Insights with Don Mills and David Campbell- An Acadia Broadcasting Podcast

There are 140+ financial technology (fintech) firms located in Atlantic Canada ranging from small startups to Verafin with more than 900 employees in St John’s.  Fintech employs over 4,000 people in Atlantic Canada.  Why is this sector thriving in Atlantic Canada?  This week Don and David talk with Lori Weir, Co-Founder and CEO of Four Eyes Financial about fintech and why so many firms are choosing Atlantic Canada.  Four Eyes is a rapidly growing firm based in Saint John with 50+ employees and ambitious plans to expand their business into the United States and the United Kingdom.  What is the value proposition?  What can we do to support this growing cluster of firms?  Lori, Don and David answer these questions and more.Subscribe to the newsletter if you would like to stay up to date on future podcasts.

Nova Scotia's Efforts to Transition to Green Energy  On this episode of the Insight Podcast, we feature a conversation with Peter Gregg, the CEO of Nova Scotia Power, who is faced with the challenge of ensuring 80% of electricity is produced by green energy resources by 2030. That is indeed a challenge given only 43% of electricity is currently produced by green energy (mostly wind). Nova Scotia is also faced with being the highest user of coal generated electricity and has a mandate to stop using coal by 2030. As Gregg mentions, some of the current coal generating plants will be closed and some will be repurposed to use natural gas to meet peak electricity demands. The transition will be expensive and the impact on affordability for users is still to be determined. For example, there is a need for high-capacity battery storage to support wind power. Gregg also talks about the need to increase generation capacity by 60% by 2060 to serve a growing population and energy demand and the challenges of climate change which has seen a 54% increase in the frequency of winds above 80 kms/hour in the last five years. He also discusses a number of other renewable energy sources, including nuclear power. 

This is a continuation of a conversation that you can revisit on your favorite podcast platform. There are many ways to describe David Hawkins. He is a pioneer in marketing & communications, he is a serial entrepreneur, he is a community builder and a successful businessperson. He is also a legend in Atlantic Canada, although that is a label he is uncomfortable being called. How else do you describe someone who helped develop an industry sector in our region by creating Hawk Communications as one of the early and most successful marketing and advertising agencies that continues to this day. In this wide-ranging two-part Insights Podcast series, we talk with David about his career, some of his most memorable campaigns and clients, and the factors that led to his success, as well as the current state of marketing and advertising in the era of social media and the dominance of Google and Beta in the field of advertising. It is a fascinating conversation with one of the region's most fascinating personalities.

David Hawkins is a Marketing & Advertising LegendThere are many ways to describe David Hawkins. He is a pioneer in marketing & communications, he is a serial entrepreneur, he is a community builder and a successful businessperson. He is also a legend in Atlantic Canada, although that is a label he is uncomfortable being called. How else do you describe someone who helped develop an industry sector in our region by creating Hawk Communications as one of the early and  most successful marketing and advertising agencies that continues to this day. In this wide ranging two part Insights Podcast series, we talk with David about his career, some of his most memorable campaigns and clients, and the factors that led to his success, as well as the current state of marketing and advertising in the era of social media and the dominance of Google and Beta in the field of advertising. It is a fascinating conversation with one of the region's most fascinating personalities.

CFIB's Dan Kelly Talks about Small Business ChallengesOn this episode of the Insights Podcast our guest is Dan Kelly, the President & CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), an advocacy organization with a hundred thousand small and medium sized business members. SMEs represent about half the GDP in Canada and more than sixty percent of total employment in the country. There are 1.2 million SMEs in Canada, not including sole ownership businesses. In a wide ranging conversation, we discuss the regulatory burden in Canada with a focus on the region and CFIB's efforts to reduce red tape. Kelly credits the work of the Nova Scotia government with leading the way in Atlantic Canada in this regard. He also discusses the challenges associated with repayment of CEBA loans for small businesses that have led to an increase in bankruptcies across the country in the last year or so. In addition, we talk about the generational transition of business ownership underway, with more than 75% of business owners expecting to exit their businesses within the next ten years and their research which indicates few business owners are properly prepared for that transition.  Subscribe to the newsletter if you would like to stay up to date on future podcasts. 

A Conversation with the New President of Dalhousie University, Dr. Kim BrooksThis episode of the Insights Podcast features a wide ranging conversation with Kim Brooks, the first female President & Vice-Chancellor in the long history of Dalhousie University. Dr. Brooks' appointment was very well received by the Dalhousie community as one the rare Presidents who was chosen from within. She has been at Dalhousie since 2010 and held senior management roles including Dean Law (her speciality is tax law) and Dean of the Faculty of Management. Her vision is to have the university serve the greater good of Nova Scotia and to further engagement with the community as a civic university. We talk about the university's important role as an economic enabler, as an employer (more than 6,500 employees with a payroll over $400 million), as a talent and immigration attraction institution, as an incubator of start-up companies and as a major research player in Atlantic Canada. Her unbridled enthusiasm for the university and its future is apparent and infectious. This is probably one of our best podcasts to date in terms of content.

Canada's King of Supplements is a Nova ScotianRoger King started his business while attending Saint Mary's University as a way to supplement his income as a student and has turned his supplement business into a leading national brand. King recently opened his 100th Supplement King retail outlet in British Columbia and has plans to open one hundred more in the next three or four years. His strategy is to license his brand to those interested in owning multiple locations. In the next year alone, he will open an additional 26 outlets. The company's outlets generate more than $100 million in revenues and employ about 1,000 people nationally. The company's head office is in Dartmouth, where a head office staff of twenty manage the marketing and product distribution for the chain.  All products carry a natural product number to ensure their products are safe and effective. Supplement King and Popeye's Supplements are the two largest companies in this market segment, each currently with about the same number of outlets. It is clear that Roger King's ambition is to become the number one brand in Canada, before turning his attention southward to the US market. It all began in Nova Scotia, demonstrating again that this region can compete with anyone, anywhere.Upcoming podcasts include Dan Kelly, CEO of CFIB and Kim Brooks, CEO of Dalhousie.  To stay up to date, subscribe to our newsletter here.

Canada's Ocean Supercluster - Growing the Blue EconomyThis episode of the Insights Podcast takes a close look at the amazing opportunity Canada has to grow its blue economy and the role of Canada's Ocean Supercluster (OSC) in ensuring that we take full advantage of that opportunity. The ocean sector in Canada is worth nearly $40 billion in GDP and employs more than 300,000 Canadians. The blue economy is disproportionately important to Atlantic Canada, and Kendra MacDonald, the CEO of the OSC, provides an excellent overview of Ambition 2035, Canada's effort to increase the value of the blue economy to $220 billion by 2035 and the role that OSC is playing to achieve that goal. We discuss sustainable seafood, green energy, marine transportation and tourism as the key areas of focus for growth. The Ocean Supercluster is working on 90 different projects involving more than 300 companies and has invested $150 million to date in these projects, which has been matched by a similar investment from private sector partners. It is an exciting story, especially for Atlantic Canada.

A Mid-Mandate Update with Nova Scotia Premier, Tim HoustonThis episode of the Insights Podcast features a conversation recorded live with Premier Tim Houston at the Halifax Chamber's Economic Forum. Premier Houston is halfway through his mandate. We talk about the accomplishments of his government and his personal disappointments over the first half of his mandate. We review the major healthcare initiatives undertaken to date to deliver on his promise to fix healthcare, including the government's willingness to use the private sector to deliver publicly funded healthcare services. We also discuss his ambitious goal to double the population to 2 million people by 2060 and the stresses caused by the recent increases in the population, as well as the government's strategies to address the housing shortages. Premier Houston acknowledges the high tax environment in Nova Scotia and hinted that some relief may be coming. He also acknowledges the need to mine more critical minerals in the province and lessen the current regulatory burden for mining. We talk about the potential of offshore wind. At the same time, he has a surprising answer regarding whether or not nuclear power could be a potential solution to achieving net zero, something that has been banned in Nova Scotia for decades and whether he would support the mining of uranium. The podcast provides a good assessment of the government's progress to date. Please subscribe to the Acadia Insights podcast on your favorite platform so that you are alerted to the upcoming podcasts including the CEO of the Ocea Supercluster Kenra MacDonald, Roger King, CEO of Supplement King and Dan Kelly, CEO of CFIB.  Or subscribe to our weekly newsletter at this link.

On this week's Insights podcast, Don and David talk with Chief Terry Richardson and Councilor Jim Richardson from the Pabineau First Nation in Northern New Brunswick. This is another in our series of conversations with First Nations leaders who are driving economic development across Atlantic Canada.  There are many inspiring stories including our conversation today.  We talk about commercial development, housing, and the long-term opportunities for energy development in northeastern New Brunswick.  Chief Terry and Jim also reflect on the challenges that still remain and the need for a stronger partnership between First Nations and the provincial government. 

When to Sell or Grow Your Business  In this episode of the Insights Podcast we talk with Rob Normandeau, the Managing Director and CEO of Seafort Capital, a regionally based private equity company that is part of a growing eco-system of private equity investment companies in Atlantic Canada. Founders East and Sandpiper Ventures are other companies in this space. Rob provides an excellent overview of Seafort's investment strategy and the attributes that his company looks for in making a capital investment. His company is not just focused regionally, but nationally as well. He also provides the key considerations for business owners trying to decide whether to sell or grow their companies, as well as the basis for evaluating the market value of your business. He also defines the difference between a strategic buyer and a financial buyer and the advantages and disadvantages of a management buyout.  According to Rob, there is growing interest in the investment community for the opportunities that are emerging within Atlantic Canada. That is good news for those seeking capital.Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the weekly Acadia Insights podcast.

Health care in Atlantic Canada is under significant pressure on many fronts.  There is a growing shortage of health care professionals, and the talent pipeline is not keeping up. The cost-of-service delivery is rising fast.  Technology is changing how health care is delivered and managed and, to top it off, the region is experiencing unprecedented population growth. Bruce Fitch, the Minister of Health for the Government of New Brunswick, joins us this week to discuss what his department is doing to cope with these pressures.  We discuss everything from the expanded role of international talent in the workforce to the role of virtual health care.  Minister Fitch weighs in on ways to reduce ER wait times, the expanding role of pharmacists, and what needs to be done to help address the mental health challenges in New Brunswick.   

A Conversation with Canada's Ambassador to the United Nations  On this episode of the Insights Podcast, we turn our attention to the national scene and have a candid conversation with Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations. Rae has had a long and distinguished career as a lawyer, politician, law professor and now diplomat. We talk to him about his time as the first NDP Premier of Ontario and as the Interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, as well as one of the founding members of the Forum of Federations. Also about his work as an envoy for Canada and finally about his current role as the Canadian UN ambassador. Rae is a highly cerebral individual, and he provides his thoughtful perspectives on the challenges south of the border, his views about the future of Canada and his advice for Atlantic Canadians. You will enjoy this conversation with this important national figure.

Membertou, An Indigenous Economic Model of Success In this episode of the Insights Podcast, we have an inspiring conversation with Terry Paul, the long-term Chief of Membertou First Nation (celebrating his 40th Anniversary as Chief this year). Chief Terry is a residential survivor who was recently named as one of Canada's most admired CEOs. He has helped develop the Membertou Model of economic development to improve his community. Membertou is part of the Mi'kmaq Coalition of seven First Nation communities who purchased 50% of Clearwater Seafoods in 2020 with Premium Brands of BC. Last year Membertou generated $80 million in revenue and has created 600 jobs in a community with 1,850 members (including those living outside the community itself). In the last ten years alone, Membertou has spent $91 million in capital investments in the community. It continues to expand its fishery operations and is the major owner of two wind farms that will be developed to support EverWind's green energy project. The ambition and success of Membertou is clearly a model for other indigenous communities across Atlantic Canada. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date on the weekly Acadia Insights podcast.

On this week's Insights, Don and David talk with Sean Leet, Managing Director and CEO at World Energy GH2 about their exciting green hydrogen project in western Newfoundland. World Energy GH2 is proposing a $6 billion project that would use 160 wind turbines generating renewable energy to produce green hydrogen, initially to meet demand in Europe.  The Stephenville area is one of the best sites in all of Canada for a project such as this.  Sean tells us why in the podcast and also why World Energy GH2 could have 'first mover' advantage in this new industry.  

There are many exciting stories of First Nations economic development across Atlantic Canada.  This week Don and David interview John Davis, the CEO of Qalipu Holdings in Newfoundland and Labrador about the potential of green hydrogen and other emerging industries and how the Qalipu First Nation will play a role including ownership stakes in various projects, governance and environmental oversight, supply chain opportunities and Indigenous workforce development. The Qalipu First Nation represents 25,000 people in 67 traditional Mi’kmaq communities across the province. The Indigenous population in Newfoundland and Labrador makes up a larger share of the provincial population than all other provinces except Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  Economic development is an important priority and John provides an excellent overview of the initiatives they are involved in to strengthen the economic foundation supporting the Indigenous population in Newfoundland and Labrador.  Subscribe to the newsletter if you would like to stay up to date on future podcasts. 

Your latest Insights Podcast features a conversation with Rob Steele, the CEO of the Steele Auto Group, the fifth largest auto group in Canada. He is also the son of legendary entrepreneur Harry Steele. Interestingly, Rob did not join Newcap Inc, his father's company, until he was nearly forty years old. Up until then, Rob was already a successful entrepreneur in his own right and busy building his auto portfolio. While he was the CEO of Newcap Inc, he successfully built a portfolio of one hundred radio stations, which he sold to Stingray in 2018 for $500 million. Since then, he has focused his efforts on building his auto group which had revenues of $2.8 billion in the past year and is the largest auto group in Atlantic Canada, employing 2,500 people in the region. He branched out into Texas a few years ago and has grown to nine dealerships in the state. He now has 32 brands with 64 locations across Atlantic Canada and Texas. We talk with Rob about his father, their working relationship and the lessons he learned working with him.  Rob shares his thoughts on the future of electrical vehicles, as well as what keeps him entertained in his personal time.To stay up to date on all future podcasts, please subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

As the year comes to a close, we felt it appropriate to revisit some of the most important and most popular podcasts of 2023. Below is a recent podcast with the Chair of the Canadian Climate Institute, Peter Nicholson.   A new report called “Catching the Wind” from the Public Policy Forum outlines how Atlantic Canada can become an energy superpower by harnessing offshore wind. On this episode of the Insights Podcast we talk with Peter Nicholson, the Chair of the Canadian Climate Institute and author of the report about the opportunity to harness the winds for environmental and economic benefit. Peter has had a distinguished career in both the private and public sectors and makes a compelling case that the region has a generational opportunity to be a net exporter of green energy to the rest of the country that will transform the economy of the region and generate the same kind of economic benefits for the region that Alberta has enjoyed form their oil and gas industry. He outlines the challenges associated with realizing this opportunity, including the substantial capital investment required. He also emphasizes that addressing climate change requires bold vision and audacity to seize the potential of offshore wind in particular.As you close out the year, and celebrate the New Year, we hope you enjoy the listening to some of our other top podcasts of 2023.Glenn Cooke Discusses How Cooke Inc Has Quietly Become The Largest Privately Owned Seafood Company In The WorldJim Irving Discusses The Importance Of The Forestry Sector For The Future Of New BrunswickDiscussion With Minister Arlene Dunn On The Growing Population And Job Vacancies In NBPhil Fraser, CEO Of Killam Properties, Tells The Story Of Atlantic Canada’s Largest LandlordBernard Lord Discusses How Medavie Is Changing Health Delivery In CanadaA $10-Billion Opportunity To Mine Manganese In New BrunswickHow Jacques Dube Really Feels About Your Tax BillThe Entrepreneur Fighting To Dismantle P.E.I.'s Development Roadblocks

There is something going on in Newfoundland and Labrador.  The province's tech sector is booming.  Real GDP from the IT sector has more than doubled since 2018, IT employment is up 46%.  The number of tech firms is up more than 20 percent just since 2019.  The number of life sciences startups has more than doubled.  On a per capita basis, the province has surged from 9th in the country among the 10 provinces to 3rd for the level of Research and Development spending per capita.  Michelle Simms, the CEO of Genesis, the province's startup incubator, has a front row seat.  A decade ago, Genesis worked with eight startups in a year.  In 2023, the number is closer to 200.  Michelle joins Don and David to discuss the drivers of this impressive growth and the outlook for the future.  

Forestry Sector in Recovery Mode in Nova Scotia  The closure of Northern Pulp was a significant blow to the forestry sector in Nova Scotia creating a gap in demand for low grade fiber of 1.5 metric Tonnes. Despite this blow, the forestry industry still employs 6,000 workers in the province and generates $1.8 billion of economic activity and remains an important contributor to the economy in Nova Scotia. Our Insights Podcast this week features a wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Moore, the Executive Director of Forest Nova Scotia. One of those topics is the impact of the implementation of the Lahey Report on the industry which has a target of conserving 30 percent of forest lands in the province. As Moore points out, this conservation goal has the potential to increase the risk of forest fires in the province if those lands are not properly managed. In terms of conservation, the industry currently harvests about 2.5 million trees annually of the 600 million trees in the province. The goal of tripling housing means the demand for lumber will also triple in this region in the near future. This presents an unprecedented opportunity for the forestry industry to grow and expand while ensuring the long-term sustainability of this sector.Subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with future episodes.