June 14, 2010
Celebrating Grand Chief Membertou
An open air mass, a traditional Mi'kmaw village, native dance and drum competitions, demonstrations by First Nation artists, and a free concert by acclaimed performer Buffy Sainte-Marie are among the events honouring the 400th anniversary of the baptism of Grand Chief Henri Membertou, taking place June 24 to 28.
Beginning with a historic re-enactment of Grand Chief Membertou’s baptism at the Port Royal National Historic Site on June 24, celebrations will move to the Halifax Common June 25-28 for one of the largest Pow-Wows, or Mawio'mi in Mi'kmaq, in the country.
Grand Chief Henri Membertou was a Mi'kmaq shaman and prophet. On June 24, 1610, he became the first person in the Dominion of Canada to be baptized, an act that signaled the Mi'kmaq's desire for peaceful relations with the European nations.
For details on the Grand Chief Membertou 400 celebration visit www.membertou400.com, or follow on Facebook or Twitter
Innovacorp Wins International Honours
Nova Scotia’s Innovacorp recently took home one of the highest international honours for its work in helping new businesses. Interim president and CEO Stephen Hartlen accepted the National Business Incubation Association’s international award recently at a conference in Florida.
"This award tells us that our High Performance Incubation business model is globally competitive," said Hartlen
Innovacorp helps Nova Scotia entrepreneurs prosper in the global marketplace through its unique business model, based on an approach of incubation infrastructure, business mentoring, seed and venture capital investment. Its key industries include information technology, life sciences, and clean technology.
“Innovacorp is truly a world-class organization," said David Monkman, president and CEO of the National Business Incubation Association. "The organization's unique approach to helping early stage companies, combined with its in-house expertise and solid network of partners and stakeholders around the globe, makes it more than worthy of this top honour."
NRC Support Could Grow Industry
The National Research Council (NRC) Canada has dedicated 30 researchers and $5 million to a major research project based in Halifax in an effort to promote the production of biofuel from algae.
NRC is collaborating with a number of private industrial partners, including Halifax-base Ocean Nutrition Canada, Menova Energy Inc. of Markham, Ontario, POS Pilot Plant from Saskatoon and the international consortium Carbon2Algae Solutions Inc.
Gerry Glazier, president of Coquitlam, B.C.-based Carbon2Algae said early research results show great promise and that the technology could some day operate alongside conventional power plants. He predicts the first production facility could be in Nova Scotia if the tests underway in the province’s Ketch Harbour continue to go well, and the necessary funding is attained.
N.S. Firm Responds to Gulf Oil Spill
For the next little while, Shannon MacDonald will trade the shores of Cape Breton for those of Louisiana, leading a Shoreline Clean-up and Assessment Team (SCAT) on the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Her work will include conducting surveys to determine oiling conditions on various shoreline types and providing recommendations for clean up methods.
This isn’t the first time Shannon has been called to lend her expertise in oil spill management. Her company, Harbourview Environmental Consulting is based in Port Hood, but Shannon, a graduate of Dalhousie University (BSc, Hons) and Canadian Coast Guard College (Bachelor of Technology - Navigation), has travelled far and wide to ensure oil spills are properly managed and shoreline cleanup is assessed and completed.
Before heading to Louisiana, Shannon was working in Mississippi. She has also done work on a major spill in Alberta.
She explains, “When a spill happens, I usually lead a team to assess the shoreline, the geology and type of oil, and recommend how to clean it up. After the treatment, the team reviews the shoreline to ensure it’s clean enough.”
SCAT teams systematically survey and document the affected area to provide a rapid and accurate geographic picture of shoreline oiling conditions. The information is used to develop real-time decisions regarding shoreline treatment and cleanup operations.
This technique is a standard component of spill response in North America. The team is made up of scientists of various backgrounds depending on the situation and location of the spill, and who represent the various stakeholders.
Learn more about Shannon’s work.
Harbourview Environmental Consulting is a charter member of Nova Scotia Come to life.
Community Supported Agriculture
A new generation of farmers are rethinking the way people buy produce, connecting directly to their customer base through a growing Community Supported Agriculture business model.
Similar in their approach to distribution are organizations like Halifax’s Homegrown Organic Foods and the burgeoning Farm-Connect.com, Farmers like Centre Burlington’s Amy Lounder have dedicated themselves to producing “high-quality, diverse foods to make eating locally year-round a real pleasure.”
While Lounder’s Avon River CSA specializes in winter-time produce, nearby fellow farmers Stewart Fotheringham and Nicole Burkhard of Whippletree CSA http://wtreecsa.blogspot.com/ at Red Fox Farm, Hants Co. focus their efforts on this growing season.
From a customer perspective, the concept is pretty simple. Rather than shopping for out-of-town, or possibly out-of-country produce at the local supermarket, customers pay the farmer up front for a year's produce, ensuring an income for the growers and a healthy supply of fresh, locally grown produce for themselves. As described by Lounder, http://avonrivercsa.com/ it “is a rare opportunity to directly support rural livelihood, land stewardship and get some super fresh veggies!”
Read more in a recent article from the Chronicle Herald.
Top 40 Under 40
Two Nova Scotians were named to the Globe and Mail’s annual Top 40 Under 40 list this year. Read about Rob Normandeau, President and Chief Operating Officer of Halifax-based Clarke Inc. and Margaret McGee,, Vice-President, Business Innovation, Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation in this year’s listing, “a veritable Who's Who of Canadian achievement .”
Clipper Arrives in Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island: Nova Scotia’s Masterpiece - the hometown favourite in the 2009-2010 Clipper Round the World Yacht Race - placed third in the local leg that sailed in from New York late last week.
Greeted by an enthusiastic crowd at Sydney Harbour, the arrival of the 10 stripped-down racing yachts kicks off more than a week of celebration, performances and cultural showcases that will continue until June 18, when the clipper yachts depart Sydney for Race 12 to Cork, Ireland.
Each of the competing 10 yachts is sponsored by a city, region or country.
Read more from the Cape Breton Post.
For a full schedule of events, and to learn more about Cape Breton: Nova Scotia’s Masterpiece, visit CapeBretonClipper.com You can also view videos of the clipper on YouTube.
Celtic Heart of North America
A website for a newly formed local organization went live last week, touting Cape Breton as the Celtic Heart of North America.
Known widely for its hospitable people, music and breathtaking scenery, Cape Breton’s rich Celtic traditions are at the root of the island’s allure for a number of visitors who travel from around the world.
The Celtic Heart of North America Co-operative was formed to celebrate, share and preserve the only living Celtic culture in North America – Cape Breton Island’s. The co-operative unites key organizations that have been actively involved in sharing and preserving Cape Breton’s Celtic experiences, organizations that up to this point had been operating individually.
With the goal of providing a unique and memorable vacation experience for visitors, celticheart.ca is a one-stop shop for those seeking a little Celtic in their hearts.
