Find Out Whats Happening In... The Ear

Burnside - You cant say no one saw this coming. For months now reports have come out of the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility about the problems caused by overcrowding and understaffing. They have all pointed toward the potential for future tragedy, and now we have one. On January 26 an inmate was found dead in his cell. An autopsy has now confirmed it was a homicide. At the time of this writing, no details were being released on the victims identity or the circumstances of the crime pending notification of next of kin. However, its fair to say no matter what the victim was incarcerated for, he wasnt expecting to face the death sentence. Maybe some of those new federal infrastructure dollars could go toward creating more space or better yet more education and training programs to keep people out of jail in the fist place.



As a side note to the most recent events at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility, three guards fired from there last year after a scuffle with inmates were recently rehired. The three were fired on accusations of using excessive force, while their union the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union claimed it was because the guards had spoken out publicly about the understaffing and overcrowding issues. The case had gone to arbitration, but the government and union struck a deal before finishing that process. Details of the deal arent being released.



Speaking of crime prevention, be sure to circle February 19 on your calendar. Thats the date of the Securing Your Business 2009 Conference and Trade Show at the Park Place Ramada. This event, in partnership with Halifax Regional Police community relations crime prevention and private security, features exhibitors from the alarm industry, security educators and trainers, and private security providers. Presentations will include a discussion of the impact of new security legislation in Nova Scotia, policing strategy with Chief Frank Beazley of the Halifax Regional Police, and topics relevant to business security in Halifax today. Guest speakers include: Roger Miller, vice president of Operations for Northeastern Protection Services; and Colin Kiley, head of security operations and emergency response coordinator for Trade Centre Limited. For more information, contact Colin Kiley, 902.499.1265 or by email ckiley@tradecentrelimited.com. To register, please contact Jane Nauss, 902.490.4070 or by email at naussj@halifax.ca.



The Ear believes in giving credit where credit is due, and its certainly due for the hardy members of the Halifax Regional Police who were spotted out on bicycle patrol in Burnside during the recent cold snap. Anyone willing to pedal the hills in Burnside with a wind chill in the minus double digits is going above and beyond in The Ears book.



Since we are clearly back into pothole season already, a situation that will likely only get worse as spring approaches, you may want to jot down the following number: 490-6203. Thats the HRM number to report pothole problems.



Focus Recruitment & HR Consulting is joining forces with another local company to expand its service offerings. HR Pros, led by managing partners Tanya Sieliakus and Sylvain Allaire, provides strategic human resources management services to small and mid-sized businesses, local governments and the not-for-profit sector. Focus Recruitment & HR Consulting continues to surround itself with the best talent available in Atlantic Canada. By working with HR Pros, we are able to offer our clients another level of service that they have come to expect, says Patrick M. Riley, president of Focus.



Dartmouth Crossings request to rezone part of its lands to allow for residential development is sparking quite a debate. Many business people in Burnside are uncomfortable with the idea of mixing residential in with an established business park, especially given the significant industrial sector. Some are concerned families, and especially young children, dont mix well with constant truck traffic. Others see potential conflicts in which residential complaints could lead to curtailing of business operations. Even the proposed functional plan for future business park development recommends against it. However, the idea of increasing the opportunity for people to live closer to where they work also has its supporters. Environmentalists like the idea and Trevor Zinck, MLA for the area, has publicly supported the concept several times. Even the Greater Burnside Business Association has indicated it needs to study the idea further before taking an official position.



The current economic slump has hit home for one Burnside company. Newfoundland Capital was planning to take over 12 FM radio stations across Ontario before the crisis started freezing credit sources. Now the firm has announced its putting the project on hold. Company executives arent ruling out revisiting the purchase in the future once the economy turns around, but for now the deal is kaput.



However, another Burnside company is moving full steam ahead with its acquisition plans. Homburg Invest recently took a significant stake in a Florida shopping centre owner, namely Equity One Inc. The deal is mostly a stock swap. Both companies are major stockholders in a third firm, DIM of the Netherlands, and Homburg is turning over control of most of its stake in DIM to Equity One in exchange for almost a million shares in Equity One.



A last minute deal between Stock Transportation and school bus drivers has averted a strike that would have seen a lot of Park workers showing up a little late at the office. No, despite what you might think of the transit service, Park employees arent using school buses to commute (yet). However, since they would be responsible for getting their own children to school and most schools dont allow children to be on the grounds until after 8:30 a.m. chances are many people wouldve been running behind schedule. The new deal raises drivers currently making about $12 per hour to $15 per hour, and bumps them up to $16 in the last year of the five-year deal.



Harbour Isle, the former Sheppards Island condo development, appears to be running into just as many delays getting off the ground as its predecessor. After a splashy opening event to launch the development, the owners have gone back to HRM asking for a few small revisions. The developer wants to increase the size of the first building from seven floors to nine, reduce the total number of units, reduce the footprint of many of the units, switch from a pitched roof to a flat one and expand the harbourside boardwalk. Taken all together, the changes are enough to invalidate parts of the existing development agreement with the city. That means the whole project has to go back into the public consultation process before a revised development agreement can be agreed upon.



The Roger Surette behind Roger Surettes Golf Central has left the building. Surette has close his Burnside store and sold the Bayers Lake location. Surette cited increased competition from Golf Town in Dartmouth Crossing and Internet shopping as two of the main reasons he decided to close down. The deepening recession also contributed to his decision. Surette first opened Golf Central on Brownlow Avenue in 1985.



The Halifax Chamber of Commerce is now a charter member of Nova Scotia Come to Life. By signing the charter document, the organization agrees to become an ambassador for the province and promote it as a great place to live, work and play.



In other business park news:

Over in Dartmouth Crossing, Moxies recently held a dry run to see if all its dishes and staff were up to snuff before opening the doors to the public. A select group was invited to come in for a free lunch to help the eatery evaluate its preparations to date. As well, all the roadways are now open to the public around the retail development, opening up large sections for development. The final phase of the main street area is nearing completion and new tenants are being revealed regularly. For example, Henrys Camera is opening this spring, Costco is set to open in March and several new operations are now open for business, including Starbucks, Subway and Wok Box.



The Eric Spicer Building in Woodside was the scene of a mass evacuation last month as a foul odour forced the temporary closure of the HRM 911 call centre. Operations were switched to the backup centre in Bedford while firefighters and other staff hunted down the source of the smell. Sludge and corrosion in the dehumidifier was eventually identified as the cause. No calls were lost as a result of the incident.



Ocean Nutrition, another Woodside resident, is expanding its market reach with juice maker A Lassonde Inc., producers of the Oasis line of drinks. The company now adds Ocean Nutritions MEG-3 brand of Omega-3 nutrition supplements to four of its products.

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