Cape Breton Partnership, Author at Cape Breton Partnership

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cape Breton, NS – The Cape Breton Partnership is pleased to announce, together with our partners at the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education and the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, that the 2021 Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium will be held virtually on Thursday, June 3, 2021 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m., using the platform Remo.

This year’s theme focuses on resiliency with a variety of topics including working to well, a story of workplace tragedy from Russell Claus from Threads of Life and many more. Through virtual networking opportunities and top speakers, participants gain a more well-rounded understanding of the training and safety planning needs of our local workforce and what is required to make Unama’ki – Cape Breton the safest and most efficient place to do business.

“While we still remain challenged by the global pandemic and the ability to host in-person events, safety in the workplace is critical at all times and even more so now. The Partnership is committed to making Cape Breton- Unama’ki not only the most creative and prosperous place on earth, but a safe place as well. We know this event will have a positive impact on the Island’s workforce and in our communities,” said Carla Arsenault, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership.

This year’s agenda promises to be both engaging and impactful, with speakers from Nova Scotia Health, Workers’ Compensation and keynote speaker, Dr. Jackie Kinley, MD, Founder & CEO of Air Institutes to name a few.

“For the last eight years, the Safety First in Cape Breton Symposium has provided an active and engaging event for safety advocates and champions in our community,” said Kelly Johnston-Noseworthy, Relationship Manager, Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. “Sharing safety best practices and opportunities for learning and networking remains top of mind for the Safety First committee and we are excited to share a virtual event with you on June 3, 2021.”

2021 Safety First in Cape Breton – Registration and Nominations are now open
Registration is now open, tickets are $45 + HST per person and include one half-day of learning and engaging about workplace health and safety. To register and view the full agenda, please visit Event Brite.

Nominations are now open for the 2021 Safety First in Cape Breton Awards, honouring individuals and businesses who are committed to the advancement of workplace health and safety in Cape Breton – Unama’ki.

There are six award categories, which include: recognitions for Youth Advocate, Engagement Ally, Outstanding Health & Safety Committee, Small Business Trailblazer, Safety Culture Champion and Innovation Expert.

To nominate an individual or organization who has gone above and beyond to make a difference in workplace health and safety, please fill out the nomination form. Nominations close Friday, May 14, 2021.

We would like to thank our event partners at Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Labour & Advanced Education, along with our sponsors at Marine Atlantic, METI, Safety Services Nova Scotia and Protocase.

Sponsorship opportunities are also available, to learn more about sponsorship, please visit the Safety First in Cape Breton website.

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Media contact:
Carly Appleton
Cape Breton Partnership
403-874-2267
carly@capebretonpartnership.com

About the Cape Breton Partnership:
The Cape Breton Partnership is Unama’ki – Cape Breton’s private sector-led economic development organization that supports companies and entrepreneurs by promoting our island as a great place to live and invest; growing a culture that values and celebrates creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship; and connecting entrepreneurs and companies to the resources they need to succeed. For more information, visit https://capebretonpartnership.com.

Cape Breton Island, NS – With the Cape Breton Partnership’s support, 16 creative sector organizations are launching a video campaign to advocate for the importance of arts and culture during the global pandemic and in its aftermath. The initiative is intended to spur public and political action that will protect the creative sector, which is still in critical need of support in order to overcome the impacts of COVID-19.

The advocacy video emphasizes the pandemic’s particularly devastating effect on arts and culture. Employment data from Statistics Canada shows that the creative sector is the furthest sector from recovery and the hardest hit throughout the pandemic. Many of the existing supports are not sufficient to meet the diverse needs of artists and creative organizations. While many sectors are entering a recovery period, the culture sector is still struggling to survive.

“Arts and culture are central to the identity of Unama’ki – Cape Breton, but the sector is vulnerable,” says Wesley Colford, Artistic and Executive Director of the Highland Arts Theatre. “So much of the livelihood of artists and creative organizations relies on in-person events, the gig economy, and other factors that have been upended because of the pandemic. Society is at risk of losing artists, cultural workers, and arts and culture organizations if we do not find innovative, sustainable ways to support the sector.”

The video, produced in collaboration with local businesses Novastream and Vibe Creative Group, provides examples of actions that individuals and governments can take to support the creative sector. ”We are encouraging our community to access services and products from local artists,” says Carla Arsenault, President and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “We hope they’ll participate in arts and culture events as they restart, and find other ways to support artists or cultural organizations.” The video also calls for government, at all levels, to think creatively in developing a path to long-term recovery and to establish new funding opportunities that will bolster the creative sector.

“If the creative sector as we know it is to survive, our governments need to work together and with the sector to develop a recovery plan,” says local performer and arts consultant, Joella Foulds. “There is an opportunity for the provincial and federal government to collaboratively discuss issues facing the sector and to develop programs and strategies in alignment with each other to protect arts and culture.”

The organizations involved in this advocacy work hope that Unama’ki – Cape Breton will choose to support arts and culture moving forward. People are encouraged to help in this campaign by sharing the video on social media platforms and in other formats to ensure the message is widely viewed by community members and government representatives. The video can be found here.

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Media contact:
Mark Inglis
Cape Breton Partnership
902-562-0122
mark@capebretonpartnership.com

Cape Breton, NS – Registration is now open for Building Construction Careers in Cape Breton, a virtual information series to engage the local workforce in major construction projects planned for Cape Breton -Unama’ki. The purpose of these sessions is to share information about the infrastructure projects and the potential employment/training opportunities in the construction industry with the job-seeking public.

“The Province of Nova Scotia is investing hundreds of millions of dollars through a number of upcoming infrastructure projects over the next several years, an unprecedented level of investment on our Island,” says Carla Arsenault, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “The opportunities that these projects represent to both the local business community and workforce are immense. Hundreds of Cape Bretoners will be able to build their construction sector careers due to these projects, kicking off a new era of development capabilities for Cape Breton – Unama’ki.”

Facilitated by the Cape Breton Partnership, the Building Construction Careers in Cape Breton information sessions will take place virtually and involve representatives from the session planning partners, including the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency, CBRM Health Care Redevelopment Project Team, and Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council.

“These sessions are part of a broader strategy to ensure people are informed about the opportunities these projects present,” says Trent Soholt, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council. “It is often challenging for job seekers to see how they fit into projects of this scale and these sessions aim to provide a forum for discussion so that individuals and communities are in the best possible position to make decisions about their employment prospects.”

Two sessions are currently scheduled for March 2021 with follow-up sessions being planned for future dates. Details on the March sessions are:

Thursday, March 11, 2021 (Part 1 Introductions) 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
This session will include an overview of the upcoming infrastructure projects for job-seekers, as well as introductory information for those who have not worked in construction before, have no trade experience, and/or no apprenticeship experience.

Tuesday, March 23 (Part 2 – Next Steps) 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
This session will include information on training and employment opportunities in the construction industry specific to the public Cape Breton Infrastructure projects for those who attended the first session, as well as work-ready individuals and job-seekers who may or may not already work in the trades, and/or those who already have experience with apprenticeship.

Registration is required for all sessions. To register, or to find out more on the sessions, please visit http://bit.ly/build-CB-careers or call 902-943-6740 (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

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Media contacts:
Jeremy Martell, Community Engagement Manager
Cape Breton Partnership
902-562-0122
Jeremy@capebretonpartnership.com

Trent Soholt, Executive Director
Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council
902-832-4761
tsoholt@nscsc.ca

About the Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council:
The Nova Scotia Construction Sector Council – Industrial-Commercial-Institutional (NSCSC-ICI), is a not for profit organization established to communicate and consult the construction sector, provincial and federal partners to identify areas of concern related to human resource planning and skills development within the sector. For more information, visit https://nscsc.ca.

Port Hawkesbury, NS – A housing survey, launched at the end of January in partnership with the Town of Port Hawkesbury and the Cape Breton Partnership, is aimed at addressing the town’s growing and changing housing needs. The survey has sparked strong resident interest and participation with more than 520 respondents to date.

The survey, which had more than 200 responses within the first 24 hours, seeks to engage current and future residents, and will provide valuable data for the Port Hawkesbury Town Council to share with potential investors and developers to inform housing developments in the future.

“Port Hawkesbury is a vibrant, progressive seaside town, located directly on the Strait of Canso’s ice-free deep-water port. We are a major service centre, with several amenities, including: recreation and education facilities, safe active transportation infrastructure – making our town walkable for all ages and abilities, well-connected residential and business zones and a newly revitalized main street,” said Brenda Chisholm-Beaton, Mayor of Port Hawkesbury. “We are a town on the move for many reasons. Not only are we an excellent place to live, we are perfectly positioned for business and industry growth with accessibility to roads, rail, air and port infrastructure. Housing is a major priority for the Port Hawkesbury Town Council and this survey will help inform decision-making around housing developments in the future.”

The survey is open to all current residents and those who may be interested in calling Port Hawkesbury home in the future. The survey asks a number of questions about housing style preferences, senior housing specifications, demographic information and more. The results will provide valuable insight into current housing needs, and will help inform decision making for future public and private housing developments.

“The Cape Breton Partnership’s role is to help foster economic prosperity on the Island, and housing needs and the economy go hand-in-hand,” says Carla Arsenault, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership. “In order for Cape Breton companies to grow, we need to have adequate housing for workers. The response rate we have seen so far shows that current and future residents see this as an opportunity to not only address housing needs, but to also grow their community and welcome newcomers, which will enable the local economy to thrive.”

Residents are encouraged to fill out the survey and share the survey with any friends or family who are interested in moving to the area in the future by April 21, 2021.

Once the survey closes in April, the Cape Breton Partnership will work with the Town of Port Hawkesbury to compile and analyze the data to share with housing stakeholders, the public, interested developers and investors by late spring to early summer.

The survey is available online, takes approximately nine minutes to complete and is open until April 21, 2021. The online survey is available at www.surveymonkey.com/r/PH-HousingSurvey. Paper copies are also available to residents at the Town of Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre at 606 Reeves St. Port Hawkesbury, NS.

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Media contact:
Mayor Brenda Chisholm-Beaton
902-302-9371
bchisholmbeaton@townofph.ca

The Town of Port Hawkesbury is located on the southwestern end of Cape Breton Island, on the north shore of the Strait of Canso in Inverness County. Positioned as the gateway to Cape Breton just minutes from the Canso Causeway, the town acts as a major service centre for the Strait area.

Mountain Biking is a lifestyle, sport, and healthy outlet. Mountain Biking is growing into a cornerstone of major economic growth in regions that are leveraging it properly. Communities all over the world are seeing economic and community revival, quality of health on the rise, and the influx of new faces bringing tourism dollars and a desire for quality experiences. Clustered communities featuring well-engineered Mountain Bike experiences will keep tourists and locals exploring, thus spreading their spending throughout the region.

In recognition of this, the Cape Breton Partnership, Municipality of the County of Victoria, and Destination Cape Breton engaged Shoreline Consulting Group to develop an action plan to attract a new tourism industry to Cape Breton based around mountain biking while designating Victoria County and Cape Breton Island as the Mountain Biking Capital of North America.

Click here to view or download the Cape Breton Mountain Bike Tourism Action Plan

Media Contact:
Mark Inglis
Cape Breton Partnership
902-562-0122
mark@capebretonpartnership.com