NewsMakers

[HALIFAX, NS] Atlantic delegation heads to international seafood show: The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) will lead a delegation of 22 businesses and organizations from Atlantic Canada’s seafood industry to North America’s largest seafood exhibition, the 2010 International Boston Seafood Show. The annual industry trade show, held from March 14 to 16 in Boston, Massachusetts, attracts top-tier buyers and sellers of seafood from over 90 countries. The trade mission, being organized in partnership with the four Atlantic provinces, will allow delegates to interact with key industry specialists and participate in various marketing and networking events. The delegates will exhibit together in an Atlantic Canadian pavilion, gaining international exposure for their seafood products and services. The trade mission delegation includes representatives from fisheries, seafood and aquaculture companies and organizations from across Atlantic Canada. The International Boston Seafood Show draws approximately 800 exhibitors and attracts close to 16,000 seafood buyers and sellers from around the globe. — By The Daily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

[STELLARTON, NS] Empire Company posts Q3 results: Empire Company Limited has announced financial results for its third quarter ended January 30, 2010. For the quarter, the company recorded earnings before capital gains (losses) and other items of $68.3 million ($0.99 per share) compared to $64.8 million ($0.98 per share) in the third quarter last year. Net earnings for the third quarter were $68.3 million ($0.99 per share) compared to $61.3 million ($0.93 per share) recorded in the third quarter last year. — By The Daily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

[HALIFAX, NS] Province awards road-paving contracts: Three road-paving contracts for the 100-series highway system, totalling $12,093,912, have been awarded by the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal. Two contracts were awarded to Dexter Construction. The first, for $6,821,562, is to pave two westbound lanes for the twinning of Highway 101 for 8.9 kilometres between Exit 4 at St. Croix and Exit 5 at Three Mile Plains. The second, for $3,080,120, is to repave Highway 101 for 8.2 kilometres from the Shaw Road Underpass to the Annapolis/Digby County Line, and an 0.6 kilometres west from the county line. The third contract, for $2,192,230, was awarded to S.W. Weeks Contracting to repave Highway 106 from the intersection of Highway 104 for 7.2 kilometres to Exit 2, south of Pictou. It includes repaving the ramps at Exit 2 and installing rumble strips on Highway 106. The cost of the three projects is shared by the provincial and federal governments. — By The Daily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

[FREDERICTON, NB] University plans to slash jobs: The Daily Gleaner is reporting that nine jobs at the University of New Brunswick’s Fredericton campus are being purged due to tough financial times. For more information, read the story at: http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/front/article/980518

[MONTAGUE, PE] Two-tiered wage creates “hopeless bondage”, MLAs told: A two-tiered system for minimum wage would be a cowardly attack on the most vulnerable in society and lock people into hopeless bondage, a legislative committee was advised on Wednesday at the Montague public session. Chaired by MLA Robert Henderson, the committee heard strong condemnation of the proposed two-tiered system and that minimum wage should not spell poverty. “Proposing such legislation is a cowardly attack against people who have no way to fight back,” said Ted Cudworth, who told the committee he was representing the vulnerable low-income worker. The retired area mechanic said a wage reduction would hurt single mothers who often end up working in the seasonal and service industries. “It would be taking food from the mouths of their children, who are really our children as a greater community,” he said. Leo Cheverie said the government isn’t doing itself any favours by allowing poverty wages to exist because the disastrous effects only come back to haunt the system. “Minimum wage should be livable and poverty wages not only hurt people, but put greater costs on the community and the government through soup kitchens, food banks, and more demand on the health-care system,” said Cheverie, the president of CUPE Local 1870 representing support workers. — By Steve Sharratt, The Guardian, Transcontinental Media

[PORT AUX BASQUES, NL] Vandals destroying downtown businesses: Two business owners on Main Street in Port aux Basques are speaking out about having their properties vandalized and customers harassed. Wanda Thorne, owner of Wanda’s Beauty Salon, said the area around and behind her building has been a hangout for the 30 years she has owned it. She said the vandalism has gotten worse over the past two or three years. Her vinyl siding was damaged, her power meter was torn off, three doorknobs were bent or broken and her phone line has been cut. In other incidents, people have held the door shut while Thorne’s workers were in the building, trying to leave. Picking up empty beer bottles from her back step has become a Monday morning ritual for Thorne. She said drug dealing is happening as well. Geraldine O’Brien, owner of Main Street Convenience, said the problem is getting out of hand. She has also seen drug dealing and other unsavory activities. She doesn’t just blame the youth. “They’re all ages,” she said. Customers often tell her they are afraid to come to the store at night because of harassment. “I had three sets of motion sensor lights on my store. I’m down to one light now. They’ve beat them off because they don’t want the lights on,” she said. O’Brien said she has seen parents dropping their kids off at the hangout. She also thinks parents are tipping their kids off whenever she or Thorne call the police. “The authorities will come, but the kids get a phone call from their parents saying they just heard a call on the scanners and the police are coming to Main Street Convenience,” she said. Thorne said the police have been unable to do anything. Read more at: http://www.gulfnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=331519&sc=340 — By Brodie Thomas, The Gulf News, Transcontinental Media