PORT HAWKESBURY: Over 100 of the region’s business and community leaders heard about activities in three key sectors; tourism, health and industry during the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce’s annual ‘State of the Strait Business Update’ on March 11 at the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre.
The power of partnerships that brought the Canal Landing project to life was highlighted by Tahirih Paul, Potlotek First Nation’s economic development officer.
The new tourism hub at the St. Peter’s Canal National Historic Site combines a unique visitor experience with the opportunity to learn the history of the ground beneath their feet.
Allan Eddy, manager of Port Hawkesbury Paper, talked about the innovation and diversification initiatives by the region’s largest employer. 
Inverness Municipal Councillor Jim Mustard described the opportunity in Middle River to take advantage of forestry assets to create an innovative, creative woodworking destination in Cape Breton. 
Nadine Ratchford spoke on the overview of the innovative Community Outreach Program at CBU that shuttled international students across the island to meet the urgent needs of tourism providers.
Paul indicated along with Amanda Mombourquette’s amazing networking ability with the Chamber of Commerce, Parks Canada, Richmond County Literacy Network, Potlotek Health Centre, Richmond Adventure Planning, Kayak Cape Breton and Destination Cape Breton all played major roles in the success of this new development.
Talking about Potlotek’s partnership with Parks Canada, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Canal Landing project – meeting with them on numerous occasions, Paul suggested their positive energy and ideas were always inspiring.
“Smaller partners are equally important. By partnership with local businesses, you help to spread the word around what services you offer, but also what services they offer,” she said. “This is organic and needs to be utilized more often as we go forward.”
Inside the two buildings located right on the canal in St. Peter’s – named Nicolas Denys’ Trading Post and The Heart of Mi’kmaki, respectively – locally-made artwork, crafts and other souvenirs are available for purchase.
Paul explained early on in their season, they realized they didn’t have any of their own products to sell, so they had to put a call out to local artisans to sell their own products.
“Luckily we had 37 artisans from the local area that decided they wanted to sell their products from our location,” she said. “We did so on a consignment basis, it was really important for us though to make sure the artisans kept 100 per cent of what they would regularly sell them for.”
With a 30 per cent markup on their end, during the Canal Landing’s only two-months of operation this past summer, Potlotek First Nation issued over $2,000 back to the local artisans.
Subsequently, in the same timeframe, they generated approximately $6,000 in revenue.
“Which isn’t bad for a little, small endeavour,” Paul joked. ”This was based on rental equipment, canteen services, lobster dinner sales, and consignment percentages.”
Throughout the project, Potlotek acquired several assets including; a teepee, two buildings, two canoes, two peddle boats, two stand up pedal boards, six bicycles and helmets, eight kayaks, and 20 life jackets.
“We’re hoping to establish more buildings on-site to create a similar boardwalk feel like in Prince Edward Island,” she said. “And we want them to be colourful like the scenic views when you come into Newfoundland.”
Another impactful partnership that was developed Paul indicated was between Potlotek First Nation and St. Peter’s Economic Development Organization.
Looking to the future, Potlotek has developed their own planning strategy broken down into six week, 60-day, 90-day, and 180-day increments with developments in the following areas: customer/sales goals; product/sales goals; team/partnership goals; marketing goals and funding/financial goals.
Another company looking to make a splash in the Strait area’s aquaculture industry, Cermaq Canada, was also on hand at the ‘State of the Strait’ business update to provide information on who they are and what their proposing for expansion into Nova Scotia.
Born and raised in Canso, and the daughter of a retired lobster fisherman, Melinda Cole, a sustainable development coordinator for Cermaq, believes the expansion of the province’s aquaculture industry will allow herself and others like her to return to their home communities with a viable career choice.
“Many of my family members still fish actively, so there is a little bit of controversy there,” Cole admitted. “But I’m certain [Cermaq] can work with the concerns of the fishing industry.”
In early 2019, Cermaq, the Norwegian-based subsidiary of the Mitsubishi Corporation, announced its investigation into potentially expanding into Nova Scotia from its Canadian-based operations in Campbell River, B.C.
The company says it’s looking to harvest 20,000 tonnes of salmon annually at between 10 to 14 open-net farms. Cole indicated this volume is needed to justify expanding operations into the province.
Being skeptical at first, she suggested “seeing is believing,” and after an opportunity to visit the company’s Vancouver operations and seeing the healthy ecosystem and the healthy food product her company produces firsthand, Cole suggested Cape Breton and the Guysborough area – who aren’t too familiar with salmon farms – would benefit from such an industry and she is looking forward to educating the public about this.
A typical salmon farm uses polarcirkel cages, which are currently used here in the province; a total of 10 to 14 cages will be used with a circumference of 168-metres, or a diameter of 53-metres wide.
Not having any infrastructure or operations already based in the province, Cermaq Canada would be looking to start from the ground up, building hatcheries, processing plants, offices, and marine farm sites.
Last year, one of the company’s two options from the province to do feasibility work, was located in Chedabucto Bay. The project is looking at between an 82 and 128 hectares lease boundary, with 10 hectares being under restricted access for the marine farms and anchor lines.
“Currently we are in the scoping phase of the development, which means these areas have been open to us exclusively to do feasibility work,” Cole said. “We’re looking for a depth of 25-metres, which limits our location choices, we’re taking this time to talk to other marine-users, and get an idea of what kind of industry and activity is occurring currently in those same waters.”
Cermaq’s market for their salmon is predominately the United States of America with 60 per cent of their quota moving south of the border, 30 per cent stays in Canada, while the remaining 10 per cent is moved internationally to Asia.
“Our timeframe is about five-years from now for when fish go into the seas, so we’re coming to an end of that scoping phase, collecting environmental data needed to put forward an application with the province for a lease,” Cole explained. “And our deadline for Chedabucto Bay is March 27. By that date, Cermaq will decide whether to put forward and application or let the option expire.”
By 2021, the company hopes to have their leases approved and begin to look at the potential of building four hatcheries around the province.
Speaking on what makes Nova Scotia prime real-estate to expand their operations into, Cole suggested the location is in close proximity to their market in Boston.
“This opportunity would give us a chance to put in new innovation and the latest technology in marine farming.”