Tim Houston provides a mid-mandate update for Nova Scotia

Canada's Ocean Supercluster - Growing the Blue Economy

This episode of the Insights Podcast takes a close look at the amazing opportunity Canada has to grow its blue economy and the role of Canada's Ocean Supercluster (OSC) in ensuring that we take full advantage of that opportunity. The ocean sector in Canada is worth nearly $40 billion in GDP and employs more than 300,000 Canadians. The blue economy is disproportionately important to Atlantic Canada, and Kendra MacDonald, the CEO of the OSC, provides an excellent overview of Ambition 2035, Canada's effort to increase the value of the blue economy to $220 billion by 2035 and the role that OSC is playing to achieve that goal. We discuss sustainable seafood, green energy, marine transportation and tourism as the key areas of focus for growth. The Ocean Supercluster is working on 90 different projects involving more than 300 companies and has invested $150 million to date in these projects, which has been matched by a similar investment from private sector partners. It is an exciting story, especially for Atlantic Canada.

A Mid-Mandate Update with Nova Scotia Premier, Tim Houston

This episode of the Insights Podcast features a conversation recorded live with Premier Tim Houston at the Halifax Chamber's Economic Forum. Premier Houston is halfway through his mandate. We talk about the accomplishments of his government and his personal disappointments over the first half of his mandate. We review the major healthcare initiatives undertaken to date to deliver on his promise to fix healthcare, including the government's willingness to use the private sector to deliver publicly funded healthcare services. We also discuss his ambitious goal to double the population to 2 million people by 2060 and the stresses caused by the recent increases in the population, as well as the government's strategies to address the housing shortages. Premier Houston acknowledges the high tax environment in Nova Scotia and hinted that some relief may be coming. He also acknowledges the need to mine more critical minerals in the province and lessen the current regulatory burden for mining. We talk about the potential of offshore wind. At the same time, he has a surprising answer regarding whether or not nuclear power could be a potential solution to achieving net zero, something that has been banned in Nova Scotia for decades and whether he would support the mining of uranium. The podcast provides a good assessment of the government's progress to date.

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On this week's Insights podcast, Don and David talk with Chief Terry Richardson and Councilor Jim Richardson from the Pabineau First Nation in Northern New Brunswick. This is another in our series of conversations with First Nations leaders who are driving economic development across Atlantic Canada.  There are many inspiring stories including our conversation today.  We talk about commercial development, housing, and the long-term opportunities for energy development in northeastern New Brunswick.  Chief Terry and Jim also reflect on the challenges that still remain and the need for a stronger partnership between First Nations and the provincial government. 

When to Sell or Grow Your Business 

In this episode of the Insights Podcast we talk with Rob Normandeau, the Managing Director and CEO of Seafort Capital, a regionally based private equity company that is part of a growing eco-system of private equity investment companies in Atlantic Canada. Founders East and Sandpiper Ventures are other companies in this space. Rob provides an excellent overview of Seafort's investment strategy and the attributes that his company looks for in making a capital investment. His company is not just focused regionally, but nationally as well. He also provides the key considerations for business owners trying to decide whether to sell or grow their companies, as well as the basis for evaluating the market value of your business. He also defines the difference between a strategic buyer and a financial buyer and the advantages and disadvantages of a management buyout.  According to Rob, there is growing interest in the investment community for the opportunities that are emerging within Atlantic Canada. That is good news for those seeking capital.

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Health care in Atlantic Canada is under significant pressure on many fronts.  There is a growing shortage of health care professionals, and the talent pipeline is not keeping up. The cost-of-service delivery is rising fast.  Technology is changing how health care is delivered and managed and, to top it off, the region is experiencing unprecedented population growth. Bruce Fitch, the Minister of Health for the Government of New Brunswick, joins us this week to discuss what his department is doing to cope with these pressures.  We discuss everything from the expanded role of international talent in the workforce to the role of virtual health care.  Minister Fitch weighs in on ways to reduce ER wait times, the expanding role of pharmacists, and what needs to be done to help address the mental health challenges in New Brunswick.  

A Conversation with Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations 

On this episode of the Insights Podcast, we turn our attention to the national scene and have a candid conversation with Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations. Rae has had a long and distinguished career as a lawyer, politician, law professor and now diplomat. We talk to him about his time as the first NDP Premier of Ontario and as the Interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, as well as one of the founding members of the Forum of Federations. Also about his work as an envoy for Canada and finally about his current role as the Canadian UN ambassador. Rae is a highly cerebral individual, and he provides his thoughtful perspectives on the challenges south of the border, his views about the future of Canada and his advice for Atlantic Canadians. You will enjoy this conversation with this important national figure.

Membertou, An Indigenous Economic Model of Success

In this episode of the Insights Podcast, we have an inspiring conversation with Terry Paul, the long-term Chief of Membertou First Nation (celebrating his 40th Anniversary as Chief this year). Chief Terry is a residential survivor who was recently named as one of Canada's most admired CEOs. He has helped develop the Membertou Model of economic development to improve his community. Membertou is part of the Mi'kmaq Coalition of seven First Nation communities who purchased 50% of Clearwater Seafoods in 2020 with Premium Brands of BC. Last year Membertou generated $80 million in revenue and has created 600 jobs in a community with 1,850 members (including those living outside the community itself). In the last ten years alone, Membertou has spent $91 million in capital investments in the community. It continues to expand its fishery operations and is the major owner of two wind farms that will be developed to support EverWind's green energy project. The ambition and success of Membertou is clearly a model for other indigenous communities across Atlantic Canada.

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On this week's Insights, Don and David talk with Sean Leet, Managing Director and CEO at World Energy GH2 about their exciting green hydrogen project in western Newfoundland. World Energy GH2 is proposing a $6 billion project that would use 160 wind turbines generating renewable energy to produce green hydrogen, initially to meet demand in Europe.  The Stephenville area is one of the best sites in all of Canada for a project such as this.  Sean tells us why in the podcast and also why World Energy GH2 could have 'first mover' advantage in this new industry.  

There are many exciting stories of First Nations economic development across Atlantic Canada.  This week Don and David interview John Davis, the CEO of Qalipu Holdings in Newfoundland and Labrador about the potential of green hydrogen and other emerging industries and how the Qalipu First Nation will play a role including ownership stakes in various projects, governance and environmental oversight, supply chain opportunities and Indigenous workforce development. The Qalipu First Nation represents 25,000 people in 67 traditional Mi’kmaq communities across the province. The Indigenous population in Newfoundland and Labrador makes up a larger share of the provincial population than all other provinces except Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  Economic development is an important priority and John provides an excellent overview of the initiatives they are involved in to strengthen the economic foundation supporting the Indigenous population in Newfoundland and Labrador. 

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Your latest Insights Podcast features a conversation with Rob Steele, the CEO of the Steele Auto Group, the fifth largest auto group in Canada. He is also the son of legendary entrepreneur Harry Steele. Interestingly, Rob did not join Newcap Inc, his father's company, until he was nearly forty years old. Up until then, Rob was already a successful entrepreneur in his own right and busy building his auto portfolio. While he was the CEO of Newcap Inc, he successfully built a portfolio of one hundred radio stations, which he sold to Stingray in 2018 for $500 million. Since then, he has focused his efforts on building his auto group which had revenues of $2.8 billion in the past year and is the largest auto group in Atlantic Canada, employing 2,500 people in the region. He branched out into Texas a few years ago and has grown to nine dealerships in the state. He now has 32 brands with 64 locations across Atlantic Canada and Texas. We talk with Rob about his father, their working relationship and the lessons he learned working with him.  Rob shares his thoughts on the future of electrical vehicles, as well as what keeps him entertained in his personal time.

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