Issue 59 – Fall 2014 - Black Business Initiative

issue
59
W I N T E R 2 014
Also in this issue:
 Social Enterprise
 IB&M Initiative- 25 Years
Investing
in the
Community
Good Advice for
Investing Wisely
 Successful Entrepreneurs
“A dynamic and vibrant Black presence within the Nova Scotia Business Community.”
On November 19, 2014, at the Adult Education and Workplace Awards,
the Black Business Initiative proudly accepted the Workplace Education
Ambassador award for fostering learning in the workplace. The award
was presented to BBI CEO, Michael Wyse by Labour and Advanced
Education Minister Kelly Regan. See Page 51 for more about BBI
Training Initiatives.
Stronger People,
Stronger Organization.
Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette is committed to building great companies.
In partnership with our clients, we strive to enhance the talent pool in our communities by providing exceptional recruitment,
career management and transition, and Human Resource consulting. By strengthening people we strengthen organizations
creating competitive advantages, improving performance and achieving business objectives.
With over 60 professionals located in Atlantic Canada, we have the people and services you need when you need stronger people.
Jeff Forbes, Vice-President and
Managing Partner, Executive Search
April Howe, Career Transition
and Management Practice Leader
Allyson England,
Consultant, Meridia
Micheline Daigle-LeBlanc,
Senior Consultant
kbrs.ca I meridiarecruitment.ca I 1.866.822.6022
Black 2 Business
is the official periodical of
The Black Business Initiative
Its goal is to support the
BBI as it fosters a dynamic and vibrant
Black presence within the Nova Scotia
Business Community.
For Advertising Information, Rates,
Submitting Story Ideas, Notices
or Community Events,
and for more Information,
call: 902-426-8683
Published by:
The Black Business Initiative
Editor in Chief:
Michael Wyse
Design & Layout:
Design North
Production by:
Mirabliss Media Productions
Cover Photographs:
Russell Wyse
The Black Business Initiative
Centennial Building
Suite 1201,1660 Hollis Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia
B3J 1V7
Phone: 902-426-8683
Fax: 902-426-8699
Toll Free: 1-888-664-9333
E-Mail: bbi@bbi.ns.ca
Web Site: www.bbi.ca
Message from the Chair
1
Message from the CEO
2
COVER STORY
Pay yourself first; Save now!
4
Investing in the Community...
5
Wait a minute—debt can be good? 8
Habitat for Humanity
9
Sustainable Social Enterprise
10
Social Enterprise On A Bus
11
Ann Divine
13
Scaling up
15
BBI’s On the Move
16
Carrington Construction
17
TRAILBLAZERS- Spiritual Leaders- Part 219
Why Invest in a CEDIF? 22
Jon/ Smith Taping
23
Marsha Haygood
25
Habiba Cooper Diallo 26
Indigenous Blacks & Mi’kmaq Initiative (IB&M) 27
People & Business on the Move
31
Andre Levingston
35
ASK AN EXPERT - Social Media
37
Renovator 101
40
OUT & ABOUT
45
REGIONAL SHOUT-OUTS
47
Preston Area Board of Trade
48
The 21inc Programs
49
BBI TRAINING
51
GEEK SPEAK - 3 Tech Trends
53
COMMUNITY & BUSINESS EVENTS55
Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail
Sales Agreement no. 0040026687
C O N TENT S
The Black Business Initiative (BBI)
is a province-wide business
development initiative committed
to fostering the growth of
businesses owned by members of
the Nova Scotia Black Community.
4
11
23
17
25
The BBI focuses on supporting
business starts, growth and
business attraction to Nova Scotia.
The BBI also places priority on
supporting Black owned firms
to improve productivity, invest
in strategic innovations and
enhance regional and global
competitiveness.
In 1996, the Government of
Canada and the Province of
Nova Scotia set up the BBI
to address the unique needs
confronting the Black business
community in Nova Scotia.
The BBI and its broad scope of
economic development activities
is currently funded by the
Atlantic Canada Opportunities
Agency (ACOA), the Nova Scotia
Department of Economic and Rural
Development and Tourism, project
funding, corporate donations,
fund-raising and commercial
activity initiated across BBI's
composite group of companies.
BBI Vision
A dynamic and vibrant Black
presence within the Nova Scotia
business community.
BBI Mission
35
40
To positively influence the Nova
Scotia business culture by
promoting and assisting in the
development of Nova Scotia Blackowned businesses.
2
...
Message from the Chair
I
t’s hard to believe that the
Black Business Initiative is fast
approaching its 20th year.
As an organization dedicated to making
a difference in the Black business
community across Nova Scotia, the
BBI has a strong mandate to positively
influence the Nova Scotia business
culture, which includes promoting and
assisting in the development of Nova
Scotia Black-owned business.
Messages
Cynthia Dorrington
Chair, BBI
As the new Chair of BBI, I am privileged
and honoured to sit in the seat of past
greats.
Hector Jacques the first Chair of the
organization, along with his team, set
the initial direction for this organization.
Barbara Manning, the first female Chair,
worked with her team to plant the seed
that has grown to what we know today
as the composite model.
The BBI Board along with the boards
of our composite group of companies
will collectively work towards building
a dynamic and vibrant black presence
within the Nova Scotia business
community.
A quote from Henry Ford states:
“Coming together is a beginning.
Keeping together is progress. Working
together is success.”
We’ve come together. We’ve stayed
together. Now we must continue to
work together as we strive for success.
Cynthia Dorrington
Chair, BBI
Our second female Chair, Cassandra
Dorrington, in collaboration with her
team, oversaw the implementation
of the governance structure of the
composite group of companies.
These are just a few examples of past
Chairs who, along with their team of
directors, have all contributed towards
the many achievements the BBI has
accomplished over the past 18 years.
As the eighth Chair of the BBI, I look
forward to working with my team of
board directors and staff led by Mike
Wyse, with a view of continuing to
chart the strategic direction of this
organization. You have our commitment
that we will continue to enhance
our relationships with stakeholders,
strengthen our partnerships, and define
strategic alliances that will aid us in
fulfilling on our mandate.
1
...
“Coming together
is a beginning.
Keeping together
is progress.
Working together is
success.” ~ Henry Ford
Message from the Chief Executive Officer
E
conomic indicators and analysts suggest Nova Scotia is
poised for enhanced economic prosperity. Let’s seize the opportunity
to participate and help grow our economy. I envision each Black-owned business as “living its potential” – enhanced
productivity, innovations and competitiveness, which support increased revenue, job creation and business growth.
Michael Wyse
CEO, BBI
BBI is working hard to see the Black
business community grow well beyond
the 300 or so businesses operating in
2014. At the same time, we need the
Black-owned business base to diversify
both regionally and by sector. We
also want to support more immigrants
of African descent to seize viable
economic opportunities to live, work
and prosper in Nova Scotia. We want
more firms to align with high growth
sectors and position themselves on the
leading edge of their chosen sectors.
BBI can’t do it alone. Along your
entrepreneurial journey, we want you
to step up and access the business
support services that make sense for
you. You need to take control and
engage stakeholders in dialog about
your needs, wants and desires.
Fact: there are more than 200 programs,
services and agencies focused on
supporting business success in Nova
Scotia. How many do you know about?
I have a challenge for every Black
business owner. Before the New Year, I
am asking you to set aside two hours to
attend one business-related networking
session and to make one phone call
asking “What’s out there to help me
achieve my business goals?” Invest
120 minutes toward your sustainability
and future growth. Networking is
essential to stay connected to the
broader business community. Look
towards your local Chamber of
Commerce, Community Business
Development Corporation (CBDC),
Immigrant Services Association of
Nova Scotia (ISANS), Entrepreneurs
with Disabilities Network, and BBI’s
Holiday Networking event at the Black
Cultural center.
Next, please make that phone call
seeking information on the range of
business initiatives available to support
your business success. Call your local
CBDC, Credit Union, Economic and
Rural Development and Tourism office,
the Center for Women in Business
or a Regional Business Development
Manager here at the BBI. These
agencies and many more are here to
help you and your business succeed.
You can make a difference! Be a
volunteer, mentor, coach or trainer.
Support a work placement. Be a sponsor
or support a fundraising activity. Be
an equity investor. Start a business.
Grow your business. Leave a legacy by
creating or contributing to a scholarship
fund. Establish a bequest contribution
to support future entrepreneurship
development and/or community
economic development efforts – it
takes a village – we each have value to
contribute to our collective economic
and community success!
As we enter this holiday season,
remember we are all consumers
– please buy local and support our
community!
We look forward to working with you
in 2015.
Michael Wyse
CEO, BBI
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Pay yourself first; Save now!
Leora Sherwood, CIBC Wood Gundy
Leora Sherwood is an Associate
Investment Advisor to Hans Himmelman at
CIBC Wood Gundy in downtown Halifax.
She’s been working with Hans and his
team since the spring of 2000. She began
her career in banking in 1990 and has been
in the financial services industry since
then. Her training includes completing
the Canadian Securities Course and she
holds the Professional Financial Planning
designation from the Canadian Securities
Institute.
consecutive year in recognition of
diversity programs supporting women,
members of visible minorities, Aboriginal
peoples, persons with disabilities, and
members of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual,
and transgender/transsexual (LGBT)
communities.”
Leora’s role in working with clients
includes asset management; research of
investment opportunities; and managing
client inquiries with regard to investment
advice.
She says everyone should have a “wealth
plan or a saving plan, for a number of
reasons”.
“I believe more people of color should
engage in wealth management,” she says.
I do know that CIBC is a good corporate
citizen with regard to diversity. “CIBC
has been recognized as one of Canada’s
Best Diversity Employers for 2014. The
bank received this award for the fourth
All people should be actively investing in
their retirement and wealth management
strategy, regardless of who they choose
as their investment advisor.
“Maybe you have a legacy goal and want
to ensure your children or grandchildren
don’t have the same struggles you did
and are afforded better opportunities for
their future.”
She says it’s important to plot your
retirement now and CIBC Wood Gundy
offers a full range of wealth advisory
services tailored to the client’s needs.
“We see people from all walks of life:
school teachers, widows, entrepreneurs
– large and small business owners and
we cater to the individual needs of each.”
Your initial meeting with Leora & Hans,
or one of their colleagues at CIBC Wood
Gundy in Halifax, consists of an hour to
an hour and a half introductory/discovery
session.
“We ask questions, listen to their needs
and assess what clients are looking for,
and what they currently have. We then
discuss what we (CIBC Wood Gundy)
have to offer and how we can work
together to help them achieve their goals.”
She says every person is different
and fees range based on needs but
all solutions revolve around these
three simple rules to investing:
Invest in quality; stay focused on
your objectives; and give it time.
“Time is your ally. The earlier you
begin to save, the better, the longer
you are invested in quality situations
the better your results,” she says.
In the business for more than a
decade, Leora says along with
seeing more people of color come
through her door, she’s hoping to
see more young people in her future.
“There’s a serious lack of education
for youth coming out of school
around financial matters. There
may be no government sponsored
retirement plans when today’s
graduates retire and if they’re
relying on those plans to fund their
retirement, they may be in for a rude
awakening.”
She says she’d love to see programs
or courses in schools on how to
manage day-to-day finances,
mortgages, credit cards, as well as
saving for both short and long term
financial goals.
If she could give one piece of
advice to everyone it would be
‘pay yourself first and start today’.
Leora can be reached at:
CIBC Wood Gundy
1969 Upper Water St., Suite 1801
Halifax, NS B3J 3R7
Ph: 902-420-6238
Email: leora.sherwood@cibc.ca
This information, including any opinion, is based on various sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy cannot
be guaranteed and is subject to change. CIBC and CIBC World Markets Inc., their affiliates, directors, officers and
employees may buy, sell, or hold a position in securities of a company mentioned herein, its affiliates or subsidiaries,
and may also perform financial advisory services, investment banking or other services for, or have lending or other
credit relationships with the same. CIBC World Markets Inc. and its representatives will receive sales commissions
and/or a spread between bid and ask prices if you purchase, sell or hold the securities referred to above. © CIBC
World Markets Inc. 2014. Clients are advised to seek advice regarding their particular circumstances from their
personal tax and legal advisors. Insurance services are available through CIBC Wood Gundy Financial Services Inc.
In Quebec, insurance services are available through CIBC Wood Gundy Financial Services (Quebec) Inc.
4
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Cover Story
Investing in
Community...
I
n the last few years we
have been hearing more
about various financial
planning and investment
programs. We have been told
that we may not be able to rely
on a Canada Pension Plan for
retirement in a few decades
and have read news stories
about organizational pension
plans not having enough
future funds to support an
aging population.
Steve Ash
5
...
In this issue, Black to Business introduces you to investment
professionals in the African Nova Scotian Community who
are available to help: pay yourself first and save now.
Leora Sherwood, CIBC Wood Gundy, is just one of several
investment professionals working in Nova Scotia from the
African Nova Scotian community. Another is Syd Collymore.
Growing up in single parent home, Syd knows how important
it is for families to plan for their future and that is something
he brings to his profession every day.
Collymore, a division director at Investors Group, says he
wishes his family knew about opportunities like the Home
Buyers’ Plan when he was growing up. It’s a program that
allows you to use your Registered Retirement Savings Plan
(RRSPs) for a down payment.
“I come from a single family home. I always say that had
there been someone like me in my mom’s life when I was
growing up, I am 100 percent sure that our circumstances
would have been different. We had the opportunity to buy a
home early on and didn’t. I don’t think [my mom] knew what
to do to get there,” says Collymore.
He says owning a home is a daunting and sometimes
Howard Williams
Syd Collymore
.
an impossible seeming prospect
for people but his role is to make it
accessible to his clients.
a small amount each month is doable
for most and every little bit helps along
the way to wealth management.
In an effort to help families like his
own, Collymore offers free seminars.
These include the Home Buyers’ Plan
sessions held in the North End and
Dartmouth libraries, as well as in
churches.
“Whether it’s seminars, events, [or]
personally going out and knocking on
doors, I have been there, hoping to
enact positive change.”
“The number one issue is debt. We offer
debt services, debt counselling, debt
consolidation and debt management,”
says Collymore.
One such event was Oil and Water,
held at the Neptune theatre. This
year, their charity events focused
on engaging different groups from
the African Nova Scotian community
to talk about the need for financial
education. Collymore’s firm presented
to the Nova Scotia Association of
Black Social Workers and the Black
Educators Association.
Collymore says people need to know
the difference between a Registered
Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and
a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) to
help manage their retirement. He says
Howard Williams, a financial consultant
at Investors Group, agrees that it is
important to focus on education and
empowerment. Like Leora Sherwood at
CIBC Wood Gundy, Williams is hoping
to focus more on youth and financial
literacy.
To that end, he is running sessions
through his firm that will reach students
and give them financial direction.
His goal is to offer the program in
communities with a large African Nova
Scotian population.
“This type of program is crucially
important, because so many young
people get out into the real world and
they make a number of mistakes before
they get it right. This program will,
hopefully, put them on the right road
from the beginning, so they can avoid a
lot of these pitfalls,” says Williams.
Syd Collymore agrees it is crucial to
start teaching financial skills early
on. “If we start early, go into schools
and teach kids about budgeting and
spending, you can impact the next
generation and change their mindset,”
he says.
Steve Ash, president of B&A and
Associates Insurance Agency says this
is particularly important, because the
ability to begin planning for your future
early on will ensure lower insurance
rates and more risk-management later.
“The best thing [you] can do is buy
things when you’re young and healthy,”
says Ash. “Insurance is all about risk,
so if you’re in good health, you buy it.”
Fred Perry
Ash suggests buying a house or a car
early because insurance will be less
expensive. If you are sick, or have
by: Emily Rendell-Watson
and Angela Johnson
a disability, there is the possibility of
“paying more insurance,” says Ash. By
investing in big items early on, insurance
is easily attainable which will diminish
the level of risk later on in life.
As an insurance broker, Ash is able to
provide his clients with the best rate
available.
“If someone is looking for a specific
type of policy, I can shop the market. I
normally have a contract with various
companies, and those I don’t have a
contract with I can still find out what
their rate is,” says Ash.
Ash hopes that more people will invest
in a Registered Education Savings
Plan (RESP). An RESP is a plan that is
"Everyone needs
a comprehensive
financial plan that
takes into account
investing,
insurance,
estate, cash
management,
and planning."
- Syd Collymore
Division Director, Investors Group
continued on page 7
6
...
Investing in the Community
continued from page 6
designed to save for a child’s postsecondary education, and offers taxdeferred investment growth as well
as government assistance. An RESP
can be used for courses other than
university, such as offered at the Nova
Scotia Community College.
“Even if the child decided not to go to
school, the [subscriber] to the plan can
transfer the RESP amount to another
child, or to the parent if they want to
go back to school. If nobody wants to
go to school, [it] can be transferred
to the parent’s Registered Retirement
Savings Plan; they just won’t get the
education bonus from the government.
The money will still be available
though,” says Ash.
Although he enjoys providing a range
of services, Ash says his forte is
selling life insurance. If a loved one
passes away, somebody has to take
care of the expenses, he says. There
are assets that need to be finalized,
and those assets can be supported
through life insurance.
Fred Perry of National Best Financial
Network also strongly believes that
people need life insurance for their
own well-being, along with several
other key financial pieces.
Perry says there are four main things
he does for his clients: budgeting,
structuring a financial plan that will
complete their dreams with no risk,
ensuring tax efficiency, and setting up
a program for unforeseen events.
“Every African Nova Scotian should
build a guaranteed foundation first,
where they are not losing money,”
says Perry.
He says he is building a base for his
client’s future. “All you have to do is
have one loss in a 10-year period, and
you’re playing catch up for the next 10
years.”
7
...
He says that one of the major challenges
facing those interested in investing
is being able to trust a financial
advisor. He argues that there are too
few recognizable Black faces that the
African Nova Scotian community can
go to. Perry says this is problematic
because in meeting with a financial
advisor, you are sharing everything
about your financial history and trust is
important.
“If the Black community needs advice,
they feel more comfortable asking
someone in the Black community,” says
Perry.
He says it is important advisors who
represent the African Nova Scotian
community are accessible.
Syd Collymore agrees. He says everyone
needs a comprehensive financial
plan that takes into account investing,
insurance, estate, cash management,
and planning.
“If the community is sound financially,
they will be more apt to participate in
provincial commerce,” says Collylmore.
The challenges facing the Black
community aren’t any different than
the challenges facing the rest of Nova
Scotia,” says Steve Ash. “Everybody
wants to talk about debt: how we
manage debt, cash flow management,
how we budget properly to enjoy today
and invest in tomorrow.”
All work for different firms and offer
varying programs, products and
services. All believe that encouraging
community members to enhance
investment activity, take care of their
retirement and attentively manage their
finances will go a long way in supporting
personal and community well-being and
in advancing sustainable prosperity in
Nova Scotia.
If you want high-calibre professional advice
on your wealth management strategy or a
second opinion, you now know who to call
– Pay yourself; Save now!
Contacts:
Syd Collymore,
Division Director
Investors Group
(902) 423-8294 Ext. 254
syd.collymore@investorsgroup.com
Howard Williams,
Financial Consultant
Investors Group
902 423-8294 ext 408 (work)
howard.williams@investorsgroup.com
Fred Perry.
National Best Financial Network
(902) 457-4826 (Home)
fred.perry@nbbn.ca
Steve Ash,
President
B&A and Associates Insurance Agency
(902) 835-0250 (Home)
steve.ash@aliantzinc.ca
"All people
should be actively
investing in
their retirement
and wealth
management
strategy,
regardless of who
they choose
as their investment
advisor."
- Leora Sherwood
CIBC Wood Gundy
Wait a minute—debt can be good?
Used wisely, taking on debt can
actually grow your business
by: Stephanie Holmes-Winton
indefinitely. Examples include mortgage
on your primary residence, mortgage on
a family cottage, and a car loan.
What is ugly debt?
Is there really such thing
as good debt? Well, it’s a little
more of a grey area rather than clear
cut black and white. That doesn’t mean
you should rush out and charge it, but
yes, some types of debt are not only
harmless but can also be beneficial.
While debt doesn’t always have to be
bad, there’s a big difference between
debt that hurts your business and debt
that can help it grow. No matter what,
borrowing or spending unconsciously is
bad for business.
What’s the difference between
good and bad debt?
Good debt is when you borrow for
an investment such as a property or
even your own business. Typically, as
long as you keep proper records and
the sequence of events is correct, the
interest on such liabilities can be tax
deductible. So not only do you save
yourself some tax pain but what you’ve
borrowed to invest in also has the
potential to grow. It’s a win/win, right?
It is—but beware of the temptation to
over leverage yourself when the tax
benefits and potential growth start to
sound pretty sweet.
Ugly debt is the kind you should avoid
at all costs—it’s the consumer debt
that happens when you consistently
spend more than you earn. Most of
the time ugly debt creates things like
credit card balances where you don’t
even remember what you spent all that
money on.
How do I know if I have good
debt?
Truly good debt has the following
criteria: the interest is tax deductible;
the debt is tied to an asset that has the
ability to grow in value; and you can
easily manage the carrying costs now
and in the future. Examples include
mortgage on a rental property, business
supplies carried temporarily on your
credit card, and an investment loan.
Meanwhile, bad debt is when you
borrow to invest in assets that create
no tax deductibility and that may or may
not grow. These types of debt can also
carry the risk of overspending because
they’re often created by emotionally
motivated purchases like buying a car
or a home. While many of the items you
purchase that result in bad debt are
necessities of life, this is the kind of
debt you want to get rid of quickly and
do your best to avoid in the future.
Truly bad debt has the following criteria:
the interest isn’t tax deductible; the
debt may or may not be tied to an
asset that could grow in value; and you
may be able to manage the payments
now but wouldn’t want to carry them
Truly ugly debt has the following criteria:
the interest isn’t tax deductible; the
debt isn’t tied to any asset and is mostly
the result of consumption; whether you
can manage the payments or not, it’s an
unnecessary drain on your cash flow;
and the interest rate is usually in the
double digits. Examples are personal
credit card debts, payday loans, and
department-store card balances.
Debt is a powerful tool. Don’t fear it—
instead, learn how to use it. We don’t
build our homes these days using a
hand saw for a reason (it’s inefficient).
Think of your debts as financial power
tools, read the instructions, measure
twice and cut once, and make sure you
use safety gear. Final words to the wise:
Be deliberate and disciplined with the
good, work to get rid of the bad, and
completely avoid the ugly.
Stephanie Holmes-Winton is a Halifax-based
financial services educator, speaker, and
author specializing in cash-flow planning.
You can find her at www.themoneyfinder.
ca. Send finance-related questions for
Stephanie to editorial@progressmedia.ca.
Originally published in Vol. 21 No.5 of
Progress Magazine. Reprinted with
permission.
8
...
Habitat for Humanity:
builds first home in East Preston
by: Denise Fawthrop, Manager,
Stakeholder Relations
and Marketing,
Habitat for Humanity NS
Lou Gannon
Tiffany Brooks (center-black top) soon to be the new owner of the first Habitat for Humanity build in the Prestons, pictured here along with sisters Marina (her
immediate right) & Wanda Brook (far left) and friends Samteen Smith (immediate left) & Falon McNamara (far right). They joined her on Oct. 25/14 to help paint
the interior of her new home. Also in the photo are Kerry Johnston (far right) and Rodger Smith (center rear) of the Black Business Initiative together with
Charity Carr (in front of Kerry) of Habitat for Humanity.
Tiffany Brooks lives with her
two children in her parents’ home where
the five of them share three bedrooms.
She dreamed of a home of her own, a
safe place to raise Tahara, (13) and, now
also, Tiffany’s new addition, Tavian (1).
This December (2014) Tiffany and her
children will realize that dream, thanks
to Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia
(HFHNS) and the hundreds of volunteers
who have contributed their time and
effort to help with construction of her
new home. It sits on a hill on Upper
Governor Street in the community of
East Preston, the first ever Habitat home
to be built in the Prestons. Standing on
the upper floor, you can see a small slice
of the ocean on the distant horizon.
Housing Nova Scotia donated the land,
one of two lots given to HFHNS to assist
with their home ownership program
in East Preston. Land donations are
an essential part of the success of the
Habitat model.
9
...
Tiffany has a certificate in early
childhood development and works
at the local daycare centre in East
Preston. She hopes to have the
opportunity to continue upgrading her
skills and engage in meaningful ways
to give back to the community where
she lives and works. She was selected
out of many applicants who come
through an arm’s length volunteer
selection committee that decides
which families qualify for a HFHNS
home. Partner families are selected
based on their level of need, their
ability to repay a no interest no down
payment mortgage, as well as their
willingness to partner with HFHNS by
fulfilling 500 hours of sweat equity for
the organization. All partner families
must have a stable income in order to
repay their mortgages.
HFHNS knows that children who grow
up in safe, decent and affordable
homes of their own will perform
better academically and have better
health outcomes. They are better
able to participate in their community
activities and after school programs.
Tiffany and her family’s home are
sponsored by the Source Canada.
Without the help of sponsor funding,
donor materials and volunteer labour,
the HFHNS program would not be able
to bring the dream of home ownership
to Nova Scotia families.
At Habitat for Humanity Nova Scotia,
we are dedicated to families like
Tiffany’s and hope for the best future
possible for all of our Nova Scotia
partner families.
The Black Business Initiative
is proud to partner with Habitat for
Humanity Nova Scotia. We signed
MOUs at BBI’s AGM in June 2014 to
encourage community and business
development for the Preston Area and
for the Black Communities of Nova
Scotia.
BBI staff members Kerry Johnston, Ed
Matwawana and Rodger Smith, worked
tirelessly to ensure the project moved
forward. They also volunteered and
hammered and nailed with coworkers
Russell Wyse and Njabulo Nkala
alongside community member Glenn
Beals on this memorable build.
Sustainable Social
Enterprise - An Overview
Created to further a social purpose
in a financially sustainable way,
social enterprises are vital to
today's societal landscape.
Dynamic and sustainable social
enterprises make a major
contribution to a stronger economy
while upholding an important
sense of responsibility to society,
as revenues are reinvested to
advance a social, economic or
environmental mission.
Sustainable social enterprise is
more important than ever as we
face unprecedented economic,
environmental,
social
and
environmental challenges. They
can be non-profits, for profits and
entrepreneurs who understand the
importance of creating a business
to spur societal shifts in long-term
Hope Blooms
unemployment, gaps in healthcare,
environmental responsibility, and
cultural challenges. Ranging from
small, community-owned shops to
larger organizations equipped to win
multi-million dollar contracts, social
enterprises create jobs and revenue
that bring positive social impact to
their communities. In Nova Scotia,
Hope Blooms is a shining example of
social enterprise at its best.
Hindsight Infrared
Services Inc.
BBI extends sincere thanks to Source
Canada, Spencer Colley of the East
Preston Ratepayers Association, MLA
Keith Colwell and Dolly Williams,
Chair of the Preston Area Housing Fund
for working together to ensure land
acquisition, fundraising and community
involvement led to the completion of
this successful Project. It is with great
pride within the Black community, to
see this project competed before the
holiday season.
Charles Adams, President/Owner
Certified Energy Advisor
Certified Thermographer
Certified Building Official
T: (902) 869-0203
C: (902) 237-0908
hindsightinfrared@me.com
www.hindsightinfraredservicesinc.com
Energy Efficiency Through Infrared
10
...
Rodney Small
“The value in running a social
enterprise in the community was
apparent from the very beginning of
this program,” says Rodney Small,
Program Coordinator. “The support and
collaboration of community leaders
and business owners, the commitment
of the participants, the expertise of the
qualified facilitators and the financial
support of funders, paved the road to
success for this program.”
Program sponsors include the Halifax
United Way, Capital One, Black
Business Initiative (BBI), Common
Good Solutions, and McInnes Cooper.
The economic and social future of HRM’s Black communities is the
focus of a new program for up-and-coming community leaders. In
October, five young people, identified within their communities
as youth leaders, spent a week in an intensive, customized social
enterprise training program offered by the Black Business Initiative
(BBI). Dubbed “Business on a Bus” (BOB), this
program develops and implements a business venture designed to
have both a positive economic and social impact in the community.
Malik Beals
Stay tuned: Black to Business will
follow their social enterprise journey
in future issues of B2B.
11
...
“Collaboration is at the forefront of
every social enterprise,” says Small.
“Bringing youth together from different
communities at a time when our youth
carry animosity for each other based on
where they “represent” is so important.
I am more than proud to facilitate
relationships between communities
and their future leaders to allow them to
express their concerns from a practical
perspective.”
Days one and two formally introduced
participants to social enterprise. On
day three, Channing Davis, Beechville;
Malik Beals, Cherry Brook; Matthew
Thomas, East Preston; Quintel Provo,
North Preston and Unique Jones,
Uniacke Square, toured all communities
by bus. As they travelled through
familiar roads and those some had never
seen before, each gave a talk about
their respective community. By the
end of the tour, they discovered many
similar social and financial challenges,
assets and opportunities among their
communities.
Channing Davis
advice of the panel, participants will
continue to share their learning and
experiences with each other. They will
continue training, under the guidance
of mentors, and spend the next four
months (November 2014-March 2015),
developing and refining a social
enterprise that will benefit the Black
community as a whole.
“After seeing other communities
suffering from the same issues (as
mine), I felt part of it was because
of the lack of togetherness in these
communities. Us, working together, is
symbolic of the future I envision.”
– Channing Davis, Beechville.
Davis says, “The program is beneficial
to our communities because it can
enable people in the communities to
become leaders and create their own
businesses by providing them with
tools and an opportunity.”
“Social enterprises harness the
power of entrepreneurship, innovation
and public good. They play a vibrant
and creative role in addressing the
challenges faced by many local
communities. They are a significant
contributor to the economy, to
community vitality and to the wellbeing of many individuals.
For
decades, social enterprises have been
doing the “how” of the Ivany Report” –
local people coming together to solve
their own problems or maximize an
opportunity that accrues benefits to the
community. And they have been doing
so with little fanfare.
Community role model, Sobaz Benjamin,
spent every day filming the program.
Joseph Nyemah
Sobaz Benjamin
“I was privileged to witness these
young people rediscover, and for
some, I am sure, discover for the first
time not only what it means to be an
entrepreneur but what it means to be
African Nova Scotian,” says Benjamin.
“I am convinced that as these young
men make sense of their life story,
there will be a before BOB and after
BOB milestone. In short, I think the
experience will change their lives. The
alchemy of BOB will be long ranging
and significant.”
Days four through six involved
developing the social enterprise and
presenting it to a panel at the law
firm of McInnes Cooper. Taking the
Dianne Kelderman
“As a government employee, working
with private business owners and
social entrepreneurs in Nova Scotia
has become a philosophical learning
path for me. I recently concluded that
private business owners approach
business development with the human
mind – logical and methodical about
profit making. Social enterprise
owners, in addition, approach business
development with the human heart –
emotional and passionate about how to
use their profit.”
Joseph Nyemah
Nova Scotia Economic and
Rural Development and Tourism
www.novascotia.ca/econ/
The Nova Scotia Co-operative Council
has been hosting an annual social
enterprise competition to encourage,
support and stimulate the social
enterprise sector. Last year we had 29
applications - a terrific indication of the
level of activity across the Province. We
hope to have an even greater number
this year. From the Lisa T Café in Digby
County, to Community Carrot Co-op and
Hope Blooms in Halifax, to The Strait
Area Transit Co-operative – the social
enterprise sector is robust and meeting
important community needs.
The Nova Scotia Co-operative Council,
along with our credit union partners,
is very pleased to provide financial,
planning & mentoring support to the
social enterprise sector.”
Dianne Kelderman
President & CEO
Nova Scotia Co-operative Council
www.novascotia.coop
12
...
by: Sherri Borden Colley
Ann Divine
Empowers Women of Colour
Cyndi Cain
nn Divine has served as an adviser to government, academic institutions,
businesses and communities.
Now she’s focused on helping black and immigrant women grow
businesses in Nova Scotia.
As an entrepreneur and a mentor,
through her home-based business
Ashanti Leadership and Professional
Development
Services,
which
she founded in 2011, Divine strives
to empower women of colour to
accomplish their personal goals.
In partnership with the Black
Business Initiative and the Labour
13
...
and Advanced Education Department,
she recently led a business cohort for
women’s leadership training program.
Nine black women successfully
completed the five-week program.
“We’ve all got small businesses at home
but nobody knows about (them),” she said.
To help change that, Divine has
received support from the Black
Business Initiative, Greater Halifax
Partnership, Halifax Chamber of
Commerce, Centre for Women in
Business and Maritime Museum of the
Atlantic to host a series of networking
initiatives to bring women of colour to
various business events in Halifax.
“The point is if we turn up as groups,
then we are there to support each
other,” she said.
Adrien Veczan
Divine’s expertise in the areas of
leadership development, strategic
management,
human
rights,
employment equity and conflict
resolution have been recognized
nationally and internationally.
The mother of three adult children
hails from a family of successful role
models. Her aunts and uncles worked
as doctors, one was a university
professor and another a minister. Her
mother was a nurse and her father an
engineer.
“And I was raised to believe that
education was the key to our success
in the world,” she said.
“When we as children would come
home, even though we were young
— five, six, seven, eight, nine —
my uncle used to host what was
known as evening classes, night
school, where he taught us how to
spell words like Philadelphia and
Mississippi and whatever knowledge
he had, he transferred that to us as
young people.
“I look back and I think to myself as a
young child you don’t fully understand
or you don’t know, but when I look
back on that, I (realize) they were
instilling in us the values and sense
of pride.”
Divine, a native of Guyana, was raised
in London, England. She moved to
Halifax from the United Kingdom in
2004 when her husband, Prof. David
Divine, was appointed Dalhousie
University’s James R. Johnston Chair
in Black Canadian Studies.
Before coming to Canada, the former
social worker worked as a probation
officer and ran the largest bail
and probation hostel in the United
Kingdom.
In July, she left her position as
manager for race relations, equity
and inclusion with the Nova Scotia
Human Rights Commission.
After seven years in that position,
she decided it was time to pursue her
true calling — to champion the cause
of women of colour who are absent
from the decision-making table in
government and business.
“I still do feel quite sad that having
left government, we don’t have a
black deputy minister; we may have
one or two directors, I’m not sure,”
she said in a recent interview.
“We are living in 2014. We have
had people of colour coming to
Nova Scotia as immigrants and we
have people who have lived in Nova
Scotia … since the 1600s … so why
then don’t we have people who are
representative. In my opinion, it’s a
crying shame on all of us as Nova
Scotians because we have failed
each other.”
Divine holds a master’s degree in
human resource management, a
bachelor of arts in sociology and a
postgraduate diploma in social work.
As well, she is certified in human
rights education and training.
In March, Divine, also founder of
continued on
page 9
the Black and Immigrant
Women
Businesses Networking Group, and
fellow business owner Louise Adongo
co-ordinated the first International
Women’s Day event in Halifax to
celebrate black and immigrant women
in business and to encourage more
women to get involved in the business
world.
Plans are already underway to
host a second International
Women’s Day event — a business
expo — on March 8, 2015, at the
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic.
Originally published in the October 16, 2014
issue of The Chronicle Herald. Reprinted
with permission.
14
...
Scaling up
Want to become a high-growth gazelle? It isn’t about
long hours or doing everything alone
by: Michael DeVenney
Hype it, hock
it, and move
on doesn’t
lead to
companies
that have
sustained
returns for
everyone
involved
Growth clearly matters
in business, but it can be elusive. It can
also be fleeting. Despite knowing the
power of gazelles, we continue to be
distracted with start-ups, enthusiastic
pitching, and chasing capital. If we want
to shift our competitive success, we
must place more emphasis on helping
both new and existing companies
establish the right conditions to become
high-growth companies.
It shouldn’t be surprising that consistent
growth is more about a system than
sales. Achieving high growth is the
result of excellence in technology,
management teams, and the ability to
execute a strategy. Unfortunately, we
tend to focus on technology, when it’s
actually management and strategy that
have the greatest impact. Those factors
explain roughly 85% of the growth
differential in companies.
Treating your business as a system
of people and processes is the secret
to building a high-growth company.
Brilliant products are a dime a
dozen and frequently fleeting. But
entrepreneurs who invest in a strong
management process and focus on
strategic execution through people are
leaders.
15
...
Entrepreneurs are responsible for
capturing opportunities and creating
the environment for their business
to successfully capitalize on those
opportunities. Becoming a gazelle
isn’t about working the hardest or the
longest hours or trying to do everything
alone. Responsible entrepreneurs
must invest time to understand their
business systems and establish the
right processes so other members of
the team can perform and execute with
excellence.
I’m uncomfortable with the perspective
on entrepreneurship that’s prevalent
in today’s market. Hype it, hock it, and
move on doesn’t lead to high-growth
companies that have sustained returns
for everyone involved. We must shift to
viewing entrepreneurism as creating
innovative businesses that last well
beyond the first exit ramp and into the
future.
We can be distracted by high-tech and
quick money while losing sight of what
entrepreneurism can and should be: the
backbone of a vibrant and competitive
economy. Pitching ideas and chasing
capital hasn’t had an impact on the
number of high-growth companies.
Statistics from markets throughout
the world support this. The start-up
game may be entertaining but it’s
not productive. We must change our
approach if we want to get different
results.
Entrepreneurs are more critical to the
economy than ever. More important,
we need entrepreneurs who aren’t
focused on “cash and carry” but on
building sustainable businesses.
They must ground their business in
an understanding of their customers
while providing value for them. From
there, they must map their system to
better understand how the processes
fit together. They require a model and
strategy to work that system at a profit.
Since cash flow is critical to building a
business, entrepreneurs must manage
their money more effectively.
Building processes and managing
people may not sound as exciting as
building product prototypes or pitching
for dollars. However, if we want more
high-growth companies that will change
the prosperity of our region, effective
business management will win every
time.
What are gazelles?
Gazelles are companies that grow 20%
annually in both revenues and jobs for
at least four consecutive years. They
comprise only around 4% of global
businesses yet contribute many more
times the economic and employment
growth of other companies. The share
of businesses that make the grade
for 10 straight years is less than 1%.
This elite group has an even greater
impact.
Originally published in Vol. 21 No.5 of
Progress Magazine. Reprinted with
permission.
BBI’s On the Move
2014 year to date
Metal Fabrication Prep 101
CBDC Blue Water
Students in Business
Program (SIB)
This program assists students
between the ages of 15 and 34
who wish to explore the world of
entrepreneurship. This program
offers interest free loans up to
$5,000, training, as well as ongoing support from a strong
business development team.
Graduates from the first BBI Metal Fabrication Prep Training Program:
L-R: Justin Vaillancourt, Jason Howe, Romain Brooks, Deveron Williams,
Zachary Grosse. Absent from photo: Kevin Hooks & Troyce Ashe (He secured a job!)
“The experience I had during my eight
weeks with the metal fabrication program
was excellent. I learned and acquired
great skills, at the same time meeting and
networking with people and companies
that were really beneficial.
I would recommend this program to any
that would like to pursue, or get an idea
about, this trade. It was a pleasure to
be surrounded by a great group of guys
that took this course with me. I wish and
pray for the best in your future career
and just remember the road may be hard
sometimes but we get out what we put
in… so stay positive!
In closing, I would like to say thanks
to BBI for investing in a young black
man and Jessica for your support and
help this year. Special thanks to Mr. Joel
Marsman - you’re a great man, Joel and
a good role model in our community.
Thanks for all you do!”
- Troyce Ashe, graduate,
Metal Fabrication Prep 101
Congratulations to BBI board member, Joseph Nyemah,
who represents the Department of Economic and Rural
Development and Tourism. The United Nations has chosen
him to lead a six-month research project based in Rome,
Italy. He will take the lead on an international project team
to conduct a global integrated context analysis. The goal
is to develop an understanding of why some countries are
more resilient to withstanding and recovering from shocking
events or crisis like the 2008 economic crisis and the current
EBOLA outbreak. This understanding should inform future
international interventions. Joseph’s passion, insight and social enterprise expertise
will bring much to his new assignment. Nova Scotia will surely reap the benefits of his
experience from this tremendous opportunity upon his return in 2016.
To learn how you can start and
grow a business with
BIJ and CBDC, contact:
info@bbi.ns.ca
902-426-8683
@BusinessIsJammin
16
...
by: Emily Rendell-Watson
Carrington
Construction
Bringing Business Home
Chad Carrington, Owner
17
...
Lou Gannon
C
arrington Construction
was born when Chad
Carrington took his high
school students to Aurora College in
the Northwest Territories for a week
to test out different trades.
says they want the same thing because
they saw it and loved it, that’s a great
feeling.”
Once Carrington had a taste of
construction and renovation work,
he decided to go back to school to
get his Red Seal in carpentry. In 2011,
Carrington and his family moved back
to Nova Scotia to start a construction
company.
Carrington credits the Black Business
Initiative with his ability to apply
education he received through the
BBI, like building inspection and LEEDS
certification, to his work.
Because carpenters in the Northwest
Territories build the entire house from
the concrete to the finishing including
paint, drywall and cabinets, Carrington
got to experience and develop skills in
all aspects of carpentry.
“I have a broad skill set that allows
me to build decks during the summer
and do fancy crowning work during the
winter when it’s not as nice out,” says
Carrington.
Carrington just finished an elaborate
900x60 square foot deck with custom
benches, two levels and two sets of
stairs that wrapped around a large
swimming spa.
Carrington notes that the tradespeople
who come in to do work after him have
far fewer challenges because things
are done properly.
While he says crawling around fixing
and building things is his passion right
now, he is hoping that as he gets older
he can step back, teach and pass on
knowledge.
“When I started this I wanted to take
on apprentices and teach homeowners
and kids in high school. It’s important to
spread the knowledge of the basic skills
that people don’t have that can come in
handy. I love passing that along,” says
Carrington.
Carrington gives all of his clients the option
to help with their renovation projects.
“I am helping someone build a deck;
he’s never built a deck before so
he is going to help. I like to give the
customer the option to help because
not only do they save a few bucks,
but they learn something too,” says
Carrington.
Carrington would also like to get into
the inspection side of things as well
as doing more consulting work with
people who don’t know where to start.
The need for tradespeople wasn’t as
crucial when Carrington was in high
school, and but he says there is a dire
need nowadays.
“Tradespeople make the world go
around and unfortunately, there is
a lack of them here in Nova Scotia.
We need to get young people
interested so we can increase the
number of qualified tradespeople in
the province.”
.
Carrington Construction
Blair Crawford, co-owner
Chad Carrington
Ph # 902-890-2749
“Before we were even done the deck,
the owner was taking her lawn chair
out to sit on it, raving about how great
it is. Whenever you work on something
and the customer loves it, they tell
everyone. When someone calls you and
18
...
Spiritual Leaders
Pastor LeQuita Porter
For someone who
does not go to
church all the time it
can be intimidating
and uncomfortable,
says Pastor LeQuita
Porter, “walking
into a place where
other people know
each other, but you
don't seem to know
anyone.”
PART 2
by: Sindi Skenderi
It is called the Adult Learning Program,
and the primary classes are English,
remedial reading and mathematics.
Through these classes, adult-students
become more integrated in the community,
and start to form relationships with others
enrolled in the courses.
Porter says it has been a great success,
with almost 30 enthusiastic students
joining, most of whom are seniors
George Gray
Paul Adams
19
...
In Issue 58 of Black to Business, we brought you
part 1 of a two-part feature series on churches
and community development. We took a look at
how our community churches are the foundation
in more than just spiritual ways; they are a key
source for community capacity building. Many
church leaders recognize this role as a duty and
encourage other community entities to do the
same. In part 2 of this series, we travel to East
Preston and Hammonds Plains and meet the new
AUBA moderator.
Peter Marsman
Trailblazers
Driving Community Development
But Pastor Porter
from East Preston
Baptist
Church
strives to make
it known to her
community
that
worshipping God is
not restricted only
to those who attend
church.
“Sometimes, we
need to bring things out of the church house, in the form of events
and programs, to hit home with different types of worshippers.”
East Preston recently initiated a new program with the Nova
Scotia Community College in September for adults over 19 who
have not gotten their High School diplomas.
19
...
George Gray is the new moderator for
the African United Baptist Association,
or AUBA. He believes that taking
services outside the walls of the church
has a strong effect on community.
Gray oversees 19 Baptist churches
in Nova Scotia, from Yarmouth to
Sunnyville, and his job includes
traveling to the different churches,
and guiding them in whatever way
necessary - whether it is settling
disputes, looking for new pastors, or
planning events.
“I'm not good at finance myself, so
I’m in the classes!” Pastor Anderson
says.
Pastor Lennett Anderson
Peter Marsman
He and AUBA recently held a retreat
with the Ministers and Pastors of
different churches to revitalize the
association, including the development
of new objectives. These included
spiritual development, administrative
excellence, and renewed long-term
goals for each church; many of which
are being achieved now.
He says programs such as these,
and many others, have helped his
community become stronger and
better, together.
Last summer Cornwallis Street held
three outdoor services, and Gray
noticed that people living in that area
would walk by the service and join.
Three Baptist churches from the
AUBA family: Cornwallis Street,
Emmanuel and East Preston, have
partnered with New Beginnings
church to form the S.O.S. program
for youth - “Save Our Sons, Save Our
Sisters.”
The S.O.S. program is currently
creating workshops that feature
Christian resources and training.
“Young kids, they need to trust you
first, and trust your leader,” says Gray
who adds that when youth see the
commitment and dedication coming
from leaders, they feel inspired
.
He says the church recently put on a
health fair. Community members were
given a ‘passport’ that allowed them
to visit different stations featuring
health and well-being assessments.
“In 2007, I buried so many of our
young men, and that created a crisis
for me. Since then, we promote walka-thons, weight loss and good eating
habits,” says Pastor Anderson.
Gray says that the Cornwallis Street
and Victoria Road Baptist churches
are doing their part to bring God
outside the four walls of the church,
by holding services in parks.
He believes community growth
begins with youth, and that involves
developing programs and activities
that appeal to them and help empower
them to be better citizens of the world.
On top of financial education, he
also believes in the importance
of programs that can teach the
community about healthy lifestyles.
“We need to change the generation,”
Pastor Anderson says.
Emmanuel Baptist Church is also
involved in the S.O.S .program. Pastor
Lennett Anderson says it is important
to raise awareness and react to
issues that youth deal with in their
lives.
“We have so many youth struggling
with self-esteem issues, eating
disorders, and mental health issues,”
he says. “It is not enough just to talk
about it.”
He believes that once people know
better, they can do better. And Pastor
Anderson applies that mentality to all
age groups, not just youth.
Recently his church began offering
financial seminars to help community
members with financial matters - a
service many would not be able to
access elsewhere.
East Preston Baptist Church has the
same mentality.
Pastor Porter’s church formed Youth
Empowerment Services, or YES! for
short. The organizers recruit young
adults who are native to East Preston
and have successful careers and lives
to be guest speakers. Gray says the
guests share their challenges around
leadership, spirituality, academics,
and more.
Porter says it helps the community’s
youth realize their goals and the
importance of their role in developing
a stronger community. She admits
that youth were skeptical at first,
but they have since found that they
can relate well to the speakers and
respect that they have experienced
many of the same things.
continued on page 21
20
...
Spiritual Leaders
continued from page 20
“We try to stress the fact that everybody
has something to contribute to another
person’s life,” says Pastor Porter.
She says East Preston views the
community and the church as one.
In fact their slogan is “Community is
Church and Church is Community”.
Gray concurs, “People need to realize
they are not alone in the world.”
And one of the best ways he says to
show this is through continuous and
constant outreach.
“The last thing Jesus said to Mathew
was, Go and make disciples,” says
Pastor Anderson.
All leaders in this series are doing just
that.
THINKING OF STARTING A BUSINESS?
ARE YOU 18-39?
FUTURPRENEUR CANADA CAN HELP!
Up to $45,000 financing
One-to-one business mentoring
Pre-launch coaching
Business resources
Find out how at futurpreneur.ca
or call 1-800-464-2923
/ FuturpreneurATL
/ FuturpreneurATL
21
...
Entrepreneurs
Natalie and David Wilson
Nova Scotia
The World Economic Forum
applauds Nova Scotia’s
community economic
development investment fund
Keep your investment dollars in Nova Scotia where they help your community grow.
In 2013, at a Social Innovation
Summit in Peru, the World Economic
Forum recognized Nova Scotia’s
Community Economic Development
Investment Fund (CEDIF) program
as a successful example of fostering
social innovation, entrepreneurship
and local economic development.
Money raised through Nova Scotia’s
CEDIF creates a pool of investment
capital for small local businesses
and encourages new and innovative
ways of growing the economy by
making business capital available to
growing Nova Scotia businesses. In
turn, businesses create jobs, pay
taxes and nurture the cycle of wealth
creation for Nova Scotians.
BBI is proud and excited to be a
participant in this internationally
recognized
program
through
the Black Business Community
Investment Fund Limited (BBCIFL).
Why invest in a CEDIF?
• CEDIF investors get an immediate
35% non-refundable provincial
income tax credit
• Tax credits total 65% over a
15-year holding period if the
CEDIF meets certain conditions
• Additional returns to shareholders
are
based
on
company
performance
• RRSP
approved:
Revenue
Canada allows investments to be
held within self-directed RRSPS
• Shares can be purchased with
cash already in your RRSP
• Your investment stays right here
in Nova Scotia
• You help generate jobs for Nova
Scotians and strengthen Nova
Scotia Communities
Black Business
Community Investment
Fund Limited (BBCIFL)
BBCIFL was born out of the need to provide capital to Nova Scotia Blackowned businesses possessing the potential to grow, show profitability
and can create jobs for Nova Scotians.
In the past 10 years, over a hundred Nova Scotians have invested in
excess of $745,000 in BBCIFL, thereby contributing in the creation of
more jobs for Nova Scotians as well as the sustainable prosperity of our
great province. Fifteen investments worth about $1.5 million have been
made to date.
At no other time in Nova Scotia’s recent history has there been such
optimism and potential for real economic growth and prosperity.
On behalf of our investors, we at the BBCIFL are seizing this momentum
by financing local Black-owned businesses demonstrating high
performance potential, helping them to compete on the world stage.
We believe in the enterprising nature of Nova Scotians and their ability to
create wealth for themselves and their stakeholders.
NOVA SCOTIA'S ECONOMY.STRONG.DIVERSE.HEALTHY.
to find out more about the success stories the
BBCIFL has invested in
Call (902) 426-4281
A part of the BBI’s Composite
Group of Companies
22
...
by: Emily Rendell Watson
Jon/Smith Taping
Taping is a family business
Jonathan Smith, Owner
23
...
Lou Gannon
J
onathan Smith inherited
his love for drywall and
taping from his father,
Reverend Wallace Smith.
Wallace Smith started out as a
plasterer and taught his son all
about the trade at a young age.
They worked together for several years,
before Smith’s oldest son convinced
him to start his own company in 2001.
As a family run business, Smith’s wife,
Maureen, manages the finances of the
business.
Jon/Smith Taping does primarily
interior work, dealing specifically with
drywall and painting. Smith believes
that in the drywall and taping industry,
reputation is everything.
“At the time, I didn’t know what to do,
so I went to a subdivision where I saw
construction taking place. I talked to
some of the foremen and they gave me
the opportunity to do the drywall for
one of the houses,” says Smith.
The foremen were impressed with his
work and asked him to work on other
houses in the subdivision.
Smith’s business and reputation
continues to grow. Today, he and
his team often do commercial and
residential work for bigger drywall
companies like Citadel Drywall &
Acoustical and C & D Drywall Inc.,
which includes one of the new
residences at Dalhousie University.
Eventually, he sees himself being able
to bid on bigger jobs himself.
career in taping. Smith and his father
have personally trained everyone that
has worked for the company.
“People call us now because they see
us on major job sites in [Halifax]. We’ve
been able to work on some of the
more high profile jobs like Toys R Us in
Dartmouth Crossing and the TD Canada
Trust banks,” says Smith.
Jon/Smith Taping worked on the North
Preston Saint Thomas Baptist Church.
They contributed all the material and
labour in order to complete renovations
on the church.
Recently, Jon/Smith Taping joined
forces with ADEPA/Black Business
Initiative to work on the Henry Bauld
Centre.
“We have a great working relationship
and I’m enthusiastic about future
projects we may take on together.”
Henry Bauld Centre
With 95% of his workers from the
Preston community, Smith mentors
young men who are interested in a
“People call us now
because they see us
on major job sites in
[Halifax]. We’ve been
able to work on some
of the more high
profile jobs like Toys
'R Us in Dartmouth
Crossing and the
TD Canada Trust
banks,” says Smith.
“It’s one of those trades that’s a
necessity in a growing city like Halifax.
Buildings are being erected all the
time,” says Smith, indicating that it is a
great time to pursue a trade like taping.
When asked what the future holds,
Smith said he hopes to grow the
company by working with partners
that can invest in the company and
eventually pass on the family business
to his oldest son Chikia Downey, just
like his dad taught him the trade.
“I’ve been blessed with wonderful kids
that can carry on the business when
I’m away without conflict. When I’m
not there, I know it’s in great hands,”
says Smith.
Jon/Smith Taping
Jonathan Smith
Ph # 902-499-4549
24
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Marsha Haygood
Always consider yourself a VIP!
by: Sylvia Parris
“Let your work speak
for itself!”
Board and a representative of Stewart
McKelvey.
That’s what our mothers taught their
girls. Not so, says award-winning, talent
development expert, empowerment
coach and author Marsha Haygood
at the “Step Up, Step Out Live Your
Potential” leadership and networking
session hosted by the Black Business
Initiative (BBI).
In contrast to the well-meaning advice
from our mothers, she encouraged
Black women business owners and
entrepreneurs not to wait for others
to sing their praises but rather to find
ways to tout their own work and ideas.
She provided a few coaching tips on
how to celebrate their successes and
acknowledge what they have to offer
without appearing to brag.
On October 16, at the prestigious
Stewart McKelvey board room (Halifax),
approximately 40 women gathered to
hear Ms. Haygood’s inspiring message
and interact with sister women leaders of
today and the future. Also attending were
representatives from Atlantic Canadian
Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the Chair
of the Black Business Initiative (BBI)
Co-author of The Little Black Book of
Success – Laws of Leadership for Black
Women, Ms. Haygood used humour
and candor as she gave the crowd an
overview of many of the 40 laws of
leadership appearing in the book. She
often revisited the first law, “Always
Consider Yourself a VIP,” as self-esteem
is vital to success.
25
...
Her advice to Live Your Potential is
supported by a positive attitude and goal
setting, including legacy goals. While
these will continually be revised and thus
may shift, it is important to keep moving
forward. As leaders and role models, it is
vital that as you achieve your successes
never forget to reach back and bring
others along with you.
Ms. Haygood’s appearance in Halifax was
courtesy of the United States Consulate
in conjunction with the African Canadian
Women in the (Nova Scotia) Public
Service (ACWPS) and the Nova Scotia
Advisory Council on the Status of Women.
The reception was sponsored by the
Black Business Initiative, the NSLC and
was hosted at the law offices of Stewart
McKelvey. Please check out Marsha
Haygood at www.stepwiseassociates.
com to read more about this influential
and inspirational leader.
Lou Gannon
Habiba Cooper Diallo
2014 Progress Women of Excellence
Event sponsors, Candace Thomas, Partner, Stewart
McKelvey and Joan Faulkner, US Consulate
around the issue of Obstetric Fistula.
She graduated from the IB program
at Halifax West in 2014, and is now
studying at SOAS University in London.
Sylvia Parris, Africian Canadian Women in the Public
Service and Marsha Haygood
LtoR: Donna Colley-Howe, Executive Secretary-BBI,
Cynthia Dorrington, BBI Chair, Marsha Haygood and
Michael Wyse, BBI CEO
“Marsha’s inspiring
words have reinvigorated
BBI’s commitment to
support Black women
in business to live their
economic potential.”
- Cynthia Dorrington,
Chair, BBI
On November 19, 2014, our
youngest to date recipient of a Progress
Woman of Excellence Award from
the African Nova Scotian community,
was recognized during a gala dinner
ceremony held at the World Trade and
Convention Center in Halifax.
Habiba Cooper Diallo is the recipient
of the Young Woman of Distinction
Award. An outstanding youth, Habiba
is a passionate advocate for the health
of women and girls. At the age of
15, she founded Women's Health
Organization International (WHOI)
to raise awareness of and advocate
In 2013, Habiba was named one of
Canada's Top 20 Under 20. In May,
2014, American Express and Ashoka
recognized her and 44 other young
North Americans, as future leaders of
social change across North America.
Featured in in Forbes magazine
in 2014, Habiba offers young social
entrepreneurs advice on how to grow
an organization of social change.
To round out her talents, Habiba is a
published author, accomplished spoken
word artist, and performer.
Habiba’s awards also include:
• the ZONTA Young Women in Public
Affairs award
• a Planet Africa Award for Academic
Achievement and Innovation
• Herbert H. Carnegie Future Aces
Award
26
...
Indigenous Blacks & Mi’kmaq Initiative
It’s been a quarter of a century since the Indigenous Blacks
and Mi’kmaq Initiative was established at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School
of Law. It grew out of two sources. The first was “Dalhousie University's study
entitled "Breaking Barriers: Report of the Task Force on Access for Black and
Native People." The efforts coincided with the work of the Royal Commission
on the Donald Marshall, Jr. Prosecution, which recommended that the then
fledgling IB&M Initiative, "receive the financial support of the Governments of
Canada and Nova Scotia, and the Nova Scotia Bar."
Two-plus decades on Professor Michelle
Williams, the Initiative’s director, says,
“the greatest highlight of the past 25
years is the 150 plus graduates (both
Black and aboriginal) who are doing
incredible work in their field.”
“Each is a change agent. One of the
unique features of the Initiative is that
each participant pays it forward.”
She points to graduates who are working
in a wide variety of environments,
from sole practitioners to partners in
27
...
major regional firms, to those working
in government departments, or legal
aid, or who have branched out beyond
the practice of law.
“Some of our graduates are taking
leadership roles in the field of
education or in our film industry,” she
says. “But, one thing in common that
all these graduates have is that they
are points of access to members of
the community. They’re succeeding
in ways that our community didn’t
Professor Michelle Williams
Director, IB&M Initiative
have on such a scale prior to the
IB&M Initiative.”
The IB&M Initiative is unique – it’s the
only initiative of its kind in Canada,
and possibly in North America. It’s
received national recognition, including
the 2010, Canadian Bar Association's
Touchstone Award -- recognizing
outstanding achievements in promoting
equality in the legal community in
Canada. This was the first time the
Touchstone Award was given to an
organization rather than an individual.
It’s also been honoured this year by the
Canadian Race Relations Foundation
for its leadership in education.
“We began with a very humble
beginning…I think of people like Rocky
Jones and Donald Marshall, and what
they suffered, and the community’s
push to bring more people from the
Black and Aboriginal community into
the university and into the law school,
and now, today, we’re seeing amazing
students coming into the university and
enriching our law school.”
Professor Williams identified a few
of those amazing students. One of
those leaders is Candace Thomas –
a partner at Stewart McKelvie. She
is the first female partner of African
descent in a law firm in the province.
She is also a community leader, board
member of both Dalhousie University
and the Halifax Regional Library
Board, and entrepreneur, as co-owner
of Mills in Halifax.
Aboriginal communities, and was not
to be squandered. Today, after 25
years of the IB&M Initiative, we have
made progress, but the playing field
is still not level. For as long as such
an imbalance exists we must continue
to support the IB&M Initiative.”
George Ash, who is a partner with the
Dartmouth-based firm of Boyne Clark,
one of the region’s largest, is not only
a graduate of the IB&M Initiative,
but is also a past chair of its IB&M
Advisory Council.
Candace Thomas
Partner, Stewart McKelvie
“Admission to the study of law in the
hallowed classrooms of the Weldon
Law Building at Dalhousie University
was made possible for increased
numbers of African Nova Scotians
and First Nations people in the last
25 years because of those who fought
to establish the IB&M Initiative,”
Thomas says. “I was acutely aware
that access to a legal education was
an opportunity that was not afforded
to many from Nova Scotia’s Black and
“Without the funding I received from
the Initiative, I wouldn’t be where I
am today,” Ash says. “That helped
me break down the door and go
through. Because of the IB&M, I try
to give back wherever I can.”
He attended law school from 200005, articled at Boyne Clarke and is
there today almost a decade later,
as a partner. He’s practicing in the
areas of law that he loves – property
and wills, estate administration and
litigation, and real estate, with a
focus on guardianship applications
and estate advice. He says, one of
the most rewarding part of his work
continued on page 29
28
...
George P. Ash
Partner, Boyne Clark
peers. What he was saying was
a matter of perception – but the
reality was different for me and my
colleagues. So, we went to the House
of Assembly and made statements
that showed that he was wrong.”
Brinton says the rest of her time in
school was uneventful but when
she graduated the Youth Criminal
Justice Act was introduced, giving her
the opportunity to work with young
people.
“I went into law to help my community,
and make a difference,” she says.
is the opportunity he has to build
relationships both with his clients
and with the community at large.
“I get calls from young people who
are interested in becoming lawyers,”
he says. “I’ll recommend to them
to give it a shot, and tell them what
to expect, what the challenges are
to understanding the legal system,
how to get into law school and what
to expect when they’re there. Our
community still has a long way to go,
we’re still underrepresented in the
legal profession, and we definitely
need more African Nova Scotians in
the legal system.”
Rickola Brinton was a student in the
IB&M Initiative in the late 1990s.
Today she’s living her passion of
working with young people at Nova
Scotia Legal Aid. The Initiative made
her dream of becoming a lawyer
possible but she also had to battle
perception rather than reality during
her years there during the late 1990s.
“The premier at the time, Russell
MacLellan made statements in the
House of Assembly that the Black
and Mi’kmaq students in the Initiative
weren’t getting the same education
as the other students,” she says.
“That wasn’t my reality. All of my
life I had been a good student and
I never thought that my ability would
be questioned. He was questioning
whether my education and my efforts
were not at the same level as my
Since then, she’s taken opportunities
to work with the Department of Justice
and with the Evangelical Foundation
of Canada, in policy development
roles.
Aleta Cromwell was also in law school
the same time as Brinton. Today
she works as a senior solicitor and
team leader for the Department of
Justice, working in the Department of
Community Services in Truro.
“I joined the Department of Justice
because I was not interested in the
business of law,” Cromwell says. “I
saw that working for government,
with its benefits and opportunities
was where my career would lead.
That played out and I’ve had great
opportunities but also time to give as
a volunteer with organizations such
as the Boys and Girls Club in north
Dartmouth and as the chair of the
Race Relations Committee for the
Nova Scotia Bar Society.”
“The
opportunities
from
the
Department of Justice for me, as a
Black and Aboriginal woman, have
been unique. The government does
good work.”
Aleta Cromwell
Senior Solicitor , NS Department of Justice
29
...
Like Rickola Brinton, she was a student
in the late 1990s and the statements
Gary Brinton
being made about the Initiative had a
strong influence on her.
“I was there for a reason. The IB&M
is not a separate program at the law
school – every student takes exactly
the same courses as the remainder of
the students and we all graduate with
the same degree. That strengthened
my resolve to be a strong advocate for
my community and was my reason for
pursuing a job with the Department
of Justice.”
One of the recent graduates is
Jeanne Sumbu. Upon leaving school
in 2013, she returned to article in her
hometown of Amherst with Creighton
Shatford.
“Law school was not a safe place for
minorities. Many of the people there
came from privileged backgrounds. I
was one of a group of approximately
12 Black students and they became
my support network and my place to
find a safe space,” she says.
Sumbu found herself looking at case
law through the lens of an African
Nova Scotian woman and found racial
and gender issues at play. She found
these were issues that were invisible
to other members of her university
class, which proved frustrating. She
says she was grateful for the support
of her other classmates of colour;
when she was pregnant she relied on
their assistance to help keep up with
her studies and admits she wouldn’t
have graduated without their support.
Rickola Brinton
Nova Scotia Legal Aid
I’m lucky because my family is well
known and involved in the community
so that’s made it easier for me. It’s
also the first time in this firm’s history
that there are more women in the firm
than men.”
On March 6, 2015, the IB&M is
hosting a symposium on the Marshall
Report- looking at what has happened
during the intervening 25 years, since
its inception, in the area of justice and
what next steps need to be added.
Amherst is a typical small town
community with a few larger firms
and some sole proprietors, so Sumbu
is pleased to be with the leading
firm in the town. She sees many
opportunities for both minorities and
women in the profession.
“That evening we’re going into a full
celebration mode with a dinner and
awards ceremony,” Williams says.
“It will be a thank-you to students,
government, and the supporters we
have and will continue to have. We’re
also hoping to have some community
based events the next day to continue
the celebration.”
“There’s been a huge change in the
profession and now there are more
women in law school than men. Over
the next 15 years, we’re going to see
a major shift.”
For further information about the
IB&M Initiative, visit their website or call:
Website: ibandm.law.dal.ca
Tel: (902) 494-1639 or email: ibandm@dal.ca
Jeanne B. Sumbu
Creighton Shatford
She and is now working as an
associate with Creighton Shatford in
Amherst. It’s the largest firm in the
town and currently has more female
lawyers than males, something which
is important to Sumbu.
“I’m lucky to be in this firm,” she
says. “One of the things new lawyers
have to do is build their clientele.
30
...
People & Business
on the Move
The young people from Hope Blooms
recently received a letter of thanks from
the Prince of Wales’ private secretary
for their gift of two bottles of their
organic salad dressing during the May
royal visit to Halifax.
These young entrepreneurs are selling
their salad dressings at a number of
locations including Fred and the
Halifax Seaport Farmer’s Market (until
December).
A new greenhouse for the Hope Blooms
project is taking shape in Murray
Warrington Park. An “off the grid”
greenhouse is being built thanks to
Build Right Nova Scotia, a co-operative
of unionized contractors and
tradespeople, that has stepped forward
along with Aecon Buildings Atlantic to
donate all construction services and
materials.
Congratulations to Elizabeth Cromwell
who received an honourary doctorate
from Mount Saint Vincent University
during fall convocation.
The Africville Heritage Trust
commissioned award-winning writer
George Elliott Clarke to write Settling
Africville, which premiered at the
Alderney Landing Theatre in September
as a fundraiser for the Africville
Museum.
A community barbecue at the George
Dixon Centre was held earlier this fall
as a “thank-you” event organized by
the staff and volunteers at CeaseFire
Halifax. CeaseFire Halifax is a local
crime-reduction group working to stop
gun violence in an era marked by drug
culture, a proliferation of firearms and
other weapons and street justice. It’s a
four-year program funded by the federal
government. The project’s staff, headed
by Viki Samuels-Stewart, work in North
Preston, north-end Dartmouth and the
Halifax neighbourhoods of Mulgrave
Park and Uniacke Square. CeaseFire is
the subject of the cover story for Halifax
Magazine’s November 2014 issue.
31
...
One of the exhibits at the recently
opened Canadian Museum for Human
Rights in Winnipeg is dedicated to Nova
Scotia’s Viola Desmond.
Congratulations to Bryan Darrell, P.
Eng., on receiving the Citizenship Award
from Engineers Nova Scotia.
On September 27, the East Preston
Day Care and Family Resource Centre
(EPDCFRC) marked its 40th anniversary
with a celebration called “Honouring
Our Past and Embracing the Future’,
which traced the history of the centre
over the past four decades.
The Upper Big Tracadie Quilters will be
creating a Loyalist Quilt. This quilt will
be an tool used within the educational
system to assist in teaching the history
of Black communities across Nova
Scotia. The Quilters have asked each
of the 47 Black Communities in the
province for assistance in creating this
quilt.
The Beechville Baptist Church
celebrated its170th anniversary with
a gala dinner at Ramada Park Place
in Dartmouth on October 3 as well as
a community fair and special church
services on Oct. 4 and 5. Sister Venessa
Brooks received a recognition award at
the gala dinner.
The Association of Black Social Workers
(ABSW) launched its first cookbook,
Creating Good Food, at the Henry G.
Bauld Centre in late October. Also, the
ABSW marked its 35th anniversary in
September with a conference featuring
J. Toni Oliver - NABSW 12th National
President - Elizabeth Eckford - One
of the Little Rock Nine from Arkansas
- Hon. Mayann Francis, Dr. Deborah
Haskins - Assistant Professor, Trinity
University, Washington, DC - Dr. Chike
Jeffers - Prof. of Philosophy, Dalhousie
University.
The Halifax Civil Emergency Corps
(H.C.E.C.) was a civilian defense force
formed during the Second World War
to provide police, fire, health, relief, first
aid, rescue squads, demolition squads,
water repair, emergency clothing, and
transport. Commonly known as The
Home Guard, a group of African Nova
Scotian men and women provided this
service in North-end Halifax. The Nova
Scotia Mass Choir will honour their
commitment to protect their fellow
residents at The Dream Continues
event January 24, 2015 in Halifax.
The 59th Annual Sessions of the
A.U.B.A. Women’s Institute program
was held at the Cornwallis Street
Baptist Church on October 18.
On October 25, The Black Loyalist
Heritage Society held a 5km “Walk
to Beat Ebola, starting and ending at
the Birchtown Community Hall. The
community of Birchtown raised $891
for Fight Ebola Nova Scotia.
The province of Nova Scotia has
enacted a new diversity and inclusion
strategy. The new strategy has four
goals and more than 30 strategic
actions that will help establish the
province as a leader in diversity and
inclusion.
Sylvia Hamilton has published a new
book of poetry, And I Alone Escaped to
Tell You. “This collection is a meditation
on the place of African-descended
people in the Canadian story and on
the threads connecting all of us to the
African diaspora.”
Congratulations to Habiba Cooper Diallo,
an advocate for the health of women
and girls, who was named as a Young
Woman of Distinction at the Progress
Women of Excellence Award dinner.
The Youth Photovoice Community
Exhibit was held at the Halifax North
Memorial Public Library on October
23. Photovoice is a participatory
action project conducted by youth from
Needham Community Centre and St.
George’s YouthNet. Facilitated by a group
of medical students from Dalhousie
University, the Photovoice project
was completed over the summer. The
organizers asked the youth about what
makes up a community, what they liked
and didn’t like about their community, and
how such things affected people living
within their community and themselves.
The participants then took photographs
of aspects of their community that
were meaningful to them and created
narratives explaining the reasons behind
capturing certain images.
Congratulations to Julie Sobowale, a
lawyer and journalist in Halifax for
having her comments published in
the renowned New York Times. Ms.
Sobowale also writes extensively in
the Coast.
Key actions include:
•
developing a diversity recruitment
strategy and ensuring the public
service is representative of the
public it serves
•
providing enhanced and mandatory
training on diversity and inclusion
for all public servants
•
developing a reciprocal mentorship
program that pairs members of
under-represented groups with
senior leaders.
Long time activist Henderson Paris has
been named the Honourary Chair of the
2015 Nova Scotia 55 + Games, to be
held in New Glasgow and throughout
Pictou County next September.
“Where are we Now!” a community
presentation on the 25th anniversary of
the Donald Marshall Royal Commission,
facilitated by Robert Wright, was held
in Amherst on Sept 25.
On October 4, the Association of
Nigerians in Nova Scotia celebrated
Nigeria’s
54th
Independence
Anniversary at St. Michael’s Church in
Halifax, with drama, delicacies, music,
and fashion.
CANSA opened its new facilities in
early October. They’re located at
Church and Victoria Street in Amherst.
CANSA recently participated infilming
a video for the collaborative partnership
network for persons with disabilities. A
number of key local players, such as
CANSA clients, employers and board
members participated in the filming.
St. Philip’s Church in Whitney Pier was
the hub of this year’s Caribbean Festival
during the August long weekend. Many
traditional dishes were available in
the cooking tent, including traditional
Caribbean hot sauces.
Dartmouth’s Daneesha Provo led the
way for Canada in an 81-54 win over
Mexico in Under-18 International
Basketball Federation, FIBA, Americas
group play in Colorado Springs this
summer. Provo was the top scorer with
15 points and also grabbed a game-high
three offensive rebounds in 22 minutes
of action. Provo scored 11 of her points
on free throws. The win qualified
Canada for the Under-19 FIBA world
championships next year.
Approximately 40 kids between the
ages of 8 and 12 were recruited by
Halifax Regional Police for the fifth
Sports Pals annual camp in late July,
which featured a busy day of soccer
drills and skills on Wickwire Field and
an afternoon dip in the pool at the
Dalplex Athletic Facility in Halifax.
Congratulations to Channing Wright and
Anthony Carvery, winners of this year’s
Africville Heritage Trust scholarships.
Carvery is a student in the electrical
construction and industrial certificate
program at the Nova Scotia Community
College. Wright is studying for a
Bachelor of Arts degree at Saint Mary’s
University. The Africville Heritage
Trust scholarship awards program
is made possible through a $100,000
donation from Waterbury Newton Law
continued on page 33
32
...
People and Business on the Move
continued from page 32
Firm, a portion of legal fees received
in settling a lawsuit against the former
City of Halifax.
Mohamed Yaffa and Amanda Reddick,
facilitators on diversity, inclusion, antioppression and anti-racism issues
offered a program entitled Building
Bridges, Breaking Barriers: Embodying
Diversity and Inclusion Practice at the
Tatamagouche Centre earlier this fall.
The Delmore ‘Buddy’ Daye Learning
Institute is partnering with Acadia
University to offer a cohort in a
Masters in Education Counselling
beginning in the summer of 2015. It
is a three year, 500 hour part time
program. Earlier in November, the
DBDLI co-presented a conference
marking the 20th anniversary of the
BLAC Report, entitled “Reflecting on
the Past, Charting the Future”.
was held at the Maritime Museum of
the Atlantic on September 1.
The Black and Immigrant Women
(home-based) Business initiative held
a Networking Training and Relationship
Marketing event on September 25.
The Inglewood Homecoming Reunion
was attended by more than 200 family,
friends and relatives this past July
24-27, in the beautiful Annapolis Valley.
This year $3,000 was raised and will
be used to upgrade the Inglewood
Community Hall.
In September, Halifax’s historic North
End celebrated the 250th anniversary
of Gottingen Street with a weekend full
of events and celebrations. A number
of plaques honouring local residents,
including Jack and Viola Desmond,
Graham Downey, Oweda Downey, Alvena
Cain, Vincent Jones and Gerald Johnston
were unveiled during the weekend.
The presentation, ‘Diary of a
Contraband: The Civil War Passage of
a Black Sailor’ by William B. Gould IV
In Memoriam
The BBI extends condolences to
members of the CANSA community
on the death of Susan Hill, a long
time staff member and dedicated
Cumberland County historian.
dalmba.ca
Corporate Residency MBA
Go direct. All degrees welcome.
33
...
34
...
by: Trevor J. Adams
Andre Levingston
Andre the giant
For their owner, the Rainmen aren’t just
a basketball team—
they’re a way to help shape his city
35
...
Steve Jess
Andre Levingston
has a quick,
decisive answer for everything Halifax
Magazine asks him. Until we ask how
he spends his free time. “Well…”
he furrows his brow. “I guess I work
out a lot…It’s hard for me to just go
somewhere and just shut it down
because there’s always something to
do. Either it’s in season, or it’s out of
season and I’m getting ready for the
season and I’ve got to scout and do all
that. It’s 24/7.”
Levingston is owner of the Halifax
Rainmen and president and CEO of
the National Basketball of League of
Canada, the minor-pro league that the
team competes in. He launched the
team eight seasons and three leagues
ago, and rarely takes a break from the
job of building professional hoops in
Halifax.
“There wasn’t an off season,” he
says. “We had a lot of changes this
summer…We lost three or four players
to overseas, which says great things
about our organization—that we
develop the kids. And we brought back
our championship coach.” He’s referring
to Pep Claros, who led the Rainmen to
the league finals in 2012. He left the
Rainmen to coach in international ball,
before rejoining the team in the offseason to replace coach Craig Hodges,
who resigned for personal reasons.
Claros takes over a team that started
last season with a dismal losing streak,
before getting hot in the last few weeks
and coming within one win of the finals.
“We ended the season with the right
momentum,” Levingston says. “We
ended on the right note. With Coach
Pep, we’ll pick up right where we left
off. There’s a lot more excitement and
enthusiasm in the market. And we hope
that will reflect in bums in seats this
year.”
Levingston has to worry about those
bums, no matter how well his team
does on the court. The Rainmen
average about 3,000 fans per game and
that feels low in Scotiabank Centre,
which has a capacity of about 9,400
for basketball. “We’re behind pace,”
Levingston says. “In eight years, I
thought we’d be averaging 8,000 to
9,000 people a game and maybe if we’d
done some things better back then that
could be a reality. But we made some
boneheaded mistakes along the way
and we paid for it.”
He cites frequent coaching and player
changes. That made it hard for the team
to build a following, as players didn’t
stick around long enough to build a fan
base. “I’d do a lot of things differently,”
he laughs. “I would have hired Pep to a
10-year contract first. We made a lot of
changes with players.”
Some of those changes were the
natural ebb and flow of players moving
through a development league, but
others reflect the standards Levingston
has for his team. “And then you get
players in here who won’t act how
we want players to act,” he explains.
“Our fans don’t know this, they just see
that this player is on that team now.
They don’t know the history behind the
scenes. They just know he is gone, so
the organization looks bad.”
For Levingston, it’s important to have
Rainmen players do community service,
be role models for young fans and
stay out of trouble. “We want to bring
professionals here, guys who respect
themselves and others,” he says. “This
is our home, they represent themselves
and the organzation, they represent our
partners….I don’t think it’s right that a
company comes into a community, does
business and doesn’t give back to that
community.”
That’s not a marketing line—it’s a
core principle for Levingston and the
Rainmen. “We do a ton of outreach
and our players love it,” Levingston
says. “When we’re recruiting them,
we’re asking them ‘Are you involved in
service? Will that be a problem for you?
Because it’s mandatory in Halifax.’”
Point-guard Cliff Clinkscales from
Queens, New York is one of those
players. He joined the team last season
and quickly became a leader, averaging
11 points and 10 assists per game. “Cliff
came in last year and singlehandedly
turned our season around,” Levingston
says. “He’s a leader. He came here
extremely hungry and refused to lose.
I’m excited we re-signed him for this
season.”
Originally published in the October 2014 issue of Halifax Magazine. Reprinted with permission.
36
...
Ask an Expert
Social Media
A Beginner's Guide
by: John Wedderburn, CM Communications
Social Media is all the buzz these days. For businesses to understand its value and importance, it’s first important to understand,
what is social media anyway?
Wikipedia says that social media is “the social interaction among
people in which they create, share or exchange information, ideas,
and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.”
Pretty straight forward, so let’s talk about where people and businesses do all this online interacting.
Facebook is still the most popular social media platform
today. It is said that if it were a country, it would be the
third largest country in the world.
For business, it’s a place where people can go to interact with
your business and share that experience with their friends,
which can significantly impact the exposure of your business.
Businesses can make posts about products and services, community activities, contests, promotions and answer questions
directly from customers.
Twitter is another wildly popular social media platform
with over 170 million active Twitter users who post 400
million tweets per day.
It is used primarily for short and to the point updates, monitoring
conversations about your business, and talking to your customers
in real time. It’s a great platform to surprise and delight customers with a thank you, and an equally important platform on which
to monitor and react when appropriate, to negative conversations
about your company.
And what about LinkedIn?
LinkedIn has been referred to as the Facebook for business professionals. This is debatable but one thing is not
- LinkedIn has proven to be a valuable way to build online
referrals and enable you to recommend potential clients to your
website. And that can help build traffic from other sites, which in
turn leads to more referrals and new contacts.
Then there’s Yelp, Google+ Local, Pinterest, Instagram, MySpace
and so many more.
No matter the platform, it’s important to become more familiar with
the variety of social media platforms out there and get comfortable
with the ones that best fit your business interaction needs.
37
...
John Wedderburn
Principal at
CM Communications in
Halifax with more than
15 years in the PR industry. He can be reached
at: cmcomm@eastlink.ca
A few tips to get the Social Media
beginner started:
Pick one social media to start with.
Trying to engage on too many social
sites too fast can be overwhelming and
it can also prevent you from learning
how to effectively use each site. Focus
your attention on one site first before
moving onto others.
Watch and Observe. Sometimes, the
best way to get started on a new social
media site is by signing up and then
simply watching others who have been
using the site for a while. Spend some
time observing and learning the nuances including what works and what
doesn’t before deciding how you will
approach a particular social media site
for your business.
Get clear about what you want to
accomplish. The most effective thing
you can do is to get clear about your
goals - are you interested in generating
leads/sales, finding colleagues to collaborate with, or establishing yourself
as an expert in your industry. Answering
these questions will enable you to find
the right level of engagement.
Complete Your Social Media Profiles
... and keep them current. Your social
media accounts will include some kind
of profile, which could ask for a bio,
websites, blogs, location and photo. Be
sure to completely fill out your profile
on any social media sites you use and
keep your data as consistent as possible across all of your social media
sites. This helps build awareness and
broaden your reach.
Social Media
4 Big Things Small Business Owners
Need to Know
Ashley Laurence-Cameron
Manager of
Social Engagement at
Colour She can be
reached at: :
ashley@colour.ca
by: Ashley Laurence-Cameron with Savior Joseph, Colour
1 – Listen with Big Ears
One key to success is to take the time to listen. The listening phase of planning your
social media strategy gives you the opportunity to better understand your audience.
Listening is as simple as talking to the customers you work with every day. Ask
them questions about what they are doing online, who are they following and what
they like. It’s an old school way of learning about new school things. Spend time on
social channels and read blogs about what works and what doesn’t. If you’re new to
the world of social media, there are some great advice sites and people to help you,
some of which are noted below. Remember that Google can be your best friend. You
can also reach out to your BBI Regional Business Development Manager for more
information on formal training support.
2 – Develop a Little-Big Plan
Gone are the days when using social media for your business was unstructured,
impulsive, and just plain disorganized. People now turn to social media for answers
to their questions and use platforms like Facebook and forums to be part of a community. By being active and having a current social media strategy, you can only help
your business.
Just like traditional marketing plans, you will need the following:
• Marketing Objectives: What do you want to achieve by integrating social media?
Awareness or sales?
• Target Audience(s): Using social profiles is a great way to get a bigger picture
of your audience. Check out SteamFeed’s article on “How To Build Customer
Profiles For Your Social Media and Content Strategy” - www.steamfeed.com/
customer-profile-social-media-content-strategy/
• Content Plan: We suggest crafting this in an Excel file highlighting copy, schedule, responsibility, and platform. Visit HootSuite’s blog post to learn more about
content planning - blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-strategy-guide-pt-3/
• Tools: Using tools like HootSuite will help you execute your plan. Search Engine
Journal has written about the “Top 10 Tools for Managing Your Social Media
Accounts” - www.searchenginejournal.com/top-10-tools-managing-socialmedia-accounts/87843/
• Budget: With continuous updates on how social media reaches audiences, it
is becoming more and more important for businesses to plan budgets for their
social media strategies. “3 Best Practices for Creating a Social Media Marketing
Budget” is a great read to help you get started - www.business2community.com/
social-media/3-best-practices-creating-social-media-marketing-budget-0681230
• Evaluation: How will you measure
the success of your social media
campaign? Are comments more
important to you than your followers? What tools will you use
to measure your success? Will
you create a point system for your
posts like Social Media Examiner
suggests - www.socialmediaexaminer.com/3-strategies-to-measure-your-social-media/
3 – Engage Big Time with Your
Customers and Community
Interacting and building relationships
with your customers is one of the most
important practices a business can do.
Social media gives you another platform to do this. Engaging customers
leads to loyalty and loyal customers
not only purchase your products, but
they’re more likely to suggest your
business to their personal and professional networks.
Some things to keep in mind when
engaging in social media is to always
be accurate – you don’t want to give
out incorrect information, especially
on a public platform; be human – being
behind the computer doesn’t mean
that you’re a robot, so be sure your
consumers know this; be timely –
don’t make your customers wait for a
response; be authentic – this will help
your customer build trust in you and
your brand. Tools like HootSuite can
help you stay on top of your platforms
to ensure you’re engaging in a timely
fashion.
continued on page 39
38
...
Social Media
continued from page 38
4 – Tell Your Big Story
Every business has a story. Develop
what that story is and use social media
to share it. Understand what it is that you
do and more importantly, why you do it.
Telling your story is about differentiating
yourself. What makes you unique? Why
are you unique? Once you’ve figured that
out, develop a content plan to tell that
story. Success doesn’t happen overnight
and it takes time to craft a strong story.
The only things you need are patience,
commitment and a focus on continuous
learning. As our friends at Nike say, Just
Do It.
Bring Your
Business to a
New Audience
F2F
2
YOUR BUSINESS. YOUR LIFE. SQUARE IT.
This is your invitation to join an exclusive community of business owners and leaders. The most
well informed, well connected, and influential network in the region. People just like you.
Learn. Grow. Be inspired. Get motivated. And be constantly energized.
Become a member of Face to Face2
For more information contact Carole Bell at cbell@progressmedia.ca or 1.902.494.5818
issue
58
issue
57
The Busi
ness
of Mus
FALL 201
3
ic
The Africa
Music Ass n Nova Scotian
ociation (AN
SMA)
Also in thi
s issue :
 Spiritual
Leaders
 Provincia
l Politics
 Succes
sful Entrep
ren
“A dynami
c
eurs
Also in thi
and vibrant
Black pres
African ence
s Issue :
ADVERTISE
in the next
Issue of B2B
Novawith
the Nova
Scointian
Scotia Bus
Realtor
iness Com
s
mun
“A dynami
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and vibrant
Black pres
ence
within the
Nova Sco
tia Busines
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Commun
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For Advertising Information & Rates
call: 902-426-2224
e-mail: bbi@bbi.ns.ca
39
...
ISANS is dedicated to helping
immigrants build their future
in Nova Scotia.
It’s up to all
of us to help.
#BuildingNSTogether
Renovator 101
New professional skills-training program provides
by: Heather Clarke
bright future for youth and industry
Family, friends, business associates and sponsors help celebrate with the students at the official graduation ceremony held at the NSHBA offices this past Spring.
T
wenty-six year-old Gavin
Crawford was tired of working his restaurant job. He
dreamed of being a carpenter, but wasn’t
sure he’d ever have the opportunity.
But everything changed when he was
accepted into Renovator 101 – a brand
new program organized by the Nova
Scotia Home Builders’ Association
(NSHBA) and the Black Business
Initiative (BBI) that would help him learn
the skills and experience he needed to
break into the industry.
During the 12-week program, Crawford
and three other students were trained
in all aspects of residential construction
through classroom lessons and on-site
instruction. Each of them also completed a co-op placement with a local
renovation firm.
Crawford was paired up with Conrad
Mullins of Skymark Renovations.
Crawford’s steady, reliable work ethic
impressed Mullins during the on-site
training, so Mullins offered him a fulltime position during the graduation ceremony – and Crawford happily accepted.
“It’s hard work, but it’s a lot of fun
when it’s something you enjoy,” says
Crawford. “With carpentry, your work
is the first thing people see. It’s right
there, front and centre.”
Min. Tony Ince, Minister of AfricanNova Scotian
Affairs, speaking to the emmotional audience.
Mullins says the program is an ideal
way to connect the youth of the community with the renovation industry.
“When I started out in the industry, it
was a tough go. I felt like it took me a
long time to get to the place I wanted to
be,” says Mullins. “It’s nice that we’re
able to give them a fast track to the
good stuff.”
The Renovator 101 graduates, admiring the cake in
their honour: Leono Desmond, Morgan Williams,
Gavin Crawford, and Jaleel States.
Describing Crawford as a “quiet fellow,” Mullins says the entire Skymark
team has taken him under their wing.
continued on page 41
Conrad Mullins (l), Skymark Renovations, presents Gavin
Crawford (ctr) with his NSHBA certificate and DEWALT
graduation present, alongside Minister Tony Ince.
40
...
“We’ve watched him come out of his
shell, and really build his confidence –
which is a big thing with young people,”
says Mullins. “If you have the knowledge and the confidence, you have the
ability to be a solid renovator. Gavin’s a
good fit for us.”
Sherry Donovan, Communications
Director of the Nova Scotia Home
Builders’ Association, says the program
has proved to be “invaluable” in training, mentoring, and introducing young
people to the renovation industry.
“We recognized a need in the renovation market, so we began working with
the Black Business Initiative to create
an opportunity to train students,” says
Donovan. “We wanted to give them a
taste of what it would take to become a
renovator – helping them learn to read
plans, work with a team, and understand
the hazards of the job.”
All four of the students had completed
the BBI’s Constructing the Future program. Constructing the Future is the
single-largest conduit of African Nova
Scotians into the community college
system, and introduces participants
to various trades – such as plumbing,
electrical, construction, and metal fabrication. These students had identified
a passion for construction, so they were
the perfect choice for the inaugural
class.
Before the program began, Donovan
sat down with three active renovation
companies to ask them the all-important
question: What are you looking for in a
renovator?
“We wanted to find out which skills
they’re asking about in job interviews,
and how we could train these students
to make them valuable assets,” says
Donovan.
The program began in late December
and wrapped up in March. The students
worked in the classroom for two days,
41
...
Peter Briand of Econo Renovations provides some on-site expertise for drywall installation.
and then spent three days working onsite. The curriculum covered everything
from demolition, taping, trimming to
flooring, energy-efficiency, decks, and
interiors.
“This is such a great opportunity for
people who maybe didn’t have the
opportunity to go through other training programs, but want to develop their
skills,” says Donovan. “It allowed students to find out what it’s like to work in
the renovation industry, and determine
their specific areas of interest.”
Peter Briand, the owner of Econo
Renovations, prepared and presented
material during the classroom sessions,
as well as supervising students during
their on-site training. He says he appreciated that the program allowed his
students to gain real world experience.
A little team-building at the lanes with NSHBA
staff Dan Boyd and Sherry Donovan
The next training session is set to begin
in November, and Donovan says there’s
been great interest from students and
members alike who want to be part of
the program. Although more than 20
people are clamoring for a spot, Donovan
says they will continue to keep the class
under a dozen students in order to provide one-on one training.
The applicants must undergo an extensive interview process in order to determine which ones are serious about pursuing a career in renovations.
“You get hands-on training with a community college, but this program cuts
through all of the red tape and gives
them direct access to working professionals,” says Briand. “It brings them
right out into the field, and the small
class size allows you to focus on helping them individually.”
Briand hired his co-op student, Leona
Desmond, and says she’s turned out to
be
quite the apprentice. “I keep hearing
positive reviews from her job sites, and
she always represents the company
very well,” says Briand. “She’s been a
great hire.”
One of the biggest components of the
program was that students were con-
necting directly with industry professionals, and learning the ins and outs of
the job that aren’t covered in a textbook.
Dan Monk, owner of Monk Renovations,
says he and his team enjoyed working
with the students and exposing them to
a carpenter’s everyday routine.
“There are so many little things – like
taking care of your tools, and cleaning
up at the site – that you don’t think about
after a while, but it’s all brand-new to
someone who’s learning the industry,”
says Monk.
“They don’t always realize it’s not a nine
to five job – it’s a 7:30 until 5:30 job – and
all of the work that goes into everything
we do.”
One of Monk’s pet peeves is when renovators aren’t properly trained, and he
says it’s critical to have a combination
of classroom learning and hands-on
work.
The students learn about windows from Darren MacDonald at Nova Doors and Windows.
“Yes, you have to be literate and articulate in order to communicate with your
employers and your clients, but – more
than anything else – your brain has to
connect with your hands,” says Monk.
“When you have a knack for something,
you’re comfortable doing the task and
it becomes natural – like riding a bike.”
You can’t complete a project without the right tools, and the students
started off the program without so
much as a hammer or flat-head screwdriver. When the NSHBA approached
STANLEY and DEWALT about helping
the young apprentices get their own
continued on page 43
42
...
“I had a few parents come up to me and
say ‘You’ve changed the potential for their
future,’ and it’s really powerful when you
Michael Wyse,
hear that.”
CEO of the Black Business Initiative
gear, brand spokesperson Harp Gill
says they didn’t hesitate to join in.
“There is such an importance in
Canada to focus on skilled trades.
There is no doubt a shortage, and
attention must be brought to it,” says
Gill. “We feel strongly that a program
such as this one is a step forward to
help reduce and bring attention to this
shortage.”
Donovan says the teams from Monk
Renovations, Skymark Renovations, and
Econo Renovations were “phenomenal”
with the students – providing classroom
instruction as well as hands-on training
in the field.
The students complete their stairbuilding
training under the watchful eye of experienced carpenter Leonard Cromwell of Econo
Renovations.
to see them grasp this knowledge and
put it to practical use,” says Donovan.
“It was a proud moment for me, to see
them come into their own and take
pride in the work they were doing.”
“It’s all about mentoring, learning,
sharing experiences, and just growing
professionals within the industry.”
Gill says DEWALT and STANLEY are
supportive of the program because
they are “strong believers” in training
programs and
apprenticeship programs being made
available to students. They have been
involve with Skills Canada – both
nationally and globally – with local
college programs in each province
across Canada, and with training programs involving the native community.
So at different milestones throughout
program, the students were presented
with STANLEY and DEWALT tools to
use during the practical component
– and to help them get started on the
right foot. At the emotional graduation ceremony, surrounded by their
friends and family, each student was
gifted with a DEWALT Cordless Drill &
Driver set, adding to their total arsenal of tools worth more than $650 –
which included STANLEY hand tools
and storage plus DEWALT power tools,
hand tools and accessories.
“Our tools have been at key construction sites around the world and have
helped build some of the most famous
buildings in the world since 1843,”
says Gill. “When it comes to being a
contractor or jobsite professional, you
need the right tools for the job.”
43
...
Three of the graduates were hired into
full-time positions during the graduation ceremony, and the fourth graduate
is currently expanding their skill-set to
secure employment in the industry.
Learing the math and logic behind the form
and function of a typical staircase proved to
be a worthwhile experience.
“They see this program as the future
of renovations, and we have to be able
to foster those relationships that will
increase the
industry’s knowledge base,” says
Donovan.
She keeps in regular contact with the
students’ employers, and says she
receives “fabulous feedback” on how
they’re handling their new responsibilities.
“It was such a rewarding experience to
work directly with the students, and get
Michael Wyse, Director of the Black
Business Initiative, says the emotional
graduation ceremony brought many of
the audience members to tears.
“It just goes to show that you can
achieve great success when a small
group of people come together,” says
Wyse. “I had a parents come up to me
and say ‘You’ve changed the potential
for their future,’ and it’s really powerful
when you hear that.”
He believes the program is a “winwin” for both employers and future
employees, because the students are
being trained and mentored by the
people who will one day sign their
paycheques.
“How many students are offered
full-time employment by their workplace sponsor at their graduation
ceremony?” says Wyse. “We’re
not only training these students
to their specifications, but we’re
connecting employers with young
people who are highly-motivated
to work in the renovation industry.”
“We’re arming them with the skills
and certifications they need to
be successful, and helping them
secure a job at the end.”
Wyse says construction is the core
of the Black business community, and this program is an excellent opportunity to make the sector even stronger. He also says
the program wouldn’t have been
possible without the support from
the Department of Labour and
Advanced Education, as well the
BBI and the NSHBA.
“The renovation sector is in high
demand, and we want people to
be well trained and highly certified,” says Wyse. “This is about
giving people the opportunity to
make informed decisions about
their career
September 2015
Grandview Golf & Country Club
431 Crane Hill Road, Dartmouth, NS
rt
o
p
p
u
!
HelpOSur Youth
Donovan says the program is especially beneficial given the shortage
of skilled trades in the province.
“We need to think about who is
interested in living and working –
and raising a family – right here in
Nova Scotia,” says Donovan. “The
more you can create these learning
opportunities, the better the industry will be.”
Originally published in the New Homes
& Renovations • NH&R Fall 2014.
Reprinted with permission.
For more information contact us:
info@bbi.ns.ca
902-426-8683
44
...
Out with
&theAbout
BBI
BBI LEADERSHIP TRAINING
2014
45
...
Greg Nazire & Njabula Nkala
Keira Carey- BBI Training & Mike Wyse - BBI CEO
Participants of the BBI Leadership Training program
METAL FABRICATION PREP 101 TRAINING
September-November 2014
Lift Training
Classroom Training
Participants prepare for assessment
Outdoor Training
45
...
BBI COMMUNITY TOUR
“Recently, Dr. Carolyn Thomas, owner operator of Black Heritage Tours, guided BBI staff and clients on an historical
and cultural tour to enhance our understanding of the Prestons, Cherry Brook and Africville. Thanks to Jonathan
Duru, owner, Aberdeen Bus Charters and Tours www.aberdeenbusstours.ca for safely navigating the highways and
byways during the day.”
L-R: Mike Wyse, Rodger Smith, Sunday Miller, Tracey Thomas, Donna Colley-Howe, Njabulo Nkala, Dr. Carolyn Thomas,
Kerry Johnston, Keira Carey and Shakara Joseph
L-R: Mike Wyse, Dr. Carolyn G. Thomas, Tracey Thomas,
and Jonathan Duru
Sunday Miller, African Heritage Society provides tour
of the Africville Seaview United Baptist Church
BIJ 2014 CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
L-R: Ed Matwawana, Joel Marsman, Gordon Tynes
and Arnie Morris
Awesome golf tournament volunteers from the Saint Mary’s
African Student Society
46
...

Downtown Nutrition

Black Heritage Tours

Sydney Area Businesses

Beautiful Linen Rentals

SLICLASER Hair Removal Clinic

Lincoln Construction and Lead Construction

Gwen’s Bridal

Black Construction Association
Congratulations to Wayne Miller Jr. of Downtown Nutrition, 390 Charlotte St., Sydney NS 902-577-1940 for being the recipient of
the Sydney and Area Chamber of Commerce Rising Star Award at their 25th Excellence In Business Awards 2014 Night.
Thanks to Black Heritage Tours-Dr Carolyn Thomas (umoja@accesswave.ca) and Aberdeen Charter & Tours- Jonathan Duru
(info@aberdeenbustours.ca) for a very enlighting and educational tour of the black communities of Halifax, Dartmouth and the
Prestons on Friday Nov 7, 2014 for the Black Business Initiative staff along with Sunday Miller (Africville Genealogy Society) and
Tracey Thomas (African Nova Scotia Cultural Tourism Association).
October 28, 2014: It was a pleasure for Mike Wyse CEO and Rodger Smith RBDM of the BBI to visit Sydney. BBI Board member,
Charles Sheppard, hosted a lunch meeting for the area’s black business owners. Some of the thriving businesses in the Sydney
area are: Whitney Pier. Day Care 902-564-6344, Joany’s Pizza & Donair 902-564-5545 and Corey Katz Photography 902-537-0451
as well as Downtown Nutrition also mentioned in this Shout Out.
Congratulations on Cathy Akinkunmi of Beautiful Linen Rentals on their new show room at 7161 Quinpool Road, Halifax NS. 902-719-8584
Congratulations to SLICLASER (Darla Johnston) on their first anniversary for the second location at 99 Dufferin Street, Bridgewater
NS. 902 -530-1516
Rev. Stewart Williams is the proud business owner of Lincoln Construction and Lead Construction. Known in the area as the “Stone
Wall Specialist” has been honoured by Preston Board of Trade at their 21st Annual Celebration Dinner on October 9, 2014 for his
work in the area of stone work. (See his story in B2B Issue 58 Page 25)
Gwen Cain-Shephard owner of Gwen’s Bridal has been honoured by Preston Board of Trade at their 21st Annual Celebration Dinner
on October 9, 2014 for her work in fashion. Please feel free to contact Gwen for your special occasions attire. (See Gwen's Story
in B2B Issue 58 Page 17) 902-433-0591
Congratulations to the Black Construction Association on their new office location at 2586 Beech St. Halifax, opening in January
2015. Give Jerry Pleasant, A/President, a call at 902 403 6699 for further information.
Teens now Talk Magazine
One Year Office Subscription
4 Issues for as low as $9.99
Be SeeN
Be HeARD
Be THe VOICe
Call us today: (902) 492-2474
email: teensnowtalk@eastlink.ca
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TNT ad 4x1.75.indd 1
13-10-01 11:25 AM
Preston Area Board of Trade
21 years of community business strength...
L-R (back): Jason Vaillancourt, Bin Doctor Limited, Rev. Stewart Williams, Lincoln Construction, Robert
A. Riley, R&R Concrete & Stone L-R (front): Gwen Cain –Shepherd, Gwen’s Bridal, Douglas Ruck, QC,
Chair of the Nova Scotia Labour Board and Justine Colley, Banking Advisor, Royal Bank of Canada
Congratulations to the Preston
Area Board of Trade who gathered
on October 9th, to celebrate the
21st anniversary of bringing local
business owners together to promote
the commercial interests of the
area. Hosted by President and Chair,
Dr. Carolyn G. Thomas, the evening
celebrated the business acumen and
talent of the area.
Douglas Ruck, QC, Chair of the Nova
Scotia Labour Board, delivered the
evening’s thought provoking keynote
speech. He said the economic health
of a community has a direct bearing
on its future and encouraged the
Board to build collaboration and
involve the youth every step of the
way.
“The time has come for the Preston Area
Board of Trade to convene a Community
Summit consisting of community
leaders, organizers, businesses and
the projects and organizations that are
interested in growing and empowering
a strong community,” said Mr. Ruck. He
sees an event such as the summit, pulling
together the leading community minds
in variety of areas including; community
management
and
development,
business relationship management
and online collaboration to discuss
debate and continue to refine the art
of building a stronger community. “It is
also imperative that the summit include
the young people; not just as observers
but as participants with an equal voice
at the table. It has been said so often,
that at times it sounds trite, but ““they
are truly our future”.” He feels strongly
that engaging the youth is a means of
initiating succession planning, which
is imperative if the Board of Trade is to
remain a viable entity.
The evening also celebrated the musical
side of the community with the musical
styling of accomplished pianist Sierra
Sparks, 15, during dinner and then, the
voice of accomplished international
vocalist, Lorraine Novelee Buchan.
The evening ended with the presentation
of the 2014 Preston Board of Trade
awards.
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African Nova Scotian Youth
Participate in 21inc
Meet the 2014-15
African Nova
Scotian 21inc
participants
The 21inc
Programs
21Leaders
is a 10-month leadership development
program that draws upon exceptional
young leaders who demonstrate superior
leadership skills and are attuned to the
needs of their communities. It offers the
opportunity to grow from the group diversity
and participate in a network of like-minded
individuals. It provides peer-support and
a safe environment to engage in enriching
dialogues.
Emerging Leaders’ Summit
is a three-day summit that gathers the
most impactful entrepreneurial leaders
for a meaningful training and networking
opportunity. They are well-entrenched in
their communities either by playing active
roles as board members, leading initiatives
aimed at improving or changing a situation,
or by being inspiring great role models.
Participants seek to expand their network
regionally and strive to work on Atlantic
Canada’s economic prosperity in their own
way in their respective fields.
Ideas Festival
immediately follows the Summit every two
years and allows participants to engage
in meaningful discussions with some of
our top leaders in the nation and start
regional initiatives. Atlantic Canada's
emerging business and government
leaders gather with their peers and the
region's established business leaders,
entrepreneurs,
innovators,
artists,
educators, policy makers and designers,
to engage in the ideas shaping our future,
and equip themselves with the knowledge
and networks to transcend our biggest
challenges. The 4th edition will take place
on Prince Edward Island in October 2015.
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...
In each of the past three years,
the number of African Nova
Scotians enrolled in programs
offered by 21Inc has increased.
They join a total of almost 200
Atlantic Canadians who are
reaping the benefits of this
dynamic organization.
21inc. provides the tools,
networks and confidence
builders. It creates opportunities
for participants to strengthen
leadership skills, help them
fuel their careers and become
effective 21st Century leaders.
Based in New Brunswick,
21inc. is an innovative nonprofit organization dedicated
to fostering entrepreneurial
leaders.
This is one of the more promising
youth-driven organizations in the
Atlantic Canada region, vested in
making the region a prosperous,
sustainable, and resilient in an
interconnected and global 21st
century.
Let’s keep our African Nova
Scotian presence increasing
in this terrific program.
To discover the program(s) that
suits you, visit 21inc at
www.21inc.ca
or call 506-389-2728
Email: info@21inc.ca
Louise Adongo
Senior Policy Advisor,
Economic and Rural
Development and Tourism
www.linkedin.com
Michael O. Fisher
www.linkedin.com
Kareem O’Keiffe
B.Comm,
Financial Advisor, Scotiabank
DeRico Symonds
Community Outreach Worker,
Phoenix Youth Programs
www.linkedin.com
Past African Nova Scotian participants:
Monica Njuko, 2012-2013 Cohort;
Shakara Joseph and
Lisel Harewood in 2013-2014.
8th cElEbration Gala
commEmoratinG
Friday, January 30th, 2015 @ 7:00PM
MeMbertou trade & convention centre
It ’s going to be an Elaborate Celebration
Friday Gala, January 30th, 2015
7PM with dance to Follow
EntErtainmEnt: Award Winning Artists Asia & NuGruv Plus More
3 Course Meal • $30.00 per person • LiceNsed eveNt • Dress: Semiformal
tickEts availablE:
ANSA Office, 15 Dorchester Street, Suite 501, Sydney, NS • 902-563-3735
The African Heritage Month Celebration Gala 2015 is in partnership with the Glace Bay UNIA Cultural Museum and African Nova
Scotian Affairs
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Workplace Initiative
Programs
Project Management Training
Series:
12 weeks August-December
BBI and the African Diaspora
Association of the Maritimes (ADAM)
offered our first Project Management
series. The Foundation and Advanced
levels each graduated 12-14 participants.
The Advanced level graduates will now
have one criteria to qualify to write for
their Project Management Professional
designation. www.pmi.org
Foundation for Success:
12 weeks August-November
Participants created business plans,
developed strategies and market
research skills. They learned how to
approach lending institutions, how
to increase revenues through money
management by creating budgets and
using financing technology.
Business Cohort for Women’s
Leadership (see Divine page 13)
Partners: BBI and Ashanti Leadership
and Professional Development Service.
Works for You Programs
BBI partnered with Labour and
Advanced Education to offer the
following industry training programs:
Metal Fabrication Prep 101
September-November 2014 (see page 16)
Renovations 101:
October 2014- March 2015 (see page 40)
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 Upcoming Training - Winter 2015
Prepare for your business and personal success. Contact BBI’s
training division at training@bbi.ns.ca for more information on the
following opportunities. Every course offers the opportunity to
increase your business knowledge, skills and capacity to compete.
Business Cohort
for Women’s Leadership
10-12 participants
Designed to develop selfawareness by examining leadership
characteristics and styles and the
importance of having a vision and
a mission to grow your business.
Project Management Foundation
10-15 participants
Learn the basics of the project
management processes to develop
and deliver projects on time and on
budget. Successful completion of
this program leads to opportunities
for further training toward a
professional designation.
Develop leadership, facilitation
and communication skills to lead
and manage successful project
teams.
E-marketing
10-12 participants
Create a client-focused presence
on the Internet. Learn to build and
execute a digital strategy, based
on proven techniques in digital and
social media.
Foundation for Success for Home Based Businesses
10-12 participants
Just like all businesses, successful
home-based businesses require
business planning, market research
and planning, budgeting and
financial support. Take this program
as part of your recipe for success.
The only cost to BBI clients is
your time and commitment.
Most programs are held evenings and
weekends, although there are some
exceptions.
Three Tech Trends
That Small Businesses Should Keep An Eye On
Have you noticed that the rate in which technology is moving is increasing
exponentially year over year? Our smartphones always need an update and our
computers always need an upgrade. Keeping up with the latest and greatest
technologies can be a lot of work.
The reason it’s so challenging to keep up with it all is because we’re living in one of the most
exciting times in history. We’re living a world where technology is changing faster than ever
before and it’s causing disruption across multiple industries. As the cost for access to the Internet
and storage becomes cheaper, there will continue to be an increase in both innovation and
technological advancement.
For small businesses, technology and their ability to survive is a clear love-hate relationship.
Organizations that are innovative and have a willingness to adopt technology are able to reap the
benefits. Organizations who are afraid of technology and reject it while embracing the status quo
are more likely to remain stagnant in their growth.
with Ross Simmonds
Here are three technology trends that every small business should keep an eye on:
The Rise of Collaborative Consumption
When you travel to a new city or country do you
feel as if you’re getting an authentic experience?
Do you feel like a local while staying at a hotel?
For some people, the hotel experience is one that
they enjoy and look forward to. For others, it’s an
experience that isn’t authentic enough and doesn’t
offer a true taste of the destination’s culture.
Airbnb is a company
that allows people to
rent out rooms or their
entire home to other
people staying in their city. The site allows users
to list their home and then rent it out as if it was a
bed and breakfast or hotel. This is one of the many
companies embracing the idea of collaborative
consumption, which is the act of people sharing
their own property with others in exchange for
cash. This is direct competition for anyone working
in the accommodations industry.
Mobile applications like Lyft
and Uber are like Airbnb but for
cars. Another application in the
collaborative consumption space
is an app called TaskRabbit. This
application allows users to hire
neighbors to outsource household errands like
53
...
picking up groceries or tasks like fixing a broken
appliance. Small businesses should be aware
of these types of applications as they present
opportunities for new business and new competition.
The Impact Of Mobile & Digital Payments
In October, Apple announced
Apple Pay, which is the
first taste of NFC payment
technology in their products.
It’s a feature that allows
people who own an Apple device to buy things in a
store by bringing an iPhone 6 close to a compatible
terminal. Meaning that customers no longer require
a wallet when all they really need is their mobile
phone and a store with the right technology.
Credit cards like Mastercard and Visa have already
gone on record stating they’ve been investing in
the technology. While these companies are still
investing in the technology and Apple Pay is being
rolled out and used across the US, Canada is still
behind. While it’s not likely going to impact your
business tomorrow – I’m willing to bet that mobile
payments become a Canadian reality within the next
four years.
The Emergence of
Multi-Device Customers
A lot of people think that mobile is
the only new screen on which their
customers are viewing their website. In
reality, people aren’t just going mobile,
they’re using mobile while watching
TV, using their laptop, streaming on
their tablet and soon settling on their
couch with an Apple Watch. That
m e a n s
it’s
not
enough
to simply
have your
website
optimized
for the desktop, it means you need
to be prepared for your customers no
matter what channel they’re using to
find you.
According to a recent Google research
study, 90% of people shuttle between
multiple devices to get a task done.
For example, they might first see your
brand on Facebook, check it out further
on their tablet, do deeper research
on their computer and then find your
address using a mobile phone. All this
complexity can be challenging but
can also be the difference between
a customer visiting you or the
competition.
"It is a pleasure to support the BBI in its efforts to drive
business growth, innovation, productivity and competitiveness"
- Wade Keller, Labatt
Ross Simmonds
is a digital
strategist and
entrepreneur.
He’s the
founder of
Foundation
Marketing
and is the
author of
Stand Out: The Content Marketing
Guide for Entrepreneurs.
You can find more of his writing at
www.rosssimmonds.com.
54
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December 4, 2014
Black Business Initiative
Holiday Networking Social
Community &
Business Events
5 – 7 pm Black Cultural Centre
10 Cherry Brook Road • 902-426-8683
55
...
January/February 2015
CBDC Blue Water holds workshops on
a regular basis in the Preston-Cherry Brook
area. Visit facebook.com/BlueWaterCBDC
regularly to see what is being offered to help
your small business.
December 5-7th, 2014
Christmas Festival Of Trees & Crafts
12014/12046 Hwy 224,
Middle Musquodoboit
info: 902-384-3420; nrec@gov.ns.ca
December 11, 2014
January 16 & 17, 2015
Symphony NS Presents
- The Music of Michael Jackson
7:30 pm, Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
www.symphonynovascotia.ca
Greater Halifax Partnership Holiday
Reception
January 22, 2015
4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Delta Halifax, Baronet Room
RSVP Celina Lam (celina@greaterhalifax.com)
no later than December 5th
5:00 PM
World Trade & Convention Centre
1800 Argyle Street, Halifax, NS
December 26-31, 2014
January 24, 2015
Onelight Theatre at Alderney Landing
“Tell it on the Mountain”
www.alderneylanding.com
Nativity Story featuring gospel music of the
Sanctified Brothers with Reeny Smith.
www.alderneylanding.com
December 31, 2014
Maritime Elite Girls Basketball
Academy New Years Eve Gala
9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Dartmouth Sportsplex Multipurpose Room
Advance Tickets: $40.00/each ~ $75.00/couple
After December 1st all tickets~ $50/each
Tickets: Lezlie: 902-478-2227
Leanne: 902-225-7792 ~ Cara: 902-830-3750
2015 Halifax Business Awards
Silent Auction Donation Request for
The Dream Continues
The Nova Scotia Mass Choir
Contact: Deborah Boltz at 902-449-0840 or
Deborah.boltz@bellaliant.net
February 2015
African Heritage Month
Celebrations
ansa.novascotia.ca/African-Heritage-Month
March 5, 2015
Savour Food & Wine Show
December 31. 2014
Time: 7:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Tickets: $79 + HST
Erica Reid, 902-429-5343 ext. 1,
admin@rans.ca
www.savourfoodandwine.com
New Year’s Eve at the Grand Parade
March 6, 2015
10:00 PM
www.halifax.ca/newyearseve/
January 1, 2015
New Year’s Levees
8 am to 5 pm
Halifax City Hall, Province House, Government
House, CFB Halifax, Cape Breton Regional
Municipality
City Hall, Armouries, Churches, Cultural Centres,
Royal Canadian Legions, and beyond...
55
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25th Anniversary of the Indigenous
Blacks & Mi’kmaq (IB&M) Initiative
Halifax Westin Hotel
902 494-1639 • ibandm@dal.ca
March 7, 2015
ANSMA Annual Award Show
World Trade and Convention Centre
Time: 7:00 pm – 12:30 am
Ticket Info: 902-404-3036
March 8, 2015
International Women’s Day
Business Expo
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
March 12 - 15, 2015
CIS University Cup
Men's National Hockey
Championship
Scotiabank Centre (2 games per day)
www.ticketatlantic.com
March 28 - April 5, 2015
Ford World Men’s Curling
Championships
Scotiabank Centre
www.ticketatlantic.com
March and April, 2015
REP Provincial Spelling BEE
BEE Registration Information
Contact the BEA at
bee.theblackeducators.ca/
April 24 - May 30, 2015
Centrestage Presents...
The Hallelujah Girls
Four friends turn a dilapidated old
church into a day spa.
61 River Street, Kentville, NS
Info: T: 902-678-8040
E: centrestage@centrestagetheatre.ca
April 30, 2015
Halifax Chamber of Commerce
Annual Spring Dinner
5:00 – 9:00 pm
World Trade and Convention Centre
Registration will open February 2015
www.halifaxchamber.com
May 13 – 17, 2015
Provincial Black Basketball
Association
43rd Black Invitational
Basketball Tournament
www.blackbasketball.ca
June 18, 2015
Black Business Initiative’s
AGM & Networking Event
AGM 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.;
Networking Event 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
World Trade and Convention Center
www.bbi.ca
June 30th - July 7th, 2015
Royal Nova Scotia
International Tattoo
T: 902 420 1114 or 1 800 563 1114
E: info@nstattoo.ca
To submit items for
Community and Business
events contact:
BBI @ (902) 426-8683;
Fax: 426-8699 or
email bbi@ bbi.ns.ca
You Are
Invited to the
Black Business Initiative’s
Holiday Networking Social
Thursday, December 4, 2014 • 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Black Cultural Centre, 10 Cherry Brook Rd, Dartmouth, NS
The BBI Board of Directors and Staff look forward to seeing you.
56
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CONNECT TO TALENT. CONNECT TO OPPORTUNITIES.
Our Connector Program is a simple yet highly effective
networking program that helps businesses and organizations
connect with local recent graduates, immigrants and
international students. Participants learn about the local job
market and grow their professional network, while Connectors
gain access to pre-qualified job seekers and help cultivate new
talent in Halifax.
SIGN UP TODAY AND MAKE THE CONNECTION
For more information visit greaterhalifax.com/connector
or call 902.490.6000.
YOUR NEXT TRUCK STOP
le tout nouveau silverado 2014
OREGANS.COM
1 888 OREGANS (673-4267)
Thank You to the Sponsors of the
N E W
2014 BIJ Charitable Golf Tournment
Y O R K
C A N A D A
N U N A V U T
N O V A
S C O T I A
If undeliverable return to:
The Black Business Initiative
Centennial Building
Suite 1201,1660 Hollis Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1V7
Agreement No.
0040026687
numéro de convention
0040026687