(Sydney, Nova Scotia) – The Cape Breton Partnership is searching for passionate leaders whose initiatives have contributed to the growth of Cape Breton Island’s economic prosperity. The Partnership has released an open call for the Economic Impact Award nominations of local business leaders who have made a substantial influence or contribution to Cape Breton, while advancing our region’s business climate. The Partnership will host the fifth edition of the Economic Impact Awards at their annual Investor Summit Gala Dinner on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at the Keltic Lodge at the Highlands.
The Economic Impact Awards honour individuals and organizations from multiple industries for their outstanding contributions to the economy. Award winners will be chosen based on their significant contribution to the Cape Breton economy through new investments, innovation, and entrepreneurial success. The selection committee’s decision will also take into consideration the nominees’ commitment to the region and the work they have accomplished that has had a positive impact on the economy during the past year.
“Membertou was honoured to receive an Impact Award from the Cape Breton Partnership. We are dedicated to fostering growth and prosperity for our island. The Impact Awards serve as motivation for businesses and individuals to keep pushing Cape Breton forward,” said Chief Terry Paul, of Membetou First Nations.
“Over the last four years, the Partnership has recognized several high quality leaders and organizations such as Victoria Co-op Fisheries, Dan Christmas, Annette Verschuren, and Big Bruce Brewing” said Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “There has been an entrepreneurial buzz around the island this year, so the Partnership is expecting a strong number of candidates will be nominated.”
Nomination forms may be completed online or downloaded from the Cape Breton Partnership’s website. Digital submissions of the nomination form may be sent by email to info@capebretonpartnership.com. The deadline for nominations is Friday, August 24, 2018 at 4p.m. Winners of the 2018 Economic Impact Awards will be announced close to the date of the Partnership’s annual Investor Summit in October.
The Cape Breton Partnership’s annual Investor Summit brings together over 200 business, community, and government leaders from across Nova Scotia to the Keltic Lodge at the Highlands. On October 4, 2018, Summit delegates will have the opportunity to network, celebrate innovation and establish new partnerships, collaborate, and develop solutions for issues facing local businesses.
Media Contact:
Stephanie MacLean
Innovation Officer
Cape Breton Partnership
stephanie@capebretonpartnership.com
902-562-0122
Originally posted by the Cape Breton Post.
A new program will help Cape Bretoners turn their creativity into their own business.
As part of the Creative Island initiative, the Cape Breton Partnership is teaming up with Mashup Lab — a Bridgewater-based organization that supports rural entrepreneurs — to bring the Dream Business Program to Cape Breton, for free, for the first time.
The program takes 10 people and their new business ideas through all the stages of turning their business dreams into a reality.
Click here to read the original post.
(CAPE BRETON, NS) – Do you dream of starting your own business? Of working for yourself? Of turning your creativity and ingenuity into your job? A new program will help scores of Cape Bretoners do just that.
As part of the Creative Island initiative, the Cape Breton Partnership is teaming up with Mashup Lab—a Bridgewater-based organization that supports rural entrepreneurs—to bring the Dream Business Program to Cape Breton, for free, for the first time.
Mashup Lab’s Dream Business Program takes ten people and their new business ideas through all the stages of turning their business dreams into a reality. The six-month program combines live online group sessions—which participants can access from anywhere they can get online—with 1-on-1 coaching and mentorship from experienced entrepreneurs. The half-way mark of the program is highlighted by a Celebration Night where participants present their fledgling businesses to a group of entrepreneurs and business experts. Upon completing the program, receive a “startup kit” of more than $5,000 worth of services—like accounting, sales, branding, and marketing—and as well as help navigating various support and funding opportunities beyond the program.
“There is one thing we know to be true: great ideas can come from anyone, anywhere” declares Andrew Button, Founder and CEO of Mashup Lab. “The Dream Business program is designed to match Cape Bretoners with the knowledge, tools, and expert advice they need to figure out if there is a great business to be built around their great idea.”
Thanks to the Creative Island initiative, Mashup Lab’s Dream Business Program will be run eight times over the next two years free for participants from Cape Breton communities. That means as many as 80 new businesses could be started around the island.
“Cape Breton has a lot of creative people with great ideas,” says Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “With the support through a program like Mashup Lab’s Dream Business Program, we’re confident more of that creativity can be turned into prosperity for communities around the island.”
The first free cohort of the program kicks off on September 11, and applications are open now. The program is open to anyone in Cape Breton with any kind of business idea at any stage of development, all they need is a business dream and a willingness to work on it. To apply or learn more about the Dream Business collaboration with Mashup Lab, visit www.thecreativeisland.com/dreambusiness.
Media Contact:
Stephanie MacLean
Innovation Officer
Cape Breton Partnership
902-562-0122
stephanie@capebretonpartnership.com
Nicole Knickle-Hatt
Communications
Mashup Lab
902-212-2562
nicole@mashuplab.ca
Background
About the Creative Island:
Creative Island is an initiative of the Cape Breton Partnership, with support from Cape Breton University and the Province of Nova Scotia, to transform Cape Breton into one of the most creative places on earth, and to use creativity and innovation as a means to enhance prosperity for the Island. Creative Island will help build a culture that values and supports creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Cape Breton, celebrates our rich creative heritage, and develops or supports programs, services, and spaces to help increase the innovative capacity of Cape Bretoners and Cape Breton companies.
About the Cape Breton Partnership:
The Cape Breton Partnership is Cape Breton’s private-sector led organization formed in 2004 to unite business, municipalities and communities across Cape Breton with the common goals of forging partnerships, capitalizing on opportunities, and building a stronger Cape Breton. The Cape Breton Partnership has close to 150 private sector investors representing a broad range of sector leaders in the Nova Scotian economy. The Cape Breton Partnership works closely with its investors, and community partners to offer economic projects and programs for all of Cape Breton Island.
About Mashup Lab:
Mashup Lab is a for-more-than-profit company focused on activating new businesses in rural communities. Every program and event we do is designed to give people the inspiration, courage, and knowledge needed to take action on their business ideas.
Sally Ross and Barbara Le Blanc gave a presentation on the History of the Acadians in Nova Scotia at the Kaqa’nata Multicultural and Diversity Summit in Wagmatcook. In order to cover four centuries succinctly, they worked together to ask and answer 15 basic historical questions. Barbara personalized the Acadian story by adding facts from her own family history.
Some of the questions were: Where was Acadie? Where does the name Acadie come from? What were the characteristics of the Acadian settlements? What were the implications of the deportations? What were and are the main challenges of Acadians in Nova Scotia?
Barbara is descended from Daniel Le Blanc and Françoise Gaudet, the first Le Blanc couple to settle in Port-Royal around 1640. Her direct ancestor, Bénonie was only five years old when he and his family were deported to Massachusetts. Several cousins were deported to Virginia, where they were refused and sent to England, becoming prisoners until the 1763 peace treaty. They were then shipped to France, where they lived for ten years. Eventually Bénonie and his Le Blanc cousins were among the founding families of the Chéticamp and Margaree areas of Cape Breton Island. Others settled in Isle Madame, Clare, Pubnico, and Pomquet.
Click here to read the full presentation – History of the Acadians in NS – ROSS + LE BLANC
Meet Bridget Benz.
Bridget Benz and her husband (Joe MacHoll) were on the hunt for a property in northern Germany for a couple of years back in 2005 with no success. During their internet search, a property grabbed their attention on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. At the time they had no clue where it was. They came for a visit in 2005 with the purpose of discovering what this place is all about. During that visit, they loved the island and bought the property.
Six years later in February of 2011, they moved permanently to Cape Breton Island and established two new businesses. One is a Bed & Breakfast run by herself called Fiddlers Lake, and the other is an IT Services Company run by her Husband called MacHoll.
When it was time for Bridget and her Husband to attain Canadian citizenship, they gave up their German passports/citizenship and became Canadians in 2015. When asked why did they stay in Cape Breton? Bridget’s response was “Cape Breton Island is one of the most beautiful places on earth :-)”
So we followed up with another question, what do you love about Cape Breton? Bridget’s response was “See my story ‘Caprena”. Caprena refers to Cape Breton and it is a story that was written as an assignment during her English class at YMCA’s YReach Settlement Program, and it is followed by a reference to a song written by Robert Felix Quinn called, ‘My love, Cape Breton (Caprena) and Me.’
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“This homework was not an easy to do. I started to think what it is really important in life. What changed my life, which persons effected my life and my thinking?
Besides my dad, the first thought which popped in mind was a very nice lady. Let’s call her Caprena. Caprena is not young anymore, but still alive. She is not that big. She is proud, full of inspiration and more than beautiful for her age.
I was first introduced to her in 2005. Back then I was not sure if I liked her. She was so different then the rest I knew. At that point I decided to wait what would happen to me when I was with her.
During the next years she showed me what life is all about. It’s not about the material things. It’s not important to have a lot of cars, big houses, a good job or some designer clothes to be happy. The easy things in life is what truly matters. Community, friends, satisfaction, nature, respect and acceptance. It was not new for me, I was raised that way, but it was buried somewhere, somehow in the passed.
Caprena opened me the way back into church once a week as a reminder not forget to be good in my little world. Therefore I met a lot of people and dipped deeper into the community. I learned that a lot of people here help each other, working as volunteers to bring in their knowledge and time or donate money to different organizations or people, no questions asked.
Furthermore Caprena wanted me to adopt her special lifestyle which was and still is a challenge for me. Be relaxed, stay calm, be patient. Do not rush, don’t be too picky and very important to know: use the word disappointment only if something is really, really, truly bad. I should never use this world slightly.
To sum up I fell in love with Caprena and still love her and guess what:
Robert Felix Quinn wrote a song about her:
My love, Cape Breton (Caprena) and Me…
Sing me a song of your hills
Of mountains and waters so still
A song that will speak of the magic of three
My love, Cape Breton and me
Teach me the ways of your land
Where power and peace go hand in hand
It’s all that I want in this life and it’s free
My love, Cape Breton and me
Always your rivers are calling to me
I hear the sound of sweet melody
When we’re apart and I feel so alone
Carry me home, carry me home
If my time could end perfectly
I know where I’d sant it to be
God’s gift of heaven would be made up of three
My love, Cape Breton and me
It’s all that I want in this life and it’s free
My love, Cape Breton and me