EASTERN HRM –STRATEGIC PLANNING 2014
Supporting Documents
3/31/2014
Smart Business Decisions and Acadia Entrepreneurship Centre
Denise VanWychen and Chris Pelham
Contents
Seacoast Trail Arts Association ..........................................................................................................................4
MacPhee House Proposal ................................................................................................................................... 5
Sheet Harbour and Area Heritage Society. ........................................................................................................ 5
Minutes for Tourism Meeting held on Friday January 31st 2014 .......................................................................6
Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs Survey 2012 .............................................8
APPENDIX A – Sheet Harbour Business Case ................................................................................................. 10
APPENDIX B – Sheet Harbour Waterfront Site Plan: 2008 ............................................................................ 10
Friends of Taylor Head park presidents report – 2010 .................................................................................... 10
Bird walks- Taylor Head provincial park-2014................................................................................................. 10
Ad Hoc Community Economic Task Force for Eastern HRM Minutes October 24th, 2012 ............................ 11
An anecdotal overview of various sectors of the Eastern HRM economy ....................................................... 13
Potential Public Sector Investments in Eastern HRM ..................................................................................... 15
Economic Development Committee, Sheet Harbour - November 21, 2012 .................................................... 16
Economic Forum for Developing the Eastern Shore ........................................................................................17
Developing the Eastern Shore .......................................................................................................................... 18
Creating a Nova Scotia Marine Parks Network ............................................................................................... 25
Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore (APES) ....................................................................... 26
Aquaculture Briefing for the Eastern HRM Community-driven Strategic Development Plan ..................... 28
APPENDIX C – Bay of Islands Destination Area Proposal .............................................................................. 29
Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society .............................................................................................................. 29
APPENDIX D – 2013 Visitor Analysis –Memory Lane Heritage Village ......................................................... 30
The Musquodoboit Harbour and Area Community Association ................................................................... 30
APPENDIX E – Musquodoboit Harbour Final Vision 2007 ............................................................................ 30
APPENIDX F - Musquodoboit Harbour Approved Action Plan ..................................................................... 30
APPENDIX G – Musquodoboit Harbour Survey Responses ........................................................................... 30
APPENDIX H – Musquodoboit Harbour April 14th Results ............................................................................ 30
The Old School Community Gathering Place - March 2014 .......................................................................... 30
HRM’s Regional Plan 5 Year review ................................................................................................................. 34
Excerpt from HRM Regional Municipality Planning Strategy ........................................................................ 35
APPENDIX I – HRM Regional Municipality Planning Strategy Draft 4, Jan 2014.......................................... 35
APPENDIX J – 2013 Community Health Plan .................................................................................................. 35
APPENDIX K – Reaching Out for Mental Health: From a Rural Perspective ................................................ 35
Musquodoboit Valley Business Plan June 2012 ................................................................................................ 35
Musquodoboit Valley Communication Strategy 2013 ..................................................................................... 41
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APPENDIX L - Musquodoboit Valley Planning Accomplishments – February 2104 ..................................... 43
Musquodoboit Valley Micro-Volunteering Plan 2013 ..................................................................................... 43
Musquodoboit Valley Coalition Proposal - December 2013 ...........................................................................46
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Seacoast Trail Arts Association
The Seacoast Trail Arts Association of the Eastern Shore was founded in 2006 and is registered with the Registry of
Joint Stocks. This group was formed from a desire to celebrate, foster and promote the talent from the Eastern
Shore of Nova Scotia. This association is unique due to its diversity of crafts and fine art. Examples of members’ arts
and crafts include: Dream catchers, Fabric art, Jewellery, Painting – watercolor, oil, acrylic, silk, pastel,
scratchboard, Photography, Rug hooking, Stained glass, Quilting – traditional, quilt art, Wood sculpture, bowls,
furniture and Wood relief carving and Folk art.
Our main goal is to promote Eastern Shore artists and artisans and support their future development. There have
been several groups developed during the past two years, including a painting group and a quilting group. The
association also sponsors several workshops during the year. Also, there have been presentations at the end of our
regular meetings. There has been an Open House each year to provide an opportunity for the communities to view
the artists at work. Each year we hold an art exhibition and sale in Sheet Harbour during the third weekend in
August to showcase the talent in our communities. This has been a very successful event.
The STAA supports the development of young artists and provide an annual bursary for a graduating student at
Duncan MacMillan High School who will be pursuing a career in Visual arts.
Art Park
One of our goals is the promotion of the local Art Park and to provide funding for projects. The Art Park was
conceived as a space to house both community art and sculpture created by individual artists and art collectives,
and is part of the Seacoast Trail Art Association (STAA).
The park is located beside West River Falls in the village of Sheet Harbour on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. The
park stretches along the river and into a mixed wood forest. It is open year round and is not fenced. The park is
host to many items including carved benches, fairy doors, a shelter hut and several carved sculptures. In 2007, the
Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Honourable MayAnn E. Francis visited the Art Park and signed a shingle
on the Shelter Hut. She wrote “Barriers are meant to cross over, not to stop you.”
The Shelter Hut
The SEA sponsored Julie Adamson Miller’s shelter hut project. The shelter was created to showcase the individuals
that make up the community surrounding and including Sheet Harbour through the mediums of art and
architecture. Built by more than 450 community members, the shelter acts as a welcome to those who visit and live
in the villages on the Eastern Shore. Each decorated shingle allows a glimpse into the spirit of the individuals that
make up our community.
Chain Saw Sculpture
The Seaside Exhibition of the Arts commissioned Arthur Turner to create a sculpture in the park. He chose to
represent the logging industry of the Eastern Shore. He has dedicated his 16 foot chain saw sculpture in memory of
Mike McInnis, who was a scaler who measured the wood brought in by truckers for Scott’s Pulp Mill.
Benches
Three benches have been added to the permanent collection of the Art Park. Carvers Anne Keddy and John
Nickerson helped students from various schools create these benches.
Clothes pin sculpture
This wooden sculpture was made by George Child and commemorates the once successful clothes pin factory in
Lewiston Lake, near Sheet Harbour.
There are also fairy doors hidden in the trees, and decorated fish signs along the paths. The Art Park is open year
round and is not fenced.
For more information about the Seacoast Trail Arts Association go to their website at
www.seacoasttrailartsassoc.com.
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MacPhee House Proposal
In addition to the initiatives of the Arts and Heritage groups, the community Visitor Information Centre would like
to make the MacPhee House a hub of cultural activity for the communities along the Eastern Shore and for visitors
to our communities. As of now, the MacPhee House is open from May to October. It is hoped that this could be
expanded to year-round.
Activities already planned and future considerations include craft sales, special events (i.e. Canada Day and Seaside
Festival week-long activities), outdoor concerts, jam sessions, theatre presentations, historical presentations and
traditional skills workshops (e.g. quilting, fly tying). Two aboriginal pow wows are being scheduled- one in July and
one in August.
The MacPhee House has three areas of focus. There is a museum, a future art gallery and the Visitor Information
Centre. There are public washrooms with both inside and outside access. A family room has been established in
one of the kiosks. The grounds have been beautified, intensifying the magic of the West River Falls and Harbour
vistas.
Much of the work comes from the volunteer sector. Heritage, Arts and Tourism committees associated with the
Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce as well as the general membership have put many hours into
creating a meaningful facility. Federal grants, an AESTA grant and a training partnership have created minimal
employment.
We believe that working with HRM, we will be able to maintain and expand the sharing of the culture of this area
with community and beyond.
The STAA group would like to use the MacPhee House and surrounding buildings for the following activities:
1. Artist of the Week program – This has been a successful event in the past.
2. Community Art Projects – There have been several community art projects in the last 4 years and it is always
difficult to find a space that is large enough and is cost effective. This type of project will continue to occur.
3. Artist Cooperative – In the near future or next year, the artists’ group would like to sell their arts and crafts from
the MacPhee House or one of the kiosks. Two craft and gift shops have closed in the last two years.
4. Art Centre for teaching workshops, using it for meetings, and having a space for artisans to work and participate
in group activities such as painting, quilting etc.
5. Centre for Demonstrations – it is important to show the community especially the youth, what the artists and
crafters do. At this time, this interaction does not happen.
Sheet Harbour and Area Heritage Society.
Formed in 2007, the Heritage Society’s interest is to preserve and record the history and heritage of the local area.
A major on-going project is the collection of oral history, the stories of senior residents. We hold events from time
to time, such as “Ghostly Tales” at Halloween, and the Christmas Reception at MacPhee House with period
decorations.
The Society also maintains the collection at the MacPhee House Community Museum. This collection was begun in
1984 as a result of the Sheet Harbour Bi-Centennial of the 1784 settlement on the East River. Re-organized in 1996
and 2000, it is hoped to move the museum downstairs in MacPhee House and include inter-active digital displays.
Originally a private residence on the present site of part of Gammon’s Bros. Ltd., it was expanded into to a rooming
house by John and Florence MacPhee when they acquired ownership. The rooming house extension was removed,
and the house turned 180º, when it was moved to the West River location in 1989.
The Society is all volunteer, has an important task; and would appreciate the participation of anyone interested in
keeping memories of the past alive for the benefit of future generations.
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General Meetings are every month on the second Tuesday 7:00.pm. at the General Purpose Room of the Hospital.
We’ve recently begun a “Story Teller” program at the end of our meeting where local memories are recounted.
Fascinating stuff, and all are welcome to attend.
Society President Judy Smiley (654 2068) would welcome your call.
The Society has responsibility for the MacPhee House Community Museum
 The Collection, its research; preparation; maintenance; interpretation and display
 Cataloguing and photographing the artifacts, photographs and documents and making the collection available
to the larger public through the Canadian Heritage Information Network and the Virtual Museum of Canada
through the Passage Project of ANSM
The Society is responsible for establishing the authenticity of sites proposed for marking, for marking historic sites,
preparing interpretive signage, and arranging appropriate public access. The site of the ground-wood pulp mill at
the West River adjacent to MacPhee House is the primary concern in that regard.
 The Society also has an interest in the gathering of oral histories from local residents before these are no longer
available.
 The Society has limited genealogical resources, but offers what assistance and suggestions it can to individual
researchers.
 The Society, while Registered, operates within the context of the Chamber of Commerce, since historically the
MacPhee House Community Museum has been a concern of the Chamber, along with MacPhee House itself
and the VIC housed there.
Minutes for Tourism Meeting held on Friday January 31st 2014
Senator Tom McInnis – President of Chamber of Commerce
We need to decide what product we are selling and market that idea. Creating a national park which includes
Liscombe Game Sanctuary and the Bay of Islands would provide jobs for many years.
Karen Wenaus – President of DEANS, Manager of Liscombe Lodge
Karen discussed the role of DEANS, and also spoke about the importance of networking.
Hollie Quick –Marketing and Communications Officer of DEANS – Destination Eastern and Northumberland
Shores.
Hollie discussed how DEANS obtained their funding as a non- profit organization. She discussed several of their
marketing strategies which included their website, Guide, Map and the Saltscapes Expo.
*HRM does not fund DEANS even though the Eastern Shore is part of their district.
David Hendsbee – Municipal Councillor
David discussed several items such as improving road signage and signage for businesses, cleaning up obsolete
signage in the HRM, developing a blue route for bicycling, and more trail development. He also mentioned that
grants are available and to check that out on their website. His response to Sandy’s question about funding
MacPhee House, was that we will have to wait for the budget to be announced.
Shannon Chambers – ACOA
Shannon explained some of the programs for businesses and mentioned that they can call her to discuss any future
plans. 902-426-6792.
Discussion # 1 What do you consider a great day on the Eastern Shore to be like?
 Get on the water, boat tours, kayaking, boating
 Eat seafood - lobster, mussels, clam bake etc. - be messy
 Go for a hike with binoculars and camera
 Get yourself on an island
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Spend sunrise until sunset at the beach - any beach!
Stargaze
Church suppers
Fishing for trout
Go diving for scallops
Relaxing with beer on the deck
historic tours
photography
biking
social gatherings with friends and neighbors
Discussion # 2 - Discuss ways you could develop an experience for a tourist with your business and/or other
businesses.
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Meryl - packed lunch to picnic on an island and then stay at a local inn overnight.
Robert - Guided photography tour - photography weekend at a local accommodation.
Woodlot demonstrations - promote sustainable harvesting - showing other options besides clearcutting.
Ladies weekends - spa, massage, estheticians - gather local services to offer a package.
Sea Kayaking.
Camping experiences such a star gazing/astrology, winter camping with snow shoe tours etc. possibly in
conjunction with Taylors Head.
Guided or theme walking tours at Taylors Head (bird watching, flowers/fauna etc).
Oyster farm tours, partner with complimentary business for package experiences.
Aqua Culture Festival with tours or mussel boil.
Lobster fishing experience or a lobster fishing tour which involves cooking the lobster for a meal.
Tourists to buy seafood from other businesses and stay at a campground.
Seaside Festival packages.
Farmers Market (crafts, seafood, produce etc).
Family/Kiddies experiences especially at Taylor Head Beach or winter activity - “Lily’s Hill” - outdoor ice rink,
coasting hill, etc. - run by volunteers.
Provide an activity where a tourist could watch a demonstration which creates an art experience
Barriers to some activities.
 We need transportation to get folks to and from (if people want to drink)
 Insurance is always a barrier - very costly
 Lack of public washroom facilities along the Shore
Discussion # 3 - What type of marketing do you use for your business? What associations do you belong to?
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Word of mouth
 DEANS
Facebook
 Twitter
Google Adwords
 Personal website
Tourism guides
 Seaside Tourism Association
TIANS
 COANS
APES
 Lonely Planet
Trip Advisor
 Trade Shows
Aquaculture Assoc.
 Taste of Nova Scotia
Select Nova Scotia
 Seacoast Trail Arts Association
Sheet Harbour & Area Chamber
 Friends of Taylor Head Park
SNAP newspaper -not enough advertisers in the area so he does not come anymore. Need to support
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Action Plan
 Create awareness to increase tourist visitation.
 Use Google Adwords
 Provide long-term employment. The National Park (Bay of Islands) is a great idea - would create jobs, bring
families who will buy locally.
 More Restaurants.
 Govt. Programs such as STEP & Discovery - ACOA
 Formulate a Master Plan for marketing the Eastern Shore that identifies specific milestones for 1-5 years.
Major areas of focus are:
 Educating travelers within the province about what the Eastern Shore has to offer (businesses, packages,
attractions etc).
 How to get here from Metro, Truro, New Glasgow and Antigonish?
 Decide what do we have that is unique to Nova Scotia, what sets us apart?
 Our main selling point could be eco-tourism and use that as part of a marketing strategy.
 Greater Halifax Partnership has offered an “Eastern Shore Development Plan” that needs community funding.
 Eco tourism - hiking, kayaking, geocaching, boating etc. Taylor Head Park is a great asset.
 Highway signage needs to improve and stress one name for the Eastern Shore such as Marine Drive. Use this in
all signage and advertising.
 Paint houses and businesses in bright colors.
 There is a need to be ecologically sensitive in any endeavor.
Submitted by Chair Sandy Moser
Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs Survey 2012
This survey is being undertaken to assist the Directors of The Chamber to better serve its members, determine
ways to increases membership and determine how it might better serve the community at large.
The Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs has been active for a great many years but
recently expanded its mandate and name to take on not only issues facing the Business Community of the area but
Civic Affairs in general. Below is a list showing some of the Chamber’s more recent accomplishments and current
plans.
1. Removal of the Hawk the Hawk
2. Arranging the removal of the Tank
3. Ekistics plan which has laid out six future waterfront development such as:
a) serviced marina
b) lighting the falls
c) walkway/barrier into the falls
d) cafe/coffee ship to the rear of the Macphee house
e) boardwalk extension on waterfront
f) RV Park across from Catholic Church
4. Moved the new school consolidation from 17th place to 2nd.
5. Plans are unveiling to have Multipurpose facility attached to school which will save at least $3 million
dollars. This will include theatre, new library, first class meeting/multipurpose room, office space, all of
which will be used by students and the community.
6. Supported The Friends of Taylor Head Park group which has made great strides in not only maintaining the
park but has demonstrated numerous activities thus opening up the area for the public's use.
7. RCMP - We will soon have more RCMP than we could ever have imagined. By bringing senior officers to our
meetings has placed a renewed interest by the RCMP in Sheet Harbour. We demonstrated that working
with this group rather than shouting at them would work and it has.
8. Initiated the establishment of a Port Committee to work on plans to manage and operate the Sheet
Harbour Industrial Park and Wharf
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As Nova Scotia rural communities continue to lose residents to the metropolitan areas, rural job opportunities
continue to diminish and basic services are reduced or threatened it becomes imperative that core communities
involve all their resources to remain viable.
To that end The Directors of the SHCOCCA believe that the more a community can speak with a unified voice the
better are its chances to progress, especially when dealing with governments. Thus, the Chamber is reaching out to
all community businesses, organizations and individuals to participate and support the chamber on its current
initiatives as well as help formulate new initiatives.
SHCOCCA Survey Questions
Date __________________
1. Do you believe the Chamber is of importance to the area? Y N
2. Are you in The Business Community?
_______________
Represent a Community Organization or Church? __________
Resident , but not any of the above?
________
3. Are you currently a member of the SHCOCCA? __________
4. Are you satisfied with the direction the Chamber is and has taken? Y N
If No, what specific initiatives would you like to see made or changed or do you have a particular problem with
current or planned initiatives?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
______
5.
If you are not a member is there something the Chamber could do to attract you to join?
Y N
If yes what is it you would like to see the Chamber include in its initiatives?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
______
6. Prior to this survey were you aware of the achievements and plans of the SHCOCCA? Y N
Any additional comments or questions would be most appreciated.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
____
The Chamber appreciates the busy lives we all seem to have and recognizes the impossibilities of attending all
the important community meetings but your membership support should help the entire community whether
you can attend meetings or not.
Annual Membership fees are as follows:
65 years and older: $5.00
Individuals younger: $20.00
Families: $25.00
Businesses: $50.00
Thank you for your time and input, on behalf of Directors of the Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce
and Civic Affairs, Sheet Harbour and Area Heritage Society.
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APPENDIX A – Sheet Harbour Business Case
APPENDIX B – Sheet Harbour Waterfront Site Plan: 2008
Friends of Taylor Head park presidents report – 2010
The first year for the Friends of Taylor Head Provincial Park (FTHPP) has been a success. Our accomplishments were
significant for a fledgling organization, starting with incorporation as a not for profit organization to our many bird
walks. I am privileged to be the first president of this organization.
The FTTPP was the result of eleven people who got together with a common interest in Taylor Head Park. These
people were Gayle Wilson, Jack Marshall. Robert Moser, Sandy Moser, George Child, Glen Malay, Graham Murphy,
Michael Cody, Julie Adamson Miller, Jim Cameron, and Warren Parsons. Arrangements were made to meet with
Department of Natural Resources and Parks and Recreation of the provincial government of Nova Scotia. These
provincial people were supportive and the group was formed and officially incorporated on July 22, 2008.
Activities during the summer included:
1. A watercolor clinic and photography session was put on by Sandy and Robert Moser.
2. Four bird walks lead by Jim Cameron and assisted by George Child and Warren Parsons. We always see
something interesting on these walks.
3. Several guided walks were organized by Graham Murphy.
For the first year these were significant accomplishments on short notice.
One of the major concerns by people in general is the limited access to the park. Through a cooperative agreement
with Department of Natural Resources the gate on the number seven highway was left open until December 8. This
was seven week extension of the normal closing date. The FTHPP maintained the outhouses and collected garbage
during the extended period. I wish to thank DNRE for their cooperation and support of this extension.
Another success has been the membership drive. To date we have more than 50 people who have joined the FTHPP
and paid their dues. Without this type of support we could not be a credible organization. The dues have allowed
us to procure liability insurance which in this day and age of law suits is essential.
The FTHPP are negotiating a long term agreement with Parks and Recreation on how the friends and the provincial
government will work together in the future. This process will be complete and an agreement signed in 2009.
I look forward to another great year. There will be more activities in 2009 and I hope more members who will join
us and enjoy Taylor Head Provincial Park. It is a special place.
Warren Parsons, President
Bird walks- Taylor Head provincial park-2014
New Opportunity for 2014-Guided Walks
The Friends of Taylor Head Park will provide guided walks on the various trails within the park. Any group of six or
more people can contact us through our web site and we will attempt to arrange times and dates that work for
both parties. This is a new activity for 2013 and we will be limiting the number of guided walks to four just to see
how it goes. Apply soon to assure a spot on the schedule.
The members of our group who are volunteering their time have a variety of interests and knowledge about the
park. They all share one common trait and that is a love for Taylor Head Provincial Park. We love to show off the
parks many facets. Come and join us where the Atlantic Ocean meets the rocky shore of Nova Scotia.
As in all our activities, there is no charge. www.friendsoftaylorhead.com/
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Ad Hoc Community Economic Task Force for Eastern HRM Minutes October 24th, 2012
Notes from a meeting held at the Cookhouse, Memory Lane Heritage Village, Lake Charlotte, to discuss the
possibility of forming an Economic Task Force
Attendees:
• Darrell Dexter, Premier of Nova Scotia
• Sid Prest, MLA, Eastern Shore, <sidprest.mla@ns.aliantzinc.ca>
• Denise Butcher-Lariade, Constituency Assistant to Sid Prest
• David Hendsbee, Councilor, HRM District 2, <david.hendsbee@halifax.ca>
• Paul Kent, Greater Halifax Partnership
• Robyn Webb, Greater Halifax Partnership, <rwebb@greaterhalifax.com>
• Jason Guidrey, Greater Halifax Partnership, <jguidry@greaterhalifax.com>
• Allison Kouzovnikov, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Nova Scotia, <ak@cfns.ca>
• Thea Wilson-Hammond, Member, Eastern Shore Heritage Network, <admin@heritagevillage.ca>
• Paul Nichol, Seaside Tourism and Business Association, <paulnicholl@xplornet.com>
• Tina Fahie, Seaside Tourism and Business Association, <tfahie@searovermarine.com>
• Sandy Moser, Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs, <s.moser@ns.sympatico.ca>
• Catherine Farris, Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs, <csfarris@nstu.ca>
• Gordon Hammond, Member, Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society, midpoint@ca.inter.net
• Bob Book, Acting Executive Director, Regional Planning and Development, Economic & Rural Development &
Tourism, <bookbe@gov.ns.ca>
• Lisa Dobson, Economic & Rural Development & Tourism
• Darlene MacDonald, Manager, Tourism Development, Nova Scotia Tourism Agency, <macdarm@gov.ns.ca>
• Peter Labor, Director, Protected Areas, Environment, <laborpn@gov.ns.ca>
• Peter Hackett, Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal, <hacketpe@gov.ns.ca>
• Marshall Giles, Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture, <milesm@gov.ns.ca>
• Gordie Greencorn, Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Brian Kinsman, Natural Resources
Regrets
• Karen Wenaus, Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shores
• Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs
Business of the meeting
1. The meeting commenced at 9.10 AM with Sid Prest welcoming everyone and identifying the primary purpose
of the meeting – to determine if there was a desire amongst the community organizations represented at the
meeting to proceed with the formation of an ad hoc community economic task force for eastern HRM. Sid
noted the need for all to work collaboratively if progress was to be achieved and to focus on the positives.
2. Premier Dexter thanked Sid for the invitation and mentioned that prior to becoming Premier he was involved
with community development in downtown Dartmouth and thus was familiar with community development,
how it works and what can be achieved. He suggested that it is important to determine the area’s strengths
and weaknesses (based on sound data), recognize that economic decline can have been occurring for decades,
and that it is unreasonable to expect to reverse this and fix things in a couple of years. He suggested that a
successful outcome will be achieved by developing a long-term strategy with identifiable goals based on a
holistic approach with an identifiable plan that has both vision and an implementation strategy that identifies
the resources needed.
3. Gordon Hammond reviewed the anecdotal economic overview he had prepared which suggest that Metro is
the largest employer in the area followed by the public sector (health and education). Forestry is hard pressed,
the fishery less so with harvesters in better shape than processors. Real estate is still depressed and lack of
public transportation beyond Porters Lake leaves little option but private transportation. Retail is depressed in
some areas with Webbers Store closing after 80 years. Tourism is generally in decline with occupancy rates
and room nights sold declining over the last ten years and museum attendance (Sherbrooke Village and
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Fisherman’s Life) by 50%. Open pen fish farming continues to be an issue. However there are some bright
spots which seem to share the common characteristic that they are all small businesses.
4. General discussion ensued about the state of the area’s economy and what options were available. Key points
were:
 Recent closure of a variety of businesses suggest the area is economically stressed
 Proposed task force would bring together existing organizations to work collaboratively
 Aquaculture has potential for jobs and the Eastern Shore has lots of ocean. Investment from Scotland is a
good opportunity. Mussel farming opposed initially but accepted once people became familiar with it.
Benefits outweigh the negatives.
 Sheet Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce and Civic Affairs does not support the current applications
for open-pen salmon aquaculture sites
 Other local groups such as the Musquodoboit Harbour Community Association and the community
planning committee of the Musquodoboit Agricultural Society are interested in similar things
 Boundary of what constitutes “Eastern HRM” to remain undefined geographically and instead focus on
including “communities of interest”, that is groups that express a desire to work towards the overall object
be included
 Some statistical/assessment work has been done over the years
 Premier Dexter will support the task force
 Premier Dexter suggested that everyone read the Yarmouth Ferry report as it covers not just the Yarmouth
area but also the way in which tourism has fragmented and the industry has changed
 Gordon Hammond suggested that there did not seem to be anyone opposed to the idea of forming a task
force and posed the question – “Is anyone opposed to proceeding with the idea?” and there being no
negative response a refreshment break was taken with Robyn Webb of the Greater Halifax Partnership to
facilitate the next steps after the break.
5. A wide-ranging discussion took place. Key points were:
 A strong urban core is needed in order to have a strong rural economy in the surrounding areas, as
witnessed by the degree to which the current employment pattern in HRM whereby many people
commute to work in Metro.
 Important to have accurate knowledge about demographic past, present and future and use this
information to help determine what is feasible so that the focus can be on what is possible rather than
impossible.
 Not everyone is attached to the economy in the same way ie. a young person looking for a job might see
economic priorities in a different way than a retired person living in the same community.
 Need to recognize that if young people have a negative impression of their community and/or their future
then they feel they have no option but to leave to be successful. This will be hard to reverse because for 40
years or more “going down the road” was the best option for many. Plus young people want to explore
other options.
 Aging population wants to bring their families back to their communities but if there is not a good social life
they may be reluctant to do so. Life style is important and a feeling of isolation does not help
 Basic services are crucial. With just four gas stations between Musquodoboit Harbour and Sherbrooke
running out of gas is a real concern.
 The Eastern Shore is not homogenous in its work, shopping and travel patterns. There are strong dividing
lines reflecting the location of schools and services. Basically, people living from about Tangier go east,
while the remainder will go west, although there is still a lot of traffic from further east going to Metro
whereby people consolidate a number of purposes into a single trip to the west.
 For residents of Sheet Harbour they can also consider Truro or New Glasgow, both of which are just as
accessible as Dartmouth.
 While each area may have specific things that are uniquely important to them the probability of success for
individual areas will be increased if all work together and show, in an organized and coherent manner, how
the whole area will progress.
 The port of Sheet Harbour has significant potential under its new management agreement.
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Look at what others have done, don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
The participation of the Premier in the process is a significant boost and allows for the possibility of going
directly to the Premier once there is a coherent plan in place.
Need to set clear goals and know how we will measure progress.
The economic impact of the closure of the Bowater mill was essentially instant whereas the decline of the
Eastern Shore has happened over the last 30-40 years.
RDA’s are under review and may not continue
HRM has plans for the area based on a rural growth centre concept. This should be reviewed especially
since the 5 year plan is currently under review.
Half of the teachers in Sheet Harbour do not live in the community
There is a proposal for a Coastal Heritage Destination area that has already been endorsed by key
organizations. Need to review this in relationship to current tourism strategy which may focus on iconic
demand generators.
Action Items
1. Prepare minutes for the meeting and circulate to all attendees (Denise Butcher-Lariade and Gordon
Hammond)
2. Alert local businesses that Greater Halifax Partnership is ready to work with them (all attendees)
3. Musquodoboit Harbour Community Association and the Musquodoboit Valley Agricultural Society to be
contacted to let them know about the task force and to determine if they are interested in becoming involved
(Paul Nichol –MHCA and Gordon Hammond-MAS)
4. Prepare an email list for all attendees and send to Robyn Webb (Gordon Hammond)
5. Each participating community organization to prepare an overview of its current plans and priorities and email
them to Robyn Webb at rwebb@greaterhalifax.com
6. Conduct a search (spearheaded by GHP) for any previously produced statistical/planning information relating
to the area that could assist with determining the next steps (Lisa Dobson, David Hendsbee)
7. Find a few copies of the Yarmouth Ferry report for distribution or else arrange to make accessible on-line (Bob
Book, Lisa Dobson)
Next Meeting
Approximately mid-November to review information gathered and discuss the next steps
Background Documents
• Letter of Invitation from Sid Prest
• Agenda for the meeting
• Halifax’s Vital Signs, Community Foundation of Nova Scotia
• Overview of various economic sectors, Gordon Hammond
• Tourism and museum statistics for the Eastern Shore
An anecdotal overview of various sectors of the Eastern HRM economy
As of October 24 2012, prepared by Gordon Hammond
1. Reliability of the information
This overview is based on brief discussions with a few key people knowledgeable about various aspects of the
local economy and as such is anecdotal and thus should not be viewed as definitive and more of an order of
magnitude assessment. On the other hand, there does not seem to be any significant difference between what
these informants had to say and what people in general perceive to be the case.
2. Overall employment pattern
The largest single employer of residents of the area is probably Metro. It is difficult to assess the actual number
but given traffic count statistics probably at least 5,000 people work in Metro.
13
In 2002, the annual average daily traffic (AADT) was 15,710 vehicles implying that about 7,500 vehicles went
west and about 7,500 went east every day. Assuming two thirds of these vehicles were going to work and 15%
had a passenger, there are about 5-6,000 people from eastern HRM working in Metro every day. However, this
figure is for 2002 whereas the figure for 2009 is 14,710, suggesting less vehicles per day. However, this does
not necessarily mean less people working because there could be more people car-pooling.
One fact that can be gleaned from the traffic count statistics is that the catchment area likely extends to Lake
Charlotte because the AADT was 3240 vehicles in 2002 and 3620 vehicles in 2009 (at East Jeddore on the #7
Highway). This information seems to mesh with the data collected as a result of the location study for the new
K-9 school at Oyster Pond that found population growth east of Musquodoboit Harbour. Note that this is a 12%
increase in the daily vehicle tally whereas the count at Murphy Cove shows an AADT of 1300 vehicles in 2003
and 1080 in 2009, a 17% decline.
The second largest employer in the area is the public sector, primarily education and health. No easily
accessible numbers for eastern HRM could be found.
3. Other economic sectors
• Forestry: There are probably less than 100 people in HRM actively working in the forestry sector. The closure
of the mill in Port Hawkesbury has negatively impacted the industry, no just because the mill was closed but
because the supply of fresh wood fibre needed to keep the mill in a state of hot idle created and oversupply of
wood fibre. This resulted in the price of wood fibre dropping from $51/ton to $35/ton with the result that
many operators stopped work. There are a couple of bright spots, wood chips continue to be shipped from
Sheet Harbour using mostly raw material from elsewhere in the Province and small firewood operations seem
to be surviving.
• Fishing: Harvesters seen to be doing well with lobster catches good, and of good quality with prices as good
or better than other areas of the Province. Harvesters of other species seems to be doing OK as well. The
possibility of fleet separation appears to have been dropped, at least for now. This is seen as positive for
harvesters. Processors do not seem to be doing as well because an overall increase of about 40% in the landing
of lobsters on the Atlantic seaboard has depressed prices while the higher Canadian dollar has effectively raised
operating costs by about a third. Lobster industry starting to focus on branding lobster as a high-end wild
product from pristine northern waters etc. Small aquaculture operations such as the Ship Harbour mussel farm
and the new Sheet Harbour oysters (both wild farming operations) seem to be doing OK. The planned
expansion of open-pen salmon farming continues to be a major local issue.
• Real Estate: Generally, the real estate market has been depressed since the economic downturn which has
lowered both prices and volume. However, the area from Lawrencetown to Ecum Secum is really three
different markets, the outer suburbs, say to Porters Lake, the semi-rural, from Porters Lake to Lake Charlotte,
and the truly rural, east of Lake Charlotte. In the rural area people purchasing second homes and recreational
properties were driving the market and that area is now very slow. A lot of the interest in the semi-rural area
was driven by young families attracted to a rural lifestyle and lower home prices. This trend has now slowed a
lot and people are selling because of high fuel prices which impact on driving to a job in Metro but also taking
kids to a variety of sport and cultural activities on a frequent basis. In the outer suburbs prices need to be under
$300,000 to sell quickly. New home construction seems to be down
• Public Transportation: Basically non-existent east of Porters Lake except for Musgo Rider, which is prebooked transportation which does not serve east of Jeddore.
• Retail: Webbers Store has closed after 83 years. Gas in the area now available only at Musquodoboit
Harbour, Head Jeddore, Sheet Harbour and Sherbrooke.
• Tourism: See accompanying overall stats. More specifically, Salmon River House remains closed, Webbers
Motel is closed, Sea Rover Marine is for sale, various B&Bs have closed. Traditional travel seems to be lower
while special events may be up (Sea Rover and Memory Lane).
14
• Other businesses: Rosborough Boats has ceased operation. There are now no active boatbuilding operations
within the area?
• Vital Signs: This document provides a comprehensive overview of HRM but is of limited use in trying to glean
facts about the eastern end of HRM. However, what can be gleaned, such as housing prices (both the lowest
price and lowest number of units sold) and the top priority items for the use of municipal resources (44%transportation, economic development-31%) seem to mesh with the above. All VICs are now closed and many
museums barely surviving.
4. Bright spots
There are some private sector bright spots which all seem to have a certain similarity in that they are small
operations, sometimes very small, serving the local market but also the Metro market. These include small
cafes/bakeries, property maintenance and services, vehicle maintenance etc. The common characteristics
seems to be less than ten employees with a primarily local market.
Potential Public Sector Investments in Eastern HRM
Prepared by Gordon Hammond, February 18 2014
1. Situational Analysis
The findings of the recently released Ivaney Commission report “Now or Never”, authoritatively document
Province-wide what we see occurring within eastern HRM:
• Population younger and growing, closer to Halifax, older and declining as you move east1
• Higher unemployment and lower participation rates the further east you go
• Continued decline of the tourism industry (room nights, occupancy, NS museum attendance)
• Catchment area for Metro extends to about Lake Charlotte, east of here decline in daily traffic
• Public transit essentially non-existent east of Porters Lake
• Cost of fuel leading to less demand for commuter housing and thus decrease in property prices
• Businesses closing (Webbers Store, Sea Rover Marine, Rosborough Boats etc.)
• Intermittent cell phone coverage beyond Musquodoboit Harbour
• Etc. (Read the Ivaney report for full details
However, there are some bright spots:
• Unemployment in outer suburbs and semi-rural is about 5%, less than half provincial average
• Lobster fishery seems to be doing well, both harvesters and wholesalers
• Forestry may have stabilized but with no more than 100 employees in the area
• Gold mining operation in Port Dufferin underway and hiring
• OPA French immersion better than average
• Sheet Harbour revitalization underway
• Some local private sector growth (Taylor Lumber, Darr Welding, Stat, Atlantex etc.)
• Memory Lane paid attendance continues to grow (up 23% in 2012), now 5000+ per year
• Bay of Islands as potential major tourism destination now on the radar.
2. Prioritized Investments
In assessing what public sector investments in Eastern HRM should be made, I have taken into account two
primary considerations:
a) Investments which are more likely to sustainably grow the areas’s economy are high in priority
b) Conceptually, there are three areas with different needs, ie outer suburbs, semi-rural, rural
i) Ensure there is full cellphone coverage 20kms either side of the #7 highway between Musquodoboit
Harbour and Sherbrooke.
1
See GHP Demographic Analysis
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ii) Ensure that there is high-speed internet service 20kms either side of the #7 highway between
Musquodoboit Harbour and Ecum Secum.
iii) Identify and secure funding to implement the ACOA “Strategic Tourism Expansion Program” to prepare
a Sustainable Tourism Plan for the Bay of Islands.
iv) Pilot project for a year a Metro transit commuter bus leaving Lake Charlotte at 6.00 am and leaving
Metro at 5pm
v) Secure funding to assess the pros, cons and cost of extending the 107 to Jeddore/Lake Charlotte, and
possibly beyond
vi) Secure funding to plan and install publically accessible internet-based Visitor Information Kiosks located
in the ATM areas of the banks in Porters Lake, Musquodoboit Harbour and Sheet Harbour.
Economic Development Committee, Sheet Harbour - November 21, 2012
Members Present: Marike Findlay, Jeff Hogg, Dawn Howe Power, Sandy Moser, Robyn Webb, Virginia Bonn,
George Carmichael
Meeting 10 am – 1:00 pm. Sandy is to email Marike a list of members (names and email) for Dropbox connection
which has the Ekistics Plan.
Reply for part time person - Robyn replied that Greater Halifax Partnership do not have a person available to us.
She read a letter from her boss– Ruth Cunningham. The letter did state that the GHP were very willing to work with
our Chamber committee to help develop our economic development and to help organize funding/resources. This
could work through the Eastern Shore Task Force. This task force could develop a marketing strategy for the
Eastern Shore as well as work on projects for individual areas.
Discussion of topics were;
Robyn on the topic of Gordon Hammond’s proposal – We are not ready for a proposal yet. We need to get the
communities together and see what the needs are. There are monies available from different agencies to help us.
We need to see the whole plan for the Eastern Shore. The Greater Halifax Partnership have agreed to be the lead
organization for this task force.
Discussion of public forum - There was discussion about asset mapping which needs to be part of a backgrounder
exercise that a consultant or project manager could do. The Ekistics plan can be used for part of this backgrounder
exercise. We also need to ask our communities what our area needs. There was discussion of needing to know how
to write grants. We need to have a backgrounder plan such as Bowwater Mersey. We would have to hire a Project
manager or consultant. We would need to include the terms of reference. Marike mentioned Rita Fraser as a
person who might be seconded from the provincial government to help in this process. She was part of the process
for the Bowater Mersey strategy. George mentioned that there could be monies from the provincial community
economic development project (CED) to help us. March might be a good time to have the community forum.
George mentioned that we will need a facilitator or moderator for this public forum. Robyn will do some
background info and we will be having another task force meeting in December.
Marike stated that the Chamber feels that we are ready for planning the multipurpose centre which will attach to
the new school which is the second phase of the Ekistics plan. The first phase was building the sidewalks. There
may be funding from the federal government for the multipurpose centre. Virginia feels we need to bring in the
province for funding. There is also a need for municipal money.
There was discussion about paving the Wharf road. Virginia mentioned that she could talk to Northern Fibre and
then discuss with Peter Hackett from Dept. of Transportation, Infrastructure and Renewal.
The topic of a marina was brought up, but it was felt that more infrastructure is needed before a marina can be
built.
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George mentioned that at the next meeting we should have a person from tourism attend our meetings. It was felt
that tourism is a key industry for the Eastern Shore. We discussed assets such as the islands for kayaking, Taylor
Head Park for hiking. Perhaps a destination aquaculture tasting tour along with other events. We discussed the
negative impact of fish farms to the pristine shore. Other events could take place such as arts and craft events,
biking tours, bird watching, and any event that could utilize our pristine environment. We need to promote the
industries that are here on the Shore such as Coastal Adventures (kayaking), and the oyster and mussel farms. We
also discussed heritage, arts and culture and how this department could be utilized.
Marike mentioned the BC -marine parks system that we could use as a model. Robyn will be planning the next step
for our task force meeting in December. There was a lengthy discussion about resources and agencies that might
be able to help with our economic development. Submitted by Sandy Moser
Economic Forum for Developing the Eastern Shore
By: Marike Finlay -de Monchy, 300 Gammons Rd., Port Dufferin, (654-2265) Marike.finlay@gmail.com
1) Several businesses along the Eastern Shore have closed and others have opened. This may be due to
changing times, demographics, and needs and wants of citizens and visitors alike.
2) Heritage Destination is surely important but appeals to an older demographic and usually is a once only
visit. The “Come to Life” campaign was far too general. Tourists no longer want to sit in a car and drive
around looking at kilties and bag pipes. Nova Scotia has to get into the 21st Century.
3) Tourism must be activities-driven. We must develop, enhance or provide the facilities for those activities
and market them to the appropriate demographics in all forms of media both nationally and
internationally.
4) Activities the Eastern Shore can develop and market: -surfing, bicycling, boating, hiking, recreational
fishing, arts and culture, community involved lifestyle, healthy stress reduced lifestyle
5) The entire Eastern Shore could develop and market facilities that would increase tourist flow and
settlement were it to enhance facilities for these activities by:
a) setting up surf dude centers at places like the now closed Webbers store
b) providing on line surf reports
c) building a bike/hike trail along the hwy 7, mapping links to the loops and noting accommodations and
other services along that then marketing it to all biking media
d) establishing a marine park along the Eastern Shore taking BC’s highly successful Marine Parks as our
model and then marketing that to the entire boating community in Canada and along the US Eastern
Seaboard.
e) establishing more marinas along the Eastern Shore and marketing them as alternative places to winter
and service yachts for an advantageous price compared to Halifax. (emphasize proximity to airport);
establish motor and sail crewed and bareboat chartering along the shore – now feasible with
contemporary electronic charting.
f) supporting the recovery of the wild salmon fishery in the West River and other rivers by contributing to
the NSSA’s liming and monitoring projects. Promoting other types of open sea fishing in season.
Marketing using all anglers’ media.
g) highlighting Taylor’s Head Park; increasing our network of hiking and walking trails and mapping them.
Let’s learn from the European s establishing a trans-province walk linked to the Trans Canada Trail
system and marketing it in all kinds of hiking and walking media.
h) for every $ in industry support to the arts and culture industry between $14 and $17 flows back
directly into the community. Increase industry support for the arts and culture groups, stores, facilities,
and learning opportunities (interfaced with schools) along the shore and market appropriately.
i) offering extension courses in arts and culture, technical skills, and subjects of interest to later life
learning from higher institutions of learning (e.g., NSCAD, Mount St. Vincent, NSCC) in the shore
communities; linking offer to demand.
j) dispelling the “myth” that CFA’s are not wanted to settle along the shore; emphasize welcoming
activities to people from across the province, country, and world to come and settle on the shore;
encourage in-settlers to participate in community life and decisions. We need recruitment campaigns
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to attract in-settlement and keep our population levels up. Let’s start with encouraging folks who
came from the Eastern Shore and now live in Halifax and the rest of Canada to consider retiring back
home or at least getting a second residence here and commuting part time
k) investing in health and fitness activities by improving our recreational facilities; we need indoor
swimming pools, multipurpose facilities; golf clubs; curling clubs; indoor arenas in our towns to keep
our children and adults active and fit. Encourage providers of alternative health services such as Yoga,
Tai chi, acupuncture, massage,etc. to establish offices in our towns.
l) converting the Liscombe Lodge into a Wellness Facility that remains open year-long specializing in
weight reduction clinics, life-style changes, and healthy eating habit teaching. See Canyon Ranch in the
USA for an example of what the Liscombe Lodge could be.
m) Maintaining our BRAND of the Shore as a Pristine, Beautiful, Growing, Environmentally and
Communally Friendly, Healthy, place to live, work and play.
NONE OF THE ABOVE IS POSSIBLE IF THE SHORE IS SPOILED BY OPEN PEN SALMON FEEDLOTS IN OUR BAYS AND
HARBOURS WHICH ARE TOO SHALLOW AND HAVE INSUFFICIENT CURRENT TO FLUSH OUT THE HUGE QUANTITIES
OF EXCREMENT AND CHEMICALS THAT WILL POLLUTE OUR WATERS AND SHORES AND DESTROY OUR EXTANT
INDUSTRIES SUCH AS LOBSTER IF IMPOSED ON OUR COMMUNITY THAT DOES NOT WANT THEM.
Developing the Eastern Shore
A PLAN FOR LOW CAPITALIZATION, SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BASED ON BEST PRACTICES
Proposal by Drs. Marike Finlay-de Monchy, Karin Cope & Elisabeth Bigras
300 Gammons Road, Port Dufferin, B0J 2R0 902-654-2265
marike.finlay@gmail.com
I. The AIM
What is the purpose of the commission on rural economic development?
It should be to explore ways to increase the wellbeing of citizens living in rural areas of Nova Scotia. For more on
well-being, see GPI Atlantic, which has been engaged in developing a “Genuine Progress Index” for Nova Scotia, an
effort to measure not simply economic outputs, but sustainability, wellbeing and quality of life:
http://www.gpiatlantic.org/
Cautions--Increasing the wellbeing of citizens may not be equivalent to:
1) Increasing the tax base of the provincial government at any cost--i.e., turning rural areas into resource grab
bags and waste disposal sites. What must be sought is a balance between paying our fair share of taxes
and affording the services to the community that citizens both require and desire. The Eastern Shore
should not be viewed as a territory for extraction industries, merely to generate tax revenue for the
provincial government and justified by the claim to “create jobs at any cost.”
2) Creating jobs at any cost. Yes, we do have some unemployment on the Eastern Shore, but the majority of
our citizens are not actively seeking employment right now. We agree we must find solutions for high,
seasonal and chronic rural un and under-employment. But those solutions may be more complex than
imposing industries that belong to the pollution economy on the shore. Such impositions threaten to
destroy the lives of the 90% of citizens in Nova Scotia who are well in order to create a few poorly paying
jobs. Job creation must be respectful of what is already working and of value in our society.
3) There is a difference between an increase in the Index of Wellbeing and an increase in GDP. Some
increases in GDP are worse, not better for the citizenry. For example, as GPI Atlantic has shown, an
increase in crime may increase GDP thanks to costs of insurance, policing, jail and rehabilitiation time,
lawyers, the courts, etc. but crime is clearly not an enhancement of social wellbeing. We need to bear such
distinctions in mind as we debate suggestions and solutions for rural economic development in Nova
Scotia.
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4) Economic Development in rural areas probably needs to follow an ethic like that of the Hippocratic Oath:
First of all, do no harm to what is healthy about us.
Pre-existing Conditions/Concerns on Nova Scotia’s Eastern Shore
1) For years we have been asking the provincial government for an economic development officer to work
with the community and businesses to help develop the potential of the Eastern Shore. These requests
have, to date, been in vain.
2) Over the past four years, the NDP government has added $2.3 billion to the provincial debt (Bill Black,
Chronicle Herald). Every year, past and present Nova Scotia governments have allocated between $300M
to $500M in discretionary funding to various projects for economic development in Nova Scotia. Currently,
we see a lot controversy over the fact that recently, much of that discretionary spending has been on
corporate welfare for large companies such as Irving Shipbuilding, IBM, Bowater, Stern, Cooke Aquaculture,
etc., with little to show for these massive investments in terms of increased employment, tax revenue, or
wellbeing.
3) Almost none of that discretionary government spending has come to the Eastern Shore.
4) Who are we on the Eastern Shore? For the last dozen years, as you drive this direction from
Dartmouth/Halifax, you might notice a steady growth of residential building gradually spreading east along
the HWY 107 and 7.
Citizens of the Eastern Shore include
 Members of the Mi’kmaq First Nation.
 Long time residents who work in tourism, fisheries, lumber, pulp and paper, and retail.
(Some of these numbers have declined over the years. The decline was especially sharp after the
closure of the pulp and paper mill in Sheet Harbour in the 1970s.)
 Commuters who work in metro HRM and other parts of the province and country.
 Telecommuters who work from home offices on the Eastern Shore on contracts from around the
province, country and world. (For example, the authors of this document are among these
commuters and telecommuters.)
 Retirees from Nova Scotia and the rest of Canada who have settled here for the affordability,
beauty, and community-spiritedness of the Eastern Shore.
 Seasonal recreational dwellers from around the Canada and the rest of the world.
5) SHIFTING DEMOGRAPHICS are a concern. There is a decline in young families with school age children to
support the school system and provide a trained worker base in the community. Youth are leaving the
Eastern Shore to seek different experiences and more lucrative employment opportunities elsewhere in the
province and country.
6) LOCATION: Most of the Eastern Shore lies within the Halifax Regional Municipality and should therefore
benefit from equitable allocation of services. The Eastern Shore is located within 45-90 minutes of the
bridges. Sheet Harbour is 75-80 minutes from Stanfield International Airport and the Marine Gateway. As
Jane Jacobs argues in Cities and the Wealth of Nations: Principles of Economic Life, this geographic situation
enables the Eastern Shore to develop and benefit from import/export replacement in relation to the metro
area which, comparatively speaking, is currently thriving economically. By replacing with our own
production or value-added activities strategic items that have been imported into Halifax from much longer
distances elsewhere, we may build strength, health and sustainability into the local economy. Strategies to
develop the Eastern Shore can and must build on this advantage. Its favourable location vis-à-vis the urban
center distinguishes the Eastern Shore from many other more remote rural regions of the province.
II. THE CHALLENGE
How do we reinvigorate the Eastern Shore in order to make it a desirable place for youth and other
demographics to remain, study, and work? How do we increase the general level of wealth creation, and ensure
that sustainable equitable government services are not merely continued but enhanced?
We find “SOLUTIONS FOR A LITTLE DOG.”
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Governance and Regional Development expert, Donald Savoie, in his Visiting Grandchildren: Economic
Development in the Maritimes, first of all acknowledges that our disadvantage is an inability to compete with the
huge economies of scale in the rest of North America. He asks the question: “Where Can Little Dogs Eat?” The
Eastern Shore is an even smaller dog than the little dog that is Nova Scotia.
The Eastern Shore knows that it will not receive a large size of the discretionary expenditure pie of provincial
and/or federal governments. But it asks for and deserves its fair share of that pie.
With a little help from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments, the Eastern Shore could thrive as a
little dog with an economy based on:
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Low Capital Intensive Development
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Sustainable Triple Bottom Line Full Cost Accounting Economics

A Place Brand that Focuses on Best Practices
What Do People Need and Want to Thrive?
Many demographic studies show that citizens in our society are:
In Debt
Short of Time
Over-weight to the point of ill health
Inactive to point of ill health
Stressed and Mentally Depressed – “the New Common Cold” (Ideas/CBC)
Lonely – (the family is no longer the household norm)
Insufficiently skilled for available employment (Over 40% of Nova Scotians struggle with basic literacy and
numeracy skills.)
Worldwide the experience that people say they appreciate and seek most is Unspoilt Nature.
WORKING HYPOTHESIS
The Eastern Shore has the potential to address and market to these needs and wants and attract people to settle
and work in our communities. We believe that the Eastern Shore can develop its key assets in the context of
providing an affordable place to live where you can see the ocean every day, and get access to the facilities of a city
or major airport as you need them.
Key sectors that currently work well and/ might be built upon further:
A// FISHERIES
The backbone of the Eastern Shore Economy is our lobster and other wild catch fisheries.
 Tangier Lobster markets our lobster to Asia for a substantial economic premium capitalizing on a brand of
“pristine, unspoiled, pure and healthy seafood.”
 The Maritime Gateway and proximity to metro-HRM increase opportunities for import and export replacement
here.
 Our lobster fishery is one of BEST PRACTICES and should be acknowledged, maintained and further developed as
such. We should do nothing to compromise this industry and its marketing premium.
 This is why we must refuse open pen salmonid feedlots not only on the Eastern Shore, but in all of Nova
Scotia’s coastal waters. The danger to the health of the lobster fishery and other successful or recovering wild
catch fisheries such as herring, cod and wild salmon, not to mention our “pristine ocean” brand is great and
scientifically substantiated.
 We must also keep alive a reality principle that weighs true costs and real occurrences against corporate hype
and false promises. (See Appendix A, which shows the real statistics re economics and job creation vs the
hypothetical claimed economic and employment figures for the open pen fin fish feedlot industry.)
 We can continue to develop marketing strategies that promote the brand of Eastern Shore Fisheries as pure,
healthy, delicious, sustainable, organic, and untainted around the world. There is a great premium to be
realized for the Eastern Shore and Nova Scotian wild catch fishery.
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Shellfish Aquaculture Industries (mussel, clam, oyster farms) thrive on the Eastern Shore and should be
encouraged and enabled to benefit from strategic enhanced marketing. We need to avoid tainting the
Shellfish Aquaculture industries with the same internationally negative perceptions that accompany open pen
fin fish aquaculture—they will ruin the former’s brand.
Close containment finfish aquaculture is the best practice for Aquaculture. Grocery chains are recognizing and
testifying to this. Nova Scotia and the Eastern Shore could be on the cutting edge of the development of
closed containment aquaculture were there a level playing field in terms of government subsidies, waste
management practices, CFIA compensation for destruction of ISA diseased fish, and all of the risks not incurred
and infrastructure not required in a controlled water filtration system, from chemicals to disease to water
pollution.
The fact that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency is now permitting ISA-infected open pen feedlot salmon to
be marketed for human consumption, has the potential to irremediably damage Nova Scotia’s other fish
products, resulting in millions of dollars of lost opportunity costs. Beware!
Link the wild catch fishery to tourism both as gastronomy and as experience, both in developing tourist
venues and in marketing promotion.
B// Forestry
We should develop a value-added, sustainable, community-based forestry policy rather than the present slash
and burn, clear cut (forests as biomass) practices that occur on the Eastern Shore today. There is precious little
wood left on the Eastern Shore.

Do a full-cost accounting of the loss of forests to the Eastern Shore.

Figure out what can be done to preserve and enhance the forests we have.

Do a full cost accounting of the state of these forests.

Consider developing a local heat source biomass industry from renewable forest resources—not as is
currently advocated by NSP. See “Keeping Wealth in Our Community”: http://www.yellowwood.org/Keeping
Wealth Local.pdf
C// Tourism
Quite frankly the provincial government’ support, development and marketing of tourism on the Eastern Shore has
been disappointing, even downright ignorant of the fact that national and international trends have moved
towards marketing tourism as activity driven and demographically targeted. Generalist platitudes like “Come to
Life” simply won’t cut it anymore, and never did. The fact that the lion’s share of funding for tourism goes to the
bureaucrats in the Department of Tourism is a scandal. Today, tourists no longer want to sit in a car, eat bad food,
and look at folkloric items. Much more is required. We need to learn from and adopt best practices in tourism
marketing and development.
 TIANS and DEANS have branded the Eastern Shore as “pure, pristine, unspoiled coastlines and islands.” The
potential of this brand, which is also a true description, is enormous, given the worldwide tourist demand for
activities in wild, unspoiled nature.
 The NS Nature Trust has determined that the Bay of Islands, off the coast of the Eastern Shore, remain in a
pristine post Glacial Age state of wilderness.
 The Lake Charlotte Proposal for the Bay of Islands Heritage and Marine Tourist Destination needs to be
supported and rapidly developed by government funding at all levels – municipal, provincial, and federal.
 Marketing Sheet Harbour as the “Gateway to the Bay of Islands” could yield dividends like some of those that
come to Gananoque, Ontario, which touts itself as the “Gateway to the 1000 Islands”.
 There are a few struggling marinas on the Eastern Shore. The Sheet Harbour Chamber of Commerce is
proposing to develop a marina. Maritime leisure tourism will continue to flounder without a Best Practices
Strategy.
 We suggest developing a Marine Parks network akin to the British Columbia Marine Parks network. Learn
from the BC success: BC developed a growing network of Marine Parks all along the BC Coast, which then
created easy to reach multiple destinations for local and visiting boaters from the US, other parts of BC and
Canada and elsewere. BC markets these parks well, and every year thousands of local and visiting boaters
enjoy the parks and the services that local communities supply around them. These boaters spend money on
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everything from food and drinks to large repairs and supplies and they often leave their boats in storage or for
repair in BC during the off-season. Some of these visitors, seduced from the water, then buy property, settle
and start up businesses in BC. We see a potential market of thousands of boaters on the Eastern Seaboard,
from Newfoundland to Cape Cod and beyond. A strategically developed, marketed, promoted, targeted
development of Nova Scotia Marine Parks would bring these clients and their spending power to Nova Scotian
marine industries.
Even better, a NS Marine Parks network would provide a venue for healthy, active living for citizens of Nova
Scotia, and other Maritime Provinces, which could join and enhance the network. The health benefits in
terms of full cost accounting could be enormous.
Incentivize a Power and Sail Boating School in Sheet Harbour.
Work with the Coast Guard to offer a Leisure Captain’s License training – the first in the country.
Start a boat charter company at the Sheet Harbour Marina. The harbour is long and deep and sheltered – a
great place to learn sailing skills.
Build a Dry Storage Facility for the winter storage of boats. All that would be required is a securely fenced in
flat surface. Boat storage is scarce and expensive in HRM and the USA. Sheet Harbour is 90 minutes from the
airport.
Market Sheet Harbour as an ideal place to store and repair vessels. This then provides work for mechanics,
joiners, detailers, security personnel etc.
Build a Bike Trail from Dartmouth to Canso: Add a bike trail along the shoulder of highways 7 and 107 and
map it out to follow the various loops from Dartmouth to Canso. The Greenways Bike network in Quebec has
added millions of dollars to the Quebec economy. Nova Scotia can easily and cheaply do the same. The
Eastern Shore is a wonderful place to bike. B&B’s, campgrounds, hotels, restaurants, all can be mapped onto
the bike trails as stopping places.
Build more Hiking Trails and market the trails we already have along the Eastern Shore: We have an excellent
set of hiking trails along the Eastern Shore. We need to maintain these trails, add more, and market the Shore
as a great hiking destination.
Tourists are concerned to be active and healthy these days. We have the goods to offer that. Why isn’t there
a B&B close to Taylor’s Head Park? There are enough trails there for a long weekend sojourn.
Leave the parks open all year long. Market hike in shoulder season and winter tourism. Taylor’s Head Beach
and Psyche Cove is wondrously beautiful in winter.
Develop Domestic Fitness: Once again, providing venues for recreational activity not only brings in tourist and
in-settlement dollars, but by marketing and encouraging recreation possibilities for local students and citizens,
we reap the triple bottom line economic benefit in terms of decreased health and crime costs. If this isn’t
financially worthwhile to government, what is?
Develop the quality of the hospitality industry by offering extension courses in Sheet Harbour in these areas.
Change up the quality of gastronomy. The most common criticism we hear from tourists from the rest of
Canada, the USA and Europe is that there is a gourmet deficit in our restaurants.
Link gastronomy to the wild catch fishery more creatively. Define the cuisine of the shore with creative use of
locavore produce.
D// Provide Industry Support to Arts and Culture
A recently opened Arts and Crafts Shop in Sheet Harbour carries work from more than 180 local artists and craftworkers. Hundreds of Arts and Culture workers live along the Eastern Shore.
The economic multiplier of industry support to Arts and Culture Industries is between 13x and 17x. Furthermore,
this money generally goes directly back into the community, not into the coffers of some foreign-owned
corporation. Arts and Culture are skills/trades. Arts and Culture work is a bonafide employment. Arts and Culture
workers typically live from small wages but create jobs and products and make major voluntary contributions to
their community. Richard Florida has shown the centrality of the Creative Economy to other economic
development. If properly fostered, supported, and marketed the Eastern Shore could become the Sausalito or
Saltspring Island of Nova Scotia.
 Brand the Eastern Shore as a community of Arts and Culture workers.
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Network these Arts and Culture workers and actively recruit more to the area with incentives such as
affordable studio space and decent public transit to metro HRM.
Offer extension courses in Arts and Culture from NSCAD and the NSCC at Sheet Harbour.
Support the construction of the Quality of Life/Multi-purpose Center adjacent to the new consolidated school
in Sheet Harbour.
Liaise with the schools to hire local Arts and Culture workers to teach extracurricular courses in the school.
Hire local Arts and Culture workers to teach the community enrichment adult-education programs.
Support and enhance marketing endeavors and arts festivals on the Eastern Shore.
Provide venues and instruction for theatre, film, writing, and musical arts in the community – developing on
what is there, e.g., men’s choir, local musicians, photographers etc.
E// Healthy Living as a Marketable Commodity
All of the factors exist on the Eastern Shore for a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle. Nature, recreational
facilities, community spirit, neighbourliness, natural produce, fresh clean air and water, high-speed internet,
medical care, etc.
 Build on the alternative health care craze as an industry.
 Convert the floundering Liscombe Lodge into a year round weight loss, lifestyle coaching, convalescence,
fitness clinical resort. See the best practice examples of Safety Harbour and Canyon Lodge Resorts in the USA.
The Liscombe Lodge is excellently situated in a calm meditative space, far from the hustle and bustle of cities,
accessible to airport, furnished with appropriate spaces and recreational facilities to easily be converted into
such a health resort. Alternative health, fitness, and life-style coaches would settle in the area for work at this
lodge and in private practice. The main challenges would be assuring part-time medical follow-up for difficult
cases and of course carrying through on a demographically targeted, national and international promotion
campaign. There is a need for such a facility in the province and in the vicinity of HRM.
 Encourage and incentivize alternative health care providers such as, naturopaths, acupuncturists,
physiotherapists, massage therapists (one has recently set up in Sheet Harbour), psychotherapists, to start
small (part-time) businesses east of Musquodoboit. Co-ordinate this with mainstream health care providers.
Explore the possibility of covering alternative care on medicare. Full-cost accounting may show that it is costsaving to pay $45/hour to an alternative health care provider if it keeps the patient fit and out of acute and
critical care.
F// Espouse Retirement Recruitment as Income Generating Industry
Florida, Arizona, Mexico, and Victoria, BC are all retirement capitals. Their economies flourish from the retirement
industry. Their main drawing card is agreeable weather in winter time. With global warming and extreme weather,
Nova Scotia’s drawing card is temperate weather in the summers. When the rest of North America is sweltering in
heat waves and humidity, we on the Eastern Shore are enjoying liveable temperatures and cool sea breezes.
Currently, in Nova Scotia the dogmatic argument is that to encourage retirees to settle is a liability, entailing healthcare costs that federal health care transfer payments, now based on population numbers, will not cover.
 Make a representation to the federal government to demonstrate to them that it is for the benefit of the
country to have seniors move to a place which is more affordable to house and feed themselves, than living
in economically stressed conditions in cities such as Edmonton, Toronto or Vancouver. Rectify the health
transfer payment issue making it a constitutional issue of “portability”.
 Retirees pay income taxes, land taxes; they consume and spend money where they live; they invite their
extended families to visit as tourists; they have time to serve as volunteers in their communities; they make,
own and operate small businesses; they seek out entertainment and leisure activities.
 The Eastern Shore is already developing as a retirement community for these very reasons. This is not a
negative development. Recruiting retirees to the Eastern Shore is one way to ensure the reversal of
depopulation.
 Develop a retiree recruitment campaign following best practices such as that of Elliot Lake in Ontario: “Come
retire to affordable quality of life on the Eastern Shore.” “Come back from away.” “Come from away. Retire
Here!”
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Advertise temperatures along the Eastern Shore during the summer months in a banner across the pages of
newspapers and websites in cities along the US East Coast and Toronto and Montreal. Do so when these
cities are sweltering in heat waves or reeling from tornadoes.
G// Keep Energy Wealth in Eastern Shore Communities: Develop Local Wind, Solar, and Biomass Energy
Solutions
Millions of dollars leave the community every year to electricity, oil, and gas companies. This wealth could
remain in the community to be spent on local consumption were it not exported.
 Develop energy import replacement schemes.
 HRM floated an incentive to finance loans for conversion to solar hot water. Take this program as a model and
expand it to our coastal communities to convert to household-based solar and wind power and use local wood
as small scale biomass for heating. Our scruffy black spruce forests and alder groves could be cultivated as
renewable biomass for local energy production which would also create employment.
H// Co-ordinate and Quantify Volunteerism
GPI Atlantic developed a formula for quantifying the economic value to a society of volunteerism. Atlantic Canada
leads the way in Canada for volunteerism. Governments need to recognize the economic contributing value of
volunteerism in their tax codes.
 The Eastern Shore hosts many volunteer organizations: Chamber of Commerce, Legion, Lions Club, Masons,
religious groups, Eastern Shore Forest Watch, LEA Place, Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore,
Guides, Scouts, Cadets, Arts society, Friends of Taylor’s Head Park, etc.
 Build the Multi-Purpose Center: Housing many of these organizations in common spaces, such as the planned
multi-purpose center attached to the new school, and the Deanery at Ship Harbour, would go a long way
towards streamlining their overheads and freeing up more funds for actual community enhancement projects.
 Hire a Recreational Co-ordinator/Facilitator to co-ordinate these groups towards the realization of more
ambitious, meaningful, much- needed community projects. The populations in most need are youth, elderly,
and women. The Eastern Shore deserves such a co-ordinator as its fair share of human resources in HRM.
I// Stop the Erosion of Government Services from the Eastern Shore
Every year some service is cut from health care provision in the Sheet Harbour Hospital. Further cuts are
threatened. Government service bureaus hours are cut—sometimes even the office itself is closed. There are
many tax payers along the Eastern Shore. We do pay our way and deserve our fair share of services and
contributing personnel in our communities.
 Recruit and hire government employees who will reside in the community.
 Arrange with unions and institutions to make every attempt to recruit teachers, doctors, nurses, technicians,
facilitators, co-ordinators, development agents, etc. who will commit to their community as productive
residing citizens, not commuters.
 In turn the communities and institutions along the Eastern Shore need to do their part to sort out why
government employees do or do not want to reside here.
 We need to promote our attractions and rectify our short-comings.
J// Face the Problem of Youth Deprivation Head On: What does your child need to thrive here?
Youths in rural communities face the same issues that youths in cities do, but both rural youths and rural regions
have far fewer resources to cope with these issues. For years the Sheet Harbour School has been ranked near the
bottom by the AIMS survey. Illegal substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, failure to complete education,
childhood deprivation and other factors are all chronic problems in rural Nova Scotia. How can we have full and
wealth-generating employment when over 40% of our population is struggles with basic literacy and numeracy?
How can youth expect good salaries if they have not completed secondary school, let alone some kind of postsecondary education? How can kids stay out of trouble if there are few extracurricular recreational possibilities on
offer to them?
 Offer enhanced early childhood development and education programs for the pre-schoolers along the Eastern
Shore. Break the vicious circle of deprivation.
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The best practice in education today is recognized to be in Finland. There they insist on mental health first and
foremost. Involve mental health in our training of teachers and more proactively in our school-based health
care system from an early stage in childhood development.
 Change up our schools – a team of multi-disciplinary specialists needs to oversee the new consolidated school
and find effective solutions for improving the level of education on the Eastern Shore.
 Hire a recreational director to co-ordinate with the schools and rest of community recreational offerings to
keep kids proud and active outside of school hours. It is known that targeting at risk kids with socially
productive offerings is the best harm prevention.
 Offer skills training and continuing education in the community that respond to community needs. Restore a
branch of the Nova Scotia Community College in Sheet Harbour to offer course in building trades, navigational
skills (our fishermen could be qualifying as licensed mates for other shipping industries), marketing, retail,
financial management, hospitality industry, Arts and Culture etc. These courses combined with enhanced
remote education offerings should enable our citizens to at least make a start towards career training from
within their community.
K// Mobilize and Coordinate all Residents and Stakeholders as Participants in the Community
Recently on the Eastern Shore we had a frightening but enlightening experience. We were threatened with the
imposition of open pen salmon feedlots in our coastal bays and harbours, which threatened our wild catch fishery,
tourism, and environment. Thousands of citizens wrote and petitioned government to request that this
development not take place. Hundreds of full and part-time residents on the Eastern Shore mobilized to form the
Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore – APES – which linked up with 116 other organizations
province-wide to call for a moratorium on the development of this industry in Nova Scotia’s coastal waters.
Discovering the energy, talent, devotion, team work, and generosity of these citizens was the silver lining in this
cloud. What a shame that all of these resources had to be spent preventing something negative rather than
making something positive. Imagine if governments worked with citizens rather than against them to harness
their capacities and will to make rural communities a better place to live and work? Proper government
consultation and co-ordination could achieve this result.
 Community co-ordinators could recruit and join the forces of all stakeholders and residents of the Eastern
Shore to earmark priorities for development projects and then work as a team to carry them to fruition.
 One great rift and waste of resources lies in the gap between the “Come-From-Aways” and Seasonal Residents
on the one hand, and more long term residents of the Eastern Shore, on the other. There is surely blame to be
had on both sides for these rifts, but how are we going to encourage a needed diversity of immigrants to
come to settle and stay here if we cannot even broach the historic gaps that exist between these two
groups?
 Both groups need to communicate about projects in each other’s interests and desires, share their different yet
complementary resources, both quantitative and qualitative, and focus on making economically viable
development projects work.
 How about a recruitment campaign--100 NEW CITIZENS A YEAR!
Creating a Nova Scotia Marine Parks Network
Submitted by Marike Finlay
In 2013 the number of US residents entering British Columbia by private boat was 23,292. During the same year
only 503 US residents entered Nova Scotia by boat. (Stats Can Table 427-0001)
Nova Scotia could attract and keep far more US boaters from the Eastern Seaboard to its coasts were the province
to create a Marine Parks Network and market it through demographically targeted media to the populations of
kayakers, campers, hikers, sailors, and motor-cruisers both nationally and internationally.
One of the main attractions for US boaters visiting BC is the BC Marine Parks Network which blankets BC’s coasts
with 97 marine parks and welcomes visitors arriving in vessels of all shapes, sizes, and worth, ranging from kayaks
through launches, center-boarders, skiffs, rigid inflatables, to sailing yachts and motorized mega-yachts.
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BC Marine Parks provide anchorages, mooring buoys, floating dinghy docks, picnic tables, garbage disposal, fresh
water, camping platforms, fire pits, and hiking trails. Thousands of boaters from Canada and the USA visit these
parks every year.
These national and international visitors not only benefit from the well-being of experiencing BC’s vast and
beautiful marine and forest wilderness but also:
1) Boaters spend money for fuel, provisioning, arts and crafts, and entertainment, such as local festivals, in
local communities.
2) Boaters leave their vessels at BC marine storage and repair facilities during the peak and off seasons for
repairs and enhancements.
3) Boaters from the USA fall in love with BC, purchase property in the area, reside there, either full or parttime, and make valuable social and economic contributions to these communities.
a) (A 2003 Study of the Impact Analysis of Marine – based Unguided Outdoor Recreation on BC’s Central,
North and Charlotte Islands Coast - an region quite comparable to Nova Scotia - demonstrated an annual
economic impact of $21.6M with an estimated annual growth rate of 20%).
A Nova Scotia Marine Parks Network has the potential to:
1) Render Nova Scotia’s beautiful and unique coastal regions more accessible to its citizens and guests.
2) Improve the health and welfare of Nova Scotians of all ages. (BC has the highest local use of its parks of
any province in Canada and the healthiest population in the country. BC schools regularly take students on
scientific camping outings to these marine parks.)
3) Attract thousands more boaters from the US Eastern Seaboard and with them millions of dollars for
tourism, real estate and marine industries.
4) Provide incentives for boaters to use the already extant marinas and ports and harbours along Nova
Scotia’s coastline.
5) Increase awareness and appreciation for Nova Scotia’s Marine Wilderness Treasures and thereby
contribute towards its preservation.
6) Draw visitors to invest in property, reside in Nova Scotia and contribute to its social fabric and economic
development.
7) Provide employment for youth in local rural coastal communities as hosts and rangers of these parks during
the boating season.
8) Re-vitalize the marine service industry by storing and repairing visiting vessels during the peak and offseasons.
The British Columbian model and experience of Marine Parks provides and outline of how Nova Scotia, and
eventually the other Maritime provinces, could make a low capitalization sustainable investment in a network of
Marine Parks, and successfully market these facilities.
Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore (APES)
Statement of Precautionary Principles
APES calls for a 5 year moratorium on open pen finfish aquaculture until the process for granting or renewing
licenses is transparent and repaired of its flaws and until independent objective science and economic analysis can
show that there will be no harm to existing industries and the coastal and estuarine environments of Nova Scotia.
Science National and international (Borgia et al, 2009) science shows that risks may include:
1. Faecal matter from farmed salmon feedlots cause high levels of sulphides that have deleterious effects on
sea bottoms, biodiversity, eel grass, rock weed, lobster and wild fish (herring,mackerel) habitats and
nurseries, shorelines, and wildlife (Milewski 2011).
2. Full recovery of fallowed sites (eg. Port Mouton and Shelburne) is slow and incomplete (Milewski 2011).
3. Chemicals (legal and illegal) administered to salmon feedlots to kill sea lice and other diseases common to
farmed salmon are lethal to lobster, lobster larvae, and deleterious to sea urchins and scallops. (Wiber et
al. 2012)
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5.
Salmon feedlots endanger the genetic and health viability of wild salmon (Thorstad et al. 2008).
Visible and chemical analysis confirms that areas of open pen salmon feedlots despoil waters and
shorelines with algae blooms and slimes causing hypoxia and even methane gas release (Milewski 2011).
Economics Imposition of open pen finfish feedlots has the potential for numerous negative impacts that could lead
to a net jobs and income loss on the Eastern Shore (McIver, AIMS 2012). For example:
1. The lobster fishery is the economic backbone of the Eastern Shore. Any harm to lobster stocks could
endanger this fishery and the inhabitants of coastal communities.
2. International lobster marketing relies increasingly on food security and traceability. And real or perceived
contamination of lobstering waters could be catastrophic to this marketing strategy.
3. The DEANS (Destination Eastern and Northumberland Shores) and TIANS (Tourism Industry Association for
Nova Scotia) brands for tourism on the Eastern Shore are pristine and unspoiled. The presence and
pollution of open pen salmon feedlots could harm this brand and our sustainable tourism operators.
4. The Gardner-Pinfold (2011) study shows that each wild Atlantic salmon caught and released is worth
$2,500 to the tourism and recreational fishing industries. The Nova Scotia Salmon Association has spent
almost a million dollars and hundreds of volunteer hours restoring the wild Atlantic salmon to the West
River of Sheet Harbour. This recovery would be endangered by open pen salmon farms. Association for the
Preservation of the Eastern Shore www. nsapes.ca
5. Salmon feedlots could deter new settlement on the Eastern Shore. Building trades could suffer from a
decline in new house building and repairs. Local businesses could suffer from decreased consumption.
6. Taylor`s Head Park and the Eastern Shore Wildlife Management Area, home to endangered species and
numerous protected nesting grounds, could be damaged by proposed sites that border on their shores. This
would also deter activity-oriented tourism and fitness.
7. Significantly fewer finfish aquaculture jobs than promised have materialized on the southwest coast of
Nova Scotia and in Newfoundland. Automation is decreasing these numbers even further. The jobs that do
exist are typically low-paying, often part-time, and may require the use of chemicals that can be hazardous
to health.
8. Almost $100 million in subsidies and crop failure remediation has been granted to the salmonid
aquaculture industry in NB since the 1990’s. Given the recent (2012) confirmed outbreak of ISA in
Shelburne, NS, and the ISA-driven collapse of finfish aquaculture operations in Chile in recent years, it
seems prudent to weigh the costs of such failures in any assessment of the cost-benefit structure of the
industry for the province. Substantial industry subsidies and indemnities may well off-set tax revenue gains
(Abbott, Fuller, ACAR 2012).
Flawed Licensing Processes
1. Democratic public and community stakeholder consultation is barely extant and grossly unbalanced
compared to direct government assistance granted to the proponent. APES requests, again, to be a part of
the NSDFA Working Group for licensing in our area.
2. The Environmental Impact Assessment provided for the proponent by Sweeny International is
geographically inappropriate, error-ridden, and little more than a template of other EIAs by Sweeney
International for other licensing requests that have been granted in NS. So far no licensing request in NS
has ever been denied.
3. Both Federal (Hargrave 2002) and Provincial (Stantec 2009) guidelines for the suitability of approved sites
for salmon feedlots are disregarded by the current licensing process. The proposed sites for the Eastern
Shore do not meet the criteria as stipulated by either Hargrave or Stantec, for example as regards minimum
depths and currents.
Alternatives to risks posed by open pen finfish aquaculture
Nova Scotia could be a leader in the aquaculture industry, not a follower. APES supports appropriately sited closed
pen aquaculture for the Eastern Shore when
1. those communities affected have been properly consulted and had access to economic development
officers;
2. when stringent independent Environmental Assessments have been made; and
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where the government’s own guidelines have been properly utilized. Such a finfish aquaculture program
could be environmentally sustainable, labour intensive, and ahead of the curve of market demand for
healthy, sustainable seafood.
Aquaculture Briefing for the Eastern HRM Community-driven Strategic Development Plan
NS Aquaculture Regulatory Review and Its Relation to Eastern Shore Economic Development and the Existing
Fishing Sector
 In May 2013 NSDFA established a provincial aquaculture regulatory review (open-pen finfish, shellfish, landand marine-based closed containment) lead by 2 Dalhousie law professors. Two Eastern Shore residents were
appointed to advisory committees to the Panel: Bill Williams, Tangier, president, Association for the
Preservation of the Eastern Shore, (APES) and Karen Traversy Clam Bay, Coastal Coalition of NS. The
Aquaculture Review Panel held public meetings across the province in the summer of 2013, including Oyster
Pond and Sheet Harbour.
 The Panel is to report in the fall of 2014. Recommendations will likely include more rigorous monitoring for
environmental impacts, longer lease tenure, new regulations for technological innovation, improved site
selection criteria and a more streamlined regulatory process.
 The Panel was established in part because of strong reaction in coastal communities to both existing and
proposed fin-fish aquaculture operations. The recent experience on the Eastern Shore in this regard is
summarized in the attached Backgrounder.
Snapshot of Current Eastern Shore (Eastern HRM) Aquaculture and traditional Fishing activity:
Aquaculture:
 Blue mussels, Jeddore Harbour (inactive)
 AquaPrime Mussels, Ship Harbour (8 licences, active)
 Snow Island Salmon, Owl’s Head (inactive)
 Sober Island Oysters, Sober Island (active)
 Snow Island Salmon, Spry Bay (licence pending)
Fish Harvesting:
Eastern Shore Fishermen’s Protective Association, (since 1957, one of the oldest continuing fishermen’s
associations in Canada); 250 members Eastern Passage to Canso, multi-licenced for lobster, crab, groundfish,
herring, mackerel, swordfish, sea urchins, smelt clams, eels.
Fish Processing:
Abriel Fisheries, Tangier (since 1947): fresh, frozen, salted and dried fish
Baker’s Point Fisheries, East Jeddore: fresh, frozen fish (various species); also fishing harvesting licences Willy
Krauch, Tangier ; since 1957, hot and cold smoked seafood (salmon, eel, herring , mackerel).
Brokers:
Lobster World, Oyster Pond
Tangier Lobster Company Ltd., Tangier
Recreational fishing: NS Salmon Association maintains a lime doser on the West River, Sheet Harbour to neutralize
acidic conditions for wild salmon using the river for spawning (angling)
Submitted by: Karen Traversy, Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society, March 17, 2014
Backgrounder; Experience with Licence Applications for Open Pen, Finfish Aquaculture on the Eastern Shore
 On May 29, 2012, NS Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture released “Aquaculture Strategy: Creating
Sustainable Wealth in Rural and Coastal NS”. This Strategy is relevant to the astern HRM Strategic Development
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Plan process due to emphasis on expanding aquaculture in rural and coastal communities; also relevant due to
existence of federal and provincial investment in the sector (ACOA, NSDFA, NSERC, DFO etc.).
The Strategy heralded government- supported expansion of all forms of aquaculture, but on the Eastern Shore
resulted in mostly open pen, finfish aquaculture (Atlantic salmon) proposals, areas previously assessed as of
only ”moderate” biophysical suitability for Atlantic salmon (compared with Southwest NS where the industry is
well established). (NSDFA: Roadmap for Aquaculture Investment in Nova Scotia, 2009
In fall 2011, Snow Island Salmon and partner Scottish firm Loch Duart applied to NSDFA for 3 new open pen
finfish aquaculture licences for Atlantic salmon in Shoal Bay Licence #1370, Spry Harbour #1371 and Beaver
Harbour, #1372. Re-stocking occurred at existing, licenced site at Owl’s Head; also licence area was expanded.
These applications triggered environmental assessment work by DFO and other regulatory authorities under
NSDFA’s aqua culture lease/licence review process.
A public meeting was held in Sheet Harbour February 6, 2012 (required by the NSDFA process); public concerns
about marine pollution, impacts on migration on wild salmon populations (including the West River salmon
near Sheet Harbour) , lobster bottom and biology, established fisheries, eco-and other tourism; lack of
information and community consultation
Public concern coalesced in the establishment of the Association for the Preservation of the Eastern Shore and
their engagement of support from other NS communities, environmental organizations opposed to finfish
open-pen aquaculture and the Atlantic Coalition for the Reform of Aquaculture (ACAR) a coalition of over 50
organizations, including the Atlantic Salmon Federation and NS Salmon Association, influential angling
organizations
Appeals were made to provincial, HRM and federal politicians, including Senator Tom McInnis and the Sheet
Harbour and Area Chamber of Commerce, which opposed the expansion. (Senator McInnis is involved actively
in the Senate Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans’ ongoing study on Closed Containment Aquaculture
in Canada).
Snow Island withdrew the Beaver Harbour licence application; May 2013, the NS government turned down
Shoal Bay application citing risks to migration patterns of wild Atlantic salmon. Third site, Spry Bay is subject to
de facto moratorium on new licences.
Snow Island experience with salmon at its Owl’s Head site (pre-existing licence) has demonstrated problems
with cold water and losses due to “super chill”.
Lesson Learned: Finfish aquaculture issue revealed elements of broader issue, a lack of adequate local
community consultation on new economic development initiatives.
APPENDIX C – Bay of Islands Destination Area Proposal
Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society
The Lake Charlotte Area Heritage Society was founded in 1995 by community members primarily from communities
around the "Loop": Lake Charlotte, Ship Harbour, DeBaie’s Cove, Owls Head, Little Harbour, Clam Harbour and
Clam Bay, as well as Upper Lakeville, Oyster Pond and East and West Jeddore.
The Society recognized a need for preserving the heritage of these communities, and its creation was spurred on by
imminent loss of significant heritage buildings in the area, such as the Hosking General Store. Since its founding in
1995, the Heritage Society has broadened its mandate to serve the communities from the Eastern Halifax Regional
Municipality, basically from Lawrencetown to Ecum Secum, following the coastline. We work with other heritage
organizations along the Eastern Shore to preserve the social, economic and natural heritage of the area.
The Heritage Society is overseen by a volunteer board of directors, a year-round part-time Executive Director, and
over 150 volunteers. As part of its education mandate, the Society owns and operates Memory Lane Heritage
Village, a living history museum depicting rural, coastal, Nova Scotia life in the 1940s.
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The Executive Director is Thea Wilson-Hammond and can be reached at admin@heritagevillage.ca
APPENDIX D – 2013 Visitor Analysis –Memory Lane Heritage Village
The Musquodoboit Harbour and Area Community Association
(formerly the Ratepayers' & Residents' Association)
It is a community organization that automatically includes everyone who lives in Musquodoboit Harbour and area.
Everyone has a voice on all issues except for property tax issues which then only 'ratepayers' can vote on.
The MHCA is also the organization that initiated, and currently oversees, the community's vision. The vision was
developed in partnership with Halifax Regional Municipality - of which Musquodoboit Harbour is a part.
Musquodoboit Harbour is a small community about 30 min east of Metro Halifax.It is surrounded by a wonderful
natural enviroment that includes Martinique Beach Provincial Park and the Musquodoboit Harbour Rail Trail.
Attractions also include the Musquodoboit Harbour Farmers' Market, the Old School Community Gathering Place,
the Peace Park at the heart of the village, the Musquodoboit Harbour Railway Museum, the Musquodoboit
Harbour Rail Trail and a variety of shops, restaurants, recreation facilities and other services.
APPENDIX E – Musquodoboit Harbour Final Vision 2007
APPENIDX F - Musquodoboit Harbour Approved Action Plan
APPENDIX G – Musquodoboit Harbour Survey Responses
APPENDIX H – Musquodoboit Harbour April 14th Results
The Old School Community Gathering Place - March 2014
Organizational Profile
Imagine a place where community members of all ages gather to learn new things, create amazing art,
build connections and have FUN! Now imagine such a place in the heart of Musquodoboit Harbour...
That's the Old School!
The Old School Community Gathering Place Cooperative is a non-profit, cooperative arts and culture centre based
in the community of Musquodoboit Harbour. Re-development of the Old School is the realization of several goals
that were developed during a community visioning process as a partnership between the Musquodoboit Harbour
Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association and the Halifax Regional Municipality. In HRM’s Regional Plan,
Musquodoboit Harbour is also considered a regional centre that serves many communities along the Eastern Shore
because of its central geographical location.
Goals from the community vision that are also now part of the goals for the Old School include:
A-4 Protect heritage/cultural buildings and landscapes
R-4 Develop opportunities for community cultural entertainment and recreation
E-2 Encourage tourism through a greater range of events, attractions and accommodations.
Y-3 Develop a youth centre with youth-centred activities
Y-4 Involve and retain youth
The vision for the Old School is to provide a 24/7 demographically and culturally diverse hub where creative
learning of past and future generations come to gather. It is also a space where the historic integrity of an
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important part of the community is protected, and contributes to building a strong creative community on the
Eastern Shore.
The purpose of the Old School is to promote health, well-being and community spirit of people of all ages living in
Musquodoboit Harbour and surrounding areas by providing space for a variety of arts and cultural programming.
When community members took ownership of the Old School, major renovations were needed to fix up the
building so it could be used. These are almost complete and the Old School now includes a large, sunny Movement
Studio and Multi-Purpose Room, a Visual Arts Studio, a Community Lounge, an Art Gallery and Shop, and a Youth
Engagement Centre. All of these facilities now not only play host to a variety of community arts events for free or
by donation, but also are available for local artists to use to help create work or host workshops.
Even though the organization is only a few years old, we have already invited community members at large all
along the Eastern Shore to check us out during a general open houses, regional yard sale fundraisers, hosted the
Culture Days on the Eastern Shore twice as part of a national initiative to promote arts and culture in communities
all across Canada, hosted the first ever Eastern Shore Summer Arts Festival and provided a venue for youth-driven
musical events, The Battle of the Bands and Rock the Shore.
During Culture Days, the Old School hosts a variety of free arts and culture ‘taster’ events for all ages including:
blues singing, a general poetry / music jam, session in bird sculpting, drawing, filmmaking, mask making, gyrokinesis dance, movement for seniors, art as therapy, choreography, an interactive art wall and Front Porch Stories
where community members shared stories about the Old School, and various communities along the Eastern
Shore.
During the Eastern Shore Summer Arts Festival, the Old School hosted a variety of workshops including sunrise
yoga, drumming, belly-dancing, visual arts and poetry. There were also two evenings of a variety of music both by
local performers and those from away. The idea was to program a variety of artists to showcase a broad range of
music, art and culture.
The Old School also now operates a Community Art Gallery as another opportunity to showcase work by local
artists of all ages. The Youth Centre is also another venue to specifically engage youth in various arts and culture
activities as well.
There are already many artists here in this area, but they do not often have a chance to showcase their work, get
together and exchange ideas, or to mix and mingle with the community at large. The community, in exchange,
does not often have the opportunity to learn about different art forms, meet with artists and learn the how’s and
why’s of the art they do produce. The Old School is working hard to provide opportunities for all these things.
There is nothing else like the Old School on the Eastern Shore, and nothing else we know of that combines the
themes of the arts and community development. We would like to combine some of the best of the programming
at the Tatamagouche Centre and the Ross Creek Centre for the Arts to create our special niche, and create an arts
circuit that puts rural Nova Scotia as a whole on the ‘map’ for those interested in the arts, culture and community.
Support for the Old School supports the Culture Division’s goals by encouraging more cultural activities that explore
the nature of Musquodoboit Harbour as a ‘village’ that wants to grow, but also preserve its natural assets and
maintain its character as a ‘village.’ It will also provide a means for communities all along the Eastern Shore and
throughout rural Nova Scotia especially to explore who they are, what they are about and what kind of
communities they would like to be – through arts and culture.
1. Program Planning & Evaluation
Note: None of these events existed before re-development of the Old School. Assessment so far has been based on
participation. All of them have been well attended and we intend to continue to offer them as long as there is
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interest. General goal at the moment is just to increase awareness of the value of arts and culture in an area and
provide an opportunity for artists to get together, share their work and learn from / be inspired by each other.
Current Special Events
Battle of the Bands – July. This event was designed by youth for youth with support from the Old School. It
attracts bands from all along the Eastern Shore and even Eastern Halifax. The winner gets to open the Eastern
Shore Summer Arts Festival.
Eastern Shore Summer Arts Festival – August. This event was designed to develop a high profile for arts and
culture in the area, and show how artists can help contribute to tourim in the area. It is a a showcase to bring
together local artists and larger acts from farther afield, so far made possible with a grant from the Cultural
Activities program. All events are free.
Culture Days – September. This event is part of National initiative to increase awareness of the value of arts and
culture in communities. The Old School provides a range of free workshops and ‘taster’ events in a variety of
disciplines by volunteer artists.
V-Day – March. Special event with music, poetry, drama and art celebrating women.
Ongoing Programming
Open Mic Coffee House - last Friday of the month. The coffee house provides an opportunity to listen to local
musicians, socialize, and view any art exhibits in the Old School gallery. The youth center downstairs is open to
teens at that time, and the performers are upstairs in the main room. Refreshments are served. The age range in
the audience is from young children to seniors. The recent acquisition of a sound system for the Old School,
through a grant from Telus, will enhance the performances. Admission by suggested donation.
Community Music Jam – every 2nd Saturday. This events attracts a lot of seniors who enjoy bluegrass music,
though people of all ages are welcome. Admission by suggested donation.
Rock the Basement – semi-regular event. Idea evolved from several youth wanted to participate in Coffee House.
Youth Engagement Coordinator at the time said of course, but also suggested they could have an event all their
own as well. This has led to a Battle of the Bands that is part of the annual Summer Arts Festival, but also shows
like Rock the Shore and now Rock the Basement (aka Youth Centre). All the events are organized and led by youth
in the community. Admission is by suggested donation.
Tween Dances - Dances are held around special holidays, such as Halloween, for the local upper elementary level
students. A local student DJ is hired to provide the music, and entertaining activities are also provided, so students
get to socialize with students from other schools in the area.
Youth Drop In – Friday evenings. This program is designed to introduce youth age 12-15 to a variety of arts-based
activities and also provide some unstructured time to just hang out. It is offered in partnership with HRM
Recreation and sponsored by Telus.
Friends Day - Held Weds mornings. This cooperative group provides a time for young pre-school children to get
together for a variety of arts-based activities and play.
Bazaar - Held one Sunday a month. Entrepreneurs, local artisans and craftspeople show their wares and sell their
goods. This culminates in the Old School’s participation in the Eastern Shore crafts tour “Seaside Christmas” - a
weekend sponsored by the Eastern Shore Tourist Association.
Community Art Gallery – Open daily. The art gallery is a cooperative run for and by local artists, and includes a
wide range of media and crafts. The artists sell their work and a percentage goes to the Old School.
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HRM Recreation – uses space for on-going arts programming for people of all ages.
Programming In Development
Film Festival or Series - This event would have a theme each year, and could link with another organization in the
community. For example, a theme of food might involve showing art movies such as “Babette’s Feast” as well as
documentaries, exploring concerns about food sources. This event could also connect with food related events
held by the local Farmer’s Market such as “Seedy Saturday”.
Youth Arts Festival - The Old School held an exhibit of the art done by Eastern Shore District High students in 2012.
The proposal is to expand this into a festival featuring teenaged youth, from Oyster Pond Academy, Gaetz Brook
Junior High and Eastern Shore District High. Students in dance and theatre classes would be invited to perform,
there would be an exhibit of student art work, poetry performances and music performances.
Poetry Month: a weekend afternoon poetry reading, done by local published poets and invited guest readers for a
mature audience, in celebration of poetry month (April). Poets read poetry selected for the National Poetry Month
theme of the year, workshops in writing poetry are offered and people are encouraged to read their poems during
that month’s open mic coffeehouse.
The Old School would like to expand its offerings in addition to the ideas above. We are currently actively seeking
input from members of the community as to the kind of arts and culture programming the community would like to
see offered. To that end, we have applied for a grant to hire a Facility and Program Coordinator to work with
community members to help them realize their ideas, and we just found out we have been successful in securing
that grant.
2. Community Support & Relationships
One of the key relationships we have is with HRM Recreation. They book activities at the Old School on a regular
basis including local arts programming. We also have great relationships with local schools who help distribute
information on various programming through their newsletters.
Our latest partnership with HRM Recreation is a weekly youth drop in evening in ‘The Basement’ (aka Youth
Centre). Both HRM Recreation and the Old School is providing a youth leader to design programming based on
consultation with participating youth. Part of the evening is to be structured programming and then also time to
just ‘hang out.’ Programming may include tie-dying, games night, social media workshops, band development
workshops, art workshops (ie. mask making), and community asset mapping (what do we already have here for
youth, and what else would youth like to see in the community).
This program and Rock the Basement (which is completely youth driven) is made possible partly due to new
corporate sponsorship from Telus who has committed to be the title sponsor of ‘The Basement’ along with Long
and McQuade music store for 2013. Telus donated $5000 of which $2000 is being spend on new sound gear for the
Rock the Basement program (so youth don’t have to run to ‘town’ and rent gear). $1000 is an honorarium for the
year for a youth engagement leader to help run the drop in program and support Rock the Basement. And $2000 is
to help provide overhead support. Long and McQuade are also providing a discount on equipment.
We have also successfully accessed the Canada Summer Jobs program 2 years in a row now for our Eastern Shore
Summer Arts Festival to hire students as Festival Coordinator and Festival Assistant. These students also organize
our annual Battle of the Bands contest in which the winning band then opens the festival.
3. Board Governance
The Old School has a policy governance board of six that meets monthly. We do have a board manual that includes
most of the information that has been requested in this application. We have included a copy of the Table of
Contents of the manual just to show what kinds of materials are in the manual. We also have a Strategic Plan that
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was developed in a workshop with 30 members. Our first business plan was developed last year to tie into the
strategic plan. Our goal is to prepare a new business plan at the beginning of each year, and review our strategic
plan every 3 to 5 years. Documents related to the board governance manual, the strategic plan and previous
business plans were submitted in 2012. We are currently in the process of developing a plan for 2013/14.
4. Current Issues or Concerns
At first the greatest challenge for the Old School was renovating a very old heritage building (built in the 1920’s)
with a lot of issues around mold / air quality and leaks in the building. The first two years after the school was
decommissioned there was no heat as first the Schoolboard and then Halifax Regional Municipality worked through
deciding if they wanted the building for anything.
The largest issue of concern to the Old School now is financial sustainability. We were able to generate a lot of
money through short-term grants in the first year of operation to renovate the building as needed and develop
some initial programming. Now we are looking to diversify funding to support a small core staff and ensure the
building is always open for the community to take advantage of, and we can continue to develop strong arts and
culture programming that supports the various goals outlined in the community’s vision.
5. Financials
Debt Reduction Plan
The Old School does have a bank loan with about $25,000 remaining on it. It was originally $30,000 and was for
initial renovations that were essential to the Old School to make it possible to bring people into the building and
run various programs.
The plan is to reduce this debt includes a variety of special events fundraising, corporate sponsorship and a capital
plan called, Get Your Piece of the Old School. With Get Your Piece of the Old School, participants can get their
name painted on everything from doors, windows, rooms and coat hooks. There is something at a variety of price
points for everyone, and will help encourage a sense of ownership of the building in community.
HRM’s Regional Plan 5 Year review
In HRM’s rural areas we heard…
• improve transportation and transit
• develop and maintain public roads, private roads and sidewalks
• regulate waste‐water management
• address storm‐water and drainage
• invest in rural growth centres and rural economic
development
• develop more public gathering places
• continue community visioning
Other general comments we heard…
• Meet the already agreed‐upon growth targets
• Evaluate development charges
• Improve community design in all communities to ensure healthy, complete and walkable communities
• Require public amenity improvements in new developments
• Increase and protect affordable housing (use new tools and partnerships)
• Develop open space and invest in active transportation infrastructure
• Improve transit
• Support volunteers to implement the Regional Plan at the local level
• Institute stricter development controls
• Coordinate growth areas with education services and other provincial
services
• Evaluate taxation and incentives for commercial development
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• Improve accountability and reporting on Regional Plan implementation
Excerpt from HRM Regional Municipality Planning Strategy
HRM recognizes the value and significance of a vibrant rural economy. Economic opportunities
have traditionally come from natural resource development, tourism and the service economy. Advanced
telecommunications has also created new opportunities for both home based businesses and retirees which are
attracted to the distinctive character of rural communities. The challenge lies in ensuring supporting services and
infrastructure are available to realize these opportunities.
EC-15 HRM shall, in collaboration with the Province and other partners, work to ensure that the economic viability
of rural communities is included as an integral aim of regional economic growth strategies and their
implementation. Consideration shall be given to:
a) cooperating with senior government levels to collaboratively work with rural communities, business owners
and citizens, in community economic development planning and projects, and facilitate partnerships for
successful implementation;
b) working with relevant authorities to encourage the provision of good communication linkages in the rural areas
- including road improvements, active transportation facilities and telecommunications;
c) making strategic infrastructure investments where deficiencies have consistently hindered economic viability;
d) promoting rural industrial parks in accordance with the Business Park Functional Plan;
e) supporting agriculture and other traditional rural resource industries including forestry, fishing and resource
extraction and investigate measures by which these industries can be protected from encroachment by
incompatible uses;
f) supporting services to those individuals establishing or maintaining businesses in the rural areas;
g) creating opportunities, including appropriate zoning, to direct rural businesses to locations within designated
growth centres, and between centres where appropriate;
h) facilitating and integrating rural community-based transit in partnership with the Province;
i) improving the attractiveness of the port at Sheet Harbour to shippers, and seeking opportunities for
processing and shipping value-added goods through the port; and
j) seeking measures to address land title issues in the communities of North Preston, East Preston and Cherry
Brook.
APPENDIX I – HRM Regional Municipality Planning Strategy Draft 4, Jan 2014
APPENDIX J – 2013 Community Health Plan
APPENDIX K – Reaching Out for Mental Health: From a Rural Perspective
Musquodoboit Valley Business Plan June 2012
Background
In 2011 the Agricultural Society saw an opportunity to become more involved in the future of the Musquodoboit
Valley and take a lead in facilitating a community strategic planning process. They formed a sub-committee to
undertake a strategic community planning initiative for the Musquodoboit Valley. The intent was to engage the
community in discussions about what the future of our community should be and to create a strategic plan that
works towards our vision. The goal is to develop a sense of pride in our community and provide a stronger
economic situation.
The sub-committee has been working hard since November 2011 on Phase 1 of the initiative. Phase 1 began with
initial meetings in the community to help determine what the topics of the discussion groups should be. Key
community leaders were then invited to attend discussion group meetings on 9 different topics. From these
meetings a better understanding of the issues and challenges each group faced and key ideas they had for future
developments was gathered. Numerous meetings were held in January, February, March and April where various
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speakers were brought in who could provide other community perspectives, educate our residents on the topic and
provide opportunities and ideas for discussion. Gathered research was shared and discussions were held with the
groups to find out where they see opportunities in the future. These topics areas included; Small Business,
Technology, Local Food, Community Housing, Forestry, Health & Recreation, Local Energy, Tourism and Community
Promotion and Local Governance. Here is a summary of the findings and recommendations for moving forward.
Forestry
Since forestry has been a major part of the economy of the area, a group of woodlot owners has stepped forward
willing to work in the interest of all of the many woodlot owners in the Valley, to find ways to better utilize the
resources that may exist on their woodland.
The past few decades has seen a great increase in production of timber and fibre for pulp in Nova Scotia. This has
put a major strain on the resource and has caused our woodland to be over-harvested in many cases. With the
global demand for solid timber and paper products now declining, woodlot owners find themselves selling wood at
prices that are near the cost of production, leaving nothing for their own pockets or the local economy.
The depleted resource coupled with depressed prices has brought about a change in mindset to many forest
producers. There is a consensus among the community meeting attendees that current forest industry practices
are unlikely to be sustainable. It is becoming clear to many that a woodlot should not necessarily be converted into
an even aged stand of a single softwood species to harvested every 50 years, (as would be the practice of the major
industry companies), but should be more diverse and produce a bigger variety of timber and non timber products
that are less susceptible to low commodity pricing.
The public meetings regarding forestry have generated many opportunities for alternative forest products. A
presentation by an expert in non-timber forest products has created a great awareness of the commercial potential
of various decorative, medicinal, edible and nutraceutical products that can be found in the Acadian forest. There
was potential identified within the meetings that included; eco-tourism, value adding to existing products, value
streaming of timber products, etc.
It is the consensus of the committee of the Middle Musquodoboit Agricultural Society and the “working” group of
woodlot owners, that research and development of higher value and alternative forest products, i.e. balsam fir oil,
novelty items, etc., and the enhancement and value adding of traditional products such as; maple syrup and
hardwood lumber, needs to be conducted. The need for a research coordinator/ consultant to explore the
potential of niche markets for alternative product has been identified as being critical to the future of our resource
based, local economy.
The coordinator/consultant would need to determine from the group what timber and non-timber products are
available in the region, seek out matching opportunities, suggest marketing methods (such as the development of
an online presence to market specialty wood availability), present the opportunities to the group and help them
explore ways to capitalize on these opportunities.
A larger group of woodlot owners would be invited to explore these opportunities presented and it would be ideal
if woodlot owners could work collectively to supply for various niche markets.
These market opportunities will allow woodlot owners to see the potential and possibilities when looking at niche
markets. This will encourage them to think differently about their woodlots leading to a desire for better
management, education, more market development and collective action to supply speciality markets.
Small Business
Small business has long been recognized as the driving force of the Canadian economy. The Musquodoboit Valley
is no different. Small business owners in the region provide important services, jobs, money/spending and support
to the local economy. We have an Artisan co-operative, a woodlot co-operative, small farmers (beef, poultry,
produce, goat milk, syrup, etc...), store front businesses, home offices, service businesses, crafters and those selling
products on commission. (like Avon, Pampered Chef) These businesses operate all around us but as residents we
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may not know they even exist nor do they become top of mind choices. Our small businesses need more local
support and avenues to market their products and services.
A simple listing of the businesses in the region and encouragement to local residents and businesses to buy locally
can only have a positive impact on our economy. We plan to develop an online business directory of local
businesses. This directory would start off as a simple non-graphic listing that could be printable in pdf form from
the website. Search engine optimization of the site would allow our businesses another avenue for catching organic
searches on topics relative to their business. We would also encourage the development of local business boards
(physical in key places within the community) and events that highlight the businesses. (like the co-op is doing) This
initial directory or listing will be compiled by a community facilitator. The directory will be created by a local
website developer using a simple word press template that allows for businesses to manage and submit their own
listings. Listings would be monitored by HRM Recreation staff to ensure they are accurate and approve the listing.
Some small business operators are seasoned business veterans who will be looking to pass on their business to
their family, others are new business operators who want to supplement their income, don’t want to travel outside
the community to work, like the rural lifestyle provided in our area. These businesses need to be nurtured to
become strong businesses that are less dependent on local customers. With the evolution of social media and
online marketing the opportunities have changed and understanding these opportunities can result in strong
business growth without having to move from the community. We propose to offer a series of training programs
focused on developing a growth strategy and online presence. This program developed and delivered by Acadia
Centre for Social and Business Entrepreneurship, is a 4 month program that combines workshops, online training
and business counselling to teach a business to focus on a growth strategy and to use the available technologies to
support this strategy.
The program provides the businesses and co-operatives with hands-on training and development of their specific
businesses. They learn about target markets, unique selling propositions, strategies for growth, action planning as
well as understanding and being able to use facebook, SEO, websites, etc....
The program would be opened to 15-20 businesses in the region and would start in October 2012. This type of
program will bring many of these businesses into the 21st century. Accessing this kind of business training typically
requires businesses to travel to the city and since the demise of the Halifax Regional Development Agency business
counselling services have not been heavily provided. ACSBE has run this program in other areas of the province
with great success. The in-depth understanding of the value of these new online technologies and the ability to
spend 4 months with a business counsellor actually working on the development o their business has taken the
businesses who have participated in the program to a whole new level of business. The impact of this training
program will have long term affects on the survival and growth of these businesses.
Local Food
We live in a community where many of us have access to land that could grow our own food. We live next door to
dairy and beef farmers, goat farmers, people who raise chickens, pigs and those who have eggs for sale. There are
a number of people who live here or have moved here who want to farm, grow their own food, make a living and
enjoy a country way of life. With all this right here we are still not a strong buy local community. We need to
change that.
We propose to develop ways to match consumers (who want to buy local) with small producers (who want to sell
locally).
This includes;
 create a local food guide that highlights the local producers in the area
 work with producers to explore the Community Share Agriculture selling approach
 work with the local co-op to encourage the selling of more local products at the store
 develop and implement a buy local marketing campaign locally
 get producers to work collectively, with support from the co-op, to develop a farmers market concept
 encourage and support community garden projects
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What outcomes do we expect?
 More people growing food to sell locally
 More people making a living from their farming
 getting more people to work together
 more use of fallow land
 more food available locally
 supporting families to learn to eat and cook healthier
 eventually these producers might grow their target market to surrounding areas
 potential “Masstown Market” or “Withrows” to encourage people to the area, economic impact
 stronger local economy
What do we need?
 marketing support $$/experience
 help to organize farmers market (facilitate the group to plan) $$/time
 support for producers who want to grow (training, support) $$/time
 experienced mentors
 co-op willingness to participate (key food retailer)
 community support
 Local food guide $$
Buy Local Campaign
It is important to the people and the economy of Musquodoboit Valley to support our own local businesses and
food producers. Our focus this spring is to promote the local producers of our area. Finding ways to let locals know
where they can buy food locally, the benefits of buying locally and the impact it can have on a community is at the
root of our desire to develop and implement a buy local campaign for the Musquodoboit Valley.
The development of a local food guide, both online and in print, would provide us with the information about the
producers and their ability or willingness to sell locally. Gathering this information and then sharing this
information with the resident of the community will provide a connection between the local producers and
consumers in the area. During this process we could also promote and encourage producers to list themselves with
Select NS.
This guide could be distributed at local events, at local businesses (or further afield), mailed out directly to
residents, provided to tourists, hunters, fishermen, cottages and more. The guide can also become more than just a
listing, it becomes and agricultural awareness piece. As with many other food guides produced around the
province it could contain facts about buying local and how to get involved.
What we need to do;
 determine purpose and intent for local guide
 get information from the local producers (who and how)
 develop a plan for marketing this summer
Other ways to promote a buy local campaign include;
 sampling products
 place cards given out at local businesses
 could the co-op be the face of the buy local campaign (posters, cards, etc...)
 special events to promote local food (church suppers, festivals, etc...)
 local food online promotion and ordering
 farmer’s market
 publish blubs in NS Dept of Agriculture newsletter and federation
 distribute information through churches
 at the hospital
 major promotional plans at the Exhibition
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

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Work with 4-H and agriculture awareness groups
chefs cooking with local food
food booth at exhibition that cooks with all local food
through the Towncryer
Tourism
Residents of the Musquodoboit Valley know the natural beauty, heritage, culture, outdoor recreation and rural life
style that this region has to offer, but do we want to share it. Is Tourism an industry worth growing in our
community? What impacts might it have on the economy or on the untouched natural beauty of the region? We
need to look at what we have and what others might be interested in coming here for. What unique experiences
could we offer? We could then decide if we have what it takes to become a tourist destination and develop a
strategy to develop the tourist industry in the Musquodoboit Valley. This could create opportunities for more
tourism attractions, business start-ups, jobs, spin-off spending by tourists, utilization of existing community
facilities, social enterprises and more.
This all starts with asking the community its vision for the community. This would be done through an open
workshop that invites existing groups and residents to participate. This would be followed by an in-depth look at
what is needed to become a tourist destination. NS Department of Tourism is able to provide a workshop on this
topic and has developed a self-help guide for communities to facilitate this process.
Community Promotion and Coordination
The work done in Phase 1 of this initiative has taught us that a community needs to be involved and aware of what
is happening in the community. It is also important to provide opportunities for residents to contribute to the
development of the community in whatever ways they can.
Coordinating amongst community groups provides opportunities to share resources, work on similar issues, spread
out the work and work together for the good of the community. Working along-side the tourism group, the
community needs to develop a brand or identity allows the community to promote itself to tourists, business
investors, residents, consumers and others. We need to look at who we need to promote our community to and for
what reason.
With this brand we also need to determine what our community currently offers to residents and tourists. In Phase
2 of the initiative, which is supported by Community Jobs and Facilities Improvement Fund, a business directory,
local food guide, community group directory and community events calendar will be started. This information
provides an opportunity for collaborative promotion and we hope to encourage community groups to look for ways
to work together to promote the area. This would allow us to be more efficient and possess a stronger voice. The
development of community marketing plan would be the next step in this process.
Communication amongst groups and residents is critical to this process and we are seeking opportunities to
maintain constant communication in our community through various online and offline methods. The methods are
yet to be determined.
Volunteers
Volunteers are the backbone of this community. Many residents sit on various boards and committees working to
ensure we have recreation and learning opportunities for our kids, healthcare services, outreach supports, spiritual
guidance, senior activities, cultural events, community events and much more. The volunteers are over worked,
underappreciated and constantly asked to do more. It has never been more important to look at our volunteer
pool and to find a way to better manage these skilled resources and to recognize them for the contributions they
make to our community.
Phase 3 of this initiative is focused on building collaboration amongst community groups. The goal is to develop a
strong, co-operative volunteering sector in the Musquodoboit Valley through the creation of a volunteer strategy
which includes the development of a micro-volunteering program. The approach in Phase 3 is to hire a Volunteer
Coordinator to meet with community groups, listen to their needs, work with them to identify ways to collaborate
with other groups, develop key approaches for all community groups to common challenges, and provide research
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and appropriate training to build capacity in the groups. This approach is new and innovative in our community
and encourages community group co-operation and micro-volunteering as a new way for community groups to
look at doing more within the community. Community groups are typically focused on their own mission and goals
and in many ways compete with each other. They compete for volunteers, for dates to host events, for meeting
nights, for new fundraising ideas and new ways to encourage community involvement.
The innovative piece of this project is the use of co-operation and collaboration to drive the work being done by
community groups and eventually businesses in the community. To think about one central mechanism (possibly a
specific community group) who can contact the various media outlets on behalf of all the groups in the
Musquodoboit Valley once a month to list upcoming events is exciting. This would take the onus off 20 individuals
and place it on one group to handle this task. The group handling the task will become efficient at this piece and
will gradually find more opportunities and better methods. With the emergence of social media our community
needs to find a way to benefit from this trend but as individual groups it will be much harder to accomplish.
Collectively it will be easier. The skills needed for this function (promotion) can be taught and shared with others
therefore increasing the community’s capacity. This new approach lets community groups focus on what they are
good at instead of trying to do and know everything.
This process will allow groups to gain a better understanding of who does what, and where they fit into the bigger
picture of the community. The micro-volunteering model will exist both online and in a physical location to better
include all members of the community. We believe that a micro-volunteering system in the future could allow us to
draw on the skills of people who have lived here, whose family was born here, who value the rural-life style and
could become one of the cornerstones of our community promotion.
By creating this kind of co-operation using on and offline methods, the community will have more stream lined
approach to tackling challenges and working together. It will allow organizations to share information better,
reduce redundancies and create new opportunities that to date they’ve been too busy to explore. Overall, it is
process that will increase the efficiency of the volunteer base, compared to the ad-hoc nature of the community as
it currently exists.
We have applied to the NS Rural Communities Foundation to fund the hiring of a Volunteer coordinator.
Youth
Youth have been mentioned at the meetings on numerous occasions. Community members want to involve youth
more in the community but don’t know how. We know that they have ideas and skills to share but are struggling to
actively engage them in current groups or find consistent leadership for youth involvement at the community level.
A core group of five organizations (Musq Valley Family Resource Centre, Metroworks, Middleton United Church,
HRM Recreation and Public Health) have begun discussions about how to engage youth in the community. They
have come up with a youth challenge for the summer of 2012 to encourage youth-led activities and plan to use this
momentum to bring youth together in the fall through a forum to discuss youth issues and ideas for community. It
will be through this process that we will know what youth feel is important and how the community and youth can
be connected together on their terms. Funding will be sought to help this group’s efforts to work with youth.
Healthy Community
We know that to have a healthy community we need health services, recreation, housing and arts & culture. We
are fortunate that we have a number of groups and people who are committed to health services, recreation and
arts & culture. We have explored some of the programs and funding available to help develop community housing
projects. We are able to share this information and support groups interested in pursuing a community housing
project.
Local Energy
There are already active energy projects in the works by private organizations and we did not see a specific role for
this group to play at this point in time.
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Technology
Although many people in the Musquodoboit Valley are being served with High speed internet, there are still many
who are not. Nor is the high speed service equal to the services provided to other areas of the province. We see
an opportunity to continue to lobby for
Library Facility
A summary of the library survey results have been sent to the consultant hired by Halifax Public Libraries, the
Halifax Public Libraries Board and to Steve Streatch, Municipal Councillor in the hopes that they will understand our
need and desire for a public library in the Musquodoboit Valley.
What’s next?
The next step in this process is to determine who (existing community group or individuals) will act as the lead for
each project. The lead will work with hired facilitators to support the moving of their initiative forward. The lead
for each project will sit on combined group who will meet quarterly for the purpose of communication and sharing.
This information will also be reported back to the community so they are involved and informed. The group will
also seek funding opportunities and supports for the various projects.
Musquodoboit Valley Communication Strategy 2013
Background:
As a non-profit, community-based group of associations, the Musquodoboit Valley Halifax County Exhibition,
Agricultural Society and Tourism Association have formed an informal working group to help promote the activities
and offerings of the Valley. Promotion will be funded jointly by the Agricultural Society and the Musquodoboit
Valley Tourism Association.
Goal:
Be a desired destination
Objectives:
1)To increase awareness of offerings and events in the Musquodoboit Valley
2)To increase visits to Tourism website
3)To increase attendance to events in the Musquodoboit Valley
Target Audience:
1. Residents of the Musquodoboit Valley
2. Provincial day-trippers, likely the women planning 35-55 years old
a. Likely starting with nearby communities such as Elmsdale, Stewiacke
Strategy:
To position the Musquodoboit Valley as a viable and desired destination. To outline the offerings and events it
provides in places where trip seekers are looking for the information or naturally gather travel information or
opinions. Find opportunities to partner and collaborate on pieces. Apply a mixture of methods to maximize our
efforts.
Challenges:
1. The Musquodoboit Valley is an unofficial region and therefore has no official borders or boundaries. A decision
will need to be made to define what communities it includes to be able to make accurate claims of who we are,
where we are and what we offer.
2. There is little to no benchmarked data to know what our starting point is, who our current and past visitors are,
or where they’ve come from. There is no way to follow up with them to help understand their motivates or
reasonings.
3. There is no current brand - do people know about us? what do they associate us with - is that a negative or
positive position? what colours, fonts, images, words, slogans, logos best reflect what we have to offer. Without
a proper brand exercise we are only able to make educated guesses to what will resonate and attract visitors.
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4. There are limited eating establishments to offer even for day trippers.
Tactics:
1. Define the Musquodoboit Valley - where does it start and stop? Do residents of those communities identify
themselves with the Valley? Develop a full list of what we have to offer - attractions, events and businesses.
This is a crucial first step to help us define and design already agreed upon marketing materials such as the
tourism map, as well as an improved website.
2. Website audit - I believe a thorough website audit should be done to determine what information should be on
the site, how it should be organized and what features it should have. As we begin to promote the Valley we
will need a polished, professional and complete website to direct people to for more information. Consider the
role that www.musquodoboitvalley.ca has.
3. Develop a list of who we see as competitors and research what they do to promote themselves.
4. Define our Brand - To be able to best communicate what we are, who we are and what we offer, you need to
know how to define it, and embody it. This includes the logo you use, the tagline (if there is one), the colours,
the fonts, the key words and tone. Your brand becomes your guide to how to communicate about yourself.
This would help get everyone and everything on the same page and ensure materials are consistent.
5. “Welcome to the Musquodoboit Valley” Road Signs - Because the Musquodoboit Valley is a somewhat unofficial
area that you will not find on a map, it is important to define the area for locals and visitors. Signs should be
posted at all entry points of the Valley to let people know they’ve arrived.
6. FAM Tours - Invite key influencers, bloggers and tourist operators from other areas, and tourism media to our
area. Organize it as one single event or multiple ones. Prepare an agenda and map out a route to ensure they
take in the best of what we have to offer.
7. Have professional photos and a video taken of the various sites to help populate future tourism materials and
website. Match to branding and what we want highlighted.
8. Booth Exhibit - Create a 10’ X 10’ booth exhibit that can be used to promote the area at various events,
including Bedford Days, the airport, local farmers markets, and Saltscapes. It would need to be slightly refreshed
every couple of years, but careful planning could ensure that the main expensive pieces we’re designed for the
long haul.
9. Develop a system to gather visitor information and opinions this year to establish a baseline.
10.Attract sporting and nature-related events to take place in the Musquodoboit Valley, i.e. cycling, hiking
competitions or fundraisers such as Heart and Stroke bike or MS Bike Tour. Give participants information to
bring them back.
11.Maximize opportunities offered through Nova Scotia Tourism - i.e. Bloggers (Jim Cyr, Karl Vollmer, Kim Humes),
Forums (Favourite Places, Research Your Roots), website listing of cycling maps and trails, Doers and Dreamers
guide advertising and listing (perhaps a cooperative one). Gather pricing and deadlines.
12.Promote similiar activities together to interest groups. An example would be prepping a package to send back
with children when Scouting, school clubs visit the area - outlining reasons and highlighted areas of interest to
families (perhaps the map).
13.Research possibility of school-based promotion - sending flyer home through neighbouring schools to promote
family-based activities and attractions.
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14.Gather a list of stories and opportunities for potential media stories and approach media outlets to garner
coverage, i.e. unveiling of hummingbird statue. Develop media list, including bloggers.
15.Develop a list of free media outlets that offer PSAs for events.
16.Gather a list of event calendars to post/send events information to. Use the events list gathered in first bullet
that includes event name, date, time, location, purpose of event and highlights, contact information. Most
calendars need at least three weeks notice.
17.Develop a list of Facebook pages in the area to follow from Tourism account and help communicate with them
to keep in the loop of events. Create Facebook events to invite and share around.
18.Develop a list of directories to be listed in, i.e. HRM Parent: http://hrmparent.ca/index.php?/Directories/ , HRM
Rec: http://halifax.ca/rec/PlaygroundsinHRM.html, http://halifax.ca/rec/Beaches.html,
http://halifax.ca/rec/boatlaunches.html, http://halifax.ca/rec/BaseballDiamondsinHRM.html,
http://halifax.ca/rec/FieldsinHRM.html
19.Develop a list of memberships that are important to belong to, i.e. Taste of Nova Scotia, Maple Producers of
Nova Scotia.
20.Develop sample day trip itineraries for website, bloggers, i.e. one for families, one for outdoors, one for
genealogy.
21.Develop a list of civic signs and contact information to post information and events on.
22.Research industry award programs for ones that may award what we have to offer - best river, best B&B.
23.Research opportunities for sponsorships / residents to speak at conferences, events about the area and
offerings.
New Opportunities:
Develop March break events at forest nursery and promote beyond region, winter fun day/carnival.
Evaluation:
How do we know we’re successful? Should measure against the established objectives:
Objectives:
To increase awareness of offerings and events in the Musquodoboit Valley
24.
To increase visits to Tourism website
25.
To increase attendance to events in the Musquodoboit Valley
26.
APPENDIX L - Musquodoboit Valley Planning Accomplishments – February 2104
Musquodoboit Valley Micro-Volunteering Plan 2013
Background
The Musquodoboit Valley Planning Committee, a subcommittee of the Middle Musquodoboit Agricultural Society,
has been actively working to develop “A community that embraces co-operation and collaboration to make
efficient use of the available resources and skills within our community to create a strong, vibrant, healthy, rural
community that we are all proud to call home.” One of the key initiatives of the committee is focused the issues of
volunteer shortage and burnout and has decided to initiate a micro-volunteering plan for the community.
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What is micro-volunteering?
The concept of micro-volunteering is still evolving and there are numerous approaches and definitions being used
to describe micro-volunteering.
Some of these approaches include;
1) Home based volunteering actions -- Small, quick, low commitment actions that benefit a worthy cause. The
actions might be a task that could be accomplished as a whole unit from start to finish by one person or it might be
an action that could be broken down into its component parts where an individual is just one of many people
performing the same task to achieve an end result.
2) Professional skills volunteering actions – Volunteering by a professional, tasks are broken into small pieces, so
that they can complete a task in the time that they have available - typically (but not necessarily) via an internet
connected device such as a mobile phone or personal computer. In practice, to achieve this level of convenience,
there is often no training or vetting necessary.
3) Network of micro-volunteers - The non-profit that needs help asks a large group for assistance. Microvolunteers
who have the time, interest, and skills (ideally), and who may be previously unknown to the non -profit, do the
work. The time demands of the manager (e.g. a nonprofit staffer) are reduced by distributing as much of the
project management and quality review as possible to the network of micro-volunteers. This work management
method differs from a top-down model of project management.
Source: http://www.helpfromhome.org/faqs.htm
4) Day-to-day microvolunteerism is the act of voluntary participating in small day-to-day situations that occupy a
brief amount of time. This could be anything from helping stack chairs, to guiding someone with impaired seeing, to
signing a petition, to helping someone who's down on their luck.
Why do we need micro-volunteering?
The Musquodoboit Valley has over 50 non-profit groups, numerous volunteers that provide vital community
services to the communities. We have a pool of limited volunteers who continue to support these non-profits even
as the average age of these volunteers increases, available resources become more limited, families are busier,
people don’t want to commit to long term actions, non-profits are expected to do more to provide valuable
community services, the availability of donations from residents has decreased and non-profits must compete for
the smaller portion of funds. We ask; who will take over these valuable positions when the current volunteers are
no longer able to volunteer?
We recognize that our non-profits need to coordinate and collaborate in order to survive the shift in volunteer
availability. We need and want more youth, working parents, professionals, seniors, retirees, students and anyone
else with some free time. The question becomes, how do we engage these groups of potential volunteers?
The coexistence of micro-volunteering and more traditional forms raises questions regarding the potential of microvolunteering to engage the disengaged. Critically, the fact that three-quarters of the participants had previously
volunteered highlights the danger of assuming that micro-volunteering will attract large numbers who don't engage
in other forms of volunteering. At the same time, the greater proportion of participants who fell in the younger age
groups (78 per cent are between 16 and 34) points to the potential of micro-volunteering initiatives in reaching and
captivating groups who are less likely to engage through more traditional means. Furthermore, the evident appetite
for convenient and quick volunteering arguably suggests that micro-volunteering can be well suited to responding
and attending to the preferences and circumstances of volunteers who live hectic and busy lives. Setting up and/or
incorporating micro-volunteering initiatives to supplement existing programmes – providing more choice and
flexibility for volunteers – may therefore be an increasingly vital way to engage and retain a wider range of people.
If organisations hope to build on such possibilities, their success may partly depend on their ability to develop and
implement recruitment and management practices that adapt to the specific motivations and needs of microvolunteers. The factors commonly recognised as important to attracting and retaining volunteers, such as building
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friendships or gaining a sense of satisfaction through helping others, are arguably less evident in microvolunteering. The findings from this study suggest that a greater emphasis should be placed on the activity, creating
new and different actions that are easy and quick to complete. A potential tension is that this may widen the gap
between the personal preferences of the volunteer and the aims and objectives of the organisation.
http://www.theguardian.com/voluntary-sector-network/2012/sep/25/micro-volunteering-possibilities
Micro-volunteering Strategy
Goal: To allow people opportunities to volunteer (in the Musquodoboit Valley) in whatever way they can and in
whatever amount of time that can offer.
Objective: To increase the number of micro-volunteer opportunities in the Musquodoboit Valley and matching
volunteers with opportunities.
Method:
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Educate community groups on the value and process of micro-volunteering;
o send groups a newsletter (online and offline) and information package about micro-volunteering
and offer to speak at their meetings about the topic
o provide information on our website
o provide information at the volunteer kitchen party
o offer mini training sessions on how to develop micro-volunteering opportunities
Gather micro-volunteering opportunities from community groups;
o develop a template for groups to develop their own volunteer opportunities
o host mini education session for groups on volunteering (help from HRM Volunteer services)
o train organizations to develop micro volunteer actions
o connect with target groups to show them how easy it is
o get groups signed onto GoodNS
o gather information from groups and post opportunities for them
Educate residents and past-residents about micro-volunteering
o mail out newsletter about micro-volunteering and direct them to the next steps
o provide information on our website about the opportunities
o attend other local events to promote the concept
o make a presentation at the high school in conjunction with the Youth Health Centre
Promote micro-volunteering opportunities to residents and past residents
o post opportunities on GoodNS site
o Post the GoodNS widget on our website
o post opportunities on bulletin boards
o look for outdoor signs (ours or others) to post the opportunities
o use social media to spread the word
o promote the concept at the high school
Why people are attracted to micro-volunteering?
 Can be completed in under 30 minutes.
 Visible feedback: Volunteers like to see how they have contributed and who else is participating. Could be
achieved via photos of other people participating in the same actions.
 Non discriminatory: Should be able to be completed by people with disabilities.
 No training: Provide an action that has little or no training required.
 Simple instructions: Ideally a volunteer should understand how to participate in easy steps.
 No vetting interviews: If set up correctly within a self contained, do-it-by-the-book system, there would be no
need to vet someone.
 No registration: If it’s participation levels that are required, then an action without registration is the way to go.
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Free to participate: 'Free' has strong pulling power – enough said!
Communication: Provide a means to communicate with other participants or support team.
Incentives: Provide something for the ‘what’s in it for me’ attitude as in peer recognition or something more
materialistic.
No commitment: Think about a volunteer being able to ‘dip-in, dip-out’.
No age restriction: So long as a person is web savvy, then that is normally all that is required.
http://knowhownonprofit.org/how-to/how-to-set-up-a-micro-volunteering-project
Gauging Success
In order to show the effectiveness of the micro-volunteering plan it will be important to track statistics such as;
 # of opportunities/Gigs posted
 # of opportunities/Gigs filled
 # of first time volunteers (to the group or to volunteering in general)
 pictures of people volunteering
 hours of volunteering that results from micro-volunteering
Recognition
What to do to make the volunteers feel appreciated and acknowledged?
 provide students with hours of volunteering to account for a credit
 provide reference to students and adults for job positions
 redeem hours for something?????? such as food donated to food bank on your behalf/certificates (like air
miles points/ gas cards)
 a notice sent out thanking people for their time
 name entered for a monthly prize
Examples of potential micro-volunteering opportunities currently in the community now
 ushers needed for Bicentennial Theatre events
 staff for pub nights (MVBT)
 servers, cooks and cleaners for church suppers
 meals to wheels volunteers (free meal)
 home and school committee-sac, book fair, events, breakfast
 garden project
 beaver leaders
 tourism – website help, calling people, developing histories
 bake sale bakers
 cleaners for playground in upper
 roadside cleanup
 volunteers at Braeside and hospital
 church committees
 lions club committees
 agricultural society – maintenance jobs, winter rink staff
 MVPC – newsletters, database, promotion
 Hfx County Exhibition anniversary pictures
 community marketing
 Moose River museum artifact research
Musquodoboit Valley Coalition Proposal - December 2013
The Musquodoboit Valley Planning Committee, currently a sub-committee of the Middle Musquodoboit
Agricultural Society, is proposing the development of a community coalition. This coalition would start off as an
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informal organization made up of Musq Valley Community groups that meet to communicate, network, collaborate
and work on common issues.
The Coalition would operate as follows;
 Act as an umbrella group of community groups
 All community groups are automatically members
 Membership is free, groups are the members
 Groups send representatives to the meetings (does not have to be the same member each time)
 Bi-annual strategic meetings (to set forth the issues of importance for the next six months)
 Bi-annual communication meetings (groups meet to share and committees can report on their projects)
 Other monthly/periodic meetings are topic specific to allow groups to participate if they wish to
 Called the Musq Valley Planning Group
 Will not register as a society yet, informal until groups decide if they require status. Less formal meeting
format.
The Coalition’s Vision would be;
“A community that embraces co-operation and collaboration to make efficient use of the available resources and
skills within our community to create a strong, vibrant, healthy, rural community that we are all proud to call
home.”
The Coalition’s key areas are; (as determined by the community through the Community Consultation process held
in 2011)
 Tourism Destination Development
 Buy Local and local Food Program
 Community Coordination and Promotion
 Building a strong Volunteer system
 Youth
 Small Business
 Forestry
 Seniors
The Coalition’s 2013/2014 priorities are; (as identified by current work being done by the committee)
 Marketing of community events, businesses and non-profits
 Community Transportation
 Micro-volunteering
 Community Communication
The Coalition’s current committees include;
 Community Marketing
 Youth
 Local Food (not yet a committee)
 Volunteerism
 Forestry
 Seniors
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