Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency

When you’re navigating in a place you’ve never been before, it’s always helpful to have someone along who knows the waters. That’s exactly what the Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Agency does for its clients, who range from business to industry, non-profit and community groups and, increasingly, potential immigrants. 

As one of Nova Scotia’s 13 regional economic development authorities, the LQRDA is often the first point of contact for these clients. It provides a unique front-row seat to the region’s evolving economy.
  
“Ultimately we are trying to achieve sustainable, long-term developments that will strengthen communities – making them more attractive for the citizens that live there, more appealing for people or organizations thinking about investing in the area and presenting the right package for immigrants considering moving to the area,” says LQRDA executive director Neil Emenau.
 
Immigration creates immediate and lasting economic benefits for the Lunenburg-Queens region – critical healthcare positions attract qualified professionals and new industries find roots. Newcomers hire staff, purchase homes and frequent restaurants, schools get more students and the community becomes more diverse. Often newly settled immigrants will convince additional family members and friends to move to the area, as well.
 
Last year the LQRDA received over 100 serious inquiries about moving to the south shore of Nova Scotia, and they expect about 30 per cent will result in new immigrant families moving to the area.
 
“It’s not just newcomers from other countries,” says business development officer Ivan Deveau. “We are also seeing investment by people who have spent time outside of Canada and are coming back.”
 

Deveau tells the story of expatriates Jerry and Pam Porodo, who had spent many years working and volunteering in Europe and Asia. Although, in part, the family returned to Canada because their daughter was going to attend university, the couple was looking for a place to settle down. The dream of operating a B & B in a small community led the Porodos to Nova Scotia’s south shore.
 
During a visit to the area, they found a wonderful heritage building for sale in Bridgewater – the circa 1863 property was, in fact, the oldest operating inn in Nova Scotia. They fell in love with it and purchased it with the goal of restoring the inn to its previous glory.
 
Because the Porodos were still living in Sri Lanka, the new innkeepers needed someone on the ground to help them with tasks such as research, licensing and financing, sourcing contractors and hiring initial staff. That’s when the RDA jumped in. The LQRDA advised and guided the Porodos through various stages and processes associated with starting, funding and running a business in Nova Scotia – an initial counseling period of about three months.
 
“We did not know where to begin,” recalls Jerry Porodo. “We were aware of the RDA but there were so many pieces to put together and we were out of the country.”
 
“The majority of the business plan was actually prepared via email and over the telephone,” says Deveau.
 
Now, more than two years later, the Fairview Inn and Cranberry’s Dining Room continues to offer a unique experience for leisure and business travelers. That doesn’t mean that the relationship with the RDA is over.
 
When Nova Scotia Power launched a program to encourage businesses to install energy-efficient light bulbs in their fixtures, the RDA advised the Porodos. The next day, close to 300 bulbs were replaced. This change fit well with many green policies and practices already in place at the property. 
 
The quality of life and the RDA’s work in community economic development make a strong case for not only immigrants to stay in the Lunenburg-Queens area, but for all Nova Scotians as well.
 
The community development arm of the organization supports projects and initiatives that benefit local people and the hundreds of non-profit groups and associations across the region. These groups represent diverse sectors such as tourism, museums, festivals, events and agriculture.
 
“I think anyone coming here as a new person, or coming here from living abroad, should deal with the RDA first," says Pam Porodo. "They were a great guidance.”
 
She says that moving to the Lunenburg-Queens area was a wise decision for her family. “The people in this community have been so kind and so welcoming, I can’t say enough about it. It’s just been a real wonderful experience. We have not felt like outsiders or anything. It’s a really wonderful place to live.”