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  #1  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 2:35 PM
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Economic Strategy Scorecard

The economic strategy scorecard for this year is out from the chamber of commerce. There have been improvements, particularly in population growth, employment and the commercial tax base. but reading through the report, theres a lot that can be improved on:

http://www.halifaxchamber.com/images...cardReport.pdf
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  #2  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 3:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Wishblade View Post
The economic strategy scorecard for this year is out from the chamber of commerce. There have been improvements, particularly in population growth, employment and the commercial tax base. but reading through the report, theres a lot that can be improved on:

http://www.halifaxchamber.com/images...cardReport.pdf
Yeah it is actually not as bad as I had feared. Much of the "downturns" this year are far more a reflection of the global economy. The two that, in my mind, are actual structural long-term issues are immigration and wages.

The "brand-recognition" one makes me chuckle though. It has been a long-standing beef of mine that "Halifax" does not seem to be able get past its parochial view with this whole HRM deal. I understand that internally it makes sense to use Dartmouth/Bedford/Sackville etc etc (especially given that there are multiple Queen Streets and so, so one has to delineate somehow), but to the outside world "HRM" is a laughingstock. People all the time from other places mention to me how silly the whole HRM thing seems. It really is time for people to just grow up and get over it, and brand this place to the rest of the world as Halifax. It reinforces the "backwater" image of the city otherwise! It is not like we are reinventing the wheel here... many many other cities have gone through similar amalgamations and didn't have an apparent "city" of X Regional Municipality! When you visit NYC you may be staying in Manhattan, but you are visiting NYC. :-)

(and now I sit back and wait for the angry responses )
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  #3  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 4:53 PM
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i dont think it was that bad but it wasnt that great either, the yellow light overall reflects that.
there were alot more red lights than i would have wanted like unemployment and wage which i kind of expected but still sucks.
some of the buisnes ones were pretty good like actracting and such, but the overall economic score kinda sucked.
the crime rate going down is good, unexpected but good, plus the tax base is commercialy stronger.
and i guess were not satisfied as a commuinity, aha.
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Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 7:06 PM
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Regional municipality does sound horrible - it sounds like some collection of shacks up north somewhere.

The sad thing is Halifax isn't even a real polycentric city like, say, Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge (and note that even Halifax-Dartmouth sounds better than "HRM"). It's just one city that's big enough that some of its parts need different names.

Also, the report has some weird statistics. For example, they list provincial income, not income for the city. The two are very different.
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  #5  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 7:16 PM
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(and note that even Halifax-Dartmouth sounds better than "HRM").
Agreed... however if we go down that road you know how it will be. We'll become the Halifax-Dartmouth-Bedford-Lawrencetown-Sackville-Enfield-Tantallon-WestChezzetcook Regional Municipality! But DEFINITELY not the City of Halifax. LOL
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  #6  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 8:02 PM
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i think it should be just Halifax, but shorten the borders to make it from tantallon to sackville to fall river to poters lake and back to tantallon
ecum secum musquodoboit sheet harbour hubbards ect, isnt really halifax
for some reason its everywhere metro transit goes, ahah
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  #7  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 9:25 PM
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I agree with Beyeas. People need to just let go of this community identity crap a bit and just accept that their a part of Halifax. I live in Dartmouth and I still consider myself a Haligonian.
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  #8  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 9:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Wishblade View Post
I agree with Beyeas. People need to just let go of this community identity crap a bit and just accept that their a part of Halifax. I live in Dartmouth and I still consider myself a Haligonian.
I agree with you there.

I was born in Halifax and I've been able to see it everyday of my life so while for the purpose of this forum I might consider myself Bedfordian a lot I defenitely prioritize being Haligonian more.

Heck to me the three important things about my identity is I'm Haligonian, I'm a Maritimer, and I'm Canadian!
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  #9  
Old Posted Jan 14, 2010, 11:00 PM
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Originally Posted by -Harlington- View Post
i think it should be just Halifax, but shorten the borders to make it from tantallon to sackville to fall river to poters lake and back to tantallon
ecum secum musquodoboit sheet harbour hubbards ect, isnt really halifax
for some reason its everywhere metro transit goes, ahah
That would make a lot more sense, you'd have the core urban and suburban areas, and the eastern shore could exist as it's own Municipality, which would probably suit them much better.

How abought when the Municipality is communicating with the outside world we just say the Halifax Region or Greater Halifax? It's accurate, we're a region centred around Halifax, and much less of a mess than Halifax Regional Municipality. Ideally we could change the name of the Municipalty (and in a dream-world we could change the boundaries as Harlington suggests) but until an official name change happens just shorten it a bit.
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  #10  
Old Posted Jan 15, 2010, 1:16 PM
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I agree with you there.

I was born in Halifax and I've been able to see it everyday of my life so while for the purpose of this forum I might consider myself Bedfordian a lot I defenitely prioritize being Haligonian more.

Heck to me the three important things about my identity is I'm Haligonian, I'm a Maritimer, and I'm Canadian!
You know it's funny... I actually kind of like that internally there is some residual identity (the fact that Bedford still has a small town feel to it, the gritty feel of Dartmouth, how people from Cole Harbour are proud of Crosby etc). It is in terms of governance and presenting a face to the rest of the world that I feel like we need to grow up and just be one city. We can't have a council that pits one area over another, and we can't market ourselves as a "region" rather than a grown up city.
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  #11  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2010, 10:47 AM
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I wasn't sure where to post this. The cargo at the Halifax Port is up substantially this year over last year. However, the cargo was down substantially in the past few years . It looks like it might be starting to rebound. (source: Bill Power - Chronicle Herald - http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1175010.html )

Quote:

Halifax cargo up over 30%
Group reports Q1 improvement
By BILL POWER Business Reporter
Thu. Apr 1 - 4:54 AM

The Port of Halifax had felt the impact of the global economic recession but cargo traffic is now increasing.(Ingrid Bulmer / Staff)



The volume of cargo passing through the Port of Halifax was up more than 30 per cent during the first quarter of 2010, the Halifax Employers Association said Wednesday.

Richard Moore, the association’s president and chief executive officer, said it is a positive signal in the aftermath of the global recession.

The association represents employers in the longshoremen’s industry.

"Things have been steady for the past six months and there are indications it will remain that way until the end of the year," Moore said in an interview.

The port was hit hard by the recession and observers are hungry for any indicator of improvement.

The employers association monitors tonnage for its member companies. The firms hire workers with the International Longshoremen’s Association in Halifax to handle cargo.

Moore said overall tonnage is up about 30 per cent for the first quarter, while container traffic is up about 41 per cent.

He said the work longshoremen do at the port is reported to the association for tabulations relating to worker pension plans and benefits.

"It is a reliable indicator of the volume of cargo moving though the port," he said.

The numbers indicate total tonnage of about 286,000 metric tonnes for January and about 282,000 tonnes for February. A final number for March was not yet available.

The Halifax Port Authority will release its own numbers on port cargo volume in mid-April.

There are preliminary indicators these results will be positive but not up to pre-recession levels, said port spokesperson Michele Peveril.

"Most experts agree it will take at least a year or two before major ports around the world get volumes back up to pre-recession levels."
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  #12  
Old Posted Apr 1, 2010, 8:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Halifax Hillbilly View Post
How abought when the Municipality is communicating with the outside world we just say the Halifax Region or Greater Halifax? It's accurate, we're a region centred around Halifax, and much less of a mess than Halifax Regional Municipality. Ideally we could change the name of the Municipalty (and in a dream-world we could change the boundaries as Harlington suggests) but until an official name change happens just shorten it a bit.
The reason why things like "HRM" look ridiculous and quaint is that people around Halifax think that it's a special case when it's not. Every North American city is a region with a core and suburbs, and actually most are less centralized than Halifax.
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  #13  
Old Posted Apr 8, 2010, 1:18 AM
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The Conference Board of Canada is predicting strong growth in Halifax over the next 4 years: (source: http://www.vancouversun.com/business...378/story.html)

Quote:
OTTAWA — The Olympic flame will continue to contribute to the healthy glow in Vancouver's economy through the rest of this year, with the boost from the Winter Games helping it outpace all other Canadian cities in terms of economic growth, a report said Wednesday.

The Olympics pumped an estimated $600 million into the West Coast city's economy, the Conference Board of Canada said in its latest metropolitan outlook, which forecasts growth for 13 Canadian cities.

"The Olympic Games provided a big, even if temporary, boost to retail trade, arts, entertainment and recreation, accommodation and food services in Vancouver. All in all, the Olympics injected about $600 million into the Vancouver economy, lifting growth by about 0.8 percentage points," Mario Lefebvre, the Conference Board's director of municipal studies, said in a statement.

"On top of that, demand for new homes in Vancouver began to recover at the end of last year, and that momentum has carried over into the first couple months of 2010."

Halifax, the only city in the board's survey to have posted GDP growth amid the economic downturn last year, will move to the middle of the pack this year, with growth of 2.5 per cent, as larger cities benefit more from a recovery in the manufacturing and construction sectors, and — in 2010 at least — continued federal stimulus spending, the board said.

The Ontario cities of Toronto and Hamilton, hit particularly hard by the recession, will take second and third place, respectively, behind Vancouver. The board forecasts 3.7 per cent growth in Toronto, Canada's largest city, and 3.3 per cent in Hamilton.

Victoria is in fourth place with expected growth of 3.2 per cent in 2010 based on renewed demand in the services sector, increased consumer spending and recovery in construction and manufacturing.

Edmonton rounds out the top five for 2010, with construction growth leading it to a 2.9 per cent increase in GDP this year.

The board warns that Ottawa-Gatineau's 2.8 per cent growth this year — which puts its ranking at seventh — will slow two per cent in 2011 as federal government spending restraint takes hold.

The Conference Board predicts the national capital region will lose 10,000 government jobs over the next three years, contributing to a last-place ranking among Canada's 13 biggest cities for economic growth over that time.

Calgary is tied with Ottawa-Gatineau in the seventh-place ranking for this year with growth also expected at 2.8 per cent. Construction and services activity is expected to help the Prairies city recover somewhat from last year's downturn in the energy sector.

With files from Ottawa Citizen

• GDP percentage growth in 2010 (forecast):

Vancouver 4.0

Toronto 3.7

Hamilton 3.3

Victoria 3.2

Edmonton 2.9

Saskatoon 2.8

Ottawa—Gatineau 2.8

Calgary 2.8

Halifax 2.5

Quebec City 2.5

Montreal 2.3

Winnipeg 2.2

Regina 2.0

• GDP percentage growth in 2011—2014 (forecast):

Calgary 4.4

Edmonton 4.3

Toronto 3.9

Vancouver 3.5

Saskatoon 3.4

Hamilton 3.2

Regina 2.9

Halifax 2.8

Winnipeg 2.6

Victoria 2.6

Montreal 2.6

Quebec City 2.5

Ottawa—Gatineau 2.4
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  #14  
Old Posted Apr 8, 2010, 2:05 AM
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Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post
The Conference Board of Canada is predicting strong growth in Halifax over the next 4 years: (source: http://www.vancouversun.com/business...378/story.html)

That was before yesterday's provincial budget disaster.
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  #15  
Old Posted Apr 8, 2010, 3:35 AM
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The increase in the HST certainly seems to goes against one part of their political election platform (removal of the HST on home heating oil - as I remember). However, the fact that the NDP is spending a significant amount on road construction might help cancel the effect of the additional HST (just as the Olympic Games will add to Vancouver's GDP).

I just hope that once the books are balanced that the HST will be reduced again. (Maybe next election it will be the platform of one of the opposing parties). As is often the case, politics is enough to make me shake my head.
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  #16  
Old Posted Apr 8, 2010, 5:37 PM
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This article surprised me. The number of births in the HRM seems to have increased significantly. I was starting to believe all the dire forecasts about the population shrinking in the future. Now if the Halifax area can just do more to provide jobs and quality of life in order to keep the younger generation in the Halifax area.

(Just as a note, I am all for responsible population growth. I don't want to see the world become over-populated; to achieve a stable population, the birth rate should only equal the death rate. Unfortunately over-population has become a problem in developing poorer countries as opposed to the major industrialized countries. I would much rather see a sustainable birth rate in Nova Scotia and see Halifax grow by attracting ex-Nova Scotians and immigrants from other countries. Such a policy doesn't go against sustainable population growth. Instead people are just moving from one location to another.)

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...lifax-iwk.html

Quote:
Baby boom hits Halifax hospital
Last Updated: Thursday, April 8, 2010 | 8:54 AM AT Comments17Recommend23
CBC News
Matthew was born three days ago. The IWK Health Centre in Halifax expects up to 5,000 babies this year. Matthew was born three days ago. The IWK Health Centre in Halifax expects up to 5,000 babies this year. (CBC)

One of the biggest hospitals in the Maritimes is bracing for a baby boom.

Officials at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax expect between 4,900 and 5,000 babies will be born at the hospital this year — the most since the early 1990s.

That would be 130 more babies than last year.

"Lots of babies, lots of moms. It's extremely busy," said Ann McCabe, director of health for women and newborns.

McCabe said the number of births has gone up about eight per cent since 2006-07. The trend can be attributed to a population shift in Halifax, medical advances and older mothers.

At 40, Cheryl Megeney just gave birth to her first child, Matthew. She fits right in with the other moms.

"Throughout my prenatal care, I heard a lot that that's the norm now. Most people are 40 and over, or a lot are 40 and over with their first child," said Megeney, from Oakfield, just outside Halifax.
Simple reasons

Megeney hopes to have a second child. She said there's a simple reason why she's starting a family now.

"I met the father of my children four years, or five years, ago. That's why I'm 40 having my first child, I guess," she said.

McCabe said more young families are living in Halifax than five years ago. In addition, because of medical improvements, more women with health conditions can give birth.

The IWK, which is the children's hospital for the Maritimes, is seeing more complex cases, McCabe added.

"Mothers can have babies now that perhaps five or 10 years ago they couldn't because of their medical condition," she said, citing obesity as an example.

McCabe said the hospital has the staff and the room to handle all of the births. The IWK turned some offices into patient rooms a few years ago. Besides, McCabe said, staff are used to emergencies.

"We might move nurses from one area to another. But we're used to that. We can have a very, very quiet day and then the next day it can be mayhem," she said.

During these busy times, mothers may have to wait a bit longer in the birth unit for a bed or stay in a room on another floor, McCabe added.

The hospital discharges some mothers and babies after six hours, depending on their health. McCabe said there is no plan to speed that up.

She said the birth rate would have to go up another five or 10 per cent before another birth unit is needed.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...#ixzz0kWySBzGV
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  #17  
Old Posted Apr 8, 2010, 5:50 PM
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^ Yeah I can believe that from first hand experience. It seems like tons of women at my work are getting pregnant lately. The article just confirms what I believed to be true. I actually read a few months ago that the IWK-Grace had been reaching overcapacity and didnt have enough room for all the children being born.
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  #18  
Old Posted Apr 9, 2010, 8:47 AM
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Regarding the increase in births in the Halifax area, could it be that as people become more financially secure, they feel that they can have more children (for example, women need to take time off from work)? So increased prosperity could result in a higher birth rate. The other factor, with increased prosperity, young families can stay in the Halifax area.
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  #19  
Old Posted Apr 10, 2010, 1:21 PM
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This is the latest version of the Statscan report on Labour: http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss03a-eng.htm The data is only for people in the labour force and therefore is only people age 15 and older. The population went up by 4.1 thousand between March 2009 and March 2010 for people age 15 and over.

On top of this there is reportedly a baby boom in the Halifax area: (source http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia...lifax-iwk.html ). PS: (edited) It is tempting just to add the births in one year to the increase in the over 15 age group (labour statistics population number), but I have a feeling that this might not be correct for one reason or another - I think because in the one year period 14 year olds move to the over 15 year group. Also, the 5000 births are only for IWK. Nevertheless, this indicates a significant population growth in the Halifax area. Statistics indicating estimated overall population increase come out in July of each year.

Quote:
One of the biggest hospitals in the Maritimes is bracing for a baby boom.

Officials at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax expect between 4,900 and 5,000 babies will be born at the hospital this year — the most since the early 1990s.

That would be 130 more babies than last year.

"Lots of babies, lots of moms. It's extremely busy," said Ann McCabe, director of health for women and newborns.

McCabe said the number of births has gone up about eight per cent since 2006-07. The trend can be attributed to a population shift in Halifax, medical advances and older mothers.
PS: Nova Scotia added 4,000 full time jobs in March 2010 (source: http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1176496.html ). And it should be noted that the population of Nova Scotia has started to increase again, so the increase in population in the Halifax area isn't just people moving from other parts of the province. (So much for all the doom and gloom scenarios of a shrinking population and labour shortages).

Quote:
Nova Scotia added 1,500 jobs in March and 2,700 fewer people were looking for work.

About 4,000 more people in the province had full-time employment and 2,400 fewer had part-time jobs.

Last edited by fenwick16; Apr 10, 2010 at 10:35 PM.
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  #20  
Old Posted Apr 10, 2010, 9:14 PM
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Halifax is one of the best places in the country to raise kids. Housing is relatively affordable, the schools are good, the economy is strong, and the natural setting is second only to parts of BC. I could imagine lots of people moving there from Toronto in the future - when I was a kid there were already lots of families who were moving in from Ontario.

Something else to look at is the employment rate. In Toronto and Vancouver, 61-62% of people work. In Calgary it's 70% and in Halifax it's 67% (Windsor is down to 55%). High employment means that the economy is healthy and there is more money available to take care of children and the elderly.
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