NS: Blades missing on experimental tidal turbine recovered from Bay of Fundy
By John Lewandowski, the Canadian Press
Source: The Canadian Press - December 17, 2010
[HALIFAX, NS] - The strength of the currents in the Bay of Fundy may have been too much for an experimental tidal-power turbine that quit working shortly after it was deployed over a year ago.
All 12 blades from the unit’s core were missing when the 400-tonne turbine was lifted from the floor of the Minas Basin about a kilometre off Parrsboro, N.S., around noon on Thursday.
However, officials from Nova Scotia Power Inc. and Ireland’s OpenHydro, who have partnered for the demonstration project, said they’ve already learned a lot from their cursory look at the recovered unit.
“The blades have failed and we need to understand why,” said James Ives, OpenHydro’s chief executive officer.
“But the rest of the turbine, all the generator sections all look to be in very good condition.”
Ives said it’s early in their analysis but they think they overloaded the one-megawatt capacity turbine by underestimating the strength of the tidal current running through it in the Minas Basin.
“We’ve potentially underestimated how much energy is in that site,” said Ives, who calculated that the turbine’s capacity should have been doubled.
“We always thought that the Bay of Fundy was an extremely good tidal resource, but those flows are even stronger so that makes it all the better.”
Mark Savoury, NSP’s vice-president of technical and construction services, said of the six objectives set for the two-year demonstration project, three have been met including deployment, recovery and unit stability.
Early data suggests that the gravity base didn’t shift “a millimetre” during a full year of submersion.
And he said they’re well on their way to understanding more about tidal velocities, the environment and the ruggedness of the machine.
Savoury said they remain committed to the project but it’s too early to know whether they will redeploy the recovered unit or go with an entirely new one.
“The vast majority of the technology and the engineering is not in the blades but the outside diameter and that all looks like it’s in good shape, from what we can see so far,” he said.
Ives said OpenHydro engineers will inspect the turbine once it arrives in Halifax harbour some time in early January.
As to whether to fix and reuse or deploy a new unit, he did express a personal preference.
“We’ve moved on a couple of generations in technology since we built this machine. I would always be keen to be testing out latest technology on a site.”
The 10-metre diameter turbine looks like a giant jet engine and stands on a tripod-shaped base.
Data from its underwater cameras and acoustic monitoring equipment stopped flowing about a week after it was lowered into the water in November 2009.
Clean Current Power Systems Inc., a British Columbia-based firm, and Minas Basin Pulp and Power Co. Ltd. of Hantsport, N.S., have also outlined plans to install experimental turbines in the bay.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Convergys and ADEDA
NS: Convergys loss sparks renewed push to save ADEDA
By Lawrence Powell, Transcontinental Media
Source: Annapolis County Spectator, December 20, 2010
[BRIDGETOWN, NS] — Another business organization has come out in support of the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency, singing its praises and emphasizing the need for a united voice for economic development especially now in light of the pending March closure of the Convergys call centre in Cornwallis.
The Bridgetown and Area Chamber of Commerce issued a media release following a recent directors’ meeting.
“The board of directors of the Bridgetown and Area Chamber of Commerce urges all the municipal partners to work together to resolve the issues that have put ADEDA in the perilous position that it is in now,” it said. “With no agreement in place, the hiring of (former managing director) Mike Gushue’s successor cannot be done.”
The chamber said Gushue and his staff have done a lot for the area, and it is unfortunate that the disagreement between the other funding partners and the County of Annapolis has resulted in Gushue’s resignation.
Annapolis County and Annapolis Royal both gave one year’s notice that they were pulling out of ADEDA. However, an ADEDA working group has been meeting with the county to try to resolve governance, process, and funding issues.
“It is the BACCS’s desire to see things resolved quickly so that economic development in Annapolis and Digby counties can get back on track,” said chamber president Kirk Lycett. “The Convergys announcement makes this so much more important.”
The chamber said it is adding its voice to the already announced support of ADEDA by the Central Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“The region has been through this before, with the demise of the WVDA (Western Valley Development Authority),” the chamber said. “The subsequent years without an RDA did not allow the region access to provincial and federal funding for economic development. The region’s businesses do not want to see this happen again.”
It said the loss of the governments’ investment monies puts the already hard-pressed local economy at a disadvantage when competing with other regions of the province and Atlantic Canada.
By Lawrence Powell, Transcontinental Media
Source: Annapolis County Spectator, December 20, 2010
[BRIDGETOWN, NS] — Another business organization has come out in support of the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency, singing its praises and emphasizing the need for a united voice for economic development especially now in light of the pending March closure of the Convergys call centre in Cornwallis.
The Bridgetown and Area Chamber of Commerce issued a media release following a recent directors’ meeting.
“The board of directors of the Bridgetown and Area Chamber of Commerce urges all the municipal partners to work together to resolve the issues that have put ADEDA in the perilous position that it is in now,” it said. “With no agreement in place, the hiring of (former managing director) Mike Gushue’s successor cannot be done.”
The chamber said Gushue and his staff have done a lot for the area, and it is unfortunate that the disagreement between the other funding partners and the County of Annapolis has resulted in Gushue’s resignation.
Annapolis County and Annapolis Royal both gave one year’s notice that they were pulling out of ADEDA. However, an ADEDA working group has been meeting with the county to try to resolve governance, process, and funding issues.
“It is the BACCS’s desire to see things resolved quickly so that economic development in Annapolis and Digby counties can get back on track,” said chamber president Kirk Lycett. “The Convergys announcement makes this so much more important.”
The chamber said it is adding its voice to the already announced support of ADEDA by the Central Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“The region has been through this before, with the demise of the WVDA (Western Valley Development Authority),” the chamber said. “The subsequent years without an RDA did not allow the region access to provincial and federal funding for economic development. The region’s businesses do not want to see this happen again.”
It said the loss of the governments’ investment monies puts the already hard-pressed local economy at a disadvantage when competing with other regions of the province and Atlantic Canada.
Labels:
call centre ADEDA
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Neighbourhood Renewal
Neighbourhood Renewal, Urban and Community Renewal Training
The Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal has re-launched and re-vamped its popular training programme for 2011 to include new venues and new training topics. Training Sessions run from February and are now planned for locations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland and Canada. Training Session topics for 2011 include:
How to Evaluate Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
Ho to Develop Projects and Programmes to Implement the Big Society Agenda.
How to Appraise Neighbourood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
How to Manage Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
How to Engage Community Groups in Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
Evaluation Masterclass to Assess the Softer Outcomes of Projects and Programmes.
Evaluation of Public Health Improvement Programmes.
Details of the trainings sessions, including course info, dates to be held and training venues can be found here For 2011 the cost to attend a training day is £125 plus VAT which represents excellent value for money. There are also opportunities for Sponsorship of these events which priced at £299 plus VAT per annum. To book your place, take up a sponsorship package or enquire about the event please just click here to send an email and we will make the necessary arrangements. We look forward to seeing you at our training sessions. If you cant make our training sessions, we can do the training In-House for you. Please just get in touch by clicking here. We also run an Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in London and New York,
The Journal of Neighbourhood Renewal has re-launched and re-vamped its popular training programme for 2011 to include new venues and new training topics. Training Sessions run from February and are now planned for locations in the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland and Canada. Training Session topics for 2011 include:
How to Evaluate Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
Ho to Develop Projects and Programmes to Implement the Big Society Agenda.
How to Appraise Neighbourood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
How to Manage Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
How to Engage Community Groups in Neighbourhood Renewal Projects and Programmes.
Evaluation Masterclass to Assess the Softer Outcomes of Projects and Programmes.
Evaluation of Public Health Improvement Programmes.
Details of the trainings sessions, including course info, dates to be held and training venues can be found here For 2011 the cost to attend a training day is £125 plus VAT which represents excellent value for money. There are also opportunities for Sponsorship of these events which priced at £299 plus VAT per annum. To book your place, take up a sponsorship package or enquire about the event please just click here to send an email and we will make the necessary arrangements. We look forward to seeing you at our training sessions. If you cant make our training sessions, we can do the training In-House for you. Please just get in touch by clicking here. We also run an Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in London and New York,
Call Centre Closing
NS: Search begins for Convergys replacement
By John DeMings, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Digby Courier, December 17, 2010
[CORNWALLIS, NS] — Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency has issued a statement expressing concern and disappointment over the decision by Convergys to cease operations and close its Cornwallis Park facility by March.
Convergys has operated in Cornwallis since 2004 and currently employs about 290 people at its site there.
“Obviously, this is a huge blow to our area, and an extremely difficult situation for Convergys employees and their families,” said Dan Harvey, ADEDA’s acting managing director.
Harvey said that he would meet with Convergys management as soon as possible to discuss the situation and garner further details, and that the agency will work with all levels of government and other related businesses on the resulting transitional plan.
“We’d like to see quality employment being offered in that same facility as soon as possible to minimize the income lapse for any affected employees,” Harvey said.
Annapolis County warden Reg Ritchie said his council received word Wednesday that Convergys will be shutting its doors in March.
News of Convergys’ closure “has saddened all of us,” Ritchie said. “This is a tremendous blow to our region and to the people who depend on this company for their livelihood.”
He said municipal council and staff will work hard to find another tenant for the building, and will be looking for partnership with other government agencies to help in this effort.
By John DeMings, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Digby Courier, December 17, 2010
[CORNWALLIS, NS] — Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency has issued a statement expressing concern and disappointment over the decision by Convergys to cease operations and close its Cornwallis Park facility by March.
Convergys has operated in Cornwallis since 2004 and currently employs about 290 people at its site there.
“Obviously, this is a huge blow to our area, and an extremely difficult situation for Convergys employees and their families,” said Dan Harvey, ADEDA’s acting managing director.
Harvey said that he would meet with Convergys management as soon as possible to discuss the situation and garner further details, and that the agency will work with all levels of government and other related businesses on the resulting transitional plan.
“We’d like to see quality employment being offered in that same facility as soon as possible to minimize the income lapse for any affected employees,” Harvey said.
Annapolis County warden Reg Ritchie said his council received word Wednesday that Convergys will be shutting its doors in March.
News of Convergys’ closure “has saddened all of us,” Ritchie said. “This is a tremendous blow to our region and to the people who depend on this company for their livelihood.”
He said municipal council and staff will work hard to find another tenant for the building, and will be looking for partnership with other government agencies to help in this effort.
Labels:
Digby Convergys call centre
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Could Lose Major Employer in Digby- Hope not
NS: Government considers possible sale of three provincial resorts
By Staff, The Canadian Press
Source: The Canadian Press - December 16, 2010
[HALIFAX, NS] - The government of Nova Scotia is considering several options - including the possible sale - of three resorts it owns.
The management contract with New Castle Hotels for Digby Pines, Keltic Lodge and Liscombe Lodge expires in January 2012.
Tourism Minister Percy Paris says all three properties are in need of major repairs that could cost as much as $22 million.
Paris say they are significant economic and employment generators in their communities and important to the province’s tourism industry.
His department has issued a request for expressions of interest to develop a range of options for the future operation of the properties.
Paris says previous governments have ignored the resorts for years and as a result, a lot of their amenities are in need of costly upgrades.
By Staff, The Canadian Press
Source: The Canadian Press - December 16, 2010
[HALIFAX, NS] - The government of Nova Scotia is considering several options - including the possible sale - of three resorts it owns.
The management contract with New Castle Hotels for Digby Pines, Keltic Lodge and Liscombe Lodge expires in January 2012.
Tourism Minister Percy Paris says all three properties are in need of major repairs that could cost as much as $22 million.
Paris say they are significant economic and employment generators in their communities and important to the province’s tourism industry.
His department has issued a request for expressions of interest to develop a range of options for the future operation of the properties.
Paris says previous governments have ignored the resorts for years and as a result, a lot of their amenities are in need of costly upgrades.
Call Centre Closing
Convergys closing call centre
By Leanne Delong, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Digby Courier - December 15, 2010
[CORNWALLIS, NS] - The company informed Convergys its employees Tuesday.
“It really was an emotional day yesterday. A lot of people were pretty upset, nobody wants to hear this just before Christmas,” said one employee.
The employee added the closure is blamed on the Canadian and American dollars at near par.
Convergys offered its employees the opportunity to relocate to other locations in Halifax and New Glasgow, and employees in the work-at-home program would not be affected, said the employee.
“It’s really going to hurt this area, Convergys did a lot locally and pumped millions of dollars into the local economy.”
Digby mayor Ben Cleveland said with the loss of Convergys he wishes “people would stop saying no to development in this area because we’re not going to get ahead if we continue resisting change.”
“We’re going to continue working hard to find replacements for those jobs. We’ll talk to various levels of government to see what we can attract to the area,” he said.
Convergys opened the Cornwallis location in 2004. The facility is an inbound call centre offering customer service for a large U.S. wireless provider.
When the facility opened, Convergys signed a five-year renewable lease for the building with the Digby-Annapolis Development Corporation. The lease was renewed but expires in April.
Convergys has roughly 65,000 employees in 68 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
By Leanne Delong, Transcontinental Media
Source: The Digby Courier - December 15, 2010
[CORNWALLIS, NS] - The company informed Convergys its employees Tuesday.
“It really was an emotional day yesterday. A lot of people were pretty upset, nobody wants to hear this just before Christmas,” said one employee.
The employee added the closure is blamed on the Canadian and American dollars at near par.
Convergys offered its employees the opportunity to relocate to other locations in Halifax and New Glasgow, and employees in the work-at-home program would not be affected, said the employee.
“It’s really going to hurt this area, Convergys did a lot locally and pumped millions of dollars into the local economy.”
Digby mayor Ben Cleveland said with the loss of Convergys he wishes “people would stop saying no to development in this area because we’re not going to get ahead if we continue resisting change.”
“We’re going to continue working hard to find replacements for those jobs. We’ll talk to various levels of government to see what we can attract to the area,” he said.
Convergys opened the Cornwallis location in 2004. The facility is an inbound call centre offering customer service for a large U.S. wireless provider.
When the facility opened, Convergys signed a five-year renewable lease for the building with the Digby-Annapolis Development Corporation. The lease was renewed but expires in April.
Convergys has roughly 65,000 employees in 68 locations throughout the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
ADEDA News
Ferry Follow Up
There was active and positive follow up to the recent announcement the federal government would make an additional three year commitment to providing investment funding for the Digby to Saint John ferry service across the Bay of Fundy.
West Nova Member of Parliament Greg Kerr meet first with area business and government leaders to further outline the decision by the federal government to extend the funding. Kerr urged the communities affected by the service to be open to new ideas and to look at all options for the future of this service as well as other investment opportunities.
Immediately after that public meeting our MP met with the Bay of Fundy Transportation Coalition to further specify the context and future implications of the announcement.
That meeting was organized by the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency (ADEDA) at the behest of the Coalition.
Among many topics Kerr discussed the issue of governance, stressed the need to look at different models, and to make the business case for the ferry going forward, adding that economic development was key to this.
He particularly credited the Coalition planning group for their past efforts and for being prepared to immediately start strategically thinking about how the ferry service should be sustained in the future.
Our Global Positioning As A World Leader
A recent feature story in the Saint John Telegraph Journal outlined how use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was radically changing forest management. The article described GIS as merging “statistical analysis and data base technology into a set of tools that allow the user to interpret and understand data in a visual format”.
It immediately brought to top of mind (at least to the top of my mind) the fact that right here in Annapolis Digby we have a post secondary institution that is increasingly being recognized as a world leader in this technology.
As part of the Nova Scotia Community College’s Annapolis Valley Campus, the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) provides basic and advanced training in a variety of Geomatics technologies. Check it out at www.cogs.ns.ca., particularly its One-year Advanced Diploma Program Geographic Information Systems for Business Formerly the College of Geographic Sciences located in Lawrencetown, COGS has become one of the largest technical trainers of students in the geomatics field in Canada. Training technicians and technologists in the fields of surveying, mapping, land-use planning and related computer programming has earned the campus an international reputation.
The Lawrencetown site also houses post-degree Geomatics programs in marine geomatics, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and business geographics. Two COGS programs, Applied Geomatics Research and Geomatics Programming, are delivered in Middleton.
All in all it’s a world class learning centre located in our very proud community.
Tom and the Turbines
Any day now I half expect to see one of my boyhood literary idols, Tom Swift, Jr. touring about Annapolis Digby in his ‘Triphibian Atomcar’. Always interested in ways the frontiers of science could be advanced, Tom would be happy here. He would certainly have hopped on the bus and joined the many folks who were able to tour the wind turbines at NSP’s Wind Farm Open House. The impressive facility overlooking the Bay is proudly being described by the operators as “on track and probably ahead of schedule”. Using his amazing “Diving Seacopter “ Tom could also be right in on the action taking place these days exploring the Fundy’s tidal turbine energy potential. Especially in a little over a year when French energy giant Alstom plans to install and commercialize its industrial scale Beluga 9 tidal energy turbine in the Bay. Ah yes, Tom, Frank and Joe Hardy, Nancy Drew, the Rover Boys - and even you too (two) Bobbsey Twins –where are you now? Anyway, thank you good folks at the Stratemeyer Syndicate for a wonderful childhood!
Arts Kudos
First, congrats to Deb Kuzyk and Ray Mackie of Annapolis Royal’s Lucky Rabbit Pottery who were recognized in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine in a piece entitled Five Great Canadian Artisans. Well deserved recognition for one of my favourite studios. And a heartfelt seasonal thank you to Annapolis Digby’s prolific playwright Hal Theriault for his creative adaptation and staging of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and the popular performance by the Digby Area Theatre Society team.
A Community Salute
And we at ADEDA want to join with our entire community this week to “salute” Community Program Officer Rodena Renaud of the Annapolis RCMP for her recognition with The RCMP Foundation’s Golden Spur Award for Outstanding Commitment to Community. At the recent ceremony in Toronto the award citation stated in part, “Her focus on youth at risk, offering support and activities to set them on the right path, are but one of the areas of her focus”. A hearty “well done’”, and thank you, from all of us.
There was active and positive follow up to the recent announcement the federal government would make an additional three year commitment to providing investment funding for the Digby to Saint John ferry service across the Bay of Fundy.
West Nova Member of Parliament Greg Kerr meet first with area business and government leaders to further outline the decision by the federal government to extend the funding. Kerr urged the communities affected by the service to be open to new ideas and to look at all options for the future of this service as well as other investment opportunities.
Immediately after that public meeting our MP met with the Bay of Fundy Transportation Coalition to further specify the context and future implications of the announcement.
That meeting was organized by the Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency (ADEDA) at the behest of the Coalition.
Among many topics Kerr discussed the issue of governance, stressed the need to look at different models, and to make the business case for the ferry going forward, adding that economic development was key to this.
He particularly credited the Coalition planning group for their past efforts and for being prepared to immediately start strategically thinking about how the ferry service should be sustained in the future.
Our Global Positioning As A World Leader
A recent feature story in the Saint John Telegraph Journal outlined how use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was radically changing forest management. The article described GIS as merging “statistical analysis and data base technology into a set of tools that allow the user to interpret and understand data in a visual format”.
It immediately brought to top of mind (at least to the top of my mind) the fact that right here in Annapolis Digby we have a post secondary institution that is increasingly being recognized as a world leader in this technology.
As part of the Nova Scotia Community College’s Annapolis Valley Campus, the Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) provides basic and advanced training in a variety of Geomatics technologies. Check it out at www.cogs.ns.ca., particularly its One-year Advanced Diploma Program Geographic Information Systems for Business Formerly the College of Geographic Sciences located in Lawrencetown, COGS has become one of the largest technical trainers of students in the geomatics field in Canada. Training technicians and technologists in the fields of surveying, mapping, land-use planning and related computer programming has earned the campus an international reputation.
The Lawrencetown site also houses post-degree Geomatics programs in marine geomatics, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and business geographics. Two COGS programs, Applied Geomatics Research and Geomatics Programming, are delivered in Middleton.
All in all it’s a world class learning centre located in our very proud community.
Tom and the Turbines
Any day now I half expect to see one of my boyhood literary idols, Tom Swift, Jr. touring about Annapolis Digby in his ‘Triphibian Atomcar’. Always interested in ways the frontiers of science could be advanced, Tom would be happy here. He would certainly have hopped on the bus and joined the many folks who were able to tour the wind turbines at NSP’s Wind Farm Open House. The impressive facility overlooking the Bay is proudly being described by the operators as “on track and probably ahead of schedule”. Using his amazing “Diving Seacopter “ Tom could also be right in on the action taking place these days exploring the Fundy’s tidal turbine energy potential. Especially in a little over a year when French energy giant Alstom plans to install and commercialize its industrial scale Beluga 9 tidal energy turbine in the Bay. Ah yes, Tom, Frank and Joe Hardy, Nancy Drew, the Rover Boys - and even you too (two) Bobbsey Twins –where are you now? Anyway, thank you good folks at the Stratemeyer Syndicate for a wonderful childhood!
Arts Kudos
First, congrats to Deb Kuzyk and Ray Mackie of Annapolis Royal’s Lucky Rabbit Pottery who were recognized in Air Canada’s enRoute magazine in a piece entitled Five Great Canadian Artisans. Well deserved recognition for one of my favourite studios. And a heartfelt seasonal thank you to Annapolis Digby’s prolific playwright Hal Theriault for his creative adaptation and staging of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, and the popular performance by the Digby Area Theatre Society team.
A Community Salute
And we at ADEDA want to join with our entire community this week to “salute” Community Program Officer Rodena Renaud of the Annapolis RCMP for her recognition with The RCMP Foundation’s Golden Spur Award for Outstanding Commitment to Community. At the recent ceremony in Toronto the award citation stated in part, “Her focus on youth at risk, offering support and activities to set them on the right path, are but one of the areas of her focus”. A hearty “well done’”, and thank you, from all of us.
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