Outstanding Business Achievement Awards Outlook 2012

December 11

Close to 400 people attended the November 30th OBA Awards at the Saint John Trade and Convention Centre. 201 1 OBA Finalists in Back Row, left to right: Nick DeMerchant, Andrew McKay, Peter Stoddard, Mike Nagle, Tony Gogan, Kenny Singh, Keith Brideau, Dave Grebenc and Stephen Carson. Finalists in Front Row: Kara Hachey, Shelley DeMerchant, Cathy McKay, Judith MacKin, Nawal Doucette, Holly Singh, Elaine Northrup, Kelly Ferris and Roxanne Fairweather.

27th Annual

OBA AWARDS

Currents December 201 1

Saint John Board of Trade

Chairs Message

December 1 Volume 8 No. 4 1

Currents is published 4 times a year for members of the Saint John Board of Trade and Greater Saint Johns business community. Average circulation is 5,000 per issue including distribution to all Board of Trade members and to all business addresses in Greater Saint John. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the view of the Saint John Board of Trade. Suggestions and comments are welcome. The Board of Trade cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions that may occur in this publication. Currents reserves the right to edit any material submitted. SAINT JOHN BOARD OF TRADE BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE John Warrington, Chairperson CFO Atlantic Ltd. Larry Hachey, 1st Vice-Chair BlueChip Leasing Atlantic Eric Poirier, 2nd Vice-Chair Bell Aliant Patrick Sohy, Secretary Avant-Garde Construction and Management Inc. Matthew McKenna, Treasurer Grant Thornton LLP J. Michael Murphy, Immediate Past Chair BMO Bank of Montreal Andy Lodge, Member-At-Large Barry Spalding Christine Fagan, Member-At-Large WorksafeNB DIRECTORS Rob Belliveau, Emera New Brunswick Margo Buchanan Michael George, Ambir Kevin Hocquard, Stantec Consulting Ltd. Dr. Mary Jarratt, Saint John Medical Society Mary Keith, J.D. Irving, Limited Grant D. Kimball, Angus-Miller Provincial Insurance Brokers Claire Ryan, FUSION Dr. Ruth Shaw, University of New Brunswick, Saint John Mark Sherman, Irving Oil Operations GP Gerry Verner, Brunswick News Scott Walton, Enovex STAFF Imelda Gilman, President Carole Cunningham, Office & Events Coordinator Michelle MacDonald, Administrative Assistant Erinor Jacob, Policy & Research Officer Nicholas Wheatley, Marketing & Sales Officer CONTACT Please address editorial enquiries to: Saint John Board of Trade PO Box 6037, 40 King St. Saint John, NB E2L 4R5 Tel: (506) 634-8111 Fax: (506) 632-2008 E-mail: igilman@sjboardoftrade.com Visit our website at www.sjboardoftrade.com Like Us on Facebook & Follow Us on Twitter PRODUCTION Editor: Imelda Gilman Graphic Design & Production: Morrison Marketing Printing: Transcontinental Mail Preparation: United Catena Training Centre Mailed under Canada Post Publications Mail Sales Agreement No. 40010390

From left to right: John Warrington, Chairman of the Saint John Board of Trade, with Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada, Larry Hachey, First Vice-Chair Saint John Board of Trade, and Imelda Gilman, President, Saint John Board of Trade

During November we launched our new Membership Growth Campaign: Contribute.Develop.Grow! This campaign is designed to strengthen our member benefits, enhance our community voice & expand Board memberships. The goal is to provide our members with an enhanced network in which to draw upon. Here is a quick rundown of how this campaign is focused: Contribute: The Board of Trade encourages feedback from our members on issues that they feel are important to our Business Community. This feedback helps create policies & plans that support the desires of our Members. A great way to contribute is to get involved on a committee, task force, member forum, or participate in one of our online surveys! Develop: We offer educational events for our members to develop themselves professionally through workshops, and our Lunch and Learn series. Through the support of our Members, the Board of Trade also continues to develop our business community in the directions set forth by our members and make our community the best place to conduct business.

Grow: Participating in networking events, such as our mixers and Distinguished Speaker Series Luncheons, are great opportunities for our members to promote and grow their businesses and contacts. In order for the Board of Trade to strengthen our members impact in the community and their contacts, it is imperative that we continue to create a stronger voice. Over the next 2 years, we have a goal to increase our Member Companies to over 800 strong. For the Board of Trade to accomplish this ambitious goal, we are asking for the help of our members. Talk to your business acquaintances about the Board of Trade and why you are a member. Then refer them to Nick Wheatley, our new Marketing & Sales Officer. Each time we add a new member to our organization that translates into more connections, more business opportunities and a stronger community for our members to enjoy. New Members can now quickly & easily apply for their membership directly online at www.sjboardoftrade.com. Also, members can now register for events and pay invoices online! As Chairman of the Saint John Board of Trade, this campaign is one of the targets I set earlier this year when I became Chair in May. As I mentioned in my Incoming speech, it can be hard to articulate all of the benefits of being a member in the Board of Trade as the intangibles can be more valuable than the tangibles. With the increased ease of applying for membership online, our great member benefits, and our members talking about their experiences, I am confident we will reach our goal over the next two years, making our Outlook 2012 exciting!

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Seasons Greetings!

Outlook 2012

Conference Board of Canada

These are turbulent times for the global economy. Confidence was shaken over the summer by the European sovereign debt problem. The American debt ceiling debacle only added to the uncertainty and prompted speculation about a second recessionary period, driven primarily by the inability of many governments to bring excessive public debt loads under control. Billions of shareholder value has been washed away in the ensuing decline in global financial markets. And even with a deal in place to help the embattled Greek economy, Europes problems are far from resolved a fact reflected in the roller coaster path of equity markets as we head into winter. A sluggish outlook south of the border is also not good news for Canada. U.S. real estate markets remain weighed down by the backlog of distressed properties and recent declines in consumer confidence bode poorly for household spending going forward. Still, there are a few positive signs in the U.S. economy. Businesses balance sheets are largely in good order, commercial lending appears to have finally turned a corner, and we have also recently seen an uptick in industrial and export activity. The current forecast for U.S. growth has been downgraded to less than 2 per cent in 2011, but assuming that the U.S. economy avoids recession and begins adding more jobs (a key factor in restoring confidence) it will grow by 2.5 per cent in 2012 Canadas domestic economy has performed relatively well compared to most other developed countries. Employment has recovered quickly, profits have rebounded, business investment has surged at a remarkable pace over the past year and a half, and housing markets are balanced. If Canada were an island, sustained growth would be attainable. But Canada is deeply integrated into global trading and financial systems, and hence, not immune to these negative external factors. As a consequence, real GDP

Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada spoke to Board of Trade members September 20, 201 1

declined marginally in the second quarter and growth will hover in the range of 2 per cent this year. The pace of economic activity should pick up in 2012, but will be constrained by weaker public spending as federal and provincial governments are put on a path back to fiscal balance. Public infrastructure spending has peaked and will decline sharply in 2012. Moreover, confidence has been shaken by these turbulent times, and there are signs that consumers are tightening their purse strings and saving a bit more of every paycheque. The unemployment rate will fall only modestly, and businesses will continue to face the need to adapt to a chronically strong currency. These difficulties will be keenly felt in New Brunswick. Job markets and private

investment have lagged the general recovery in other parts of the country. But there is some evidence that labour markets are beginning to heal, and private investment should increase heading into 2012 as interest rates are widely expected to remain low for a while yet. The forestry and mining industries will rebound, providing a much needed boost to manufacturing. And, as job creation picks up, so will consumer demand, which will be welcome news to the provinces retailers. Governments contribution to growth will be limited for several years as necessary steps to eliminate the deficit are taken, which leaves the burden squarely on the private sector to keep the recovery going.
Todd A. Crawford, Economist Conference Board of Canada

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Saint John one of Smart21

Saint John is the intelligent choice. The city has been designated one of the worlds Smart21 high tech hot spots by the Intelligent Community Forum, an internationalbased organization dedicated to economic and social development in the broadband economy. Saint Johns application highlights the early world-leading work done in the city by NBTel developers and its Living Lab and the influence it had on the development of the citys contemporary broadband culture. The application highlighted the citys modern development including the contributions of Enterprise Saint Johns innovative True Growth approach to multi-sector development, UNB Saint John in the creation of a knowledge workforce, PropelICTs mentorship of entrepreneurs, BCAPIs commitment to social innovations and Uptown Saint Johns campaign to encourage people to live life Uptown. According to the most recent census statistics, Saint John has the highest median income in New Brunswick and increasingly those earnings belong to university and community college-educated citizens. Between 1991 and 2006, the number of universityeducated residents rose by 40 per cent; 24 per cent more Saint Johners hold community college diplomas. Becoming a Smart21 community is the first step in Saint Johns bid to become one of the Top Seven Intelligent Communities for 2012. That announcement will take place in early 2012.
Excerpts from a news release by Enterprise Saint John.

Outlook 2012

APEC Update
The Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC) released its annual economic outlook for the four Atlantic provinces in November. While the global economic recovery continues, diminished confidence is translating into more subdued growth prospects in 2012, globally and in Atlantic Canada. There are a number of risks to APEC's forecast including the fiscal stance in the US and the European financial crisis. In 2012 APEC expects to see muted growth in consumer spending, limited employment growth and a slowing housing market across most of the Atlantic region. Government spending is projected to decline while the outlook for exports is mixed due to modest global demand growth and anticipated changes in Atlantic Canada's output of key products. Newfoundland and Labrador's growth will rise 4.2% this year on a jump in mining production and capital investment. In 2012, lower oil output will offset further gains in mining and continued strong investment with real GDP forecast to moderate to 1.1%. Slower employment growth will also reduce gains in consumer spending. In Prince Edward Island, weak consumer growth, declining government capital spending and slowing exports will lead to GDP growth of about 1.3% this year. A slow recovery in the US and further cuts in public investment will keep GDP growth weak at about 1.2% in 2012. Poor consumer growth and slowing investment in Nova Scotia will lead to growth of about 1.0% this year. GDP growth will be limited to growth of about 1.2% in 2012 assuming the paper mill in Port Hawkesbury remains closed throughout 2012 and expansion plans get underway as planned at the Halifax shipyard. New Brunswick's overall GDP is expected to increase 1.5% In New Brunswick in 2011, as stronger exports partially compensate for a weak domestic economy. Real GDP is forecast to grow 1.3% in 2012 as weak capital investment and fiscal restraint limit growth potential.
Media release from Atlantic Provinces Economic Council November 2011.

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Saint John Board of Trade

Member Prof ile: Touchstone Community School

Education is the not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire. This quote by Yeats sums up the philosophy behind Touchstone Community School, and the evidence of this greets me every day as I peer into the Grade 5 class, where future doctors are eagerly dissecting brains and eyeballs, or when I wander into the grade two class, where future historians are elbow-deep in water, panning for gold as they learn about the plight of the early settlers, or as I laugh and play a game of soccer en franais with the Junior Kindergarten class. Touchstone proves that if children are inspired in the classroom each and every day, academic success is not a struggle - it is just what we do. But what I love most about Touchstone is not the fact that our kids are exposed to an expanded and challenging elementary curriculum, its the knowledge that their learning goes far beyond what happens in school. Touchstone kids have a head start on the skills and qualities that have become necessary for the world of tomorrow: initiative, critical thinking, public speaking, and most importantly, passion.
Article submitted by Jeff McAloon, Principal, Touchstone Community School www.touchstonecommunityschool.ca

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BUSINESS EXCELLENCE Bayview Trucks & Equipment Ltd, Mike Nagle

27 Annual

th

OBA AWARDS
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACHIEVEMENT PUNCH Productions, Judith Mackin & Robert Moore CHAIRS AWARD Enterprise Saint John, Tony Gogan

EMERGING ENTERPRISE Go-Go Gymnastics, Kara Hachey

CONGRATULATIONS AWARD RECIPIENTS

THAN K YOU ~ TO OUR SPONSORS
MAJOR SPONSORS

AWARD SPONSORS Shred Guard | Saint John Energy | Enterprise Saint John AVW Telav | Telegraph Journal | TriStar Mercedes-Benz OUTSTANDING SPONSORS Advocate | DCAM Productions | Morrison Marketing CHSJ Country 94.1 | 97.3 The Wave GENEROUS SPONSORS ClinicServer | Dillon Consulting | Distinctive Occasions Eastern College | Hilton Saint John | Key Industries Lancaster Florist | Opera Bistro

BIG HEART AWARD Hestia House, Elaine Northrup & Kelly Ferris

YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR Keith Brideau (Historica)

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