustainability of JA. As JA primes the pipeline with new entrepreneurs and business leader potentials, the Hall recognizes a lifetime of accomplishments and the inspiring stories that make up the fabric of our amazing province. Over the years, the Hall has become an institution of unmatched significance. It is a program which honours Nova Scotia’s foremost business and thought-leaders who are contributing to the economic growth and development of our province and our nation! Laureates are held in high regard by their colleagues in the community and demonstrate strong personal and professional ethics. Laureates demonstrate business superiority, innovation and outstanding professional achievements. In addition to representing the interests of the Business Hall of Fame, they also act as ambassadors of JA. Each Laureate is selected because he or she meets the following criteria: 1. To be recognized as having made an outstanding contribution to the success of the business or profession; 2. To have demonstrated an entrepreneurial spirit and to have a record of outstanding entrepreneurial achievements; 3. To have demonstrated eﬀective leadership, not only within his or her own organization but in the community;

As we celebrate this important anniversary for the Business Hall of Fame, another important anniversary is just around the corner. In 2018, JA will turn 50! Since 1969, more than 500,000 students have joined JA and experienced programs in financial literacy, workplace readiness and entrepreneurship. It is JA’s mission to prepare young people to succeed in the global economy. As we celebrate the induction of the next cohort of Laureates, we will also celebrate the immense potential of our youth and the support that JA offers. With your support, JA is helping to produce more financially literate graduate with accelerated career paths and increased leadership potential. Achievers are: • 25% less likely to be unemployed • three times more likely to plan for their future • three times more likely to be managers than their peers • twice as likely to study and work in business • 50% more likely to open their own business Thank you for your commitment to JA and the Business Hall of Fame. Please enjoy the inaugural issue of the JA Nova Scotia Magazine, which has been created to specifically celebrate the 25th anniversary!

Colin MacDonald Chair, Board of Governors 2015 Laureate, Chairman Circle

Mark Parkhill Chair, Board of Directors JA of Nova Scotia

4. To be considered a role model for future generations of entrepreneurs and business leaders, as well as others in business.

Platinum Sponsor

JABHoF 7 25 Years

Board of Governors

ABCO John Meisner

Chorus Aviation Joe Randell

Rowe School of Business, Dalhousie University Sylvain Charlebois

Halifax Partnership Ron Hanlon

Luckett Vineyards Pete Luckett

Halifax Port Authority Karen Oldfield

Maritime Travel Inc. Rob Dexter

content supply co.

Accomplice Content Supply Co Kristen Allison

Advocate Printing & Publishing Jill Murray

CA P ITA L

Armco Adam Maclean

Atlantic Lottery Corporation Brent Scrimshaw

Black Star Wealth Partners Wendy Brookhouse

BMO Bank of Montreal Gary Anderson

Business Development Bank of Canada Gina Gale

CAMSA Inc. Carole-Ann Miller

JABHoF 8 25 Years

CIBC Ian Penny

CIBC Wood Gundy Herb Levin

Cluett Insurance Brokers Inc. Roy Cluett

Colour Chris Keevill

Cox & Palmer Daniel Gallivan

Deloitte Paul Janes

East Coast Credit Union Ken Shea

East Port Properties Limited John Lindsay

Emera Scott Balfour

Emera Karen Hutt

CTV Atlantic TrentMcGrath Emera Bruce Marchand

CUA Marie Mullally EY Darrell Bontes

Dalhousie University Richard Florizone Grant Thornton LLP Wade Taylor

Halifax Stanfield Joyce Carter

Heritage Gas John Hawkins

IBM Cal Gosse

Innovacorp Stephen Duff

Laureate Chris Huskilson

Laureate Jim Eisenhauer

Laureate Michael Donovan

McInnes Cooper Cheryl Hodder

Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. Jeff MacLean

MNP Bill Vienneau

Nautel Kevin Rodgers

Nicom IT Pat dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Entremont

Nova Scotia Business Inc. Laurel Broten

Nova Scotia Provincial Lotteries and Casino Corporation Bob MacKinnon

Platinum Sponsor

NSCC Don Bureaux

Office Interiors Jim Mills

PwC Maxime Lessard

RBC Roger Howard

RBC Dominion Securities Philip Jenkins

Revolve Phil Otto

Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Company of Canada Dawn Anderson

Scotia Investments Limited George Bishop

Scotiabank Jim Rogers

Presenting Sponsor

Scotiabank, Commercial Banking Bethany Moffatt

Event Agenda 6:30 DINNER IS SERVED

Sobey School of Business Patricia Bradshaw

7:30 PROGRAM STARTS | 9:20 PROGRAM ENDS LAUREATE TRIBUTE Kristin Williams, JA Nova Scotia President & CEO

Southwest Properties Limited Josef Spatz

WE ARE JA INTRODUCTION OF THE JA EMCEES Kirk Drabble, JA Achiever & 2016 Emcee

Stewart McKelvey Lydia Bugden

Stewart McKelvey Rebecca Saturley

ACHIEVER EMCEE REFLECTIONS TRIBUTE TO PRESENTING SPONSOR Lydia Bugden, Stewart McKelvey LAUREATE ANNOUNCEMENT VIDEO EMCEE SOPHIA INTRODUCES JIM EISENHAUER

TD Bank Group Halifax Team

SUPPORTING JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT Colin MacDonald, Chair of Board of Governors EMCEE AAMIR INTRODUCES MICHAEL DONOVAN

West Nova Fuels Graham Eisenhauer

TRIBUTE TO OUR SPONSORS Mark Parkhill, Chair of JA Nova Scotia Board EMCEE RYAN INTRODUCES CHRIS HUSKILSON

World Trade and Convention Centre Carrie Cussons

RAFFLE DRAW CLOSING REMARKS Kristin Williams, JA Nova Scotia President & CEO

JABHoF 9 25 Years

Emcee Profiles

INVOLVEMENT, DIVERSITY KEY TO ENDING YOUTH OUT-MIGRATION BY KEN PARTRIDGE

Aamir Wahhab

Sophia Hein

JABHoF 10 25 Years

If you could go back and start all over again, would you stay in Nova Scotia to build your future? That’s certainly not the narrative we constantly hear reported about today’s youth. They can’t seem to wait to get out and head for Toronto, or Vancouver, or Fort Mac, or the U.S. That’s why it was so refreshing to sit down with this year’s three student MCs for the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame Gala. Without exception, all three agreed Nova Scotia, and Halifax in particular, is progressing and it’s where they see their future taking shape. “Most [of my peers] have expressed a desire to leave,” says Ryan Hartlen, a Grade 11 student at Sir John A. MacDonald High School. “They don’t believe Nova Scotia has a lot of opportunities.” But Hartlen does. “I know the market and how it works here. I know the possibilities.” So does Aamir Wahhab, a Grade 11 student at Halifax West High School. His family is moving to Montreal after his graduation, but Wahhab says he’s coming back to Halifax to start his career. “I want to come back to either practice medicine or do research at Dalhousie,” he says. “I can see how Nova Scotia has developed since I came here four years ago; I’ve seen the growth and how more cultures are now represented here. By the time I come back, I believe Halifax will have reached the same multicultural level as Toronto.” Sophia Hein, a Grade 11 student at Millwood High School and the third student MC at this year’s event, says she too sees a lot of opportunity for furthering her plans to start her own business here at home. “My plan is to open my own business, probably a restaurant. I’m interested in how restaurants work, and how they get and keep their customers.” So, why are these three young students so different from their peers? Why do they see the potential while other students around them don’t? Hartlen says the answer is simple. “They don’t get involved.”

Platinum Sponsor

Ryan Hartlen

Hein agrees. “A lot of my friends are very sheltered from other places in Canada and the world. I’ve travelled and seen other places. They all want to get out, …but as you go across Canada you can see there may be more developed places than Nova Scotia, but they don’t have as much opportunity. Nova Scotia has a lot of opportunity in business.” Wahhab frames the issue as one of perception. “Instead of asking how the disadvantages of Nova Scotia impact us, we should instead look at how we can improve things,” he says. One area where all three agree things can be improved is the inclusion of immigrants and those of different cultures. “The population is becoming more diverse and people need to be prepared,” Hartlen says. Wahhab says he has seen the changes in his own school and improving inclusion is a necessity. “We need to be more accepting of other races and cultures. We need to encourage more people to be involved in their community.” “Education about different cultures isn’t represented well in our schools,” Hein says. “We tend to be a very trades-based province in terms of our education system. If we learned more about different cultures in high school, it would help create a more diverse community.”

Congratulations to the new members of the Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame

wilsons.ca Platinum Sponsor

JABHoF 11 25 Years

Volunteers VOLUNTEERING BENEFITS MORE THAN JUST JA BY HEATHER BRIMICOMBE A self proclaimed chronic volunteer and Junior Achiever Alumni, Shannon MacLean has the program to credit for making a difference in her life not once, but twice. As well as being a business woman, working at Trinity Inspections in Stellarton and running her own business SPK Image Management, MacLean took on the role of mentor for this year’s Junior Achiever group in Pictou County. “The surprising part for me was what I learned from the kids as well,” she says. Acting as marketing mentor for her Junior Achievers, MacLean says the program was not only a learning curve for the students, but allowed her to examine parts of running a business she wasn’t familiar with before. “I think the benefit is the experience I take away; it’s invaluable,” she says. “I learn more about business plans and shareholders’ reports than I would have if I hadn’t been involved.”

She credits the group of kids she worked with for one of her favourite parts of being a JA volunteer. She says watching them grow and overcome challenges was rewarding for her as a mentor. MacLean oversaw the group that created Indie-Pendant, a jewelry company that produced handmade beach glass necklaces with a message about mental health. The glass represents mental health and the idea that as you get worn away by things, you also become polished and beautiful. Part of the proceeds from sales of the jewelry went toward a Pictou County mental health program that helps youth. “The fact I had the chance to work with a group who was working to break the stigma of mental health,” was another big part of the project MacLean enjoyed. Over the years she has found herself advocating for those with mental illnesses and she

found it an incredible experience to get to work with a group of teenagers that were involved and engaged in how they can help others as much as they were in the business side of the program. “It was really great to see that something that was important to me was important to them.” MacLean found it invigorating to learn what issues the students found important, and to discover the great energy they instilled in their work ethic, something she says isn’t normally found in the workplace. MacLean says the JA experience is something she would recommend to anyone in the business world. “This is their chance to pass along the knowledge they have to our youth, and our youth are our future leaders; I don’t see any drawbacks,” she says. “Why wouldn’t you want to support that?”

BUT I NEED THESE BASKETS BACK ready to aid and Abet JABHoF 12 25 Years

accomplicecontent.ca Platinum Sponsor

Laurate Profile

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE NOVA SCOTIA HAS A LONG HISTORY OF INNOVATION— CHRIS HUSKILSON WANTS TO REVIVE THAT SPIRIT BY CHRIS MUISE Chris Huskilson is the president and CEO of one of Nova Scotia’s most recognized companies: Emera, Nova Scotia Power’s parent company. Although the company was founded in 1999, Huskilson’s involvement goes back to when he joined the Nova Scotia Power Corporation in 1980. “I think certainly the organization has gone through quite an evolution since the early ’90s,” says Huskilson. You can see the evolution at Emera’s ultra-modern headquarters on the Halifax waterfront. “The site that we’re on here was one of the first sites that one of the predecessor companies actually had,” Huskilson says. “It was the Halifax

Light and Gas Company. Back then, it was actually creating coal gas for the street lights in the city of Halifax.” A lot has changed in terms of energy in Nova Scotia since the heyday of gaslit street lamps. For Huskilson, the time is ripe to make big leaps in innovation once more. “There is a real need for us to reinvigorate the entrepreneurial spirit of the province,” he says. He is using the clout, connections, and coffers of Emera to help guide would-be entrepreneurs towards success. “The entire world is changing right now,” he says. “There’s a lot of innovation happening in the world.” And he wants to be part of it.

CHRIS HUSKILSON JA is the leading organization in Canada teaching entrepreneurship and practical economics to young people. Itis a great honour to be inducted into the JANS Business Hall of Fame with business people of the caliber of Jim Eisenhauer and Michael Donovan. I look forward to meeting some of our upcoming leaders participating in JA. Chris grew up in Shelburne and worked in his father’s auto dealerships throughout his youth, learning the art of the deal. He loved learning how things worked and so it was natural for him to study engineering. Chris joined Nova Scotia Power as a summer student in 1978. He became interested in the business of energy which caused him to continue his studies in engineering. He received a BSc. in Engineering and an MSc. in Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. After graduation Chris re-joined Nova Scotia Power. His first major project was automating the Annapolis Tidal Project, the first tidal facility in North America. Chris worked in many areas of the Nova Scotia Power business over his first 12 years, always finding great opportunities and rewarding work. However, he really became energized by the Nova Scotia Power business when it was privatized in1992.In1996, Chris had the continued on page 15

Presenting Sponsor

JABHoF 13 25 Years

Laurate Profile

Huskilson says his company is investing in clean energy sources and smart grid technology. But this push goes beyond just Emera. Almost all sectors, province-wide, will need to invest in the future to thrive in a rapidly-changing global economy. For old-school industries that are already an established part of the Nova Scotia economy, that means investing in new ways to use an old product. Take the forest industry, for example. “The traditional part of the forest sector has been diminishing,” Huskilson says. We need other things to do with that resource, such that we will continue to have employment in that area. He wants to help the forestry industry find new things to make out of their product, to keep them competitive. “One of the things we’re doing today is investing in what’s called the Forest Innovation Hub. That’s working with the Acadian Forest to produce some new opportunities for us to continue to have a forest sector in this province.” One example Huskilson cites is a biomass plant in Brooklyn, N.S. where forestry products like sawdust and other forms of wood residue are used to fuel steam turbines and generate power. Emera has also invested in tidal power.

JABHoF 14 25 Years

Platinum Sponsor

Laurate Profile

But Huskilson says the innovation doesn’t stop at energy. The Idea Hub is a program at Dalhousie University that invests in students exploring new ideas that could one day create a whole new market for a product or service that doesn’t exist yet. If a student at Dal has a brilliant idea to harvest energy from beets, or an app that lets you control all the appliances in your home from your smart phone, Huskilson wants to be there with them on the ground floor. “We think that there’s opportunity to continue to engage with the universities, and to turn that into future growth in the province,” says Huskilson. His push to promote innovation doesn’t stop at the university or even high school level. Emera recently helped give the Discovery Centre new life by allowing the long-time education facility to set up shop on-site, in a brand-new state-of-the-art facility. The Discovery Centre raised most of the funds needed to build the new location through donations and sponsors, but Emera has made a large contribution by offering them the space rent-free for 25 years. Investing in the Discovery Centre might not have a one-to-one direct correlation with new products on the market and new businesses opening, but it does teach kids that STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math) are fun, and that might one day lead them into a field Nova Scotia could benefit from. “It would be wonderful if some of the things we’re investing in today, like the Idea Hub or the Discovery Centre, were to lead someone to decide they wanted to build a business,” says Huskilson. Huskilson says that the Junior Achievers, who inducted him into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame, are part of a program that directly partners enterprising young kids at the high school level with business leaders in the community. The program provides invaluable insight on the risks and rewards to entrepreneurship.

Platinum Sponsor

“The connection between youth and students learning, and innovation in business, is all very important. That’s what’s so nice about the way JA does this,” says Huskilson. “It’s a tremendous honour to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, especially with all of the people that have been inducted before me...all of the laureates, all the people that have been honoured, become great examples for the students who are working to become businesspeople.” Whether it gets them early during a field trip to the Discovery Centre, helps guide them into a career through Junior Achievers or the Idea Hub, Huskilson says the drive to innovate, and how well it is cultivated here, will make or break Nova Scotia’s future prosperity. Even though it means spending hard-earned dollars, failure to innovate essentially means we’re stuck lighting street lamps with coal gas. “We can’t stand still. We have to invest, and we have to make these things happen,” says Huskilson. “It’s good business, and at the end of the day, it’s good for the province.”

continued from page 13 opportunity as part of a team to work on a new strategy for the recently privatized company. In1999 Emera was formed and Chris began leading the utility portion of the growing and diversifying business. In 2004 Chris became President and CEO of the company, at which time the market capitalization was $1.8 billion, total assets were $3.9 billion and it served 610,000 customers. In2005 Chris formed a new team, developed a new strategy focused on Emera’s strengths and pursuing clean affordable energy for customers, and set out on a path to grow the business. Today Emera has a market capitalization of over $9.5 billion, total assets of $29.2 billion and serves 2.5 million customers. Along the way Chris has served as Chair of the Greater Halifax Partnership, the Canadian Electricity Association and the Energy Council of Canada also as Director of the NS Community College, the Edison Electric Institute and InnovaCorp. In2013he was named Canadian Energy Person of the Year with Ed Martin, named a 2015 Clean Energy Champion and received an honourary Doctorate from the University of New Brunswick. Chris and his wife Kim have three sons: all Engineers. Edit Chris began his career with Nova Scotia Power in 1980. He was made Chief Operating Officer of Emera and Nova Scotia Power in July 2003 and President and Chief Executive Officer of Emera in 2004. Today Emera has a market capitalization of over $9.5 billion, total assets of $29.2 billion and serves 2.5 million customers. Chris is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia, past-chair of the Greater Halifax Partnership, the Energy Council of Canada, and the Canadian Electricity Association.

JABHoF 15 25 Years

Make an Impact with Purpose.

Wherever you are in your career, the Sobey School of Business will help you make an impact. Bachelor of Commerce (10 majors) · HR Management Certificate · Financial Instrument Analysis Certificate · Master of Business Administration · Master of Business Administration (CPA Stream) · Master of Applied Economics · Master of Finance · Master of Management, Cooperatives and Credit Unions · Co-operative Management Graduate Diploma · Master of Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation · Executive MBA · PhD (Management) · Custom Executive Education Join us for an information session, contact us or visit our campus.

#impactwithpurpose · sobey.smu.ca

Proud supporter of the Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame.

Clearwater Seafoods congratulates the Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia Business Hall of fame on its 25th anniversary.

Clearwater

Visit us online or at one of our two retail locations 757 Bedford Highway | 902-443-0333 Halifax international Airport | 902-873-4509

www.clearwater.ca

OUR SPONSORS OUR SPONSORS OUR SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PRESENTING SPONSOR PLATINUM SPONSORS

content supply co.

PLATINUM SPONSORS GOLD SPONSOR PLATINUM SPONSORS GOLD SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS

content supply co. GOLD

SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSOR

PRESENTING SPONSOR PRESENTING SPONSOR

OUR SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

OUR SPONSORS

PLATINUM SPONSORS

content supply co.

PLATINUM SPONSORS PRESENTING SPONSOR PLATINUM SPONSORS PRESENTING SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR PLATINUM SPONSORS SILVER GOLD SPONSORS SPONSOR

content supply co.

PLATINUM SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORS GOLD SPONSORS SPONSOR SILVER BRONZE SPONSOR BRONZE SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSOR

Laurate Profile

TRUE TO HIS ROOTS

LUNENBURG HAS ALWAYS BEEN HOME TO J.D. EISENHAUER’S FAMILY—AND THERE’S NO OTHER PLACE HE’D BUILD HIS BUSINESS BY CHRIS MUISE Many consider Metro Halifax the mecca of business in Nova Scotia—if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere in the province. But for one of this year’s inductees to the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame, J.D. Eisenhauer, being able to work where he calls home matters more. Eisenhauer is the president of ABCO Group Limited, a metal fabrication business in Lunenburg. “I go back to the original settlers in Lunenburg in 1753,” says Eisenhauer. “I’m eighth generation, and my granddaughters that live in town are 10th generation.” Eisenhauer is also second generation in the family business. His father founded ABCO in 1947, which means it celebrates

its 70th year in business this year. He became president of the company until 1984. “Lunenburg’s home,” says Eisenhauer. “[It was] always my goal to go back to work in my family business, and bring up the family there.” Halifax is where a great deal of the province’s movers and shakers in business have set up shop, which leads to a concentration of resources and customers rural Nova Scotia can’t match. But in Lunenburg, Eisenhauer finds the best of both worlds. “I think that Lunenburg is in a, I call it a ‘golden circle’ area that’s maybe an hour radius of Halifax. The city is very reachable,” says Eisenhauer. “If you get beyond that— Liverpool, Shelburne, Yarmouth, or going

J. D. (JIM) EISENHAUER

J. D. (Jim) Eisenhauer, FCPA,FCA; P. Eng. Following graduation from the Lunenburg School system in 1969, Jim attended Dalhousie University where he received a BSc in 1972. Jim graduated from Nova Scotia Technical University in 1974 with a B Eng (Industrial). He began his working career in 1974 as a student with Clarkson Gordon (now Ernst & Young LLP) and received his CA designation in 1977. He was awarded the profession’s highest designation of FCA in 2005. In 1978 Jim joined his family’s business -- and became Manager of the company’s Newfoundland Division. In 1982, he returned home and was appointed President of ABCO Industries in 1984. Jim is also founding President of ABCO Group Limited (1987), West Nova Fuels (1987) and Nova Wood Products (1992). Jim is a Director and founding partner of Stelia Aerospace North America Limited, Lunenburg. He is a Director of Emera Inc., Halifax and Atlantic Industries Limited, Sackville, NB. Jim is a former Chair and Director of Nova Scotia Power Inc. Over the years Jim has been involved in many volunteer activities in Lunenburg and Provincially including Past Chair of Nova Scotia Business Inc. and Nova Scotia Voluntary Planning. continued on page 23

Platinum Sponsor

JABHoF 21 25 Years

Laurate Profile

the other way, Amherst and past Truro— it’s just a harder commute.” Eisenhauer often drives into the city to share ideas and strategies with city business owners. Taking that regular trip is part of the package when doing business in Halifax from a distance. “We often joke and say that the road from Halifax to Lunenburg is a longer road than the one from Lunenburg to Halifax,” says Eisenhauer. “We accept that we are on the fringes of Halifax. We do a lot of business in Halifax, we’re in all the time. It’s just like a regular commute. It’s just a different attitude.”

JABHoF 22 25 Years

Being prepared to make those little sacrifices in convenience is part of the package, according to Eisenhauer. “We don’t have the flexibility to go down the street or across the block to get other suppliers or services or supports the same way they do here in the city. Overnight courier is over two nights,” says Eisenhauer. “Stuff like that, that you adapt to.” But working out of Lunenburg has its advantages too. “I think there are lots of advantages to it, clearly, on a lifestyle basis,” says Eisenhauer. “When I look at my

fellow laureates, running significant international public companies, [Michael Donovan] on the road half of his time for the last 35 years, I clearly didn’t want to do that. Our business design is somewhat restricted by geography because I wanted to be home at night.” Eisenhauer says that the temptation to relocate closer to the provincial business core in Halifax has not come up at ABCO Group, but even if it had, he doubts that they would ever make that move. Being a manufacturing business, it would be impractical to uproot the entire enterprise and move it closer to the city. But even beyond that, Eisenhauer says it’s the team they’ve built over 70 years in the community that would be the bigger loss. “We enjoy working in Lunenburg County, because Lunenburg County, I think, has an employee base with a very strong work ethic,” says Eisenhauer, who adds that only an exponential expansion of the business could realistically see ABCO setting up shop in the urban core. “It’s just difficult to uproot that. Not only is it the cost of the physical transfer, it’s the team. It would just be hard to replace that.” Eisenhauer, who is to be inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame, knows that many young, promising entrepreneurs will one day be faced with the question of where to set up shop: where the business is, or where home is. Deciding which is best for the success of the enterprise is the tricky part. “I think that the lifestyle decision is becoming a more important decision for a lot of people,” says Eisenhauer. “It’s a

Presenting Sponsor

Laurate Profile

challenge. You have to find the right fit.” But Eisenhauer also believes that the next generation of businessmen and women will have a much wider range of options to accommodate both for business and home life, much more so than his generation had, or the generation before his. “I think technology is really making that possible today,” says Eisenhauer. “You’re seeing a lot of people decide where they want to live... rather than where they want to work.” Eisenhauer encourages entrepreneurial youth to give rural Nova Scotia a try. “I’d

Platinum Sponsor

say go for it. There’s lots of help, lots of support for that type of initiative. We need to try to reverse the trend of the ‘hollowing-out’ of the rural Nova Scotia. I would encourage anybody that feels that they’d like to live outside of Metro and establish their business there, to look at it. It’s a viable option.”

continued from page 21 He is currently a Director of St. John’s Heritage Foundation Incorporated, Waterfront Development Corporation Limited and Lunenburg Waterfront Association Inc. Jim was also Chair of the Fundraising Committee that supported the restoration of St. John’s Anglican Church after the devastating fire in 2001 and Chair of the Capital Campaign that funded the construction of the new Learning Centre at Ross Farm Museum in 2015.

JABHoF 23 25 Years

Congratulations Jonathan Lokonyen!

Jonathan served as President of his Junior Achievement Nova Scotia Company sNapShot Photography and is this year’s recipient of Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour and Advanced Education $1,000 Scholarship! “I’m so pleased to accept this award from the Department of Labour and Advanced Education. They helped me go so far and achieve my only dream, to pursue my future and to continue my studies.” —Jonathan Lokonyen www.novascotia.ca/studentassistance

DESIGNER CANADIAN BRIDAL COLLECTION FEATURING OUR EXCLUSIVE CANADIAN DIAMONDS SET IN 100% CANADIAN GOLD

Richard Calder

Renowned diamond expert Richard Calder founded Charm Diamond Centres over 40 years ago. Richard has spent his life searching for and creating the world’s best bridal offerings for the Canadian Bride. From Richard’s extensive experience, he has brought this hand selected signature collection to life.

View the collection at charmdiamonds.com

Laurate Profile

WALK BEFORE YOU RUN MICHAEL DONOVAN IS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS TV AND FILM SUCCESSES, BUT HIS FAILURES TAUGHT HIM HIS BIGGEST LESSONS MICHAEL DONOVAN

BY CHRIS MUISE You probably know Michael Donovan from his successes like This Hour Has 22 Minutes, a show he co-created with his brother Paul. The sci-fi series Lexx was a cult hit. Bowling for Columbine, which he co-produced, won an Academy Award. But Donovan will point to some of his career’s worst-received, least remembered projects as being vital keys to his own success. Donovan is the founder and executive chair of DHX Media, which produces numerous children’s shows for many different markets, most notably the United Kingdom. “We’re the leading independent supplier of children’s programming of any company in the world, including British [companies], to the BBC,” says Donovan. “And the BBC is the most important buyer of children’s programming, because they make a priority of it.” DHX Media started out as the Halifax Film Company, before merging with Decode Entertainment out of Ontario. Alongside the Donovans’ Salter Street Films, these production houses were certainly very local in their roots. Turning them into global media powerhouses took a lot of travel, according to Donovan, who has been in the industry for 37 years. “It’s hard work to get out,” says Donovan “It’s easier to think, well, you

Executive Chairman, DHX Media

can just stay at home and sell to the five people around the corner. But there’s the seven billion around the world. That’s really what you want to focus on. There has been not one year in those 37 years that I’ve not spent at least 150 nights in some hotel somewhere.” Today it’s easy to send media via email to prospective buyers. But Donovan still spends half his life on the road anyway, because he considers the in-person pitch critical to the sale. And if a project doesn’t sell as well as one might like, being in the room to experience the rejection firsthand can afford one a lot of insight on how to succeed. Donovan recounts his attempt to sell South Pacific 1942 (the Donovan brothers’ first film) to international markets. In 1981, emailing films wasn’t an option. He spent six months carting 20-kilogram reels of silver nitrate film from buyer to buyer, hoping to make a sale. “It was one that did not at all succeed,” says Donovan. “I felt an obligation to do everything I could to make it succeed... if it wasn’t going to succeed, I was at least going to give it the royal try.” Selling the film back then meant meeting interested parties in small board rooms with a projector, and sitting through the film with them. Typically the property was bought or not after watching just the

A leading light in Canadian film and television for more than 30 years, Michael Donovan has stood out as a bold innovator and visionary. Michael is a serial entrepreneur, content creator and Academy Award® winning producer. Michael is co-founder and Executive Chairman of DHX Media, which holds the world’s largest independent library of kids’ and family content, with over 11,800 halfhours across more than 400 shows. Shortly after graduating from Dalhousie Law School, Michael teamed with his brother, Paul, to start Salter Street Films, a Halifax-based production company, in 1983. As Michael has often said, Salter Street was born of a love of movies and built on 100% sweat equity. After producing their first feature film on a shoestring budget, the brothers immediately moved on to make additional films with extremely limited resources. Despite the challenges, Michael had found his true passion, and he forged ahead. Salter Street’s revenues grew to CAD$30 million by 1997, and the next year, Michael took Salter Street public in 1998, raising CAD$12 million through an initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). In 1998, Salter Street generated revenues of CAD$35 million. The company specialized in the production and continued on page 26

Platinum Sponsor

JABHoF 25 25 Years

Laurate Profile

continued on page 25 international distribution of satirical films and television. Michael chose this genre because it was a fusion of social purpose with entertainment. Salter Street reached its pinnacle when it produced the feature documentary Bowling for Columbine, written and directed by Michael Moore, for which both Moore and Donovan received many awards, including the prestigious Academy Award®. In 2001, Salter Street Films was acquired by Alliance Atlantis for CAD$84 million. Michael started DHX Media in Halifax as an idea on a clean piece of paper – to use the perennial appeal of children’s television to ride the coming wave of digital content streaming. DHX Media has since grown to become a key player internationally focused on production, distribution, broadcasting and licensing of entertainment for children and families. DHX’s portfolio of programming includes globally recognized brands such as the Peanuts, Strawberry Shortcake, Teletubbies, Inspector Gadget, Degrassi, Caillou and many more. DHX went public in May 2006, raising CAD$20 million in an IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Today, DHX has achieved an enterprise value in excess of CAD$1 billion. DHX Media shares trade on the TSX and NASDAQ and the company employs more than 1,200 personnel across the globe. The company is currently one of the leading suppliers of children’s content to digital streaming platforms worldwide, including Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Hulu and many others. DHX enjoys content and licensing partnerships with such notable peers as Mattel, DreamWorks Animation and Sony Pictures Animation. As well, the company’s consumer products division, CPLG, headquartered in London, UK, and with offices in 12 countries, has built the largest independent consumer product sales entity in Europe. As a creator, Michael has received more than 40 awards for his work in film and television throughout his career. Michael believes a company’s highest priority is first to create value for society. He knows that that priority is essential to building value in the creative industry in which he operates.

JABHoF 26 25 Years

first reel, about a third of the finished fil, and according to Donovan, he rarely got even that far into the pitch. “Almost all would cut the film off halfway through the first reel, and they would say, ‘sorry, this is not for us,’” says Donovan. South Pacific 1942 only managed to sell in Germany, which just about paid for the trip to try and market the picture. The film itself may not have been a success, but Donovan doesn’t consider those six months wasted. The film he had may not have hit with buyers, but he was able to find out exactly what kind of flick would. “I had the good luck, if you will, to at the end of every meeting, say ‘OK, that’s not working for you - tell me exactly the film that you would like to see,’” says Donovan. “One by one, these people described [their ideal movies]. This was the market, describing the film they wanted to see.” B-movies were all the rage on the international market back in the early ’80s, and Donovan brought that back home with him. The film Siege (Self Defence in some markets) was the result. It was practically tailor-made for the buyers who rejected South Pacific 1942. They gobbled it up when he brought that film to market. “That film was a huge success,” says Donovan. “They were all making offers, and I would have two or three bids in every territory. We walked away with three, four times its cost at the end of the day.” The lesson for young entrepreneurs to take from this, according to Donovan, is that early failure shouldn’t be a reason to shy away from a business. If anything, early failures are vital to long-term success. “The key there was that the first film was a failure. The failure gave us the information to go forward,” says Donovan. “The key thing that people must not do is stop at the failure. The failure is a good start, and the second failure is further along the road. Early success, I think, in fact is bad for someone. If our first film had succeeded, it would have been a mistake.”

Donovan says it’s a hard thing to describe, but believing a project can succeed is more important than being realistic about whether a project can succeed. He has seen brilliant pitches from up-and-coming filmmakers languish in development hell because the creator didn’t put his faith behind it, and has seen idiotic pitches get filmed and released because the person selling it absolutely believed in the picture. “If you are realistic, that’s a dangerous thing to be. You might introduce pessimism, and now you’ve introduced failure,” says Donovan. “Nothing succeeds without optimism.” Donovan says he is honoured to be inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame. He’s especially proud that his 93-year-old mother will be there to share in the recognition. He also hopes that he can be an example to young Junior Achievers, but he believes that inspiring figures can only offer so much. It also takes that extra tenacity one can only find within themselves to take a good idea and make it global. “I believe that the key to success is you have to believe that success is there,” says Donovan.

Platinum Sponsor

Chairmans’ Circle

Acadian Seaplants JP & Louis Deveau

High Liner Foods Incorporated Henry Demone

Advocate Printing & Publishing Sean Murray

Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette Mark Surrette

Read Management Catherine Read

Recruitment Solutions

Bell Aliant Glen LeBlanc

Brookfield Renewable/Énergie Brookfield Richard Legault

CCL Group Steve Parker

Charm Diamond Centers Richard Calder

Clearwater Fine Foods Inc. Colin MacDonald

Eastlink John Bragg

KPMG MSLP Douglas Reid

MacPhee Ford Al MacPhee

Medavie Blue Cross Gillian Gray

Micco Companies Limited Mickey MacDonald

Newcap Radio Rob Steele

NRStor Annette Vershuren

O’Regan’s Automotive Group Sean O’Regan

Presenting Sponsor

Rogers Communications Troy Harnish

Saint Mary’s University Robert Summerby-Murray

Seaboard Transport Group Mark Shannon

The Shaw Group Allan Shaw

Stewart McKelvey George Caines

Sureshot Solutions Michael Duck

Wilsons Fuel Co. Limited Ian Wilson

WM Fares Wadih Fares

JABHoF 27 25 Years

Past Laurate Portraits 1993 Susan Oland

1994 Harvey Doane

1994 Irene Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Entremont

1993 Frank Sobey

1993 Harvey Webber

1993 John Bragg

1994 John Jodrey

1994 L.E. Shaw

1995 Donald McInnes

1995 William Henry Dennis

1996 Izaak Walton Killam

1996 Ron Joyce

1996 Sir Graham Day

1997 Joseph P. Shannon

1997 Purdy Crawford

1997 Sir Samuel Cunard

1998 Cyrus Eaton

1998 Harry Steele

1998 Kenneth C. Rowe

1999 Fred Manning

1999 Fred Smithers

1999 John Risley

2000 Colonel Sidney C. Oland

2000 John Craig

2000 William, Donald & David Sobey

2001 Frank Manning Covert

2001 Hector Jacques

2001 Laurie Stevens

2002 Allan C. Shaw

2002 John Scrymgeour

2002 Roy A. Jodrey

2003 Alexander Keith

2003 Hugh Erskine

JABHoF 28 25 Years

1995 James MacConnell 1995 Ernest & Delia Edwards

1995 Norman Newman

Platinum Sponsor

2003 Irving Schwartz

2004 Charles V. Keating 2004 F. Thomas Stanfield 2004 John W. Lindsay Sr. 2005 Graham W. Dennis 2005 J. William E. Mingo

2005 R.B. Cameron

2006 D. Andrew Eisenhauer

2006 Enos Collins

2006 Rob Dexter

2007 Honourable William A. Black

2007 Jim & Simon Spatz

2007 Steve B. Parker

2008 Bernardin Comeau

2008 David & G. Peter Wilson

2008 Wadih Fares

2009 Al MacPhee

2009 Joseph Zatzman

2009 Ralph Medjuck

2010 Anette Vershuren

2010 Bruce Murray

2010 J. William (Bill) Ritchie

2011 Richard & Sharon Calder

2011 Robert (Bob) Kelly

2011 Rose Schwartz

2012 Ben McCrea

2012 C.J. & Bill Morrow

2012 Chief Terrance Paul

2013 Joe Randall

2013 Stephen Smith

2013 Willett J. & Hugh O. Mills

2014 Henry Demone

2014 Robert Risley

2014 Stephen & Paul Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Regan

2015 Colin MacDonald

2015 JP and Louis Deveau

2015 Michael Duck

2016 David Read

2016 George Caines, QC

2016 Pete Luckett

Platinum Sponsor

JABHoF 29 25 Years

Audit • Tax • Advisory

The future growth of business depends on the growth of its future leaders. At Grant Thornton LLP, we know a thing or two about business growth, and we couldn’t be more delighted to help Junior Achievement (JA) cultivate Nova Scotia’s up-and-coming business leaders. We congratulate all JA students as well as the inspirational laureates inducted into the Business Hall of Fame.

Kevin is fighting infection for the team. We’re happy to be on his defensive line. Docket:

Client:

GT-17-071

GRANT THORNTON

Project: GT-17-071-NS Junior Achievement ad update

Filename: GT-17-071-NSJuniorAchievementAd-2017-05-04

Live Area: 7” x 4.875”

Trim Size:

Bleed Size:

7” x 4.875”

Appili Therapeutics CEOColors: Kevin Sullivan 4 Color and his team are developing new ways to fight infectious disease, Created still theBy: leading cause of death worldwide. Alexandra Created On:

7” x 4.875”

Prepared At 100% 04/05/2017 @ 02:41PM

Today the company is focused on two drugs. The first removes the awful taste from an 36 Distillery Lane, Suite 250 • Toronto, ON M5A 3C4 existing antibiotic that treats a serious stomach infection known as C-difficile in children. t 416 360-6691 ryanedwards.ca Kids are obviously more willing to take a better-tasting drug, making the treatment more effective. The FDA granted the drug “orphan” status, which gives Appili some breaks in the long and expensive drug-approval process and then seven years of protection from competition when it hits the market. Appili’s second drug is aimed at battling deadly Gram-negative bacteria. Those are the “superbugs” increasingly resistant to drug treatment and posing an enormous threat to human health. And as if those two pursuits weren’t enough, Kevin continues to comb the world for new drugs to develop. In fact he’s already got a few potential new ones on the horizon. Equity investment and custom-built incubation space and programs from Innovacorp are helping Kevin continue to fight the good fight from Nova Scotia. You’ll agree the world needs a few doses of Appili.

43085 AP

PRINT · STRATEGY · DESIGN · PHOTOGRAPHY · ONLINE DEVELOPMENT · SIGNAGE · DISTRIBUTION

43085 APP Enhancing Communities Ad HalifaxMag-May.indd 1

2017-05-03 11:40:19 AM

Building stronger communities. At BMO Bank of Montreal®, we take pride in our local communities. That’s why, each year, through various sponsorships and community involvement we are committed to providing our support. BMO Bank of Montreal is proud to support the Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame

Registered trade-marks of Bank of Montreal.

OVER 3 MILLION READERS

PLUS: WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR HALIFAX’S HISTORIC ROTUNDA? p. 10 WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE IN A CAR CRASH p. 32 THE OPINIONATED NOVA SCOTIA CRAFT BEER WEEK GUIDE p. 42

CHOOSE YOUR OWN HALIFAX DISASTER MAY 2017 $3.95

Halifax’s Family Magazine ourchildrenmagazine.ca

May 2017

JUNE 2017

Bring on Bedford Days

Keep on rockin’

Celebrating 40 years of the community’s kickoff to summer

PUBLISHING ATLANTIC CANADA

FOR OVER 40 YEARS

Brock Molyneux creates a unique campaign for cardiology research

On the road again

Family-friendly trips for the summer

Schedule of events inside!

With an award-winning team of journalists producing 20+ titles, Metro Guide Publishing shares Atlantic Canada’s stories. Readers turn to us for high-quality reporting on people, entertainment, homes and gardens, design and décor, travel, the arts, business, and much more. + living gluten free

•

face to face • book reviews

• GO WITH THE GUT p. 8 • WHAT’S IN A NAME? p. 14 • REMEMBRANCE OF A LIFETIME p. 21

902-420-9943 | publishers@metroguide.ca | www.metroguide.ca 2882 Gottingen Street, Halifax, NS B3K 3E2

Making a Difference SUPPORTING JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT LETS JEAN-PAUL DEVEAU HELP OTHERS FIND THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL PATH BY CHRIS MUISE Jean-Paul Deveau co-owns Acadian Seaplants Ltd., which has sponsored the Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia program since 2015. JA earned his patronage, in part, by lauding his business acumen. “It certainly helped when my father and I were inducted as laureates in the Business Hall of Fame,” Deveau chuckles. “It certainly grabbed our attention.” Deveau’s devotion to JA isn’t about repaying that recognition, though. He says the induction made him aware of the JA program, but he became a sponsor because he truly believes in its mission of lifting up young people with lots of potential. Deveau says he saw first-hand the kind of youths the JA had under their wing when some of their charges helped put together a video highlighting the Deveaus and their business, which produces a variety of products from seaweed harvested off the coast of Nova Scotia for markets both regional and global. Deveau didn’t just see high school kids – he saw talented, proactive individuals who had a future in this province. “Those young people were so impressive,” says Deveau. “We felt it was important that we provide support to JA, in terms of what they do to encourage young people to achieve the potential that they have.” JA sponsorship isn’t just about financial support. It also means being available to give young people the benefit of your years of experience in the Nova Scotia business market. “I really enjoy that. I think that’s one of the ways that we can give back, because people have mentored me,” says Deveau. “In my own career, I’ve discussed opportunities with people who were very influential in my background. They would encourage me. It gave me that extra boost of confidence that allowed me to go say, ‘you know what, what I’m thinking is right,’ and off I go.” Deveau hopes he can be that encouraging voice that inspires the next generation to pursue their own ideas, and knows that sometimes that voice is all someone needs to build up confidence and get a good idea off the ground. “That made a huge difference, when somebody else that you have a lot of respect for says go for it,” says Deveau, who says there is often no one right path to success, but many. “Once you go down a road, go down that road, and really go for it.” Tonight, you’ll probably hear a lot of stories about enterprising teens that the JA program is helping find their path to success,

Platinum Sponsor

and know that those paths are carved with the invaluable help of sponsors like Deveau. And even if you’ve found your way to reading this without having been inducted into the Hall of Fame like he has, hopefully you’ll consider supporting the program anyway, if only to help be a stepping stone in the future success of Nova Scotian businesspeople. “I think there’s nothing greater than having the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve worked with young people,” says Deveau. “You can sit back and go home at the end of your day, and say ‘wow, I’ve made a difference.’”

The

GaTsby

You’re invited to an EXCLUSIVE private event at Luckett Vineyards celebrating Nova Scotia’s local foods and wine.

Saturday July 22nd, 2017 Luckett Vineyards, Wolfville 7:00PM - 10:00PM To purchase a ticket, please contact: Kathleen at: kscholey@janovascotia.ca

JA Nova Scotia A Member of JA Canada

JABHoF 33 25 Years

Dare greatly,

a values statement for economic growth Now, more than ever We celebrate what we have more than what we have-not We applaud the new economy and the growing momentum that is being driven by new and better ways of doing things We treasure our ocean as a providerâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;both of sustainable food sources, and opportunitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at a time when the world is in need of resourcefulness We understand that technology is the great enabler of traditional and new industries, in urban and rural communities We value the leaders in our post-secondary schools that are breaking new ground through research, while preparing our next generation We welcome diverse people, from all backgrounds and places, who bring new ideas and an enterprising ethic We believe that an entrepreneurial spirit is alive in many. They build businesses and create jobs â&#x20AC;&#x201D; invest in our communities and travel in search of new markets The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, who dares greatly, even when they fail Our families, our hospitals, and our schools are supported by this new economy and so we, in turn, support the people making it happen We are taking control of our future Now, more than ever To watch the video visit colour.media /daregreatly

Colour is 100% owned by Atlantic Canadians

Stewart McKelevy