Saint-Quentin, New Brunswick-based Groupe Savoie is a thriving forest products business with sawmills, pallet production facilities, a pellet manufacturing plant, and other operations across the Maritimes. The company is one of the largest private-sector employers in northeastern New Brunswick with more than 500 employees and it generates more than $150 million in annual sales. Today on the Insights podcast, Don and David talk with Jean Claude Savoie, who founded the company with his father in 1...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 102
Last year, every urban centre in the Maritimes witnessed population growth. Moncton and Halifax, in particular, had the fastest-growing populations among Canada's 35 largest urban centres. The big challenge facing cities now properly managing growth as they see a rapid increase in house prices, homelessness, and increased wait times for just about every public service. Halifax's recently retired CAO, Jacques Dube, joins the Insights Podcast to talk about how municipalities can foster sustainable...
Feb 22, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 101
Tim Banks may not be well-known beyond Prince Edward Island, but he is among Atlantic Canada’s most successful entrepreneurs. His business, APM MacLean, is involved with real estate development, with annual revenues of more than $100 million. Over his forty-year career, Tim has become the Island’s largest commercial real estate developer. On the latest Insights Podcast, Tim talks about the housing shortage on the Island and some of the impediments limiting developers' ability to provide enough h...
Feb 15, 2023•58 min•Ep. 100
It's hard to think of Clearwater Foods without conjuring to mind John Risley. But while Risley was the public face of the company, his former brother-in-law, Colin MacDonald, was not only the co-founder of the company but responsible for its day-to-day operations through much of its history. MacDonald deserves as much credit for Clearwater's success as his higher-profile partner. In the latest episode of the Insights podcast, MacDonald takes Don Mills and David Campbell through the company’s dev...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 99
Don Mills considers Stephen McNeil to be Nova Scotia's most consequential premier in the last half-century. McNeil's reform of the collective bargaining process for public sector contracts, and his decision to close the pulp mill in Pictou and two aging hospitals in Cape Breton were all made knowing he would lose political support in each case. His efforts to open new markets in China for the lobster industry and legislating the presumed consent for organ donations law were other notable achieve...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 98
The mining of minerals like manganese is critical to the transition to a clean energy future that includes the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and generating electricity from solar and wind farms. On this week's "Insights" podcast, Don Mills and David Campbell continue a series of interviews with leaders in the mining sector across Atlantic Canada. They are joined by Matthew Allas, President and CEO of the Canadian Manganese Company, to talk about a large deposit of manganese located in...
Jan 25, 2023•46 min•Ep. 97
Communities across Atlantic Canada experienced population growth spurts in 2022, with immigrants and people from across Canada moving here for jobs and to start businesses. This brought a spirit of optimism the region hopes to carry into 2023. On the latest "Insights" podcast, Don Mills and David Campbell tap into that enthusiasm, answering questions from listeners and business leaders about the challenges and opportunities for economic development this year. You can listen to their conversation...
Jan 19, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 96
The Canadian Government recently announced a new $4-billion fund to spur the exploration of the critical minerals needed to achieve their Net Zero Emission goal for 2050. Canada also joined a consortium of other G7 to work collaboratively to find more secure sources for these minerals. On the latest "Insights" podcast, Sean Kirby, the Executive Director of the Mining Association of Nova Scotia, says the demand for critical minerals used in electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines will i...
Jan 11, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 95
Canada hit an all-time record of more than 430,000 immigrants last year and has a goal of achieving 500,000 immigrants a year by 2025. Canada's strategy to grow its population and workforce is the most aggressive in the G7. In the latest "Insights" podcast, Don Mills and David Campbell talk with Sean Fraser, the Federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, about the government's efforts to boost immigration to record levels. They discuss the government's willingness to increase the...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 94
Don Mills and David Campbell have had a series of conversations this year about the transformation of the energy sector in Atlantic Canada as it looks to decarbonize our economy and continue to foster a strong regional economy. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) could be an important source of electricity production that provides essentially carbon-free energy that, unlikely many other sources of green energy, provides baseload stable power production whether or not wind is blowing or the sun is shin...
Dec 28, 2022•56 min•Ep. 93
Sustainable Marine has connected its turbines to the Nova Scotia power grid in a real-life demonstration project to prove its surface-based technology can harness the power of the Bay of Fundy. Our conversation with their CEO Jason Hayman is a must-listen for anyone looking to understand the challenges and opportunities associated with tidal power. After numerous failed attempts by others to generate power from the world's highest and most powerful tides, Sustainable Marine has taken a different...
Dec 21, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 92
When it was built in the 1960s, the Port of Belledune was a vital asset to support the development of the northeastern New Brunswick economy. The expansion of the mining sector led to the establishment of a lead smelter and other industrial projects. In the 1980s, a coal-fired electricity generation plant was built to further expand development opportunities. In 2022 the port is at a crossroads. The smelter has closed and NB Power’s facilities, the port’s top customer, will not be importing coal...
Dec 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 91
On this week’s Insights podcast, we speak with Bill Labbe, President & CEO of ARC Canada, about his company’s development of an advanced small modular reactor (aSMR) in New Brunswick and about the role of nuclear energy in meeting Canada’s commitment to net zero 2050. This revealing conversation provides insight into a wide variety of issues including timing (i.e. when will construction on the first SMR begin); price competitiveness (i.e. how will the price per kWh compare to other forms of ...
Dec 07, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 90
On this week’s "Insights" podcast, Don Mills and David Campbell are continuing their discussions about the energy sector and the transition to net zero by 2050. In previous podcasts, we have covered renewable energy, natural gas and other topics. This week, they're talking to Stephen MacDonald, President & CEO of EfficiencyOne about the role of energy efficiency. For more than a decade, EfficiencyOne has been helping residents and industries to become more energy efficient leading to cost sa...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 89
In this episode of the "Insights" podcast, we talk with Rustum Southwell, the founding CEO of the Black Business Initiative (BBI) which has developed a national reputation for its work with the black business community and has expanded its mandate to serve all of Atlantic Canada. Rustum was recently inducted into the N.S. Business Hall of Fame and named one of Canada's most influential black leaders. Through BBI's counsel, training programs and financial support, several hundred black businesses...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 88
On this week’s Insights podcast, we are continuing our series of interviews with the leaders of Atlantic Canada’s post-secondary education sector. Dr. Paul Mazerolle, the President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of New Brunswick, joins us to talk about why the “world needs more UNB.” Mazerolle outlines an ambitious plan to boost the student population by 50 percent and double sponsored research income to $100 million per year. The university has big plans to expand experiential learning a...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 87
In this week’s episode, we turn the microphone around. Don Mills was recently inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame - an honour he received because of his successful business career where he built a firm with upwards of 600 employees and his extensive volunteerism including stints on the boards of the IWK, Halifax Partnership, Halifax Chamber of Commerce, APEC, among many others. Don provides insights on how he dealt with adversity, the importance of volunteerism and why he spends ...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 86
The Hadhad family left Damascus after their home and business were destroyed with nothing. In this fascinating two-part podcast, we follow the family's journey as refugees from Syria to Lebanon and then to Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The conversation with Tareq Hadhad, the young and dynamic CEO of Peace by Chocolate is nothing less than inspiring, providing a better understanding of the value that immigrants bring to Canada. With strong support from their community and Sobeys, the Hadhads have a gr...
Nov 02, 2022•53 min•Ep. 85
The Hadhad family left Damascus after their home and business were destroyed with nothing. In this fascinating two-part podcast, we follow the family's journey as refugees from Syria to Lebanon and then to Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The conversation with Tareq Hadhad, the young and dynamic CEO of Peace by Chocolate is nothing less than inspiring, providing a better understanding of the value that immigrants bring to Canada. With strong support from their community and Sobeys, the Hadhads have a gr...
Oct 28, 2022•43 min•Ep. 84
Don Mills and David Campbell are in Cape Breton for a special edition of the "Insights" podcast this week. The Cape Breton Partnership is having its annual Investor Summit and the guys took the opportunity to chat with CEO Tyler Mattheis about the potential of an economic resurgence in this important region of Atlantic Canada. Since its heyday as an industrial powerhouse in the 1960s and 1970s, the region has struggled to reposition itself and that has led to slow but steady depopulation. Now, a...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 83
Under the leadership of hospitality veteran Glenn Squires, the CEO of Pacrim Hospitality Services, Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa is being transformed to become one of the top 10 resorts in Canada. In partnership with the Bear River First Nation, the ownership group has already invested $10 million on basic infrastructure. It's now open year-round as a result of these initial investments, with ambitious plans to spend another $125 million over the next five years or so. In a wide-ranging conver...
Oct 14, 2022•57 min•Ep. 82
With the exception of Newfoundland & Labrador, the rest of Atlantic Canada is enjoying unprecedented population growth at rates well above the national average. In this episode, we take a look at the sustainability of the current pace of growth. This special interest podcast begins with a look at the latest population data and the impacts that rapid population growth is having on the labour market, the housing market, education and health care. We are clearly in transition to a faster-growin...
Oct 07, 2022•43 min•Ep. 81
On the latest episode of the "Insights" podcast, we get an update on the state of the tourism industry in Nova Scotia and across Atlantic Canada with Darlene Grant Fiander, President, Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia and Executive Director, Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council. The discussion ranges from the current state of the industry (not expected to fully return to the pre-pandemic level until 2025), some of the positive trends emerging from the pandemic and what needs to h...
Sep 29, 2022•53 min•Ep. 80
With annual revenues of more than $5 billion and $36 billion in assets, the importance of Emera on the regional economy is not well understood. In a wide-ranging conversation on the "Insights" podcast with Emera's President & CEO, Scott Balfour, Don Mills and David Campbell learned that only 30 percent of the company's revenue is generated in Nova Scotia, with the bulk of the rest coming from the U.S. This revenue supports a couple of hundred high-paying head office jobs in Halifax. Emera sp...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 79
On this week's edition of the "Insights" podcast, Don Mills and David Campbell are joined by Herb Emery, Vaughan Chair in Regional Economics at the University of New Brunswick and Director of the Atlantic Institute for Policy Research. Emery helps us understand the current state of the economy in Atlantic Canada and what we need to do to foster a strong economy moving forward. The conversation is wide-ranging from inflation to immigration and export-led economic growth. "You start with exports, ...
Sep 15, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 78
For several weeks now, David Campbell and Don Mills have been exploring the landscape for green energy companies in the Maritimes, speaking with leaders of companies developing wind, nuclear and hydrogen sources to supply the region with growing power needs. This week on the Huddle "Insights" podcast, they speak with Scott Skinner, the CEO of the Clean Foundation in Nova Scotia. With a staff of 90 people, the non-profit organization delivers programming on green energy solutions for individuals,...
Sep 08, 2022•58 min•Ep. 77
Ron Joyce's vision to create a destination resort on Nova Scotia's north shore that would contribute to the local economy has been largely achieved with new near-term investments being planned. Joyce and his family have invested more than $100 million in the resort that opened in 2000. The resort's economic impact in terms of county taxes, employment and purchase of local goods and services is in the millions of dollars annually. In the latest "Insights" podcast, Kevin Toth, the President of Fox...
Sep 01, 2022•53 min•Ep. 76
This week on the Insights podcast, Don Mills and David Campbell continue their conversations about the transformation of the energy sector in Atlantic Canada as it looks to decarbonize our economy and continue to foster a strong regional economy. Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) could be an important source of electricity production that provides essentially carbon-free energy that, unlikely many other sources of green energy, provides baseload stable power production whether or not wind is blowing...
Aug 25, 2022•55 min•Ep. 75
The latest "Insights" podcast features an in-depth conversation with Trent Vichie, the CEO of EverWind Fuels, which has plans to be the first company in Nova Scotia to commercially produce green hydrogen from wind power. Vichie's company has already invested about $100 million in the project, recently completing the purchase of the tank farm at Point Tupper which has the capacity to store nearly eight million barrels of fuel. EverWind has ambitions to transform Nova Scotia into an energy hub in ...
Aug 18, 2022•55 min•Ep. 74
In this rebroadcast of one of the most popular “Insights” podcasts, David Campbell and Don Mills chat with one of Atlantic Canada's most successful business leaders, Clearwater Seafoods co-founder John Risley, someone who has been part of building three different companies that sold for more than $1 billion each. Risley shares candid opinions about the kinds of public policy changes needed in Atlantic Canada. He also tells the story about how Clearwater Seafoods was founded and the decision to s...
Aug 11, 2022•52 min•Ep. 73
