On Saturday, February 4th - East Coast Connected (ECC) and presenting sponsor Alexander Keith's hosted 100+ people at the John Labatt Room Pub in downtown Toronto. It was ECC's second fundraising Good Cheer event. Not too many people complained that we sold 2 drinks for $5 all night. With a silent auction, lots of games and laughter, we lived the Atlantic Canadian theme of 'we work hard', 'we play hard' and 'we are generous', the event raised $5,000 for the Hospice Palliative Care Association of PEI. Read more

ABS guest reporter Laura Phillips - Conversations around clean energy are gaining momentum in Atlantic Canada. With increased involvement of government and business parties are accelerating the shift towards long term clean energy trends, and the resources and economic opportunity of Eastern regions are being realized. Developments such as Newfoundland's Lower Churchill Project and DSTN's facilities in Nova Scotia are key-contributors to greater initiative in Canada as a whole. However, speakers at the 4th Annual Atlantic Business Summit let out a clear call to action: renewable energy at large is a task that requires a more unified stance. A recurring theme from speakers was that the lack of federal policies on clean energy is restricting dialogue and hindering the action for necessary change. Read more

ABS guest reporter Erin McKay - You can sit back and ignore it, but climate change and stresses on the environment have caused considerable changes in the way individuals and corporations treat the world around them. Karen Clarke-Whistler, Chief Environment Officer of the TD Bank Group, addressed these concerns at the 4th annual Atlantic Business Summit in her session “The Economics of Carbon Neutral.” Read more

ABS guest reporter Laura Phillips - Elizabeth Weir, President, Efficiency New Brunswick and Corey Diamond, President, Summerhill Group, switched gears at the 4th Annual Atlantic Business Summit to include a more micro-scaled set of energy initiatives. What separated the Negawatt from other panel discussions of the day was its "use less to gain more" mantra and emphasis on human efficiency. A term that has waffled through energy speak since the 1980's, the Negawatt is finding a place in Atlantic Canada and is producing tangible results. Read more

ABS guest reporter Erin McKay - When it comes to advancing science in the energy industry, the research conducted at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) is one of Atlantic Canada’s hidden gems. Dr. Ray Gosine, MUN’s Associate Vice-President of Research, affirmed this fact at the 4th Annual Atlantic Business Summit as he recounted his story of collaboration between academic research and business. While Newfoundland is preparing for an oncoming energy sector boom, the University is ahead of the curve and is making significant strides via its ties with the oil and gas industry in all realms of research. Read more