Dan White recently attended the job fair hosted by Nova Scotia Works on behalf of the Digby Area Board of Trade. He met some great potential for a future position within the Board. 

Join us on April 29th at the Digby Hall, Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa for an elegant evening of dining, silent and live auctions, and live music in support of the Fundy Hospice.
With special guest emcee Cindy Day!
​
Tickets sold at:
Scotiabank (Digby/Annapolis/Bridgetown)
or call 902-532-8148

​Anne of Green Gables

by Alice Chadwicke, adapted from L.M. Montgomery's novel
Directed by Anne Littlewood and Verilea Ellis
Digby Community Theatre (Digby Regional High School)
Friday, March 31, 7:00 pm
Saturday, April 1, 2:00 pm and 7:00 pm

Advance Tickets $15 available at
Digby Convenience
Conway Quick Stop 
Bear River Grocery
Weymouth Mercantile
and at the door

Anne of Green Gables, by Alice Chadwicke, adapted from L.M. Montgomery's novel, tells the heartwarming story of Anne Shirley.  This much-loved classic explores all the vulnerability, expectations, and dreams of a child growing up.  Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place and a family, and most of all, love.

The Federal Government released it’s 2023-24 Budget - A Made in Canada Plan yesterday; here’s a snapshot of some commitments by the government that will impact our business community. This update offers a focus on the key themes advocated for by the Whitby Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy Committee, namely workforce support, housing, transportation, and healthcare.
 
Overview
This budget has stark changes when compared to the commitments of the November “mini-budget”. The deficit for the fiscal year ending this week grows to $40.1 billion, or 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product, from the $36.4 billion Minister Freeland forecasted in her November budget update. Revenue projections are down $5.7 billion on average per year from November’s budget update.
The government is responding to the economic conditions exacerbated by inflation, with significant spending in key industries, specifically clean energy and manufacturing. The “cuts”, some critiques highlight, do not go far enough to manage spending and the federal debt. The government plans to cut $7.1 billion over five years on consultants, travel and professional services.
 
Business, Industry and Workforce

1. Increasing the Alternative Minimum Tax rate to 20.5% from 15%; raising the $40,000 exemption amount to approximately $173,000 in 2024. The amount would be indexed to inflation. To increase revenue, the government has also increased tax on share buybacks by an additional 2%.
2. Government negotiated a 27 per cent reduction in the interchange fees Visa and Mastercard charge small businesses.
3. Projected to invest $20.9 billion towards clean-energy incentives. Specifically:
   1. a clean electricity tax credit worth $6.3 billion over six years;
   2. investment in hydrogen projects worth $5.6 billion;
   3. 15 per cent refundable tax credit for clean electricity investments;
   4. refundable 30 per cent tax credit for investments in clean tech manufacturing. 
4. $197.7 million in 2024-25 to create work placements for students through partnerships between employers and post-secondary institutions.
5. In 2023-2024, $814 million is earmarked for students starting their academic year. The measures include:
   1. increasing the student loan limit from $210 to $300 a week;
   2. increasing student grants by 40 per cent;
   3. increasing limits on RESP withdrawals from to $8,000 for full-time students, and $4,000 for part-time students.
   4. Divorced parents will now be allowed to open joint RESPs and mature students aged 22 and older will no longer have to undergo credit screening when applying for first-time student grants and loans.
6. Tradespeople are offered a deduction of $500 to $1,000 to help towards the purchase of new equipment.

Transportation

1. Government is increasing the air travellers security charge by $32.85.
2. Government proposes changes to Canada Transportation Act for data sharing initiatives to reduce delays and improve coordination between stakeholders.

Healthcare

1. $13-billion plan to expand dental care to families earning less than $90,000 a year.
2. $359 million over five years for programs addressing the opioid crisis.
3. $158 million over three years to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support the Suicide Prevention Line.
4. $36 million over three years for reproductive health.

Housing -Affordability and Equity

1. A one-time "grocery rebate," which will provide eligible families with up to $467. Single people with no kids could get up to $234 more.
2. $4B is slated over five years for an co-developed Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy.
3. From April 1, 2023, financial institutions can begin offering the Tax-Free First Home Savings Account.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Annapolis Valley has recently expanded our service area to include Digby County.   In an effort to support programs in your community; we are bringing our signature fundraising event; Bowl for Kids' Sake to Digby on April 27th at Wilson's Bowling Centre.   

You can help us make this inaugural event a BIG success by taking advantage of the attached sponsorship opportunities. We are also looking for teams to join our event and would welcome the addition of a team from the Digby Chamber of Commerce to our roster.  Team information is also attached.  
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Raffle tickets are available to help with fundraising for team fees as well as pledge sheets and an online platform to collect pledges.   

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Merrymakedge canteen concession 2023-2027
Kejimkujik NP&NHS
Deadline: April 19
#RFP #FoodService #canteen #southwestNS

Environmental Services Association Maritimes, in collaboration with Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, invites you to join the Atlantic Canada Trade Mission to the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum in Miami from April 26th to 28th, 2023. Click on the image below to register for the mission. ​

​This year’s Robbie Burns event was a smash hit again and was the largest attendance to date. The event was at the Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa where the food and service were awesome. It is great that the Pines is now open all year.
 
When you can enjoy a fantastic event that donates the proceeds to charity, it is a double your pleasure, double your fun kind of event.
 
There was a silent auction that went superbly with all proceeds going to these charities.
We thank the many donors to the silent auction.
 
We thank our sponsors; WineKitz, who sell a great quality wine kits at a great price and offers in-store winery services. The Celtic Vibes who you should consider hiring for your next event, as they are awesome, the Digby Area Board of Trade, which is your voice of business in the Digby area and J. Goucher Insurance Services who provide great value insurance to our members of the Board of Trade. Be sure to check out the other savings our members get by being part of a group insurance package. These are just some of the benefits enjoyed by our members of the Digby Area Board of Trade.
 
The proceeds are being donated to the General Hospital Auxiliary and the Fundy Hospice. David M. Cvet David delivered both a history and status of the Fundy Hospice initiative and closed off with a 3D visual presentation of what the future Atalanta Fundy Hospice may look like.
 
When you can attend a Scottish event, it is an education in Scottish Culture.
 
The evening began with Rob Redden dressed in his Scottish attire c/w his kilt and bag pipe piping in the guests.
 
Our Mayor Ben Cleveland was the Master of Ceremonies. Ben set the upbeat tone for fun event.
 
Jacqueline Dugas introduced the DGH Auxiliary.
 
Nancy Whalley was the first speaker and introduced the Community Navigator.
 
Gordon Balser introduced the guest speaker the Honorable Jill Balser, MLA. It was really great to hear about the passion she has for her job. Good things will happen with our young and enthusiastic MLA working for us.
 
Beth Earle thanked our guest speaker for her insightful speech.
 
Peter Lockerbie gave his reflections on Robbie Burns.
 
Toast to the King was performed by Cst. James Klyszejko and Cst. Julie Fox in their ceremonial Serge attire.
 
The toast to the Lassies was performed by Ken Buchholz and the Toast to the Laddies was done by Ruth Frizzle.
 
Dave Holborn gave the Selkirk Grace. Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it, But we hae meat and we can eat, And sai the Lord be thankit. 
 
Rob Redden piped in the Haggis. a Scottish dish consisting of a sheep's or calf's offal mixed with suet, oatmeal, seasoning and boiled in a bag, traditionally one made from the animal's stomach. AND "an enormous haggis was then paraded through the hall, David Holborn addressed the Haggis! It was stabbed and cut.  It was then served and was good for all.”
 
We were served the feast which had the options of fish or beast, depending on choice. A Scottish feast would not be without mashed neeps (finely mashed turnips).
 
Thank you again, to all those who supported this worthy cause and helped to make the event the big success that it was."
 
A good time was had by all and ended with the singing of Auld Lang Syne, that song,  by the way, was written by Robbie Burns HIMSELF! The singing of Auld Lang Syne was led by the Celtic Vibes whose music and song were enjoyed by all.
 
If you missed it this year, then make sure you take part next year. It is an amazing event.

The Digby Area Board of Trade recently organized a brainstorming session in collaboration with Maritime Launch Services (MLS) and Invest Nova Scotia to explore new opportunities for economic growth and development in the region. The session brought together key stakeholders from each organization to generate creative solutions and innovations that could benefit the community.

One of the topics of discussion was the potential for MLS or their partner to establish a satellite tracking and monitoring facility in the Digby area. This would bring new jobs and investment to the region, as well as position Digby as a hub for space technology and innovation. The team discussed potential sites for the facility.

Another idea that emerged from the brainstorming session was to leverage the region's natural resources and assets to attract new businesses and industries. This could include promoting eco-tourism opportunities, developing sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, and expanding renewable energy projects.

The brainstorming session also highlighted the importance of collaboration and partnership between the public and private sectors in driving economic growth and development. Representatives from Invest Nova Scotia discussed the various funding and support programs available to businesses and organizations in the region, as well as the importance of building strong partnerships to leverage resources and expertise.

Overall, the outcome of the brainstorming session was highly positive for the Digby area and its potential for economic growth and development. The ideas generated by the team demonstrate a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and collaboration, and highlight the region's potential to become a hub for space technology, eco-tourism, and other emerging industries. The Digby Area Board of Trade, MLS, and Invest Nova Scotia are committed to exploring these opportunities further and working together to build a prosperous and vibrant future for the region.

For more information on the Maritime Launch Services visit their website
www.maritimelaunch.com