CarShareHFX

Drivers of the world, unite!

Pam Cooley has a long and deep history in Nova Scotia. Her great- great grandfather – Sir William Annand – was the first premier of the province; her father owned the well-known Donald L Cooley Jewellery; her mother is actively involved in politics and the community; and her siblings are all self-employed. "Doing business in Nova Scotia is a bit of a family tradition," says Cooley. "Our parents taught us to take responsibility and always try to make a difference."
 
To that end, Cooley returned to Nova Scotia after two decades in Vancouver, bringing experience in value-based businesses and her desire to improve the quality of life for Nova Scotians. The result? CarShareHFX, modeled on similar car sharing ventures across Canada and the States, was created.

Cooley contends that Halifax is the perfect place to start a cutting edge, green initiative. "All three levels of government are here and each has a mandate to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions and their environmental footprint," says Cooley. "We hope to be the first city in North America to have all three levels of government employees using a car share organization to get around."

 Cooley notes that there's also a young, progressive group of Nova Scotians who are being educated here and want to stay. "They're concerned about the state of the environment and they want to make more sustainable choices," says Cooley, adding that Halifax has problematic traffic and parking issues. "We need to meet the needs of this next generation."
 
Created in December 2008, CarShareHFX now has a growing fleet with ten vehicles in the Halifax area, with accessible pick up locations on both sides of the harbour, and hundreds of members. Individuals or companies can reserve a car online or by phone, walk or transit to the nearest vehicle, open the door with an electronic key fob, and drive away. "It’s about a low-cost option for people to have car mobility without owning a car." Members have access to brand new cars without having to worry about gas, parking fees, parking bans, car payments, insurance, or ongoing maintenance, says Cooley. "People love it!"
 
Solomon Nagler and his wife Catherine Bryan are two such members. They chose to live in downtown Halifax because they didn't want to be car dependent. "We don't need cars to get to work, so car sharing is ideal for us." Nagler says the couple use the cars for running errands, big grocery shops, and to get out of the city and go to the beach. "We find it very gratifying to have access to a car and not have to worry about gas prices or insurance or parking."
 
But for the young couple, it's about more than access and convenience. "For us it's an ethical question," says Nagler. "We feel it's more responsible to share a car and that it's unnecessary for everyone to own one."
 
These ethical and also environmental considerations have also led Just Us! Coffee Roasters Cooperative Limited to become a business member of CarShareHFX. "We're a company that puts its focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility," says Manager Holly Wheaton. 

 More companies and organizations, including the Nova Scotia provincial government, Capital Health, BMO, The Waterfront Development Corporation, Nova Scotia Community College and Clean Nova Scotia are already on board, and Cooley is currently in talks with NS Power. She cites cost savings for workplace members, in addition to decreasing a company's ecological footprint. "CarShareHFX services are more cost effective than using cabs and fleets and can eliminate money spent on employee parking." In addition, when employees use CarShare vehicles, they are completely insured.

For Cooley, it's essential to combine concerns for the environment with the economic health of Nova Scotia. "We believe that car sharing is a crucial way to make transportation more affordable and keep people mobile and contributing to our economy."
In terms of the future, Cooley dreams big. She is hoping to expand in Nova Scotia and then across Atlantic Canada. "We’re proud to get this idea off the ground in Halifax," she says. "And we're so pleased that Nova Scotians have embraced it, although I didn't expect anything less!"