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Will A Regional Approach To Community Economic Development Work In Nova Scotia? A Closer Look At Government's New Plan To Coordinate Community Economic Development Throughout The Province. While Some People Are Encouraged, Others Are Expressing Concern. After years of talking about coordinated approach to community economic development in Nova Scotia a plan to do it is finally in place. And although a lot of Nova Scotians may not have noticed it yet this new plan is up and running. Nova Scotia has been divided into twelve economic zones that will now be responsible for planning and setting the direction for local development and economic growth. Boards made up of municipal government representatives and business and community leaders will oversee these new agencies, called Regional Development Authorities will be funded by equal contributions from the Government of Nova Scotia, Government of Canada and local municipal governments. These twelve new agencies will be responsible for planning and coordinating community economic development activities in addition to encouraging business growth and job creation. Some see this new plan as the best approach to stimulate greater results from the community economic development on a province wide basis, others are expressing concern that the new approach has as been imposed on communities and ignores the real strengths of what community economic development is all about. One thing is clear though, during the past twelve months there has been a lot of change taking place. Many of the old economic development commissions and community development groups that were active in communities throughout the province have been shut down in favour of new regional development agencies. Where once there were dozens of coordinating groups for community development and economic development today there are just fourteen for the entire province of Nova Scotia. What Is The New Approach And Was It Necessary? Historically, governments in Nova Scotia were not major players in the field of community economic development. Instead they opted for a strategy that focused primarily on economic development. This new plan, that sees Nova Scotia Divided into twelve community economic development zones, has shifted attention away from the traditional attempts to try and recruit large industries from outside of Nova Scotia to come and set up shop here to an approach that is supposed to focus on getting communities to take charge of their own destinies and build and expand on businesses that already exist. Chris Bryant, Executive Director of Community Economic Development for the Nova Scotia Economic Renewal Agency says, "Due to competition and restructuring of the global economy there are severe limitations to the old industry recruitment strategy. This new approach is the reverse of the old one." There is wide spread agreement that the old industrial recruitment approach has failed to deliver real change or improvement for most communities. Many people though are also expressing doubts about this new approach. Not because they are against community economic development as an effective way to bring about change in communities but they doubt whether the structure that has been implemented by government will really focus on community economic development. Many are wondering if it is just a way to cut costs and shift responsibility for economic development to communities and volunteers. Jim Legge, of district 5 Community Development association in Halifax County says, "I see this whole new approach as some what as an experiment on the Province's part as to how they can download on volunteers to do economic development without spending a lot of money." And make no mistake money played a big role in the push for a new regional approach to development activities. Traditionally there were dozens of development commissions and community development groups spread throughout the province in communities of every size. Some had large budgets, others had no budget. Some had full time staff, others had volunteers. Some had strategic plans to guide development, others did not. Chris Bryant is quick to point out, "It was never easy for government to deal with this mixed bag of groups and agencies. With decision making power based in Halifax there was no effective way to get communities to plan or cooperate effectively." There was also the ever growing problem of reduced funding for all government departments including economic development programs and services. The Government of Nova Scotia has always provided some funding to help maintain the activities of economic development groups, with municipalities providing varying levels of support. The Government of Canada also provided funding for community and economic development through ACOA and the Community Futures Program of Human Resources Development Canada. It was becoming clear that as time passed the amount of money available from the government to support community economic development would continue to decline. Jim Stanley, Director of Community Economic Development for ACOA says, "We needed to find a way to use public funds more effectively. There was a need for coordinated and consolidated local activity." One of the criticisms of the new regional development approach is that financial resources are being spread to thin. These new agencies can cover regions that include large populations, or huge geographic areas and there is concern that the job cannot be done with the available budget. There is fear that smaller communities will be ignored or forgotten when the money runs low. Leonard Buckles of Cheticamp Development Commission points out that the newly established Strait Area Development Authority covers Inverness County, Victoria County, Richmond County and the towns of Port Hawkesbury and Mulgrave. For most RDA's their $300,000. annual operating budget covers only administration, salary and office costs leaving very little for investment in community projects. Jim Legge echoes those concerns when he speaks of the Halifax County situation. "The RDA doesn't have that much money for all of Halifax County." While a regional approach may have solved the funding and coordination problem for the government it was a disaster for many of the community development groups that already existed around the province. Suddenly what little funding they had been receiving was cancelled and redirected to the regional development authority. For long established and successful community development groups this abandonment was difficult. The Cheticamp Development Commission is an example of one long running development agency that was engaged in successful community development work but it was passed over for in favour of the establishment of a larger regional body. For many groups like this, that relied on volunteers and community support for their existence, they believed strongly that they were already doing community economic development. And they felt it could be done much more effectively on the local level rather than by a regional body. Once an RDA is organized and has support from the municipal governments in its region it can qualify for matching funds from ACOA and the Economic Renewal Agency. The funding is provided by a joint federal / provincial cooperative agreement. Typically each RDA receives $100,000. from the combined municipal governments in a region, $100,000. from ACOA and $100,000. from the Economic Renewal Agency for a total annual operating budget of $300,000. Leonard Buckles says, "It would have been better to have taken that money and put it into true community agencies that were controlled by community boards. There needs to be more community control and less control by municipal governments." And has it has worked out, so far, most Regional Development Authority boards are dominated by municipal politicians. Leonard Buckles thinks this is the wrong way to go, "You get too much interference." He goes on to say, "I don't consider these new RDAs to be true community structures. They were created by government therefore they are government structures. The members are mostly appointed and elected by municipal governments. Communities need to select the members." There was a real upheaval for existing development groups when the new regional approach was implemented. Many existing groups were hard at work implementing community development plans. Having to stop that momentum in mid stream may have set some communities back a number of years. Rick McCready, the former Director of the Louisbourg Planning Commission says, "Unfortunately because of the regional approach we lost a local organization. The coordination is missing at the local level. The work being done was valuable enough. In some form or another a local organization needs to be maintained." McCready goes on to say, "There needs to be decentralization of the Regional Development Authority so small communities are well served. So far I haven't seen evidence of decentralization." Leonard Buckles agrees with that assessment and says, "We came forward with a recommendation that staff of the RDA be decentralized and located in strategic areas." For many communities this new approach has not been welcomed with open arms. It has not been easy to erect new boarders to create economic development regions. Rivalries between some communities have spanned generations and now they are forced to work together. Municipal governments in some regions have been reluctant partners. In some areas there continues to be suspicion on the part of many smaller communities that they will be forgotten inside a larger region and that community economic development attention will be focused solely on the largest communities in within a region. Jim Stanley of ACOA doesn't believe smaller communities should be concerned. He says, "RDAs are responsible for the entire region. If there is a small community that needs help, it should be able to demand it locally." While most community leaders, politicians and ordinary citizens are in agreement that community economic development work is desperately needed, it is not easy to find common ground on the crucial issues of who should lead, who should pay and how you ensure that residents of an entire region have input into the whole process. Even Chris Bryant agrees that there is a way to go before RDAs prove themselves. He says, "You can't expect people to say, oh great, our problems are solved we have an RDA." He does expect positive results in time though. "It will take a couple of years," he comments. The focus on local decision making is what makes this regional approach sop different. It appears that the decision making powers that for generations have resided in Halifax, are being surrendered to the communities and regions of Nova Scotia. Although he is positive about the process, Jim Legge is still taking a wait and see approach. "The philosophy behind it is great. But community is the key word here. Will there really be a focus on community economic development? As far as a lot of people are concerned the words community and business are interchangeable. They are not. I believe that community economic development is the way to go." Now that all of Nova Scotia's regional development authorities are in place, Halifax is expecting leadership to come from the communities. Chris Bryant says, "There are still some communities out there waiting for us to tell them what to do. We want to see each region develop their own strategic plan for community economic development. That is what we want to see." There has been a complete change in philosophy says Jim Stanley of ACOA. "This is no longer a government driven approach. It now depends on local initiatives and communities. This is a different perspective on who is responsible for the local economy." It is not a new perspective for some communities though. Especially a community like Cheticamp that has been at the for front of community development since 1915 when the first fisherman's co-op in North America opened there. "This is a community that a long history of cooperation and community based development. We have ten volunteer agencies at work today. We will work cooperatively with the local RDA but everyone must realize that community economic development is a partnership and the RDA structure has to be developed that way," says Leonard Buckles. Even though all twelve regions now have their RDAs in place there still appears to be problems to be overcome. Foremost among them is the need for education. Many citizens, local politicians and community leaders had never had the responsibility for community economic development planning before and general knowledge about the strategic planning process is not widely held in most communities. This raises a frequently asked question about Halifax's decision to turn over these responsibilities to local communities. Are they ready and can they handle this responsibility? Clearly some communities like Cheticamp, Louisbourg and a hand full of others around the province have been involved long enough to have a base of knowledge and resources. Many have not. Jim Legge says this was a flaw in the process of designing the RDAs. "The structure was imposed on us. They came to us and said this is essentially the structure we want and it has to be in place by a certain date. They did not go out and find out what people in our region (Western Halifax County) wanted or needed. There was no consultation. Jim goes on to say, "It caught us by shock. We said 'Wait a minute here.' They did it without consulting the volunteers." But despite the concerns and misgivings of many the new regional approach to community economic development is now in place in Nova Scotia. Evaluating its success and creating a strong relationship between RDAs and existing volunteer community development groups are still challenges to be faced. Chris Bryant says, "Ultimately the success of individuals RDAs will be determined by peoples attitudes." He goes on to say, "If RDAs can make a dent in creating the 53,000 or so jobs we need in this province then we will be judged a success." How To Contact Your Local RDA   Cape Breton County Regional Economic Development Authority 295 Charlotte St., Ste 201 Sydney NS B1P 1C6 Attention: Eileen Lannon-Oldford Phone: 562-2201 Fax: 562-2866 Colchester Regional Development Agency PO Box 181 Truro NS B2N 5C1 Attention: Dan Uberoi Phone: 893-0140 Fax: 897-1157 Cumberland Regional Development Association 35 Church St. Amherst NS B4H 4A1 Attention: Wilf Carter Phone: 667-3638 Fax:667-2270 Halifax County Regional Development Authority 32 Glendale Ave., Unit 1 Sackville NS B4C 3M1 Attention: Greg Brown Phone: 1-800-650-0039 Phone: 869-4444 Fax: 864-7389 Inverness/Richmond/ Victoria Regional Development Authority PO Box 2200 Port Hawkesbury NS B0E 2V0 Attention: Phil MacDonald Phone: 625-3929 Fax:625-1559 Pictou Regional Development Commission 980 East River Road New Glasgow NS B2H 3S5 Attention: Robert Roy Phone: 753-6159 Fax: 755-2722 Western Valley Development Authority PO Box 1478 Digby NS B0V 1A0 Attention: Alan Sloan Phone: 245-2412 Fax: 245-4551 Hants County c/o Hants County Development Commission 2361 Highway No.2 Milford NS B0N 2H0 Attention: Harold Irving Phone: 758-3338 Fax: 758-3497 Kings CED Agency 28 Arberdeen St. Kentville NS B4N 2N1 Attention: Chris Heseltine Phone: 678-2298 Fax: 678-2324 Guysbrough County Development Authority PO Box 49 Guysbrough NS B0H 1N0 Attention: Gordon MacDonald Phone: 533-3731 Fax:533-2064 Antigonish County Steering Committee for Community Economic Development 133 Church St. Antigonish NS B2G 2E3 Attention: Joe Deveau Phone: 863-1596 Fax: 863-9244 South West Shore Development Authority PO Box 131 Yarmouth NS B5A 4B1 Attention: Frank Anderson Phone: 742-3021 Fax: 742-3107 Greater Halifax Economic Development Partnership PO Box 8990 Halifax NS B3J 3N8 Attention: Dr. Michael MacDonald Phone: 486-1613 Fax:486-8887 Lunenburg/Queens Regional Development Authority PO Box 1472 Liverpool NS B0T 1K0 Attention: Bill Raine back to top A Small Island With Big Ideas Residents Of Isle Madame Are Out To Create A Brighter Future. "Nobody is going to solve our problems for us. We have to do it ourselves." That is the call to arms being heard throughout the picturesque Cape Breton island of Isle Madame. It was not to long ago that the people of this island looked to the sea for their livelihood. In fact throughout the history of Isle Madame the sea has proven to be the mainstay of the economy. Due to its location at the entrance to the Strait of Canso and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Isle Madame town of Arichat was booming in the early 1800's. A center of ship building and major port, by 1867 over 400 vessels listed Arichat as their home port. As times changed and steam power took over from sail a long slow decline descended on Isle Madame and for most of the next 80 years residents of the island worked as small scale fishermen or as crewmen on American vessels. In the 1950's a new fish plant opened in Petit de Grat, another community on the island. That plant and others brought steady employment. By the mid 1980's over 550 people worked in island fish plants. But the decline of east coast groundfish stocks, that has spelled hardship for many coastal communities throughout Atlantic Canada, hit this small island particularly hard. By 1990 the real impact of fish stocks decline were hitting home and by the winter of 1995 the last of the large fish plants had stopped operating. Today only about 90 people are employed in fish processing operations the island. They work for Premium Seafoods, a fish brokerage, and Clearwater, which operates a live lobster holding facility. Today with the population of 4300 people Isle Madame is searching for a way to re-invent itself and create new economic opportunities that will replace the one time reliance on fish processing. As Jason Boudrot a local development officer says, "Even if the fish plant was open we would still have a lot of problems." Building A New Island It appears that there is a real determination by many citizens to get involved and find solutions to the pressing need for new jobs and new economic opportunity. Thanks to the foresight of people like Robbie Fougere of College de l'Acadie and John Boudreau from the Richmond County Industrial Commission the seeds of a real community approach to finding answers surfaced in 1992. Community leaders got together to set up an industrial Adjustment Services Committee, a program of the Government of Canada. The program provided funding to industry and communities to help develop a plan for adjustment when large employers closed down. That committee analysed the crisis and trained local citizens to gather data and go house to house to interview residents. They wanted to know what was happening and what ideas were out there for new businesses to replace the lost jobs. That work resulted in the creation of an Economic Renewal Business Survey that listed all of the ideas people had for small businesses in every field from tourism to information technology. We Have Ideas The survey list was impressive with hundreds of suggestions. It was clear this was a community that had ideas. Once the final survey was completed 1000 copies were distributed throughout the island so that residents could rate the ideas and provide further direction to the committee. By the summer of 1994 a final report was ready and it identified tourism, aquaculture, non traditional agriculture, crafts, information and entertainment and attraction of retirees as the highest priorities for development. Once completed the report was submitted to all three levels of government but it soon became clear that there would be no major financial commitments from government to help implement the plan. But that did not deter anyone. Instead they pushed ahead and set up a development association called Development Isle Madame Association (DIMA). Karen Malcolm, who is now the general manager of DIMA says "DIMA came about as a result of the Industrial Adjustment Services Committee (IAS) and the plan they had created." At the heart of that plan is a development company to create jobs by fostering new enterprises in the community. DIMA is that development company and with a small amount of government help it has been steadily moving ahead. Because there is no guarantee of any funding from government, DIMA has set a goal of a self financing community organization. Fund raising and a heavy reliance on the local community will be crucial to the DIMA's future. "We're going forward one way or another," says Malcolm. Karen Malcolm is encouraged so far by the community response to DIMA's plan, "There are more people getting involved but it is up to us to inform and educate." Limited financial resources, and skepticism by some community members can make it difficult to stay focused on DIMA's real goals. "My advice is that it is not easy," says Malcolm. But there is optimism and a sense of urgency that comes across when you talk to DIMA staff. Thanks to small amounts of assistance from the government DIMA has been able to hire two Development Officers for the summer along with a summer student and a TAGS Liaison Officer. Jason Boudrot, one of DIMA Development Officers senses the urgency of the job ahead, "I believe that we have one kick at the can to create a community that is viable. This is the opportunity." The projects that DIMA has set out to accomplish are impressive. Here are just a few of the efforts that are currently underway: Small Options Home - Provincial funding has been approved for a Small Options Home in Arichat, which will provide care and life skills training for three mentally challenged persons. The project, which is already underway, will create permanent jobs for several Isle Madame Residents. World Wide Web Site - A proposal to establish Isle Madame's Home Page on the Internet has been submitted to Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency. Thousands of Internet users will be able to visit Isle Madame's festivals, businesses and special points of interest by computer. Commercial Center - DIMA is currently in the of securing investors and investors for a major retail complex capable of providing some of the many retail services which are currently available to Island residents only in Port Hawkesbury. Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence - The College de l'Acadie, La Picasse and DIMA have jointly submitted a proposal for funding for the creation of a center for cultural industries to be housed in La Picasse. This center would act as a retail outlet, a training center and a marketing center for Isle Madame cultural industries. Heritage Regions - DIMA has set up a steering committee and has assigned one of its staff to pursue designation as a Canadian Heritage Region. Designation would mean the creation, by the community, of a plan for identification, preservation and promotion of the natural and cultural heritage of Isle Madame. Coastal Zone Mapping Project - This project will employ TAGS recipients to map natural and cultural resources in Richmond County. The project will facilitate tourism development. Upon completion the information will be housed in a resource center and made available to residents. Beautification - Vanessa Landry was hired on a summer student grant to paint designs on fire hydrants in Petit de Grat and Arichat. The theme is world nation flags. A sign welcoming all nations to Isle Madame will be put up at the entrance to the island. Grey Tigers - Silver Donald Cameron has written an article for Canadian Yachting promoting Isle Madame as a location for newly retired cruising sailors with skills, energy and stable incomes. The Marketing Research Center at UCCB, supported by ECBC will follow up with focus groups, advertising and mass mailings. And the list of projects does not end there. Other activities are underway in the areas of event tourism and entertainment, trails and signage and community services. The process of rebuilding will not be quick one but there are positive things happening on Isle Madame. There are already examples of successful community projects that have created jobs for local residents. For instance there is Tel El a new video production company that now employs twelve people on full time and part time basis. There is also an example of the community living center started by four island women who saw the town hall sitting empty and decided to open a tea room, gym and office center in the building. These are the types of activities that show how people can make a difference. It is exactly these types of independent and community projects that the folks at DIMA like to see. Jason Boudrot says, "We need community buy in. People haven't had to think about community economic development before. Now the circumstances have changed. When you really need to do something you get out and do it." In some ways the success of DIMA and Isle Madame will depend on the attitude and the will of the people to make a change. Joel Bowen, a development officer with DIMA says, "We didn't need to be pro-active in the past. There was a lot of dependency on the government and handouts. Things have changed. It is time to do things for ourselves." This is an island that has seen it's share of ups and downs over the past two centuries. Today there is a need to overcome adversity once again and it appears that community economic development will play a big role. Development Isle Madame Assoc.- (902) 226-1918 back to top Good Neighbour Fund Seeks Community Project to Support. The Good Neighbour Fund was established in 1991 to provide loans and/or to assist projects which primarily address the issue of economic development or diversification and future self-sufficiency at local, national, and international levels. The Good Neighbour Fund has supported a wide variety of projects within and outside of Canada in partnership with community organizations. For example loans have been made to emerging cooperatives in Columbia, South America; a grant to train leaders in the Northwest Territories in the development of local credit unions; grants to community organizations in Ottawa to initiate collective kitchens empowering people to better meet their nutritional needs by working together; a grant to support a healing circle for Aboriginal women living in the Capital Region. The Good Neighbour Fund wishes to identify a suitable project in the Atlantic region which would assist a community, particularly a coastal community affected by the crisis in the fishing industry, to achieve long-term goals of economic and social betterment. An allocation of $20,000. (approximate) is available for such a project. Interested individuals or organizations are invited to contact the Fund for additional information and an application form. All letters should be directed to the Good Neighbour Fund Criteria Committee, St. Andrew's Church, 82 Kent Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5N9 to the attention of Mrs. Jean James, Chairperson. Funding in support of the publication of this magazine was provided in part by the Good Neighbour Fund of St. Andrew's Church, Ottawa, Ontario.   Halifax County Fishing Industry Starting To Get Organized Groups And Organizations Involved In The Fishery Come Together To Develop A Fishery Action Plan. Like else where in Atlantic Canada, the fishing industry in Halifax County is experiencing a period of rapid change and confusion. It has traditionally been difficult to get all sectors and organizations involved in the fishery, regardless of where they are located in Nova Scotia, To sit down and work out a common strategy for dealing with the problems and developing a clear direction for the future. The Halifax County Regional Development Agency (HCRDA) is taking a lead role to help get local fishermen, plant owners and workers throughout the county better organized. Already three meetings have been held to start the organization process and to bring together representatives of the many sectors of the local fishery including fish plants, local fishermen's organizations and community and government agencies with a direct interest in fishery issues. The purpose of the meetings is to discuss the potential for organizing a Fishery Advisory Group for Halifax County. Common areas of concern among fishermen in Halifax County include Co-management, the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS), Coastal Mapping, quotas and others. By bringing people together the HCRDA is hoping to create a common voice for all of Halifax County and encourage people to make grass roots suggestions and recommendations on how to improve the situation. This group would then advise various levels of government and the fishery community and their intentions and take required action. At a meeting held on August 29, Greg Brown, General Manager of the HCRDA said, "We want to get things off the ground by mid September. We want the process to move quickly." Brown also wants the new Fishery Advisory Group to be completely made up of industry people. The philosophy of the HCRDA is that of a community driven approach to development. The fishery sector has for many years relied on rules and regulations developed and implemented by government agencies. The HCRDA feels that local people should have a strong voice when dealing with fishery related issues. The Fishery Advisory Group would perform that function. Greg Brown says, "We will be advertising to get new members to sit on the committee. We want representatives of industry organizations, community development organizations, plant owners, plant workers and boat owners and crews." The HCRDA is also proposing the creation of a Fishery Resource Centre that would act as an information from DFO, provincial Department of Fisheries, Coastal Communities Network, TAGS, aquaculture information, training information and more. The Centre would also have space for local Fishery Resource Coordinators, and a Training Coordinator. It would also house a Coastal Mapping Project and project workers, an idea that is currently being developed. The HCRDA believes that more than ever before there is a need for a community based approach to handling resource based issues. To learn more about this initiative contact the HCRDA. To contact the Halifax County Regional Development Agency call: 1-800-650-0039 or FAX: (902) 864-73818   Open House Opens Minds Shelburne County Creates A New Awareness Of Its Marine And Inland Ecosystems. "If you want to make a difference and change attitudes you have to get people involved."That is how Charlene Harris, Program Manager of the Shelburne County Marine Industry Advisory Committee, describes the goal of a recent two day open house held at the newly established Marine Resource Centre located in the town of Shelburne. On this the second day of the open house Charlene is hosting over 125 grade six and seven students who are being bused to the centre for a tour of the displays and to learn more about the marine environment that is so much a part of Shelburne County's economy. In particular this open house is designed to instill a sense of awareness and stewardship towards Shelburne County's marine and inland ecosystems. As the displays around the centre demonstrate, issues like alteration of wildlife habitat, minimizing the impact of oil tanker accidents, intentional discharges of oil by boats and the impact of acid rain are all vital to the future of the health of Shelburne County's marine environment. The Shelburne County Marine Industry Advisory Committee which supports this new Resource Centre has laid out an ambitious plan to create awareness around these issues. This two day open house is part of that overall plan. Over the past two days, September 14 and 15, more than 200 people have visited the centre and have had an opportunity to view displays by the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries, Coast Guard, Natural Resources, Good and Bad Habitat Cooperation Agreement and Shelburne County Marine Industry Advisory Committee. Three project manages who have been hired by the Shelburne County Marine Advisory Committee, through the resources of the Atlantic Groundfish Strategy (TAGS) are also on hand at the open house. Randy Francis, Bernie Atkins and Michael Mattatal are conducting demonstrations for the students on everything from PH testing of water to identifying good and bad marine habitats. These are all skills that they have learned during the past few months. The three are part of a training and work experience program called 'Program Managers For Community Groups', developed and presented by the School of Fisheries located in Pictou. Barbara Riley, Director of the School of Fisheries is on hand at the open house and it is no secret that she is very proud of what these three have accomplished. "Their participation is part of the training program. It gives an opportunity to demonstrate what they are learning." Right now it is time for Randy, Bernie and Mike to get ready for another group of students. As another bus load of students pulls up to the door Charlene takes a deep breath and prepares for the invasion. She meets them in the lobby and starts the tour by showing off the most recent addition to the Resource Centre, a huge new aquarium. The impressive aquarium is alive with native fish from a typical inland river system in Shelburne County. Trout, Eels, Catfish, Minnows and Salmon now call the large aquarium home and make perfect welcoming party for this group of lively students. Accompanying the Hillcrest Academy class is their teacher, Mrs. Karen Harris. Karen explains that this type of open house and the Resource Centre are providing the perfect opportunity because her science class is concentrating on ecology and the environment. "We are focusing on what is closest to us, especially Shelburne County. This is the type of information I hoped we would find here," Karen said about the open house. Charlene gives a lot of credit and thanks to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, "They have been very supportive, especially the Habitat Branch." "We are more than pleased with the turn out. It has been very encouraging to see how much interest there is in the community." Charlene Harris, Program Manager, Shelburne County Marine Industry Advisory Committee. Gabriel d'Entremont (or Gabbie as he is known locally) from the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries has been on hand both days and said, "This has been very useful. It is great to see people taking an interest." These types of initiatives, aimed at understanding and better utilizing the marine and inland resources in Shelburne County have come as a result of an ambitious coastal zone mapping project of Shelburne County's coastline. In fact Shelburne County was the pioneer in this field, being one of the first regions in North America to complete a coastal zone mapping project. That project has now yielded an immense amount of valuable information and has helped to mobilize the local citizens. The Shelburne County Marine Industry Advisory Committee has undertaken a number of initiatives like Coastal Zone Mapping and Inland Inventories. They have found it as a challenge to undertake these types of projects but it is sometimes even more difficult to get a word out to the larger community about how they can use the results from the finished product. This recent open house is part of that effort to inform and educate.   South Shore Fisherman Trains For New Job Randy Francis has set his sights on finding a new career outside of the fishery and he is using TAGS to do it. Today Randy is one of three people hired by the Shelburne County Marine Industry Advisory Committee to undertake an inventory of inland rivers and ecosystems in Shelburne County. The project is part of a training and work experience program called Program Managers For Community Groups. It is organized by the School of Fisheries in Pictou Funding for the project and for Randy's participation in it have been funded by TAGS through the Green Projects option. As luck would have it for Randy this is a field of work that has interested him for a long while and he is hoping that once his training and work experience are over it will lead to an interesting new job. Randy and his two co-workers are taking inventories of Shelburne County rivers, conducting water tests, and studying the habitat associated with each river system. Once Randy is finished the program in June of 1996 he will be qualified to work as a consultant or coordinator for local watershed projects. He might even find himself doing contract work on behalf of government agencies like Environment or DFO. It was a big decision for Randy to get involved in this project. He had spent the better part of the last fifteen years as a longline and lobster fisherman. Today at thirty-two years of age he is embarking on a new course, one he did not even imagine a few years ago. Randy is quick to point out that it was his decision to do this, "I wasn't forced out of the fishery. I made the decision to get out myself. I could see what was happening to the fishery and I thought it was the right thing to do." Randy believes that he has been offered a real opportunity. While some are convinced that TAGS offers any true alternatives Randy says, "TAGS was there. Why not use the system to my advantage?" He also had a few criticisms about the program, "Things were poorly set up in the beginning. There were no guidelines. People didn't know what to expect." Randy, who lives at Goose Lake in Shelburne County wants to be a role model for his two children. "I left school in grade nine but I know that the best chance for my kids is for them to finish school. Things have changed a lot." Randy also believes that a lot more people should be taking advantage of TAGS. "There is a lot of help out there right now but it wont last forever. I felt I had five years. You can get a lot of training in five years. I'm going for it." Randy goes on to say, "There are no guarantees that I will find a job but there weren't any guarantees when I went fishing either." back to top   A Large Voice For Small Communities The Coastal Communities Network Once lucrative resource industries that for centuries supported and gave economic life to the many proud and independent small communities of Nova Scotia have experience declines. Hardworking, talented people who once looked to the ocean as a source of income and security now find themselves considering other options and careers. These changes have impacted heavily on some communities but Don Zwicker, Co-chair of the Coastal Communities Network(CCN) says, "As history has shown, when times get tough and help is needed Nova Scotians stick together." And Sister Peggy Butts, who is also a Co-chair of the CCN says, "That sense of togetherness and helping one another is the heart of the Coastal Communities Network." That sense of togetherness and helping one another is at the heart of the Coastal Communities Network. The CCN is a successfully functioning network of concerned community representatives who collectively work to share ideas and solutions and ultimately provide a large voice for small communities. Members include community economic development agencies, municipal leaders, church and community organizations, organized labour, fishing industry representatives and other concerned community groups. The activities of the Network are organized around a core group of primary goals that include communication, education, information and advocacy. Representatives of member organizations meet monthly to examine issues, a periodic newsletter is produced and information of interest to coastal communities is circulated to members on a regular basis. Workshops, conferences and special meetings are organized on topics like co-management in the fishery, community economic development and strategies for community organizations to deal effectively with the media. The Network also does what it can to support coastal communities and organizations to deal with local issues of adjustment with local issues of adjustment and development. To contact the CCN phone: (902) 379-2688   TAGS Adjustment Workers Help Communities Benefitting From Program Options. The TAGS Advisory Committee, made up of representatives of the Eastern Fishermen's Federation and Maritime Fishermen's Union, have hired two full time and two part time TAGS adjustment Workers to work with and assist TAGS programs participants throughout Nova Scotia. Their job is to make sure TAGS participants and communities at large understand and take full advantage of all the different programs and services that are available through TAGS. The four workers, who started in June, work in different regions of the province. Eileen MacNeil serves Cape Breton Island, Elizabeth Barnard serves the Eastern Shore, Shelly Thorburn and Rhonda Blades serve South West Nova Scotia. "It is important to realize that TAGS is going to come to an end. You had better take advantage of any and all options now that will help you move on to sustainable employment." Eileen MacNeil, TAGS Adjustment Worker, Cape Breton. Norma Richardson, a Board member of the TAGS Advisory Committee, says "These workers that we have hired have a knowledge of TAGS, other government programs and what resources are out there." "There is a lot of frustration and a lot of confusion around TAGS. We understand and relate to that," says Eileen MacNeil. She goes on to say, "The confusion is being caused by constant change." When it comes to retaining and finding new employment in another field outside of the fishery a lot of people are also asking the question, Training for what? Where are the jobs? TAGS Adjustment Workers spend a lot of time talking to community groups, boards of trade and fishermen's organizations about using TAGS to create jobs and new business opportunities. There are a lot of options out there that people and communities can use. Wage subsidies, self employment assistance, training allowances, and mobility assistance are all very helpful tools. We want to see as many people as possible take advantage of these programs," says Eileen MacNeil. Norma Richardson encourages anyone who is thinking of making use of TAGS programs to do so now, "Before the program changes." She goes on to say, "There are a lot of people asking, What's out there that I can do? TAGS Adjustment Workers can help find some of the answers." This one year project to hire TAGS Adjustment Workers is funded by Human Resources and Development Canada and will continue until June of 1996. "When we see new jobs created and people off the program that will be the measure of success. It will also be very gratifying to us personally to be part of that success." Eileen MacNeil. To contact the TAGS Adjustment Worker in your area call: Cape Breton - Eileen MacNeil - (902) 794-4825 Eastern/North Shore - Elizabeth Barnard - (902) 885-2717 South West Nova - Shelly Thorburn or Rhonda Blades - (902) 875-4161 back to top Round Tables Prove Fishermen Can Work Together For a Better Future. By Cliff Fanning Nova Scotia fishermen and fisherwomen are charting a new course by putting aside there differences and working together to develop positions on issues of concern to the industry. The industry driven forum, they refer to as the Nova Scotia round table talks is their vehicle to accomplish this. The purpose of these 'talks' is to increase the capacity of fishermen's organizations in this province to affect government policy and to work toward a stronger management role in the fishery. The round table process provides for Nova Scotia harvesters to address issues of concern to the industry, and in some cases to develop positions to provide direction to the government. Enabling dues legislation for the province's harvesting sector is one such issue. Government cost recovery efforts and the subsequent licensing fees increases, and the Atlantic licensing policy review are others. The round table process first sprang to life in the province in mid March of this year, when fishermen infuriated with the lack of inshore representation at the government sponsored 'Round Table On The Future Of The Atlantic Fishery' rallied their peers to attend what they termed as, 'a real round table' held in Halifax on the same date as the Montreal meeting. The Shelburne based, Sou'West Nova Fixed Gear Association and the Scotia-Fundy Inshore Fishermen's Association of Barrington coordinated this forum. For the first time in many years, inshore harvesters, independent and community based processors, special interest groups, such as the Oceans Caucus, and the Coastal Communities Network joined voices. The united approach resulted in the development of a counter position to the much feared position of the Fisheries Council of Canada, a 'vision' which called for a corporate and market driven approach to the management of the Atlantic fisheries - an approach which called for the implementation of individual transferable quotas, and the substantial reduction in the number of license holders and community processing facilities. "This is the only chance we have to bring all the groups together. This is the foundation for getting things done. We can't give up now." Wayne Eddy, Eastern Fishermen's Protective Association. Realizing the potential of this round table process, industry selected an interim working committee from within their midst to take its position to Ottawa, and to work toward a second round table. This round table followed July 15-16th in Truro, to respond to governments push to reduce levels of service, and impose user fees on its client base. Again industry and communities rallied. Positions were developed on the key principles of the Atlantic licensing policy review. Representatives of the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvester's, 'the national harvester's council;' were invited to attend to discuss and accept provincial direction on their strategic action plan. Industry representatives were also appointed to sit in the Task Force on Co-management and Partnership Development, and industry/community initiative. A third round table was held on August 25 and 26th at the Best Western in Truro. And as this article goes to press a third round table is being planned for October 4 and 5th. It is anticipated that the future of the Nova Scotia round table process will also be determined at this meeting. Can this ad-hoc process continue indefinitely, or will the organizations opt for a strong, united provincial voice? Many organizations in this province, feels that industry needs to professionalize, needs to unite to address the many changes confronting it. They believe that, "The thunder of thousands of marching feet is much more impressive than the scuffling sound of a single pair of boots." Others fearlessly cling to independence, and view the status quo as being the only acceptable option. Some are sold on the 'union approach', and want a union formed, or existing union jurisdiction expanded to represent them. One thing is for certain- the process is in place, the window of opportunity open, regardless of however small it may appear to some. Decisions are being made at these round tables and direction given to government. For those industry groups who have voluntarily participated in the process, they have input into the decision making. For those who decided against it, for whatever reasons, they will have to live with the decisions made by others. "The associations have to get together and where consensus is reached it has to be pushed." Jim Legge, Coastal Communities Network Fifty-one fishermen's groups from throughout Nova Scotia were invited to send representatives to each round table. The outcome of these roundtables are expected to chart a new course for the industry in this province. For more information on continuing round table talks contact your local fishermen's association. Including Nova Scotia Women In Discussions About The Fishery Building A Strong Voice For Women And Planning For The Future. Nova Scotia Women's FishNet is a network of women in fishing communities who are concerned about the crisis in the fishery, its impact on women and their families, and survival of coastal communities. FishNet stresses that women's concerns need to be included in discussions about the fishery and the fate of communities around the province. It is the intention of the FishNet to build a strong voice for women. Currently FishNet is working on a series of important initiatives that include: Sharing Information, ideas and stories through meetings. workshops and newsletters. Supporting the organization of local FishNet groups around the province. Supporting existing fishing and community groups in addressing specific local concerns Developing policies that support women and fishing families in their particular communities. Developing actions to promote these policies and a truly community managed fishery. Combining different women's views to find creative solutions to the fishery crisis. FishNet has opened an office in Halifax at 2099 Gottingen Street, in the Oxfam Canada space. The office is usually staffed on Tuesdays from 9:30am to 5:30 PM. The office is available for use and has a phone, fax, photocopier and meeting space. Another initiative of FishNet is a collection of resource information on anything that deals with fishery issues or coastal community issues and specifically material that relates to women and the fisheries. FishNet members are also available to assist you with writing, dealing with politicians, dealing with media or organizing around a specific issue in your community. To contact FishNet write to: 2099 Gottingen St Halifax, NS, B3K 3B2 (or) Phone (902) 425-4525 Fax (902) 425-7778   back to top Q:  Please settle an argument for me. I know the federal government has announced some changes to TAGS but I say they don't take effect until 1996. A friend of mine says they are in effect now. Who's right? A:   Dear Confused, I'm sorry to tell you this but your friend is right on this one. There have been three changes announced for TAGS. The changes were made after a review of TAGS by Human Resources Development Canada(HRDC) and DFO. First there was a change to the way you report earnings. As of September 1, 1995 your earnings must be reported in each of the weeks in which they were earned. Before this change you were able to report earnings that were earned over several weeks in one week. Secondly, There will be a reduction of your TAGS benefits, equal to the amount you used to receive during a two week waiting period before qualifying for Unemployment Insurance. This reduction will be spread out over 20 weeks and it is effective November, 1995. Thirdly, there is now a limit on the amount of TAGS benefits you can receive if you earn more than $20,000 per year. If you earn more than $20,000 from employment (excluding TAGS and UI benefits) a year, your TAGS payment will be reduced dollar for dollar. For 1995, only employment earnings from September 1, 1995 to December 31, 1995 will be counted. For 1996 and future years, your employment earnings over a full year will be counted in the $20,000. If you have any other questions, remember that your local Canada Employment Center can help. back to top Coastal Communities News Acknowledgements Coastal Communities News is published bi-monthly by the Coastal Communities Network, a non-profit society registered in the province of Nova Scotia. Coastal Communities News is made possible by the generous efforts of many volunteers, and by financial contributions from Human Resources Development Canada, and by donations and in-kind contributions from the Nova Scotia Department of Education and Culture, as well as from member groups and organizations. We welcome all articles and submissions, from individuals and groups, with content in keeping with the role and nature of this magazine. We reserve the right to edit all submissions. Except where additional credit has been given, all articles are prepared by the Editor and Editorial Board. Join the Coastal Communities Network Our Mission Statement The Coastal Communities Network is a volunteer association of organizations whose mission is to provide a forum to encourage dialogue, share information, and create strategies and actions that promote the survival and development of Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities. "A Large Voice for Small Communities" CCN is made up of organizations rooted in Nova Scotia's coastal and rural communities, and it is the diversity of its membership that gives it strength. Your organization, and your community, can help CCN determine its direction and strengthen its voice still further. Join the Coastal Communities Network today. How to Become Involved in the Coastal Communities Network CCN's strength lies in its membership, which is made up of organizations rooted in Nova Scotia's coastal communities. The range of member organizations is very broad, including churches, fish harvester groups, municipalities, community and regional economic development agencies, unions, universities, and local community groups. CCN welcomes the participation of any organization that represents the interests of a coastal community or issue and is interested in working together with similar groups across the province. Your organization can become involved in a number of ways: — by participating in regular monthly meetings of the CCN membership. These are held in Truro (usually on the first Tuesday of each month), and allow representatives from member organizations to review what is happening in coastal communities across the province, plan actions on issues of common concern, and review progress on CCN-sponsored projects; — by getting on our mailing list to receive regular copies of Coastal Communities News. Send us your name and address by mail or fax, or call us directly; — by contributing written articles to Coastal Communities News, and so letting everyone know what's happening in your community; — by taking part in CCN workshops and information sessions. Special events like this are held on topics of importance to coastal communities (for example, community economic development, co- management in the fishery, etc); — by inquiring about CCN's resource library, which includes information, reports, and studies on topics that affect the future and sustainability of coastal communities. You may contact us at: CCN Coordinator: PO Box 1613 Pictou, N.S. B0K 1H0 Phone:(902)485-4754 Fax:(902)445-7134 e-mail:coastalnet@ns.sympatico.ca CCN Communications Office: Phone: (902) 445-7168 Fax: (902) 445-7134 e-mail:ccnews@ns.sympatico.ca back to top

All rights reserved by The Coastal Communities Network © 1997-2002. PO Box 1613 Pictou, N.S. B0K 1H0 Phone:(902)485-4754 Fax:(902)445-7134 E-Mail coastalnet@ns.sympatico.ca