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

The decision to appoint someone outside the healthcare community to lead the NS Health Authority was met with considerable scepticism across the healthcare sector in Nova Scotia, yet that was exactly what the doctor ordered to introduce  a series of innovations that is set to transform healthcare, not just in Nova Scotia, but potentially across the country. Using pharmacists to treat and prescribe drugs was a first in Canada and is being adopted elsewhere already. Introducing urgent care centres to take the pressure off emergency rooms is another. Providing Nova Scotians with an app to access their own health records is another. Expanding access to more surgery time after hours and on the weekend is another.  This episode of the Insights Podcast features an in depth conversation with Karen Oldfield, the interim CEO of NS Health Authority who acknowledges that the province needs to do a better job informing Nova Scotians about the changes happening in healthcare and their impacts on the public, in particular the need to reset expectations regarding the access to primary care which will not longer be based on a sole practitioner family doctor model.

Atlantic Canada Can Become an Energy Superpower  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.Subscribe to the newsletter to be notified of future podcasts.

On this week's podcast we talk to the CEO of one of Atlantic Canada's oldest family run companies, Crosby Foods.  Founded in the late 19th Century as an importer of molasses from the Carribean, Crosby's continues to be a family business serving national and international markets.  James Crosby talks to Don and David about the company's long history, the current challenges and how the company is building new business opportunities and addressing key challenges.  The future of food manufacturing is a key question for not only Atlantic Canada but the country as a whole.  Subscribe to the newsletter to be notified of future podcasts.  Next week’s guest will be Karen Oldfield, Interim CEO of Nova Scotia Health.

Medavie, A Company Changing Health Delivery In Canada Medavie is a company that few in this region would be familiar with, although a third of Atlantic Canadians are covered through benefit programs with Blue Cross which, along with Medavie Health Services, are offered by the company. Medavie's mission is to improve the well-being of Canadians. Our conversation with Medavie's CEO Bernard Lord (30th Premier of New Brunswick) provides an excellent overview of one the region's largest and most important head office companies. The company has nearly 9,000 employees of which more than 5,000 are in Atlantic Canada, which provide $400 million of wages within the region. Medavie is the company behind the management of MSI in Nova Scotia, as well as providing EMS ambulance services in six provinces, including the three Maritime Provinces where it operates more than 300 ambulances. Medavie is a not-for-profit company which reinvests its surpluses back into the company and the community through the Medavie Foundation. Lords talks about the company's continued growth opportunities and the role and benefits of private sector companies providing publicly funded healthcare services. Subscribe to the newsletter to be notified of future podcasts.  Next week’s guest will be Karen Oldfield, Interim CEO of the Nova Scotia Health Authority.

Wine Industry Growing in Size and Reputable in Nova Scotia This week's Insights Podcast features an in depth look at the growing wine industry in Nova Scotia which has become important both economically and from a tourism attraction perspective. We talk with Carl Sparkes, the CEO of Devonian Coastal Wineries, the owners of Jost Vineyards, Gaspereau Vineyards and Mercator Vineyards. Carl's background in food manufacturing provided a sound foundation for his transition into the wine industry. His company represents 50 percent of the wine industry in Nova Scotia and his wines have won many national and international awards, a testament to the growing reputation of the quality of wines being produced in Nova Scotia, especially the Tidal Bay varieties. Carl explains the challenges and opportunities related to growing the industry, especially with regard to the current regulatory environment and makes a strong case for the need to be able to sell wine and beer in grocery stores to help the industry grow in Nova Scotia. This podcast provides a great overview for anyone interested in learning more about this most interesting industry.

On this week's Insights podcast, Don and David speak with Andrew MacLean, the author of Backyard History, a podcast, blog and newspaper column covering interesting stories from across the Maritimes. Since much of Backyard History is about our past economy, MacLean is a great guest to tell the stories but also provide insights we can learn from today. There was the pre-Confederation campaign to attract immigrants to New Brunswick including a 94-page handbook used to pitch European migrants on the opportunities and benefits of moving here. They were told New Brunswick was an ideal place because of our high-quality education system (and because you put maple sap in your tea). MacLean tells the story of a deliberate campaign to bring high profile celebrities from the United States as a way to promote tourism. This along with stories of famous entrepreneurs and innovative industries of the past. Well worth an hour of your time. If you listen to the end, he tells Don and David what period of time he would consider to be the region's 'golden age'.  

The Spatz Family Story Behind Southwest Properties One of the real privileges attached to doing the Insights Podcast is to learn the back story behind some of the region's most successful entrepreneurs. This is the case with the Spatz family, beginning with the early years of Southwest Properties under family patriarch Simon Spatz and the continuing story of the company under the able leadership of his son Jim. Interestingly, Jim began his career as an emergency doctor in Montreal before giving up a medical career to join the family business. Southwest Properties is one of Halifax's largest landlords with over 2,000 units in the city. The company is also involved in hotels and other commercial properties as well as being recognized for some of Halifax's most iconic buildings including Bishop's Landings and the Pavilion. The company is about to build one of its biggest developments on property adjacent to Mount Saint Vincent University purchased from the Sisters of Charity, to be known as Seton Ridge. This development is expected to have 2,400 housing units upon completion and is being designed as an urban village. Southwest Properties has earned a reputation as a high-quality developer and Jim Spatz has a well-earned reputation for his philanthropy and community work. It is an interesting story indeed.  

Jim Irving, co-CEO of JD Irving, Limited, joins Don and David on the Insights podcast this week to talk about the forest products sector, the new forestry plan for New Brunswick and the realities of competing in a highly contested global market for wood products and pulp, paper and paper products.  In New Brunswick, JDI is the largest company in the sector but globally the company is small and competes with giant multinational firms.  While agreeing with setting aside a significant share of the forest for conservation, Irving makes a compelling case for an actively managed forest and shares a lot of data on a wide variety of issues from thriving animal populations to reducing the risk of forest fires.   Irving gets personal in this conversation and talks about the vision of his grandfather and father and his vision for the future.  The fact New Brunswickers spend more of their household income on ATVs and skidoos than all other provinces says a lot about our relationship with the province’s forests.  This conversation will help you understand the economic importance of the sector and how the forests will continue to be a key part of our economic, social and cultural DNA for generations to come.  

New Brunswick is in the middle of an unprecedented population growth trend.  This is leading to record employment but also to growing job vacancies.  Statistics Canada’s Job Vacancy Survey shows nearly 50% more job vacancies in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic second quarter of 2019.  Minister of Post-secondary Education, Training and Labour Arlene Dunn and Deputy Minister Dan Mills join us today for a conversation on what government is doing to ensure New Brunswick has enough workers to meet demand and ensure the economy continues to grow.  A growing economy will provide the tax revenues needed to sustainably fund public services in the years ahead without raising tax rates.  Minister Dunn has an impressive resume having worked in top roles in both the union sector and industry before jumping into politics.  We talk about the construction workforce, nurses, manufacturing and other areas that are facing shortages.  Immigration and international students were another important topic and how we can retain these newcomers long term.  If you listen all the way through in the final few minutes, Mills proposes a couple of very interesting initiatives the Department is considering to help with foreign credential recognition and long term immigrant retention in our province.  This one ran a little long – a little over an hour and 10 minutes but if you are interested in this topic it will be among the most productive hour and 10 minutes you spend this week. Stay tuned for next week when we have our second discussion with Jim Irving, Co-CEO of JD Irving Limited. 

In recent months a number of food and consumer products companies have announced they are pulling well known products out of Canada including Kleenex, Skippy peanut butter, Delissio, Stouffer's and Lean Cuisine. In addition, there have been shortages of baby formula and cough medicine among other important products. This is leading to less competition for your grocery and consumer product spending.  How will the reduction in competition across Canada impact us in Atlantic Canada? Households in this region already spends a higher share of income on groceries and inflation on food purchased from stores has been higher in this region than the rest of the country in recent years.   To talk about this, we are joined this week by Michael Graydon, CEO of Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada, a 40-employee trade association representing most of the food and consumer product manufacturers in Canada. Michael provides an excellent overview of why companies are pulling out of Canada and offers some compelling solutions.  One place to start is regulation. There are over 140,000 different regulations facing companies doing business in Canada.  Some are important, others not so much.  He also thinks part of the solution would be to attract more manufacturing investment to Canada but right now jurisdictions in the United States are offering far more lucrative tax incentives to woo that investment.   This is an important issue and all Canadians should be paying close attention.