Labour Market Monitor - Annapolis Valley NS
July 2011
This is an overview of the Annapolis Valley Region which includes Hants, Kings and Annapolis Counties. The Labour Market Monitor is a monthly report focusing on Labour Market Information.
Labour Force Trends
The Valley area's labour market continued to demonstrate weak performance in July with the area's unemployment rate up 1.5 percentage points compared to July 2010. Although full-time employment levels are close to what they were a year earlier, declines in part-time employment over the past 12 months have pushed the number of unemployed workers up by nearly 1,000. The unemployment rate now stands at 10.1%.
For more information, please visit the Statistics Canada website at: www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/lfss05b-eng.htm
| Valley | July | |
|---|---|---|
| Region: 230 | 2010 | 2011 |
| Labour Force (000) | 60.4 | 60.6 |
| Employed (000) | 55.2 | 54.5 |
| Full Time | 43.6 | 43.8 |
| Part Time | 11.6 | 10.7 |
| Unemployed (000) | 5.2 | 6.1 |
| Participation Rate (%) | 60.4 | 60.8 |
| Unemployment Rate (%) | 8.6 | 10.1 |
| Data is 3 month moving average from the Labour Force Survey, Statistics Canada | ||
Labour Market News by Industry
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
Nova Scotia strawberry growers are smiling as they reap one of their best harvests in years. The season started a bit later this year because of the cool weather and ended about a week earlier because of recent high temperatures. Growers say the price is down because of the short season and farmers have to compete with imported berries from the southern U.S. and Mexico filling grocery store shelves. The strawberry industry brings in over $10 million annually for growers in Atlantic Canada. Chronicle Herald - July 18, 2011
Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction
The questionable fate of the Canadian Gypsum Company's idle Hants County plant is making it difficult for the Town of Hantsport's council to plan ahead as they make up a significant proportion of the tax base having paid $745,000 in taxes to the Town of Hantsport last year. In February, 45 Fundy Gypsum employees lost their jobs when the Canadian Gypsum Company (CGC) stalled operations at its Windsor plant indefinitely. The plant includes quarries in Wentworth and Miller's Creek and ship-loading and storage facilities in Hantsport. They recently sold the tugboat they had been using to assist ships at the Hantsport Wharf back in April 2011. The company's decision to stall operations at the Windsor plant in response to a downturn in the United States housing market will remain in effect until at least the spring of 2013 when they plan on reviewing market conditions. If the demand for wallboard remains at a low in the States, and Fundy Gypsum ceases to exist, the town may have to consider moving from town to village status. Hants Journal - July 7, 2011
Construction
Of the provincial government's $265-million investment in roads and other infrastructure this year, $33.4 million is going towards highway, road and bridge projects in the Valley. A full list of the province's transportation priorities through 2015-2016 included under the government's 5-Year Highway Improvement Plan is available online. www.gov.ns.ca/tran/highways/5yearplan.asp Annapolis County Spectator - July 7, 2011
West Hants council recently approved a development agreement to allow Terra Firma Development Corporation Ltd. to continue with its proposed Forest Lakes Country Club Resort in the Ardoise area. In addition to a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf course, the developers plan to build an estimated 1,800 residential units, which would consist of single-unit and semi-detached dwellings, cottages, town-houses, and multiple unit complexes, as well as create hiking trails, playing fields, an ice rink and other recreational facilities. The resort could see restaurants, small businesses and a hotel spring up as development progresses. The project, which is anticipated to take between 15-20 years to complete, could get underway as soon as next year. Hants Journal - July 21, 2011
Bruce McDow, president of Special Places Real Estate Corp., has been developing Cottage Country communities in Vaughan (West Hants) for over 20 years. Cottage Country's works-in-progress include the Canyon Point Resort and Falls Lake Resort, two bare-land condominium projects surrounding Falls Lake. The Canyon Point Resort, a 59-lot community started in 2005, is about 95% sold. A more ambitious project, the 118-lot Falls Lake Resort that began in 2010, is about half spoken for. With construction ongoing at the Falls Lake Resort, McDow says the project is providing 125 people with work in Vaughan. Hants Journal - July 7, 2011
Mitchell Brison, a licensed land surveyor with his own construction company, says Brison Developments is directly responsible for about 80 jobs in West Hants this summer and estimates the company generates roughly $1 million worth of business in the municipality per month. An ongoing Brison Developments project dubbed The Crossing, a mini-home park bordering Windsor and Garlands Crossing, has sold about 30 lots to date. Brison estimates the 300-lot project will be worth between $30-40 million when it is completed. In addition to The Crossing, Brison Developments is working on The Meadows, a subdivision in Falmouth, and Fairfield Park, a retirement community neighbouring the Hants Community Hospital in Windsor. Hants Journal - July 14, 2011
Manufacturing
A $120,000 investment in local manufacturer Crown Fiber Tube was recently announced by the province through the Productivity Investment Fund. The private company makes fiber tubes; long brown cylinders that are used for everything from pouring concrete at construction sites to fireworks casings, newsprint cores and mailing tubes. Company president Lloyd Anderson reported that the funding will allow the company to install new machinery to increase efficiency of the production line. Though it is not expected to create any new jobs it will increase the job security for the current workforce of 14 employees. The company has the capacity for expansion, but with demand for paper products dropping, there isn't a market to support it at present. Kings County Register - July 21, 2011
Trade
Pete Luckett, the British entrepreneur behind the Pete's Frootique grocery store brand and the recently opened Luckett Vineyards in Grand Pre, is in the process of opening another business in the Valley. Pete's Frootique will be expanding to Wolfville in the Warehouse Mall. Renovations are planned to begin in the fall, continuing through January with an opening in April or May of 2012. Pete's ToGo - a sandwich and salad takeout shop that Luckett recently opened in Halifax - will potentially make an appearance in Wolfville as well. The store hopes to hire 50 new employees. The Grapevine - July 14, 2011
Education
Acadia University has increased its tuition for 2011-2012 in line with 3% increases at other Nova Scotia campuses. Kentville Advertiser - July 5, 2011
Health Care and Social Assistance
Annapolis Valley Health (AVH) is looking at a budget reduction of $3.9 million. AVH spokesperson Wendy Walters said 33.4 positions among 1,300 may be lost. AVH spokesperson Tamara Gilley says each district's health authority was asked to absorb new and rising costs - increased medication and supply costs, wage increases, and higher utility costs - while protecting patient and client care, all with no additional funding. The changes will result in fewer positions at AVH, which is making every attempt to use retirements, resignations, vacancies and in some cases, work reassignments. In the event that layoffs are necessary, they will happen in accordance with collective agreements and other contracts. Annapolis County Spectator - July 28, 2011
The Windsor Day Care Society is exploring new avenues for much-needed funding after learning the Town of Windsor is unable to accommodate a request that would allow the society access to the remaining $100,000 necessary for construction to begin on a new child-care facility. Windsor CAO Louis Coutinho says town council is legally obligated to hold the primary mortgage on the existing day-care to ensure the $73,000 in outstanding debt the society owes the town, following the purchase of land on Grey Street for the proposed $ 1-million daycare facility, will be paid off when the building sells. Hants Journal - July 7, 2011
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Twelve Valley recreational facilities got a financial boost recently when the province handed out more than $300,000 in funding for updates. This includes $30,000 to the Fundy YMCA over the next two years; $75,000 to the town of Kentville toward the cost of improvements to the Memorial Park complex; and $100,000 to Acadia University toward the cost of improvements to the strength and fitness area of the Acadia Arena complex and track and field facilities. Annapolis County Spectator - July 7, 2011
Accommodation and Food Service
Muir Murray Estate Winery has added a new feature to its Grand Pre establishment. The Perfect Blend Tea Room is now open. Kentville Advertiser - July12, 2011
Public Administration
On July 5th, West Hants council voted unanimously to offer to continue funding the Hants Regional Development Authority (HRDA) until the end of March 2012 if the HRDA would devote a full-time staff member to focus on business development in West Hants. This followed council's original plan to pull its share of the funding for the HRDA effective July 15. Hants Journal - July 14, 2011
Despite facing economic pressures from all sides including the closure of its largest employer earlier this spring, the town of Berwick has managed to craft a 2011/2012 budget with minimal increases to residential and commercial tax rates. Cost-saving solutions included a recent decision to partner with Kings County to provide joint policing services, a move that is expected to save Berwick approximately $150,000 in the year ahead. No staff cuts were made to achieve the budget, but the CAO position will not be filled. As part of its budget, Berwick included $300,000 for upgrades to its sewer treatment plant to accommodate a new chicken processing operation moving into the former Larsen's plant. Kings County Register - July 21, 2011
Note: In preparing this bulletin, Service Canada has taken care to provide clients with labour market information from reliable sources that is timely and accurate at the time of publication. Since labour market conditions are dynamic, some of the information presented here may have changed since the bulletin was published. Readers are encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market. Information contained in this bulletin does not necessarily reflect official policies of Service Canada.For more information please contact: glenn.mcmullen@servicecanada.gc.ca
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