NewsMakers

[KENTVILLE, NS] No boat to China for Kings County: A recent China conference invite went over like a lead balloon with some Kings County councillors. Although some councillors saw value in accepting the invitation, council didn’t back a recommendation at the July session from the Municipal Economic Development Advisory Committee (MEDAC) regarding the invitation to the World Emerging Industries Summit August 31 to September 3 at the Shangri-La Hotel in Changchun, China. The theme is “New Industrial Revolution and Green Economy.” The recommendation was to spend $3,000 from MEDAC to send Kings Regional Development Agency executive director Stephen Kerr and $3,000 from the councillor travel fund to send MEDAC chairman councillor Basil Hall. However, councillor Chris Parker pointed out the summit is about China raising capital to fund its own projects and create jobs there. “I truly believe that sometimes you have to go away for economic development,” he said. “I don’t think we have a chance of investing one dollar there and saying it will be of economic benefit to Kings County.” Hall countered: “This is an opportunity for us to rub shoulders with some very influential people,” he said. “If we can come back with one good idea or one contact with an interest in Kings County, it’s a good deal.” The Kings County delegates would have met political leaders, leaders of emerging industries, Fortune 500 companies and others. — By Kirk Starratt, Kings County Advertiser/Register, Transcontinental Media

[AMHERST, NS] Major downtown project to begin in September: Amherst is getting ready to proceed with enhancements to the downtown core. Tenders will be called in early August and work is expected to begin in September on repaving Victoria Street from Acadia Street to the CNR tracks. The project will include milling the asphalt and replacing it with an entirely new asphalt surface. As well, 10 per cent of the street will include a series of new bumpouts. “It’s basically widening the sidewalk into the street,” said Amherst’s director of planning Jason MacDonald. “They are designed to make the sidewalks more useable.” MacDonald said the bumpouts will include flowerbeds to soften the street view and make it more attractive while there will also be interpretive and directional signage. The work is expected to be completed in time for the Victorian Christmas celebration in November. While there will be some inconvenience for both storeowners and consumers, MacDonald said every effort will be made to ensure continued access to businesses during the construction process. — By Darrell Cole, The Amherst Daily News, Transcontinental Media

[HALIFAX, NS] Jazz Air Income Fund announces latest distribution: Today, Jazz Air Income Fund announced that its July cash distribution of $0.05 per fund unit covering the period from July 1, 2010, to July 31, 2010, will be paid on August 16, 2010, to unitholders of record at the close of business on July 30, 2010. — By The Daily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

[SHIPPAGAN, NB] Provincial government invests in aquaculture industry: The provincial government is providing financial support aimed at ensuring the ongoing development of the aquaculture industry on New Brunswick’s east coast. Agriculture and Aquaculture Minister Ronald Ouellette announced the support on Friday during Fisheries and Aquaculture Day, in Shippagan. “Aquaculture is an important industry in New Brunswick and has become the cornerstone of the economy in a number of communities,” said Ouellette. The provincial government is investing $798,000 in the Coastal Zones Research Institute, located in Shippagan, to support operating costs as well as research activities that focus on three main components: aquaculture, marine products, and peat. This contribution comes from the Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture, the Regional Development Corporation, and the Department of Natural Resources. Ouellette also announced funding of $184,000 to support various research projects benefiting New Brunswick’s east coast aquaculture industry. These activities are designed to support the development or evaluation of production techniques and equipment. This contribution is expected to generate investments of more than $1 million. New Brunswick is the second largest aquaculture producer in Canada, with $198.2 million in farm gate receipts and annual sales of value-added products totaling $329.6 million in 2008. — By The Daily Business Buzz, Transcontinental Media

[CHARLOTTETOWN, PE] Long-time convenience store owner honoured by association: When Nabih (Norman) Sahely bought a convenience store in 1974 in the community of Brighton and became a business owner, he was getting into something he was both familiar with and had a great love for. “My family had been in business when I was young, and even before, in the Caribbean,” Sahely said. After 36 years as the owner of Brighton Clover Farm, Sahely was the recipient of special recognition by the Atlantic Convenience Stores Association with an award presentation Wednesday during its annual State of the Industry conference at the Charlottetown Rodd Hotel. Sahely was given the Atlantic Convenience Stores Association’s inaugural President’s Award by Premier Robert Ghiz and Mike Hammoud, president of the Atlantic Convenience Stores Association, to kick off its two-day conference on P.E.I. During the presentation, a video clip was shown of customers and past employees thanking Sahely for his service and kindness over the years and congratulating him on his award. Sahely said during his acceptance speech he was very happy to receive recognition for doing something he loved for so many years. “I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t even read what I wrote (in my acceptance speech). I was very emotional, I was very happy,” Sahely said during an interview. — By Al MacLeod, The Guardian, Transcontinental Media

[CHARLOTTETOWN, PE] Report reveals meetings, conventions add almost $20M to economy: The Tourism Research Centre in the School of Business at UPEI recently released research on visitors who come to Prince Edward Island to participate in a meeting or conference. In 2009, P.E.I. hosted 200 meetings and conventions that contributed almost $19.5 million to the Island’s economy. “One of the most exciting things confirmed in this study was the fact that business travelers are bringing other people with them when they come to P.E.I.,” said Jo-Ann Thomsen, of the P.E.I. Convention Partnership. “Overall, the average party size was 2.5 people. About 35 per cent of these business travelers came to P.E.I on their own, but 31 per cent came with another adult who was not attending the event, 26 per cent traveled as a group of three or more adults, and eight per cent brought their family to P.E.I.” While the study shows that meetings and conventions provide an opportunity to bring new visitors to the province, it also reveals benefits to local accommodations operators, retailers, restaurant owners, and others who provide goods and services to this market. Visitors spent an average of $1,126 per travel party in P.E.I., or $120.56 per person per night, with almost half of this going towards accommodation expenses, 21 per cent to restaurants, and 13 per cent towards shopping expenditures. The data was collected from May through December 2009 with the assistance of the P.E.I. Convention Partnership and Tourism P.E.I. — By The Journal Pioneer, Transcontinental Media

[ST. JOHN’S, NL] Perennial car shortage coming down the road: The city is quickly closing in on crunch time for rental cars, but it likely won’t be as bad as last year. While the peak summer season may be a pain for some tourists, however, it’s a boon for others. “There’s two weeks in the car rental business in St. John’s — the last week in July and the first week in August — where even if everyone had 1,000 cars each, there wouldn’t be enough,” said Carol Ricketts, manager of National Car Rental in St. John’s. The provincial government has identified car rental as one of the weak links in the tourism industry. In a report published in June, the government recommends more collaboration between rental car companies and working together to make things better for tourists. But a lot of the biggest complaints, such as lack of unlimited mileage plans and expensive rates to drop off a car in Deer Lake, are just facts of life. Ricketts said because of the province’s vast geography, some of those services are just untenable. She said a lot of the crunch time could be alleviated if convention organizers would avoid the peak of tourist season. “The challenge also is to the rest of the tourist industry, is not to pack everything into July and August.” One group who benefits from a lack of rental cars is taxi drivers, said Gary Gushue, airport manager for City Wide Taxi. He said last summer he had a steady stream of people taking cabs to rental car lots on Topsail Road and Kenmount Road because there were no vehicles left at the airport. — By James McLeod, The Telegram, Transcontinental Media