SmartCity Blog

A Bid for a Better Future

In my early teens I went to St. Joseph’s Junior High in the Halifax’s North End.  Walking up Russell St. to school early in the morning or heading home late I would often pass a shipyard worker with inevitable lunch can and a thermos.  I went to school with lots of kids whose fathers worked at the yard and I got to know firsthand that the work was often unsteady and that good years were often followed by bad ones.  This has changed somewhat in recent years with the acquisition of the yard by Irving.  But with hoped for success in winning a portion of the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy the yard could move to a level of stability and prosperity unheard of for generations.

The National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy will see two of four major yards in Canada take on $35 billion in construction and maintenance work over the next 30 years.  How Important to Nova Scotia is winning the $25 billion combat portion of this project?  Nothing is more important for the future of our province.  Indeed nothing else even comes close.  The project will provide high wage high value jobs to a new generation of workers.  It will boost consumer spending, government’s tax take, and it will turn Halifax into one of Canada’s high growth cities for the future.

It’s been said that this project is the most important defence related initiative in the province in the 100 years since the Navy was established.  In fact, it is the most important project of any kind in 100 years.  The raw numbers bear this out.  The project will generate upwards of 4000 jobs in Atlantic Canada, mainly in Nova Scotia, with spinoffs spread across the Atlantic Region and across the country.  The project could generate as much as $7 billion in Nova Scotia wages, much of it destined for spending on homes, cars, and other things.  The project could pour close to $1.3 billion into provincial tax coffers, money the province will desperately need to deliver the increased health care and other services we will need in the near future.

  Of all the major projects on the books in Atlantic Canada this is the largest.  Nova Scotia’s largest energy project, Deep Panuke is worth an $800 million project which and will generate 400 direct and indirect jobs.  Nova Scotia’s largest residential construction project, Clayton’s Bedford West Development, will be worth $1 billion over 20 to 25 years and house 20,000 people when completed.  All of Newfoundland’s planned investments in offshore oil development and exploration are worth about $6 billion.  The Atlantic Region’s largest mining project is the Voisey Bay Nickel processing facility with an investment of $3billion.  It will include 3000 person years of construction and 400 fulltime jobs thereafter.  All of these vital and important projects pale in comparison to the potential of the combat ship project contemplated for Halifax Shipyard.

The project will allow new small business to start up and grow while driving new opportunities for dozens of existing businesses.  It will provide first job opportunities for new community college and university grads and may even attract some of the talent that has flowed west in recent years.  Indeed the project could spur higher levels of business confidence as thousands of workers and hundreds of businesses begin to contemplate 30 years of steady work and steady business at Halifax Shipyard.

Nova Scotia’s important Tourism industry accounts for about 2% of GDP or $646 million in provincial gross  domestic product.  Employment is 22,400 generating direct income of $475 million.  This project would be like adding 50% to the value of the tourism industry in one year and continuing that impact every year for a generation.

So yes times could be about to change.  One of Canada’s great family companies and some of Canada’s most talented workers have thrown in together to provide a mix of shipbuilding expertise and a history of accomplishment that can’t be matched anywhere in Canada.  Already 250 apprentices are in the vanguard of the next generation.  This next generation is hopeful that merit, superior technical expertise and a history of accomplishment will win the day.  They are hopeful that there will be no political thumbs on the scales of decision makers on this project. It’s too important.  The size and scope of this project and its potential to drive positive economic growth in our province is unprecedented.  Nova Scotians have begun to stand with the men and women of Halifax Shipyard in their bid for a better future for all of us.

 Fred Morley is the Executive Vice President and Chief Economist at the Greater Halifax Partnership.

Childhood Experience Morphs into Day Job

One of Halifax’s greatest challenges in the next decade is attracting and retaining highly skilled and educated talent. 

Over the past few years, the Partnership, in collaboration with many of you, has used its Halifax Connector Program to help immigrants and newcomers find their way to gainful and appropriate employment here in Halifax. 

This is the third of seven stories showing what you have made possible.

Long before there was a Halifax Connector Program, Jamie Welsh, CA, Senior Manager at Deloitte, had a reference point and a clear understanding of people of other cultures.

In middle school, he befriended two exchange students from Taiwan.  “It was a great experience and I’m sure I learned more than the students did,” said Jamie.  Jamie’s mom worked at Saint Mary’s University where there has always been a significant international student population and this led to Jamie living on campus while taking his degree and immersing himself in the international culture SMU offered. 

Not long after Jamie was hired at Deloitte, he became very involved with the Halifax office’s recruiting practices. This was when his childhood experience merged with his day job and he decided whenever possible he would help immigrants find careers in Halifax. 

But it wasn’t easy.

“In Halifax, those who do not have a strong command of conversational English find the local job market challenging.  This is despite the fact that exchange students obtain very high Grade Point Averages and they are achieving these marks in a foreign language, because English is not their mother tongue.”  The students Jamie sees, he encourages to get out, socialize, network and meet people because conversational language skills are one of the keys to getting that first job.

Although Jamie was already connecting immigrants to jobs, one young immigrant in particular inspired Jamie to become an ‘official’ Connector with the Partnership.

“Max was bright, had a high GPA in finance from SMU.  He came to me after several months of unsuccessful searching in the local job market.  He comes from an Ukraine/Russian background so when he spoke it was clear from his accent he wasn’t from here – but he had that conversational piece and he was professional.  I felt he would fit well in the financial services industry,” says Jamie.

Unfortunately, Max had limited direct experience and during his time in the job market one recruiter suggested he consider working at a retail outlet for customer service experience, and come back in a year’s time.

“I couldn’t believe someone thought that working in retail was in any way going to help Max land a job in the financial services field,” said Jamie.

This led Jamie to sign up as Connector and connect Max to three financial institutions he felt might see his potential and give him a chance.  Within three weeks, Max had a job offer in hand from Citco.  “The truth is, Max should have been able to do this himself in our community.”

Why is Jamie so passionate about being a Connector?  “This program is a critical part of reaching the city’s long-term strategy of attracting and retaining qualified labour.  It proves that by helping one professional newcomer secure a job in their field of expertise, you have helped make our community and our local economy more successful.”

For Jamie, being a Connector is more than a job.  It’s incorporating the core beliefs with which he was raised and applying them to make a real difference in people’s lives in a city he loves – one person at a time.   

Kelly Hennessey, ABC, is an accredited public relations writer and consultant.

You can find Kelly at http://ca.linkedin.com/in/kellyhennesseyabc or contact her at kelhennessey@ns.sympatico.ca

Canadian Economics and Clean Air

One of Halifax’s greatest challenges in the next decade is attracting and retaining highly skilled and educated talent. 

Over the past few years, the Partnership, in collaboration with many of you, has used its Halifax Connector Program to help immigrants and newcomers find their way to gainful and appropriate employment here in Halifax. 

This is the second of seven stories showing what you have made possible.

Two-thirds of Canada’s entire population would fit in Huijing He’s hometown of Shanghai, a city described by Wikipedia as the ‘birthplace of everything modern in China.’  Yet she left it all behind to pursue a commerce degree at Saint Mary’s University in a city with less than half a million people – and only 1 percent is Chinese.

“I was very much interested in North American culture,” says Huijing, who goes by her English nickname, Sisley, chosen for her favourite fashion designer.  “I was bored at university at home and thought it would be a great opportunity to study abroad while I was young.”  Upon graduation with her degree in finance in May 2010, Sisley decided to stay in Halifax.

“I like it here.  The population is smaller, there are no line-ups, less traffic and the clean air is good too!  Most of what I learned was about Canadian economics so I thought it would be good to stay here, work for a few years, and put what I learned into practice.  Then I can contribute a little bit back here too.”

Sisley began her work search using the Partnership’s Connector Program.  “An international student who was a friend of mine told me about the program.  He had been ‘connected’ and found a six-month contract.”  He introduced Sisley to the Partnership’s Connector Project Coordinator, Cindy Dean, who connected her to Dina ¬Pellosis Tabuzo at Royal Bank of Canada and Joyce LaBossiere at World Financial Group.  These banking contacts helped Sisley with her resume and “they helped me improve myself.
 
“It was nice talking with them because I got ideas about looking for jobs and I think at the end of September, Joyce got back to me and told me a friend of hers was looking to fill an internship position at AEG Financial Services in Bedford.

“I contacted the person at AEG who turned out to be the owner of the company and we just started talking.  At the end of the interview, I got the job.

“The whole process with the Connector Program went very well for me. I met two Connectors and that is pretty much how I got my job. I think people have to make the most of it when you meet someone new.  Once there is a chance [for a job], you have to really try hard to get it.”

From Shanghai to Halifax.  For Sisley, Halifax is where great things happen – in a small size.

Kelly Hennessey, ABC, is an accredited public relations writer and consultant.

You can find Kelly at http://ca.linkedin.com/in/kellyhennesseyabc or contact her at kelhennessey@ns.sympatico.ca

Seeing our City afresh

One of Halifax’s greatest challenges in the next decade is attracting and retaining highly skilled and educated talent. 

Over the past few years, the Partnership, in collaboration with many of you, has used its Halifax Connector Program to help immigrants and newcomers find their way to gainful and appropriate employment here in Halifax. 

This is the first of seven stories showing what you have made possible.

Halifax is a lot smaller than Atlanta, Georgia but Rita Wuebbeler likes the small town feel of this city and how easy it is to run into someone she knows.

“I am amazed at how accessible everyone in Halifax is,” says Rita.

Rita had built a successful international consulting business specializing in cultural competence building in Atlanta and immigrated to Halifax in 2009 to be able to marry her long-time partner, something not possible in Georgia.  Once here, she wanted to establish a Canadian subsidiary of her consulting business and found the Partnership’s Connector Program through her network of contacts via Cathy Jacob of Fire Inside Leadership.

“Cathy was the person who introduced me to Cindy Dean [Project Coordinator for the Connector Program], who in turn put me in touch with my personal ‘GHP connector’ Lynn Coveyduck, Executive Director of Junior Achievement. Lynn connected me to 3 other people right away,” says Rita.  One of them was Mike McMurray from NSBI who in turn connected her with Christine Smith, Foreign Affairs & International Trade Canada; Doug Phelan at ACOA and Bill Aasvangen and Sandy Gordon at the World Trade & Convention Centre, to name just a few. These connections led to many more in a very short amount of time.  Speed networking indeed.

“When I heard about the Connector Program, I thought, ‘this sounds great, but how much does it cost?’ It’s amazing that it’s free,” says Rita. “I thought I was in Paradise when people starting opening up their calendars to meet with me.  People here were unexpectedly generous.”

Rita has since developed an impressive network of professional contacts that has enabled her to host an international trade seminar at the World Trade Centre and other professional development programs throughout the city.

Rita first immigrated to the US from Germany 25 years ago. She’s well accustomed to North American culture so her learning curve is pretty flat compared to some newcomers.  But because she travels the world with her business, she sees Halifax through a fresh lens – and offers us new view, too.

“There is so much going on in Halifax,” says Rita.  “You have Bill Clinton at the Cunard Centre and the Queen of England, the Black-Eyed Peas, Paul McCartney and a Pow Wow on the Commons as well as the Canada Winter Games throughout the city and the province.”  It is impressive how quickly Rita can rhyme off these events.

“There’s an open and lively dialogue about the new convention centre and while I won’t publicly weigh in, this conversation leads me to believe you can make a difference here,” says Rita.  “I think it’s a vibrant city full of possibilities – and I am happy to be part of it.”

Now, thanks to Rita’s fresh perspective, we have a new view plane on the City for all to see.

Kelly Hennessey, ABC, is an accredited public relations writer and consultant.

You can find Kelly at http://ca.linkedin.com/in/kellyhennesseyabc or contact her at kelhennessey@ns.sympatico.ca

Immigrants Strengthen the Local Economy

I remember, when I first settled in Halifax as a permanent resident, someone mentioned that it would be great if Halifax had a more diverse flavour.... I  realized that this person meant the cultural flavour! Since I was new to the city I didn’t really have much to say in response. Today, after having lived in Halifax for several years, I would have something to say.. I would tell this person that Halifax is becoming more diverse, and is growing in flavours!

The next time you are in and around the downtown area look out for the increasing number of restaurants and cafes opened by immigrants from different parts of the world.  Let’s start with The Hamachi Group which now has several restaurants in the Halifax area.   Let’s then continue our tour to Pete’s Frootique with its cornucopia of food from the Caribbean, Asian and Middle Eastern countries and then of course from Pete’s home country of England. Are you feeling hungry?

Ok, then let’s walk over to B-Well Sushi Cafe located on Quinpool Ave for some Japanese cuisine at a Japanese-cafe-style.  If Haligonians want to experience something spicier with a Latin flavour then how about Cafe Aroma Latino on the corner of North and Agricola. Here you will find a good selection of traditional food from different Central and South American countries, and enjoy a delicious dish while listening to some salsa music. The flavour continues around the city with Greek, Lebanese, Brazilian, Jamaican, Turkish, Indian, Thai, Italian, Mexican and many other ethnic restaurants.

Aside from restaurants and cafés, immigrant entrepreneurs have also strengthened the city’s economy by offering a variety of services in sectors such as construction. Many of the properties in The Ravines of Bedford South were developed by Cresco which is owned by an immigrant. Other services offered by immigrants include: Cleaning Services, Accounting, Translation, Real State, Finance, Fashion, IT Service, Health, Tailor Service, Import/Export, Communications, Landscape, Photography, Beauty/Wellness, Transportation, Education and Automotive, among others.  Immigrant Settlement and Integration Services (ISIS) offers a business directory (currently being updated) that demonstrates the diverse range of immigrant owned businesses in Halifax and the rest of the province.

There is a common myth that immigrants take jobs from locals. The reality is very different and it’s time to dispel that myth. The more than 200 small and medium-sized businesses established in Halifax by immigrants demonstrate that immigrant entrepreneurs actually create jobs for themselves and locals. They make an enormous contribution to our economy and community every day and there are many stories that demonstrate this success.   

I am the Immigration Employer Support Coordinator at the Greater Halifax Partnership and if you are an immigrant entrepreneur and are considering bringing a family member from your home country to work in your business, you can contact me at mcasallas@greaterhalifax.com  I can provide you with all the information you need to start the process.

Margie Casallas

As a recent immigrant to Canada, Margie understands the unique skills and perspectives that immigrants bring to Nova Scotia. She has eight years of experience in the private sector and is currently doing an Executive MBA at Saint Mary’s University. Margie enjoys traveling and has experienced living in different countries.

RBC Supports Diversity

Guest blog post by: Glen Dormody, Regional Vice President, Metro Halifax, RBC

Last fall, I spoke at a conference for the Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers over at Mount Saint Vincent University.

They asked RBC to speak on the topic of diversity. It was a difficult topic to prepare for, simply for the fact that we have so many great things underway in our company right now in support of diversity.

But when I reflected on it, there were two things that stood out in my mind. First, having a focus on diversity is clearly the right thing to do. Second, it’s a smart thing to do from a business standpoint.

There are so many different ways to describe diversity. It can mean things like values and purpose, life experiences and perspectives. And certainly some people who have a diverse perspective in our community are new immigrants.

At RBC, we’ve been blessed with having some new immigrants as employees who have made a big contribution to our company.

One of these employees, Makafui Atloko, grew up in Ghana. He came to Canada for school.

After graduation, he went to a job fair at Pier 21 and I spoke with him about his experience joining RBC.

“I spoke to a few people at Pier 21 who told me about RBC and the opportunities they have for people with diverse backgrounds. When I first started, every employee I met was very forthcoming. They wanted to know about where I was from and what brought me here and they were all really welcoming. Initially I thought I was going to be out of place, especially with my accent and all that. But I wasn’t and I love it.”

Mak has excelled at RBC. In fact he is one of our top employees, not just in Halifax, but across the world, and was recently recognized at an international employee convention as a top performer.

The rewards of hiring immigrants are many. It creates a high performing workplace with a variety of ideas, cultures and languages. Furthermore, it helps make our clients more comfortable when someone is serving them in their own culture and language.

In my view, immigrants are individuals who have already surmounted a great deal simply by leaving their country and coming to a new one. As such they show a great propensity to adapt to change. They also bring a different perspective and a willingness to learn, which are incredible assets.

One of the challenges for our business is to continue searching for and developing an available pool of immigrant talent to draw from. We also need to do a better job of making conscious decisions to hire people with diverse backgrounds.

And we don’t want to stop at the employee experience. We serve a lot of customers in Metro Halifax, and we are driving hard to ensure a fantastic experience for new immigrants when they come to our branches to open accounts. To that effect, we’re designating one person in each of our branches as a diversity/immigrant expert. In many instances, our experts will have been immigrants themselves. We want our experts to be able to truly understand the new immigrant experience in order to better introduce banking in Canada and find the right solutions for their needs.

Truly, when you reflect on Halifax’s economy, many of those who have created opportunity in this community are immigrants themselves. It’s up to us and other businesses to support and facilitate the entry of the next generation of newcomers to greater Halifax. They will only make our community stronger!

For more information on how you can hire an immigrant, click here.

RBC partners with Greater Halifax Partnership on an awareness campaign promoting the benefits of hiring a newcomer.

Glen Dormody, RBC Regional Vice President

Glen Dormody is Regional Vice President, Metro Halifax at RBC. Glen understands Halifax's need for immigrants and he supports efforts to diversify our city.

FUSION Chair Connects, Engages & Inspires

Jennifer Berry, Chair of FUSION Halifax, sent the following e-mail to members and partners last week. Jennifer’s passion for and commitment to Halifax is evident in her words, and also her day-to-day work. Here’s what she had to say:

Hello all

I am writing to you today in my capacity as the 2010/2011 Chair of FUSION Halifax, to thank you for your support and to give you a quick FUSION update. For those I have not met, I welcome the opportunity to  meet and talk about all the wonderful things happening at FUSION Halifax. Please drop me a note to connect.

Now, just a little bit about me: I joined FUSION Halifax Board in 2009 and became Chair in November 2010. I was born here, left for a time and came back, because Halifax is my city, my home and the only place I really want to live. I believe we are extremely privileged to live here. I actually feel it is my responsibility to do whatever I can to make this a place where many more people will chose to live, work and stay. Being a leader in FUSION Halifax is a perfect way for me to do that work – enough about me.

I am extremely grateful to Peter Moorhouse, Alyson Queen, Cheryl Stewart and their teams for building FUSION Halifax into the inspirational organization that we are today. I am quite excited about adding our little piece to their legacy. My first four months as Chair have been both challenging and rewarding. I feel honoured and privileged to work alongside an incredible group of difference makers, within FUSION and in the broader community. Thank you for embracing the idea of FUSION Halifax, for believing that Halifax can be the most vibrant city in Canada, and for working together to make it happen! FUSION Halifax is growing rapidly and we are engaging more and more young people every day. We are counting on you to continue to connect, engage and inspire with us!

I have inserted an excerpt from our recent newsletter below. This is an overview of our top priorities for the year. We will, of course, work on other projects and events throughout the year, but these are the overall organizational priorities.

A few ways to keep in touch: subscribe to our newsletter, join us on Facebook and follow us on twitter at @FUSIONHalifax and please do get in touch to tell me your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. I look forward to connecting with all of you in some way in the coming months.

Warm Regards,

Jennifer

FUSION Halifax Priorities

Each year, FUSION’s Board of Directors sets priorities based on what we hear from our members and what we see happening in our community. We start by reviewing the feedback we receive through the Dream Wall where members share their vision for the city. This year, we also conducted a membership survey that provided members with the opportunity to rank the areas of focus.

FUSION’S 2010-2011 priorities are:

Making a Living in HRM – Supporting & Operating Local Business
Independent business, entrepreneurs and local talent are core to sustaining a strong community, healthy economy and vibrant downtown core.

Making a Living in HRM – Establishing a Career 
Regardless of your field, developing a rewarding and successful career and having access to the resources that can help you do it is a key ingredient to contributing to a strong, vibrant Halifax. 

Sustainable Transportation
Whether it’s walking trails, cycling paths, car sharing or transit systems, a range of transportation options will contribute to the sustainability of HRM.

Civic Engagement – Democratic Involvement
Being knowledgeable about government policy and direction at all levels is the first step in actively engaging in the issues that impact our city and region.

Civic Engagement – Volunteerism
Volunteerism and engagement is an important part of a healthy community and FUSION members have the talent and experience to contribute to a wide-range of community programs and initiatives.

Jennifer Berry is the Chair of FUSION Halifax. Learn more about her and her organization here. 

 

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.

SMU Celebrates International Students

By: Jackie Guo

The Greater Halifax Partnership’s immigration team was thrilled to attend Saint Mary’s 14th International Night, an annual sold-out event celebrating international culture and diversity on campus. We were proud to be a silver sponsor for this signature event showing our support to international students and promote multi-culture in the community.

 
The night started with international cuisines from all over the world, just to mention a few dishes that will get you mouth watering, we tried South African Quinoa, Chola curry, and Chinese beef noodles. The night continued with performances from 14 different countries and we were amazed by the colourful costumes, wonderful music and beautiful performances. A dazzling night of performances showed how much value international students bring to Saint Mary’s University.

 

Greater Halifax Partnership recognizes diversity that international students bring to the classroom and our community.  Halifax needs people to grow. Naturally, international students can be part of solution. Their international perspective, diversified background, bilingual or multi-lingual skills will benefit the economic growth of Halifax provided that they are successfully settle into our community. The Partnership’s International Student Connector Program does just that-expands international students’ network and increase their chances of employment in HRM. Currently the program connects international MBA students and Master of Finance students with businesses in HRM.

We look forward to attending again next year and we may even show them some of our moves.

For more information about the International Student Connector Program, please contact Jackie Guo (jguo@greaterhalifax.com). For more information about SMU's International Night, click here.

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.

Mayor's Welcoming Event - International MBA Students

Last Friday was all about connecting. Despite the almost painful freezing rain and roaring winds, those who attended the Mayor’s Welcoming Event last Friday saw the real results of the Connector Program. My role at the event wasn’t much more than snapping a few pictures, but I left with a new appreciation for the program and its participants. 

Mayor Peter Kelly gave welcoming remarks to the international MBA students who are now a part of the Connector Program. He stressed the fact that they are vital to Halifax’s successful future, and thanked them for choosing Halifax as their city of choice. Mr. Dick Miller, Chair of the Mayors Economic Advisory Committee with the Greater Halifax Partnership, also gave an inspiring address to the students and encouraged them to take advantage of networking opportunities.

  
The significance of the Connector Program resonated in me when a young lady from China told her story. Huijing He explained how the Connector Program helped her to secure a job at AEG Financial Services. She thanked Cindy and Jackie for setting her up with a business network and praised the program and the city for “making her dreams come true”.  She mentioned her plans to become a connector herself to help others have success stories like hers.

 
After talking to connectors and program participants, it was clear that these people want to stay in Halifax after graduation. These students and I connected on our shared passion for Halifax. I can’t imagine starting a life on the other side of world without having a business network and in many cases, my family or friends. Their commitment to a life in Halifax was inspiring.

My hat’s off to these students for taking a chance on our city, and this program for facilitating promising futures.

For more information about the Connector Program, click here.

For more pictures of Friday's event, click here.

 

Maeghan Murphy, Marketing & Communications Assistant

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.