Issue 39 - Black Business Initiative

The Periodical of the Black Business Initiative
Marven
Nelligan
Also in this Issue
• Youth Revisited
• Black Business
Summit 2008
• More Successful
Entrepreneurs
Spring 2008 u Number 39
“A dynamic and vibrant Black presence within
the Nova Scotia Business Community.”
Black to Business
1
Message from the Board of Directors
In this Issue
Cassandra Dorrington, Chair, Black Business Initiative
1
Message from the
Chief Executive Officer
2
Cover Story
Marven Nelligan - Youth on the Move 3
the next year and take the time to
put the necessary building blocks
and supports in place to facilitate
this year’s goals.
Paul Adams
Message from the Board
Glynis Simms
A Business That’s Just Right
5
Trailblazers
7
ASK THE BBI
9
Black Business Summit 2008
11
Eli Kifle
It’s all limousine
12
YOUTH ON THE MOVE
Where are they now?
13
Teens Now Talk
Magazine
17
Business Forum
Individual Pension Plans on the Rise 18
BBI STATS
18
CULTURE BEAT
Harold Cromwell
19
Kilimanjaro
Books and Café
20
People & Businesses
on the Move 21
BBI 2008 Training Schedule
23
Ariel’s
Homestyle Catering
24
World Renowned
Diversity Educator
25
Business & Community Events
26
Regional Reports
Business Development
6
Southern
10
Central
10
Business is Jammin’
25
Northern
19
Training
23
RBDM Travel Schedule
25
At the Black Business
Initiative (BBI) Board
level, we do not simply
see this activity with
our clients, we actually
live this experience.
Spring Awakenings
S
lowly the days get longer,
the temperatures get warmer
and little by little the buds on
the trees begin to appear. These are
the signs that tell us that spring is
beginning to emerge in all its splendor. It is truly a wonderful time of
the year.
Similarly, as in nature, in the business community we see signs of
spring awakenings. A number of
our clients will have spent the winter months working through their
business plans. So by the time they
get to spring, they are ready for the
next step of actually implementing
their plans. For others, spring represents a period of assessment and
renewal, which is essential for any
successful business. What does this
business assessment and renewal
exercise look like? It is when the
business operator has an opportunity to review the results from the past
year, assess where they are going in
Black to Business is the official periodical of
The Black Business Initiative and is published quarterly spring, summer, fall, and winter. Its goal is to support the
BBI as it fosters a dynamic and vibrant Black presence
within the Nova Scotia Business Community.
Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail
Sales Agreement no. 0040026687
Spring 2008
For Advertising Information, Rates, Submitting
Stories, Notices or Community Events,
or for More Information,
call: 902-426-2224
At the Black Business Initiative
(BBI) Board level, we do not simply
see this activity with our clients,
we actually live this experience.
Therefore, having assessed the work
from the prior year, we are ready
to move to the next step. Currently,
we are in the throes of finalizing
year-end, assessing the results of the
previous end and implementing the
current year’s business plan. It is a
busy but fruitful time. As we match
the year’s results to the activity over
the year, it is essential to ask ourselves: What was our goal in undertaking this activity? Did we achieve
the desired results? If not, why not?
These are but a few of the questions
that allow us to get a better handle
on the achievements or gaps along
the way towards meeting the organization’s goals.
This year, while there is much to celebrate, we would like to share with
you a couple of our key successes:
continued on page 6>
The Black Business Initiative
1575 Brunswick Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2G1
Phone: 902-426-2224 Fax: 902-426-6530
Toll Free: 1-800-668-1010
E-Mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.bbi.ns.ca
Published by: the Black Business Initiative
Editor in Chief: Rustum Southwell
Design & Layout: Design North
Production by: Mirabliss Media Productions
Cover Photograph: Paul Adams
Black to Business
2
Spring 2008
Message From the Chief Executive Officer
Peter Marsman
S. I. Rustum Southwell
H
ave you ever wondered
why some companies,
teams or individuals continue to succeed despite many
obstacles, personnel changes, and
ups and downs while some others, despite outstanding talent and
resources, just plod along? The answer to that question is a lot simpler
than you might believe.
In the book; Confidence: How winning streaks and losing begin and
end, Rosabeth Moss-Kanter of the
Harvard Business School explains
the culture of success or failure, why
winning streaks and losing streaks
perpetuate themselves, and how to
shift the dynamics of decline to a
cycle of success.
The book explores why powerlessness corrupts and why empowerment is vital to high performance;
how a culture of pride differs from
a culture of mediocrity in encouraging or stifling innovation; and how
strategies determine effectiveness in
dealing with threats and opportunities.
Like perennial winning sports teams
(New York Yankees, Los Angeles
Lakers, Manchester United, Brazil
Football), who continue to win
despite frequent changes in the
lineup, many of the same principles
can be applied to the business sector with companies such as GE, IBM,
Microsoft and even local businesses.
IT Interactive, Sureshot Dispensing,
Vale and Associates, Carvery
Construction, and Bin Doctor are
local examples of how a winning
streak can be perpetual when the
conditions are right.
My favourite term is the one that
Moss-Kanter uses to identify people
with high potential who are destined to gain the top positions. She
calls them water-walkers. These are
the miracle workers and every company has them.
And yet, every water walker needs a
few stones. Rocks give people a solid
place on which to stand. When supported by a firm foundation, people
can indeed keep moving on a positive path, heading from victory to
victory. When people can rely on
themselves and one another to be
accountable, to collaborate, and to
take initiative, they can perform
extraordinary feats. These lessons
are relevant for leading teams, businesses, countries and life.
The pattern is consistent everywhere, from the sports world to the
business world to education, and
to every realm in which individuals perform to high standards. In
the midst of winning cycles, people
naturally gravitate toward behaving
in ways that support confidence.
•
•
•
•
Self-confidence: winning
feels good
Confidence in one another:
positive, supportive
team-oriented behaviour
Confidence in the system:
organization structures and
routines reinforcing
accountability, collaboration
External confidence:
winning streaks make it easier to attract support.
It is because of the presence of
these characteristics that the Black
Business Initiative (BBI) continues
to innovate the way we deliver our
services. And our strategic direction
of Partnerships, Sustainability and
Capacity will have those four traits
of confidence blended in.
An organizational culture of
accountability and excellence,
which began under the stewardship
of Hector Jacques a dozen years ago,
still continues to this very day with
Cassandra Dorrington and her team
of competent board members. It is
not only the confidence but the disciplined way that all staff and board
have delivered on their commitment
to the initiative that has contributed
to our success.
During this past year with the final
implementation and fine tuning of
the internal structure we are already
seeing some successes. Because we
are more comfortable about moving forward than standing still,
even though it may create stress, we
undertook to redesign our operating
engine.
My favourite term is the
one that Moss-Kanter uses
to identify people with
high potential who are
destined to gain the top
positions. She calls them
water-walkers. These are
the miracle workers and
every company has them.
Finalizing the Balanced Scorecard for
the operations is the tool that will
give us the discipline to maintain
order and direction and deliver on
our vision. The Chair in her report
gave you some examples which are a
result of the hard work of some highly qualified staff. Gordon Doe and Idy
Fashoranti are the backbone of this
process and we are now engaging
the others, Bernard Elwin, Cheyanne
Gorman-Tolliver, Evan Williams,
Gregory Nazaire to bring it all home.
continued on page 10>
Black to Business
Spring 2008
3
alk into the office in Marven Nelligan’s
Gottingen Street apartment in Halifax
and it’s easy to figure out where the
young artist first found his inspiration.
The shelf above his desk is a mini-monument to the cartoon heroes of
Nelligan’s childhood. Optimus Prime from Transformers, a handful of
Spider-Man villains, characters from the video game series Street Fighter II
and other action figures look down on him as he works.
Youth on the Move
It’s not surprising that the
Chad Lucas
first thing he remembers
Photography by: Paul Adams
drawing, at the age of
three, was something he
saw on TV. “I saw my dad drawing one day, then the next day I drew a
Ninja Turtle,” says Nelligan.
It’s not surprising either to learn that his original dream was to become
an animator. That goal has taken a backseat lately – not because Nelligan
isn’t following his passion, but because he’s branched out in so many
other directions.
The 22-year-old has made a one-man business, Marven Art and Design,
out of his talents over the past three years. From murals to portraits to
graphic design, Nelligan does a little bit of everything.
“It’s just a constant evolution thing,” he says. “I’m always growing, always
doing something new. I’m the kind of person that if I want to do it, I’ll
do it. I’ll look at something and pick it apart, figure out ‘How did they do
that? And how would I do that?’”
Drawing has always been more than a hobby for Nelligan, but attending
a Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development youth business course and the BBI’s annual summit when he was in junior high
school got him thinking about doing it full-time.
“By then I was trying to figure out how to do this (art) as a business,” Nelligan says. “I hadn’t really thought about it until I got in
touch with the BBI and saw maybe there’s more that I can do
than just going to school to become an animator. That’s
still something I want to do, but right now my business
is really broad.”
Nelligan’s work includes portraits, painting, flash
animation for websites and graphic design,
including promotional flyers for
events. He also does illustrations
for the magazine Teens Now Talk, a
locally produced publication by and
for teenagers.
For the creative-minded artist, one
of the hardest adjustments has been
learning to think like a businessman –
planning a budget and balancing bills
with things like art supplies.
“It’s kind of like a snail
race sometimes,” he says.
“Things are going slow,
but they’re going. As
long as I have something
coming in, I’m OK.”
“It’s kind of like a snail race sometimes,” he says. “Things are going
slow, but they’re going. As long as I
have something coming in, I’m OK.”
Spring 2008
4
But while he’s used to the solitary life
of an artist, producing alone in his
apartment, lately much of his work has
been done in public.
His big project last summer was a
mural as part of Uniacke Square’s
annual Beautification Day. He worked
with a group of neighbourhood children, who painted most of the mural
themselves. Nelligan has also done
murals along Bedford Row and in St.
Joseph’s Elementary School. He’ll work
on another Uniacke Square project this
summer along with a mural on Joseph
Howe Drive.
Working in public as part of a community project is a very different process,
he says, but it has become one of his
favourite things to do.
“Working with the kids, being a leader
for them, helping them do it, I really
enjoy that,” Nelligan says. “When they
do it, it’s like a self-esteem thing. At
first most of them think they can’t do it,
but once they get into it, they have so
much fun that they don’t want to stop.
That’s really cool. I like
to be an inspiration.
“It’s actually more
rewarding. People
are always going to
remember that they
did that. The kids who
helped in the beautification project – they’re
going to look back and
remember, ‘That was
me.’”
Nelligan will be a
speaker at this year’s
BBI summit. The
advice he’d give any
budding artist is simple: practice plenty, be
committed and make
time for your art, even
if it means making sacrifices in other areas.
“The more you do
when you’re younger,
the more experience
Nelligan will be a
speaker at this year’s
BBI summit. The advice
he’d give any budding
artist is simple: practice
plenty, be committed and
make time for your art,
even if it means making
sacrifices in other areas.
you gain,” he says. “That’s the main
thing, sticking with it. If you’ve got to
be stubborn about it, be stubborn.”
Nelligan is self-taught so far but he
plans to take some courses in the fall,
with an eye still on becoming an animator someday. But he’d like to keep
working in other media as well.
“I want to do everything,” he says. I’d
love to have my own (animated) show
someday. But right now I’m getting
foundations in all these different areas.
It’s just one big adventure.”
www.marvenart.piczo.com
Black to Business
Marven Nelligan
237-0066
Black to Business
5
Spring 2008
Glynis Simms
Gregory Nazaire, RBDM
A Business That’s Just Right
Shauntay Grant
modate 30 children
later this spring so
they can satisfy an
ever-increasing waiting list.
Glynis Simms Just Right Child Care
A
n old real estate saying is that the value
of a piece of property
depends on three key factors:
Location! Location! Location!
Glynis Simms is not a realtor. But
the owner/operator of Just Right
Child Care says that location has
been key to the success of her new
business, a preschool that occupies a
three-unit house in Greenwood.
“It’s right on the Number One
Highway,” says Simms. “Going west
you’re about 10 minutes from the
hospital. And within the vicinity
there are two elementary schools
and a middle school. And then
down the road there’s another elementary school. And the army base
is about five minutes away.”
“My target audience was the military
people who were being transferred
in,” says Simms. “I thought, ‘If I
could just get 30 children then I
would be well on my way’”.
Just Right Child Care, which opened
in October 2007, has a license for
15 children. But Simms hopes the
facility will be licensed to accom-
For Simms, this is
really a first in business. “I’ve always
had home-based
businesses like
Amway, Mary Kay,
stuff like that. But I’d
been talking about
[starting a child care
facility] for a couple
years. And in my job
that I’m in right now,
it was getting to a point where it
was affecting my health, so I knew I
needed to do something different.”
Simms is on leave from her job as
a student support worker with the
Annapolis Valley Regional School
Board. Her position supports African
Nova Scotian students at five AVRSB
schools.
And it was taking its toll on me.”
Simms decided that no job is worth
her health, so she started on the
path to opening her own business.
“Our motto is ‘Just Right Child Care:
the place that loves children, and
the place children love’.”
Natalie Labbe can attest to that. Her
three-year-old son Jesse was moved
from two other daycares before coming to Just Right in January.
“My kids are very hyper and my son
was biting,” says Labbe. “So I had
to move him from one day home to
another. And we found out through
a friend that [Just Right Child Care]
just opened. And they have no problem. They told me that they’re not
gonna turn him down, so I [didn’t]
have the headaches of looking for
another place – they’re gonna deal
with it. They’re very patient. I don’t
know what they did, but he doesn’t
bite any more.”
Justin Lerette echoes Labbe’s enthusi“I had injured myself a number of
asm about Just Right Child Care. He
years ago, and the stress of my job
says the daycare does a fantastic job
aggravated the injury [to the] point
with his “very active” two-year-old
where I couldn’t even drive,” says
daughter Emily.
Simms. “The job of a student support worker is very stressful; you’re
“Recently she’s got into the habit of
dealing with systemic racism, so
not wanting to leave,” says Lerette.
there were a lot of racial issues, low
“She has a fun time around the other
morale among the students, a lack
kids. She likes all the teachers there.
of support from some administrators,
And she loves [Glynis] to death –
low expectations of the students, litshe’s always talking about Glynis.”
erature or resources being used that
made you feel
like you’re an
inferior race … a
lot of stereotypes
on the part of
the system as a
Glynis Simms
whole. Don’t get
me wrong, there
Greenwood, NS
was a lot of prog902-242-3080 or 902-760-2255 Cell
ress, but there’s
[email protected]
still a lot of work
to be done.
Black to Business
BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT
REPORT
Spring 2008
6
Message from the
Board of Directors
continued from page 1
Gordon Doe
It is very amazing the progress we can each make
when we commit to doing something and doing it
well, but more exciting is that which we can achieve
as a community. Here is an update on some of the
projects I have been working on.
Black Business Community Investment Fund
We have not hit the $500,000 portfolio size yet, but
we are getting pretty close! After what was a slow
start, we are happy to announce that our fifth offering
raised $90,200. This brings our current portfolio value
to some $440,000. With eight new shareholders
investing this year, our total shareholder base currently
stands at 80 people. This is a great sign of broad base
support from the community.
Currently our fund has invested some $300,000
in three major projects. The increased funds will
enable us invest in more Black-owned business in the
province. We therefore welcome Nova Scotia-based
businesses with at least 30 percent Black-ownership
and great business ideas to submit their proposals for
investment consideration.
On Thursday, June 5, 2008, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.,
the Fund will be holding its Fifth Annual General
Meeting at Delta Barrington in Halifax. We invite all
shareholders to participate in this important session.
Construction Strategy
ADEPA has made it to the one-year mark. A year ago,
following the recommendations of a study of the Black
Business Construction Sector, BBI sponsored ADEPA
to provide specific project management expertise
in support of the Black participation in the industry.
Adepa’s mandate also extends to support training and
certification needs for clients.
We can confidently say that over this past year, we
have proven that our business model is viable. There
have been big lessons learnt, and this can only help
to make our process better. All this has been made
possible thanks to our very capable board under the
chairmanship of Dr. Rudolf Ffrench and ADEPA’s project
manager Gordon Tynes, a professional engineer.
With this year’s construction season underway, we
encourage construction companies to come in and
speak with us to see how ADEPA can be of support
to you. We are also happy to come and meet with
groups of construction workers for a round-table
discussion in your community. The concept of ADEPA’s
engagement is effective partnership.
Our next step is to focus on the training and certification
aspect of this strategy.
Black Business Consulting
BBI has also been actively working to provide
consultancy services in partnership with its business
associates. Most recently, we submitted a proposal for
a project in the Caribbean and the indication is that
our proposal has been accepted. We expect to be
signing our first major consulting project soon.
Finally, to all our clients and partners, Come To The BBI
Summit 2008 and be inspired!
1)
In addition to the positive
results from this year’s
Community Economic
Development Investment Fund
(CEDIF) public offering, the
CEDIF now stands at $440,000.
This is quite an achievement
at this stage of its history.
Congratulations to all involved; keep up the good work.
2)
The organizations - Black
Business Consulting (BBC),
Business is Jammin’ (BIJ), and
Black Business Enterprises (BBE)
spun off the BBI Board continue
to successfully grow and flourish.
Adepa, one of the BBC Group
of companies, continues its
growth as an emerging player in
the Halifax mid-market
construction environment.
3)
BBC has successfully bid on
and been awarded a contract to
undertake a consulting project in
the St. Kitts market.
4)
While BBI has undergone
its human resources challenges
over the year, with the loss of key
members of the team to
other career opportunities, the
organization continues to
be blessed with a contingent of
talented, bright and committed
staff and board members who
continue to drive the agenda
of the BBI.
5)
The BBI 2008 Conference Summit
Committee has already
confirmed its keynote speakers
(Christopher Garner, author
of the The Pursuit of Happyness
and Ephren Taylor, the youngest
African American CEO) for its
highly anticipated business
summit.
6) BBI has modified, changed
and updated a number of
internal business processes to
reflect the growth and
complexity in the organizational
processes and the need to better
understand and support our
clients’ requirements. One
exciting tool that BBI has
implemented is an organizational Balanced
Scorecard. (We are still
completing this exercise and
will share the final tool once
it is completed.) Through the
implementation of the Balanced
Scorecard, however, we have
been able to identify what is
critical for BBI’s success and how
to measure and communicate
those outcomes to all of our
stakeholders.
Overall, spring is a busy but
immensely rewarding time of the
year for us. Assessing the year’s successes and building on these for the
next year is essential for an organization’s success. So whatever term
you use, spring cleaning, spring
planning, or spring awakenings, it is
a valuable exercise for all successful
businesses.
BBI does it, my company Vale &
Associates does it, and it is highly
recommended for your organization. For those shaking their heads
and saying that we are doing well
as it is, I applaud you for your organization’s current success. But ask
yourself how much more successful
would you be if you implemented
this activity as part of your spring
awakening exercises.
On a final note, don’t forget to mark
the BBI Conference Summit, June
18 -21, 2008, in your calendar. With
the exciting line-up of guest speakers
and the agenda, it is a conference
you cannot afford to miss.
Cassandra Dorrington, Chair
Black to Business
Spring 2008
7
Juanita Peters
I
n every community there are those who have blazed trails for the rest to follow. Earlier in their
lives, these movers-and-shakers took the lead on issues of human rights, community development
and engagement, and combating racism and discrimination. After years and years of volunteer
service, they continue to be committed to community and cause. These pioneers have set an example
for the next generation of activists and community development and diversity practitioners. There are
many amoung us but in this issue we feature three.
Dolly Williams
D
Peter Marsman
olly Williams is one
of 16 children born
to Hilda and Aubrey
Glasgow of East Preston, Nova
Scotia.
She completed high school during
night classes and went to work for
Sarty’s Clothing Manufacturers as a
seamstress. She later became a ward
assistant at the IWK for 10 years. It
was there she got the bug for organizing and communicating with
people about issues
of concern. “After
joining the Nova
Scotia Government
Employees Union I
really got involved
because there weren’t
a lot of us out there
doing it. At that time
a lot of employees
didn’t know their
rights. The union
taught me not only
what our rights were
but how to go after
what we needed.”
Dolly Williams is
probably best known
as the national representative for the Nova
Scotia chapter of the
Congress of Black
Woman, which she
has been involved
in since 1978. “We
went to Ottawa in the
80’s and were told we
were the first women’s
group to come to
them. That felt really
good. But it also
opened my eyes to the
fact that there is so much work to be
done out there on issues of housing,
employment, racism and health for
woman”. The group just released
a book called Black Woman Who
Have Made A Difference In Nova
Scotia (Vol. 1) ,that can be found at
Bookmark on Spring Garden Road
and Frog Hollow Books in Halifax,
and at Chapters bookstore in the
Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth.
Dolly Williams served as Union
Counseling Coordinator with the
Halifax, Dartmouth and District
Labour Council from 1992-1998
and is currently the president of the
Atlantic chapter of the National
Committee on the Status of Women,
the first Atlantic Canadian representative in the organization’s 30 year
history.
Black to Business
Spring 2008
8
Juanita Peters
Peter Marsman
Dr. Burnley “Rocky” Jones
Dr. Burnley “Rocky” Jones was born
the fourth eldest of 10 children to
Elmer and Willena Jones of Truro.
He graduated from Dalhousie
University with a B.A. in history
and a law degree. He also holds an
honorary doctorate of law from the
University of Guelph.
“It wasn’t
planned like
this. I was
involved in
the Donald
Marshall
Inquiry and I
did a presentation on behalf
of the Black
community. I
talked about
the exploitation
of minorities
and I talked
of the need for
more Black
lawyers and
Black judges. After that I met with
some members of the Dalhousie Law
School and we discussed how this
could happen. A committee was
struck, and we made a proposal to
the university which resulted in the
formation of the Indigenous Black
and Mi’K’maq Program.
He says the initiative he is
most proud of in his career is
the Transition Year Program at
Dalhousie University. “I was
involved in setting up the program.
There were hardly any Black people
from Nova Scotia in university
anywhere in the province. The first
group began the program in 1970,
and it has opened the door in a
way never done before for black
and aboriginal students. We had no
idea it would be still be here and
still of value 30 years later.”
“What I would really like to do now
is close my (law) practice by this
summer and go fishing. I would
also love to have a television series
to showcase different maritime
communities. A show that would
attract African Americans to the
Maritimes as a vacation destination
because after all these years, they
still don’t know we exist.”
contributed
Sara Lillian Hayward
Sara Hayward was born in
Guysborough County, Nova Scotia,
and has been volunteering for more
than 40 years.
As a divorced mom, she raised four
boys and one girl while often hold-
ing down two
jobs. “My
kids were so
good. They
would get up
at four in the
morning and
shovel snow
so I could get
to work. I got
many honors
for not missing work.”
She joined the
militia in 1968
and during
her 20 years there, she also worked
at a hospital, a job she retired from
in 1995. “The first thing I volunteered for was the labour management meetings at the hospital and it
all began there. “
Sara Hayward later would serve
on a committee for bereaved families after losing a 16-year-old son
in a car accident. Today she still
serves on the Black Educators, Black
Employment and Restorative Justice
committees.
“I do it because I love representing
Black people. I enjoy it all. But the
most rewarding thing for me was
raising my children. Showing them
how to be strong and speak up for
what you need and want.”
She was the 2002 recipient of the
Ann Terry Memorial Award from
the United Way of Cape Breton for
her outstanding contributions. She
says she is a senior now and plans
to cut back on some of the work. But
so far it is business as usual and she
wouldn’t have it any other way.
Black to Business
9
Ask the BBI
L
Featured Expert:
Gordon Doe,
Director, Business
Development
QUESTION
Is the Black Business Community Investment Fund
simply a tax shelter?
Despite the need for taxes, everybody I know wants to pay less tax.
The fact is, a dollar less tax paid
is a dollar more income you can
either save or spend. Sometime
in mid-March, I was having a
meal with a few friends, when
one person, who had earned way
more income in 2007 than in prior
years, asked me how she could
reduce her tax bill. For one thing,
it was mid-March (past RRSP season) and for another thing, I had
sent her information on investing
in the Black Business Community
Investment Fund Ltd. (BBCIFL)
but she did not act on it.
What my friend was essentially
asking was my recommendation
on a tax shelter. Wikipedia defines
a tax shelter as “any method of
reducing taxable income resulting
in a reduction of the payments to
tax collecting entities.”
Yes, the BBCIFL serves as a tax
shelter in two main ways. First,
it provides up to 60 percent tax
credits over a 15-year period, and
second, since it is RRSP eligible, it
provides deferred tax benefits to
the investor who chooses to hold
his/her shares in a self-directed
RRSP. Like many other tax-shelters,
the timing of the investment is
critical and CRA (Canada Revenue
Agency) requires that you make
your investments within the first
60 days of the year to be able
to shelter your previous year’s
income from taxes. For every dollar of tax credit you earn you save
a dollar in taxes, whereas a tax
deduction shelters only a portion
(based on your tax rate) of that
dollar from tax. However, BBCIFL
is more than a tax shelter; it is an
excellent and unique opportunity
for communities to embark on the
crucial journey of sustainable economic development.
About three years ago, when the
BBCIFL was ready to design its
ads, we asked members of two key
stakeholder groups of the fund
– shareholders and Investee businesses – for testimonials. Their
description of what the fund is
does more justice to the subject
than what I could ever say. So,
Spring 2008
first the shareholder perspective and
then the investee company perspective.
“Finally, I can contribute to a meaningful investment vehicle that allows
me to help Black Business and our
African Nova Scotian Community
grow and prosper. The tax incentive
affords me the opportunity to personally gain too!” Lynn Jones, shareholder.
“This is my fourth year investing
in the Black Business Community
Investment Fund Limited (BBCIFL).
The 30 percent immediate tax credit
benefit is a considerable reduction
in income tax payable. It increases
the level of economic activity and
prosperity within the Black owned
Business Communities. As a Nova
Scotian, investing in BBCIFL is something we all should consider seriously.” Tom Boyd, shareholder
“Your investment in our business
helped us open our new recycling
storefront and create composting
solutions for offices and businesses.
We’re now expanding into the
Toronto market. Thank you for helping us grow.” Bin Doctor
“As an electrical contractor, my
greatest need is cash flow in order
to profitably execute projects. The
BBCIFL was willing to invest in me.
My business is now beginning to
flourish” C.A. Wilkins Construction
Ltd.
So businesses, individuals and ultimately communities benefit from
investing in the BBCIFL. Business
obtain capital for investments and
thereby create jobs; individual investors shelter their incomes from taxes.
On the whole, our communities
prosper and become more sustainable.
For information on the BBCIFL,
please contact Gordon Doe at:
902-426-6985 or by email at:
[email protected].
Black to Business
REGIONAL
REPORT
Southern
Greg
Nazaire
In the southern region, the last quarter
has been quiet in terms of new projects
and business ventures. When discussing
this with a prominent community member
during one of my recent visits, I was told the
slower new business winter season could be
due to an increase in job openings. Since
the nicer weather has begun, we hope the
sunshine will inspire bright business start
up ideas.
Recently, I had the pleasure of participating in
the Tenth National Metropolis Conference,
which was held for the first time in Halifax.
The various speakers offered interesting
insight on topics that included the role of
provinces in the promotion of anti-racism
and multiculturalism activities and serving
a diverse population. These are themes
that link to the Black Business Initiative’s
(BBI ) mission and goals.
I would like to take this opportunity to
note that under the direction of Gordon
Doe, Director of Business Development,
the Black Business Community Investment
Fund Limited (BBCIFL) again reached its
target. This project is pivotal to the BBI
when it comes to self-sustainability and
I continue to encourage our clients and
regional partners to invest each year.
In the next few months, we will be setting
up another initiative in the southern
region. It will consist of a series of business
mentorship sessions where we will have
business owners in a more advanced stage
of their enterprise meet with potential
entrepreneurs who are nurturing the idea
of starting the same type of business.
10
Message from the
Chief Executive Officer
continued from page 2
Since Black To Business issue 38 was
published our focus has been on getting the year-end results completed
and preparing for the business summit. So it was timely to welcome
Cheyanne Gorman-Tolliver back
from maternity leave. Her new role
is Regional Business Development
Manager. Roselyne Orengo is also
welcomed as the new Executive
Assistant. BBI staff continues to keep
up a hectic pace, in particular at
the training department and attending events around African Heritage
Month in February.
Some of these activities include
a partnership with the Office of
African Nova Scotian Affairs. We
assisted with the corporate breakfast
presentation by diversity trainer,
Jane Elliot, and a joint venture with
Department of Foreign Affairs for
Investment and Trade to do some
research on market readiness in the
tourism sector. The BBI is also an
active participant with several other
agencies and organizations in the
poverty reduction working group.
Yet another year has ended. As the
Chair reported the Black Business
Community investment Fund
Limited had a successful closing
again this year and now stands at
$440,000. Congratulations go out
to Gordon Doe, who continues to do
wonders with little time and skimpy
resources.
And so it is now on to the Summit
with Chris Gardner and Ephren
Taylor and other dynamic presenters. Have fun, enjoy, learn and do
good business.
As an entrepreneur or member of a
community group, should you require
further information do not hesitate
to contact me. My office number is:
(902) 426-1625; my cell number is:
(902) 470-3078.
S.I. Rustum Southwell, CEO
Spring 2008
REGIONAL
REPORT
Central
Evan
Williams
The last quarter has been busy with 2008
Business Summit preparations.
I have been working on several different
tasks for our 6th summit. Having the
assistance of an established event planning
company like Mahoganey Marcial Event
Specialists www.eventspecialists.ca has
made things easier.
I am pleased to announce that the Carson
Downey Band will be performing at our
opening ceremony on June 18th. Tony
Smith & Soulfinesse will be performing at
our AGM on June 20th.
We are also hosting BBI’s Golf Tournament
on June 21st at Granite Springs. For more
information and to register, visit www.
bbi.ca.
If you are looking to start a business this
winter, you should be speaking with us
now.
I am looking forward to assisting in
increasing community and business
development opportunities in the Black
community.
For more information or to book a
regional visit please contact me at
(902) 426-6692 or 1-800-668-1010
or by email: [email protected]
Black to Business
Spring 2008
11
Getting Ready for the
Black Business Summit 2008!!!
This year the Black Business Initiative will once again host its highly successful Black
Business Summit.
As in previous years, the packed weekend will include informative workshops and
presentations given by local and international industry leaders. The summit will also
include the popular social networking events - golf tournament and harbour boat cruise.
Mark your calendars now!
The dates are June 18 – 21, 2008.
Additional information about the summit can be found on
the BBI website in weeks to come.
We hope you can join us!
Summit Speaker
Dr. Joyce Lavinia Ross, C.M
Dr. Joyce Ross has had a lifelong
commitment to education in the areas of
community development, home nursing,
Black history and business management.
Through her many affiliations and
memberships she has sought to share
her experiences and impart knowledge to
young and old alike.
Dr. Ross is the founding Executive Director
of the East Preston Day Care Centre.
The East Preston Day Care Committee
incorporated in 1973 and a year later the
Centre opened its doors with a staff of
six teachers and 32 children. Today the
facility has 18 staff and 82 children. The
facility serves eight communities including
North Preston, East Preston, Highfield
Park, Porters Lake and Cole Harbour and
has been racially integrated for close to
thirty years. The Centre offers programs
tailored for children from six months to 10
years of age, including a half-day childcare service and an after school program
for five to ten year olds.
Over the years the centre has undergone
significant growth both in terms of its
physical infrastructure and the number of
children using the facility. New classrooms
have been added, a library, gym and at
the W5 mall, an off-site infant unit opened
and in partnership with the IWK Grace
Hospital, a family health resource centre.
In 2000, a two year pilot project in women’s
wellness and prevention was added to the
clinic. At the centre, community members
can take advantage of family education
and planning programs and pre and
post natal classes sponsored by Health
Canada. Additionally, a full-time computer
lab and training program within the day
care centre was launched.
The East Preston Day Care Centre is
one of the largest employers of Black
Nova Scotians. It has been honoured by
many organizations including a national
nomination by the Canadian Child Care
Federation as one of the top ten child
care centres in Nova Scotia.
In the late ‘60s, Dr. Ross worked as a
community health aide and a coordinator
of adult continuing-education programs
for East Preston. She went on to receive
national recognition from the Girls
Guides of Canada for her outstanding
leadership role in launching East
Preston’s Girl Guide and Boy Scout
troops.
Dr. Ross’s work has also been recognized
by a number of institutions. She has been
honoured with the following: Order of
Canada, Honorary Doctor of Law from
Dalhousie University, Queen Jubilee
medal, to name a few and has served on
many boards and committees.
As a member of the East Preston United
Baptist Church for 51 years, her early
career life included teaching Sunday
school for 45 years. She is currently a
Licentiate in her church and for the past
23 years, has ministered to inmates at
prisons across the province.
Dr. Ross was appointed to Acadia’s
Board of Governors in October 2003 and
is a Board appointee on the Board of
Trustees of the Acadia Divinity College.
Black to Business
12
It’s all limousine
Spring 2008
Bill Spurr
One-of-a-kind ‘luxury lounge’ has room for 23 to party in style
Peter Parsons
Though his Town Cars and stretch
limos are still his busiest vehicles,
Kifle has seen demand for the limo bus
increase since he took delivery
last March.
Most recently, a group used it to
be delivered to a Super Bowl party,
and tonight it’s booked to ferry
around celebrities in town for the
Kingsmeadows Sports Dinner.
“We arranged to use the bus to take all
the celebrities from the reception at Pier
21 to go to the Cunard Centre. It’s only
about 500 metres but we arranged it
just in case of inclement weather,” said
Doran Donovan, President of Canadian
Progress Club, Halifax.
Eli Kifle ,Town Limo
WHEN Eli Kifle came to Halifax from
Ethiopia in 1989, he started out a taxi
driver.
Hard work and charm soon made him
a Mercedes salesman, but he had still
more impressive vehicles in mind.
Now the owner of Town Limo, with a
fleet of 12 vehicles that includes Town
Cars, stretch limos and a Hummer,
Kifle also has what may be the most
eye-catching vehicle in town, a quarter-million dollar limo bus.
From the outside, it looks like a cross
between a transport truck and a bus.
Inside, though, it’s all limousine.
Dwarfing the Hummer in the driveway,
the 23-passenger “luxury lounge” is an
expanse of black leather and marble
behind tinted glass. Not to mention
five wet bars, two TVs, satellite radio,
a “killer sound system” and specially
designed cup holders, some for wine
glasses and some for rocks glasses.
The soft rubber winter floor is replaced
by custom-made carpeting in the summer.
The bathroom is bigger than an airplane’s and the audio and video
systems are all operated by remote
control.
“What I was going to do was send my
Hummer to California to split it open
and extend it to 14 passengers, but
then I ran into . . . Crystal Enterprises,
which is a well-known manufacturer.
(I found out) we’re not allowed to
stretch Hummers in Canada, even
though in some parts of the country they have them,” said Kifle. “But
in Nova Scotia, it’s a no-no, so the
Hummer was eliminated, so my next
step was something bigger. They suggested this kind of vehicle.”
Kifle bought an International 3200
chassis, then spent three months
designing the interior of the limo bus.
Crystal Enterprises had done similar
projects with Fords, but this was their
first International, and it’s the only
one like it in Canada that Kifle knows
of.
“This is my own design, the way I
wanted it,” Kifle said.
“The bars, the TVs, the computer hookup, the Power Point, PS2, all that stuff
— a traditional stretch limo wouldn’t
have it. In here you can do business
while you’re travelling.”
“We also used it for a party for the
Uteck Bowl. It was fantastic, the bus
drove around Halifax, Dartmouth and
Bedford and picked us up, we had a
few pops on the bus, then it dropped us
off in the parking lot. After the game,
we got back on and went downtown,
just guys talking sports and laughing,
the whole nine yards.
“It was fantastic.”
The cost of using the limo bus depends
on the length of the booking, with a
three hour wedding package for $900
proving to be so popular Kifle said he
could use another vehicle just like it in
the summer.
“We used it for weddings and graduations a lot last year, and this year we’re
booked solid in June, July and August.
Our weddings in this vehicle start April
4, then there are proms, bachelors parties, things like that,” he said.
“The longer you rent it, the cheaper it
gets, basically. If you want to take it for
ten hours, it’s $1,500,” he said.
“We do a lot of golf tournaments, and
the groups will often have themselves
videotaped while they’re playing and
then watch the tape on the TV on the
way back from the course.”
Copyright © 2008 The Halifax Herald Limited
Reprinted with permission from The Halifax Herald Ltd.
Black to Business
13
Spring 2008
Youth on the Move
By: Carol Dobson
contributed
Mason
Foote
Mason Foote’s flying feet have carried him
from Nova Scotia to the University of Regina in
Saskatchewan. Black to Business first met Mason
four years ago when he was dubbed the fastest person in the province by virtue of winning the Nike
RunDown contest.
He’s just completed his second semester towards
degrees in kinesiology and education. In fact, when
Black to Business contacted him, he was getting
ready for finals. But why the University of Regina?
2004
2008
“I’m like most Nova Scotia kids,” he admits. “I was
looking for the school that could give me the most
(financial) support and that was the University of
Regina. The coach called me and said he would like
me to join the track team.”
It was a wise choice and he says he’s loving being a
part of the team. There’s great team spirit and he
likes the other members of the team. In fact, he’s loving the whole experience, saying that the
University of Regina has lots of activities, both on campus and in collaboration with the city of
Regina. While he’s heading home when the semester ends, he’ll be back next year and for the
following three years after that, as the program is five years in duration.
Running will continue to figure in his plans. He’s looking toward the 2012 Olympics in London
as one of his goals, but careers as a professional runner or as a teacher are also some of his
options. But, with the summer holidays fast approaching, his immediate, post-exam goal is to
find a summer job.
“I’d really like a job as a camp counsellor, preferably at some type of sports camp,” he says.
“I want to meet new faces, teach leadership skills to younger kids to give them a good start in
life, and give back to my community.”
Black to Business
Spring 2008
14
- Where are they now?
Bryce Hoyte
Paul A
dams
Six years ago, Bryce Hoyte had a busy
recycling business going. That was
how he, as a 12-year-old, made his
pocket money. In fact, he was so successful he was able to keep himself in
movies, candy and other “necessities”
of an adolescent’s life and supplement his funds for a family vacation.
2008
Fast forward to 2008. He’s completed high school and is working
at Winners on Mumford Road in
Halifax. But that’s just a stop
along the way.
“This job is just temporary,” he says. “When the
summer comes, I am planning on getting back
into landscaping. Then, in the fall, I’m entering
the architectural drafting course at the Nova Scotia
Community College in Dartmouth.”
He says it’s a two-year program and already he’s
looking ahead at adding a carpentry component
when that’s finished.
2002
“I think I’ll like spending four years at that campus, it’s such a beautiful site,” he says.
When that’s finished, he’s looking at gaining
experience in the field with an eye for what comes
next.
“I took the economics, accounting, and entrepreneurship classes all through high school. So, when
I combine that with the architectural drafting and
carpentry, over time, I think I’ll probably open my
own business.
continued >
Black to Business
15
Spring 2008
Youth on the Move
Kelsey Daye
cont
ribut
ed
2004
2008
“I’m doing music
mostly for fun.
I’m still singing
and playing the
piano but am
mostly teaching
myself and
learning new
songs.”
Four years ago, the Preston Board of Trade launched
a program called “Young Thinkers”. One of the
participants was a young lady of 12 by the name of
Kelsey Daye.
At that young age, she was already making her
mark in musical circles. She’d started playing the
piano (by ear) at the age of two and was already
performing in her church and at community events,
such as the Preston Board of Trade dinner by the
time she was profiled in Black to Business in the
summer of 2004.
Today, she’s living in Ottawa and is in Grade 10.
Her school has an excellent arts program so she’s
been taking dance and vocals to expand her artistic
talents. In addition, she’s keeping busy by babysitting and tutoring, along with keeping up with
music.
“We moved up here almost three years ago, when I
was in grade eight,” she says. “Ottawa’s a nice city
to live in but it can get really hot!”
Music is still a big part of her life although she’s no
longer taking piano lessons.
“I’m doing music mostly for fun. I’m still singing and playing the piano but am mostly teaching
myself and learning new songs.”
Black to Business
Spring 2008
16
- Where are they now?
contributed
Whitney Ffrench
Whitney Ffrench had a courtside seat for all the excitement associated with the Pennsylvania Primary on April
22 and commented that there were a lot of long faces on
campus the morning after.
She’s finishing up her first semester in a Masters in
Education at St. Joseph University in
Philadelphia. Along with her studies, she’s also been coaching girls’
basketball but that season has now
ended.
2003
2008
“I came down
here because
I got a full athletic
scholarship to St.
Joseph University,”
she says. “This
is my fifth year
here. I did my first
degree in English
and French and
decided to stay here
because I knew my
way around.”
This is her fifth year in the City of
Brotherly Love.
“I came down here because I got
a full athletic scholarship to St.
Joseph University,” she says. “This
is my fifth year here. I did my first
degree in English and French and
decided to stay here because I knew my way around.”
She’s enjoying life in Philadelphia but says there was a
period of adjustment when she first arrived.
“It took me about a year to find my way around. I had
to get used to the pace, to the number of people... ultimately it’s a different style of life than what we have in
Nova Scotia. But, it’s a great place to learn and grow.”
Her first semester in the Masters program ends soon and
by mid-May, she’ll be back in Nova Scotia. It’s still a little bit early for her to decide what her area of specialization is going to be. When she’s finished the requirements
for her Masters, she’s pretty sure she knows what she will
ultimately do for a career.
“I’d like to eventually teach – I want to give back to kids.
Black to Business
17
Spring 2008
Teens Now Talk
Peter Marsman
Magazine
Jessica Bowden, TNT - Teens Now Talk
W
hen Jessica Bowden
gets a vision, there’s
not much that stands
in her way.
“I don’t let obstacles define me,”
asserts this Halifax business woman.
“It’s more about reaching the goals
I’ve set for myself.”
Bowden has been busy setting and
reaching goals for quite some time.
As a former model and the first Black
woman body-building champion in
Nova Scotia, Bowden says she thrives
on beating the odds. Whether she’s
promoting an event for her modeling
school, Visual Impact, or teaching life
skills to youth, this driven mom of two
takes it all in stride with determination to spare.
It should come as no surprise, then,
that she has reached yet another pinnacle of success.
Meet Jessica Bowden: Publisher and
CEO of the newly launched Teens Now
Talk (TNT) Magazine.
The magazine’s motto, “Be seen. Be
heard. Be the voice,” invites youth to
write their world, but it could also represent Bowden’s journey.
“I knocked on doors for five-and-ahalf years when it was just a concept,”
she says. “I wanted feedback and, as
I was not born a publisher, I was also
seeking mentorship.”
Taryn Della
Her main focus she
says was making sure
the mission statement
stayed the same:
allowing and creating
a professional literary
platform for teens to
have a voice.
”They tore pages apart, re-edited the
content and made suggestions. That
led to the development of the magazine,” says Bowden.
“It would be a place
for them to be seen,
their work to be recognized and their voice
to be heard,” she says.
“We now have TNT teams submitting
group stories where they create a page,
do the research and offer tips to one
another, with any and all topics relevant to youth from all walks of life,”
she says.
Contests like Media Idol, where the
winner interviews Ben Mulroney during Canadian Idol auditions, and
Bring it to the Floor dance contest are
especially popular.
TNT, Halifax’s
groundbreaking magazine written by teens
for teens, was launched on December
7, 2007, or as Bowden tells it, “the
day dreams came alive.”
The seed was first planted in 2001
while Bowden was delivering a presentation to an assembly of 900 at
Cole Harbour High.
“This was a school that had lived its
share of problems,” she says. “It hit
me while announcing my achievements that no matter who hears
them, they’re mine, and I needed to
give them their own.”
And so Bowden began asking questions. “I asked how I might transform my success into a tool for them
to use,” she remembers. She says
once the students began talking,
ideas took shape.
“One of the students suggested a
teen magazine, and another followed
with, ‘We should call it TNT because
our words are ‘da bomb’, and I knew
then I needed to create something
that was truly teen-driven.”
“It was especially important for them
to have a voice to knock down negativity that was encompassing them
for just being a teen,” she adds.
To get the magazine started, Bowden
launched it online with a TNT logo
contest and invited feedback as to
what teens wanted to see in “their”
magazine. “The response was overwhelming,” she says.
As TNT prepares to publish its third
issue, Bowden still marvels over its
growth.
“These never-before opportunities
are what gives TNT its drive,” says
Bowden.
Recently, Bowden was nominated as
one of the top 50 CEOs in Atlantic
Canada by Atlantic Business
Magazine, and TNT selected as one of
the top five of 20 businesses to watch
out for in 2008.
Accolades aside, the magazine’s success is a personal triumph for Bowden.
“Creating the magazine is my
response to that old adage, it takes a
village, to raise a child,” she says. “At
the end of the day, I can lay my head
down and say, I did just that.”
For information on submissions and
upcoming contests, check out TNT
at www.teensnowtalk.com.
Jessica Bowden
492-2474
[email protected]
www.teensnowtalk.com
www.arielscatering.ca/
Black to Business
Business
Forum
Spring 2008
18
Individual Pension Plans on the Rise:
Savings and Tax Benefits Spur Growth
of Retirement Vehicle
W
ant to put money
aside for your
retirement and some
tax savings too? The answer,
most people would say, is a
Registered Retirement Savings
Plan. Not necessarily. For
some business owners, the
better solution might be an
IPP – Individual Pension Plan.
Nothing wrong with the first option,
but an IPP is a way to potentially
contribute more money on a taxsheltered basis – and sometimes
substantially more – than the
maximum allowed for RRSPs
“Companies can establish an IPP,
making this an ideal vehicle for the
self-employed, or for incorporated
professionals, including doctors
and dentists,” says Jim White, Vice
President of Commercial Banking
in Metro Halifax.
IPPs, sanctioned by the Canada
Revenue Agency, define the pension
benefit in advance based on income
and years of service. An actuarial
formula is used to calculate annual
contributions funding the pension
benefit. These plans are most
advantageous for people aged 40
and older, who are earning over
$100,000 a year on their T4, and
who’ve been maxing out their RRSP
contributions.
All IPP contributions made by
a corporation on behalf of an
individual are fully tax-deductible
to the corporation. For the
individual, an IPP is treated as a
non-taxable benefit. Which means
tax savings all around.
There are other benefits. Setup,
maintenance, and management
fees are also tax-deductible to the
corporation. And, in some cases,
companies can make additional
contributions for past service, as far
back as 1991.
Though IPPs aren’t as known
as RRSPs, they’re growing in
popularity. About 60% of the IPPs
in the country have been created
in just the last three years. “Talk
to your financial advisor to discuss
all the features, and make sure
that an IPP is right for you,” says
White. “For the right individual, IPP
spells out a great retirement and tax
strategy.”
RBC Royal Bank is one of
Canada’s largest banks. This
article is part of a series of
publications produced and
distributed by RBC Royal Bank.
Used by permission.
BBI Stats
Injured?
The BBI has been involved with
approximately 1423 clients over the past eleven years.
• Loans Approved 469-9500
208
• Equity Loans Approved
11
• Approved Development Funds
53
• Withdrawals
34
www.boyneclarke.ns.ca
www.lawyerfortheinjured.ca
Black to Business
19
Harold Cromwell
contributed
Folk Art Genius
prolific - 40 years of documenting a country village
just as he remembers it in
his head.”
If a picture paints a thousand words, then Harold’s
drawings could fill a
library with historical
views of Weymouth,
personal memoirs and
“F
olk Art Genius”
Harold was born
in Southville, near
Weymouth in December
1919 and died in Weymouth Falls in March
2008. Born to a poor
hard working family, he
was only able to go to
grade one before going to live
with his uncle to help with
the chores. As a teenager he
worked at the Goodwin Hotel,
where he taught himself to
read, later joining the army
and serving overseas. After
being wounded, he was sent
to Debert to recuperate. It was
while he was there that he
began to seriously sketch. He
worked various jobs before retiring when he had more time
for drawing.
Most of his drawings are about life
in Weymouth and Weymouth Falls
as he remembers it. “It all just comes
out of my head”. David Woods, associate curator of Black Nova Scotian
Art at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
says Cromwell is “a folk art genius.
He should be a very celebrated artist.
He is one of the giants of Nova Scotia
folk Art. No one else has been as
local vignettes. There is clearly a special, though often hidden message
in the pen and ink works. He started
out working with oils and some water
colours, but soon made the switch
to what he is most famous for today,
folk art done with pen and ink.
Harold’s work is done with a simple
pen or pencil on paper, including
paper plates except a few pieces done
on wooden plates.
For many years he was at Upper
Clement Park and the Annapolis
Farmers Market. There is a limited amount of his work at Sissiboo
Landing in down town Weymouth.
“The Artist ran out of ink, so he
decided to sleep.”
Editor’s Note: Four original pieces
of Harold Cromwell’s work can be
viewed at Sissiboo Landing in
Weymouth, Nova Scotia.
Reprinted with permission by the
Weymouth Board of Trade,
www.weymouthnovascotia.com/index.php
Spring 2008
REGIONAL
REPORT
Northern
Cheyanne Gorman-
Tolliver
After being on Maternity Leave for nine
months I am excited about being back to
work and welcome the challenge of my new
position as Regional Business Development
Manager for the Northern Region. Having
been with BBI for almost five years and
holding several positions I am confident I
have found my niche and look forward to
a more active role in fulfilling our mission.
I would like to thank colleagues, Evan
Williams and Bernard Elwin for helping me
transition into my new position.
In my first months back I have met with
a few metro clients and would like to
congratulate Kelly Carrington who is “on the
road” in launching a mobile massage clinic,
Evolution Massage Therapy. I would like
to thank Community Business Development
Corporation / Blue Water Business
Development Corporation for the successful
partnership on this venture. Thanks again
also to my colleague Gordon Doe and the
other managers for guiding me through the
process.
Plans are underway for Black Business
Summit 2008 and I encourage all of you
to register early! We have quite a line
up this year; profound speakers, great
entertainment, and informative business
development workshops.
My first regional visit will be the second
week of April to Sydney to hold interviews
for the BIJ Summer Youth Coordinator.
This position will assist BBI in bringing the
components of Business is Jammin’ to life
over the summer to youth aged 9 to 20.
Over the next few months my focus will be
increasing the client status in my region.
I hope to make contact with as many
organizations as possible so that I may get
a clear understanding of needs with respect
to business development. I look forward
to being a regular presence in the region
either meeting with or attending events.
For more information or if you
have a client or a community
development project you think we
should know about, please contact
me directly at (902) 426-8685, toll
free at 1-800-668-1010 or by email at
[email protected].
Black to Business
Spring 2008
20
Kilimanjaro
Books and Café
Chad Lucas
Peter Marsman
finances. Fesshaye is fluent in several languages, and he has drawn
on his banking experience to help
newcomers with things like RRSPs
and filing their income taxes.
“People say to me, ‘This is like a
one-man organization,’” Fesshaye
says with a laugh. “But the way I
do business is I have that personal
relationship with my customers. I’ve
been here quite some time and I
have a little bit of education and
experience, so I try to help with
anything. They trust me. And when
people trust you, they’ll do anything
for you.”
Bekuretsion Fesshaye, Kilimanjaro Books and Cafe
B
ekuretsion Fesshaye
knows what it’s like to
feel isolated in a strange
new country.
When the native of Eritrea first
came to Halifax in 1990 to escape
the conflict between his home country and neighbouring Ethiopia, he
often found himself alone even in a
crowd of people.
“I used to go to Tim Hortons and
sit there with a newspaper or book,
and nobody talks to you,” says
Fesshaye.
That experience is what led the former banker to open Kilimanjaro
Books and Café, a homely neighbourhood gathering spot on Dutch
Village Road that has become a
place of refuge for Halifax’s African
immigrant community.
“This is something I thought about
for a long time,” Fesshaye says. “It’s
open for everybody, of course, but
my intention was to open a place
especially for new immigrants and
people of African descent.”
Fesshaye’s business is reminiscent
of an old-fashioned general store,
offering a little bit of everything.
It’s primarily a place to sit down
and have a cup of coffee or tea, but
Kilimanjaro also sells everything
from authentic African clothing
and handmade drums to imported
CDs. There’s a Western Union on site
where people can wire money to relatives back home, and home-cooked
food is usually for sale on Sundays
from 12-5 p.m. Meanwhile, the
bookstore upstairs offers 10,000 new
and used titles, including a large
selection of African books.
The business has its share of challenges too. Fesshaye says one of the
hardest things is seeing so many
immigrants pick up and move to
bigger areas like Toronto or Calgary
to try to make a go of it.
“The biggest problem is that people
don’t stay here,” he says. “It’s a very
enjoyable (business), but on the
other hand you have to pay your
bills too, and it’s not easy. And the
people who move are not only customers, they’re friends.”
But Fesshaye says he’s not planning
on going anywhere – after all, at
what other job could he find unlimited coffee and plenty of good conversation? It’s the people that make
it all worthwhile, he says.
“We laugh a lot here,” he says with a
chuckle. “I know I laugh a lot.”
“I try as much as possible to provide
the customer with a lot of things,”
Fesshaye says.
His assistance
goes beyond
food and merchandise. Many
of his customers will come
Dutch Village Rd., Halifax
to him with
questions on
anything from
444 3448 / 444 3478
getting settled
in the area to
E-mail: [email protected]
dealing with
Kilimanjaro
Beku Fesshaye
Black to Business
21
Spring 2008
People & Businesses on the Move
Shauntay Grant has just published a book
about growing up in Preston. The illustrator
is Susan Tooke and it takes the reader back
into the community in days gone by.
The Royal Nova Scotia International
Tattoo will feature an African Nova Scotian
showcase paying tribute to Black military
contributions for the past two centuries. This
year’s Tattoo will run from July 1-8 at the
Metro Centre in Halifax.
“The Little Black School House”, directed
by Sylvia Hamilton, was shown on CBC
television in Nova Scotia on Thursday,
April 10.
The annual Rev. Dr. W.P. Oliver-Night of
Honour was held on Saturday, February 2,
2008 at the Black Cultural Centre for Nova
Scotia. The special guest speaker was
Ms. Sharon Ross (Initial Black Cultural
Centre’s Project Co-ordinator). Musical
entertainment was provided by the Beechville
Babes and the Praise Team from Beechville
United Baptist Church. The newest additions
to the Wall of Honour are: Mr. Eugene
Williams (posthumously), Mrs. Edith
Cromwell, Chief Warrant Officer James
Fraser, Ms. Bernice Hamilton-McLaughlin,
Ms. Gloria Simmons and Rev. Alfreda
Smith.
An art exhibit prepared by the students
of Eastern Shore District High School
was on display at the Art Gallery of Nova
Scotia during African Heritage Month. The
leadership for this project was provided
by Diane Smaggus, their teacher, and
Shauntay Grant, an ArtsSmarts artist. The
art work the students created is directly
connected to the new English language arts
course, English 12: African Heritage, which
is being piloted this year. This project was
supported by the African Canadian Services
Division and ArtsSmarts Nova Scotia.
The unveiling of the Historic Walking Map
and the Fact Sheet of Sand Hill created in
part by ArtsSmarts Artist/Educator Darlene
Strong and students from Amherst Regional
High School and Springhill High Schools
took place in Amherst on February 14.
“One God, One Aim, One Destiny”, a book
detailing the history of African Nova Scotians
in Cape Breton, from the days of the Fortress
of Louisbourg to the present was launched
in Glace Bay on February 25. Joan Weeks is
the author of the book.
The Easter Cantata, HALLELUJAH ‘ TIS
DONE was presented, in narration and song,
by George Gray, Amanda Marshall and the
combined choirs of Cornwallis Street United
Baptist Church, under the direction of
Tracey Daye- Ryan on Palm Sunday, March
16, 2008.
The Times of African Nova Scotians - A
Celebration of Our History, Culture and
Traditions, a journal chronicling pivotal
moments in Nova Scotia’s black history was
introduced on Feb. 28, as a new learning
resource to support students of African
Canadian Studies and African Heritage 12.
The 36-page journal, published by Effective
Publishing, takes students and teachers
through 400 years of African Nova Scotian
history, from the slave trade and the arrival
of the black loyalists to Viola Desmond’s
courageous refusal to give up her seat in
the whites-only section of a New Glasgow
theatre. It is a joint project of the Department
of Education and the Council on African
Canadian Education, and is being distributed
to all junior and senior high school social
studies students across the province.
Communities in Nova Scotia will receive
one-time grants from the Department of
Justice under the crime prevention strategy,
Time to Fight Crime Together. These will
fund projects that target events, activities or
equipment to provide Nova Scotians with
the opportunity to participate in community
programs. Among the organizations
receiving assistance are the Boys and
Girls Clubs of Nova Scotia- East Preston,
Community Justice Society, Community
YMCA, Cumberland African Nova Scotia
Association - Heather Arseneau Boxing Club,
Uniacke Square Youth Center, Mulgrave Park
Teen Program, Mulgrave Park Baptist Church
Youth Group, Scotia Court Computer Access
for Teens and North Dartmouth Music Beats
the Streets.
On March 15, as part of the commemoration
of the International Day to Eliminate
Racism, The Nova Scotia Mass Choir, the
African Nova Scotian Music Association;
the R.C.M.P. and New Beginnings Ministry
presented “Towards the Elimination of
Racism - A Gospel Celebration” at the New
Beginnings Church. Additional performers
included Chelsea Nesbitt, Conquerors for
Christ, Esther Medley Smith, James Ogden,
and Bucky Adams with words of inspiration
from Cst. Deborah Maloney.
Film Maker and Director: Nadine Valcin
is researching the possibility of producing
a documentary on the ancestry of the
families of the original Black slaves to PEI.
Many visible traces of these Black Ancestors
have been diluted or erased as the slaves
assimilated into the general population.
Today most descendants of slaves would
Black to Business
actually be identified as Caucasians on
PEI. In March, she held three meetings in
Charlottetown, Cardigan, and Summerside as
part of her research.
Mufaro Chakabbuda, who teaches African
Dance at the Halifax Dance studios on
Barrington Street was profiled in the Halifax
Commoner, the publication of the Kings
School of Journalism on Feb. 1.
Lawrence Hill, the author of “The Book of
Negroes”, and currently a writer in residence
at the University of Prince Edward Island,
received the 2007 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction
Prize and the 2008 Commonwealth Writers’
Prize for Best Book.
Valley entrepreneur Valerie Rafuse, the
owner of Wolfville’s Saucy Strides, has been
profiled throughout the last year by the
Chronicle Herald. The final instalment of
the series marked the end of her first year in
business, chronically the highs and lows of
that important first year.
Dr. Raymond Windbush, of Baltimore
Maryland, a noted Black activist, was in
Nova Scotia to speak with members of the
community about his latest book, “The
Warrior Method, A Program for Rearing Healthy
Black Boys.” While he was here, he spoke with
the Herald’s Peter Duffy for a two-part article.
Larry Gibson has announced plans for
a new 80 thousand hectare business park
adjacent to Highway 102 in Stewiacke.
Construction is slated to begin later this
spring. Gibson has also recently opened
a 46 thousand square foot commercial
development on Chain Lake Drive in the
Bayer’s Lake Industrial Park.
George Elliot Clarke waxed poetic about
the lives of the remarkable women portrayed
in “Black Women Who Made a Difference in
Nova Scotia”, edited by Dolly Williams for
the Congress of Black Women of Canada,
in a February 10th column in the ChronicleHerald.
22
Congratulations to Jacob Deng on the next
step of his incredible life journey that started
in the Sudan. On February 15, Flag Day,
he was formally sworn in as a citizen of
Canada.
Stephen Pitt has written “To Stand and
Fight Together”, a history book for juveniles
tracing the story of Richard Pierpoint, a 16
year-old captured as a slave in West Africa,
through life in New England, as a soldier in
the American Revolution, and as a settler in
Upper Canada.
Allan Bundy, the first Black officer in the
Royal Canadian Air Force’s career was
highlighted in an article in the Chronicle
Herald on February 24.
Lionel Ritchie, Natalie Cole, and Jamia
Nash were among the performers at the
David Foster Crescendo fundraiser, which
raised $1.6 million for families with children
needing organ transplants in Halifax in
March. The following week, The Blind
Boys of Alabama performed at the Rebecca
Cohn.
Measha Bruggergosman received the best
classical album vocal performance at the
recent Juno Awards.
On April 4, David Sparks launched the
Martin Luther King Project of Nova Scotia
at the Black Cultural Centre. Its goal is
to “to teach youth the civil rights leader’s
philosophy of non-violence, and empower
them to redirect their anger and frustration
toward more creative outlets”.
Another event, to commemorate the 40th
anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination was
held in the Annapolis Valley. It was entitled
A Day of Events in Recognition of the 40th
Anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s
Assassination: It consisted of an afternoon
of film screenings, discussions and displays
at the KCIC Auditorium and an evening of
music, poetry, and discussion with special
guests Denise Allen and hip-hop artist Iz
Spring 2008
Real and concluded with a special musical
performance, Rage Against Injustice.
Willie O’Ree, the first Black hockey player
in the NHL, was the keynote speaker for the
Annual Harmony Breakfast, held in Sydney
on March 17. It was presented by Cape Breton
University Human Rights Office and the Nova
Scotia Human Rights Commission. While
he was in Nova Scotia, he participated in
various events including a hockey clinic for
approximately 40 youth at the Halifax Metro
Centre.
George Elliott Clarke was one a several
participants in a special afternoon of cultural
performances to celebrate the Chinese Year
of the Rat at the Mu Lan Cultural Centre in
Halifax.
The African Heritage Month Gala Committee
in Southwestern Nova Scotia celebrated African
Heritage Month with a dinner and dance on
February 23 at the Greenville Community
Centre.
Dr. Wanda Thomas Bernard was the keynote
speaker at this year’s International Women’s
Day event presented by the family ministry at
the East Preston United Baptist Church.
Haley Cox, who spent time last summer aboard
La Amistad, gave a talk on her experience at a
public talk in Shelburne at the end of February.
Her Honour, Lieutenant Governor Mayann
Francis has instituted the Lieutenant Governor’s
Faith in Action Award, a new award housed
at Atlantic School of Theology, which will
be presented annually to a Nova Scotian
whose faith has inspired significant public
service. Sometimes this service is highly visible,
sometimes it is known only to a few, but the
benefits of this service go beyond the recipient’s
immediate faith community to the public at
large. Her Honour has, among her many
educational accomplishments, a certificate in
theological studies from AST. The first recipient
is Timothy Crooks, the executive director of
Phoenix Youth Programs in Halifax.
Black to Business
Spring 2008
23
Black Business Initiative
2008 Training Schedule for Metro
Courses:
Day
Date
Time
Bookkeeping I
Tuesday
May 20, 27
6-9pm
Bookkeeping II
Tuesday
June 3, 10, 17, 24
6-9pm
Simply Accounting-Essentials of Computerised Bookkeeping
Tuesday
July 8, 15, 22, 29
6-9pm
Website Design for Your Business
Tuesday
Aug 5, 12, 19, 26
6-9pm
Microsoft Word I, II, III
Tuesday
Sept 9, 16, 23
6-9pm
Microsoft Excel I, II, III
Tuesday
Oct 7, 14, 21
6-9pm
Microsoft PowerPoint I, II
Tuesday
Nov 18, 25
6-9pm
Computer Basics I, II, III
Tuesday
Dec 2, 9, 16
6-9pm
Workshops:
Day
Date
Time
Intellectual Property: Is your Business protected
Wednesday
May 28
6-9pm
Basic Communications
Wednesday
June 11
6-9pm
Entrepreneurship 101 (Sydney)
Wednesday
June 25
2-4pm
Entrepreneurship 101(Yarmouth)
Wednesday
July 16
2-4pm
Entrepreneurship 101 (Amherst)
Wednesday
July 30
2-4pm
Entrepreneurship 101(Guysborough)
Wednesday
Aug 13
2-4pm
Personal Financial Management
Wednesday
Aug 27
6-9pm
Website Marketing
Wednesday
Sept 10
6-9pm
Search Engine Marketing
Wednesday
Sept 24
6-9pm
Market Yourself: aspiring musicians, artists
Wednesday
Oct 15
6-9pm
Advanced Searching & Internet Tools
Wednesday
Oct 29
6-9pm
Personal Financial Management
Wednesday
Nov 12
6-9pm
Email & Instant Messaging
Wednesday
Nov 26
6-9pm
Franchising
Wednesday
Dec 03
6-9pm
Understanding Outlook
Wednesday
Dec 10
6-9pm
Course Fee: Clients - $20.00, Non Clients : $40.00
Workshop Fee: Clients and Non Clients : $5.00
Registration is open to everyone.
To register for any session, please call 426-8683
Note: Course and Workshop delivery times are subject to change.
Training
Report
Bernard
Elwin
A number of courses and workshops were
held in the Metro area during the last
quarter. These included Website Design
for Your Business, Creating a Winning
Business Plan, Submitting to Revenue
Canada and Canada’s Paper Money –
Security Features and Detection Methods.
Three courses were moved to the
following quarter. These were Marketing
Your Business, The Ins and Outs of Import
Export and Understanding Keeping and
Retaining Credit. A total of 26 people
registered and 14 completed.
The Training Centre is the Black Business
Initiative’s first point of contact for people
hoping to access our services. In the last
quarter, 16 clients went through the
intake process. Seven have returned and
have been guided through the interactive
assessment process where a potential
project is examined and recommendations
are made concerning further development,
including the assignment of a Regional
Business Development Manager.
While the Centre continues its delivery of
courses and workshops there will be the
need to examine some of the less effective
ones. Some do not attract the numbers
necessary to ensure sustainability, even
after significant effort is made to increase
registration. One way we may be able to
improve attendance is by taking these
courses to other areas of the province.
In the coming months we hope to begin
delivery of a number of these courses in
areas such as Sydney, Cape Breton. We
hope to fully utilize our Regional Business
Development Managers in this effort.
Should you require the services of
the Training Centre we ask that you
speak with the Regional Business
Development Manager (RBDM)
assigned to your area or contact
us directly at 902-426-8683. Please
refer to the RBDM regional travel
schedule featured in this magazine.
Black to Business
24
Spring 2008
Ariel’s
Peter Marsman
Homestyle Catering
Taryn Della
had already taught
him. “This drove the
teachers crazy,” he
laughs.
This former Cole
Harbour High
graduate followed
his love for cooking and pursued
culinary courses at
Dartmouth Regional
Vocational School
(now the Nova Scotia
Community College
– NSCC), at the
Nova Scotia Institute
of Technology and
Blaine Beals, Ariel’s Homestyle Catering
Tourism Regional
Industrial Training
hat began as life lessons and pursued several management
from a loving grandand supervisory courses through the
mother turned into a
Casino Nova Scotia Hotel.
W
thriving, mouth-watering business for one Dartmouth chef.
North Preston native, Blaine Beals, the
owner of Ariel’s Homestyle Catering,
says he was practically reared in the
kitchen by a grandmother who taught
him “everything there was to know
about cooking.”
This father of two has now taken his
grandmother’s lessons and created
quite a stir, making a name for himself as word spreads about his unique
service and specialty dishes.
“I think it helps that I like to
showcase what I do,” he offers.
“Presentation is crucial to my business
and how I want customers and clients
to receive me. And it all leads back to
my grandmother.”
He says her lessons were about more
than just baking or throwing ingredients together.
“She taught me to take pride in my
accomplishments and to create rather
than just make. She wanted to make
sure I knew how to do it myself and I
ended up loving it.”
Beals says he took cooking courses in
high school but often already knew
the recipe because his grandmother
Along the way, his techniques were
so impressive that won a coveted silver and two gold medals for Hot and
Cold Salon presentation categories
at the prestigious Atlantic Provincial
Culinary Exhibition.
The first in his family to own a business, Beals started Ariel’s Homestyle
Catering, named after his daughter,
in September 2006, shortly after he
lost a seven-year chef’s position at
a major hotel due to downsizing.
After weighing his options, Beals
realized that what he really wanted
was to branch out on his own.
“I had been creating dishes for people in the community for weddings
and other large-scale events for quite
some time. I decided to turn what
could have been a desperate situation into an opportunity,” he says.
“Grandma taught me well, and I
was ready.”
In a matter of four months, Beals
went from unemployment to fulltime entrepreneur. He says the first
year was slow and it was sometimes
challenging to keep going. “I realized I had to sell myself and stay
positive and find ways to put myself
out there. At the same time I had
to be ready for anything that might
come up, because the smallest thing
can ruin everything in catering,” he
says.
Once he started getting customers,
his plan for success was simple: “If
you want people to like what you
do, do your best because your name
is always going to be stamped on it
when you do it.”
And, says Beals it’s important to treat
everyone the same.
“Whether it’s 10 people or 100 people, everybody gets stellar treatment,”
he says. “I am always present and in
uniform. My customer service is part
of the package. It takes more work,
but it is important.”
Beals also enjoys getting feedback
about customers’ favourite dishes.
“People love my sun-dried tomato
soup and my lasagna gets a lot of
comments,” he admits.
But for Beals, it’s the small things
that make a difference.
“I received a thank-you card from a
young lady following a workshop I
catered in North Preston,” Beals says.
“She loved my service and said she
wanted to do the same thing and
that she was proud of me. It doesn’t
come any better than that.”
Ariel’s
Homestyle Catering
Blaine Beals
(902) 405-3765
[email protected]
www.arielscatering.ca/
Black to Business
Report
Bernard Elwin
The Business is Jammin’ (BIJ) March Break
Entrepreneurship Camp ran from March
10 – 14th at the Black Business Initiative’s
training facility on Gottingen Street in
Halifax. It was enormously successful. Ten
youth attended and learned how to set up
a business. They were exposed to a wide
range of entrepreneurial activities designed
to introduce them to entrepreneurship as
a career choice. As part of the experience,
a number of business people were brought
in to speak to the youth. Participants also
visited the Discovery Centre in downtown
Halifax.
Preparation for the summer youth program
is underway. The summer program lasts 16
weeks starting on May 12. We have begun
advertising for youth coordinators.
The BIJ program will partner with the
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to
identify youth delegates to attend a CDB
sponsored forum entitled ‘Youth in Business
World Renowned
Diversity Educator
Enlightens Business Leaders and Students
In recognition of
the International
Day for the
Elimination of
Racism on March
21, the Black
Business Initiative
(BBI) in partnership with the Office of African Nova
Scotian Affairs hosted internationally renowned diversity educator Jane
Elliott.
contributed
Business
is Jammin’
Spring 2008
25
In response to the assassination of
Martin Luther King Jr., Jane Elliott
devised the controversial and startling, “Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes” exercise.
Elliott first performed this exercise in
1968 with her grade three students. It
labelled them as superior or inferior
based solely on eye colour and gave
students the experience of being a visible minority. The exercise had dramatic affects on both groups of students.
Since then she has conducted the same
exercise with people of all ages in
cities throughout the United States and
in several other countries.
Elliott discussed power, privilege and
the effects of discrimination with
business leaders and high school students. Elliott put two business leaders through an exercise on unearned
power. Her demonstration showed
that a person’s physical characteristics
(over which we have no control) could
give that person power or negatively
affect them. She stressed that traits
such as gender, skin colour, height
and age are not an achievement and
should not be used as a basis to judge
people.
She explained to the audience that
while she has experienced threats, isolation and harassment because of her
exercise and message, she continues
to deliver her insight today. Elliott says
that after 40 years of her work, she
wants to see a day when her work will
not be needed.
RBDM Travel Schedule
Cape Breton - CGT = Cheyanne Gorman-Tolliver (Tel: 902-426-8685)
Southern Region - GN = Greg Nazaire (Tel: 902-426-1625)
Central Region, New Glasgow, Guysborough - EW = Evan Williams (Tel: 902-426-6692)
– Cultivating the Next Generation’ to be
held on May 29, 2008 in Halifax. The event
EW-Amherst
will present the bank’s role and function in
EW-Truro
the development process and detail risks
and vulnerabilities that affect them. The
forum is part of a broader function being
held in Halifax by the bank.
GN-Digby
-Yarmouth
EW-New Glasgow EW-Guysborough
EW-Glace Bay
We have commissioned the production of
GN-Yarmouth
-Shelburne
a slideshow for the BIJ. It is hoped that this
EW-Amherst
EW-Truro
tool will assist us in fundraising as well as be
a key element of our marketing/promotional
materials for the BIJ program.
EW-New Glasgow EW-Guysborough
Finally, we are getting ready to host the 2008
CGT-Sydney
Youth Summit. This is a major component of
BBI’s Black Business Summit scheduled for
the end of June 2008. Please visit the BBI’s
website for more details.
GN-Weymouth
-Digby
EW-Amherst
EW-Truro
Black to Business
Spring 2008
26
Business and Community Events
May 20
Centre for Women In Business
Women’s Networking Night Human Resources with Brenda Fair
6:30 to 9:00pm
Holiday Inn Express,
133 Kearney Lake Road, Halifax
For info: [email protected] ; phone:
902-457-6449 / 1-888-776-902
May 22
2008 Nova Scotia Export
Achievement Awards
World Trade & Convention Centre
Time: 5pm – 9pm
For infot Candace Sweet,
902-424-6814
May 22-24
Council on African Canadian
Education (CACE) Education
Summit – Western Region
“A Parent Summit
– Parenting Effective Education”
Digby Pines Resort, Digby, NS
For Information:
Lana MacLean, 223-4906
May 24 & 31
Women in Local Government
Campaign Schools
May 24: NSCC,
Waterfront Campus, Dartmouth
May 31: NSCC, Pictou Campus,
Stellarton
Contact the Union of
Nova Scotia Municipalities
Phone: 423-8673 /
Website: unsm.ca/wilg
May 31
2nd Annual REP Provincial
Spelling BEE (2008)
Mount Saint Vincent University
Seton Auditorium, 166 Bedford Hwy.
2pm
For info:
(902) 424-7036; 1-800-565-3398
June 18 – 21
BBI’s Black Business
Summit 2008
“Sustaining Business Excellence”
Casino Nova Scotia,
Compass Room
Workshops, Boat Cruise,
Golf Tournament, Biz Show,
Networking, AGM Dinner & Dance
Keynote Speakers: Ephren Taylor &
Christopher Gardner
For info: 426-2224, ext.0;
www.bbi.ns.ca
Events sponsored by the
Black Loyalist Society
August 2:
March to Birchtown followed by
picnic and entertainment
August 11-15:
Multicultural Day Camp
98 Old Birchtown Rd.,
Shelburne, NS
(902) 875-1310
[email protected]
June 20
WADE Annual Open House
& BBQ
11AM – 4PM
WADE Main Office,
1144 Main Street,
Dartmouth, NS
For info.: Tony Atuanya, 435-4648 /
www.wadens.ca
June 26
Wade Annual General Meeting
Black Cultural Centre, Main St.,
Dartmouth
For info.: Tony Atuanya,
435-4648 /
www.wadens.ca
July 1
Canada Day in
Halifax-Dartmouth
www.hrmcanadaday.ca
490-6776
July 1 – 8
2008 Royal Nova Scotia
International Tatoo
Halifax Metro Centre
Tickets:
Limited prestige seats- $60.00
Gold seats- (section 15) - $60.00
For info online: www.nstattoo.ca
For Tickets call: 450-1221 or
www.ticketatlantic.com
July 17-20
Loyalist Landing, Shelburne
Grand re-enactment weekend
www.loyalistlanding2008.org
July 18-27
25th Africville Reunion/
Festival
Contacts: Monica Carvery,
492-0253 / Gail Perry, 404-5552
August 22 – 24, 2008
Marsman Family Reunion
Hammonds Plains
Community Centre
Contact: Veronica Marsman,
902-876-0091 (h),
902-471-1695 (cell) /
Peter Marsman,
902-497-7992 (cell)
#OMETOTHE3UMMIT
JUNE
18–21,
2008
Casino Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Chris Gardner
Cassandra Dorrington
Ephren Taylor
Inspiration for the film,
The Pursuit of Happyness
Conference Chair
Youngest African
American CEO
3USTAINING"USINESS%XCELLENCE
www.bbi.ns.ca
The Black Business Initiative is proud to host the 6th Black Business Summit
Workshops Boat Cruise Golf Tournament Biz Show Networking Keynote Speakers AGM Dinner & Dance For more information or to register, visit www.eventspecialists.ca or call 902-404-3469.
If undeliverable return to:
The Black Business Initiative
1575 Brunswick Street,
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2G1
Publications Mail
Agreement No.
Poste-publications
numéro de convention
0040026687 0040026687