ADEDA News

Tidal Power Already Fuelling Economic Potential
Recent reports in this newsletter - and throughout the mainstream media - of growing international interest in the tidal power potential of the Bay of Fundy are rapidly energizing economic conjecture in Annapolis Digby. And ADEDA has already been very actively working with the Town and Municipality of Digby to secure our geographical and workplace advantages in preparation for prospective business opportunities. ADEDA’s Managing Director said recently in a media interview that Digby was on the cusp of dramatic economic change and needed positioning and assistance quickly to take advantage of that latent potential.

ADEDA has already prepared a position paper that looks at, among other things, the expansion of our existing marine facilities to accommodate the projected capacity needed for the huge cranes and large buildings that would be required.

Meanwhile the local business community also heard plans for a more immediate marine related enterprise when the Digby and Area Board of Trade was briefed by Cooke Aquaculture of its plans for this area including further development of fish farms for salmon and processing facilities. The speakers outlined how currently their similar operations in other provinces are reaping benefits such as increased employment levels, new business development and service sector expansion.

Catch of the Week
However, in an innovative twist to our traditional fishery, it was equally wonderful to note that Atlantic Canada’s first Community Supported Fishery (CSF) was taking another step forward after a successful summer launch. The Off The Hook Cooperative, comprised of five bottom hook and line fishermen from Digby Neck and Islands, in partnership with the Ecology Action Centre, will begin weekly delivery of fresh, sustainably harvested haddock, hake and pollock to subscribing customers this week. The Annapolis Digby area already proudly and actively supports proponents of Community Sustainable Agriculture (CSA) and it’s great to see that another element of the sustainable community food movement is being made available as well.

Nature’s Playground
Meanwhile, back on “terra firma” an innovative new concept has been introduced in Bridgetown’s very popular Jubilee Park. An idea just a few months ago, local residents have marshalled volunteer labour and locally donated equipment and materials to create a “natural playground” that is proving extremely popular with young and old alike.

Keeping in Touch
If like many people you use social media to stay in touch with your regular sources of information and news, ADEDA is travelling with you. Our new communications feature is “Share ADEDA”, and you can access us using social media elements such as Face book, Twitter and YouTube. Just click on to our web site at www.annapolisdigby.com and slide over to the “Share ADEDA” box and click on your preferred icon.

Peter
ADEDA

Ladies' Day

...at the Digby Neck Fire Hall in Sandy Cove, Saturday October 2, '10. $5. admission *lunch included*! Fashion show, Tuppeware, candles, artwork, Mary Kay, Avon and much more! Come on out, gals!

Yarmouth Goes Wireless

NS: Downtown Yarmouth increases appeal by going wireless
By Tina Comeau, Transcontinental Media

Source: The Vanguard, September 27, 2010

[YARMOUTH, NS] — The idea had been tossed around for some time, but it’s only been recently that much of downtown Yarmouth has gone wireless.

The downtown and a few other town blocks have been wireless for about a month now. Members of the town’s technology committee, and the town itself, see the introduction of the wireless network much the same as other infrastructure aimed at improving the lives of citizens and businesses.

The boundaries of the wireless network stretch from Water Street to around Brunswick Street, and from the Yarmouth Justice Centre on south Main Street to around where the Wendy’s/Tim Hortons is located further north.

“You won’t be able to download huge musical torrents or movies or stuff that is going to take a huge amount of bandwidth, because it’s meant to be a public network,” explains councillor Neil MacKenzie, chair of the town’s Public Information Technology Advisory Committee.

But if you need access to the Internet you’ll have it he says, and hopefully it will also serve as a tool to keep visitors to the area here longer.

“It will allow people who come here as a destination or who are traveling through to have more access to things that might get them to stay here,” MacKenzie says. “If they want to know how much a hotel room is, they don’t have to get on the phone, they can query it. It they want to look at a bed and breakfast, they could look it up.”


While standing on Main Street, councillor Neil MacKenzie, chairman of the town’s technology committee, logs into the town’s wireless network. — Tina Comeau photo

The wireless network, which is called Fishnet, is a monitored network, meaning people get a 24-hour lease to use it once they’ve logged on. When that time frame expires they go through the logging process again for future access. After clicking into the network a splash page will come up, asking for an email address. Once you enter the email you can gain access.

MacKenzie says they also have the capability to boost the network if needed for use in conjunction with major events happening in the town. As it stands, MacKenzie says it is a good network.

“The speed is about a four-meg download speed, so it’s not a wimpy network,” he says.

The project had initially been budgeted for $20,000, but it cost just under $16,000 to install and implement.

Other small towns are also jumping on the wireless bandwagon, MacKenzie notes.

“It’s a trend,” he says. “It shows that Yarmouth is thinking out of the box a bit because technology and the Internet needs to be on everyone’s mind or we’re just going to get left behind.”