In this first episode of the Welcome to Cape Breton podcast – we’ll meet Ankit Wadhwa and join in the celebrations that he and his friends organized for the annual Hindu festival called Navratri. We are all treaty people and many of us – indeed most of us – are settlers to Cape Breton. Graham Marshall joins the conversation with the perspective of those who have been welcoming people to these shores for centuries.

Welcome to Cape Breton is an evocative podcast of change, arrival, discovery and home. It examines the timeless notion – what is home? How do we define the oftentimes moving target known as home?

Your host Norma Jean MacPhee Zinck guides you on these adventures and discoveries. With 20 years as a journalist, her passion for Cape Breton – Unama’ki fuels this captivating podcast series.

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The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, delivered the 2023 State of the Province Address on January 27, 2023, at the Port of Sydney in Sydney, Nova Scotia. This luncheon event was co-hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership, Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, and Cape Breton University.

Video courtesy of NovaStream.

Cape Breton Island, NS – The Honourable Tim Houston, Premier of Nova Scotia, will deliver the 2023 State of the Province Address on January 27, 2023, at the Port of Sydney in Sydney, Nova Scotia. This luncheon event is co-hosted by the Cape Breton Partnership, Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, and Cape Breton University.

“Our members are excited to have the opportunity to hear directly from the Premier, for the first time in their own back yard, and we’re happy to be working with great local partners to make that happen,” says Jenna Lahey, CEO of the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

“We are proud to be working with our partners from across the Island to welcome Premier Houston to our region,” says Misty MacDonald, Executive Director of the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce. “There are many issues important to our members that will be discussed and we look forward to hearing from the Premier on what the Province has planned to further support our community.”

This will be Premier Houston’s first opportunity to present directly to Cape Breton – Unama’ki’s business community, touching on the Province of Nova Scotia’s priorities for the business community, and how the government is addressing the Province’s most pressing issues.

“We are looking forward to welcoming Premier Houston and his team to Cape Breton Island and hearing his government’s priorities for addressing the most imperative issues in our business community,” says CBU President and Vice-Chancellor David Dingwall.

Following Premier Houston’s address, he will be joined on stage by Tyler Mattheis, President & CEO of the Cape Breton Partnership, for a Question & Answer session.

“We are excited to be working with our friends and partners with both Chambers of Commerce and Cape Breton University to host Premier Houston for a great discussion on topics important to Cape Breton – Unama’ki’s residents and businesses,” says Tyler Mattheis.

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Media Contact:

Jeremy Martell, Director of Communications
Cape Breton Partnership
902-562-0122
Jeremy@capebretonpartnership.com

Cape Breton Island, NS – The Cape Breton Partnership, Sydney Credit Union, and Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce are proud to announce that the latest round of the Micro-Loan Program is now accepting applications from Female Entrepreneurs in Unama’ki – Cape Breton. With a focus on supporting the development and expansion of emerging businesses, as well as driving new employment opportunities, the program aims to empower local female entrepreneurs and remove barriers known to deter new businesses from getting started.

As in past rounds of the program, applications will be accepted from any eligible entrepreneurs that identify as female based in Cape Breton – Unama’ki. All financial aspects of the loan will be managed by Sydney Credit Union and each application will be evaluated and considered on a case-by-case basis, following Sydney Credit Union’s adjudication and due diligence process in making decisions to grant loans.

“We are pleased to enter into our third year working with the team at the Cape Breton Partnership for the Micro-Loan Program for Female Entrepreneurs,” said Carol Ripley, CEO of Sydney Credit Union. “Our commercial lending team is enthusiastic about welcoming new applicants from Cape Breton – Unama’ki into the program and providing them with financial assistance and advice.”  

In addition to coordinating the program and acting as first point of contact for interested entrepreneurs, the Partnership will also be providing applicants with access to mentors, programming, and additional resources to encourage the growth and success of new businesses started through the program. Some available services will include business planning, support for export, immigration, economic research, introductions to external subject-matter experts, and more. A combined 15 entrepreneurs successfully accessed micro-loan financing and the available entrepreneurial supports through the first two rounds of the program in 2021 and 2022.

“Having seen the enthusiasm of many past participants in the Micro-Loan Program, we are very excited to be partnering with the Sydney Credit Union again to help offer this significant opportunity for Cape Breton – Unama’ki local female entrepreneurs,” said Lan Zheng, CBRM Economic Development Officer employed by the Cape Breton Partnership. “We recognize that access to financing has traditionally been a barrier keeping many capable female entrepreneurs from pursuing their business plans, and this program is a great step in reducing that issue.”

Under the Micro-Loan Program, female entrepreneurs from across Cape Breton – Unama’ki will be eligible to apply for a loan of up to $10,000, offered at a low interest rate, with zero percent interest for the first six months. Participants in the program will also receive a one-year membership with the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce.

” The Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce is very excited to partner on this important initiative. Helping to remove barriers that women face when starting a business is key to ensuring we see more small businesses open across Cape Breton-Unama’ki,” said Jenna Lahey, Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We are looking forward to helping the recipients of these loans, with the Cape Breton Partnership, to access the supports they need in the business world in addition to the financial aspects.”

The program will initially be available for three months, tentatively available until March 31, 2023, and will be considered for extension based on interest received from applicants. For more information about the program, including how to apply, visit https://capebretonpartnership.com/initiatives/micro-lending-program/.

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Media contacts:

Jeremy Martell, Director of Communications
Cape Breton Partnership
902-631-5442
jeremy@capebretonpartnership.com

Pam Ellsworth, Community Relations & Marketing Manager
Sydney Credit Union
902-322-0030
pellsworth@sydneycreditunion.com

Source: https://huddle.today/2022/10/21/podcast-tyler-mattheis-on-the-economic-resurgence-of-cape-breton/

Since its heyday as an industrial powerhouse in the 1960s and 1970s, the region has struggled to reposition itself and that has led to slow but steady depopulation. Now, according to Mattheis, a new Cape Breton could be emerging leveraging key assets such as Cape Breton University and Sydney Port, new industries such as clean energy, and a significant increase in the number of newcomers moving to the Island.

Cape Breton is a test case for economic renewal in Atlantic Canada. Everyone should be paying attention.

You can listen to their conversation in the player above/below or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.

For more of the Insights Podcast, click here:

The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.

Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

Elevate is Cape Breton – Unama’ki’s business-focused publication brought to you by the Cape Breton Partnership. To evolve with our business audience, the publication has now moved from a print publication to fully online. Starting in 2022, our readers can expect to see Elevate articles appearing on both our website and on Saltwire.com.