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

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 number of refugees; the importance of post-secondary institutions in attracting and retaining immigrants; and efforts to mitigate the impact of immigration on healthcare, housing and education through policy changes and further capital investment.This will provide listeners with an excellent overview of this critical issue to the future prosperity of Canada."You walk down Main Street of any community in Canada, there are going to be 'help wanted' signs in the windows," says Fraser, MP for Central Nova."We had almost a million jobs open in the Canadian economy at a time when nearly 100 percent of our labour force growth already comes from immigration. We can't train Canadians quickly enough to fill the gaps in the labour market that exist today, and to prepare for the skills gap that's going to exist over the next generation."You can listen to their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

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 shining.SMRs are smaller, less complex, lower cost and should be far faster to deploy compared to earlier, larger-scale nuclear energy facilities.We talk to Brett Plummer, Chief Nuclear Officer and Vice President at NB Power about the potential of SMRs not only to address energy needs in New Brunswick and possibly around the region but also as a catalyst for regional economic development.If all goes to plan, potentially hundreds of businesses in the supply chain will develop expertise here that could be exported around the world. The plan is to have an SMR providing power to the New Brunswick electricity grid by 2030.“As we build out the infrastructure around the Small Modular Reactors, we’ll influence everyone in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere in Canada,” he says. “We’ve already had some engineering companies open up offices in New Brunswick in Saint John around the [SMRs] and we’re seeing more and more interest almost weekly. It’s building a tremendous amount of momentum.”You can listen to their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

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 approach to the task of tapping into the tidal power of the Bay of Fundy that has the potential to power two million homes and help provide green renewable energy to Nova Scotia to replace coal-generated electricity.

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 by 2030. What is the role of the Port of Belledune to support the next 20-30 years of economic opportunities in the region?Denis Caron, President & CEO of the port joins David Campbell and Don Mills on the "Insights" podcast this week to talk about the new vision.  Once again, Denis is positioning the port at the centre of a new generation of economic development that includes a green energy hub and the value-added production of products based on green and clean energy.He envisions a port with deeper integration with European markets for both import and export opportunities. If this important region of New Brunswick is to thrive in the years ahead, the Port of Belledune has an important role to play.You can listen to their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

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 electricity production); and the potential for the development of a nuclear energy cluster in New Brunswick.For those concerned about the safety of nuclear energy, Labbe makes a strong case that aSMR technology will be a safe and reliable form of energy for decades to come.You can listen to their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

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 savings for them and a reduction in demand for electricity and other energy sources. MacDonald estimates this year alone, energy efficiency investments made since the inception of EfficiencyOne will reduce energy costs by $1.5 billion, significantly lower Nova Scotia’s carbon footprint and support thousands of good-paying jobs in construction and related activities across the province.You can listen to their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

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 have been created since its inception 25 years ago. This podcast provides an inside understanding of the initiatives and programs used by BBI to support and develop black businesses in our region.You can listen to their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.

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 and evolve how students engage with UNB including micro-credentialing. In our conversation, Mazerolle outlines the exciting efforts on the Saint John campus to expand health education and research and other new initiatives such as the McKenna Institute.

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 much of his time these days promoting a new vision for Atlantic Canada. 

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 growing national business and are creating significant employment in Nova Scotia. Equally impressive is their focus on social causes related to peace around the world. It's a compelling story that is worth hearing.Last week, we shared the first part of the conversation between Tareq, Don Mills and David Campbell. It focused mainly on the Hadhads journey to Canada and their efforts to build a new life here after a war that destroyed their home and chocolate factory.In the latest episode, Tareq tells the story of how they established a new chocolate business in Antigonish and initiated charitable programs that support initiatives across the country.You can listen to part one of their conversation in the player above or download the show on your preferred podcast platform.The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.Search for “Huddle Insights” on podcast platforms like Apple and Spotify, and follow the show so you don’t miss an episode. You can also listen to past conversations there.