Buzz April 2008

The past month has been a busy one. On March 4th, 2008 Cy Mayo, Treasurer of the Bridgewater and Area Chamber, and Mark Feindel Board member of the Chester and Area Chamber of Commerce presented Income Tax Tips and Pointers for Chamber members and guests. Both Cy and Mark are with Belliveau Veinott and are Chartered Accountants. The seminar was very well received and provided valuable information for the small business owner. The same seminar was offered in Chester in early April. Thank you Cy for organizing and presenting this information for our members.

On March 18, 2008 Mayor Publicover, town councillors and several key employees of the town gave a presentation to the members of the Chamber. The event was well received and all of those present appreciated the update and the chance to have their questions answered. In response to a question from one of the attendees Mayor Publicover announced he will be seeking re-election for the position of Mayor in the Municipal elections to be held this fall. It was also confirmed that there will be a major construction project taking place on North Street in the upcoming year(s).

On March 28th, 2008 the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Lunenburg Board of Trade and Mahone Bay Chamber of Commerce held a luncheon meeting at the Fire Department in Lunenburg. The guest speaker was Justice Minister Clarke. He spoke about the challenges faced by our law enforcement agencies and the justice system. As well, he asked for Chamber members' support in voicing local concerns about the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The forty plus people in attendance braved the snowy day to attend and were appreciative of the home made chowder and rolls served by the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fire Department. Thank you to all who attended.

Hal Hilton, developer of Ridgewood, Bridgewater invited Chamber members and guests to his newly opened facility on Aberdeen Road. Twenty members and guests enjoyed a tour of the beautiful new building. What a wonderful addition to our Town. Thanks to Hal and Wendy for a very enjoyable and informative lunch presentation.

April 5, 2008 was the date for the first annual Spring into Business - Women's expo. This day long event was held at the Bridgewater campus of NSCC. A special thanks to Sandy, Irene, Jake, Todd, Chris and of course Craig Collins, Principal of the campus and a member of teh BACC board of directors. This special event was presented by the South Shore Women in Business Association and the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce. The day started at 7:30 when the gym opened for exhibitors to set up. What a busy place. At 9:30 the first of two seminars started. A break and then the second seminar. At 11:30 over 70 people made their way to the cafeteria for lunch. The keynote speaker was the Honourable Mayann E Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia. We were all charmed by her personality and the thoughts she shared. Immediately after the lunch, she made her way to the tradeshow area and spent the next hour visiting booths and speaking with the exhibitors. For pictures of the event please visit www.sswba.ns.ca/photos.htm. There is already talk about next year's event.

There is a committee looking into a location for a Visitor Information Centre for the town. There are representatives from both the Town of Bridgewater and from the Municipality.

Thursday April 24th, 2008

After Hours at The Java Bead on King Street

6:00 pm enjoy some tasty snacks and GREAT COFFEE. Network, and see what wonderful things The Java Bead has to offer. For those of you unfamiliar with Liz Carter's shop at 724 King Street, you are in for a special treat. This is a great chance to pick up a wonderful gift for that special someone for Mother's Day or for a wonderful unique Graduation Gift.

At 6:30 we will enjoy a tour of the shop. Liz will answer any questions about her wonderful products.

At 7:00 she will give us a demonstration on how some of her beautiful jewelry is crafted. And yes, this is open to everyone...ladies AND gentlemen. And you can make purchases!!!

From 7:15 until 8:00 there will be an opportunity for 15 participants to make a pair of earrings either for themselves or as a gift. There is a cost of $10.00 for this class. Liz will complete the earrings for those who do not get them finished during the evening. Please RSVP to bacc@eastlink.ca

It will be information and fun while providing the opportunity to network and learn.

What a great combination

Registration is required: Contact bacc@eastlink.ca

The Honourable Chris d'Entremont, Minister of Health for the Province of Nova Scotia will address the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce.

Cost: $15.00 per person. For this occassion the cost is the same for members and soon to be members of the Chamber.

Topic: In January, the Department of Health, district health authorities and the IWK endorsed a report that challenges us, as leaders and as citizens, to make significant changes to transform Nova Scotia’s healthcare system. It challenges us to rethink how healthcare services are delivered and by whom. The end result will be a system that truly meets the changing health needs of Nova Scotians.

Is genuine change on its way? To answer this question, we will hear from Nova Scotia's Minister of Health, Chris d'Entremont, on what is in store, what health leaders are doing to prepare for change in such a complex system, and why organizations and individual citizens should consider the role they can play in the journey toward a more collaborative and sustainable approach to living well in Nova Scotia.

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Tuesday, June 17th, 2008 Annual General Meeting of the Bridgewater and Area Chamber of Commerce

Thursday, June 26, 2008 - A presentation by Brigitte Neumann, Executive Director of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women.

People from all backgrounds and walks of life are involved in caregiving no matter where they live in Nova Scotia. In 2005, more than 266,000 people provided care to another person. Caregiving can be rewarding. It can also be isolating, physically demanding, and affect health and well-being.

Brigitte Neumann is Executive Director of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women and a Co-Director in the Healthy Balance Research Program (HBRP). In this talk, she will explore answers to the question, “What do caregivers need – and what can employers do?”

HBRP is a six-year $1.7-million multi-faceted study that has shed light on the private struggles of Nova Scotians as they face challenges in caregiving, health and work/life balance. The presentation will reveal what researchers learned, what caregivers want, and launch a discussion about next steps to help us all care for family, friends, neighbours, and others in our communities.

Free copies of the HBRP Caregiver’s Handbook and Priorities for Caregivers will be available.

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On April 15th, there was a workshop in Bridgewater on Eco-Efficiency. What an informative day! I will be including some of the tips and pointers that were given at the meeting. Green businesses are good businesses...and green businesses save money. Today I am including a few questions. The answers are at the end of the newsletter.

Toastmasters is held every Wednesday evening at 6:45p.m. at the NSCC. All are welcome. If you don't know if toastmasters is for you, you are invited to drop by and see for yourself.

From: Thomas, Tracey: CBSC-HFX [mailto:Tracey.Thomas@canadabusiness.ca]
Subject: Job Posting on Opportunities Nova Scotia for Small and Medium Enterprises

We are pleased to provide Small and Medium Enterprises working with Nova Scotia Regional Development Authorities the ability to post job openings on the Opportunities Nova Scotia website (http://opportunitiesns.ca).

This is an opportunity to reach potential candidates around the province and across the country. This offer is extended at no cost until June 30, 2008 to maximize the interest, activity and benefits of Phase I and II of the program. Please extend this offer to employers you are working with.

This service is intended for current job openings only, so please indicate an anticipated start date for the position. If you are interested in participating, please send an email confirmation to opportunitiesns@gov.ns.ca. We will let you know how to get started.

We hope you'll consider Opportunities Nova Scotia as an addition to your regular recruiting process between now and June 30, 2008. Please bookmark our site (http://opportunitiesns.ca) to stay tuned for new links and updates.

Thousands of job seekers have responded to Opportunities Nova Scotia, indicating strong interest in the jobs that Nova Scotia has to offer. To date, over 500 candidates have given their permission to share their resumes, with employers that participated in Phase I and/or Phase II of the program.

Employers can request access to this database of qualified applicants. These are individuals who have expressed a desire to work and live in Nova Scotia, bringing a broad range of skills, education and experience.

To access the resume database, please send an email to JSwinimer@thepeoplebank.com. You will be provided with a password that will allow you to browse the available resumes online, at your convenience, via the Opportunities Nova Scotia website. The service will be available until June 30th, 2008.

Finally, please remember to provide us with feedback on how Opportunities Nova Scotia is working for you. We would like to know how many people you considered, interviewed and hired as a result of this program and any other feedback you can provide. This information will assist, the newly created Department of Labour and Workforce Development, in future programming related to the retention and recruitment of a skilled workforce, encouraging talented individuals to work and live in Nova Scotia, and connecting job seekers with employers.

Thank you again for your ongoing commitment to Opportunities Nova Scotia. We look forward a continued relationship.

On April 30 the Province’s Supplier Development department will bring us our second “Reverse Trade Show”! Anyone who has thought about selling their products and/or services to Government (municipal, provincial or federal) will want to take the time to come visit the various Procurement Officers (buying departments) on site at the Bridgewater Wandlyn on April 30 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm.

Yes, every small business in the Lunenburg Queens region has the potential to sell their products or services to the government, including institutions like schools and hospitals.

This Reverse Trade Show – which is a twist on the traditional trade show – allows you to visit government display booths to discuss your products or services with procurement staff from provincial, federal and municipal purchasing departments.

Established in 2004, Nova Scotia’s Supplier Development Program provides businesses with information about government procurement processes and promotes an understanding of how

to access publicly-funded procurement opportunities both in Nova Scotia and beyond.

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