Bulletin I:
NewPage Pension Plans Saved]]> By Devin Stevens The Nova Scotia government will introduce legislation by the end of current legislative session to protect the struggling pensions at the former NewPage Port Hawkesbury mill. Premier Darrell Dexter says the details have yet to be worked out, but the upcoming bill will allow those pensions to continue in hopes of a market rebound. Without the move, those three pension plans would be wound up by law. "The market is at a low point," said Dexter. "If you wrap up, create an annuity based on the current value, you're essentially taking the lowest possible value because you're at the bottom of the market". NewPage workers requested the extension from the province, said Dexter. The details about how long the pensions plans will continue to exist and how the legislation will be crafted will come later. Dexter said many other provinces have taken similar steps in the past. Some of those moves have extended plans by as much as a decade, though the province hasn't decided how long the NewPage extension will be. The mill has two pension plans for unionized workers which are underfunded by 30% and 27% respectively. A third plan for salaried workers is underfunded by 16%. Without the extension workers were staring down hundreds of dollars per month in reduced benefits. Local union vp Archie MacLachlan said the membership had a meeting with fund holder Morneau Shepell Thursday evening to discuss the plan. They advised the union that an eight-year extension was probably best. MacLachlan says there's no guarantee the pensions will be worth more down the road, but the experts all seem to think interest rates will rise. "It's not the worst time in history, but it's one of the worst times in history to wind up a pension plan," said MacLachlan. "The cost of buying an annuity is high because interest rates are so low. If we wind it up now the only ones who make any money is the insurance companies". Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie says he likes the plan, especially because the workers asked for it. He said they're of course taking a gamble that markets will improve, something he calls a reasonable bet. The Tories haven't seen the legislation yet, but assuming it does what the government says it will do, Baillie's party will support it. The Liberal MLA for Richmond, Michel Samson, says the plan is good news but says the province should have had some draft legislation already in place. He said the unions asked for the help some time ago. "I would hate to see it rushed to the point where mistakes are made," said Samson. The province will not be putting any new money into the plans, but that doesn't mean they haven't invested in keeping the mill alive. So far the government has pitched in more than $37 million to keep the mill running while a deal with Vancouver buyer Stern Partners is hammered out (see allNovaScotia 2012-03-16). Unionized mill workers recently voted in favour of a new contract that will bring about 229 of the original 550 jobs back to the plant (see allNovaScotia 2012-04-18). Non-unionized positions will bring that number closer to 300, with an additional 450 forestry jobs maintained. devin@allnovascotia.com; 446-3890]]> Headlines For May 4, 2012]]>
Taxpayers Have $12M In Struggling Origin Biomed

Lead Contractor Sues Seaport Market

Hennigar US Operation sparks Takeover Buzz

$6.5M Price Tag On The House That Ken Built

Wade Dawe Makes A Million

NS Power Revenues Are In Significant Decline

Fall Start For New RONA Store

High Liner Closing Two Processing Plants

Tenants Exit Ahead Of TD Tower II Start

Biomass Project Not Out Of The Woods Yet

Boston Option For New Saint John Line

New Buildings Needed For 200 VG Beds

Mining Notes: Shakeup At ScoZinc Miner

Dal Prof Wins Book Award Posthumously

ACOA Sues Abridean Inc.

Irving Shipbuilding: Canada's Best In Defence

NDP Bill Cuts Service When Cell Contracts Expire

New Airport Magazine Takes Off

SMU Will Honour Robert Pace & Co.

Steele Rejects Provincial Tax Review

You Said It: Fillmore On Density

Obituary: Dr. Keddy Was Popular Dentist

Feedback: Armbrae; Rent Control; Unions

Tender Talk

Who's Suing Whom]]> Taxpayers Have $12M
In Struggling Origin Biomed]]> By Caroline Wood

Origin Biomed Inc., the high-profile venture capital poster child for Nova Scotia Business Inc., is struggling financially.~ The biosciences company, which has received $6.6 million in provincial taxpayer equity investment, is in cost-cutting mode to stretch remaining cash reserves, ostensibly because of a couponing debacle in the U.S. Origin vacated its long-time downtown Halifax offices last week and moved eight of 10 remaining staff into the offices of Impath Networks in Bayers Lake. Ceo Robert Dingee and cfo Lee Foster have resigned and will not be replaced until the company is on more solid footing. Impath ceo Carlo Shimoon has stepped in to run Origin on an emergency basis at the request of NSBI and two other venture partners, GrowthWorks and Calgary-based Avrio Ventures. Asked about the financial situation, Shimoon replied: "Did the company have problems and had it run low on cash? Absolutely." Launched in 2001 by businessman Robert Cervelli and lawyer Andrew Munro, the topical pain cream manufacturer has attracted over $16.5 million in venture capital over the years. ACOA has also invested $5.7 million in the Halifax company, which has never responded to questions about whether it had become profitable. The private company has never released any financial statements despite having a huge public investment. The three big venture partners hold a majority stake in Origin Biomed. The company has also attracted dozens of individual investors. Origin's products are in stores all over the U.S., where salespeople are based. Problems began about 18 months ago when the company launched a coupon promotion in the U.S. that backfired. Management was apparently unaware that coupons could be combined with other purchases and that its product had to be sold for much less than expected. Company founder Cervelli is a former Dalhousie U life sciences technology commercialization executive. He stepped down as ceo in late 2011. Then Dingee took the helm for a short time. They did not return phone calls on Thursday. Foster, reached at a new job, says he left Origin for a better offer. He also says he joined the company after the coupon offer decision was made. Before Cervelli moved out, he advised delegates at an Invest Atlantic conference that startup company ceos should spend 25%-50% of their time looking for money (see allNovaScotia 2010-10-28). With Impath's involvement, Shimoon is on a sharp learning curve. "The next few months are going to be spent in hunker-down mode to work through those issues and get us out the other side," he said. The company is in a cash crunch, he admits, but he says things are not dire. "We are up to date on everything, so nobody has a reason to pull the plug," he said. Shimoon has not seen the offending coupons and he does not know if they have an expiry date. But he is confident they will worked their way through the system by the fall. "That's when we are looking at the sun shining brightly," he said. Shimoon is an Ottawa native who came to Nova Scotia in 2000 with KB Electronics. He got involved with Impath in 2007 via a management buyout. Impath is also part of the NSBI portfolio of companies. The agency injected $4 million into the company in two equal tranches. GrowthWorks has also invested $500,000 in the telecommunication specialist. Origin and Impath share directors Peter MacNeil of NSBI and Chris Moyer of Growthworks. Other Origin directors are Aki Georgacacos of Avrio, Shimoon and his long-time cfo Susan Swan. Munro, who gave up his Halifax law practice to sell Origin products in New York, resigned as a director in 2006. Halifax lawyer Ronald Mitton, who shared offices with the biosciences company, was a director from 2006 until November of last year. When asked if he is being paid for his work with Origin, Shimoon said: "I wouldn't exactly call it being paid. One of the reasons I am so excited about the operation is its still very viable."

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Lead Contractor
Sues Seaport Market]]> By Dan Walsh Financially distressed Seaport Farmers' Market is facing a six-figure lawsuit from the lead contractor who built the $13-million project.~ "I've been hanging on graciously; I've been more than patient," said Doug Doucet, owner of RCS Retail Construction Specialists Incorporated said in an interview Thursday. "Any other big corporate general contractor probably would have called lawyers in much sooner, but that's just not the way we do business. "We felt things might turn around and we might recover what's owed to us. But we've gone beyond that point and I don't think they have the ability to make a recovery. So I think it's time to pull the plug." Doucet described the Seaport project as the worst experience of his 25 years in construction. "They were by far the most unprofessional group that I've ever dealt with," he said, saying the experience "tore us apart as a company." He cited constant changes at the board level and a lack of clear communication as key problems plaguing the 2009-2010 build. "This is a group of farmers. They're not business people. It's a very hard path to get clear direction and sort things out, because they don't understand the world outside farming, with the utmost respect," Doucet said. "It's a total disaster from our standpoint. Up until this project, we went 13 years straight without losing money on a project, and this one killed us." He lost a couple of key employees as the project took its toll, he added. "Our fault as RCS was we were way too nice to them. We stuck on too long. But that's our company philosophy, it probably hurt us in the end, but we learned a lot from it," he said. RCS is seeking just over $220,000 in unpaid invoices. The contractor is owed $207,603 in principal and $14,276 interest, accumulating at 5%, or $28.44 daily, according to a statement of claim penned by John Kulik of McInnes Cooper. The suit names as defendants City Market of Halifax Co-operative Ltd.(CMHC) and N.S. Farmers' Market Development Co-operative Ltd., both identified as operators of the Seaport market. Board chair Chris De Waal said via email: "CMHC is unaware of any legal proceedings and has not been served notice of any such action." De Waal did not say what impact this may have on operations. The lawsuit comes on the heels of De Waal acknowledging the market is in talks with creditors over refinancing options (see allNovaScotia 2012-02-08). Its debt is believed to be in the $8-million range. Meanwhile, the market is paying up to $200,000 to New York-based consultant PPS to develop a transition plan for a sustainable seven-day-a-week operation. It is understood to owe at least $180,000 to HRM in unpaid property tax (see allNovaScotia 2012-03-21). "My opinion is, the market can't sustain its debt," Doucet said. "I don't know what bank or loan agency would have approved the business plan. As far as I can see, it makes no possible sense. "There's no way a business like what they're running down there can sustain the amount of debt they've created." Doucet said he hopes the market will reorganize and become a success.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Hennigar US Operation
Sparks Takeover Buzz]]> By Janet Whitman Speculation is swirling that the Hennigar family-controlled senior living chain in the U.S. might be the target of a takeover after the company abruptly cancelled its earnings announcement.~ Minutes before Assisted Living Concepts Inc. (ALC) was scheduled to announce its latest quarterly financial results late Thursday afternoon, the Wisconsin-based company put out a terse statement saying it was delaying the release. The statement, which came out in the last five minutes of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, sent ALC's stock price surging as investors bet the company might be in talks to be acquired. ALC's shares skyrocketed to a 52-week high of US$20.33 in heavy trading. The stock ended the day on the NYSE at US$19.17 a share, up US$1.23, or nearly 7%. The stock since slipped around 3% in after-hours trading to $18.59. "Obviously, people are speculating," said one Wall Street analyst who follows the company. "There's something going on at the company, but whether it's meaningful or not or just some formality who knows. It's strange". The analyst noted that ALC trades at a discount to some of its rivals, which could make it an attractive acquisition candidate. The company also cancelled its annual shareholder meeting, which was scheduled for 5 p.m. ET Thursday. Shortly after the meeting was to begin, David Hennigar, ALC's chairman, made a brief statement saying it was adjourned. Hennigar - a Bedford, N.S-based investor whose family acquired a controlling stake in ALC as part of the breakup of the Jodrey family assets - couldn't be reached for comment. ALC's ceo, Laurie Ann Bebo, and the company's cfo, John Buono - known for keeping details about the company tight to their chest - didn't respond to requests for comment. The analyst noted the delay also could signal a problem with the company's earnings or simply a technical issue. The cfo's voicemail told callers that he was in board meetings all day and would be at the shareholder meeting later and then tied up with conference calls. The board apparently did meet during the day because a 10-cent a share dividend was approved. ALC has been hit with allegations of substandard care and exploitation at some of its facilities over the past few months (see allNovaScotia 2012/04/18). But Hennigar said such complaints are a normal part of doing business in the sector (see allNovaScotia 2012/04/19). The problems could be cropping up as ALC continues with a transition away from residents who pay through Medicaid to bring in more lucrative "private-pay" occupants. The Hennigar family's Thornridge Holdings Ltd. owns circa 94% of Class B common shares and 2% of the Class A shares in the company, which has a market capitalization of roughly US$445 million. The stakes give the investment firm 56% voting power in the company, which is based in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls and operates more than 211 assisted living facilities throughout the United States. janet@allnovascotia.com

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> $6.5M Price Tag On
The House That Ken Built]]> By Caroline Wood

Ken Rowe has finished the big new house he's been constructing on the Northwest Arm and put it on the market.~ At $6.5 million, 382 Purcell's Cove Road appears to be the most expensive private home yet listed on the Multiple Listing Service in Nova Scotia. The founder and owner of the IMP Group International industrial conglomerate says he is selling the house because he no longer needs it. "I have recently bought a house in Florida, which made it surplus to my requirements," the industrialist said by email. Rowe paid US$7.6-million for the home he purchased in Sarasota County in 2011 (see allNovaScotia 2012-01-04). Rowe and his wife never lived in the Purcell's Cove Road home. But he put his own stamp on the construction project, which was handled by Joseph Ross of Dartmouth. "He was very much involved," said realtor Sandra Bryant, who has taken on the listing based on a potential 4% commission rate. Rowe acquired the lot, right next door to the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, in 2011 from Violet-Ray Ltd. , where fellow home builder Erla Laurie is president. Laurie had acquired it from Stephen Sutherland who divided the waterfrontage up into six lots in 2007. Bryant says she did not set the $6.5-million price. It was calculated by Rowe based on input costs, she said. Bryant admits the price is high by Halifax standards - it is assessed for tax purposes at $2.59 million - but she noted Rowe is a worldly man with worldly tastes. Details like mother of pearl tiles and exotic wood finishing make the 11,900-square-foot home one of a kind. Bryant feels a buyer may come forward when they see it from the Northwest Arm. "I live on the Arm as well," she said, adding the waterway is frequently travelled by huge yachts. "I think there is a buyer." Bryant listed another of Rowe's properties on Young Avenue this winter. The former Andrewes property, which has been renovated, is on for $2.175 million. Bryant handled another purchase for Rowe in January of this year when he bought 65 Boscobel Road, now under development, for $4.25 million. That seems to be the second most expensive private home to be listed with MLS in the region.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Wade Dawe
Makes A Million]]> By Dan Walsh

Wade Dawe took home a cool $1 million in annual compensation in 2011.~ But the Brigus Gold chairman, ceo and president saw his total pay package drop 47% from the previous year, when he received an extra $880,000 in bonuses as a result of the June 2010 merger of Linear Gold and Apollo Gold that created Brigus. The emerging Halifax mid-tier gold producer had what Dawe deemed a "challenging year," where annual production from its Black Fox mine yielded 55,756 gold ounces and its share price was halved (see allNovaScotia 2012-03-30). While production targets at Black Fox fell short, the company successfully achieved most targets relating to exploration, investor relations, financial management and administration. Even so, the board reduced bonus payments to executives in the range of 20%-100%. Dawe collected $378,000 salary, $522,000 in stock options and $100,000 non-equity incentive plan compensation. The Newfoundlander vested $114,375 in options during the year. (For a complete list of Dawe's unexercised options, see the end of the article). Dawe owns nearly three million common shares, representing 1.379% of total outstanding shares. Dana Hatfield, hired as cfo in March 2011, received the second-highest compensation. Hatfield earned a $200,418 salary, $609,900 in options, $34,608 in annual non-equity incentive plan compensation and a $5,142 pension value, totaling $849,168. He is entitled to receive $280,000 per salary. Jennifer Nicholson was hired as vp investor relations in March 2011 and promoted to executive vp in December. Her $613,423 pay consists of $161,610 salary plus $413,250 options, $34,608 non-equity incentive plan compensation and a $3,955 pension value. Nicholson's annual base salary is fixed at $210,000. Vp of exploration Howard Bird saw his total compensation increase 39%. He got $224,128 salary, $261,000 in options, $79,104 in annual non-equity incentive plan compensation and $4,615 pension value, totaling $568,847. Brigus paid over $930,000 in severance to two departed executives, Melvyn Williams and Rick Allan. Former cfo and senior vp of finance and corporate development Williams got $782,630 severance after his June 30 resignation. Williams also earned a $141,673 salary and $3,363 pension value. Allan, former vp and chief operating officer, got $154,495 in severance after he resigned in December. He also made $262,032 salary, $348,000 in options and $5,735 pension value. Directors' fees ranged from $37,750 to $45,250, plus 75,000 in stock options valued at $62,250 apiece. The total compensation for directors: Harry Burgess ($99,750); Derrick Gill ($104,000); Michael Gross ($107,500); Marvin Kaiser ($100,000); David Peat ($106,000); and Charles Stott ($107,500). Dawe's unexercised options - the first three batches relate to options he received from Linear:

342,138 at $2.192 exercise price per unit, expiring Jan. 19, 2012

376,351 exercisable at $0.767, expiring Feb. 6, 2014

177,912 exercisable at $1.001, expiring July 29 2014

750,000 exercisable at $1.135, expiring Aug. 5, 2015

250,000 exercisable at $1.675, expiring Nov. 10, 2015

453,333 exercisable at $1.465, expiring April 5, 2016

600,000 exercisable at $1.545, expiring Aug. 31, 2016

Shares closed at 83 cents, down two cents (52-week high/low: $1.89/69 cents).

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> NS Power Revenues
Are In Significant Decline]]> By Gillian Cormier By 2022, electricity sales in Nova Scotia will be 12% below 2011 levels, forecasts Nova Scotia Power Inc.~ That's not good news for the utilities shareholder, Emera Inc., which derives 51% of its gross earnings from regulated NSP. In a load forecast filed with the Nova Scotia Utility & Review Board, the utility said electricity consumption is on the wane - and not just because NewPage Port Hawkesbury is offline. NSP attributes the decrease to demographics and slow industrial growth, but also on its energy conservation efforts, called demand side management (DSM). Emera spokesperson Sasha Irving says the Halifax energy company plans for no more than 35% of gross earnings to come from NSPI in the future - but this will be fuelled by Emera growth, not NSPI shrink, she says. In 2011, NSP contributed $123 million to consolidated net earnings at Emera (see allNovaScotia 2012-02-13). The shutdown of NewPage - NSP's largest customer and formerly making up about 12% of NSP's sales revenue - was the key factor in a 9.8% decrease in sales in 2012 compared to 2011. "With the indefinite closure of the largest paper mill and no new expansions or customer additions of large magnitude anticipated, combined with slow recovery from the economic recession, growth in the industrial sector is expected to remain low," wrote NSP in its submission. "DSM is expected to further diminish overall growth in this sector." The amount of electricity used depends on a number of factors, including forecast population, inflation, GDP, retail sales, energy prices and weather. Residential customers, who make up about 39% of energy sales in the province, will see slight declines (0.2% per year) over the next decade, with the 2013 load expected to be less than the 2011 load. Absent DSM, growth was predicted to be around 1% per year. Efficiency Nova Scotia Corp., an arm's-length body, plans on spending $43.7 million on DSM programs in 2012. On the brighter side, NSPI also said the Conference Board of Canada projections showed the near-term benefits of the Irving shipbuilding contract will offset the difficulties caused by the downturn in the forestry sector.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Fall Start For
New RONA Store]]> By Andrew Macdonald

RONA expects to break ground this fall on a new 30,000-square-foot store to replace the existing Pierceys outlet on Robie Street.~ That's the word from Atlantic vp Gordon Kennedy, based in St. John's. The intention is to relocate the Pierceys store - which will be rebranded under the RONA banner - to an adjacent Bragg Group-owned parcel fronting Almon Street. A used car dealer operates on the site where Taylor Ford once did business. Pierceys is the only building supplies store on the Halifax Peninsula. Bragg leases the site to RONA and has been negotiating about a new store building since June (see allNovaScotia 2011-06-30). The big Quebec-based chain bought five Pierceys stores around metro from Bragg in 2010 - in Dartmouth, Cole Harbour, Elmsdale and Tantallon - and rebranded them. The Pierceys property on Robie, which runs to 7.9 acres and is assessed at over $4 million, was not part of the deal. RONA reported in Q2 2010 that it paid $61 million for Pierceys and for a Quebec-owned plumbing supply company. The news on the Robie Street development comes as RONA studies whether its 110,000-sf store at Bayers Lake Business Park could be shuttered or downsized. "We're very close to do everything we have to do to make an announcement" on the store's fate, said Kennedy. The store employs 120. The Bayers Lake store cost $20 million to open in 2008 - including the cost of stocking 33,000 items - and was the third home hardware supply store at the power centre (see allNovaScotia 2008-04-03) . Irving-owned Kent Building Supplies and U.S.-owned Home Depot are at the other end of the retail business park. "Obviously, (the RONA site) does not have the traffic that the other end of the park has," said Kennedy previously. RONA said earlier in the year it could close or downsize some of its big box stores across the country and concentrate on neighbourhood stores which offer only circa 30,000 sf. "Our decision to look at big box stores in Canada has a lot more to do with what our customers are telling us, and customers are telling us they are focusing more on smaller stores," he said in February (see allNovaScotia 2012-02-24). "The future will not be big box stores. The future will be smaller stores in their respective markets." As for the existing Pierceys site on Robie, Bragg ceo David Hoffman said previously it will be razed after the new store opens. The remaining Bragg holding could be redeveloped for multi-residential rental/condo or office use, he said in January (see allNovaScotia 2012-01-09). Wednesday, Hoffman added in an email: "We still have no definite plans for the redevelopment of the Robie Street lands at this stage." andrew@allnovascotia.com; 431-9970

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> High Liner Closing
Two Processing Plants]]> By Geoff Bird

High Liner Foods Inc. is closing two of its processing plants, including one in Burin, N.L., in the wake of its $230.6 million acquisition of Icelandic USA last year.~ As expected the flagship plant in the Lunenburg company's home base was not affected. The plant closings will bring some $9.6 million in annual ongoing synergies, a good slice of the $16 million to $18 million that High Liner is targeting in yearly savings from the Icelandic integration. Closing are the plant in Burin, with an annual capacity of 25 million pounds that operates at 33% utilization, and the plant in Danvers, Mass., where capacity is 64 million pounds operating at 42%. The closings aren't unexpected. The company talked of plans to close plants in February (see allNovaScotia 2012-02-02). "It's a sad day for the people in Burin and Danvers. You hate to have to make these decisions," High Liner president and ceo Henry Demone said Thursday. "But we operate in a very competitive market and we need to have a very efficient supply chain." The Burin plant, where roughly 180 people are employed, will close at the end of the year. The plant in Danvers, with more than 160 employees, will close sometime in Q1 2013. It will cost about $2.7 million after tax to close the plants, which will be expensed from now until employees are terminated at each plant. There will also be a $9.9-million after-tax impairment charge. Of that, $8.7 million will be reflected in Q1 2012, with the remainder expensed as additional depreciation between April 2012 and the closure of the plants. Cfo Kelly Nelson said capacity across the company's five remaining plants will be 75%, up from 60%. "We have that availability if we need to increase capacity, but right now we're comfortable with the capacity that we have," Nelson said. Last year's deal gave High Liner annual sales of 215 million pounds. Only High Liner's plant in Portsmouth, N.H. operates at full capacity. It has an annual capacity of 65 million pounds. The company has 229 million pounds of capacity in total, down from 318 million pounds. Capacity is divided among plants in Lunenburg (31 million); Malden, Mass. (41 million); Portsmouth, N.H. (72 million); Newport News, Va. (85 million) as well as a primary processing plant in Dalian, China (15 million). Demone said there are only two other big milestones left in the Icelandic integration. High Liner will integrate computer systems in October and then add an integrated logistics system by the end of the year. "After we've done that, the job is done, so to speak," Demone said.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Granville Tenants Exit
For TD Tower II]]> By Amy Pugsley Fraser The last remaining tenants in a Granville Street heritage house are vacating to make way for a summer construction start on TD Tower II.~ Nic Nax Convenience Store closed last month and The Flower Shop expects to relocate soon after Mother's Day. Both are located in the circa 1825 heritage building called the Macara-Barnstead property. It will be renovated and shored up to form the commercial base of the 21-storey addition which will stretch up behind the existing TD Bank building on Barrington Street. Compass Commercial Realty manages the building. Spokesperson Michael Dunn said Thursday the summer project start and timeline has not been publicly announced. However, Flower Shop owner Katherine Sharpe said Thursday her lease expires July 1 and she expects to be well out of there before that. "I am one step away from signing a lease with a new location," she said. Since the contract isn't firm, Sharpe would only hint that the location is in a nearby building across the street. Sharpe plans to stay in her location until Mother's Day, her busiest day of the year, and then set the wheels in motion to move right after that. After almost four years of waiting for the absolute drop-dead date (many of those on a month-by-month basis), Sharpe said Thursday she is somewhat relieved to know it's finally happening. "It feels like a weight off my shoulders so that I can take those next steps and hit refresh." Developer TDB Halifax Holdings Ltd. will do the $20-million renovation to the building, which will see a second tower of 100,000 square feet added to the existing tower, built in 1974 by Ralph Medjuck. The TD building is owned by Gunter Thiel, a German resident. Months ago, interviews were conducted with three national construction firms for construction management for the job (see allNovaScotia 2012-02-24). The construction is expected to take 18 months and will include updates for the older TD building, including recladding it with glass and updating its operating systems. Essentially a second tower on the property, it could open months after the November 2013 occupancy date for Waterside Centre. Nic Nax Update

The Granville Street convenience store was one of three owned by brothers Darren and Dale Fisher. The trio of stores had been for sale last year for $399,000 but now they're just looking to sell the one in Purdy's Wharf. Listed by Maurice Muise's Muise Mergers & Acquisitions Inc., it's on the market for $65,000 and pulls in revenue of $500,000 to $1.5 million annually. The owners just signed a new exclusive 10-year lease that expires Sept. 30, 2020. The Fisher brothers launched Nic Nax in 1989. In 2009, Darren won a spot on HRM's council to represent Dartmouth East, and left the business in Dale's hands. amy@allnovascotia.com; 402-0600

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Biomass Project Not
Out Of The Woods Yet]]> By Gillian Cormier

Nova Scotia Power Inc.'s 60-megawatt biomass project on the NewPage Port Hawkesbury lands has overcome partner insolvency and natural disaster to reach the halfway completion point. But the project is not out of the woods yet.~ NSP's senior director of projects Roger Burton says the $14-million turbine and steam generator - the two largest pieces of equipment - were delivered and installed a few weeks ago. The turbine, from Japan, and the generator, from England, arrived by barge and then travelled by rail car to the Port Hawkesbury site. In March 2011, supplier Mitsubishi issued a force majeure letter to customers globally in light of the earthquake and tsunami, and there was concern the equipment might arrive late (see allNovaScotia 2011-03-23). However, it was the insolvency of partner NewPage, which was to supply the biomass material for the plant, that caused delays. The $208-project received regulatory approval in 2010. The startup date was originally late 2012, then early 2013. Now the utility is forecasting a startup at the end of March 2013 (see allNovaScotia 2012-03-30). Burton says the installation will allow NSP to execute its offsite contracts for piping and electrical systems. There are more than 130 workers on site, and that number will grow to 150 this summer during peak construction, said Burton. The 20-metre wide, six-metre tall turbine will be encased in a metal jacket when it is completed. The two pieces of equipment have a combined weight of 240 tonnes. Click here to see a photograph of the installation taken Thursday (new window will open). The pumphouse foundation has also been completed, as well as the fuel chip silo, conveyor belts and transformer installation. After NewPage Port Hawkesbury was granted creditor protection in September, several contractors and suppliers to the biomass plant filed builders' liens against NewPage. NSP has been trying to settle these claims to proceed with the energy project. NSP assumed the contracts from NewPage to keep construction moving, said Burton. He says the utility inherited the terms of these contracts, and NSP paid for work that was completed prior to the mill's insolvency. With NewPage gone, NSP will issue a new tender to provide biomass for the plant. NewPage bidder Stern Partners will likely bid. NewPage received an upfront payment of $80 million from NSP to buy NewPage's 30-year-old boiler and $93 million in construction costs. NSPI expects to spend $56 million this year on the project. The plant will use 650,000 tonnes of wood waste a year to fire the generator at the NewPage mill. The project will generate about 3% of Nova Scotia's electricity (see allNovaScotia 2011-09-22). The 60-megawatt project is a key part of NSP reaching compliance with the province's mandated renewable energy targets that require 25% of the province's energy come from renewable sources by 2015.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Boston Option For
New Saint John Line]]> By Andrew Macdonald

Mediterranean Shipping Co. (MSC) might take advantage of the collapse of the Halifax-Boston container feeder service by connecting its new call in Saint John to New England.~ MSC is launching a biweekly Caribbean service into the Port of Saint John Tuesday, using a couple of sizable vessels that can each carry 2,400 TEUs. They could possibly call at Boston, or cargo could go by rail or truck through to New England, says Sarah Norgaard, MSC regional sales manager for Atlantic Canada, who is based in Saint John. "We're open to any possibility," said Norgaard. "Given the distance between Boston and Saint John, there could be some synergies for sure." American Feeder Lines ended a feeder service connecting Halifax to Boston and Portland after its vessel AFL New England, was arrested by Ceres Terminal and the Atlantic Pilotage Authority April 21 because of unpaid bills. "We're well aware of what has happened to AFL. In all honesty, it doesn't give us any pleasure to see another carrier not be successful here in Atlantic Canada," said Norgaard. "That being said, if there are possibilities that open up for us, we'll take advantage, absolutely. Our primary focus right now though, is in developing the Port of Saint John. This is where our focus is 100%. Down the road, there are other possibilities." MSC's decision to call at Saint John came as a shock in Halifax, where container cargo was down nearly 12% in Q1. MSC will deploy the MSC America and MSC Elena, sizeable ships for a Caribbean routing. They will call Montreal, then sail on Saturdays into the Bay of Fundy arriving on Tuesdays - after coming within 50 nautical miles of Halifax's port. Then they'll head to Caucedo, Dominican Republic and stop in Freeport, Bahamas before rotating back to Montreal. Caucedo and Freeport are major transportation hubs and trans-shipment ports connecting through the Caribbean. Norgaard won't say how many export containers will be loaded on the ship Tuesday - or whether that cargo is coming from Irving entities (possibly carrying such things as forestry products, newsprint and tissue paper or McCain's Frozen Foods. There is no import cargo scheduled for the moment. "It's too early for that," she said. Halifax also has direct connections to the region and HPA responded after the Saint John win by describing MSC's service as a feeder service. "We're not a feeder service by any means," said Norgaard. "It's clear the kind of size capacity ship we are deploying into Saint John is a true liner service, not to be confused with any coastal feeder services operating in this area." andrew@allnovascotia.com; 431-9970

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> New Buildings Needed
For 200 VG Beds]]> By Devin Stevens The planned demolition of the Victoria General Hospital's Centennial Building just got one step closer to reality.~ On Thursday Capital Health issued an request for proposals for programming, schematic designs and estimates on two new construction projects that will house 200 beds currently at the VG site. The RFP says 50 beds will be moved from the VG and Halifax Infirmary to the Dartmouth General Hospital. Those beds will be installed on the hospital's fifth floor which is vacant. The project also includes construction of a new three-storey tower on the north side of the hospital that will house eight new operating rooms, replacing the six already at the Dartmouth General. The tower will also hold recovery rooms, a roughed-in space for future clinics and support services. Opposition parties slammed the NDP when it announced the Dartmouth General expansion late last year, saying there was no guarantee the work would actually proceed (see allNovaScotia 2011-12-19). A second project on the RFP includes construction of a five-storey tower at the Halifax Infirmary site. About 150 VG beds will be moved to that location. The project includes three inpatient floors, 16 operating rooms, an interstitial mechanical floor and support services. The Nova Scotia cabinet will make the call on how to proceed once bids are received. Capital Health spokesperson John Gillis said there's still no timetable for when the work will begin and when the beds will be moved. There's also no immediate plan for the Centennial Building site, though Gillis says other VG buildings will continue to be used for outpatient care. He said the cancer centre and radiation treatment facility will be undergoing substantial upgrades. devin@allnovascotia.com; 446-3890

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Mining Notes: Shakeup
At ScoZinc Miner]]> By Dan Walsh

Selwyn Management Shakeup

Harlan Meade has been relieved of his duties as president, though he'll continue as chief executive officer of Selwyn Resources Ltd.~

Meade acted as both president and ceo of Selwyn for 15 years. The Vancouver-based junior explorer is struggling to find $30 million financing to restart production at its ScoZinc mine in Gays River as it develops its flagship Selwyn Zinc Project in the Yukon. "It certainly removes me from a little bit of oversight of day-to-day operations, and leaves me a little more time to work on the strategic issues for both projects," Meade said. He said he will concentrate mainly on financing, marketing and communicating with shareholders and the media. "The workload is expected to grow significantly going forward, so some division of labour seemed to make some sense," he said. Vice-president corporate development Stephen Rea will act as interim president. Selwyn also formed an executive committee of Meade, and directors Wade Nesmith, Robjert Rusko and Brad Marchant to work on the company's strategic goals and review its joint venture partnership with Chihong Canada Mining Ltd. as it moves to the next phase of developing the Yukon zinc project. Marchant has replaced Meade on the board and as president of the joint partnership company Selwyn Chihong Mining Ltd.

The company is having ongoing talks with potential industrial partners interested in acquiring off-take rights at ScoZinc, while it waits for final industrial approval from the province, Meade said. "Where the markets are right now, where the zinc prices are - people will be a lot more interested six months from now when zinc prices start to move. Patience is the name of the game," Meade said. "We never stop working on it, and I guess I'm going to have a little more time to work on it." Shares closed at 13 cents (52-week high/low: 29 cents/13 cents). Buchans Releases EMM Results

Buchans Minerals Corporation said Thursday a new test to extract manganese from its Plymouth deposit in Woodstock, N.B., has yielded its best results to date. Buchans president and ceo Warren MacLeod called the results from Fredericton chemical processing engineers Thibault & Associates a "major step forward" for the project. The Windsor-based junior explorer is looking to capitalize on global markets opening up for electrolytic manganese metal due to regulatory changes and falling ore grades in China, the world's largest EMM producer. Based on a bench scale test program, the overall recovery of manganese is expected at about 90%, the company said. Other leach recovery tests scored higher, it said. Buchans has signed a $9 million deal for a joint venture partnership with Irish company Minco Plc for its base metal properties in Newfoundland and gave Minco an exclusive six-month option to evaluate the Woodstock properties, which includes Plymouth and two other manganese deposits. Shares closed at seven cents (52-week high/low: 12 cents/five cents). Stockport Updates Sampling Program

Stockport Exploration Inc. says its preliminary sampling program at Kamwango includes grades up to 2.85 grams per tonne gold within the pebble lag deposits. Of the 25 pebble lag samples collected, the thickest sample returned 1.175 g/t gold over 1.6 meters. The gold-bearing quartz pebble lag deposits potentially represent "an easily recoverable asset," v-p exploration Matt Rees said in a statement. President Jim Megann said Stockport, formerly Linear Metals, will be testing the host structure at depth to see if the pebble lag has potential to provide near term gold production from Kamwango. Shares closed at 10 cents, unchanged (52-week high/low: 42 cents/eight cents).

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Dal Prof Wins Book
Award Posthumously]]> By Devin Stevens Two of Dalhousie University political science professors have won an award for the best public policy book in Canada - but it's a bittersweet victory as one of the authors is not alive to accept the honour.~ Political science professors Lori Turnbull and the late Peter Aucoin won the Donner Prize earlier this week along with Mark Jarvis, a doctoral candidate at the University of Victoria. Their book, Democratizing the Constitution: Reforming Responsible Government argues Canada's system of responsible government is failing, with the Constitution no longer providing an adequate check on the prime minister's power. The award comes with a $50,000 prize. However, Aucoin, a professor emeritus in Dal's political science department, died in July and never saw the book go to print. "It was a hard night for Mark and I because Peter was absolutely the kindest, most lovely person I will ever meet," said Turnbull. "He was a mentor for both of us. And Mark and I are both much better off because we knew Peter. He would be so pleased." The member of the Order of Canada and fellow of the Royal Society of Canada won countless awards and honours for his work - including the Lieutenant Governor's Medal for Excellence and the Vanier Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Public Administration. He also played a key role in the Gomery Inquiry into the federal sponsorship scandal. Turnbull explains it was Aucoin who brought her and Jarvis together to work on the project. The three worked through email and phone calls, only working with all three in the same room on two occasions. The book focuses on the Canadian Constitution and how it's losing its ability to check the power of the Prime Minister's Office. Turnbull explains the Constitution has written and unwritten parts. She says the written part has no mention of the prime minister, his powers, confidence motions or any other details on how Parliament is supposed to function. Those details are based mainly on convention, meaning they're all up for interpretation. "Because they're not written down we don't have a clear understanding of what those constitutional conventions mean," said Turnbull. She cites the example of Prime Minister Stephen Harper losing the confidence of the House before the last election. Some thought the Governor General had the right to ask an opposition party to take over, while others believed an election was necessary to change the government. Turnbull says prime ministers throughout history have been using the lack of expressed rules to their advantage, and the book outlines that history. "We just don't have an agreement about that stuff," said Turnbull. "So when something happens, the prime minister is not bound by clear rules, because they're not clear rules." Turnbull hopes the Donner win will bring the issue into the public discourse. Ideally, the authors would like to see the constitutional conventions codified - written down to limit arguments over how democracy is supposed to function. It's the first book for Turnbull, who worked as a researcher for the inquiry over the relationship between Brian Mulroney and Karlheinz Schreiber. She says while she and Jarvis may not publish another book together, there's no doubt they will continue to be partners on journal articles or chapters in collected volumes. devin@allnovascotia.com; 446-3890

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> ACOA Sues
Abridean Inc.]]> By Devin Stevens

Halifax-founded software developer Abridean Inc. is being sued for more than $3.1 million as ACOA tries to get some of its money back.~ The federal business development agency is suing Abridean for money granted as part of three separate loans between 2002 and 2004. ACOA alleges in Nova Scotia Supreme Court documents that the company is in arrears despite multiple amendments to the loans, changes to project completion dates, repayment schedules and reporting requirements. The company was founded more than a decade ago by Sean Sears, who continues to be listed as president. Sears could not be reached for comment. None of the allegations has been proven in court. The first loan was worth more than $386,000 plus $35,000 in interest while the second was worth $364,000 for $33,000 in interest. The third loan, by far the largest, is worth nearly $2.1 million plus more than $200,000 in interest. All told, the documents claim Abridean owes more than $3.12 million. The documents say ACOA demanded payment in October 2009 after Abridean failed to make the necessary payments, thus defaulting on the agreements. ACOA says the $2.1-million loan is in default because a change in corporate ownership violated the agreement. The agency also claims Abridean failed to provide audited financial and revenue statements and didn't maintain the requisite level of equity set out in the agreement. Chicago-based parent company AbrideanUS took over the company in 2003 as part of a restructuring. Two years later, about 61% of Abridean's voting shares were sold to U.K.-based nCipher, following a rough year where the company lost $2.4 million (see allNovaScotia 2005-10-24). A lawsuit by an ex-director followed against nCipher but was eventually dismissed (see allNovaScotia 2007-08-02). About half the company's 30-person workforce was laid off in 2008 after a major client cancelled an order with nCipher (see allNovaScotia 2008-01-31). ACOA is seeking the outstanding amounts as well as daily interests and cost of the legal action. devin@allnovascotia.com; 446-3890

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Irving Shipbuilding:
Canada's Best In Defence]]> By Geoff Bird Big Jim Irving has another trophy for his shelves: Irving Shipbuilding has been name the top aerospace and defence company in the country by Canadian Defence Review magazine.~ The nod comes six months after Irving was awarded the $25-billion contract to build the Royal Canadian Navy's next generation of warships over the next 30 years. "Irving Shipbuilding is a survivor of the boom and bust era in Canadian shipbuilding and it is to be commended for its tenacity in sticking with a plan to have Halifax Shipyard become one of the Royal Canadian Navy's most important contractors," Peter Kitchen, magazine publisher and editor-in-chief, said in a statement. Kitchen said the yard "is not only a critical supplier to Canada's military but also an extremely important player in the local and regional economies, employing hundreds of skilled workers directly and thousands more indirectly." Irving, ceo of the shipyard, said he is honoured to receive the award. "We thank the men and women of Irving Shipbuilding for their commitment and experience, we would not be where we are today without each one of them," he said. "Irving Shipbuilding is one among other great companies on this list, which represents a growing, successful aerospace and defence industry across Canada." Irving's competition in the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy, Seaspan Shipyards, snagged ninth spot on the list. Seaspan won the roughly $5-billion contract to build the non-combat ship package. Many of the world's biggest defence contractors were on the list via their Canadian subsidiaries, and several of them have operations in Nova Scotia. General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, CAE and Lockheed Martin also ranked in the top 10. Recent Nova Scotia arrival Bleudrop Performance Learning, which is the recipient of a $1.7-million loan from the province, came in at 18.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> NDP Bill Cuts Service
When Cell Contracts Expire]]> By Brian Flinn A cell phone industry group warns the NDP government is about to make Nova Scotia the only province where mobile service immediately halts when contracts expire.~ That will leave customers who don't bother to renew with dead air, the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association said in a letter to the Legislature's law amendments committee. "Customers in Nova Scotia will be rudely surprised to discover that their wireless service has been cut off one day, by direction of the provincial government," said the letter, signed by Bernard Lord, the former New Brunswick premier who is now the association's ceo. The government's proposed changes to the Consumer Protection Act prohibits contracts from automatically rolling over. It require service providers to notify customers between 60 and 90 days of the end of their contract. "I think that's a fairly good safeguard," Service Nova Scotia Minister John MacDonell said Thursday. Lord said in his letter that service providers already tell customers when contracts are about to end, but some do not bother to renew. The current practice in the industry is to extend contracts on a month-to-month basis until the customer renews, cancels or switches to another service provider. Tory MLA Chris d'Entremont proposed an amendment Thursday that would enshrine that practise in legislation. NDP MLA Howard Epstein said that's not the model the department favoured, but the government will consider the amendment. The NDP has already heard the concerns. Representatives of the wireless association met with Premeir's Office officials April 19, director Marc Choma said Thursday. Lord said in his letter that industry generally objects to provincial regulation of wireless contracts. Consumer will be better served by one set of national rules. He said the bill adds costs for consumers, companies and government. The association takes particular exception to provisions of Bill 65 that allow government to use wireless networks to distribute messages (see allNovaScotia 2012-05-01). The government says it wants that power to combat cyber-bullying, in keeping with the findings of a task force. "That was purely all that we intended to do," MacDonell said. "If we wanted to use it in some other way, I think we really should go back to the people on that one." Lord suggested service providers would have participated in a campaign against cyber-bullying if the government had asked. It did not need to use legislation. "CWTA strongly questions the appropriateness of such measures, given that they could one day be used - despite initial best intentions - to require federally licensed entities to pass on provincial politically driven communications to customers," he wrote. The Conservatives proposed another amendment limiting the government's messages to matters of public safety. Tory Leader Jamie Baillie said the government has made it clear through its print and broadcast advertising that it's prepared to taint public service messages with party propaganda. He said the bill allows cabinet to broaden its power to use wireless networks. "That is way too wide open and we know they'll abuse it," he said. Liberal MLA Andrew Younger said it's valid to use wireless networks to distribute messages in time of public emergencies, but provincial legislation is not needed because the CRTC is already drafting similar national regulations. He said the NDP has raised suspicion through the partisan nature of government advertising. brian@allnovascotia.com; 492-6588

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> New Airport
Magazine Takes Off]]> By Judy Myrden A new airport travel magazine was launched Thursday at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.~ Soar Halifax, a free 68-page glossy magazine, is the brain child of publisher Max Brennan, who also owns lifestyle magazine Optimyz. The magazine will be published four times a year in consultation with the Halifax International Airport Authority by Soar Halifax Inc., a company recently created for the purpose of publishing the magazine. "This is like an in-flight magazine at the airport. There's puzzles and travel stories about Europe and Atlantic Canada," said Brennan Thursday. The magazine, found inside the airport, is available to passengers, visitors and airport employees. Brennan said he spent $10,000 on eight custom-built stands by Dartmouth's Creative Millwork and Design to showcase the magazine. The specialty magazine had 50,000 copies printed in Ottawa at Dollco Printing but he declined to reveal the cost. Brennan said the magazine received an excellent response from advertisers with 20 pages of advertising. The cover issue story features stories on travelling to London for the Olympics by Vanity Fair magazine writer Bridget Arsenault, who blogged about Will and Kate's wedding last year for the magazine. HIAA spokesperson Peter Spurway said the authority offers editorial advice and charges a "modest fee" to Brennan for distributing the magazine at locations within the airport - which has 3.6 million passengers annually.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> SMU Will Honour
Robert Pace & Co.]]>
Saint Mary's University is handing out six honorary degrees at its spring convocation later this month at the Halifax Metro Centre.~ The recipients are: former Lt.-Gov. Mayann E. Francis; CBC host Stuart McLean; Dragons' Den celebrity investor Arlene Dickinson; Halifax broadcasting mogul Robert Pace; Jim Lotz, a trailblazer in community development; and Dennis Deters, a renowned leader in the co-operative sector. "These individuals are important role models for our students," said Saint Mary's University president J. Colin Dodds. "Each exemplifies this university's long-standing commitment to community partnerships and each has accomplishments that are important and long lasting." More than 900 graduates will cross the Metro Centre stage May 18. The convocation ceremony is divided into morning and afternoon sessions.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Steele Rejects
Provincial Tax Review]]> By Brian Flinn The Liberals want to force Finance Minister Graham Steele to report on the economic effect of Nova Scotia's taxes.~ MLA Diana Whalen proposed amendments to the Financial Measures Act Thursday that would require a comprehensive tax review by June 1. A report to the Assembly would be required by Sept. 29. Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil introduced legislation at the end of March that's similar to the amendment. The review would include a comparison of tax rates across Canada and an examination of the economic implications. Steele said it's not going to happen. The Finance Department routinely reviews tax rates and examines their effect, he said. A cross-jurisdictional comparison is already available on the government's web site. Steele noted New Brunswick did a comprehensive tax review that led to significant reductions in rates. The province's revenue dropped and its deficit soared. Halifax Regional Municipality abandoned a review when councillors could not agree on an approach to tax reform. A provincial review for Nova Scotia would need to be accompanied by a policy direction, Steele said. If the idea was to drop rates, services should be cut accordingly to avoid raising the deficit. Liberal MLA Kelly Regan introduced another amendment to the Financial Measures Act that would allow pension benefits paid by the Public Service Superannuation Plan to be garnisheed for alimony and child support. She said that mirrors federal pension provisions. brian@allnovascotia.com; 492-6588

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Biz Byte:
Clarke Debentures]]> By Janet Whitman

Clarke Inc. bought back $18.3 million worth of its convertible debentures, part of a previously announced plan to whittle away at its debt obligations. The Halifax-based company - which is run and controlled by value investor George Armoyan - said the total represents the outstanding amount in the 6% convertible unsecured subordinate debentures that mature at the end of 2012. The company paid holders of the debentures $1,020.38 for each $1,000 in principal, which included all accrued and unpaid interest. Clarke has said it's trying to be proactive about its debt maturities so its not left with one huge payment (see allNovaScotia 2012/04/04). The company's shares were quoted at $4.05 on Thursday (52-week high/low: $4.81/$3.81).]]> You Said It:
Fillmore On Density]]>
Editor's note: Andy Fillmore the manager of urban design at HRM. It is wonderful to see a robust discussion of the benefits of density bonusing occurring in HRM, as proposed by the HRM by Design Centre Plan.~ Density bonusing is a powerful urban planning tool for relieving tax payers from the burden of paying for a variety of public benefits (i.e. affordable housing, streetscape improvements, clean-up of contaminated sites, etc.) in exchange for increased development rights in some areas. But it is also a new and somewhat complex tool, and is therefore easily misunderstood, as has happened in Thursday's allNovaScotia article. As Centre Plan project manager, I would like to clarify the issue by providing a few clear facts. The main point of confusion involves the potential maximum height of a new building. The article incorrectly concluded that density bonusing would permit developers to exceed the maximum height or density set out in HRM's planning documents. I wish to emphatically state this is not the case. The Centre Plan will establish the absolute maximum heights throughout the regional centre on a neighbourhood by neighbourhood basis, based on community input, urban design best practises and the prevailing character of each area. This would be the "post-bonus" height. If the developer chose to not provide a public benefit, the project would be limited to a lower "pre-bonus" height. This way residents and developers will know with absolute certainty what the maximum height would be. Density bonusing is the single best tool available in the city planner's toolkit to ensure that HRM residents and businesses will be the beneficiaries of a suite of public benefits at no cost. A second important clarification is the ability for citizens to have input into how density bonusing would work in other parts of HRM. As was the case with HRM by Design's Downtown Halifax Plan, significant public consultation and community input on the pre and post bonus heights would occur during the development of new planning strategies and bylaws, rather than on a case-by-case basis after the plan is in place. With the pre- and post-bonus heights already contained in the land use by-law, citizens would know the maximum height that could be achieved on each street and lot in their neighbourhood, either with or without a bonus.

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Obituary: Dr. Keddy
Was Popular Dentist]]> By Anthony Ring Popular downtown dentist Dr. Stewart Randolph Keddy died Tues., May 1 after a brief illness. He was 65.~ Dr. Keddy practised dentistry for more than 37 years, retiring from his practice Purdy's Wharf Dental Group in September 2011. Patients offered nothing but praise on various websites. Dr. Keddy's partner at Purdy's, Dr. Greg Thistle, says Keddy was always popular with his patients. "He was down to earth," Thistle said . "He had a pretty big following, he was always honest and appreciated people's lifestyle and situation." Dr. Thistle joined the Purdy's Wharf Dental Group in 1998, replacing Dr. Keddy's original partner. He was always impressed with his former partner's work ethic. "He lived for his work, he was always busy. If a patient cancelled we'd find him reading a dental journal or trying to fix the dental lab equipment." The Bedford resident graduated from Dalhousie University Dental School in 1974. Before starting his own practice, he worked in the Dental Corps from 1974 until 1979. Prior to attending Dalhousie, he graduated from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College in Truro in 1967 and McGill University in 1969. He would remain a life-long supporter of the Truro-based college, offering up more than $25,000 in 2004 as part of a memorial scholarship in his parents' names. Dr. Keddy was a highly regarded member of his profession, serving as a member of various dental groups, including the Nova Scotia Dental Association, the Canadian Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry. He was nationally recognized for his work in endodontics and radiology. Dr. Keddy is survived by his wife, Pat, and two children, Alex and Maeghan. A reception to honour Dr. Keddy will be held at the J.A. Snow Funeral Home Saturday. Donations can be made to the Randy and Gladys Keddy Memorial Bursary at Nova Scotia Agricultural College Foundation.

]]> Feedback: Armbrae;
Rent Control; Unions]]> allNovaScotia 2012-05-03)

Carol Dobson writes:

Lucy Maud Montgomery was never a student at the Halifax Ladies' College.~ However, she did spend one academic year in Halifax taking an advance course in English literature at Dalhousie and boarded at the HLC. If you read Anne of the Island, which is based on Maud's life here in Halifax, there is no parallel to a HLC room in the book. However, Maud does describe life in a boarding house, which could be an amalgam of the several boarding houses she lived in during her second sojourn in Halifax, when she worked for the local newspaper. She did incorporate several bits of Halifax into the book including the Old Burying Ground, Dalhousie (Redmond), Young Avenue and Point Pleasant Park. Re: "Rent Control Thoughts" (allNovaScotia 2012-05-03).

Brian R.F. Lugar, vice-president Novacorp Properties Limited, writes:

The rental apartment market is Nova Scotia is skewed enough in favour of the tenants as it is, with tenants enjoying significantly more rights than landlords. We see time and again tenants "playing the system" and not paying rents knowing that it takes significant time, effort, and expense for landlords to evict problem tenants. In addition, if the tenant "skips," landlords are forced to store the tenants' belongings for them. Rent control would further exacerbate the imbalance. As Mr. Joe Metlege and others have pointed out, investment property owners have been faced with significant property tax increases due to rising assessments in recent years. As well, other direct operating costs like heating, water, insurance, electricity, snow and landscape maintenance etc. have all soared. Indirect costs incurred by suppliers and service providers have increased with increases in items like payroll taxes, WCB costs, vehicle fuel and insurance, etc. all being passed on to the property owner. These operating costs are paid by property owners from rents collected. As it stands today, for residential property owners there is a significant lag whereby landlords are not able to increase rents to offset these costs until the anniversary date of the lease and only upon proper notice. Then the tenant has the right to accept the increase and stay or vacate. If the rent is not competitive, then the tenant has a variety of alternative housing options. By placing a cap on rental increases, landlords will be even more hard pressed to keep pace with increased operating costs. This will result in a lack of operating funds to pay for items like maintenance and repairs. This will inevitably lead to a deterioration in our current rental housing stock primarily among the older more "affordable" properties. In addition, with caps on rents, developers of new stock will see their risks increase dramatically resulting in fewer new properties being developed and only in areas where development costs will be significantly cheaper, ie not the urban core. Caps on rent have a significant negative trickledown effect and do little to protect those that require protection - seniors and others on fixed incomes. Legislators should be extremely wary before moving in this direction as it is fraught with danger. Re: "Dexter Warns Unions" (see allNovaScotia 2012-05-03)

Bruce Cooke writes:

The premier's constant show down with labour since the election in 2009 only to save the day at the last minute time and time again is getting a little long in the tooth. I would have more respect for the premier if he would stop the hyperbole and drama; the NDP antics are not fooling anyone!

Click here to mail a comment. We may publish any and all comments at any point.]]> Government Tenders:
05/04/12]]> By Sophie Wood Tenders awarded:~

PW-$HAL-302-8663
DND
Superport Marine Services Ltd., Port Hawkesbry
Ship charterbr>Value: $159,850. PW-$PWA-123-4863
DND
Atlantica Mechanical Contractors Inc., Dartmouth
Repair chillers
Value: $460,000. 60143601
Nova Scotia
Applied Industrial Technologies Ltd., Saskatoon, Sask.
Ferry bullwheel parts
Estimated Value: $4,178
Alternate bid: Motion Canada Inc., $4,353. Q12M046
HRM
Cimco Refrigeration, Toronto
Evaporative condenser for the Sackville Sports Stadium
Estimated Value: $42,960. Tenders issued:

243971
Defence Construction
Install air conditioners
Closing date: 2012-05-22 2 p.m. 243898
Defence Construction
Request for information regarding Laser Induced Fluorescence investigations
Closing date: 2012-05-23 10 a.m. 243920
Defence Construction
Renovations at Greenwood
Closing date: 2012-05-24 2 p.m. PW-$HAL-503-8676
DND
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Closing date: 2012-05-17 2 p.m. PW-$$HP-454-60388
DND
Salenoid valve parts kit
Closing date: 2012-06-12 2:30 p.m. RFPCH2012-0302
Nova Scotia
Innovative care, flexible facilities for CDHA
Closing date: 2012-06-08 2:30 p.m. MM12-039
Nova Scotia
Automated drug cabinet
Closing date: 2012-06-05 2:30 p.m. NSLAND47
Nova Scotia
Parking lot paving
Closing date: 2012-05-23 2 p.m. 12-02
Nova Scotia
Infiltration drainage channel at the Waterville Sewage Treatment Plant
Closing date: 2012-05-24 2 p.m. 12-09
Nova Scotia
Retrofit four lift stations in Kings County
Closing date: 2012-05-24 2 p.m. 12-12
Nova Scotia
Replace watermains in Greenwood
Closing date: 2012-05-24 2 p.m. 12-16
Nova Scotia
Pave Larry Drive in Kings County
Closing date: 2012-05-24 2 p.m. 2011-00810
Nova Scotia
Renovate a lab and a classroom at SMU
Closing date: 2012-05-24 3 p.m. 60143859
Nova Scotia
Large scale mapping
Closing date: 2012-05-18 2 p.m. 60143804
Nova Scotia
Asphalt patching and shoulder gravelling in Pictou County
Closing date: 2012-05-18 2 p.m. 60143883
Nova Scotia
Galvanized steel tubular sign posts and hardware
Closing date: 2012-05-18 10 a.m. Q12C464
HRM
BlueCoat Proxy maintenance and support
Closing date: 2012-05-15 4 p.m. Q12M060
HRM
Roofing inspector for the new Halifax Central Library
Closing date: 2012-05-17 4 p.m. Q12P263
HRM
Plastic welding repair to playground equipment
Closing date: 2012-05-18 4 p.m. Q12P264
HRM
Picnic tables, standing offer
Closing date: 2012-05-21 4 p.m. T12-222
HRM
Access road for the Lake Charlotte Boat Launch
Closing date: 2012-05-24 2 p.m. 3487
HRM
Site improvements at Dartmouth High
Closing date: 2012-05-16 2 p.m. allNovaScotia.com is not responsible for possible errors or omissions in the tenders report.]]> Court Actions 05/04/12:
Mortgage Defaults]]> By Anthony Ring Business-related court actions filed in the Halifax Law Courts. Lawyers appear in brackets.~ SH 391989
Royal Bank (Andrew S. Wolfson) vs Tristan Stephen Kehoe
Debtor. SH 391963
RCS Retail Construction (John Kulik) vs City Market of Halifax Co-Operative Ltd, Carrying on business as Halifax Seaport Farmers' Market and Nova Scotia Farmers Market Development Co-Operative Ltd.
Debtor. See today's issue. SH 391999
Royal Bank (Andrew S. Wolfson) vs Kathleen Jane Lee
Foreclosure. Royal Bank is seeking payment of $37,548 on a defaulted mortgage at 21 Park Street, Trenton PID 00925503. SH 392002
Royal Bank (Andrew S. Wolfson) vs Blair Alexander Park
Foreclosure. Royal Bank is seeking payment of $69,565 on a defaulted mortgage and line of credit at 123 Park Falls Road, Sutherland's River PID 00887182. The bank claims it is owed $21,346 on a defaulted mortgage and $48,219 on a line of credit. SH 391986
Atlantic Canada Opportunity Agency (Jonathan A. Shapiro) vs Abridean Inc.
Debtor. See today's issue. SH 391984
Her Majesty the Queen vs Lionel Seanet Colley
Debtor. SH 391983
Her Majesty the Queen vs Samuel Paul Dukeshire
Debtor. SH 391981
Her Majesty the Queen vs Mahmoud Abaza
Debtor. The above statements are allegations made in lawsuits. These allegations have not been tested in court.]]>