We’re reaching travellers in New England with our Summer/Fall Guide to the Annapolis Valley The Valley REN has partnered with the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce (AVCC) to publish a Summer/Fall Guide to the Annapolis Valley. It is designed for people who attended the Boston Globe Travel Show and…

Thirty-five years ago the first tire rolled off the production line at the Michelin tire plant in Waterville, a major employer in the Annapolis Valley. To mark the occasion, community and municipal partners held a dinner on June 7 to recognize the important contribution the company makes to the economic and social well-being of the Annapolis…

“Energy is the currency of the universe: we need to be using and spending it better.” – Scott Henderson, NSCC Faculty, School of Trades and Technology; Energy Sustainability Engineering Technology Program, Annapolis Valley Campus   The Annapolis Valley, blessed with bountiful farmland and the world’s highest tides, is rich in resources and expertise. In our…

The Kentville Farmers Market is a great place to buy local food, crafts and other products. Every Wednesday is market day in downtown Kentville. From May to October, 10 am until 2 pm, Centre Square in the historic downtown springs to life as a community gathering place for vendors, customers and musicians. In October, the…

  Valley REN Business Insight: May 2017 As Nova Scotia is caught up in a fresh trade dispute over exports of softwood lumber to the United States, how will the new situation affect forestry-based businesses in the Annapolis Valley? In April, the United States Department of Commerce imposed preliminary countervailing duties on imports of softwood…

“What do you care enough about to act on?”  For the 50 business owners, producers, and interested consumers in the room on April 26 for our discussion on the importance of buying local and what it means to our economy, the answer is building a strong, local market for the goods and services we produce.…

The strong market for farmland in the Annapolis Valley is one positive signal of a healthy rural economy. According to Farm Credit Canada’s nationwide report on farmland values for 2016, “competition for farmland in the Annapolis Valley region remained strong and parcels did not stay on the market for long.” The April report suggests Valley farmland…

The rural-urban corridor through the Annapolis Valley has many beautiful towns with recreational, retail and cultural amenities to enjoy, thanks to our dedicated small businesses, local government and historic downtown streets at the heart of so many communities. In the spring sunshine in April, Downtown Windsor was brightly lit with a colourful mix of storefronts…

“I learned about so much … through the conversation.” – Margie Lamb, Owner, Meadowbrook Meat Market in Somerset Valley manufacturers shared more than business cards at the Valley REN’s first Manufacturers Exchange on April 4 in Berwick. Employees and owners representing small and large manufacturers discussed the challenges of transportation during a two-hour exchange of…

On March 20, knowledge-based ICT firms and relevant business support organizations from across the region came together for a roundtable discussion at Acadia University, made possible by the Valley REN, in partnership with Innovacorp. Permjot Valia, founder of MentorCamp Inc. and a respected player in Cape Breton’s start-up community, was the guest speaker and facilitator. Permjot…