SmartCity Blog

SmartCity Business Show: Episode 4 in Review

There are a lot of numbers and figures to process when you’re dealing with an international hot-spot like the Port of Halifax: 11,000 local jobs, $1.5 billion in economic impact, and connecting with 150 countries from all over the world. The economics of it all are crucially important, and undoubtedly impressive, but what else does the port mean for our city?

To me, the port means summer days in downtown Halifax watching thousands of visitors arriving on enormous cruise ships, ready to discover Canada’s East Coast. I see excited families, couples and independent travelers enjoying our traditional pubs and seafood restaurants. I see them admiring the talent of our local artists and musicians on the boardwalk. I see them learning about our interesting history and seeing how we’ve gotten to where we are.

But I picked up on something else, too. I notice the sense of pride we have when people are enjoying what we have to offer. The Port of Halifax gives to both our visitors, and to us. Our guests get the chance to experience our beautiful city and remind us of just how lucky we are to live here.

 

Maeghan Murphy, Marketing & Communications Co-op Student

Maeghan is with the Partnership on a four month work-term. She is in her third year of Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University and had her first taste of the working world on her work-term with Nova Scotia Power this summer. Although she'll always be a Cape Bretoner at heart, Maeghan is happy to now call Halifax her home.

More International Students Coming to Canada

By: Jackie Guo

One of the Partnership’s Connectors, Alex Farrell from RBC recently forwarded an article about the increasing number of international students coming to Canada.  This caught my attention immediately as I am the coordinator of the International Student Connector Program at the Greater Halifax Partnership.

The article says that Canada welcomed 96,147 international students (http://www.cic.gc.ca) in 2010. According to a study commissioned by the Government of Canada entitled Economic Impact of International Education in Canada, international students are estimated to contribute more than $6.5 billion to Canada’s economy every year.

Based on our research, we know that Canada will need immigrants/permanent residents in many years to come because of the low birth rate and baby boomers retiring from the labour force.  280, 636 permanent residents came to Canada in 2010, the highest number in more than 50 years (http://www.cic.gc.ca).  If all 96,147 international students could become permanent residents to Canada after graduation, then Canada would only need about 180,000 permanent residents to meet its immigration target.

Of course, it won’t be that easy as immigration and labour shortage issues are much more complex. However, international students can naturally be part of solution to the labour shortage in Nova Scotia and the rest of the country. 

The International Student Connector Program is helping international MBA and Master of Finance students and graduates expand their professional networks, increasing their chances of finding employment in their field.  This helps deepen their attachment to the community and facilitates their transition from university the labour market.

With this initiative, we give our connectors a chance to explore international talent and see experienced international talent firsthand. Alex is one of our over 300 connectors who help newcomers and international students develop professional networks and successfully settle into our community.

Let’s get more international students connected. The more, the better!

For more information on the International Student Connector Program, please contact Jackie Guo at jguo@greaterhalifax.com. 

Jackie Guo is the Coordinator of International MBA Student Connector Program. In addition to his work at the Partnership, Jackie is an active volunteer for Halifax United Way.

SmartCity Business Show - Episode 3 in Review

When I was a kid, I remember the excitement of coming to Halifax, the big city. One of my favourite places to go was the airport because it had escalators and a “see-through” elevator. I could have spent hours throwing pennies into the fountain and looking through the gift shops, but nothing beat the excitement of knowing I would soon be sitting in a window seat. Now that I’m older, I’ve learned that our airport plays an essential role in our economic health and there is around-the-clock work that goes into making sure everything is running smoothly. 

That hard-work continues to pay off. The Halifax Stanfield International Airport has been voted the best medium sized airport in the world for the last seven years, and celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. Joyce Carter, CFO and CSO of the Halifax International Airport Authority, credits excellent service and innovation to its major success. Needless to say, our airport is a part of Atlantic Canada’s identity, and we need it to continue to thrive so we can, too.

Not everyone can say that they’ve got a gateway to the world in their backyard, and I think that’s something we should be proud of.

  

Maeghan Murphy, Marketing & Communications Co-op Student

Maeghan is with the Partnership on a four month work-term. She is in her third year of Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University and had her first taste of the working world on her work-term with Nova Scotia Power this summer. She'll always be a Cape Bretoner at heart, but Maeghan is happy to now call Halifax her home.

SmartCity Business Show - Episode 2 in Review

The atmosphere at the Seaport Farmer’s Market on a Saturday morning is energetic and fresh, and so is Craig Layton, host of the SmartCity Business Show. Craig’s interview this week with economist Fred Morley offered a good insight into Halifax’s local and international business significance and the city’s unique attributes.

What I took away most from this episode is that Halifax’s biggest advantage, an irreplaceable advantage, is our people. Fred said it best:

“It’s a personality, it’s an attitude, and Halifax has a very good character when it comes to the quality of its people and the talent of its people. You can see it in a place like this and you can see it day to day in the companies of Halifax. Companies come here in droves looking for that kind of quality“.

There’s no doubt that Halifax is on the map. I’m looking forward to next week’s episode to learn why Halifax is the preferred gateway to the world.

 

Maeghan Murphy, Marketing & Communications Co-op Student

Maeghan is with the Partnership on a four month work-term. She is in her third year of Public Relations at Mount Saint Vincent University and had her first taste of the working world on her work-term with Nova Scotia Power this summer. Although she'll always be a Cape Bretoner at heart, Maeghan is happy to now call Halifax her home.

The Business of Yoga

Guest blog post by: Kathy Murphy, President & CEO of the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED)

In a very unscientific approach, I recently searched online for Yoga studios in Halifax and found 45 indexed listings. This was a surprise to even me, who discovered the practice and benefits of yoga about three years ago.

For a city of approximately 380,000 people, it seemed that this was a positive ratio compared to listings of traditional health clubs. If each studio offered four sessions per day, we’d see something in the range of over 2000 classes a week – a “guestimate” for the purposes of this discussion.

So – what’s with all the yoga?

Is it the frantic, hurried lives we live that deprive us from quiet contemplation yoga fulfills?  Can the increasing demand for yoga provide a solution to the over stimulation of life and allow us to quiet our minds and bodies from the inside-out?  Or is yoga simply another fitness trend that has risen, peaked, and will soon decline like so many others?

Dana Barton Moore, owner of Bikram Yoga in Toronto, was interviewed on the “yoga boom” of recent years.  In part, Moore attributed the increase in popularity of yoga to the demands of the aging boomers who continue to be health conscious, while seeking out more spiritual and gentle methods of exercise.

Yoga’s origin is in the Far East and has been considered the ultimate way to harmonize body, mind, and spirit for centuries. Some claim yoga has been around for over 26,000 years, predating Aryan civilizations from the south-eastern Asia. Practicing yoga is said to bring a sense of peace while challenging one physically, within a calm and meditative environment.

The rise of popularity, or as some say – the “yoga craze” has allowed for a surge in supplier networks of all sorts, providing yoga wear, yoga towels and mats, DVD’s and a variety of other supply chain opportunities.  One Canadian leader in yoga apparel is Lululemon.  Recently, the yoga retail giant has taken its business model globally, opening stores across the US, Australia and China.  After issuing an IPO in 2007, Lululemon engaged former Starbucks executive, Christine Day as CEO.  Day brought 20 years of experience to Lululemon, influencing what she described in a 2008 Bloomberg Business interview as the development of,  “a purpose inspired brand and culture of well being in health and fitness.”

Living just blocks away from the Halifax Lululemon store shows me shareholders are cashing in significantly.  Lines of people four deep and a block long were a daily sight for many weeks leading up to Christmas.  These pushing hoards of shoppers seemed contradictory to the peaceful and balanced meditative premise of yoga.  I suppose capitalism and commercialization can influence even the most balanced of business concepts.

Yoga is indeed big business here within our region.  CEED client Jenny Kierstead is one such example of following an entrepreneurial and spiritual goal to new heights of success.  Kiestead’s Breathing Space Yoga has operated for some ten years in Halifax, experiencing significant growth to new markets both geographically and demographically.

Admittedly – I am hooked on yoga. What else offers stretching and core strengthening while enjoying the rare pleasure of a relaxing and peaceful setting for an hour?  A friend recently asked me whether yoga is considered “real exercise”.   I chuckled knowing I’ve had my share of shrill commands of  “three more – two more!” while the latest pop hits pound over the speakers.  I’m not knocking the intense high energy work out of the 80’s and 90’s  – I used to love them too!

With the continued growth of yoga, I’m happy to see that something I have come to love and enjoy has a strong future in the business of health and fitness.  Anything that can focus on breathing, relaxation, and be physically challenging without inflicting pain, I can  certainly buy into!

Individual classes range from $12 to $20 per session, so the investment can be significant.  But if the business of yoga enriches lives spiritually, physically while driving small business economically, I think the ancient yogis would approve.

We can also watch for additional business trends that stem from yoga. Yoga retreats have been around for some time, but now with a new twist towards couples of varying age groups, there are many opportunities for entrepreneurs to use their creative and capitalistic ways to carve out a niche, while exploring an ancient, proven practice that has paid off for many.  I hear that hockey players are even getting hooked on yoga – but as they say – we’ll save that story for another day…

Kathy Murphy, MBA, CHRP
President & CEO, CEED

CEED is devoted to helping people discover and use entrepreneurship as a vehicle to become self-reliant. We have a vision of a vibrant entrepreneurial culture for all of Atlantic Canada.

We are pleased that CEED is a Greater Halifax Partnership investor.