FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 (SYDNEY, NS) – On Thursday, November 24th, Centre 200 in downtown Sydney will play host to the Island’s most ambitious and community-mind individuals when the third annual NextGen Vital Awards takes place.

The NextGen Leadership Society, in collaboration with the Cape Breton Partnership presents the third Annual Vital Awards to celebrate individuals between the ages of 16 – 40 who have made a significant impact in their community or workplace, as well as local employers who show a continued effort to give young people meaningful and professional work experience.

“Youth in our communities are playing an important role to help drive the economy forward and working to place Cape Breton and Mulgrave on the world’s stage in some cases,” commented Keith MacDonald, President and CEO, Cape Breton Partnership. “The people recognized through these awards will be among the Island’s future leaders.”

The Vital Awards will recognize excellence in the categories of Employer, Employee and Individual. To view a full list of the winners, please visit www.cbnextgen.com.

“When the call for nomination went out for this year’s Vital Awards, the response was fantastic,” commented Dawn Beaton, Co-Chair, NextGen Cape Breton Leadership Society. “We truly have some talented and motivated people on this Island and we are very excited to showcase them at the awards show.”

The mandate of NextGen Cape Breton is to engage young professionals across Cape Breton and the Mulgrave area in dialogue and inspire them to become more active in all aspects of the future of their communities.

“I have always believed that I had something to offer the world, but I never found myself in a place that recognized that, or gave me the opportunity I needed,” said Rory Andrew, Vital Award winner, Highland Arts Theatre Performer and writer. “After living in places like Georgia and Beijing, the best decision I ever made was to move back home to Cape Breton and receiving this award is added confirmation of that.”

The NextGen Leadership Society and the Cape Breton Partnership invite you to join them in celebrating at Centre 200 for the Vital Awards from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 24, 2016. Tickets can be purchased for $30.00 online or by phone at 902-562-0122.

For more information about the Vital Cape Breton Excellence Awards visit the NextGen Cape Breton website.

-30-

 

 Media Contacts:

Dawn Beaton

Co-Chair, NextGen Cape Breton Leadership Society

dawn@celtic-colours.com

902-562-6700

 

Keith MacDonald

President & CEO, Cape Breton Partnership

keith@capebretonpartnership.com

902-562-0122 (w) 902-565-8577 (c)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(SYDNEY, NS) – The NextGen Leadership Society in collaboration has teamed up with the Cape Breton Partnership to present the third annual Vital Cape Breton Excellence Awards on November 24, 2016 at Centre 200. The Vital Awards celebrate individuals between the ages of 16 – 40 who have made a significant impact in their community or workplace, as well as local employers who show a continued effort to give young people meaningful professional work experience. After receiving numerous deserving nominations the final list of talented and exceptional Vital Award winners has been released.

Vital Excellence – Employer Category

Vital Excellence – Employee Category

Vital Excellence – Individual Category

 

The NextGen Leadership Society and the Cape Breton Partnership invite you to join them in celebrating Cape Breton’s youth and their employers at Centre 200 for the Vital Awards from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, November 24, 2016. Tickets can be purchased for $30.00 online or by phone at 902-562-0122.

For more information about the Vital Cape Breton Excellence Awards visit the NextGen Cape Breton website.

Media Contacts:

Dawn Beaton

Chair, NextGen Cape Breton Leadership Society

dawn@celtic-colours.ca

902-595-0391

 

Keith MacDonald

President & CEO, Cape Breton Partnership

keith@capebretonpartnership.com

902-562-0122 (w) 902-565-8577 (c)

Crustaceans lead the way in Cape Breton’s seafood renaissance

By Evan Webster

The fishery is inextricably linked to Cape Breton history. A source of sustenance and livelihood, fishing is deeply woven through the fabric of the Island’s culture.

As an economic driver, the fishery has seen plenty of ups and downs over the decades. But in recent years Cape Breton has evolved into a world-leader when it comes to cultivating, processing and exporting top quality seafood.

“It is an amazing time to be in the industry right now, and who would have known back in ’91 when we were essentially shut down,” said Glen Fewer, a Manager at Louisbourg Seafoods. “That crisis was the driving force behind recent industry developments like new species, new products and new markets.”

According to a recent economic report from the Cape Breton Partnership, one in every 13 workers on the Island is employed by the fisheries sector. The industry as a whole has grown significantly as well, increasing in value by 81 per cent from 2010 to 2014.

In 2010, the Cape Breton fishery was worth about $120 million, with around 33.5 million tonnes of product flowing through the region. But in 2014, the fishery was worth nearly $218 million, with more than 41 million tonnes of product on the books.

Since the collapse of the groundfish stocks in the early 1990s, the top-three seafood products coming out of Cape Breton are snow crab, lobster and shrimp. Together, these three species account for 88     percent of the industry’s annual volume, and 95 per cent of the landed value.

Fewer called the fishery “absolutely booming,” crediting the recent success to the emergence of new Asian markets.

“At the end of the season, our freezers are empty,” he said. “Nowadays you can harvest something in Cape Breton and get it to China within 24 hours at a competitive price. It just opens the door to so many new markets, and a huge demand for new products.”

Adam Mugridge, a biologist with Louisbourg Seafoods, said aquaculture, research and product innovation have been huge for the Cape Breton fishery. Instead of just sticking to traditional products like cod, redfish and lobster, large companies in the region are exploring new horizons like mussels, sea cucumbers and varying species of crab.

“We are even harvesting seaweed now, which we just started last year,” he said. “It’s all about flexibility, and being able to work with a wide range of raw materials. That’s allowed us to break into a whole new world of consumers, especially in Asia.”

As the global demand for Cape Breton seafood goes up, so too are prices, which is no doubt benefitting every producer in the region. Osborne Burke, general manager of Victoria Co-op Fisheries, said improvements in technology have been the biggest factor when it comes to industry development and growth.

“It’s all about quality, and all the new technology really focuses on that,” he said. “Everything from catching and handling to storage has improved. For example, there is more storage capacity for live lobster and crab today than ever before, and mortality rates are far lower.  Our season ended on July 14, but our last load of live lobster was shipped on August 8. We also have our own trucking company, so we can ship the product fresh to our local customers.”

In addition to storage, Burke said processing technology has improved as well, allowing companies like his to process their catch locally and efficiently. He said this drives the local economy, and even benefits other sectors like tourism.

“We employ nearly half the population here in Victoria County. It is like that with a lot of the fish plants here in rural Cape Breton,” said Burke. “It used to be that we would ship our catch elsewhere, but now we can process locally and sell our finished product at a higher margin. We are looking at installing a new crab cooker that uses less water, for example. Technology developments like this allow us to make the most of our yearly catch.”

Looking forward

The seafood industry holds great economic potential for Cape Breton. The sector’s export and value numbers are expected to keep going up, primarily due to the rising demand in Asia.

“As the global markets open up, I think we are going to see more of an emphasis on quality, sustainability and innovation,” said Mugridge. “Companies will explore more niche markets with new products, our workforce will become more educated, and the long-term sustainability of our industry will be better understood. About 20 years ago, it was all about quantity over quality. Now it is the other way around, so we have to be able to give consumers what they want.”

Burke said companies in Cape Breton need to focus their marketing efforts and promote the local seafood industry on a global scale. International tariffs will be reduced once the Trans Pacific Partnership is finalized, but the Cape Breton seafood industry is not sitting around waiting for the ink to dry on that agreement.

“Now we are attending trade shows in places like Qingdao, Shanghai and Hong Kong,” he said. “I’m trying to take my company from a four-month operation to a ten month operation, which employs more people for a longer period of time. We have to start looking further down the road, and I think we have a lot of potential going forward as an industry.”

One of the biggest and most important opportunities for growth, Burke said, is in aquaculture. There are 120 active sites in Cape Breton right now, but there is  still a lot of room for improvement.

“There are a lot of under-used aquaculture sites, so there’s a lot of potential there too,” he said. “As an industry, we have to collaborate with scientists, researchers and engineers and figure out how to make the most out of our products in the long run. We deal with one of the best resources in the world, so we have to make sure we’re doing things right as the industry moves forward.”

Burke also said companies need to work together to ensure the long-term health of the local seafood industry. The competition is not just local anymore, so everyone has to contribute and make sure the world knows Cape Breton has a top-class fishery.

“It is all about community, and generating jobs here. Our product almost sells itself, because we focus

In 1966, Stuart MacLeod left a job in New Glasgow to come back to Sydney and work with his father. In just two short years after returning to Sydney, he ended up buying Stuart MacLeod Limited and claiming full ownership. “At that time I just had one employee and myself. Since then we have grown to 72 employees in just 50 years,” says Stuart.

The name you now recognize as MacLeod Lorway came to fruition when two family run businesses, Stuart MacLeod Limited and C.R. Lorway and Son joined forces to create the consolidated enterprise it is today. MacLeod Lorway can now be found in nine locations across Nova Scotia, six of those are within Cape Breton and Guysborough County and the company is celebrating its golden anniversary with 50 years in business.

MacLeod Lorway has built their success on one resolute philosophy of providing individualized attention to each customer. Based on this philosophy and their three pillars, which include coverage, care and commitment, Stuart says MacLeod Lorway is the insurance broker of choice because of their inclusion of that includes personal care, understanding and most importantly, support.

What sets MacLeod Lorway apart from its competitors is the connections made within the communities that they serve. Customers know they are speaking with real people that are the neighbors, friends and people they see every day. “We are a part of the community, that is what distinguishes us and keeps us top of mind when making insurance decisions,” explained Stuart.

That connection to the community is the foundation on which MacLeod Lorway was build. Their ongoing commitment to helping the people they serve and building stronger and safer places to live, work and play is why MacLeod Lorway is such a reliable community partner and sponsor.

MacLeod Lorway supports their employees and encourages them to take on the company’s philanthropic spirit and take pride in their own initiatives to become active members of their community. Employees are involved in causes like the Boys and Girls Club, ‘Adopt a Family’ during the Holiday Season and several employees have automatic payroll deductions that support the United Way. Every employee believes in the power of positive collaboration and communication and does their part to serve the community in which they reside.

In each of their nine offices across Nova Scotia, MacLeod Lorway contributes sponsorship funds to many local events, teams and fundraisers. Locally, MacLeod Lorway has supported big name causes like the Cape Breton Regional Hospital and its Cancer Centre, as well as Cape Breton University through multiple campaigns and fundraisers for scholarship and bursary endowments.

Stuart and the MacLeod Lorway team were also major contributors to the YMCA Building Fund, as well as major sponsors for the Race the Cape, Because You Care Cup, African Orthodox Church, Girls Night Out Fundraiser for the Transition House Foundation and the Snowmobile Ride for Dad in support of prostate cancer research.

“We believe in the power of the community and together we can do our part to make the place that we live a better and stronger place for people of all walks of life to live,” finished Stuart.

MacLeod Lorway’s strong community ties have given them the reputation they have been able to hold onto today and will continue to leverage their success for years to come.

PolyTech Windows and Doors Keeps Quality and Comfort at Home

Nestled quietly outside the small village of Baddeck, PolyTech Products Ltd have been manufacturing a superior quality product for clients across Atlantic Canada since 1988. PolyTech’s windows and doors offer you a European design that ensures you the utmost beauty, efficiency and performance for your home or office.

PolyTech’s European Style windows and doors are manufactured locally in Baddeck and shipped to residential and commercial clients across Nova Scotia and the rest of Atlantic Canada.  PolyTech’s windows combine contemporary beauty with easy operation, low maintenance and excellent ventilation, the unique mulit-point locking system ensures that the units are pulled tight to give maximum protection from water, air and noise infiltration.   Longevity is one of PolyTech’s number one priorities and to achieve their goal each window is custom manufactured so it fits right the first time and their windows are subject to testing that simulates 100 years of operation.

The European design and style of the windows and doors made by PolyTech are ideal for handling Cape Breton’s fluctuating climate. Their durability and efficiency of their products is what makes PolyTech so unique and gives them the ability to continue to offer the highest-quality Windows and Garden doors in Atlantic Canada.

Organization and teamwork are what keeps operations running smoothly at the Baddeck manufacturing facility. In 1995 the company had four fulltime employees and now there are 13 employees at the facility working both in the office and out on the floor. With the addition of more staff PolyTech is able to fulfil more custom orders and it allows production to continue effortlessly.

PolyTech has also made a concerted effort to adopt more environmentally friendly manufacturing process and recycles their waste whenever possible. Instead of throwing away the excess material that was been cut to shape and build custom windows and repurpose it to make profiles. The adoption of the green initiative has significantly reduced the waste being shipped out of the facility and given new life to otherwise useless materials.

Trends within the home building and commercial residence construction come and go more often the one might think. PolyTech has been working closely with a reliable team of architects, clients and Natural Resource Canada to stay on top of industry design and efficiency trends. For example, PolyTech has expanded their product line to include colored window exteriors so customers have options besides the traditional white borders. Another example is PolyTech’s recent addition of their True Entrance Door System that operates on the similar tilt and turn system as their widely popular windows.

PolyTech’s headquarters remains in Baddeck, but they have a secondary show room in Darmouth that was built to serve the Halifax, Bridgewater and Annapolis Valley areas of the province.

For more information about PolyTech visit their website at www.polytechproducts.com. Visitors are also welcome to stop into their showroom at 8819 Highway 105, Baddeck NS or 41 Williams Avenue, Burnside Industrial Park, Dartmouth.