Welcome to the online home of the Truro and District Chamber of Commerce. Whether you are looking for information on joining the Chamber, upcoming events, networking opportunities, business issues, etc. it's all here! Please check all of our sub-categories in the top menu for complete details on many different aspects of the Chamber. If you have any questions or comments, please use our "contact us" page to get in touch with any of our staff.
Best of Colchester 2012
Voting in Best of Colchester 2012 has now ended.
Thanks to everyone who voted! We collected more than 10,000 votes overall! By the end of this week, we will be posting the top three in each category by number of votes. Winner will be named at our Best of Colchester awards night on June 7th, hosted by James Cormier of Big Dog 100.9. (Start time of 7 pm)
If you are looking to purchase tickets to the awards night, please visit the Marigold Box Office at 605 Prince Street, call 897-4004 or you can purchase tickets online by clicking here (please note: there is an added fee for purchasing tickets online). Tickets are $30 each (Tax included) and include a great fun night of awards and a finger foods buffet!
Keep an eye on our website for the top three in each category and thanks for voting!
Latest Updates
A Letter to the Editor of the Chronicle Herald from the Nova Scotia Chambers of Commerce Re: Power Rates
Dear Editor: The editorial cartoon is this paper on May 9th/2012, “The NSP Model: Life is wasted without profits” while a clever play on another topic, was totally off base and displayed a complete lack of understanding of what drives our economy. Profit is a good thing and is the only thing that creates real jobs and therefore revenue for government to provide services.
The problem with the model designed for Nova Scotia Power is not profit but profit by way of monopoly. The policy makers today continue to ignore the fact that the real value of granting a monopoly is not leveraged into anything more than energy for residents and businesses. The situation is made worse as we continue to grant guaranteed returns of over nine percent to the shareholder of Nova Scotia Power, Emera. A monopoly has little interest in controlling cost of fuel or investment in assets as they get 9% of the highest number they can generate.
The current model, based on 1930’s thinking, also does not allow for competition. Business people as well as consumers know well that competition drives continuous improvement in goods and services. Nova Scotia Power, because of the model policy makers have designed, is not driven by competition and hence consumers of electrical energy are left to take rates that simply approved by the URB in a very expensive exercise in consultant warfare.
Subsequently, the Muskrat Falls project has no competing force, aka Hydro Quebec, to compare costs for business or residential consumers. The first two problems can be remedied by way of regulation and legislation. The second is simply good business sense to find the best cost energy source and bring it to market. On behalf of the 7,000 business owners that are members of the Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce, I ask all policy makers to think for the next 100 years and leave the thinking of the past in the past.
Chris Atwood, Chair, Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce
