Friday, October 29, 2010

The Saint John Board of Trade: Developing Saint John’s Future Workforce

Next Wednesday, November 3rd employers across New Brunswick will have the opportunity to showcase their workplaces to Grade 9 students who are taking part in a strategy developed by The Learning Partnership called “Take Your Kids to Work”. This annual, national program enables the entire community - parents, teachers and employers to play an important role in the career development of our youth - our future workforce.

Members of the Business Education Forum, a Saint John Board of Trade Committee realized that this ‘one day workforce’ and their host companies or parents might be open to attending a supporting event designed to align and compliment this community wide career development initiative. The result is a November 3rd, 2010 ‘lunch and learn’ opportunity called “Our Kids, Their Future”.

This unique luncheon will feature a keynote address from Jamie Korab, a 2006 Olympic Gold medalist in Curling. Mr. Korab will relate his Olympic experience and how the same principles apply to reaching career goals and educational goals. After the luncheon, employers/parents and their one day Grade 9 workforce will have the opportunity to meet Mr. Korab who will be available for photos with his Gold Medal and student attendees can also visit booths featuring the 6 Career Destinations and labour market information.

The luncheon event will be held at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre from Noon until 1:30 pm, on Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010 and tickets can be purchased by calling the Board of Trade office at 634-8111 or email: Info@sjboardoftrade.com Tickets are $70 +HST (Student & Adult) or $250 +HST for table of eight!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

26th Annual Outstanding Business Achievement Awards

The Saint John Board of Trade proudly announces the recipients for Greater Saint John’s Outstanding Business Achievement Awards. The awards dinner, Saint John’s Premiere annual business event, and presentations will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 24, 2010 at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre.

From a field of over 35 nominees, the five-member judging panel has selected Dillon Consulting as the recipient for the Business Excellence award. The recipient for the Entrepreneurial Achievement award honour is Kelson & Kelson Limited. The recipient for the Emerging Enterprise award is ClinicServer.

The recipient of this year’s Young Entrepreneur Award is Kiera Fraser, with Je Suis Prest Boutique.

Now in its 26th year, the Outstanding Business Achievement Awards event recognizes businesses and business people in the community that have aided business development, entrepreneurship and increased economic progress in Greater Saint John.

The Entrepreneurial Achievement award is designed to recognize a company or individual that has started a business, considerably improved a company, or modified an existing enterprise.

The Business Excellence award focuses on established companies that have achieved highly in management quality, sales growth, community relations, marketing and leadership.

The Emerging Enterprise award recognizes new businesses just beginning to make their mark. To be eligible for this award, companies must have been in business less than five years.

The Young Entrepreneur Award recognizes young business leaders (30 years and under) just beginning to make their mark.

Previous winners of the awards, presented annually since 1985, have included: Lingley Printing Co. Ltd; Tabufile Atlantic Ltd; Pete’s Fruitique; Mother Nature’s Pita Bakery & Restaurant; Bourque Manufacturing Ltd; Eastern Technical Services Ltd; Fundy Computer Services Ltd; Moosehead Breweries Ltd; Hunter Marketing & Communications; Beattie Construction Services Ltd; Thirtysomething Enterprises Inc (The Body Shop); Gardner Electric Ltd; NBTel; Kelly Tire Services Ltd; Mitchell, McConnell, Daniels Insurance Brokers Ltd; PCL & Eastern Packaging Limited; Aquila Tours/Destination Marketing; Baxter Foods Limited; Brenan Group Ltd; DMR Consulting Group Inc; Maritime Aqua Service; New North Media; Delta Brunswick Hotel; Senior Watch Inc; Appleby’s Image Center; Discount Car & Truck Rentals; The Document Company Xerox; Impact Forensic Analysis Inc; CanSupply.com; Java Moose; Irving Oil, Refining Division; Funeral Directors’ Choice; Meridian Construction Inc; Media Planet; Eastern Collections Services Ltd; Cendant Canada Inc; Here Publishing Inc; CAA Maritimes; National Leasing, Rent-a-Chef Inc; H.E.L.P. Educational Services Ltd; Simply for Life; Cooke Aquaculture; Fundy Engineering & Consulting Ltd; ADI Limited; Brovada Technologies; Evolving Solutions; Mariner Partners; CentreBeam Inc; Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Inc; Maritime Rescue and Medical Inc; East Point Inc.; Lorneville Mechanical Contractors; Jacques Whitford Limited; Vision Coaching; The DPL Group; Fundy Region Solid Waste Commission; and Opera Bistro.

Previous recipients of the Young Entrepreneur Award were Ji Li, Greg Hemmings, Tao Tao Liu, Marc Robichaud, Leah Anderson, Jenny Scott and James Galbraith.

This year’s winners will be honoured at the awards dinner on November 24th. Tickets for the awards dinner may be obtained from the Saint John Board of Trade.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Saint John Board of Trade’s Women in Business Forum

Starting today, October 15th, the members of the Saint John Board of Trade’s Women in Business Forum will be collecting toiletry items for their ninth annual “Bare Necessities” campaign. The goal of the campaign, first launched in 2002, is to provide women’s shelters, food banks and other organizations packages containing the ‘little but necessary’ personal care items, just in time for the holiday season.

Going on vacation or a business trip? The next time you find yourself in a hotel room, don’t forget to bring home the complimentary items available to you from every hotel – shampoo, soaps, lotions, etc.

The campaign will run from October 15 to November 26.

“There are many business men and women who frequently travel,” says Imelda Gilman, President of the Saint John Board of Trade. “We are asking them to pack the complimentary toiletries and drop them off at a ‘Bare Necessities’ location.”

Drop off boxes are located at all CIBC and RBC Royal Bank branches throughout Greater Saint John, and at the Saint John Board of Trade at 40 King Street.

Even if you do not travel you can still participate. Drugstores and shopping centers sell miniature size shampoos, conditioners, soaps, toothpaste too. Think Bare Necessities!
To view the poster which has a list of items and drop off locations click here.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Saint John Board of Trade Call to Action!

On October 29, 2009 the need for a comprehensive energy policy was brought to the forefront of New Brunswick politics with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding outlining the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec. Since October, New Brunswick businesses, citizens and politicians alike have been actively engaged in the discourse regarding Energy Policy in our province. Although the deal is no longer viable, the province faces a brave new world. “New Brunswick will never look at Energy the same” quoted J. Michael Murphy, Chair of the Saint John Board of Trade’s Energy Task Force.

“The momentum that has been created must be continued and utilized to ensure all parties remain engaged and contribute to the development of a comprehensive energy policy which will need to address the concerns of businesses and citizens while mitigating the risks involved” said Imelda Gilman, President of the Saint John Board of Trade. “We need to have a clear, non-partisan, long-term vision for energy in our province; our citizens and businesses depend on competitive, clean, reliable energy. This vision is needed as soon as possible.”

Ideally, a comprehensive energy policy will also incorporate a variety of aspects surrounding energy including the regulatory framework and energy efficiencies. “This is a prime opportunity for the Department of Energy to develop a ground breaking energy policy. The Saint John Board of Trade is prepared to be part of the process and we are ready to help be part of the solution” Ms. Gilman continued. “We encourage all interested businesses and citizens in New Brunswick to continue that dialogue regarding the future of energy in our province and the immediate need for a comprehensive energy plan.”

The Saint John Board of Trade is a nationally accredited business organization dedicated to fostering an economic climate that enhances growth, prosperity, and an improved quality of life in the community. With more than 1,000 members, representing 600 small, medium, and large businesses and organizations and therefore, the interests of more than 30,000 citizens, the Board is a dynamic advocate and the principal voice for the business community of Greater Saint John. The elected Board of Directors is representative of the diversity of the membership and their concerns.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Saint John Board of Trade calls for urgent meeting on Harbour Bridge

The Harbour Bridge in Saint John, New Brunswick is a vital part of the Atlantic Gateway system, as such the Saint John Board of Trade with representatives from Access Atlantica, Enterprise Saint John and the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association held two productive meetings this past week with the Provincial Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Denis Landry and Minister Jack Keir on Thursday, and the Member of Parliament for Saint John, Mr. Rodney Weston on Friday. As a result of these meetings, the Saint John Board of Trade has respectfully requested the Premier and the Minister of Atlantic Gateway meet to discuss this critical issue within the next two weeks.

“Our meetings with both Minister Landry and Mr. Weston were very frank and open; the Harbour Bridge is a crucial piece of infrastructure for Atlantic Canada’s international trade that cannot be devalued. The four parties involved with the running of the Bridge need to create an immediate solution and a long term plan for the continued operation of the Bridge. We feel the best way to achieve this will be by having the Federal and Provincial governments meet face to face to thoroughly discuss all aspects of the issue and come to an agreement, which all four parties can support to ensure repairs begin this season” said Imelda Gilman, President of the Saint John Board of Trade. “This is very time sensitive and we feel the most efficient and effective method of obtaining a solution to this crisis is to have both the federal and provincial governments meet within the next two weeks”.

The Saint John Board of Trade has offered to facilitate the meeting if necessary and will follow up with the recipients in the coming days to monitor progress.

The Saint John Board of Trade is a nationally accredited business organization dedicated to fostering an economic climate that enhances growth, prosperity, and an improved quality of life in the community. With more than 1,000 members, representing 600 small, medium, and large businesses and organizations and therefore, the interests of more than 30,000 citizens, the Board is a dynamic advocate and the principal voice for the business community of Greater Saint John. The elected Board of Directors is representative of the diversity of the membership and their concerns.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Saint John Board of Trade supports the revised agreement on energy between the governments of New Brunswick and Quebec

On January 12th, the Saint John Board of Trade identified six recommendations which it would like to see incorporated into the final agreement concerning the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec. Since its release, a number of the concerns have been substantially addressed in the revised agreement released on January 20th (including Heritage Pool Supply, NB Power Service and Maintenance Levels, and Municipal Utilities).

With the Saint John Board of Trade’s mission statement and mandate as their guiding principles (To contribute to a productive economic environment for business in Saint John. To provide encouragement, assistance and guidance for established enterprises, or those aspiring to become established in business) the Board of Trade’s Energy Task Force undertook a review of the revised agreement. “As part of our review the Task Force and members of the Board of Directors considered the report and recommendations made by the Advisory Panel and met with Minister Keir and members of the Advisory Panel” said J. Michael Murphy, Chair of the Saint John Board of Trade’s Energy Task Force.

The Saint John Board of Trade supports the revised agreement and believes it is in the best interest of its members.

“The Saint John Board of Trade strongly encourages the Government of New Brunswick to consider the recommendations made by the Advisory Panel in its Report, specifically regarding the investment in energy efficiency and demand side management, the strengthening of the regulatory framework, and the creation of a comprehensive Energy Policy for the Province of New Brunswick” stated Imelda Gilman, President of the Saint John Board of Trade.

The Saint John Board of Trade is a nationally accredited business organization dedicated to fostering an economic climate that enhances growth, prosperity, and an improved quality of life in the community. With more than 1,000 members, representing 600 small, medium, and large businesses and organizations and therefore, the interests of more than 30,000 citizens, the Board is a dynamic advocate and the principal voice for the business community of Greater Saint John. The elected Board of Directors is representative of the diversity of the membership and their concerns.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Let’s Put Saint John on the Boardwalk! Monopoly Canada

Members of the Saint John community came together today to kick-start a movement encouraging individuals of greater Saint John to go online and vote to put Saint John on the Boardwalk!

Hasbro has launched an online contest to determine which Canadian Cities will earn a spot on its latest board game edition, Monopoly Canada. Earlier in the week, Saint John was in 62nd place out of 65 cities who are trying for one out of a possible 20 spots on the board game. The City already moved to 55th place in just a few days after the media started picking up on the contest. “It is attainable,” said Graeme Weir, who started a Facebook site last week. “The page is gaining momentum”.

Dick Daigle, owner of the uptown area Boilerworks restaurant joined Rodney Weston, MP for Saint John, Mayor Ivan Court, Imelda Gilman, President Saint John Board of Trade, Enterprise Saint John and others on the Boardwalk at Harbour Passage to show support for a grass roots initiative that is going viral. “As a restaurant owner, I am happy to see the community come together on this,” said Daigle. “I will be including table toppers in my restaurants asking patrons to go online and vote as well, and I am encouraging other restaurant owners to do the same.”

“Saint Johners are proud Canadians,” said Rodney Weston. “Last year we participated in the Proud to be Canadian Campaign leading up to Canada Day and Saint John came in fifth place nationally. We should be proud of that result and that tells me Saint John can do it again.”

“If Saint John wins a spot on the game board it would give the city more exposure and recognition. Saint John is the oldest city, the first incorporated city and it’s a perfect lead into Saint John’s 225th birthday. It’s a nice fit,” said Imelda Gilman. “Once the social media network starts it goes viral.”

The time is now to get online and Vote! Let’s make sure Saint John has a spot on the new Canadian Monopoly Board. Let’s get Saint John on the Boardwalk! Go visit www.monopolyvote.ca. You can vote once a day until February 7th.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Stock exchange information seminar to be held in Saint John

An information seminar about Canada’s newest stock exchange, the Canadian National Stock Exchange (CNSX), will be held in Saint John on Wednesday, 10 February. It will be presented by the New Brunswick Securities Commission (NBSC) in partnership with the Saint John Board of Trade.

The seminar will run from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre, Market Square, Saint John. The session will be open to the public and will be free of charge. Pre-registration is required by calling the NBSC at 1 866 933-2222.

“We are pleased to host this seminar with the Saint John Board of Trade as part of our Fullsail™ capital markets initiative education series: Learning the Ropes,” said Rick Hancox, Executive Director, NBSC. “As Canada's newest alternative market, the CNSX is another way for companies to access capital in New Brunswick.”

The CNSX, based in Toronto, trades in equity securities for emerging companies. Company representatives will provide an introduction about the CNSX as well as Pure Trading, a secondary market. The seminar will also address stock exchange competition in Canada and the opportunities unfolding with the evolution of multiple markets. The seminar will be of interest to business owners, lawyers, accountants and investment dealers.

“Partnering on this event with the NBSC provides our members an opportunity to learn more about the options available to grow their business,” said Imelda Gilman, President, Saint John Board of Trade.

The NBSC is an independent Crown corporation that regulates the securities industry in New Brunswick. Its mandate is to protect investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices and foster fair and efficient capital markets, as well as confidence in those markets.

The Saint John Board of Trade is a nationally accredited business organization with more than 1,000 members, representing 600 small, medium, and large businesses and organizations in Greater Saint John.

ABOUT THE NEW BRUNSWICK SECURITIES COMMISSION
The New Brunswick Securities Commission is the Crown Corporation that regulates the
securities industry in New Brunswick. It is funded indirectly by investors through industry. Its
mandate is to protect investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices and foster fair
and efficient capital markets, as well as confidence in those markets.

To view the full press release click here.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Saint John Board of Trade has identified Six Recommendations regarding the proposed sale of NB Power

The Saint John Board of Trade has identified six recommendations which it would like to see incorporated into the final agreement concerning the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec. “We feel these additions will ensure that full advantage is taken of the opportunity to maintain existing businesses and jobs and to promote future economic growth and development in our Province” said Kathryn Craig, Chair of the Saint John Board of Trade.

The Saint John Board of Trade has reviewed and analyzed the proposed sale of NB Power to Hydro Quebec outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec on October 29, 2009. Due to the complexity of this issue, an ad-hoc Task Force comprised of members of the Board of Directors representing small, medium and large sized businesses was created to diligently examine the issue and meet with subject matter experts prior to making a recommendation to the Board.

1) Heritage Pool Supply. The size of the Heritage Pool Supply (HPS) needs to be increased. For example, the allocation currently included in the MOU for the Industrial HPS (4.5TWh) does not provide sufficient capacity to drive future economic growth and development. Proper analysis needs to be conducted to determine the appropriate size of the Heritage Pool Supply. Having a more predictable rate would allow industry to plan future projects more accurately than if the rate was to go to market each year because the Industrial HPS was surpassed.
2) Rate Increases after Five Years. The rate increase formula after five years (i.e. NB Consumer Price Index) needs to be modified. We recommend that the formula for rate increases for all customers after the initial five year period be the lesser of NB CPI or the percent rate change approved in Quebec for the same period and customer class.
3) New Brunswick Supply Chain. We recognize the importance of NB Power to many small- and medium-sized businesses in New Brunswick. While Hydro Quebec has stated that the supply chain will not be affected, we recommend that contractual covenants be incorporated into the final agreement ensuring this will be the case; 100% of work that can be done by New Brunswick companies should be done by New Brunswick companies.
4) NB Power Service and Maintenance Levels. The service and maintenance levels presently enjoyed by NB Power consumers need to be preserved or improved. Both current and potential new businesses require a consistent, reliable source of power. As a result, we recommend that the final agreement contain contractual covenants providing for service and maintenance standards which are equivalent to or improve upon those which currently exist today.
5) Municipal Utilities. We recommend that Saint John Energy should not be negatively impacted by this transaction.
6) Energy Hub. It is unclear how this transaction will affect the future development of the New Brunswick Energy Hub. We recommend the final agreement contain further definition of how the New Brunswick Energy Hub will be protected and developed.

The Saint John Board of Trade is a nationally accredited business organization dedicated to fostering an economic climate that enhances growth, prosperity, and an improved quality of life in the community. With more than 1,000 members, representing 600 small, medium, and large businesses and organizations and therefore, the interests of more than 30,000 citizens, the Board is a dynamic advocate and the principal voice for the business community of Greater Saint John. The elected Board of Directors is representative of the diversity of the membership and their concerns.