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What the lobster dispute is and isn’t about
It's not conservation, well maybe a smidge. It's not about racism, though that certainly exists. And it’s not one cabinet minister’s fault. There have been two decades of federal foot-dragging on this file. Chronicle Herald reporter Aaron Beswick sums up what it is about—rights, poverty and perhaps the fear of it—in a video interview with SaltWire’s Kate Walker.
Now boarding at The Lemonade General Store
The pandemic grounded WestJet flight attendant Sarah Arsenault. But that gave her time to think about what she’d like to do next. Next is a just-opened Halifax Hydrostone boutique with everything from wool socks to bow ties and bracelets. That and an old coin-op style saddle horse in the window.
Tesla preps for East Coast landing
Elon Musk wasn’t exactly bashful when he shot a Tesla convertible into orbit but his electric car company isn’t saying much about its plan to launch a showroom in Halifax. Sorry, in Dartmouth. (Gloria McCluskey and Matt Mays are going to tie me to the Tufts Cove “cloud machine” for that.) Tesla’s advertised for three staffers including a salesperson.
Grieg cuts fish, not bait
Grieg Seafoods brought a little clarity Thursday to their decision earlier in the week to stop work on a land-based growing tank for young salmon. The Norwegian outfit with fish plants and aquaculture properties in Newfoundland explained revenues were hit because when COVID closed restaurants, salmon didn’t fetch as much. That and they lost 1,500 tonnes of salmon to Scottish jellyfish.
New life, new country
Eight years ago Ammar Hud Hud owned a clothing factory in Syria. Three countries later, he’s happy and proud to open a women’s clothing store in Antigonish, the community his family now calls home. Since landing in Nova Scotia, he has been busy making Canadian flag masks to fight the spread of COVID.
US military looks at Dartmouth-made invisible mesh
Metamaterial has been keeping laser beams from penetrating aircraft windows for a while. Now its Nanoweb invisible mesh is being field-tested for dive masks and gas masks to keep them from fogging up.
Shannex, Tenera Care team up
Halifax-based Tenera Care’s data-gathering bracelet is billed as a way to limit falls, bedsores and wandering in nursing homes. It could also save money on night time patient monitoring. For all of those reasons, Shannex Inc. said this week it will be using the Tenera system in its long-term care facilities in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
Hunkering in the bunker
Debert’s Diefenbunker is one twisty bit of history. Built in 1964 to survive nuclear attack, it was bought at a tax sale for $37,000 eight years ago by Jonathan Baha’i. The pandemic ended its brief run as a tourist attraction but Baha’i has turned to hosting e-sports events and podcasting under the Enter the Bunker brand.
Refinery shutdown may hit at the pump
Shuttering the Come By Chance refinery could soon sting Newfoundlanders when they gas up the car, spark up the barbecue or turn up the thermostat. Distributor NARL has asked the provincial regulator to increase prices for gasoline, oil and propane to cover fuel storage costs. They used to load up at the refinery as needed.
Two good causes
Community Haul started as a way to help local businesses weather the pandemic and raise some money for the IWK Children’s Hospital at the same time. The concept’s pretty easy: subscribe, get a box of local products and feel good about doing it.
PERSPECTIVES
FIANDER: Tourism aid no aid at all
Darlene Fiander, head of the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia, isn’t impressed with the province’s plan to give out $50 million to the top five per cent of operators. She’s not alone.
CARMICHAEL: Debt-fretters, take a pill
The Financial Post’s Kevin Carmichael says dire warnings about Canada’s debt-fueled COVID cure being worse than the ailment are overstated. Our economy is proving more resilient than that of our non-interventionist neighbour to the south and he argues pulling out all supports too early would be a mistake.
NEWS MEDIA CANADA: Deal with Big Tech
Canada’s newspapers get government money. We wish we didn’t need it. We likely wouldn’t if Facebook and Google weren’t hoovering hundreds of millions in advertising revenue out of the Canadian economy without paying tax and using news content they don’t pay for to do it. This week publishers called on Ottawa to follow Australia’s lead and make them pay at least something for the content they make money from. The feds have said they’re looking. That’s good but doing would be better.
That’s the wrap
Have a tip, a comment or something else to share? Email me at [email protected].
Back next Friday. Until then, here’s a Will Rogers quote to chew on: “The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing for you, if you don't let it get the best of you.”
Brian Ward is SaltWire Network's managing editor for business.
