|
July 22, 2008
The Chamber may be taking a summer siesta from board
meetings but we’re always open to invitations. Keep
looking out for regular issues of E-News, which will
continue to bring our members up to speed with current
and emerging business issues in West Hants. The Business
Events calendar will resume in September. We wish you a
prosperous and productive summer as you soak up some
warmth and good ‘ol down home summertime fun with your
family and friends. Remember, networking - and
especially at community events, festivals, the beach or
on the green - means business!
West Hants
and Area News
And then there were two
Closing a Tim Horton’s location is almost unheard of in
Nova Scotia, but that’s exactly what is happening in
Windsor as the Fort Edward Mall location, E-news learned
last week. Franchise-owner Joan Langille told Nova News
Now that traffic flow at the mall is not strong enough
to support the store and mall management is not giving
her the answers to boost confidence in the mall’s
future. “It’s sad for me, but we’ve operated at a loss
for the past two years,” she said. The franchise is
expected to close the location in mid-August just after
SAAN closes, but will not result in any layoffs as staff
will be absorbed into other Windsor locations. Langille
was not available to comment on the possibility of
another West Hants location in Brooklyn in the near
future.
SOLD! Riverview Realty moves with
Minas
They’re on the move alright. In fact, Minas Realties
Ltd. already has its Gerrish Street offices up for lease
as renovations begin on their new home next to Sears at
105 Wentworth Road. With rumours forming in Windsor
faster than an auctioneer’s bid call, E-News can confirm
Minas Realties inked a deal to merge with Riverview
Realty. Local property market speculators and seekers
will be paying close attention for the developments that
lie ahead as realtors take to their corners – of
communities, that is. Former Eastern Valley agent Randy
Hussey, who had been with them since the start of that
company in 2005, takes over the helm to manage the new
company, which will operate under the Minas Realties
Ltd. banner, but launch new branding. Says Hussey, “We
all still enjoy a strong working relationships, but it
is a new frontier in the West Hants realty industry,”
said Hussey, “and we know it’s a step in the right
direction to give us a stronger presence in this
market,” says Hussey. The Property Guys and Tradewinds
Realty Inc. have recently moved into the area. Most of
the real estate agents currently with Riverview Realty
will be joining Minas in its new operations effective
immediately. There are plans in the works to make Minas
a broader-based provider of financial products and
services while maintaining its focus as a quality real
estate brokerage.
West Hants supports Uranium Ban
West Hants municipal councillors are unanimous in their
objection to uranium exploration and mining in the
province. At its July 8 session, Council passed a motion
to send a letter asking the provincial government to
create legislation to permanently ban these activities
in the province. The letter will be sent to Premier
Rodney MacDonald, Natural Resources Minister David
Morse, Hants West MLA Chuck Porter as well as all 55
municipalities in the province. The motion was in
response to correspondence from West Hants -based CAPE
(Citizen Action to Protect the Environment) asking
council to pass a resolution prior to the July 31
deadline for input on Voluntary Planning. A letter from
CAPE chair Barb Gallagher thanked council for their
support on the issue during the May 27 community meeting
held in Windsor by the arms-length government committee.
“As was evident during the meeting, many residents in
this area are concerned about the possibility of the
current ban on uranium exploration and mining being
lifted. It was encouraging to hear your words opposing
uranium mining in Nova Scotia,” the letter stated.
Municipal Warden Richard Dauphinee told Gallagher he was
not surprised by the unanimous support. “I had a feeling
we (council) were all on the same side of the fence on
this.”
Happy 1st Birthday
West Hants Chamber of Commerce sends best wishes Revival
Decorating as it celebrates its first anniversary. Owner
Maggie Bell says it’s hard to believe a year has passed.
“I remember it was just a few days before Sam Slick
weekend and downtown area was just bursting with
action,” she said. “And now so is my business, so it was
a good omen.”
Have a Healthy Vacation
New US travel
regulations over the past year have significantly
increased the demand for new and renewed passports
and the media are predicting the situation to get
worse before it gets better. While applying for your
passport, do so well in advance in order to avoid
delays when plannning to leave the country. It is
recommended to renew your passport for International
travel roughly 6 month prior to its expiry
date. Certain countries require passports to be
valid for 3 to 6 months after your return home
date. Accommodations, other reservations like a car
rental, and calculating your spending “mad” money
normally follow. Health coverage to anticipate
unforeseen journeys to hospitals should be something
to add to your travel check list too, says Denise
Forand of Gateway Travel in Windsor. “Even when
you’re vacationing in another Canadian province this
summer,” says Forand, “looking into extended health
care coverage for the duration of your stay is also
critical. Most people are not aware MSI doesn’t
cover them completely outside of Nova Scotia,” she
says. While Forand adds that you won’t be turned
away by the nearest hospital in Canada, in the event
of a medical emergency, “you will pay for the
difference in the cost of treatment out of your own
pocket,” which varies from province to province as
well as internationally. This includes paying for
all facility and hospital out-patient charges,
x-rays, diagnostic tests, laboratory charges and
most importantly getting back to your home in the
event you need air ambulance, doctor/nurse
to accompany you on your way home. There is a lot
to consider. Remember that insurances will not
cover everything and to read the exclusions.
Forand says those opting
to journey outside of Canada are wise to look up
whether their international destination of choice is
listed in the current country travel advisories
issued regularly by the Department of Foreign
Affairs, which include health warnings from the
Public Health Agency of Canada. ”They regularly
provide up-to-date information about infectious
diseases and other health-related information
Canadians need to know when travelling outside the
country,” says Forand, “but you should also get
information on other health-related issues, like
what immunizations you should get to when you’re
travelling outside the country, depending on where
your destination is. It’s good to even remember to
get your routine needles like your tetanus booster
shot every ten years,” she said. On the whole,
consult with your family physician or a travel
health clinic 6 to 8 weeks before your trip in order
to allow enough time for the vaccines or immunizing
agent to take effect. For Nova Scotia MSI
information, click
here, and
for other handy travel advisories and information,
www.gatewaytravel.ca
and click on “travel tools”. Gateway Travel, Gerrish
St, Windsor. Phone: 798-5761
Looking to work from home?
Nova Scotia Business Inc. is working with an established
call Centre client to assess interest from people
wanting to work from home in the Enfield/Elmsdale area.
Home-based agents would handle a variety of inbound
customer service calls. This opportunity requires having
your own PC with high speed internet and a professional
workspace. Separate from high-traffic areas in your
home. In return, the company would offer flexible
schedules, competitive wages, fully-paid training and a
comprehensive benefits plan. Please email resumes to
admin@hantscounty.com
or drop off resumes at the Hants RDA East Hants office
at the Resource Centre on 15 Commerce Court in Elmsdale.
The deadline for applications is July 30, 2008.
Who else is hiring?
Windsor and area
Kentville and area:
Royal Chinet a little fragile
The Hantsport maker of Royal Chinet has handed its
American counterpart a serving of legal threats over the
right to use the trademark to the popular tableware,
reports ALLNovaScotia.com. CKF Inc., part of the Jodrey
family's holdings was previously known as the Canadian
Keyes Fibre Company, is taking Huhtamaki Americas Inc to
court over the right to use the Chinet trademark and
other associated trademarks in Canada. The two companies
have worked together for 75 years and, until recently,
CKF claims Huhtamaki recognized the Canadian company's
rights to the Chinet group of trademarks until June this
year. Then, the American company, previously known as
the Keyes Fibre Company, demanded royalties and insisted
the Nova Scotian company stop using the trademarks.
Huhtamaki has not yet filed a defense. For a more
detailed profile on the history of CKF Inc. and Royal
Chinet, visit
http://www.royalchinet.com/past.html
Special notice: 55 Alive Driver Refresher Course
The Seniors Safety Program is hosting a 55 Alive Driver
Refresher Course free of charge for any senior over the
age of 65, this course is being held at the Royal
Canadian Legion in Windsor on July 23 from 9a.m – 2pm. A
light lunch will be provided. If people under the age of
65 would like to take the course there is a small fee of
$40.00 per person, if interested please call 798-8380.
Regional
and National Headlines
Lapointe makes his point
After appearing as a witness at the Legislature’s
Standing Committee for Public Accounts last month, the
office of the Auditor General will have access to
privileged documents in order to complete the audit of
the controversial provincial immigrant nominee program
after all. Auditor General Jacques Lapointe will view
the documents at the Justice Department but will not be
permitted to make copies. Last month the MacDonald
government defended its decision to withhold the
documents to protect solicitor-client privilege which
resulted in the committee issuing subpoenas.
Eastlink on the hook for wireless
Canada is poised for a cell-phone industry shakeup from
services being introduced by as many as five new
companies, including Nova Scotia’s Eastlink. The
development is following the federal government
concluding its wireless spectrum auction this week that
made them $4.2 billion dollars richer. The services are
expected to be launched over the next few years and as
soon as next Easter. The government’s windfall is
considerably larger than the original $1.5 billion many
industry analysts had predicted before the auction began
at the end of May. But after eight weeks and 331 rounds,
the government's haul from the 292 licenses sold turned
out to be nearly triple the original forecast. Federal
Industry Minister Jim Prentice said the competitiveness
of the auction exceeded the government's expectations,
and that consumers should benefit as a result. Industry
analysts say the opposite will happen as five new
companies recoup the higher than expected bid prices.
When asked what the auction windfall would be used for,
an Industry Canada spokesperson said the proceeds would
go toward debt reduction. Prentice is to hold a news
conference this week to announce what will be done with
the proceeds. Calls have emerged over the past few weeks
to spend the money on a national broadband strategy so
businesses in rural communities can compete on a global
level. Canada is widely known as one of the countries
with the least competitive and lowest cell phone
usership in the world. A recent study, as reported by
E-news last spring, found that we are 8th most expensive
out of 30 countries with rates for than 50% more than in
the US. The auction was designed to encourage new
competitors to established giants Rogers Communications
Inc., Bell Canada Inc. and Telus Corp. by reserving for
them 40 per cent of the 105 megahertz of airwaves up for
sale. Prentice, in announcing the rules last November,
said new competitors were necessary to bring down the
high costs and poor service offered by the big three in
Canada. The big three, with 60% of the market share,
also have to make their towers available to the new
licensees for a minimum of 5 years. The five new
companies include Halifax-based Bragg Communications
Inc., which operates Maritime cable provider Eastlink.
Bragg won bids for 19 licenses, mainly in Eastern
Canada, but also in Ontario, at a cost of $25 million.
The others are Toronto-based Globalive Communications
Inc., Montreal-based Quebecor Inc, Calgary-based Shaw
Communications Inc. Toronto entrepreneur John Bitove,
Toronto-based Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises (DAVE).
Existing players also won additional licences in the
blocks not reserved for new entrants, with all three
broadly spending across the country together
representing 60 percent of the marketshare.
Toronto-based Rogers was the biggest contributor to the
government's kitty with $999 million spent on 59
licences, while Vancouver-based Telus kicked in $879
million on 59 licences. Montreal-based Bell spent $740
million on 54 licences.
[Source: cbc.ca and ALLNS.com]
Did you know?
Cell phones were first introduced in Montreal and
Toronto by telecommunication giants Bell and Rogers in
1985 and cost between $2,500 and $6,500 a month.
[Source: The National, July 21, 2008 broadcast.]
Chuckles:
Women are like phones. We love to be held, talked too
but if you press the wrong button you’re certain to be
disconnected!
E-News info:
E-News Deadline – We’re taking a week off to enjoy Sam
Slick Festivities and have some summer fun the West
Hants way. As Sam would say for summer, “Hurry is only
admissible in catching flies.” Please be advised our
next issue of WHCC E-News will be published on August
12th. You are invited to submit your business news,
event or announcement by August 8th.
|