Labour Market News

Want to find out more about local or provincial labour market history? The labour market news archive may be a good place to start.

In this section, you can browse archived news titles, whose links are no longer functional, for up to one year from the current date. The archived news can help you understand the labour market trends in geographic areas and industries that are of interest to you.

• Week of 2023-05-19 to 2023-05-25

  • The Association of Nova Scotia Midwives say the lack of educational opportunities is driving the midwife shortage. There is currently no formal midwifery training program in Atlantic Canada. In N.S., the province funds 16 positions, but has two temporary positions that remain unfilled.

    cbc.ca

  • Staffing shortages at Nova Scotia jails have escalated to the point where inmates are going to court with Charter rights challenges. New hirings have been mostly offset by departures due to the high stress environment while the provincial collective agreement for correctional officers doesn't expire until 2024.

    cbc.ca

  • WestJet and the Air Line Pilots Association (union) representing its pilots reached a last-minute deal on May 18, averting a strike planned for the following day. Key issues addressed in the tentative agreement include job security, working conditions and wages.

    cbc.ca

  • The latest assessments from Fisheries and Oceans Canada states that the Maritime lobster population is strong and the fishery is sustainable, despite warming ocean temperatures. Lobsters can tolerate a wider range of temperatures than other species.

    cbc.ca

  • In March the number of Canadians receiving jobless benefits through Employment Insurance fell to a record low, as the labour market remained tight. This was the lowest number of regular EI beneficiaries going back to 1997.

    theglobeandmail.com

  • The N.S. Government has created a new department, the Department of Cyber Security and Digital Solutions, to focus on digital services and cybersecurity. Staff from the Nova Scotia Digital Service will move to the new department which will employ 798 employees with an annual budget of $229.1M.

    novascotia.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Walter’s Snack Bar (Halifax), Virani’s Pizza (Halifax), Sugar Fix (Halifax), Daily Grind (Halifax), and Toys R Us/Babies R Us (Chain Lake); Closures: Flower Child (Halifax) and Budapest Bisztro (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a new francophone school for the Eastern Shore to serve students from pre-primary to grade 8 to replace École des Beaux-Marais as part of the plan to update aging schools. The school is expected to open in September 2027 though the site has not yet been selected.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced joint federal-provincial funding of over $1.5M to modernise the Village of St. Peter’s drinking water infrastructure.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced joint federal-provincial funding of over $9.7M to build new water and wastewater infrastructure in Kentville. This will increase capacity to treat and manage wastewater and stormwater while opening up new land to build housing in Kentville.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2023-05-12 to 2023-05-18

  • Dalhousie University (Halifax) has announced plans for a new $12M ocean science centre expected to open in 2025. The project is being developed in collaboration with Discovery Centre International and will become a destination for students, tourists and the public.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government announced $4M to fund an additional 180 licenced practical nursing seats at 6 N.S. Community College campuses and establish a nursing program at Acadia University. The Acadia program will launch in September 2023 with 21 seats before growing to 63 a year. Both institutions will require more faculty.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada through ACOA, has announced $2.8M in funding to help 4 cleantech start-ups and a not-for-profit energy efficiency organization create sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. These include Rayleigh Solar Tech, Graphite Innovation and Technologies, Prosaris Solutions, Arolytics and EfficiencyOne.

    canada.ca

  • Construction is set to begin on the new Halifax Infirmary Site of the QEII Health Sciences Centre after the N.S. Government reached an agreement with Plenary PCL Health. The agreement covers initial site prep work for the acute care tower, which will have 216 beds, 16 operating rooms, an intensive care unit and a new emergency department.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 508 has signed a new 4-year contract that runs until August 2025. The contract is retroactive to Sept. 1, 2021, and will see Halifax Transit operators receive a wage increase of 3% each year and addresses other issues training money and wage parity between drivers of accessible and conventional buses.

    cbc.ca

  • Sustainable Marine Energy, a firm that hoped to create tidal power from the Bay of Fundy tides is winding up operations due to what it claims as excessive regulatory hurdles from the federal Fisheries Department. The company is placing its Canadian subsidiary into bankruptcy.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Tribeca Bistro, Bar & Café (Halifax), EatGRK (Halifax), Adidas (Dartmouth Crossing/October), Indi’s Shoetique (Bedford), Wild Things (Bedford), Cyclesmith (Dartmouth), The Fog Company (Halifax), and Rumi Coffee Company (Halifax); Closures: Lindt (Clayton Park location).

    retales.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced six new long-term care facilities being built in Halifax Regional Municipality that will add 720 beds to the province by 2025. The locations include Dartmouth (2), Bedford (2), Tantallon (1) and Lower Sackville (1). Construction has already begun at some of the sites.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia shellfish farmers will now be allowed to add kelp to aquaculture leases as a new report suggests the industry could be worth $40M in the province within 3-5 years. Kelp can be processed and used as an additive to food, health and beauty products.

    cbc.ca

  • Video game design company Ubisoft Halifax is expanding to a new studio downtown. There are more than a dozen video game studios operating across Nova Scotia, employing over 300 people, with 80 of those employed by Ubisoft. The move is seen as indicative of the growing video game industry here.

    ctvnews.ca

  • The N.S. Government has reported that 168 doctors (78 family doctors and 90 specialists) have started practising in the province from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. NS Health hired 155 of them while IWK Health hired 13 and the net gain was 86 physicians.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Nova Scotia College of Nursing has seen a significant influx of applications since the introduction of fast-tracked licensing for out-of-province nurses at the end of March and some international nurses at the start of May. As of May 16, the college has received 10,526 applications.

    citynews.ca

  • Under interim understandings with the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, three Cape Breton Mi'kmaw First Nations (Potlotek, We'koqma'q, and Eskasoni) will fish during the commercial season under renewed moderate livelihood understandings. The season is now open around Cape Breton and closes in mid-July.

    cbc.ca

  • A new program, called the early maintenance mobilization project, will soon be rolled out at regional hospitals across the province. As a result, 45 new positions in recreation or rehabilitation therapy will be distributed among regional hospitals by September.

    cbc.ca

  • Restaurants Canada is concerned about the federal deadline of Dec 31, for restaurants to pay back their COVID-19 loans. According to the association bankruptcies are up 116% since 2022, as businesses face rising costs, labour shortages and supply constraints.

    charlottefm.ca
• Week of 2023-05-05 to 2023-05-11

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Centrall (Halifax), Labels (Dartmouth), Go Bong (Halifax), Lilac and Thistle (Halifax); Closing: Uncle Leos Brewery (Pictou), Heartwood (Quinpool location only).

    retales.ca

  • Over 1800 workers at the Halifax Regional Centre for Education represented by CUPE are on strike as of May 10 after failing to reach an agreement with the province. It includes educational assistants, early childhood educators, student support workers, community outreach workers, school library specialists, and others.

    cbc.ca

  • Cape Breton will see over 300 new child-care spaces in licensed centres and family homes in 2023 as a result of combined federal-provincial funding. This is part of the 1,500 new, licensed child-care spaces planned for N.S. and includes 50 at the new child-care centre at Cove Guest Home Community Lodge (Sydney).

    novascotia.ca

  • Northern Nova Scotia will see over 300 new child-care spaces in licensed centres and family homes in 2023 as a result of combined federal-provincial funding as part of the 1,500 new, licensed child-care spaces planned for N.S. It includes 50 spaces at Pictou County’s new YMCA child-care centre scheduled to open this fall.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government, under the Land for Housing Initiative, is providing Valley Roots Housing Association with provincially owned land in New Minas for the development of a 24 unit co-operative housing development with an anticipated construction start date of early 2024.

    novascotia.ca

  • Nova Scotia farmers will receive a 25% increase in funding support through a new federal-provincial funding agreement. The new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership will invest $46.25M over 5 years in Nova Scotia’s agriculture sector and focus on 5 key priorities including helping them adapt to climate change.

    novascotia.ca

  • Clean Foundation will receive $5.4M in provincial funding to deliver new community and homeowner programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate change. Most of the funding is for the Community Climate Capacity Support Program where climate change co-ordinators will assist communities with their projects.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government’s recent $10k bonus offer to nurses who left the province’s healthcare system has resulted in 148 retired, casual and travel nurses accepting permanent positions in the publicly funded system for at least 2 years. As a direct result, 34 hard-to-fill positions (posted for at least 90 days), are now staffed.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2023-04-28 to 2023-05-04

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: The Opus Cafe (Cherry Brook), The Bread Lounge Bakery’s (2nd location/Burnside), PetValu (Halifax), Au Liban (Halifax), Simply Put (Halifax), Dessert Yard (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • Construction is underway on a $6.5M expansion of the Clare Health Centre in Meteghan River. The project will accommodate up to 5 additional doctors, physiotherapy services and study space for medical learners. The centre currently has 9 doctors, a family practice nurse, blood collection, mental health and addictions services.

    cbc.ca

  • The Atlantic Physician Registry officially launched on May 1 in the four Atlantic provinces. Physicians licensed in any of the four provinces can now opt in to the registry and practise in another Atlantic province.

    novascotia.ca

  • Dalhousie University and the N.S. Government are working to establish a training program for physician assistants with a goal to have the program ready for the 2023-24 academic year with up to 24 seats. Physician assistants are advanced practice clinicians who practise under the supervision of a licensed physician.

    cbc.ca

  • The union representing the 35,000 employees of CRA has agreed to a tentative deal with the federal government. The deal includes a 12.6% wage increase over four years and a lump-sum pensionable payment of $2500, as well as other arrangements.

    cbc.ca

  • Treasury Board has reached a tentative agreement with PSAC and its 120,000 federal government workers. The deal includes a 12.6% wage increase over four years, a lump sum payment of $2500, and additional language on remote work.

    cbc.ca

  • Meridien Atlantic Fishing and Rocky Coast Seafoods (Comeauville) has gone into receivership and is currently selling assets that include 20% of the Canadian silver hake quota after closing the fish plant back in February 2022. This is the second collapse of a silver hake business in 10 years, as Blue Wave Seafoods (Port Mouton) closed in 2013.

    cbc.ca

  • Initial combined Federal and Provincial Government funding of $18M over 2 years has been announced for mental health, grief and bereavement services in Cumberland, Colchester and Hants counties. Positions will include grief and bereavement specialists, mental health clinicians, nurse practitioners and outreach workers.

    canada.ca

  • A recent RBC report suggests providing permanent immigration status to over 24,000 general farm workers and 30,000 farm operators over the next decade could help address the looming industry labour shortage. The N.S. Federation of Agriculture says the province could have a shortage of 2,600 farm workers by 2029.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-04-21 to 2023-04-27

  • The South Shore will see 129 new child-care spaces in licensed centres and family homes as a result of $2.7M in joint Federal-Provincial funding. The expansions include The YMCA Child Care Centre (Bridgewater), Through the Years Day Care (Hubbards), Family Matters (Lunenburg County), Lunenburg Day Care Centre and more.

    novascotia.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Tatamagouche Creamery (Dartmouth), Windsor Street Diner (Halifax), JK’s Pizza (Sackville), Cook’s Broaster Chicken (Sackville); Closures: National Exchange (Dartmouth), Booster Juice (Scotia Square-Halifax), Heartwood (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • The N.S. Government is investing $14M to open a first-of-its-kind clinic in Atlantic Canada in the former Hilton Hotel on Wyse Road (Dartmouth) that will also continue to operate as a shelter. It will include a wellness co-ordinator, continuing-care co-ordinator, community outreach worker and other healthcare professionals. All current hotel staff have been offered alternate employment.

    novascotia.ca

  • More affordable housing options are coming to Windsor under the provincial Land for Housing Initiative. The proposed development with building partner DORA Construction includes 137 units with net-zero design elements for energy efficiency with 42 units to be constructed in Phase 1 and anticipated to be ready in 2-3 years.

    novascotia.ca

  • $7M in funding through the Canada-N.S. Early Learning and Child Care Agreement has resulted in about 500 new and planned child-care spaces within the Halifax Regional Municipality. New spaces have opened at the East Preston Childcare Centre, The Cunard Street Children’s Centre and the Edward Jost Children’s Centre in Spryfield with several more expansions planned for the coming months.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has signed an agreement with N.S. First Nations chiefs that will help transform the design and delivery of health services for the Mi’kmaq population throughout Nova Scotia. The end result will see the delivery of health services through Tajikeim?k, a Mi'kmaw health and wellness organization guided by the 13 chiefs and the Mi'kmaq Grand Council.

    cbc.ca

  • Long hours/burnout, on-call time, and ongoing staff shortages are taking their toll on the veterinarian profession. There are no emergency animal hospitals in Cape Breton or most other rural parts of the province and many veterinary clinics have agreements with other clinics to share emergency after-hours services.

    cbc.ca

  • The Sydney Airport Authority says officials are working to address concerns about the lack of flights in and out of Sydney with only one airline remaining (Air Canada) and no routes between Sydney and Halifax. However, while demand is up for more flights, airlines continue to face staffing and equipment shortages.

    cbc.ca

  • The Federal and Provincial Governments have announced a joint investment of $11.88M to upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure in Yarmouth, the Municipality of the District of Clare, Mahone Bay and Digby.

    canada.ca

  • Through a $1.2M investment from the N.S. Government, The Community Pharmacy Primary Care Clinic program will expand to 26 locations from 12 by the end of May. Pharmacists in these clinics will be able to treat and prescribe medication for patients with common illnesses or chronic diseases.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2023-04-14 to 2023-04-20

  • The Government of Canada has announced $22M in funding under the National Trade Corridors Fund, to enable internal trade activities, including agricultural exports, in Annapolis Valley First Nation and in Kings County. This effort is expected to support the development of a new business park.

    canada.ca

  • Canada’s national unemployment rate was at 5% in March and a labour boom is being seen across the country. For the first time ever there were eight provinces that had unemployment rates below 6%. The labour participation rate was also a healthy 65.6%.

    theglobeandmail.com

  • Federal staff that belong to the Public Service Alliance of Canada, were walking the picket line on Wednesday after failing to reach a deal with their employer. Striking members include 120,000 Treasury Board and 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency employees.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The impending closure of a major Quebec pork plant is expected to impact the pork industry in Atlantic Canada. With no federally regulated hog processor in Atlantic Canada, the closure will cause an oversupply in the Atlantic region.

    cbc.ca

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada has shut down the elver fishery in N.B. and N.S. for 45 days. There were conservation and safety concerns, after reports of violence and overfishing by unauthorized harvesters. Elvers have grown in value in recent years.

    cbc.ca

  • A tentative agreement between CUPE and the N.S. Government has been reached for 5,400 provincial educational support workers that includes bus drivers, cleaners, maintenance staff, educational program assistants and early childhood educators.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $2.6M in funding to support the construction of a Centre of Excellence in Acaciaville focused on the African Nova Scotian community that will provide early childhood educational and after-school programming, a seniors’ space, skills and economic development and more.

    canada.ca

  • The snow crab industry in Cape Breton is experiencing 15-year low wharf prices ($2.25/pound), which could force out some snow crab harvesters. The industry cites inflation, problems in the economy and lower consumer spending as factors coupled with rising fuel, overhead and wage costs.

    cbc.ca

  • $47.1M in joint federal and provincial funding have been announced for new interchange and connector roads on Highway 101 to create a more direct route for Michelin plant truck traffic. The new Exit 14A is expected to be complete in 3 years and will fall between Coldbrook and Berwick.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Twist Bar & Lounge (Halifax), The North Grill House, Duck King, Macao Imperial Tea, Ala Eh and Comfort Foodies (Fairview), Mozzarrito (Cole Harbour), Wrap N’Roll and Royal King (Sackville), Smokehouse (Halifax), Curry Hut and Activate (Dartmouth); Closures: Trattoria da Claudio (Halifax) and Mary Janes (Halifax/Sackville/Sydney).

    retales.ca

  • Dartmouth-based start-up, Graphite Innovation & Technologies, announced $10M in financing to take the next step to scale up production of its marine paint business and are planning to move into a new significantly larger facility in Halifax than their current space at the technology hub in Dartmouth.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-04-07 to 2023-04-13

  • The new $18M Halifax Commons pool and pavilion is set to open this summer. Halifax Regional Municipality is currently hiring staff to work at the aquatics facility.

    cbc.ca

  • Guys Frenchys opened a new location in Hammonds Plains and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is coming to Windmill Road. All Cleo and Ricki locations in HRM will close at the end, except for Ricki’s in Dartmouth. The restaurant Primal has also closed.

    retales.ca

  • Construction Safety Nova Scotia has launched a new campaign to encourage the use of fall protection on sites across the province. In 2022, 26% of time-loss claims in construction involved falls, which resulted in 15,000 days lost due to workplace injury.

    globalnews.ca

  • CUPE's N.S. School Board Council of Unions says its 5,400 workers could go on strike next week if wage demands aren’t met. Workers include bus drivers, cleaners, maintenance staff, educational program assistants and early childhood educators.

    cbc.ca

  • The Nova Scotia government has spent $34M to purchase an unfinished hotel in Bedford and will spend another $15M to convert it into a transitional health-care unit. A similar facility is also planned for Bayers Lake to help free up hospital space.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia has given approval to Bear Head Energy to build a green hydrogen production and export plant in the Point Tupper Industrial Park. The company plans to start construction in 2024 and begin production in late 2027.

    cbc.ca

  • The Public Service Alliance of Canada and its roughly 155,000 workers could go on strike by mid-April, if contract negotiations fail. The processing of immigration applications, employment services, and travellers at the airport and border could be impacted.

    thewave.ca

  • A new report from the Royal Bank of Canada states that around 40% of Canadian farm operators are expected to retire over the next decade. It also expects a shortage of 24,000 general farm, nursery and greenhouse workers over that time.

    thewave.ca
• Week of 2023-03-31 to 2023-04-06

  • Cape Breton University has raised $84M to build a green facility for teaching and research, which will use geothermal and solar power. The new building will house laboratories, classrooms, research facilities and student services.

    cbc.ca

  • Ottawa is giving 14% of the Maritime fishery for baby eels (or elvers) to First Nations in N.B. and N.S. without compensating commercial licence holders who could lose millions. The cut will allow the treaty right to fish for a moderate living.

    cbc.ca

  • According to a couple of employees, Dartmouth's DoubleTree waterfront hotel is slated to be converted to a full-time shelter next month. Nearly all of the roughly 100 hotel staff , including kitchen, maintenance and housekeeping, will be laid off.

    Telegram

  • The Prestotea has opened in Halifax’s Bayers Lake and Booster Juice is opening a Forest Hills Parkway location. Coming to Burnside is a new Tesla dealership and service centre, as well as a CycleSmith. UMAI, Freshii, and Thai Ivory are opening new locations.

    retales.ca

  • Calgary-based Pieridae Energy is asking for a five-year extension from the U.S. government to export U.S.-sourced natural gas to a proposed LNG terminal in Guysborough County. The project would depend on N.B. fracking for natural gas, as a main source.

    cbc.ca

  • The Canadian military has a new recruitment program, called the Naval Experience Program (NEP), where you can join on a one-year contract. The program aims to attract civilians to the Navy, streamline enrolment, reduce training time, and develop sailors.

    thewave.ca

  • The minimum wage in Nova Scotia increased from $13.60 an hour to $14.50, as of April 1. The province will raise it again to $15 an hour in October, which will match the minimum wage in P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador.

    cbc.ca

  • CBRM has given approval to New Dawn Enterprises to build 24-units of supported living housing on the corner of Charlotte and York in Sydney. The building will be built within 19 months at a cost of $5.2M, but will receive $5M in federal funding.

    cbc.ca

  • Registered tourist accommodations in Nova Scotia has increased, now that rentals such as Airbnb have to register. Of the 2,988 accommodations registered, hotels account for 13%, rooms in a home – 20%, cottages and cabins – 31%, and entire condos and homes – 36%.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-03-24 to 2023-03-30

  • Nova Scotia will end its moratorium on issuing new seafood processing licences, which has been in place since 2018. Certain standards will have to be met to get a license, but the N.S. Seafood Alliance states there is not enough supply for new entrants.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government is opening up a new immigration stream this summer, which will bring up to 2,000 refugees per year to Canada. The new program will be dedicated to refugees, but will focus on the skills they're bringing to Canada as well.

    Telegraph Journal

  • Some employers in rural Cape Breton state that they still struggle to find and retain workers, despite adding employee perks. Transportation is often an issue in rural areas, while others reported quit for another job or work long enough to qualify for EI benefits.

    cbc.ca

  • The Canadian government released a report titled - Developing Greater Labour Protections for Gig Workers. Steps will be taken by the government to update the Canada Labour Code to help people such as self-employed truck drivers, couriers, freelancers, and artists.

    insurancebusinessmag.com

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Starbucks (Spryfield), Sugar Marmalade (Halifax), Freak Lunchbox (Dartmouth), Desto Binz (Dartmouth); Closures: Spryfield Head Shoppe, PizzaTown (Halifax), O’Dells Gluten Free (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • A report from the Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) shows that not-for-profit CEOs average pay went up by 8.4% in 2022, while senior managers increased 1.2%, and other staff rose 2.0%. Salaries increased the most for those that changed jobs.

    charlottefm.ca

  • Cape Breton Regional Police Service (CBRPS) has an extra $122K to be used to recruit new officers. The municipal force normally has 200 officers, but currently has 24 vacancies. CBRPS is offering paid on-the-job training and $5,000 signing bonuses.

    cbc.ca

  • Pictou Lodge Beach Resort has announced that it will not re-open this summer as planned, after being heavily damaged by Hurricane Fiona. The owners will not continue to operate the business, which employs roughly 80 to 90 people.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-03-17 to 2023-03-23

  • The Government of Canada is investing $498,118 to support Paqtnkek Mi’kmaw Nation as it constructs a full-scale oyster farm in Pomquet Harbour. The funding will support materials, equipment and set-up to launch operations and maintain 5 full-time jobs and create 5 others.

    canada.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Denny’s and Bar One will be part of the new Sandman Signature Hotel (Burnside/Dartmouth) with an anticipated Fall 2023 launch, Radish Chicken (Halifax); Closures: Sushi Tonari (Halifax/Scotia Square food court), Drala (Halifax), Riot Pixie (Woodside).

    retales.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced about $14.5M to help community groups, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations develop and improve recreation infrastructure. There are a total of 19 projects being funded, including $6M for the Barrington Recreation Centre in Shelburne County.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has imposed a moratorium on new marine fish farms applications until it assesses, maps and rates the coast for suitable locations. The ban doesn't apply to companies looking to lease sites for shellfish or seaweed harvesting. Cooke Aquaculture is planning $122M in upgrades over the next 5 years.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. government has announced $12M in funding for affordable transitional housing to support the recruitment and retention of health-care workers and skilled tradespeople. This adds to the previously announced $8M investment for modular housing for health-care workers.

    cbc.ca

  • The provincial and federal governments have announced combined funding of $16.6M towards 10 investment projects, which would see the contruction of 236 affordable housing rental units throughout the province. Communities will stretch from Guysborough to Amherst.

    cbc.ca

  • Zen Electric (Dartmouth) has announced a $1.25M investment from Nigerian-based, North South Power Company, for continued research and development for their home-grown e-battery technology. They plan to add 5 new employees to their 6-person team in 2023 and expand their staff to 50 within 4 years.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced $10k in bonuses for nurses in the province’s publicly funded healthcare system this year and another $10k for nurses who commit to staying in the system for another two years.

    novascotia.ca

  • Tidal power developer Sustainable Marine Energy is withdrawing the application for its Minas Passage electricity generation project in the Bay of Fundy. They’re currently trying to work with their project partners and stakeholders to explore their options. The decision is seen as a blow to the tidal power industry.

    cbc.ca

  • N.S.'s environment minister has approved the Goose Harbour Lake wind farm project that will see 29 turbines erected in Guysborough County. Owner Port Hawkesbury Paper Wind hopes to begin clearing work this summer, before construction work begins in 2024 and turbines start spinning in 2025.

    cbc.ca

  • A new report entitled the Atlantic Canada Momentum Index says that the region is now performing at a level comparable to the national average. Atlantic Canada's growing population has led to greater economic growth, despite contributing to increased housing costs.

    cbc.ca

  • The minimum wage for federal workers will increase to $16.65/hr as of April 1. Federally regulated private sector employers include, among others, airlines, banks, grain elevators, telecom companies, and First Nations band councils.

    charlottefm.ca
• Week of 2023-03-10 to 2023-03-16

  • More than 100 stakeholders have come together to address labour shortages within Canada's agriculture workforce. Canada's agriculture industry contributes over $130B to the national economy, but needs a stable and skilled workforce to remain competitive.

    infomedia.gc.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Zesty Pizza (Spryfield), Dodo’s Chicken (Halifax); Closures: Local Jo Cafe (Halifax), Mark’s Work Warehouse (Sunnyside Mall), World Gym (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced combined Federal, Provincial and Municipal funding of over $28.8M to upgrade wastewater and active transportation infrastructure in the Town of Lunenburg and the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg.

    canada.ca

  • The N.S. Government announced $37.4M in funding for St. Francis Xavier University to help launch a new health research institute. The university currently has 75 health-focused researchers and expects this will lead to more research positions. The new building will cost $63.1M and is expected to open in 2026.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a $2.1M investment in the Westville Miners Sports Centre. The upgrade will replace the existing ice plant, cement flooring, refrigeration system and humidification system with more modern and efficient alternatives.

    novascotia.ca

  • Provincial registry figures for March show 137,587 people (about 14% of the population) currently looking for a family doctor or nurse practitioner, up about 4,000 from February, setting a new all-time high. The central zone, which includes Halifax, saw the largest increase at 4.7%.

    cbc.ca

  • Over $7.1M in one-time provincial funding grants will be distributed to community groups providing mental health programs. The Mental Health Foundation of N.S. will receive $3M to administer the grants for mental health and addictions projects and services across the province.

    novascotia.ca

  • Snow crab prices plunged by 60% in 2022 due to a drop in US consumer demand due to inflation resulting in a glut of supply in storage which is expected to continue to depress prices. Atlantic lobster prices also fell about 30% in 2022 but a rebound is predicted in the upcoming season with little inventory currently available.

    cbc.ca

  • Michelin, one of Nova Scotia’s largest employers, has announced a major $302.7M expansion that will modernize and expand its manufacturing facility in Bridgewater and create more than 70 new jobs. Michelin will receive a provincial tax credit of about $61.3M over 5 years and Federal funding of $44.3M.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2023-03-03 to 2023-03-09

  • The N.S. Government has announced $8M to help organizations supporting women experiencing gender-based violence meet an increased demand for their services and address rising operating costs.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $1,006,223 for the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education & Development (CEED) and the Centre for Women in Business (CWB). The funding to CEED will assist over 850 startups and 200 existing N.S. businesses while the CWB funding will support two projects.

    canada.ca

  • Nova Scotia is the first province to recognize credentials of US board-certified doctors without exams. The change will remove a barrier for doctors who trained in the United States but would like to practice in the province.

    cbc.ca

  • N.S. has launched a new tourism campaign "Your Ocean Playground" that will run through the end of summer in Ontario, Quebec, and the northeastern US. The province will invest an additional $2.7M in 2023 campaigns to support earlier and extended marketing of N.S. with a total budget of $8.6M for 2023.

    citynews.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a $58.9M investment to develop a new medical school campus at Cape Breton University (in collaboration with Dalhousie University). The new medical school campus will train 30 new doctors each year with plans to open by fall 2025. Funding also includes a new collaborative care clinic at the NSCC Marconi campus.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a $25M investment to support the creation of new health data analytics and health system administration programs at Saint Mary’s University to help Nova Scotia become a national leader in leveraging data and analytics to improve patient care.

    novascotia.ca

  • Halifax has been chosen to host the 2024 Juno Awards on March 24, 2024 for the first time since 2006.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax has approved $11M in spending for an affordable housing development in the city's north end to build a 38-unit project backed by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul. The development project will include on-site health and social services for residents. The society will have 18 months beginning in May to complete the project.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has cited supply chain and labour pressures for the delay in meeting its pledge to add 1,500 new daycare spaces by the end of 2022. 400 new licensed daycare spaces were created between July 2021 and Dec. 31 2022.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: McJolly (Halifax), Chicken, Burgers, Spaghetti (Halifax), The Big Leagues Brew Pub (Bayers Lake), Bluenotes/Aeropostale (Halifax), Desto Binz (Dartmouth); Closures: Steak & Stein (Halifax/Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Province of N.S. has sold 27,000 mineral claims in 2022, a solid increase compared to the past five years. Of these, at least half are held by companies looking for lithium. The two biggest buyers were Brunswick Exploration and Australia-based Continental Lithium.

    cbc.ca

  • The Touquoy open pit gold mine in Moose River is expected to wrap up mining operations in early 2024 rather than late 2024. Owner Atlantic Gold is a subsidiary of Australian-based St Barbara which has proposed 3 other N.S. gold mines.

    cbc.ca

  • The South End Family Practice has announced it is closing its Halifax medical clinic on August 30, 2023. The clinic has four doctors which currently serve over 4,100 patients. As of February 1, 2023, just over 133,000 Nova Scotians (13.5% of the population) are in need of a doctor.

    cbc.ca

  • ESDC has a new Skilled Trades apprenticeship program, which will help small to medium-sized employers to hire first-year apprentices in 39 Red Seal trades. Included are plumbers, gasfitters, refrigeration and A/C mechanics, and steamfitter/pipefitters.

    mechanicalbusiness.com
• Week of 2023-02-24 to 2023-03-02

  • The N.S. Government has announced $559k for the Axis Point Program operated by the Elizabeth Fry Society of Cape Breton for a new supportive housing initiative for adult women. The funding will help support operations and on-site services that include 24-hr. staffing and mental health and employment services.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced $28,755 in funding to health and wellness organization Tajikeimik that will work in collaboration with the L’nu Nursing Initiative at Dalhousie University to help recruit Indigenous healthcare workers in Mi’kmaw Communities.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $6.4M in joint Federal-Provincial-Municipal funding to improve Cumberland County’s water and wastewater infrastructure.

    canada.ca

  • Atlantic musicians are concerned about proposed changes to increase the cost of temporary work visas from $460 to $1,615. That would triple the cost for Canadian musicians that want to perform in the U.S., on top of their other travelling expenses.

    cbc.ca

  • The Halifax Shipyard is looking for over 350 people as new projects ramp up at the shipbuilding facility. Positions include apprentice and red seal welders, electricians, millwrights, metal fabricators and pipefitters, along with labourers, riggers, stage builders and spray painters.

    saltwire.com

  • Halifax Transit is hoping to launch new services this fall, but the Amalgamated Transit Union representing workers, says about 100 staff would be needed to meet those demands. Chronic staff shortages continue to be experienced with 14 driver resignations since January 1.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has given Melford International Terminal Incorporated’s proposed shipping container terminal in the Strait of Canso a deadline of October 2024 to begin construction on the $350M project.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-02-17 to 2023-02-23

  • Bear Head Energy is proposing to build a green hydrogen production and exportation plant in the industrial park in Point Tupper. This is the second proposal for the area after the province approved a proposal by EverWind Fuels in January. Both plan to use wind energy to power their projects.

    cbc.ca

  • The Federal and Provincial governments have announced a combined investment of over $1.22M to support two rural public transit projects in Antigonish County. The funding will support new vehicle purchases and supporting infrastructure.

    canada.ca

  • The N.S. Internet Funding Trust will invest $10.6M in Pictou County to bring high-speed internet to more than 4,700 homes and businesses. The municipality’s fibre expansion project will cost about $53M with the additional funding coming from The Federal Government ($31M) and Pictou County ($10.6M).

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government is adding $12M in funding for additional supports for child-care operators through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement. Under the new annual agreements they will receive more funding for infant spaces, which should help compensate for rising operational costs and staff wages.

    novascotia.ca

  • A $5,571,844 contract for replacing the bridge in Lantz has been awarded to Dexter Construction to replace the one-lane structure with a two-lane bridge. Construction is scheduled to start this June and should be completed by the fall.

    cbc.ca

  • Cape Breton University is launching a fast-tracked 16-month bachelor of social work program, which is set to begin this fall and will welcome 30 students to help meet the growing demand for workers. There are currently at least 30 positions in the child-welfare and mental-health systems in N.S. posted on various job boards.

    cbc.ca

  • Doctors living and working within the four Atlantic Provinces will be able to work within the region without additional licensing requirements with the new Atlantic Physicians Registry that is expected to launch on May 1. This will allow the four provinces to draw from a larger pool of specialists to fill gaps.

    cbc.ca

  • Saint Mary's University Faculty Union, which represents 300 full-time professors, librarians, and instructors, has reached a tentative agreement with the school following 98% of the union's members voting in favour of a strike mandate late last month.

    cbc.ca

  • Screen Nova Scotia is partnering with the province to explore the film industry's potential spin-offs on our tourism industry. 2022 was a very busy year for the NS film industry, which generated $180M in new economic activity. Similar results are expected in 2023.

    citynews.ca
• Week of 2023-02-10 to 2023-02-16

  • New/Coming Soon: Mary Brown’s (Bedford); Closures: Kam-Moon (Halifax) and Bed Bath and Beyond/Buy Buy Baby are closing all stores in Canada.

    retales.ca

  • Bed Bath & Beyond Canada is closing all 54 stores and 11 buybuy BABY stores including its stores in Fredericton, Moncton, Halifax, Dartmouth, Charlottetown, and St. John’s. The company has nearly 400 full-time and over 1,000 part-time workers.

    cbc.ca

  • A new survey from the CFIB shows that 52% N.S. small business owners and 62% of N.B. owners have pandemic-related debt. In both provinces the average debt level is around $100K, and up to 16% report they are at risk of closure.

    charlottefm.ca

  • Combined Federal and Provincial Government funding of $8M has been announced to support energy efficiency upgrades to over 200 public housing properties in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

    canada.ca

  • Canada’s premiers and territorial leaders have accepted the new federal health care transfer, which will result in the provinces getting an extra $49B over 10 years. The funding will help address priorities like the doctor shortage and surgical backlogs.

    vocm.com

  • Statistics Canada data shows that one in five properties across much of Canada are owned by investors. N.S. and N.B. have fairly high levels of investor-owned properties, which can make it harder for first-time homeowners to find an affordable home.

    cbc.ca

  • Marchand Developments is planning a major housing development that will bring 886 new housing units to a 36-acre site in Bridgewater over the next 20 years or more. Phase 1 construction is expected to start by the end of 2023 or early 2024 and will see 492 units built.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has approved two new wind farm projects from Natural Forces Developments: The Benjamins Mill development (near Windsor) with 28 turbines and the Westchester Wind Project (near Oxford) with 12 turbines. Construction will begin in winter 2023 and be operational by 2025.

    cbc.ca

  • Some nurses early in their careers are leaving Nova Scotia hospitals and signing contracts with travel nursing agencies to work elsewhere in Canada. These nurses are citing higher pay and more flexible schedules. N.S. Health is currently trying to fill 1,024 vacant nursing positions.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has renewed two agreements with Port Hawkesbury Paper that will result in less timber being cut on Crown lands which will result in a shift to the private sector. This was recommended in the 2018 Lahey Report on forestry that called for a shift to ecological forestry.

    cbc.ca

  • The Grape Growers Association of N.S. has reported that it will take years for vineyards to recover from the recent cold snap that destroyed over 95% of some of the most prized varieties of grapes.

    cbc.ca

  • Joint Federal Provincial funding of $593,931 was announced for Pictou County Transit’s fixed-route transit system, which provides public transit service in New Glasgow and Stellarton. The funding will enable two new bus purchases and establish new bus stops to improve accessibility.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2023-02-03 to 2023-02-09

  • A 10-year, $196B federal health-care plan recently proposed by the Federal Government promises an influx of about $46.2B in new funding for the provinces and territories to improve struggling medical systems. This would amount to an additional $102M a year in immediate federal health funding for N.S.

    cbc.ca

  • The Halifax Regional Municipality has approved plans to build sidewalks for 17 rural communities over the next 10 years. Projects could also include paved shoulders and multi-use pathways. The first five projects could cost between $4-$19M for the city.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced $61,343 in funding The Yarmouth Region Medical Professional Recruitment Partnership to support efforts to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in Yarmouth, through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. film and TV industry is anticipating another banner production season. It has rebounded in large part to increases in the N.S. Film and TV Production Incentive Fund which has been topped up to $41M to meet growing demand and the creation of a $15M N.S. Content Creator Fund productions in 2022.

    cbc.ca

  • N.S. exported $2.5B in seafood in 2021, an increase of 21% from five years ago. The N.S. Fisheries Loan Board has seen increasing demand from new entrants, making up 38% of the applications approved in the 2021-22 fiscal year, and trending even higher year-to-date for 2022-23 at 42.4%.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Coming Soon: Guitar Central (Halifax), Sunny Fresh Market (Bedford), Freak Lunchbox (Dartmouth), PetValu (Timberlea); Closures: Rugova Pizza (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • The NS Government is increasing the minimum wage, currently at $13.60/hour, to $14.50 on April 1 and then to $15 on October 1, 6 months earlier than scheduled. It will also increase annually based on the national consumer price index plus 1%, effective April 1, 2024.

    novascotia.ca

  • Cape Breton University faculty members have ratified a new contract, ending a 12-day strike in Sydney. The agreement includes a nearly 9% salary increase over 3 years, along with room for annual bonuses. The contract affects librarians, archivists, lab instructors, nursing practice educators and research chairs.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has purchased an unfinished hotel in Bedford for $34M from Cresco Holdings Ltd. to convert it into a transitional care unit for some Halifax area hospital patients. The property has been under construction since 2019 and was to be a Marriott-branded hotel.

    cbc.ca

  • Over half of the long-term nursing homes in N.S. can now provide increased hours of daily care (4.1 hours) for their residents as a result of staffing level increases stemming from $25.1M in recent funding. 1,000 people will be graduating from continuing care assistant programs in the next 6 months.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a new $500k Abattoir Enrichment and Efficiency program for licensed abattoirs and meat processors to help upgrade their facilities and grow the local food sector. The application deadline for this year is February 28.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced $75,000 in funding the Municipality of Shelburne to support efforts to recruit and retain healthcare professionals, through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has approved a green hydrogen project for Point Tupper to produce hydrogen powered by renewable electricity from local wind-energy suppliers. EverWind Fuels Company plans to begin operations at the former NuStar oil and gas storage facility in Point Tupper by 2025.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-01-27 to 2023-02-02

  • New primary care clinics are expanding services at N.S. pharmacies through a new provincially funded pilot program that will start with 12 sites and expand further in the spring as they begin to offer clinical appointments free of charge to the public.

    cbc.ca

  • Acadia Broadcasting, which operates 18 licensed radio stations across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario, will layoff 11 staff company-wide. The company states that the consequences of the pandemic and a slow economic recovery led to the decision.

    thewave.ca

  • Lake Banook judges' tower in Dartmouth is being rebuilt through a $2.5M project that is being funded by the province and the Halifax Regional Municipality. The facility is expected to be ready by April to open in advance of this summer's North American Indigenous Games.

    cbc.ca

  • The wave of skilled trades retirements is estimated to arrive in N.S. sooner than expected with 16% of construction workers set to retire by 2027. The main driver for labour shortages in the sector is an aging workforce, while solutions involve boosting immigration and participation of youth and under-represented groups.

    saltwire.com

  • WestJet has announced it is cancelling direct flights to Europe this summer from Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto and that it would look at resuming transatlantic service in 2024. The airline cited staffing levels across the industry, inflation and deploying aircraft to meet guest demands as key factors.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $300k in funding for the Bella Rose Arts Centre Society to install better audio and lighting systems upgrades.

    canada.ca

  • A senior provincial judge says the shortage of judges in N.S. is a big issue. There are currently 4 vacancies in the provincial court, with another judge off on long-term leave and 2 more judges retiring this spring. The provincial court, at full complement, has 28 judges.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a new medical school will open at Cape Breton University by 2025 in partnership with Dalhousie University, which runs the only other medical school. The new medical school is expected to graduate up to 30 new doctors a year for at least the first 6 years. There is currently no cost estimate.

    cbc.ca

  • The Board of Police Commissioners approved a $94.6M operating budget for the Halifax Regional Police which will be sent to regional council for a final decision. Funding of $628,000 for 5 new municipal police positions was voted down but 4 new Halifax RCMP officers were approved at a cost of $716,200.

    cbc.ca

  • Some faculty members at Cape Breton University (Sydney), represented by the Cape Breton University Faculty Association, are currently on strike over wages with most classes now cancelled. The strike includes librarians, lab instructors, writing centre advisers, archivists, research chairs and nursing practice educators.

    citynews.ca

  • The N.S. Government is funding the Municipality of the County of Richmond, the Town of Port Hawkesbury and Cape Breton South Recruiting for Health, to support efforts to recruit and retain healthcare professionals, through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government is funding the Municipality of the County of Inverness to support efforts to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in Inverness, through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • New/Coming Soon: Chiko’s Bake House (Halifax), Mezza (Fall River), Circle K/Irving (West Bedford), Lindt (Halifax), and Flynn’s Dairy Bar (Halifax); Closures: Robin’s Donuts (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Nova Scotia College of Social Workers has said that provincial child and family services is in crisis due to staff shortages and burnout, while the province is working on hiring and retention strategies.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-01-20 to 2023-01-26

  • The N.S. Government is investing in training to help address under-representation of Black/African Nova Scotians in the social work field and ease pressures on the healthcare and social service systems. The 3-year Africentric Bachelor of Social Work pilot cohort program at Dalhousie University starts in September.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Construction Association of Nova Scotia is holding a 1-day event at the Halifax Convention Centre on February 15 that will include educational sessions on workforce challenges and a job fair. This comes as the sector faces almost 5,200 retirements in the province by 2027.

    cans.ns.ca

  • The N.S. Government is funding the Town of Amherst, Municipality of Cumberland, and The Pugwash Physician Recruitment/Appreciation Committee to support efforts to recruit and retain healthcare professionals. This funding is being channelled through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada is investing $1,698,750 to help three Halifax bioscience companies (ClearDynamic Inc., AGADA Biosciences Inc. and NovaResp Technologies Inc.) create innovative healthcare solutions for a wide range of challenges.

    canada.ca

  • Halifax Transit intends on reducing bus services starting Feb. 27 until late summer due to staffing shortages as they struggle to recruit and retain bus drivers. Between September and December, 35 new drivers were hired and trained. The goal is to hire 80 more drivers before regular bus service resumes.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Coming Soon: East Cup Coffee Roastery & Café (Halifax), Antoinette’s Cheesecakes and Ben & Florentine (Bedford), PetSmart (Halifax Shopping Centre), Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (Sackville); Closures: Copper Branch, Julep and Hermitage, and The Olsen Europe store (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • N.S. Health is launching new training and retention incentives in an effort to fill emergency department nursing vacancies as some provincial hospital units are reporting nurse vacancy rates of up to 80%. This includes annual specialty training for 120 nurses scheduled for Halifax, Sydney, New Glasgow and Yarmouth.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government is funding The Cape Breton Health Navigation Society and the Breton Ability Centre Society to support efforts to recruit and retain doctors and other healthcare professionals, through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government is funding the Mid Valley Region Physician Recruitment and Retention Committee and the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce, to support efforts to recruit and retain doctors and other healthcare professionals, through its new $2M Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced joint funding of $416k to improve public transit in Kings County that will enable Kings Point to Point Transit Society to acquire 4 new vehicles. This expansion is expected to make the region more inclusive and accessible particularly for those with disabilities.

    canada.ca

  • All 4 ski hills in the province are now open after a slow start to the season due to mild and wet weather conditions. These include Ski Ben Eoin and Cape Smokey (Cape Breton), Ski Martock (Hants County) and Ski Wentworth (Cumberland County).

    cbc.ca

  • Sunwing has reduced several winter destination flights from Halifax Stanfield International Airport for the rest of the winter season, following a series of other cancellations from the company. Sunwing’s other scheduled services at Halifax Stanfield are expected to continue this winter season.

    cbc.ca

  • Canada's airlines are becoming more regional with Air Canada focusing in the east and WestJet focusing on the west (significantly reducing their service in Atlantic Canada). The airlines have cut routes, are looking to improve profits, and creating barriers for competition.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2023-01-13 to 2023-01-19

  • $6M in joint federal, provincial and municipal funding has been announced for a Wastewater Infrastructure Upgrade project in Wolfville that will help prepare the town for future growth by improving the wastewater treatment plant and increasing treatment capacity.

    novascotia.ca

  • Dartmouth’s Shannon Park development proposal would see a mixed-use community with 3,000 new residential units that will have commercial space, a transit hub, active-transportation paths, and green space including a waterfront park.

    cbc.ca

  • Australian-based St. Barbara is reducing 100 positions at the Touquoy gold mine in Moose River as it winds down operations there. 44 positions are being cut, while 56 of the eliminated positions were already vacant. The remaining 182 positions will mill ore stockpiled at the site.

    cbc.ca

  • The latest forecast from Deloitte is that the Canadian economy will hit a deeper recession and expect inflation to slow down by the end of 2023. Only job losses are expected in construction and transportation, retail trade and information and culture.

    globalnews.ca

  • $3.3M in joint federal, provincial and municipal funding has been announced for an upgrade to Port Hawkesbury’s water supply and distribution infrastructure.

    canada.ca

  • The Province is partnering with the Housing Trust of Nova Scotia and investing $8M in modular housing projects to provide affordable transitional housing for healthcare workers in communities where housing options are limited.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced changes to improve care at emergency departments that include the addition of more nurse practitioners, physician assistants and patient advocates to emergency rooms, while paramedic training with tuition rebates will be offered at more NSCC campuses.

    cbc.ca

  • Vacancy rates for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse practitioners are as high as 80% at some Nova Scotia hospitals demonstrating how severe the provincial nursing shortage is. N.S. Health recently reported they could employ 1,500 additional nurses.

    cbc.ca

  • The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is currently exploring options such as new hiring or contracting out fire safety inspections for dealing with the current shortage of fire prevention officers. They currently have needs for more than two fire prevention officers but costs are an issue.

    cbc.ca

  • The Hudson's Bay Company is relaunching its defunct discount brand Zellers in 25 physical stores across the country in addition to an online store. At launch, two of those will be in Nova Scotia at the Mic Mac Mall (Dartmouth) and the Mayflower Shopping Mall (Sydney).

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has allocated 10% of Crown land (185,000 hectares) as a dedicated high production forest zone, where clear-cutting will be allowed. Three initial sites totalling 0.5% of Crown land have been identified and licensees can now submit harvesting and silviculture proposals for approval.

    novascotia.ca

  • Combined federal/provincial and municipal funding of $5.86M has been announced for major renovations to Devour! Studios in Wolfville. The culinary and cultural centre will serve as a multi-tenant, multi-purpose space that will directly support the arts, event tourism, and culinary industries.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2023-01-06 to 2023-01-12

  • N.S. is adding about 600 new single long-term care rooms for seniors bringing the total number of new and replacement rooms to 3,500 by 2027. Negotiations are currently underway with the selected companies that include Gem Healthcare, Northwoodcare, Rosecrest Communities and Shannex.

    novascotia.ca

  • A new employment outlook survey by ManpowerGroup shows that about 40% of Atlantic Canadian employers are expecting to start 2023 by hiring more staff. Of those surveyed only 16% expect cutbacks and about 40% will keep staffing numbers the same.

    charlottefm.ca

  • Economists predict the expected economic slowdown in 2023 may not result in higher levels of gig work, unlike previous recessions where contract work and self-employment spiked. The differences include the tight labour market combined with a changing workforce and lingering inflation.

    citynews.ca

  • The N.S. Government is partnering with Mitacs, a national not-for-profit research and innovation organization. The province will provide $13M in additional funding to create 3,200 paid high-skilled internship opportunities for post-secondary students and others studying in N.S. over the next 4 years.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Cat ferry is scheduled to begin its new season on May 25 between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine while work continues to finalize a tender for an economic impact analysis of the service. The 2022 season had about 36k passengers and 15k vehicles, similar to 2016 but down from 2017 and 2018.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government’s new 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan includes $450M for roadwork and major projects already underway for 2023-24 and $583M for 6 new major projects to be completed between 2025 and 2030. The N.S. road-building sector creates over 6,000 direct and 3,000 indirect jobs annually.

    novascotia.ca

  • Dartmouth General Hospital’s emergency department is hiring at least 4 physician assistants and another 4 will soon be hired to work in Bridgewater’s emergency department. A physician assistant fills a similar role to that of a medical resident allowing the doctor time to deal with more complex cases.

    cbc.ca

  • N.S. Health is launching a trial project at Yarmouth Regional Hospital that aims to reduce the chronic shortage of doctors who can administer anesthetics for surgery by hosting 2 family practice anesthetists to augment surgical services. There is a national and provincial shortage of anesthesiologists.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia’s Minimum Wage Review Committee has submitted its annual report which is recommending a faster path to $15/hour that includes a 90 cent increase to $14.50 on April 1 and a 50 cent increase to $15 on October 1. Input from community partners is currently being sought.

    novascotia.ca

  • Hospitals across N.S. are at an average total occupancy rate of 98% of inpatient beds which has Emergency room struggling to keep up. There are currently 12 vacant physician positions vacant within ER’s across N.S. and for registered nurses an average vacancy rate of nearly 32%.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia Health report the wait list for family doctors in N.S. is almost 130,000 which is about 13% of the population and represents a 56% year-over-year increase. Record-breaking population growth in 2021/2022 and the continuing shortage of family physicians are primary contributing factors.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax was the nation’s second-fastest growing urban region in 2022 according to new Statistics Canada data at 4.4% while growth in the towns of Kentville (2.7%), Truro (1.8%), New Glasgow (1.3%), and the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (0.9%) also occurred. International and inter-provincial migration were cited as the reasons.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-12-30 to 2023-01-05

  • Sixty-five continuing care assistants have received conditional job offers to work in N.S. as the result of a recent recruiting trip to Kenya. They are expected to start arriving in mid-2023 and will work in the continuing care sector in communities across the province.

    novascotia.ca

  • The employment sites Indeed and Glassdoor have released a report on labour market trends. It forecasts that labour shortages and higher inflation will see workers continuing to demand more pay, remote work options, better benefits, and other initiatives.

    ctvnews.ca

  • The Cape Breton Regional Municipality is eligible for $5M in federal rapid housing funding aimed at those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and has issued a request for expressions of interest from non-profit developers. The funding is expected to provide up to 20-24 new housing units.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax will host the North American Indigenous Games from July 15-23, 2023 with combined Federal ($8.3M), Provincial ($6M) and Municipal ($500k) funding. This is the first time the event will be hosted in Atlantic Canada and organizers expect over 5,000 participants and 3,000 volunteers.

    citynews.ca

  • N.S. Association of Realtors say a new federal law that came in effect on January 1 that bans non-Canadian citizens from buying a home in Canada over the next 2 years will only slow down an already-slow housing market in this province.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-12-23 to 2022-12-29

  • Halifax regional council has approved the start of master neighbourhood planning for the "M District" where the Mic Mac Mall is located. The proposed development would add 1,900 residential units as well as parking, office and entertainment space.

    cbc.ca

  • Atlantic Canada's fishing industry faced a challenging year in 2022. Fish harvesters were hit hard when the mackeral and herring fisheries were shut down. Lobster and crab fishermen saw prices drop, fuel prices rise, and Fiona damaged or swept away wharves, fishing gear, and other infrastructure.

    Telegram

  • Under new federal government regulations, 20% of all passenger cars, SUVs and trucks sold in Canada in 2026 will need to be electric. This increases to 60% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales were 5.2% of new car sales in 2021 and 7.2% during the first half of 2022.

    citynews.ca

  • Phase 1 of the $9M Charlotte Street redevelopment project (Sydney) is nearly complete with only some electrical work still left. The cost of the project is being shared by Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the federal and provincial governments. Phase II is expected to start in the spring of 2023.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-12-16 to 2022-12-22

  • The N.S. Government is investing $4.1M in the community-led African Nova Scotian Justice Institute, formed over a year ago to help develop policy and support programs to address anti-black racism in the justice system. The funding will support operational costs through March 2026.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced an additional $7.9M to help local farmers grow more food and supply more of the province’s largest kitchens. Initiatives include the new Season Extension Enhancement Program and the Local Food Advancement Program. Details will be available online in January.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government is in the final procurement process stages of Plenary PCL Health to build a new patient tower with 4 operating rooms, a new emergency department and a new cancer care centre at the Halifax Infirmary. Projects are also slated for Dartmouth General Hospital and Cobequid Community Health Centre.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Construction Association of Nova Scotia is pleased with the QEII Health Centre redevelopment plan which, as a result of more but smaller builds, will allow more local contractors to bid on the work which will help with the labour challenges being experienced in the sector.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax Regional Police plan to expand their hate crime unit which includes hiring an in-house psychologist, occupational health nurse, detective, police science program supervisor, and sergeant position as part of its $95.2M budget for 2023. Meanwhile, Halifax RCMP have requested 16 new officers over the next 3 years.

    cbc.ca

  • The Federal Government has announced $31.7M in funding to provide high-speed internet to 4,700 homes in 127 rural communities in Pictou County. Work on the new modern fibre-based technology will begin immediately though some households may take 2 years to be connected.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government is investing $8M to help maintain student residences, increase student housing options and ease pressure on the housing supply with $5M to the Tartan Downs housing project (Sydney) and $3M to The Atlantic School of Theology (Halifax).

    novascotia.ca

  • Joint Federal ($3.7M), Provincial ($516k) and Municipal ($319.7k) funding has been announced to support a new affordable housing project in Dartmouth. The 12 units are expected to be ready in spring 2023 and are being built with a net-zero construction approach.

    novascotia.ca

  • Solar Nova Scotia is optimistic for industry growth in 2023. While most of the current activity is on the residential side, growth is expected on the commercial side in 2023. Hundreds of Nova Scotians are currently employed in the sector, and Solar Nova Scotia is working with the Nova Scotia Community College to train more installers.

    citynews.ca

  • The Verschuren Centre (Sydney) is expanding to build its own bio-manufacturing testing centre that will allow companies to develop sustainable technologies and is expected to be operational after July 2023. Over the past three years, the non-profit company has doubled its workforce to 40 employees.

    cbc.ca

  • Despite a shortage of health-care workers, medical students are looking outside of Canada to finish their medical studies, with only 10% of students being accepted into a Canadian medical school. Many also go outside Canada for residency opportunities.

    ctvnews.ca

  • Ottawa has announced that public servants will be required to work a hybrid work model, which requires being in the office at least two to three days a week. The new model will be applied to all departments and will come into full effect by March 31, 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Opening Soon Businesses: Apartment 3 Espresso Bar and Stillwell Brewing (Halifax), Pizza Pizza (Spryfield), and Tanoor (Bedford). Closures: The Children’s Place (Dartmouth), The Tare Shop (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $10.5M joint funding for two wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects in Kings County.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $995,558 in funding to improve approximately 4 km of sidewalks in Meteghan.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $1.3M in joint funding for new vehicles and bus shelters to connect Transit Cape Breton’s services to underserved rural areas across the Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

    canada.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced $1.3M in funding to launch a new orientation program that will help welcome and settle 140 doctors trained outside of Canada over the next three years.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2022-12-09 to 2022-12-15

  • Christmas tree farmers have seen inflation cut into their profit margin, due to rising fuel and fertilizer costs, but have seen strong demand. The Canadian Christmas Trees Association states that tree prices have increased by 10-15% in Atlantic Canada.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced new investments of $28.9M for programs and initiatives across the continuing care system for both long-term care facilities and home-care agencies for things such as facility improvements. Funding also includes $8.1M for additional long-term care assistants.

    novascotia.ca

  • New/Opening Soon Businesses: East Coast Dog (Halifax), Fawn Restaurant (Halifax). Closures: Freshii and the Pizza Girls Katch (Scotia Square/Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • DND states that over half of recent applicants looking to join the Canadian military, came from permanent residents, following a change on Dec. 5 allowing them to join. The military has been faced with a shortage of personnel, estimated as high as 10,000.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has legislated a 53% cut in greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050. The plan includes a ban on oil-fired heating equipment in new builds by 2025, more electric vehicle charging stations and an increase in zero-emissions vehicles and e-bikes through rebates.

    cbc.ca

  • The owners of Mic Mac Mall are looking to transform the property into a massive, mixed-use development that would eventually see over 2,000 residential units added to the property along with an additional one million square feet of retail and commercial space and over 6,000 subterranean parking stalls.

    today

  • The N.S. Government is investing an additional $4M in the Rural Impact Mitigation program and equipment to improve Nova Scotia roads. Investments will include rebuilding gravel roads, brush cutting, pavement patching, ditching, shoulder gravelling, guardrail repairs, and shoreline protection.

    novascotia.ca

  • Repair costs for damage from post-tropical storm Fiona at the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport are expected to be nearly $2M. A shortage of tradespeople in the region means the work to complete repairs at the Sydney airport may take up to a year to complete.

    cbc.ca

  • The Nova Scotia government is hoping to recruit more doctors and nurse practitioners to provide virtual care to the over 125,000 people who don’t currently have a family doctor. As of Nov. 30, there were 57 doctors and 17 nurse practitioners doing virtual visits.

    cbc.ca

  • A new office for African Nova Scotian Affairs is now open at the North Preston Community Centre. This follows recently launched offices in Digby and New Glasgow and already established offices in Yarmouth, Truro, Sydney and Halifax (main office). Each of the three new offices has 2 full-time employees.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government is helping community organizations with $4M for the Community Generator Program purchase generators and another $500k to support repairs at three community rinks in Thorburn, Shelburne and Parrsboro.

    novascotia.ca

  • A new urgent treatment centre is set to open at the Lillian Fraser Memorial Hospital in Tatamagouche by mid-January. The centre will provide care for people with unexpected, non-life-threatening health concerns that require same or next day treatment.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government is investing an additional $19.5M to preserve, modernize and improve existing affordable housing, grow the community housing sector and add modular housing to help tackle the housing crisis. This includes $7.5M to upgrade 150 units in Halifax Regional Municipality.

    novascotia.ca

  • The federal government released its mineral development strategy and there is a commitment to develop mining projects, as well as new money. Despite the Maritimes' considerable deposits and mining’s high average wages, its share of the real GDP is falling.

    substack.com
• Week of 2022-12-02 to 2022-12-08

  • The Atlantic Canada Cruise Ship Association states that the region had a strong cruise ship season in 2022, despite the negative impact of Hurricane Fiona. Atlantic Canada saw over 470 ships and over 670,000 passengers visit the region.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The N.S. Government has approved a request from Kameron Coal Management Ltd. to renew its industrial approval for the Donkin Mine in Cape Breton that allows the company to continue to operate the mine in compliance with the approval terms. The 7-year agreement expires on December 31, 2029.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $496,980 in funding to ElevateHer Mental Health Support Services Canada (Truro) for the implementation of the Girls Achieving Gender Equity Outreach project.

    canada.ca

  • Highway twinning projects on Highways 103, 104 and 107 are scheduled for completion in 2023 while delays continue with Highway 101. The projected $151.6M plan to twin highways from Three Mile Plains to Falmouth is not anticipated to be completed until 2026 as a result of the new aboiteau needed near Windsor.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia's public school system is seeing an increase in enrolment, reversing a decades-long trend of declining enrolment. In addition to the resulting shortage of teachers, there are also shortages of guidance counsellors, speech language pathologists, and school psychologists.

    cbc.ca

  • New/Opening Soon Businesses: PZZA.Co (4th location/Bedford), Sabrosa Mexican Grill (Dartmouth), No Frills (Woodside).

    retales.ca

  • The Provincial Government has created a designated residency pathway for 10 international medical graduates studying outside Canada with priority to those with a N.S. connection that brings the total to 16 seats from the initial 6. Ten new family medicine residency seats have also been created for 2023 in N.S.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government’s Satellite Internet Service Rebate has been expanded to cover an additional 30,000 homes and businesses and provides up to $1K to buy and install satellite-based internet. 490 applications were initially received with 130 applications submitted since the expanded eligibility.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government is providing $90M in funding for projects that streamline medical credential recognition of internationally trained health workers or provide them with Canadian work experience, with the aim to address labour shortages in the health care sector.

    globalnews.ca
• Week of 2022-11-25 to 2022-12-01

  • New/Upcoming Businesses: Sunny Fresh Market (Bedford), Xaymaca Seafood Caribbean Cuisine (Dartmouth), BrewHQ (Dartmouth), Harvest (new location in Bayers Lake), Daddy’s cupcake shop (Halifax). Closing Soon: The Bike Pedaler (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Canada Summer Jobs program has begun accepting applications for organizations looking for government funding in order to hire youth this summer. Qualified groups can apply up to January 12 and placements will begin in April 2023.

    hrreporter.com

  • A $76M contribution through the Canada-Nova Scotia Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement will see child-care fees lowered on December 31. A recent early childhood educator wage package will see wages increase by up to 43%.

    novascotia.ca

  • Clark's Harbour Seafood is opening a new $15M lobster processing facility this month, which will initially employ 30 to 40 people and eventually employ 80 staff. A China-focused exporter has invested over $45M in the N.S. company.

    cbc.ca

  • The Nova Scotia Teachers Union states that the province has a shortage of substitute teachers, making it hard to keep schools adequately staffed. The shortage of teachers is Canada-wide, and the province has turned to retired teachers to help.

    cbc.ca

  • Statistics Canada reports that there has been a drop of 8% in the area used for farming between 2001 and 2021 across Canada, with the Maritimes showing the biggest decline. Area farmed in N.S. decreased by 28.4%, N.B. was at 28.3%, and P.E.I. at 21.8%.

    ctvnews.ca
• Week of 2022-11-18 to 2022-11-24

  • New/Upcoming Business Openings: Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen (Dartmouth), Simply Asian (Dartmouth), Pizza Pizza (Spryfield).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada’s 7-year public service hiring spree is receiving $2.3B in additional spending that will increase its workforce size to 409,000 jobs within 5 years. Positions being hired include border guards, case managers, military and IT jobs.

    irpp.org

  • The N.S. Government has announced new financing through the Wild Blueberry Business Enhancement program to help wild blueberry producers buy equipment, improve production and develop new land. There were about 630 wild blueberry producers in 2021.

    novascotia.ca

  • Victim Services in N.S. pays private practitioners $85/hour to counsel victims of crime resulting in a significant loss of income for therapists who would normally charge $120-180/hour for counselling services. Some suggest this low pay for counselling contracts is causing a shortage of services.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. College of Art and Design and the Faculty Union of NSCAD Unit have reached a new tentative 4-year collective agreement with their regular full-time, pro-rated and part-time faculty. A ratification vote is expected to be held quickly.

    citynews.ca

  • Halifax-based, N.S. College of Art and Design, now known NSCAD University has signed a long-term agreement with the Halifax Port Authority to consolidate all three of its downtown campuses at the Halifax Seaport. The project is expected to be completed by 2030.

    citynews.ca

  • An Information and Communications Technology Council report predicts employment in the Canadian digital economy will reach 2.26M by 2025, an increase of 250K jobs. This is despite companies like Meta, Twitter, Microsoft and others currently cutting staff.

    citynews.ca
• Week of 2022-11-11 to 2022-11-17

  • Canadian Union of Public Employees workers with the Cape Breton Regional Municipality have accepted a new tentative 4-year collective agreement. The union represents 138 workers in the citizen service centre, positions in various departments like public works, transit and facilities, the 911 and 311 operation centres, police records and lock-up staff.

    Cape Breton Post

  • A Fraser Institute study compared average earnings from 2019 between New England and Atlantic Canada, and found a $15K pay difference. New England’s average was $44, 236, while Atlantic Canada’s average was $29, 230 and P.E.I. was the lowest at $26,567.

    charlottefm.ca

  • New/Opening Soon Businesses: Chatime (Dartmouth), Greco (Halifax), Asian grocer E-joy (Halifax), Korean grocer Hanin Market, Tandoor Restaurant and Beanville Coffee Roastery are all part of the old Esquire Motel conversion (Bedford). Closures: Burrito Jax (Cole Harbour).

    retales.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a $2M annual budget to support healthcare recruitment and retention with the Office of Healthcare Professionals Recruitment Community Fund. Community groups and municipalities can apply by the December 19 deadline for up to $100k for projects.

    novascotia.ca

  • Joint Provincial ($2M) and Federal ($3.9M) funding has been announced to convert the New Glasgow public library into the New Glasgow Destination Centre. It will include indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, commercial kitchen, nursery, private spaces, community meeting space and a café.

    novascotia.ca

  • Emera Inc. has announced a hold on capital spending on clean energy projects in N.S. due to the Provincial Government's imposed rate cap on the parent company of N.S. Power. The last capital plan included $500M in planned investment in the Eastern Clean Energy Initiative. Emera reported a 3rd quarter profit of $167M.

    cbc.ca

  • The Port of Halifax reports that the 2022 cruise ship season brought in 148 vessels and about 234k passengers between April 26 and November 5, calling it a strong rebuilding year. It benefits tour operators, attractions, shops and bars/restaurants, along with local suppliers to the cruise lines.

    citynews.ca

  • The importance of supporting military members who want to transition into skilled trades upon leaving the service has been shared with a N.S. legislature committee. With a current shortage of skilled tradespeople, the province is working with trades organizations and the military to help ease the transition.

    citynews.ca

  • NS increased its annual budget allocation by $18.4M (from $3.1M in December 2021) on private nursing companies for travel nurses in long-term care after the Omicron wave began and is on track to be completely spent. Private contract nurses typically receive at least double the hourly wage of public-sector nurses and greater scheduling flexibility.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-11-04 to 2022-11-10

  • The N.S. Government has set up a new mobile primary healthcare clinic staffed by nurse practitioners and other primary care providers. It offers both in-person and virtual treatment for injuries and illnesses and refilled/renewed prescriptions to help bridge the gap in primary care services.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has accepted the Auditor General's recommendations on Immigration and population growth and have begun work on its implementation, including 12 new application processing positions, 2 new fraud/compliance positions, and 6 navigators to support regional settlement.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $1.3M on a new program called Community Geothermal Resource Capacity Assessment and Training, which aims to help rural and Mi'kmaw communities develop geothermal energy-based projects. Net Zero Atlantic will run it and use the funds to hire employees and project managers.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax Transit is recruiting ferry operators to address staff shortages and has recently hired 3 operators that should be ready by mid-December with 2 more currently being hired. There were only 8 ferry operators in the municipality with over 4,000 overtime hours over the last year.

    cbc.ca

  • A new mental health day hospital is scheduled to open in Sydney in the spring of 2023 that will offer intensive mental health treatment. The team will include a psychiatrist, registered nurse, social worker, occupational therapist, recreation therapist and a pharmacist.

    novascotia.ca

  • Over 600 striking school support workers with the N.S. Government and General Employees Union and the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education have reached a tentative agreement. It includes educational assistants, early childhood educators and other school support staff.

    cbc.ca

  • 130 striking school support workers in the South Shore, that are members of the N.S. Government and General Employees Union, have overwhelmingly accepted a new deal with the employer. The contract will bring about wage parity with other N.S. school support workers.

    citynews.ca

  • Dalhousie University and about 1,500 members striking Canadian Union Of Public Employees members have reached a tentative agreement. They include Teaching assistants, instructors, and markers. No date has been set for a ratification vote.

    cbc.ca

  • Business Openings/Coming Soon: Asian grocer Union Mart (Bayer’s lake), Antoinette’s Cheesecakes (Bedford), Griffin Jewellery (Halifax and Dartmouth), and Glamour Secrets (Dartmouth). Closures: Kee Heong Cantonese Bakery (Halifax) and The Art Expo (Halifax).

    retales.ca
• Week of 2022-10-28 to 2022-11-03

  • Paper Excellence, the owners of the 2020 idled Northern Pulp mill in Pictou Co., have been granted another 6 months of protection from creditors. During this time there are plans for $2M in repairs to the mill and tree nursery from hurricane damage.

    cbc.ca

  • Emergency Health Services will add a registered nurse to its 911 communications centre in November to manage non-life-threatening calls. They will join the clinical support paramedic and physician at the centre to give callers medical advice and treatment options.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $250k in funding through the Canada Community Revitalization Fund for upgrades to the Springfield Lake Recreation Centre (Middle Sackville).

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $28.8M to support the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre (Halifax) for the construction of a new building to allow them to expand their services and operations.

    canada.ca

  • An indefinite delay has been announced in the tender process for the redevelopment of the Halifax Infirmary - the largest component of the QEII redevelopment project. This comes as a result of the final submission deadline not being met by the lone bidder, Plenary PCL.

    cbc.ca

  • Business Openings: Dejan’s European Bakery (Bedford), 3 Mile Outfitters, Buck Ugly’s, Philthy Philly’s (Halifax), Flynn’s Dairy Bar (Spryfield), and Kam Moon (Bayers Lake). Closures: ChocoMod, Waffle Love, Yanjing (Halifax), Charger Burger/Thornhill Pizza (Spryfield),

    retales.ca

  • The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association wants the federal government to offer more incentives to get more drivers behind the wheel. It is estimated that there are 28,000 vacancies across the country and it costs up to $12,000 to take driver training.

    globalnews.ca

  • Atlantic Canada's ocean technology start-up sector has been ranked in the top 10 in a new report on the global blue economy. The Ocean Supercluster, a federal innovation fund, headquartered in St. John's, has approved 70 projects with a total value of over $360M.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced an additional $5.3M in funding a variety of programs to address increased demand for support to make the repairs and upgrades necessary for Nova Scotians to continue living safely and comfortably in their own homes.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia have announced combined funding of over $7M for 120 Atlantic Fisheries Fund projects to support increased lobster quality in NS through infrastructure, innovation and science partnership projects.

    canada.ca

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a renewed interim understanding with Acadia, Annapolis Valley, Bear River and Glooscap First Nations that will see their members fishing lobster in pursuit of a moderate livelihood and selling their catch.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2022-10-21 to 2022-10-27

  • Over 600 workers at the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education went on strike over wages on October 24. Workers include educational assistants, early childhood educators, student support workers and outreach workers.

    citynews.ca

  • The Council of Atlantic Ministers of Education and Training have expanded resources and tools to help high school and post-secondary students in Atlantic Canada with career planning. More information can be found at https://careersatlanticcanada.ca.

    novascotia.ca

  • New Business Openings: Candy Depot (Dartmouth), Noods (Halifax), Bestie (Halifax), Rudy & Olives (Bedford/re-opening), La Cocina Mexicana (Halifax airport), Xena’s Bread and Butter (Halifax). Closings: Lily Pad Cat Lounge (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • Over 130 workers at the South Shore Regional Centre for Education went on strike over wages on October 25. They include educational assistants, early childhood educators, student support workers, outreach workers, parent navigators, library personnel, child and youth practitioners, native student advisers, literacy support workers and student supervisors.

    Chronicle Herald

  • Windsor-based Halucenex Life Sciences Inc. is conducting the province's first psilocybin research with the launch of a clinical trial to examine magic mushrooms as treatment for PTSD. The trial began in October and is scheduled to finish in March 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • The only daycare for military families on the Halifax peninsula, the Halifax and Region Military Family Resource Centre, is closing its doors by the end of March because it says it can't hire enough early childhood educators citing a "chronic shortage" of staff.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced additional financial support to help those impacted by hurricane Fiona including the Canadian Red Cross ($1.39M) and United Way of Pictou County ($200k). This is in addition to $830k already provided to provincial United Way organizations.

    novascotia.ca

  • Provincial legislation introduced on October 20 establishes the not-for-profit corporation, Perennia, to begin operating as a Crown corporation. Perennia supports competitiveness and sustainability in the agriculture, seafood, and food and beverage sectors. It has 90 employees, in Kentville, HRM and Bible Hill.

    novascotia.ca

  • Emera, parent company of N.S. Power, is pausing spending on the Atlantic Loop following the recent provincial power rate cap legislation. The project would expand the electrical grid connections between Quebec, N.B. and N.S. to provide greater access to renewable electricity.

    cbc.ca

  • The Town of Antigonish and the Municipality of the County of Antigonish have voted to consolidate into a single municipality. This came despite calls for a public vote. Proponents suggest this will have a positive impact on service delivery, infrastructure investment, and rural/urban enhancement.

    cbc.ca

  • Mariners Centre in Yarmouth is getting a $30M expansion from joint Federal ($15.9M), Provincial ($4M) and Municipal governments ($10M). The expansion will include an aquatics area, a two-lane walking track and fitness centre as well as improved energy efficiency and barrier-free design.

    cbc.ca

  • The Provincial Government has announced it will launch a new Practical Nursing Program at the N.S. Community College Pictou campus in Fall 2023 to help provide a more diverse range of care in N.S. communities. The cohort will be open to 30 Mi’kmaw learners.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government has announced a new pilot program that will see physician assistants in emergency departments in hospitals in Bridgewater and Dartmouth. The program will also work towards certifying internationally trained medical lab technologists to work in N.S. where 72 vacancies currently exist.

    cbc.ca

  • The Restaurant Association of N.S. reports approximately 30% of restaurants in Nova Scotia are trying to recruit foreign workers to fill a nearly 8,000-worker shortage in the sector but face lengthy delays in the processing of foreign worker applicants.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-10-14 to 2022-10-20

  • The N.S. Government is creating two new Crown corporations to modernize the province’s approach to economic development. Invest Nova Scotia and Build Nova Scotia will be operational by December 1 and will support businesses from start-up to commercialization.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Association of Atlantic Universities says international students have grown by about 3,000 over the last year and account for a lot of the enrolment increases seen at the 16 universities in the Atlantic region.

    globalnews.ca

  • New Business Openings: Swanky Burger (Halifax), Mera (Halifax), hybrid Katch/Cheese Curds/Habanero’s (Sackville).

    retales.ca

  • The N..S. Government has announced a range of financial supports for the agriculture and forestry sectors impacted by hurricane Fiona. These include a one-time grant of $2,500 to registered farms, $6M through the Agricultural Response Program and $4.6M to private woodlot owners.

    novascotia.ca

  • Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa is being transformed into one of the top 10 resorts in Canada. In partnership with the Bear River First Nation, the ownership group has already invested $10M on basic infrastructure and plans to spend another $125M over the next 5 years.

    today

  • Nova Scotia’s registry of people in need of primary care rose to a record high of 116k in October 2022, representing over 11% of the population. Over the past year the list has grown by over 38k people, driven by the growing population and physician retirements.

    citynews.ca

  • Provincial legislation amendments introduced on October 17 are expected to pave the way for the production and use of green hydrogen as a clean energy source in Nova Scotia. There are currently at least six active green hydrogen projects in the province.

    novascotia.ca

  • Teaching assistants at Dalhousie University are on strike as of October 19, after failing to agree on pay increases. It also includes some instructors, markers and demonstrators. The campus remains open but classes taught by CUPE instructors are suspended.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-10-07 to 2022-10-13

  • Cooke Aquaculture, through its subsidiary Kelly Cove Salmon, wants to increase the size of its existing Atlantic salmon fish farm in Liverpool Bay and add two more nearby sites at Mersey Point and Brooklyn. The expansion is currently before provincial regulators.

    cbc.ca

  • The Fall River Childcare Centre will close permanently in November, citing a lack of government support for private operators, a shortage of early childhood educators due to low wages, and falling revenues from a provincial cap on parent fee increases.

    cbc.ca

  • Early childhood educators working in regulated child-care settings will see wage increases between 14 and 43% depending on classification level and experience, retroactive to July 4, 2022. Wage increases will flow through employers (licensed, funded centres and agencies).

    novascotia.ca

  • The construction of IWK Health’s new pediatric emergency department is currently underway. The N.S. government approved $102M toward the expansion, which is expected to be completed in late 2025.

    novascotia.ca

  • An advanced heart-care service currently available only in Halifax will be part of new expansions at Cape Breton Regional Hospital. The N.S. Government is investing $210M in the redevelopment project with construction on the clinical services building expected to start in 2023.

    novascotia.ca

  • New Businesses: Peavey Mart (Bedford), Holy Moly Milk Tea (Dartmouth), Frank and Oak (Halifax). Closures: Mexico Lindo (Halifax), Freshii and T. Kettle (Scotia Square locations - Halifax), Rudy and Olives (Bedford).

    retales.ca

  • The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) says that the shortage of professional drivers represents one of the biggest threats to Canada’s economic recovery. CTA states that Canada needs nearly 30,000 commercial truck drivers.

    trucknews.com

  • The federal government will temporarily remove the 20-hour cap on November 14, which currently restricts the number of weekly hours that international students can work. The main reason behind the change is to help address labour shortages.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government and General Employees Union, representing over 600 school support workers that include pre-primary educators and educational assistants at the Annapolis Valley Regional Centre for Education, has reached a tentative agreement with the employer.

    cbc.ca

  • The Chignecto-Central Regional Centre for Education says the ongoing bus driver shortage, in part due to a shrinking workforce, is likely the biggest challenge facing the school district and is specifically tied to difficulty building up a roster of backfill drivers.

    cbc.ca

  • Tourism N.S. announced the new Compelling Tourism Communities Initiative with a $1.9M budget for 2022-23 to help grow tourism through market research, advertising, website development, digital marketing training, and support for community visitor information centres.

    novascotia.ca

  • A recent C.D. Howe Institute study reports that mothers of young children face more return-to-workforce barriers than a father does. The study also found that the younger the children, the probability of a mother returning to work is even lower.

    Other Sources
• Week of 2022-09-30 to 2022-10-06

  • Rising construction material costs and widespread skilled labour shortages in N.S. are creating challenges in rebuilding after post-tropical storm Fiona. The Construction Association of N.S. estimates 2-3,000 additional workers were needed for ongoing projects well before the storm hit.

    citynews.ca

  • New research from KPMG LLP Canada found that small businesses are more optimistic and less convinced that the economy is heading into a recession, compared to most Canadian CEOs. About 40% of CEOS have implemented a hiring freeze or looking to downsize.

    Daily Gleaner

  • The N.S. Government is expanding the “More Opportunity for Skilled Trades” program to help attract and retain more young workers to meet shortages in the growing film and video industry through income tax rebates for eligible film and video operators under 30.

    cbc.ca

  • The Annapolis Royal Centre is a new urgent treatment centre opening on October 12. It replaces the town’s current collaborative emergency centre which has been closed since July due to staffing issues. The new centre will be open three days a week.

    novascotia.ca

  • The minimum wage went up in three of the four Atlantic provinces on October 1, 2022 . New Brunswick instituted a $1 increase up to $13.75/hour, Newfoundland and Labrador had a 50-cent rise to $13.70/hour and Nova Scotia saw a 25 cent increase to $13.60/hour.

    citynews.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $300M in recovery assistance to Atlantic Canada from Hurricane Fiona after significant damage across the region. The fund is to be managed by ACOA in concert with other federal departments and agencies.

    canada.ca

  • The number of job vacancies in Canada has reached a new high of over 1M, while the unemployment rate recently hit a record low below 5%. Scarcity of labour is the most common complaint from employers and is happening in virtually every sector of the economy, not just the retail and hospitality sectors.

    Cape Breton Post

  • New Businesses: Fia Fia (Halifax), Frank & Oak (Halifax/seasonal only), YOLO Craft (Halifax), and Sams Pizza (Bedford).

    retales.ca
• Week of 2022-09-23 to 2022-09-29

  • A survey from Eckler Ltd. forecasts average salary increases of 4.2% in 2023 across Canada, as we continue to experience a tight labour market and high inflation. This would be the biggest increase in 20 years and would also match actual wage gains in 2022.

    Chronicle Herald

  • Atlantic Canada's economy is expected to take a big hit following post-tropical storm Fiona though damage is still being assessed. NS has announced about $40M in provincial aid to people directly affected by the storm.

    citynews.ca

  • A survey from Eckler Ltd. forecasts average salary increases of 4.2% in 2023 across Canada, as we continue to experience a tight labour market and high inflation. This would be the biggest increase in 20 years, which would also match actual wage gains in 2022.

    Chronicle Herald

  • New Businesses: Dejan’s European Bakery (Bedford), Meltwich (Elmsdale), Lululemon (Halifax), The Hyve (Halifax), Lark & Finch (Halifax), Tartan Coffee Company (Halifax), Closures: Bam Bam Bagels (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced over $3.9M in joint funding to support active transportation by extending the network of sidewalks in Guysborough.

    canada.ca

  • Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced changes to make it easier for foreign-born physicians to remain in Canada and continue to practice medicine here to help address doctor shortages.

    canada.ca

  • The Port Hawkesbury Airport, catering largely to private aircrafts, is receiving $1M in new infrastructure as Celtic Air Services (the company that runs the airport) gains a new investment partner, EverWind Fuels. Construction is expected to start later this year.

    cbc.ca

  • A total of 12 cruise ships have cancelled their N.S. arrivals in Sydney as a result of Fiona, for a loss of well over $1M to the port and various local businesses. September and October is usually the most profitable time of year for marine tourism.

    citynews.ca
• Week of 2022-09-16 to 2022-09-22

  • Statistics Canada reports that job vacancies hit a record-high last quarter, with almost 1M vacancies across the country. Job vacancies increased in six provinces, including Nova Scotia, but decreased in New Brunswick.

    charlottefm.ca

  • According to the latest Employment Outlook Survey released by ManpowerGroup, almost half (49%) of Atlantic Canadian employers plan to hire in the fourth quarter of 2022.

    charlottefm.ca

  • New Businesses: Salt + Ash (Halifax), The Posh Pearl (Sackville), Mr. Oven (Bedford), Downtown Pizza (Woodside); Closures: Snappy Tomato (Woodside).

    retales.ca

  • Statistics Canada says wages in Atlantic Canada grew by more than the national rate of 2%, from April to June 2022, but still trails inflation at 7-8%. N.B.’s wages grew by 4.1%, N.L. jumped by 4%, N.S. increased by 3.9%, and P.E.I. rose by 3.3%.

    cbc.ca

  • The Nova Scotia government has launched an ambitious plan to get into the offshore wind business. The province’s goal is to offer leases for five gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, in an effort to support the emerging green hydrogen sector.

    cbc.ca

  • Cape Breton University Faculty Association have voted in favour of a strike after making little progress with negotiations on an agreement. The association represents 216 professors, librarians, lab instructors, nursing practice educators and specialists.

    cbc.ca

  • WestJet will suspend several direct flights out of Halifax this winter, including Montreal, Ottawa and St. John's. The airline previously announced that it wouldn’t offer winter flights out of Charlottetown, Fredericton, and Sydney, N.S.

    cbc.ca

  • The union representing staff at CBRMs city hall, 911 call centre and police lockup has voted to reject a tentative deal, with 911 workers and jailers wanting higher wages. The unionized workers are in a position to strike, but will wait for a counter-offer.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax-based Frank Magazine Atlantic has shut down the publication of its satirical magazine after 35 years in operation. Its unknown how many staff will be affected by the closure.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-09-09 to 2022-09-15

  • N.S. Power expects it will cost over $2B this decade to close its coal plants and transition to a greener electricity grid. They are proceeding with four projects under the Eastern Clean Energy Initiative costing $638M that include a $171M battery storage project.

    cbc.ca

  • The Donkin coal mine (Kameron Coal) has resumed some mine operations after a 2-year closure. The mine's reopening is expected to have a substantial economic impact in the community with anticipated employment of 150 good-paying jobs.

    cbc.ca

  • New Businesses: Atlantic Aquarium & Reef Supplies (Halifax), Mezza (Fall River), Cheelin (Halifax), First Sight Coffee (Halifax); Closures: Indulgence Intimate Apparel (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • There has been a shortage of Early childhood educators in provincially funded, licensed child-care centres since the pre-primary program came into effect (2017) due to the higher salaries, better working conditions and benefits offered by regional centres for education.

    cbc.ca

  • There are 10 municipal police forces in N.S. that will soon face the choice of paying for RCMP special services as needed, requesting them from a bigger municipal force, or handling them on their own. The new standards are expected to be finished by March 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • Cape Breton University and the non-profit group Urban Neighborhood Development Association plans to create 430 rental units to address a housing shortage in Sydney. Activity is currently stalled, however, due to a lack of funding.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government will conduct a year-end review of the CAT ferry service, which resumed in 2022 between N.S. and Maine, after a 3-year hiatus. Despite a 40% drop in vehicles entering N.S. from the US, the ferry's numbers have remained similar to past years.

    cbc.ca

  • The College of Physicians and Surgeons of N.S. has launched a streamlined process for doctors who trained outside of Canada and are deemed ready for consideration of getting licensed in N.S. to help increase the number of physicians.

    cbc.ca

  • The Halifax Regional Municipality will be bidding on the 2024 JUNO Awards, which were last hosted here in 2006. It is estimated they would generate about $7M into the local economy for things like hotel rooms, food and beverages, transportation and retail.

    citynews.ca

  • The Cape Breton Regional Municipality and the Canadian Union of Public Employees representing 138 workers have reached a tentative collective agreement to address issues such as pay, bereavement time, and shift differentials.

    Cape Breton Post
• Week of 2022-09-02 to 2022-09-08

  • A new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives N.S. indicates the living wage in the province is at an all-time high, up 5-8% compared to 2021, with the low in Cape Breton at $20/hour. and the high in HRM at $23.50/hour. The minimum wage is $13.35.

    cbc.ca

  • A new report by Statistics Canada found that N.S. has the highest undergraduate tuition in the country, amounting to $9,328 for the 2022/23 academic year. N.B.’s tuition was the third highest at $8,284, while N.L. had the second lowest tuition at $3,400.

    globalnews.ca

  • New Business/Openings: Ghost Kitchens (Bedford Walmart), Propeller Brewing (Bedford); Closures: Snappy Tomato (Woodside), The Captains Boil (Halifax), McDonald’s (Bedford Walmart).

    retales.ca

  • Despite the nationwide labour shortage of school bus drivers, Student Transportation Canada, who holds the largest contract for Halifax area schools, have stated they have enough drivers for the school start. They currently have 20 job postings for drivers.

    today

  • The Government of Canada and the N.S. Government have announced over $400k in funding to the Maritime Fishermen’s Union Inc.’s Nova Scotia members to help support adoption of new and improved on-board handling and holding technologies for the lobster fishery.

    canada.ca

  • The federal Government has announced a plan to add 41 full-time equivalent jobs at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship office in New Waterford. More workers are needed at the immigration processing centre to deal with the record number of applications.

    cbc.ca

  • Joint funding has been announced from the Government of Canada ($6.5M), Provincial Government ($7.1M) and HRM ($7.1M) for the first phase of the Burnside Transit Centre Eco-Rebuild project that involves improvements to HRM’s public transit services.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $1.3M in funding for 13 projects through the Tourism Relief Fund in Guysborough County and Cape Breton towards new and modernized tourism offerings that include Inverness Beach Village and Cottages Ltd. ($500k).

    canada.ca

  • The Halifax Regional Centre for Education employed 138 uncertified substitute teachers last year and may use them again this year. The pay rate is $196/day. The centre also hires non-teaching, support workers to fill in for permanent staffers who are away.

    citynews.ca
• Week of 2022-08-26 to 2022-09-01

  • New Business Openings: Turbo Chicken (Halifax), Score Pizza (Halifax), Flora James Shop (Halifax), and Dodo’s Chicken (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • The Province, N.S. Health and regulatory colleges are working together to streamline licensing to support Ukrainian healthcare professionals. Over 230 are now at various approval stages to join the healthcare system and 3 community navigators were hired.

    cbc.ca

  • Maritime space Ltd. announced they have signed a Crown land lease with the province for land in the Canso/Dover/Hazel Hill area of Guysborough County – the proposed site for the first commercial spaceport in Canada.

    guysboroughjournal.com

  • Fifteen N.S. communities will receive support for water, wastewater, stormwater and solid waste projects through the Provincial Capital Assistance Program including the Municipality of the County of Colchester ($140k) and the Town of Bridgewater ($140k).

    novascotia.ca

  • Taigh Curaim Daycare Society received $1.2M in provincial funding this spring to expand child-care services to rural communities in Cape Breton, putting one centre in Bay St Lawrence and another in Ingonish.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax is working to address staffing shortages that have disrupted ferry and bus routes, as well as garbage collection, in the Halifax Regional Municipality this summer. The union representing transit workers says as many as 40 new employees are needed.

    cbc.ca

  • The province has delayed the hiring of 100 patient transfer operators at a cost of $6.5M annually due to an overwhelming number of applicants, while a 10-year $48.8M contract with Tri-Star Industries (Yarmouth) to lease 146 new ambulances has been signed.

    cbc.ca

  • Atlantic Mining N.S.’s proposed Cochrane Hill gold mine has had its federal environmental assessment terminated after failing to submit the required information but still plan to pursue it. The mine would create 190 jobs, with up to 300 during construction.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government will invest over $28M in the Apprenticeship START Plus Project, with the goal to hire 5,200 first-year apprentices in eligible Red Seal trades over two years. Funding will go to small and medium-sized enterprises across Atlantic Canada.

    canada.ca

  • Quebec-based Couche-Tard will sell some properties as part of its deal to acquire Wilsons network of gas stations, in order to resolve the concerns of the Competition Bureau. Couche-Tard will sell 46 Wilsons sites across Atlantic Canada.

    charlottefm.ca
• Week of 2022-08-19 to 2022-08-25

  • Low wages for educational assistants (EA’s) amid inflation is leading to further staff shortages. EA’s hourly wages range from $16.10-$22.24. The three unions in NS are currently bargaining with regional centres of education to raise wages.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced over $3.7M to Digital Nova Scotia for their Skills for Hire Atlantic project that will provide tech industry skills training for 1500 participants across the four Atlantic provinces.

    canada.ca

  • New Business Openings: The Posh Pearl (Sackville/2nd location), Portland St. Pets (Dartmouth), TD Canada Trust (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The N.S. Government is considering expanding the role of private clinics to help clear the province's surgical backlog which was over 26,000 patients as of May 2022 and will assess whether the public/private partnerships Ontario plans could also work in N.S.

    cbc.ca

  • The new $36M Air Cargo Logistics Park at the Halifax International Airport opened in August while its anchor tenant, Chinese company First Catch, has signed a 25-year lease and invested $9M on its facilities there that include a new cold storage room.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced over $1M in funding over 3 years for the Bras d’Or Lake Biosphere Reserve in Cape Breton ($463,140) and the Southwest Nova Biosphere Reserve ($585,362) to support enhanced biodiversity conservation management.

    canada.ca

  • EverWind Fuels has purchased the Point Tupper energy storage centre for $76.9M. Pending environmental approval, they plan to upgrade the facility to enable green hydrogen production with construction to begin in 2023 and production by 2025.

    saltwire.com

  • The N.S. Government is providing over $350k for 6 active transportation projects that include Wagmatcook First Nation, Washbrook Greenway Coalition, We’koqma’q First Nation, Ecology Action Centre, Halifax Cycling Coalition and Annapolis Co. Trails Society.

    novascotia.ca

  • Dalhousie University's Ocean Tracking Network, a Halifax-based aquatic research group, has secured an additional $38.5M in funding (total funding of $65.6M) to grow its headquarters, infrastructure and operations, and develop new technologies.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $700k in funding to Steinhart Distillery for new facilities and equipment including an outdoor stage, multipurpose building, barn renovations, and specialized equipment to produce cocktails to meet growing market demand.

    canada.ca

  • The N.S. Government provided $340k to the Nova Scotia College of Nursing in June aimed at streamlining and expediting the licensing of internationally educated nurses by allowing the college to hire more staff to support that work.

    cbc.ca

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada has reduced herring quotas in the Maritimes and Quebec from 12,000 tonnes to 10,000 tonnes. The allowable catch in 2020 was 22,500 tonnes and is being further reduced in an effort to increase the stock population.

    cbc.ca

  • According to Statistics Canada data, workers have shifted from jobs in the service and food industries to potentially more lucrative fields such as tech, finance and real estate. The tightening labour market has resulted in staff shortages as workers leave certain fields.

    cbc.ca

  • Statistics Canada reports that retail sales across the country increased by 1.1% in June. Gas stations led the way at 6.2%, while clothing stores and auto dealers' sales rose 1.8%. N.S.’s retail sales fell 0.3%, while retail sales in N.L. dropped 1.7%.

    charlottefm.ca
• Week of 2022-08-12 to 2022-08-18

  • The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) reports that 54% of business owners have revenue below pre-pandemic levels and more than one in six are considering going out of business. Issues include pandemic-related debt and supply chain issues.

    www.msn.com

  • A new report by Turner Drake states that demand for office space is down across most major Atlantic Canadian cities, except for Halifax. Many businesses are utilizing a hybrid office model that involves working from home and the office.

    thewave.ca

  • The Direct Sellers Association of Canada (DSA Canada) released research that shows that inflation has pushed almost two out of three Canadians to seek extra income. Those surveyed ranged in age from 18 to 44 and involved 1,500 participants.

    thewave.ca

  • N.S. has selected 5 wind projects to produce electricity from renewable sources: Benjamins Mill Wind, Ellershouse 3 Wind, Higgins Mountain Wind Farm, WEB Weavers Mountain Wind and Wedgeport Wind Farm. All are majority-owned by Mi’kmaw communities.

    cbc.ca

  • Some N.S. daycare operators say the NS government must hurry to roll out early childhood educator wage increases to address the child care crisis due to staff shortages and rising costs and the increasing fall daycare demand. Current pay is $15-$19/hour.

    cbc.ca

  • New Businesses: Seoa’s Chicken (Bedford), Radish Chicken (Halifax), and Pizza Salvatore (Sackville) along with a small NSLC (Timberlea).

    retales.ca

  • Federal ($8.8M) and Provincial ($6M) funding was announced to build a new Glace Bay Youth and Community Centre that will include a multi-use space, indoor and outdoor recreation spaces, commercial kitchen, nursery, community space and community café.

    novascotia.ca

  • The new Satellite Internet Service Rebate program is expanding to help 2,200 additional homes and businesses in NS to access internet services that will include areas of Pictou County. This is over the 3,700 that were originally announced.

    novascotia.ca

  • Funding from Federal ($3.2M), Provincial ($2.67M), Municipal/Town ($850k) and community support of over $2M has been announced toward major renovations and accessibility upgrades at the Truro Amateur Athletic Club.

    novascotia.ca

  • Algomed, a private Quebec-based chain of medical clinics recently opened in Dartmouth (the first in Atlantic Canada) which has led to concerns about potential impact on public health-care. It’s staffed by 3 primary care nurses rather than doctors.

    cbc.ca

  • Unions representing over 3,500 health support workers at N.S. Health and the IWK Health Centre have reached a tentative agreement in jobs that include environmental, dietary and food services, porters, electricians, plumbers, laundry and power engineers.

    cbc.ca

  • The Old Orchard Inn in Greenwich has been sold to the owners of Endurance Equities (Edmonton) and Nova Scotia Spirit Company (New Glasgow) who plan to invest $13M to revamp the well-known hotel. Major construction is expected to begin in November 2022.

    saltwire.com

  • The Government of Canada announced $8.5M funding to Perennia Food and Agriculture Inc. (Kentville) to help N.S. and N.L. farmers adopt sustainable farming practices to build climate change resilience. A second intake is anticipated to open in October 2022.

    canada.ca

  • A shortage of teachers and certified substitutes to fill in for them, has emerged as a major disruption to Canadian classrooms during the pandemic and is expected to continue this fall. Certification delays for some Canadian teaching grads are one issue.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-08-05 to 2022-08-11

  • Statistics Canada reports that nurses across Canada are doing more overtime than ever to address staffing shortages, and is driving some away from full-time work. The proportion of nurses working OT in N.S. and N.B. is especially high, with most nurses experiencing burnout.

    cbc.ca

  • Combined Federal ($4.6M), Provincial ($2.5M) and Municipal (400k) Government funding was announced to assist the Argyle-Clare regions host the 2024 international gathering of Acadian communities “Congrès mondial acadien” with over 30k visitors expected.

    cbc.ca

  • New/opening soon Businesses: Buta Ramen (Bedford/third location), Budapest Bisztro (Halifax), bubble tea chain Chatime (Dartmouth/November 2022).

    retales.ca

  • Statistics Canada data shows over 1,600 job vacancies in N.S. in May in accommodations and food services (+22% over April). About 80% of restaurants have cut back operations in response to staff shortages and anticipate 3-5 years to return to full staffing.

    cbc.ca

  • There have now been 75 cancelled bus trips in HRM due to a shortage of about 40 transit drivers at Halifax Transit (as estimated by the Union). The average wage for HRM transit staff is $21.60/hour, about $10 less than the national average.

    cbc.ca

  • The Middleton Recovery Support Centre is now open at Soldiers Memorial Hospital (Middleton) and is staffed by a team that includes a nurse practitioner, physician, nurses, social workers, counsellors, an occupational therapist and administrative staff.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Health Minister stated that immigration will be key to addressing the province's health-care worker shortage as the government aims to streamline the licensing process for nurses and doctors trained outside Canada.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. Government announced an additional $684k in annual funding for the Newcomer Health Clinic (Halifax) bringing the budget to over $1M. The funding will be used for additional staff including a social worker, family practice nurse, and co-ordinator.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2022-07-29 to 2022-08-04

  • The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association states that the industry is still faced with a lot of challenges. A lack of truckers, high fuel costs, supply issues with trucking equipment, and COVID-19 restrictions are all creating stress in the industry.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The Canadian Federation of Independent Business reports that small business confidence has fallen for the fourth month in a row. Businesses are faced with rising costs and wages, with 20% planning to hire in the next three months and 17% look to layoff staff.

    charlottefm.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced over $8.1M in joint federal-provincial funding to support the construction of the Millbrook First Nation’s new Resilience Centre to provide services to Mi’kmaw women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA individuals across NS.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $40M in funding through the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund to support multi-regional/national not-for-profits to provide mentorship, financial planning and business training to women entrepreneurs.

    canada.ca

  • The NS government has announced a new Satellite Internet Service Rebate program that will cover the cost of installing satellite internet equipment for eligible households or businesses that will be available to about 3,700 homes and businesses.

    novascotia.ca

  • All three levels of government announced $9M in total funding for the deCoste Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Pictou Library that will include a new public library, a fully renovated theatre, visual arts exhibition facilities and meeting space.

    novascotia.ca

  • Joint Federal Provincial funding of $650k was announced to help create the Black Communities Housing Technical Resources Centre in NS to provide supports to Black communities and Black-led organizations across Canada to improve housing outcomes.

    novascotia.ca

  • Signal Gold (previously Anaconda Mining) has been approved by the NS government to develop a gold mine in Goldboro that will create 735 new direct and spinoff jobs a year for 15 years with construction expected to begin in late 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • New Businesses: Chinese restaurant Cheelin (Bedford), East Coast Dumpling House (Dartmouth), Hello Pets (Halifax); Closures: Jamaica Vibes (Halifax).

    retales.ca
• Week of 2022-07-22 to 2022-07-28

  • The new Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s $137M build is on hold indefinitely with projected price increases of at least $25M due to inflation and increased construction costs.

    novascotia.ca

  • The N.S. Government is committing $2.8M/year over 5 years to help the Avalon Sexual Assault Centre (Halifax) hire 13 new sexual violence trauma therapists by March of 2023 to increase access to its trauma services across the province.

    cbc.ca

  • New Businesses: üKIDS (Dartmouth), Le Vie en Rose (Bayer’s Lake), Anytime Fitness (Halifax); Closures: Speedway Drive-in (Halifax), Asian grocery and variety store Loong 7 Mart (Halifax and Bedford).

    retales.ca

  • Oberland Agriscience is expanding operations with the opening of a new 10,000 square metre facility just outside Halifax in Ragged Lake to produce high-quality protein with a low environmental impact to make dog food, chicken feed or salmon pellets.

    cbc.ca

  • The provincial and federal governments are investing $13M through the Community Housing Infrastructure and Repair Program to help 7 community housing organizations across NS to transform their operations and complete repairs to existing units.

    novascotia.ca

  • After a 20 agency review, the N.S. Government’s 5 economic development and infrastructure organizations will become 2 new Crown corporations, Build NS and Invest NS, that will oversee strategic infrastructure and business support to drive economic growth.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2022-07-15 to 2022-07-21

  • New Businesses: Growlies for Pets (2nd location), British Pride Bakery, Cafe Chianti, The Brewery by Quinn’s, Turbo Chicken, Lark & Finch (all in Halifax), and Suzy Shier/Le Chateau (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Forestry Innovation Transition Trust has approved $6.2M to fund 4 new projects: Research NS ($4.1M), Christmas Tree Council of NS ($1.1M), Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment ($698,500), MTC Mass Timber Company ($325k).

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $711,886 in funding for 11 revitalization projects in Pictou and Antigonish counties including Town of Pictou ($223k), Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shores ($175k) and Antigonish Tourism Association ($50k).

    canada.ca

  • Funding for two green community infrastructure projects in Antigonish to improve energy efficiency and active transportation infrastructure is being provided by all three government levels: Federal ($9.5M), Provincial (7.4M) and County ($2.4M).

    canada.ca

  • The Donkin Mine has begun advertising for at least 10 full-time underground miners ($31/hour), an underground electrician ($36/hour), and an engineer in training ($70k/year). Provincial regulatory approvals have not yet been met.

    Chronicle Herald

  • The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council have released new research that shows Indigenous youth employment outcomes have improved in recent years, but still lag non-Indigenous youth and closing this gap is key to easing the region's labour shortage.

    citynews.ca

  • The federal government has announced $340k to improve services for Atlantic Canada LGBTQ tourists via a market-readiness program that includes staff inclusion training, destination auditing to ensure inclusivity and a business certification program.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-07-08 to 2022-07-14

  • Milk Moovement (Halifax) recently closed on a $20M USD capital raise that will allow the company to add to its already growing staff of 55 and further develop its cloud-based, dairy supply chain software as they continue to expand further into the US.

    today

  • Atlantic Poultry Inc. has purchased the former Robinsons Cannabis's facility in Kentville for $6M. They plan to turn the property into a state-of-the-art chick hatchery with work set to begin immediately with hopes to open the hatchery by early 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax Regional Council has awarded a $7.1M tender to Avondale Construction for major renovations to the Keshen Goodman Public Library (Clayton Park). Construction is scheduled to begin in late summer/early fall and be completed within two years.

    cbc.ca

  • A new 1-year coding program, Matrix Code, at the Halifax YMCA, is hoping to provide more African Nova Scotians facing employment barriers with jobs in the tech sector. Upon completion, students receive credentials from the online education company Udacity.

    cbc.ca

  • Halifax Transit has had to temporarily cut some bus trips due to staff shortages. Fifteen bus routes are affected and bus drivers are currently being recruited. The union has cited low wages with many transit workers going into early retirement.

    cbc.ca

  • The NS government will invest $3.2M in new seats in 2022 with the addition of 200 new nursing seats at post-secondary institutions across the province. This investment will grow to $6.8M annually when all of the new seats are in place.

    novascotia.ca

  • NS Health figures show a record number of people looking for a family physician as of July 1 with 100,592 people registered on the province's wait-list - a 45.6% increase from July 2021. The greatest need continues to be in the Halifax area.

    cbc.ca

  • New Businesses: Beyond Pho, Spice n Flavor Indian Grocery (Halifax); Closures: Hakim Optical, Mrs Dunsters/Snairs, and Dartmouth Vacuum Rebuilders (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • Over $6.5M in tenders were awarded for the construction of a new Breton Education Centre and community wellness centre in New Waterford to Brilun Construction, Flynn Canada and PMC Roofing. Construction is expected to start early fall.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2022-07-01 to 2022-07-07

  • Health-care labour shortages are being felt across the Maritimes, with hospitals closing emergency rooms as staff take summer vacations. In NS, there are currently about 1,400 vacancies for registered nurses and 250 for Licensed practical nurses.

    citynews.ca

  • Emergency Health Services is hiring 100 additional non-paramedic transport operators across NS to handle routine patient transfers to reduce pressure on the ambulance system. There are currently 80 transport operators and this will increase it to 180.

    novascotia.ca

  • NS has updated its apprenticeship training requirements to enable more skilled trades workers to seek certification to help meet labour demand. Amendments include changes to the journeyperson-to-apprentice ratio to reduce this growth/recruitment barrier.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $273,868 in funding for four infrastructure and energy efficiency upgrade projects in Halifax County: Sackville Lakes Park and Trails, The MacDonald House, Seaforth Community Group, and Acadia Recreation Club.

    canada.ca

  • New Business: Route 66 (Bedford), ASIA, Punjab Flavors, Le Rouge, Subway/Argyle Station Cafe, Ragazzi Resto Bar (Halifax), Scotia Cycle (Hubbards), Upshaw’s Rollerdome (Spryfield), Closing: Asian Fire Wok Express (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • A $4.8M facility will be constructed in Eskasoni with funding assistance from the Federal government to help Cape Breton's 5 Indigenous communities collect and preserve traditional Mi'kmaw knowledge. The project is currently in the design phase.

    cbc.ca

  • According to 2021 Census of Agriculture, the number of farms in NS decreased by over 20% from 5 years earlier and over 90% do not have a succession plan. The province also has the country's oldest farm operators with an average age of 58.2 years.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $500k in funding for Dartmouth start-up Global Spatial Technology Solutions to create 5 full-time jobs to accelerate the rollout of its artificial intelligence solution to help the maritime and logistics sector.

    canada.ca
• Week of 2022-06-24 to 2022-06-30

  • The HMCS Acadia Cadet Training Centre in Cornwallis Park will not reopen as part of the newly established Cadet Activity Program after being closed during the pandemic. The training centre in nearby Greenwood will still be used going forward.

    cbc.ca

  • Air Canada is reducing its summer schedule by 154 flights daily as they deal with increased demand for travel that is causing turmoil at airports nationally. The aviation industry has cited a shortage of federal security and customs officers.

    cbc.ca

  • New Business: Sam’s Pizza, Jack’s Car Spa, Irving/Circle K and Chicken Little (Bedford), Potikki’s, Level 8 Night Club and Danier Leather (Halifax); Closing: Yasmine Grocery (Halifax), The May Garden (Bedford).

    retales.ca

  • Thirty not-for-profit organizations are receiving provincial grants of $858k through the Community Facilities Improvement Program for repairs and upgrades to community gathering spaces such as community halls, museums and archives and performance spaces.

    novascotia.ca

  • The CAT ferry recently resumed operation after a 4-year hiatus and began its full summer schedule on June 23 between Maine and Yarmouth. It can hold 866 passengers and 200 cars and is positively impacting the local accommodations and food service sectors.

    cbc.ca

  • The Province has announced $128k in funding to support the development and installation of a solar energy generation system for the lobster storage facility at Eskasoni Cold Logistics. The federal government is contributing over $1.1M to the project.

    novascotia.ca
• Week of 2022-06-17 to 2022-06-23

  • A record number of 163 physicians (75 family doctors/88 Specialists) were recruited and started working across NS between April 2021 and March 2022 compared to the previous 3 years which saw totals of 130, 128 and 127 physicians, respectively.

    novascotia.ca

  • New Business: First Sight Coffee & Bar (Halifax), 902 Kitchen (second location - Bedford), Medium Rare Butcher & Restaurant (Sackville), Bar Sabbia (Halifax); Closing: Tin Pan Alley (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • NS announced that it has increased allocation spaces for the 2022 Provincial Nominee Program by 400 (+17% over 2021) and by 1173 for the Atlantic Immigration Program (+75% over 2021) to grow its population, fill labour/skills gaps and enrich diversity.

    novascotia.ca

  • Build Force Canada expects Nova Scotia’s construction boom to continue through 2023. Residential construction jobs are expected to grow 3% while industrial/commercial/institutional construction jobs are expected to grow by 9% over the next 2 years.

    cbc.ca

  • Three new childcare centres are being opened in Cape Breton as part of the Federal/Provincial plan to have 1,500 additional licensed spaces in NS by Dec. 31. The new centres will be located in Port Hawkesbury, Ingonish and Bay St. Lawrence, and for 60 of the 200 new childcare centre spaces in Cape Breton.

    Cape Breton Post

  • The Donkin underground coal mine (Cape Breton) that was shut down 2 years ago where 100 jobs were lost, could restart operations as early as fall 2022. There are several provincial regulatory permits that would first be required to be approved.

    citynews.ca

  • North American dairy giant Agropur is investing $34M in its ice cream and frozen novelties plant in Truro, NS on a major renovation project that will begin immediately and be completed in 2023 and has indicated they will be hiring new employees.

    cbc.ca

  • The federal government cut the herring quota off southwestern N.S. and N.B. by 33% as a measure intended to protect the depleted forage fish. The herring fishery is valued at $140M annually and supports 1,000 direct and indirect jobs between both provinces.

    cbc.ca

  • An Angus Reid survey found that 54% of older Canadians have delayed retirement due to high inflation and rising cost of living expenses. The survey also found that 63% were worried that they could never retire and 71% are concerned that they could run out of money after retiring.

    Daily Gleaner

  • Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) will allow tuna fishermen in Atlantic Canada to catch up to 20 mackerel a day to use as live bait, despite the recent moratorium imposed. It will apply to charters and commercial tuna fishing that use rod and reel.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-06-10 to 2022-06-16

  • 39 projects valued at $755k have been approved through two provincial funding programs that will enhance the beauty of communities and provide jobs such as municipal planner, youth ambassador and recreation co-ordinator.

    novascotia.ca

  • New Business: Root Down Scullery, Sushi Jet, Milestones, Orange Theory (Dartmouth), Pizza Salvatore (Sackville), Imperial Bombay, The Yacht Club Social (Hfx); Closing: Second Cup, Budapest Bizstro (Hfx), Gift Market, Indo-Urban Junction (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $515k in funding to TorchLight Bioresources to study an energy system to connect over 90% of New Glasgow’s buildings to reduce costs and GHG emissions. Other project contributors bring the total investment to $755k.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $2M in funding through the Canada Coal Transition Initiative to the Verschuren Centre (Sydney) to expand its specialized bioprocessing lab facility that will help cleantech companies develop new sustainable technologies.

    canada.ca

  • Doctors NS and the NS Government are piloting a new funding model for family doctors that will compensate them based on the number of patients and services they provide. It is expected to run until at least March 2023.

    novascotia.ca

  • Signal Gold (formerly Anaconda Mining) has submitted an environmental assessment to develop an open-pit gold mine in Goldboro that would create 735 new direct and spinoff jobs a year. If approved, construction will begin in late 2023.

    cbc.ca

  • Nova Scotia’s trades shortage could cause challenges for upcoming projects due to the lack of labour as 11,000 newly certified tradespeople will be needed between now and 2030. Solutions include focusing on immigration and underrepresented groups.

    cbc.ca

  • Supervisors for the 911 operations centre in Dartmouth involved in the Nova Scotia mass shooting of April 2020 say the trauma of the event has cut their workforce in half from 50 full-time operators to just 24 now and have been struggling to restaff.

    cbc.ca
• Week of 2022-06-03 to 2022-06-09

  • $2.6M in joint funding has been announced for the Herring Cove Community Association’s Community Centre Revitalization Project. Accessibility and efficiency will be top priorities for the revitalization project.

    citynews.ca

  • Experts state that 40% of work in Canada can be done remotely, while the other 60% are required to work on-site. Remote workers tend to be knowledge-based such as accountants, lawyers and tech workers. Recruiting remote workers allows for a bigger talent pool.

    cp24.com

  • New Business/Coming Soon: Speedway Drive-In, Harvest, Buck Ugly’s - Kitchen & Bar, Bella Vita Pizzeria, Pinkies Thrift, Local Source Market (2nd location), and Ragazzi Resto Bar (Halifax); The Bread Lounge (Dartmouth).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $1.99M to fund 4 projects in Kings and Hants Counties that are expected to create up to 12 jobs including Nova Agri ($900k), Good Robot Brewing ($800k), Pure Paint Labs ($250k) and Barrelling Tide Distillery ($41k).

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada has announced $1.5M in funding for 3 research projects in NS to study the wider health impacts of the pandemic on children with complex health needs, women who experienced increased violence, and equity-deserving communities.

    canada.ca

  • Over 350 registered nurses and licensed practical nurses have started working or have accepted offers to work with NS Health and IWK Health between January and September 2022 with ongoing hiring in the months ahead.

    novascotia.ca

  • NS plans to create 1,500 new licensed daycare spaces by the end of 2022 as part of a 4-year funding arrangement with the federal government that will create 300 early childhood educator positions. A new compensation package for ECEs is expected this fall.

    cbc.ca

  • In March, the Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans imposed a total moratorium on commercial mackerel fishing throughout Atlantic Canada which is used as bait for the lucrative rod and reel bluefin tuna fishery with spinoffs in accommodations and car rentals.

    cbc.ca

  • There are about 70 microbreweries in NS employing about 1,150 people, according to statistics from the Craft Brewers Association of NS. Sales of Nova Scotia craft beer through the NSLC for the latest quarter were up 11.3% to $6.7M.

    cbc.ca

  • The provincial government announced $1.7M in funding for 47 projects to help community groups, municipalities and other not-for-profit organizations develop and improve facilities to increase public participation in sport and physical recreation.

    novascotia.ca

  • Mi'kmaw tourism leaders and Mount Saint Vincent University are partnering to develop a new Indigenous tourism education program for 2024 with $1.96M in Federal funding. The Indigenous tourism sector added $107.7M to Atlantic Canada's GDP in 2017.

    cbc.ca

  • With 2 years of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions removed, many NS tourism businesses are now seeing pent-up demand while some operators are already seeing record bookings. Pre-pandemic, NS tourism was a $2.6B industry after dropping to $1B in 2020 and 2021.

    cbc.ca

  • For the 2022-23 academic year, more licensed practical nurses can become registered nurses faster in NS as eligibility criteria is being expanded to allow more to qualify for a bachelor of science and nursing programs at Cape Breton and St. FX Universities.

    novascotia.ca

  • NS’s trades workers under 30 in the construction, industrial/manufacturing, motive power and service sectors, will benefit from the More Opportunity for Skilled Trades program, aimed at attracting/retaining young people in key sectors through tax breaks.

    novascotia.ca

  • A report issued by the Parliamentary Budget Officer says that while inflation has more than doubled the increase in average hourly wages in the past year, income grew faster than inflation prior to the pandemic. In May inflation was at 6.8%, while the average wage increase was 3.3%.

    Moncton Times & Transcript
• Week of 2022-05-27 to 2022-06-02

  • The Government of Canada announced $950k in funding to Cape Smokey Holding Ltd. (Ingonish) to invest in a state-of-the-art snowmaking system that will extend the ski season by 2 months and is expected to increase the area’s year-round tourism offerings.

    canada.ca

  • Casino Nova Scotia’s 10 security workers in Sydney have voted to unionize and will now be represented by the Service Employees International Union. The Halifax and Sydney casinos are owned and operated by the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation.

    Chronicle Herald

  • The federal government has announced almost $247M to help create over 25,000 new apprenticeship positions in the skilled trades across Canada through 13 programs to help small and medium-sized employers offer apprenticeship training.

    citynews.ca

  • A new report from the Fraser Institute says Maritimers are seeing a bigger pay gap compared to the rest of Canada. In 2010 the average Maritime income was $7,907 lower than the rest of Canada (excluding Alberta), but by 2019 the pay gap increased to $11,034.

    thewave.ca

  • The province is increasing the project cap under the NS Film and Television Production Incentive Fund to $10M from $4M, making it easier for larger productions to film in NS. To date, 75 film fund applications have been approved for 2022-23.

    novascotia.ca

  • New Business/Coming Soon: Cacao 70 (Halifax), Andy’s Wash a Whip (Porter’s Lake); Closed: Cheachies Grill (Bayer’s Lake), Oh My Sole (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • Over $2M in Fed-Prov funding is going to the Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment (Sydney) to support the redevelopment of the oyster industry in the Bras d’Or Lake to develop a land-based oyster hatchery.

    novascotia.ca

  • The residential construction boom in Halifax has seen an unprecedented number of tower cranes with 25-37 cranes regularly operating in the region. Cranes are an indicator of a trend toward more high-rise developments.

    cbc.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $447k in funding for 5 projects through the Tourism Relief Fund in Northern and Eastern Shore regions to help the tourism sector recover and attract visitors including TIANS ($116,775) and Pictou Lodge Resort ($100k).

    canada.ca
• Week of 2022-05-20 to 2022-05-26

  • The Government of Canada announced $5M in funding for the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre for a new facility and program delivery. Indigenous Peoples living in, or transitioning to, urban centres are one of the fastest-growing populations in Canada.

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $2,507,208 through the Jobs and Growth Fund for 9 Dartmouth projects expected to create up to 28 new jobs including Taste of NS Society ($615k), Atlantic Hardchrome ($600k), and Salient Energy ($200k).

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $695k through the Jobs and Growth Fund for 5 Cape Breton projects to create 7 jobs and maintain 163 including McFadgen's Bakery ($450k), Louisbourg Seafoods ($100k), Alter Biota ($95k) and Phycus Biotechnologies ($50k).

    canada.ca

  • Community trails at 22 sites across NS will receive more than $600k in funding for upgrades through the Provincial Government’s Recreational Trails Expansion Fund which supports work by community groups, municipalities and not-for-profit organizations.

    novascotia.ca

  • The NS Lifeguard Service is about 5-6 lifeguards short of the 80 staff needed provincially as program organizers struggle to fill lifeguard positions at NS beaches and pools due to COVID-related training gaps from previous COVID-related pool closures.

    cbc.ca

  • Building on the recently renewed understanding with Potlotek First Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has reached an understanding with We’koqma’q First Nation that will see their members fishing lobster in pursuit of a moderate livelihood.

    canada.ca

  • The Source has closed the following locations in NS: Lower Sackville, Scotia Square (Halifax), New Minas, Greenwood and New Glasgow.

    retales.ca

  • New Businesses: Tatamagouche Ice Creamery, GIGS, and Papa John’s (Dartmouth), Simons, Ampersand Café, and Cable Wharf Kitchen & Patio (Halifax), Scotia Curry, Cape Crow Cafe & Market and Savary Pit BBQ (Hubbards); Closures: Disco Deli (Lower Sackville).

    retales.ca

  • Twenty-five rinks in need of upgrades and repairs are receiving over $1M through the Province’s Rink Revitalization Fund. Rinks include curling clubs, arenas and permanent seasonal outdoor rinks that are open to the public.

    novascotia.ca

  • A major annual soccer tournament in Wolfville has been cancelled as organizers due to a referee shortage. There are normally about 400 soccer refs and 150 trainees each season but only 250 experienced referees available this year.

    cbc.ca

  • The unions representing 3,000 provincial health support workers jointly filed for conciliation as contract talks hit an impasse. The bargaining unit includes maintenance, power engineering, plumbing, electrical, laundry, food and environmental services.

    cbc.ca

  • Inverness County has put a 6-month hold on any new wind developments to review wind turbine bylaws that haven't been updated since 2012. The proposed Rhodena Wind project (Creignish Mountain) was submitted to the province and is awaiting a fall review.

    cbc.ca

  • The Federal Government’s increasing interest in Canadian energy options to help address European needs, have helped renew interest in the original Goldboro Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project to construct a land-based facility in Guysborough County.

    guysboroughjournal.com

  • Vacant beds at Milford Haven Home (Guysborough) operated by GEM Healthcare Group, have grown in recent months to 13 as a continuing care assistants staffing shortage continues. Recruitment efforts are ongoing and include newly developed in-house training.

    guysboroughjournal.com
• Week of 2022-05-13 to 2022-05-19

  • The union representing Nova Scotia paramedics is asking the provincial government for a salary increase in order to attract and retain paramedics. According to the union, N.S. paramedics are the lowest paid in the country and had 13 quit last month alone.

    cbc.ca

  • Taxi and limousine fares in the Halifax region will increase by about 12.1% due mainly to rising gas prices. This will be the first increase in 10 years. The initial charge will go from $3.20 to $4.70 and the kilometre rate will go from $1.69 to $1.75.

    cbc.ca

  • Gloria's International Grocery opened this month on Portland Street in downtown Dartmouth. The store specializes in selling various produce, fruit, spices and snacks from the Caribbean.

    cbc.ca

  • The restaurant industry continues to face widespread staffing shortages and rising costs across the country along as they reduce hours and condense menus to cope. The shortage is most acute in kitchens for red seal chefs, sous-chefs and line cooks.

    cbc.ca

  • New Businesses: Lululemon and Eastern Tea Bar & Friends (Halifax), Growlies-for Pets (Tantallon), Dollarama (Timberlea), Dhaba Express (Bedford); Closures: GameStop and The Source (Lower Sackville), Fox Hill Cheese (Halifax), Wheaton’s (Bayers Lake).

    retales.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $1.1M in funding for 4 projects in Cumberland and Colchester counties that are expected to create up to 4 new jobs and maintain more than 20 including Access Labels ($750k) and Cape d'Or Sustainable Seafoods ($160k).

    canada.ca

  • The Government of Canada announced $518,400 through the Tourism Relief Fund for including Ski Wentworth ($500k) to double lift capacity with a second chairlift and Two Islands Brewing in Parrsboro ($18,400) for a new refrigeration unit and patio area.

    canada.ca

  • The Provincial Government is providing a $1.5M investment over 4 years to Cape Breton University and Dalhousie University’s collaboration to create 5 new medical school seats this September to help NS train more rural family doctors.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Province will borrow up to $1.8B to provide financing for 27 approved long-term care facility construction/renovation projects that will create or improve over 2,800 beds that will create thousands of jobs in engineering, construction and healthcare.

    novascotia.ca

  • Rising fuel prices will result in higher ticket prices for those who ride Maritime Bus. A fuel adjustment charge will see the price of a ticket increase by four or five dollars. The company has seen an increase in ridership as fuel prices go up.

    charlottefm.ca

  • According to a lobster processor in Meteghan, fuel costs have doubled or even tripled over the past year. Diesel for a fishing boat used to cost $500 a day, whereas now it costs $1200 a day.

    Radio-Canada Atlantique (available in French only)
• Week of 2022-05-06 to 2022-05-12

  • A hybrid work study from Cisco reports that most Canadians who are working a hybrid home/office arrangement are happier, healthier, richer, and more productive. Almost 75% see a better work-life balance and have saved on average $11K due to less commuting.

    Daily Gleaner

  • Atlantic Canada leads the rest of Canada in job gains, as employment levels have fallen off across the rest of Canada. NS saw an increase of 5,900 jobs and N.L. had an extra 2,500 jobs in April while the unemployment rate in NS fell to 6.0% and NL dropped to 10.8%.

    charlottefm.ca

  • Robert Half, a talent and business consulting firm, released a report which found that 38% of Canadian workers surveyed are more burned out than a year ago. Those most likely to report burnout were millennials, women, and newer employees (2-4 years).

    charlottefm.ca

  • The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association says rising diesel prices is creating financial stress in the trucking industry. Diesel has increased by almost 75 cents per litre and truckers will fill up to 3-4 times a week and often wait 30 days to get paid.

    thewave.ca

  • New/Coming Soon Businesses: Qué Padre! (Bedford West), The Corner Lot Beer Garden (Halifax), Cazza Petites (Dartmouth), Modern Golf (Dartmouth); Closures: Johnny K’s (Halifax), Little Eden Bakery (Halifax).

    retales.ca

  • The Provincial government announced $13M in funding to The Halifax International Airport Authority for the Halifax Stanfield International Airport that will go towards a fund used for incentives to airlines to establish new routes.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Provincial government announced $6.3M in funding to The Sydney Airport Authority for the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport. $5.3M of that will go towards infrastructure upgrades at the airport to ensure they are positioned for long-term success.

    novascotia.ca

  • The Provincial Government is investing $700k in mental wellness programs at 7 youth centres across N.S. to support programming for at-risk youth. Recipients of the funding include Undercurrent Youth Centre (Glace Bay), The Portal Youth Outreach (Kentville).

    novascotia.ca

  • Membertou is now home to Canada Post's second community hub model, a pilot aimed at providing more services in First Nations and remote, northern and rural communities offering meeting space, boardrooms, an ATM, and an EV charging station.

    cbc.ca

  • The N.S. government has indefinitely delayed an application submitted by Westfor, a coalition of sawmill companies, for a proposed harvest plan on Crown land near Bridgewater in order to protect critically endangered Atlantic whitefish.

    cbc.ca

  • N.S. enrolment has seen a dramatic increase for the continuing care assistant programs after the province announced a 23% increase to CCA salaries in February. 910 people have registered to start programs this fall compared to 300 the year prior.

    cbc.ca