Atlantic NewsMakers

[HALIFAX, NS] International Centre for Infectious Diseases, Canadian Chamber launch Businessfluplan.ca – The International Centre for Infectious Diseases (ICID) and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce are providing free tools to help small and medium-sized businesses plan for the economic effects of a pandemic. While there are serious concerns about the health impacts of a pandemic, the potential economic impact is also a concern. The 2003 SARS crisis started with a single infected person entering Canada, but resulted in 44 deaths and $1.5-billion in economic losses for Canada. In Mexico this spring, thousands of businesses closed their doors for good after the H1N1 outbreak. To help small and medium-sized businesses plan, ICID and the Chamber have created:
• A website, Businessfluplan.ca, which will feature online planning tools for small business, Q&A with advice from health and business experts, and current information on the pandemic as it progresses. A French-language website will be launched shortly.
• Seminars will be delivered in Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouver, Fredericton, Charlottetown, St. John’s (NF), Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Toronto, Ottawa, Thunder Bay, Montreal, Quebec City and Brandon.
• “Webinars” on pandemic business planning in both English and French.
Because more of the population gets sick with the pandemic influenza, absenteeism rates may increase up to 20 to 25 per cent or higher, with workers off sick or caring for loved ones. Staying home if you are sick is a simple and obvious way of preventing the spread of flu, but it can create a dilemma for businesses without sick benefits and for workers who don’t get paid if they don’t work. Businesses can get details of the dates and locations of seminars and webinars by registering now at Businessfluplan.ca or Plancontrelagrippe.ca. A limited number of additional seminars will also be available by request. Interested groups should e-mail pandemic@icid.com.

[TRURO, NS] Water rate hike hearing slated for Nov. 6 – A hearing will be held in November regarding a proposed water rate hike for Truro Water Utility customers. The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board will hold the hearing in town council chambers (752 Prince St.) at 10 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. For residential customers with 5/8” meters the average bill is $77.55. The town’s proposed hike would see the rate increased to $84.39 in 2010, $93.19 in 2010-11, $99.08 in 2011-12 and $104.90 in 2012-13. The utility is also requesting increases for other sized metres. A study prepared by W. H. Gates Utility Consultants Ltd. and G. A. Isenor Consulting Limited outlining the proposed rates is available to be downloaded at the town’s website http://truro.ca/. There is a link under What’s New in Town section on the right of the homepage. Anyone wishing to have formal standing (present evidence or cross-examine a witness) at the hearing should file a notice with the board by Oct. 20. The Truro Daily News

[AMHERST, NS] Amherst man alleges dismissal due to cancer – Mark McIntyre believes he lost his job at EMCO, a plumbing supply company, because he is currently fighting cancer. McIntyre says he had to take considerable time off to fight bladder cancer and upon returning to work in September, but after only a week back on the job he was fired. The company has refused to comment publically on why McIntyre was let go. Members of the local community are rallying behind he to help get his job back, while McIntyre is hiring a lawyer to look into the possibility of a wrongful dismissal suit.

[AMHERST, NS] Businesses welcome youth volunteers – Two members of the Canada World Youth delegation have joined the Amherst Daily News. Etienne Lapointe of Montreal and Adi Suranta of Indonesia chose the paper as a work placement for their two-and-a-half month stay in the bordertown. After spending Friday morning covering assignments with reporter Raissa Tetanish, the pair was keen to get back out into the community. Lapointe and Suranta join 16 others from Canada World Youth who will be staying with host families through the middle of December. They’ll be learning about the region and its people while participating in volunteer work assignments and community projects. Other area businesses hosting work placements include Centennial Villa, Gables Lodge, Cumberland YMCA, Maggies Place, Canadian Red Cross, Drop Inn Ministries Day Care, Bridge Workshop, Ducks Unlimited, Cumberland Regional Library and TerraSonga. The students arrived in Amherst on Oct. 1, and will be heading to Indonesia after their stay here. The Amherst Daily News

[ENGLISHTOWN, NS] Celtic Colours in full swing – The 13th annual Celtic Colours International Festival is well underway at various sites in Cape Breton, as fans of Celtic music will have no problem getting their fill. The nine-day festival opened Friday night at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre with Island to Island: The Cape Breton-Ireland Musical Bridge show which builds on connections made when Irish fiddler Liz Doherty’s study of Cape Breton fiddle tradition led to a Cape Breton festival taking place in Cork, Ireland in 1993. Approximately 425 artists are performing at this year’s edition of Celtic Colours, which includes 24 artists from Ireland. The Cape Breton Post

[AMHERST, NS] Canadian comedian coming to chamber awards gala – He’s been called a young Bill Cosby, and comedian Evan Carter will be showing audience members in Amherst why. Carter, who lives in Etobicoke, Ont., will bring his comedy with him as he performs during the Amherst and Area Chamber of Commerce’s Excellence Awards Gala later this month. Having been labelled a young Bill Cosby by a co-worker, Carter says he uses stuff people can relate to. Starting out as a comedian in college, it’s something Carter said he’s always loved to do. Over the years, Carter has been able to work with a number of well-known musicians. He’s opened in front of 8,000 people for Marvin Gaye and has worked with Air Supply, Gladys Knight and the Temptations.
He’s also had dinner with B.B. King and Aretha Franklin. The awards gala takes place on Oct. 22, and more information can be obtained through the Chamber’s website at www.amherstchamber. ca. Raissa Tetanish, Amherst Daily News

[LUNENBURG, NS] Lunenburg ER closed by nursing shortage – The emergency department at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital was forced to close this past weekend when it didn’t have enough nursing staff to cover all the shifts. The closure began on Sunday at 7:30 a.m. and ran till Monday at 7:30 a.m. During the closure, citizens were directed to call 911 or travel 20 minutes to the South Shore Regional Hospital in Bridgewater. Recruitment efforts are underway to fill vacant positions and thus prevent further closures.

[WEST HANTS, NS] Sewage treatment project proves too costly – The Municipality of West Hants has pulled the plug on Phase 2 of the Falmouth Sewage treatment facility, for now. Warden Richard Dauphinee says council is taking a second look at the project in an effort to reduce costs after tenders came in a million dollars over budget last month. “We didn’t accept the tender and are looking to reassess the project to see if we can come in on budget and what can be affordable to the people of Falmouth.” Which could mean adding a phase three to the project. Director of Public Works, Rick Sherrard along with a team of engineers will work though the winter months to determine which components could be omitted until a later date. Nadine Eagles-Harvie, Hants Journal

[PORT HAWKESBURY, NS] Plans underway for new park in Port Hawkesbury – Planning is underway to turn the land where the town’s wastewater treatment plant once stood into a new park. The Strait-Highlands Regional Development Agency (SHRDA), along with its partner the Town of Port Hawkesbury beautification committee, recently hosted a public workshop to gather input and ideas for the proposed development of a new park at the site at the north end of Granville Street. Development ideas included creating a space with elements such as sculptures, sensory gardens and a natural play area, with attention paid to accessibility, inclusiveness, and the view. Following a competitive bidding process earlier this year, Ekistics Planning and Design was awarded the contract to create the landscape architectural design based on the public feedback gathered. The public consultation will wrap up within the next 10-14 days via an online survey. Anyone who wants to share comments regarding the proposed park development with the design team is asked to visit the online survey at www.strait-highlands.ns.ca (click on the headline link Proposed Port Hawkesbury park workshop a success). This project is currently in a planning phase, with the end result to be a detailed landscape architectural plan scheduled for release near the end of November. During this phase, a steering committee has been formed with members from the Town of Port Hawkesbury, its beautification committee, and the Strait Area Waterfront Development Society. The Cape Breton Post

[BRIDGETOWN, NS] Bridgetown wants input on building sustainable future – Bridgetown is building a sustainable future and wants input from residents as it works on its federally mandated plan. Town folk can have their say October 28 during a public forum. Municipalities across Canada are required to prepare and submit an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) by March 2010, in order to continue to receive a portion of the federal excise tax on gasoline. The ICSP recognizes the interconnected dimensions of environmental, social, cultural, and economic development within a community and/or at the regional level and focuses on integrating these considerations to achieve a 20-30 year (and beyond) vision for the community. On October 28 residents are invited to join the council and staff of the Town of Bridgetown at the third annual Strategic Planning Public Forum. This year’s forum will focus on Bridgetown’s ICSP and the steps being taken towards a sustainable future for the Town of Bridgetown. The Town of Bridgetown Strategic Planning Public Forum will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 33, 20 Jeffrey Street in Bridgetown, from 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting is open to all town and area residents, businesses, organizations, service clubs, schools, and churches. For further information, please contact: Steve Raftery, community development coordinator at 824-0387 or cdc@town.bridgetown.ns.ca.

[ST. JOHN’S, NL] Windshield crack forces landing in St. John’s – Air Transat had to make an emergency landing at St. John’s airport early Tuesday morning when the windshield of its Toronto to London flight suddenly developed a crack. The plane was able to land with no difficulty and passengers were taken to a local hotel while repairs are made. The flight should be back in the air later today.

[LABRADOR CITY, NL] Residents look to future with Husky Energy – The possibility of employment opportunities was the main focus for residents of Labrador during consultations held by Husky Energy. The company visited HV-GB, Nain, Rigolet, Cartwright, Postville, and Hopedale, to discuss seismic explorations they will be conducting off the shores of Labrador. Husky Energy hopes to identify perspective test sites for oil and gas deposits. The company hopes to speak with members of Makkovik, Natuashish, and Sheshatshiu, in the not too distant future. Adam Randell, The Labradorian

[PORT UNION, NL] Port Union plant closure upsets workers – While most people in the province were enjoying the harvests of the land this Thanksgiving weekend, workers at the shrimp plant in Port Union were denouncing what they feel is the loss of their harvest from the sea. Workers at Ocean Choice International Inc.’s (OCI) shrimp plant in Port Union say they were informed the plant will shut down and that shrimp still being landed in the town will be shipped across the island to the company’s Port aux Choix facility for processing. The company confirms the primary processing line will be shut down at the plant, but the repacking line – which operates with between 10-15 workers per shift – will continue to run for about another month. The company denied that shrimp will be trucked from Port Union to Port aux Choix. Martin Sullivan, OCI’s chief executive officer, says most of the boats still fishing shrimp are doing so up north and the economical place for them to land is at St. Lunaire, near the tip of the Northern Peninsula. The shrimp from there will be trucked to the Port aux Choix plant. Sullivan says it’s been a difficult year trying to keep both plants operating with a limited supply of raw material and low market prices. However, Jim Dalton, a Port Union plant worker and the local FFAW representative, says the abrupt closure doesn’t make sense. He says workers believe the company is penalizing them for speaking out on offshore shrimp issues. Glen Whiffen, The Telegram

[CHARLOTTETOWN, PE] Entegrity seeks another court extension – Entegrity Wind Systems is still seeking to avoid bankruptcy and has asked the courts for more time. The wind turbine manufacturer owes $11 million, including $370,000 to the province, and originally obtained court protection from creditors two months ago. There was also a 10-day extension granted by the P.E.I. Supreme Court. The company now wants another month to allow for talks with potential investors and customers.

[CHARLOTTETOWN, PE] Island IT company makes list of top 100 employers – DeltaWare Systems Inc. has been named to Maclean’s magazine’s list of top 100 employers for 2010. This is the third time the Charlottetown information technology company has been named one of the best places to work in Canada. Companies on the list are graded by such things as vacation time, work atmosphere and health benefits, and are compared to other businesses in the same category to see which are the most progressive and forward-thinking.
DeltaWare specializes in e-health and e-business solutions and is the only P.E.I. business to make the list – and one of only five in Atlantic Canada.