ADEDA News

In the first quarter of 2010, the economy has grown faster than anticipated by the Bank of Canada. And according to the latest from StatsCan, the country’s core inflation rate dropped slightly in March. Although we may not be fully out of the woods, there appears to be a clearing just ahead. In fact, there’s a real sense of optimism in the air, isn’t there? On that note, let’s have a look at what’s happening in Annapolis Digby this week…

CLEARING THE AIR
Last week, the province introduced a bill to create a voluntary carbon offset fund to help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, expand the green economy, and allow us all breathe a little easier. Through this fund, companies and organizations will be encouraged to develop Nova Scotia-based projects that will in turn create emission credits.

SPEAKING WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOR
An historic Digby county newspaper, The Tiny Tattler, has officially entered the digital age. Once known around the globe for its coverage of events ‘without fear or favor’ – a motto I can’t help but love – was also known as Canada’s smallest newspaper. Yes, small but mighty.

BRIDGETOWN HOSTS NOBEL NOMINEE
Lucky you, if you were able to snag a ticket to this sold-out event! On May 3, three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Craig Kielburger – just 24 years old – will talk about his 12 year journey as a humanitarian, child rights advocate and award winning author, offering a unique opportunity for area youth to positively shape the community.

PORT ROYAL TO LAUNCH MEMBERTOU 400
On June 24, Membertou 400 celebrations will kick off at the Port Royal National Historic Site with an amazing educational and entertaining program for the whole community to share. This free family event will celebrate the many cultural contributions made by the Mi’kmaq people, and the life of Grand Chief Henri Membertou. After four hundred years, his legacy of leading with a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect lives on – and that is indeed a man to celebrate.

IBEY HAPPY
NSCC’s second annual Student Business Ideas Competition has yielded a potentially life-saving design for a device that would enable first responders to act more quickly at an accident scene. ADEDA congratulates competition winner Fred Ibey, who will be our featured guest at next month’s Tech Social!

This Thursday, don’t miss the opportunity to take part in an open-forum discussion about the local creative economy, featuring Dr. Greg Baeker, one of Canada’s leading thinkers on the subject.

From Kathleen Shea

Econ.Dev't Agency News

the Business Retention and Expansion (BRE) program is at the heart of everything we do here at ADEDA. Why? First and foremost, it gives us the opportunity to express our thanks for the contribution you've made to the community. BRE also enables us to effectively link local, provincial and federal programs and services. We also get a better sense of the specific business issues our entrepreneurs in Annapolis Digby are facing. Through the BRE process, we have learned that many local companies would like to improve their marketing skills. Here’s a great opportunity to do so:

INTERNET MARKETING FOR SMALL BUSINESS
Expert Internet marketing know-how can hard to come by, particularly when you’re working flat out at running your own business. The Broadband for Rural Nova Scotia initiative, with support from the Department of Economic and Rural Development, is sponsoring an inexpensive internet marketing workshop. Session topics include ‘Building Websites that Sell’ and ‘What is Social Media and How Do I Use It?’ You can also sign up for free 1-on-1 consultations with experts who will critique your website.

TV SHOW GENERATES VALUABLE EXPOSURE
Speaking of marketing, Chef Lynn Crawford really gave our region a boost with the broadcast of her new TV show, Pitchin' In, on Canada's Food Network, earlier this month. Aside from all the great PR for our lobster industry, the media time is worth $288,000 to our region, a figure well beyond our current marketing budgets.

STUDENT JOBS PROGRAM
The Federal government has announced the launch of Canada Summer Jobs 2010, which supports work experiences for students and helps provide important community services. Funding will be offered to not-for-profit, public-sector and small private-sector employers to create high-quality summer job opportunities for young people 15 to 30 years old who are full-time students and intend to return to school in the next school year. Here are the details.

Is Nova Scotia Running Out of Agricultural Land?
The short and long term future of the existing agricultural lands will be the subject of a province-wide consultation later this month. According to Canadian census figures, cleared farmland has declined steadily since at least 1901. There are only 181,915 hectares of active farmland left in Nova Scotia, with a large concentration here in the Annapolis Valley. A series of public meetings will take place to look at what the future holds for our agricultural resources.

GOING SOMEWHERE?
Winter driving is hazardous so please remember to check road conditions before getting behind the wheel. You can do this by viewing highway webcams or simply by calling 511. The province is, in fact, asking for your feedback on the 511 highway service info line … do you have suggestions for improvements?

Here’s something for those who would like to take part in the local arts scene: Secret Seeds, one of the region’s newest cultural endeavors, is an event built around a series of short plays. Organizers will be meeting on Saturday to discuss ideas … you are invited to share your expertise and enthusiasm!