(CAPE
BRETON REGIONAL MUNICIPALITY, NS) – The Cape Breton Regional Municipality (CBRM) has introduced a
commercial tax incentive to promote downtown revitalization and business park
development.
In
September 2018, a CBRM tax incentive bylaw was adopted by Council to enable
commercial in prescribed areas time to become viable in a low-tax environment.
Following development or renovations , properties with an incremental tax
assessment growth over $100,000 are now eligible for up to ten years of tax
reductions, while incremental tax assessment growth of less than $100,000 are
now eligible for up to five years of tax reductions. Total tax reductions of up
to 50 per cent over the phase-in period are possible.
“The CBRM
is doing more to encourage more development in our downtowns and business
parks,” says Mayor Cecil Clarke, Cape Breton Regional Municipality. “This
commercial tax incentive is meant to attract new investment, support business
growth and ultimately grow our economy.”
The tax
incentive is a targeted initiative applying to prescribed areas in each of
CBRM’s historic downtowns; Sydney, Glace Bay, North Sydney, New Waterford,
Dominion, Sydney Mines, Whitney Pier, Louisbourg and three business parks;
Sydport, Habourside and Northside.
“The Cape
Breton Partnership is working with the Municipality to promote this incentive
and explain how it works,” says Carla Arsenault, Cape Breton Partnership
President & CEO. “Together we will be hosting roundtable discussions with
real estate and development professionals in the coming months to provide the
support they need to explore investing in our downtowns and business parks.”
Until recently, Nova Scotia municipalities were prohibited by legislation from providing tax incentives of any kind for commercial development. In 2016, the Nova Scotia government amended legislation to allow municipalities to phase in tax increases for new development in urban areas serviced by municipal water and sewer. The CBRM took immediate action, recognizing this legislative change as an important tool to incent economic development downtown cores and business parks. Following numerous public consultations in the drafting of the proposed by-law and associated zones, the Commercial Development District Improvement By-Law was approved by Council, receiving ministerial approval in December 2018.
SYDNEY: High school students from across Cape Breton, as well as Guysborough County, were given a golden opportunity recently.
On October 29, over 80 high school students and 30 business representatives from across Cape Breton met in Baddeck for the 2019 Business Youth Symposium.
Cape Breton Partnership President and CEO Carla Arsenault said participating Strait regional centre for education centre schools included Canso Academy, SAERC, Dalbrae Academy, Richmond Academy, and Cape Breton Highlands Academy.
Hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership – in collaboration with the Business Education Council and Nova Scotia Department of Education and Early Childhood Development – the symposium was a day-long event meant to make young people aware of the career opportunities in Cape Breton.
Symposium covered topics like work ethic, resumé skills and building a portfolio.
About 80 high school students had the opportunity to take part in a youth business symposium in Cape Breton on Tuesday.
The event, put on by the Cape Breton Partnership, aims to expand youth’s awareness of career opportunities on the island.
“I think most Cape Bretoners want to be able to find a career that they can enjoy and so they can choose to be home,” said Carla Arsenault, the Cape Breton Partnership’s president and CEO.
The symposium covered topics such as work ethic, resumé skills, building a portfolio and managing your online presence.
The youth business symposium aims to axpand awareness of career opportunities in Cape Breton. (Brent Kelloway/CBC)
Thirty business representatives from across Cape Breton also attended the event.
“I’m really encouraged to see the tremendous support from the private sector, companies and organizations coming out to support to encourage young people to stay here,” said Arsenault.
Heidi MacInnis, a human resources manager for Port Hawkesbury Paper, said youth are important to have in their workforce.
“They do bring a new perspective to things, a new way of doing things,” said MacInnis. “They’re a fresh set of eyes.”
Students listened to a number of panels and engaged in a roundtable discussion with business representatives to create connections with the organizations.
Grade 12 student Max Moeller said most youth are unaware of the career opportunities on the island because there aren’t enough resources.
Carla Arsenault, president and CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership, says she’s encouraged by the support from the private sector at the symposium. (Brent Kelloway/CBC)
“I think we need to be aware of the options that we have within Cape Breton, we need to think outside of the box and see the variety of options that we have as students coming out of school,” said Moeller, who attends Rankin School of the Narrows in Iona.
This was the third youth business symposium hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership.
(Baddeck, Cape Breton Island) – Over 80 high school students and 30 business representatives from across Cape Breton met in Baddeck today for the 2019 Business Youth Symposium.
Hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership, in
collaboration with the Business Education Council and Nova Scotia Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development, the 2019 Business Youth Symposium is
a day-long event meant to expand Cape Breton youth’s awareness about career
opportunities on the Island.
“When I was a high school student in Cape
Breton, the message was that once you graduated you would have to go off island
to further your education or career. I am happy to say that times are
changing and this is no longer the case,” says Carla Arsenault, Cape Breton
Partnership President & CEO. “There is tremendous opportunity in Cape
Breton for training, programming and establishing viable careers. Our
hope is that after attending the Symposium, the students are motivated to
explore post-grad options here at home.”
Through a number of panel and roundtable
discussions, networking opportunities and some healthy high school competitive
spirit, topics covered included strong work ethic, resume skills, attention to
detail, industry specific requirements, portfolio building, and managing your
online presence.
“For me today
was about thinking differently about what to do after I graduate,” says Max
Moller, Rankin School of the Narrows student. “Today I met some great people,
had a chance to network with companies and will be looking at how I can find
training and career options for me in Iona.”
For the Symposium to be a success, businesses
and government departments volunteer their time and expertise to talk about
what employers are looking for in future employees and the labour market. Those
represented during the 2019 Symposium included 45 Drives, Protocase, The
Canadian Armed Forces, Cabot Discovery Tours, Cabot Links, the Canadian
Coastguard College, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Cape Breton University,
the Centre for Distance Education, Common Good Solutions, East Coast Credit
Union, Island Employment, Learnability Cape Breton, MacLeod Lorway Insurance, Nova
Scotia Business Inc., Nova Scotia Community College, Parks Canada, Port
Hawkesbury Paper, Sara Rankin Creative, Securicy, Stantec, The Municipality of
the County of Victoria, Victoria County Creates, and Victoria Co-operative
Fisheries.
Youth retention is a priority for the Cape Breton Partnership; 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.
The Business Education Council was
established in 2015 to create a link between government and business leaders
and provide more positive and productive career exploration opportunities for
students. This includes career awareness and the promotion of entrepreneurship.
The council is made up of business leaders, entrepreneurs, government and
post-secondary representation, and education.
SYDNEY, N.S. — The Municipality of the County of Inverness and the Cape Breton Regional Enterprise Network are circulating a survey to gauge the housing needs in the community of Cheticamp.
The rural Acadian fishing village has a shortage of housing and the municipality is looking to encourage the build of new housing developments.
The survey asks questions about housing style preferences, renting versus purchasing, necessary senior housing specifications, how much rent people would be willing to pay, what should be included in the rent and demographic information.
The survey is targeted at both current Chéticamp residents and people who may be interested in living in the community or the surrounding area.
The data from the survey will be used to support the right kind of housing development for Chéticamp, according to a release issued Tuesday.
The municipality says the results will be valuable for both public and private housing projects. It’s anticipated that additional surveys will be developed for other Inverness County communities in the future.
The survey, which will be open until Oct. 31, 2019, is available in both French and English at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019CheticampHousingSurvey-web.
