Canada’s Ocean Playground?
By: Clinton Desveaux
Tags: Export, Jobs, Manufacturing, Marine, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia’s history is steeped in marine related industries — the dominance of the Bluenose in schooner ocean racing in the 1920’s. Ship building for the allied forces in World War 2 in the 1940’s. In the 21st Century our province has developed survival systems & protocols for ocean related accidents.

Nova Scotians pride themselves on our marine history so much that our license plate slogan reads “Canada’s Ocean Playground” — is it? Perhaps now is the time for the Nova Scotia government to prove it!

40 years ago, the Progressive Conservative government of John Buchanan fought against internal bureaucrats who didn’t believe Nova Scotia should be at the table of the Boston SeaFood Expo International. Decades later, everyone agrees that the decision of leadership was a success which is still ongoing today. Growing seafood exports benefit all Nova Scotians and our economy.

The International WorkBoat Show held December in New Orleans, Louisiana is the world’s largest workboat show for the last 5 decades. A WorkBoat is not just a fishing boat, it’s a Coast Guard/Navy vessel, a container ship, a tanker ship, a tugboat, a dredging vessel, an offshore supply vessel.

Economic buyers and CEO’s from marine related industries all over the world attend the International WorkBoat Show. Government officials from most countries connected to ocean commerce attend, looking for purchase opportunities related to ocean safety, technology, sustainability, health, and innovation.

Nova Scotia’s government however has never attended. A real shame, it indicates a lack of understanding on how to increase exports of Nova Scotia manufactured goods & services in the marine related industries. An opportunity to increase more made in Nova Scotia jobs and generate tax revenue for social priorities. It should be an important event to let the marine world know Nova Scotia is open for business; and yet we are not there…

Nova Scotia manufactures everything in the marine related industries from foul weather rain gear, ropes, engines, electronics, ships, safety netting, chilling refrigeration units and lots more.

Imagine the opportunities if the Nova Scotia government had the Boston SeaFood Expo International booth/pavilion shipped to the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans? Nova Scotia marine industry manufacturers would have a chance to be noticed in a critical mass with the world’s economic buyers & CEO’s from the global marine industry. It would be a minor cost to use an existing asset and develop an ocean lane to the future of expanded job growth in Nova Scotia with expanded marine exports!

The shared cultural history between the Acadians of Nova Scotia and the Cajuns of Louisiana is another interesting reason to develop this relationship between the International WorkBoat Show and Nova Scotia.

Will Nova Scotia Progressive Conservative Premier Tim Houston follow the successful path of Progressive Conservative Premier John Buchanan and the Boston SeaFood Expo International and get Nova Scotia to the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans? Our economic future may depend on it!