SmartCity Blog

Turning Over a New LEAF

By Samantha Lodge

As 2013 is fast approaching, eco-friendly trends are on the rise. More people are recycling and conscious of their water and electric consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are down.

In Halifax many organization are using sustainable energy practices. One of those is Nova Scotia Power. NS Power has an environmental approach to energy which helps plan for a cleaner and greener community. Its building is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified and they are adding and increasing the use of cleaner sources of electricity including wind, hydro and tidal power. Today, about 17 per cent of the electricity we use every day in Nova Scotia comes from renewable energy sources.

In a recent episode of SmartCity we see one of their best practices in play when the show’s host, Craig Layton hops in the back seat of the all electric car the Nissan LEAF and goes for a ride with Eric Tomchuk, a meter for NS Power.

The Nissan LEAF is used “eight hours a day, every day” with meter readers like Eric. The award winning cars became a part of the NS Power team as part of the ShareReady program, and represents NS Power’s commitment to lessen the impact energy sources have on the environment.

Employees at NS Power are encouraged to take the LEAF home, take their family and friends for a ride, and see how it all works.

“If electric cars are going to come on the system we want to know how that’s going to work,” said Communications Specialist, Rob Wadden. “They want us to take it out and enjoy it. I have 3 and 5 year old sons and I took them out in the community – loved it! [I] drove it around [and] people [were] stopping and looking. [They] wanted to take a look to see if it had a tailpipe.”

With no tailpipe and no gas tank this car takes clean energy to a whole new level, even including a solar panel on the rear spoiler of the car so drivers can conserve more energy. A full charge can get the driver about 150 kilometres and costs approximately $1. With innovation like this I think it’s safe to say we’re a step closer to clean and cost effective energy consumption. 

But according to Robin McAdam, Executive Vice President, Strategic Business & Customer Services at NS Power it’s no wonder you’d see this car driving around Halifax. “This is a city that leads Canada in terms of environmental consciousness.”

And it shows! NS Power wasn’t the only company who saw the importance of getting into smart energy incentives. It is through the power of relationships with other local businesses that the ShareReady program is able to operate. When everyone from O’Reagan’s Nissan Halifax, Port of Halifax and Wilson’s fuels are partnering for the ShareReady program Halifax really lives up to the title of a smart and sustainable city.

 

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Author: Samantha Lodge

Samantha is the Communications and Marketing Assistant at the Greater Halifax Partnership. She moved from Newfoundland to Halifax to attend university, and ended up rekindling her love of the east coast. She feels that being close to the ocean in a city with so much excitement is the ideal situation – Halifax’s talented music scene is an added bonus!

In Case You Missed It: Oil and gas industry prepares for Shell exploration

By Mike MacKenzie

The prospects for Nova Scotia’s offshore oil and gas industry continue to be promising one week after Shell was awarded a $970m contract to explore four deepwater offshore parcels south of the province. In case you missed it, here are two stories from this past week that focus on the future of the industry and companies who are already positioning themselves to take advantage of exploration opportunities.

A report completed by the Nova Scotia Department of Energy has received industry praise for its comprehensive analysis of the province’s offshore potential. The report, entitled Play Fairway Analysis, estimates that Nova Scotia reserves of offshore oil and natural gas are three-times higher than previously thought, opening the door for further exploration into what could be a substantial opportunity for Nova Scotia’s oil and gas industry.

A 350-page document that took three years to complete, the report includes a level of comprehensive study and analysis that private companies themselves would often undertake before deciding to embark on a project, meaning that the province has removed much of the guesswork and many of the costs associated with exploratory drilling. And while the Department is currently selling its findings to major companies throughout the world, the report was anything but a solo effort: experts from Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s universities, the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the offshore regulator also contributed. Read more about the report and what it could mean for Nova Scotia.

A Dartmouth diving company is already suiting up in anticipation of potential work related to Shell’s contract. Dominion Diving Ltd. has made investments in both training and new equipment that can be used in locations up to 400 metres deep. Company president Matthew Lohnes also announced that the company is sending 15 employees skilled in robotics operation overseas for advanced training. Dominion currently employs 47 people, but Lohnes says that number could easily double if the company is successful in gaining work for Shell during the contract.  Other companies, including Helly Hansen Canada and Cherubini Metal Works Ltd., are also looking ahead to potential spinoffs and opportunities.  Read more about how Nova Scotia's oil and gas industry is positioning itself for success.

That’s what happened this week. So in case you missed it, you’re now in the know.

 

Author: Mike MacKenzie 

Mike is the Communications and Marketing Assistant with Greater Halifax Partnership, currently working as a Bachelor of Public Relations co-op student. A lover of all things communications and strategy related, Mike is often known to spend his free time analyzing the latest-and-greatest PR/advertising campaigns. As a relative newbie to the Halifax scene, he can also be seen strolling the streets of downtown looking for the next cool thing that the city has to offer.

Halifax Impresses Economic Experts

By: David Fleming

Halifax continues to receive positive endorsements from Canada’s economic experts.

On the heels of RBC’s 2013 provincial forecast upgrade (with Halifax being the epicentre of this growth) and Halifax’s unemployment rate dropping to its lowest rate since December 2008, CIBC has ranked Halifax 4^th (up from 7^th) out of 25 cities in its Metropolitan Economic Activity Index. While the city doesn’t lead any of the categories, it has a steady enough performance in all of them to boost its ranking.

In particular, the labour market has improved, boosting employment levels to their highest levels in history. This employment growth has been predominantly full-time work too, as the percentage of total employment that is full-time has crept above 80%. Furthermore, increases in housing starts and MLS sales show that the housing market in Halifax is seeing lots of action.

What is the takeaway from all of this good news? For me, it’s feeling confident about our economy. We saw stable growth throughout the recession, a feat few others can attest to. Now, we’re seeing more and more reasons to be confident in our economic future.

Why is confidence so important? Confidence is the lifeblood of the economy. With it, businesses invest and become more productive and consumers spend more liberally. There are a number of reasons to be confident in Nova Scotia’s short and long-term prospects. From Halifax Shipyard being Canada’s Shipbuilders for the next 30 years, to Shell bidding nearly $1 billion on exploration drilling off of southwest Nova Scotia, there are big things on the horizon. In the short term, the economy continues to grow, our population is on the rise and more people are finding jobs every day...and, in the enduring words of Randy Bachman, “you ain’t seen nothing yet.” 

 

Author: David Fleming

 David is the Junior Economist and Project Development Coordinator at the Greater Halifax Partnership. He studied Economics and Philosophy at the University of Prince Edward Island, and has experience working with private, public and non-profit organizations.