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2024 Yarmouth Business Awards: October 24th

2024 Yarmouth Business Awards: A Night To Shine

Get ready for a spectacular evening as the Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce proudly brings back the highly anticipated annual business awards! Join us on October 24th, 2024 at the Mariners Centre, for the 17th edition of this prestigious event, where we’ll celebrate the best and brightest in our thriving business community. This beloved tradition has become a cornerstone for recognizing excellence, fostering connections, and showcasing the vital role of a strong business ecosystem in our region.

*** The nomination period is now: CLOSED ***

The 2024 award categories are:

  • Business of the Year (Less than 10 employees)
  • Business of the Year (10 or more employees)
  • Rising Star of the Year
  • Export Achievement
  • Customer Service Award
  • Community Impact Award
  • Business Leader of the Year
  • Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Tourism Business of the Year
  • Non-Profit Organization of the Year
  • Female Entrepreneur of the Year
  • Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Advancement Award

Doors & Cocktails at 5:00pm | Awards start at 6:30pm

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Chamber Travel Opportunities!

Join us as we explore the Wonders of the World through safe, unique and exciting tours!

The Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce and Indus Travel have teamed up to offer one-of-a-kind adventures. Visit historic cities and famous landmarks while you dine on authentic cuisine and immerse yourself in local cultures.

Chamber Travel trips are open to members and non-members alike, and provide a once in a lifetime affordable travel experience! Our next trip will be departing in March 2025.

A Taste of Portugal

TOUR SUMMARY:
Discover the beauty of the Emerald Isle with this spectacular 10-day tour of Ireland! You will head on a journey you will never forget, filled with rich history and fascinating sites that will leave you in awe. Your journey will begin in Dublin, the capital city of Ireland known for its lively atmosphere, cultural heritage, and friendly locals. From there you will explore the Ring of Kerry, famous for its sandy white beaches, rich species of wildlife, and breathtaking mountains. Visit Killarney, the perfect place for outdoor activities as the region is filled with mountains and lakes, and see the Cliffs of Moher, perhaps the most famous site in Ireland known for its natural beauty, and travel to Limerick, one of the oldest cities in Ireland. Make your way through the narrow streets of Galway, where you will see gorgeous cathedrals and busy pubs before you explore the Connemara Region, a land of lakes, rivers, bogs, and mountains where
Gaelic remains the spoken language. Your tour of Ireland will come to an end with a scenic trip back to Dublin and you will head home filled with fascinating memories that will last you a lifetime!

Experience Ireland Brochure

More Information and Booking for Experience Ireland

 

Discover Croatia, Slovenia & Montenegro

TOUR SUMMARY:

Discover the beauty and magic of Southwestern Europe with this private group tour of Portugal! This breathtaking country is famous for its intertwining cobblestone streets, captivating coastal villages, world-class wines, golden beaches, and delicious cuisine. Begin your journey in Lisbon, known for its extraordinary mix of architectural styles and famous landmarks. Discover the Monastery of Jeronimos, a 16th century World Heritage Site, and explore Belem, where you may try the traditional Pastel de Nata. From there you will travel to Obidos, a medieval walled city in the north, home to a breathtaking hilltop castle and narrow cobblestone streets. Wander through the  shing village of Nazare and visit the Monastery of Santa Maria in Batalha. You will arrive Fatima, visit the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima, one of the most important pilgrimage sites known to Christianity, where the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared in 1917. Explore Aveiro, dubbed the Venice of Portugal thanks to its picturesque canals, and travel to Porto, a breathtaking coastal city situated on the Douro River and one of the top tourist attractions in Europe! Here you will be able to sample sumptuous foods and drinks as you take in the stunning scenery along the river before you arrive in Coimbra, home to the magnificent Mondego River and the oldest university in Portugal. From there you will make your way back to Lisbon to end your tour of Portugal filled with unforgettable memories!

A Taste Of Portugal Brochure

Information session for the Yarmouth and Area Chamber Trip – A Taste of Portugal (October 15, 2024)

 

Indus Travel

Indus Travels is an award-winning Tour Operator offering value vacations to over 80 destinations around the world. Indus Tours are designed by Expert Tour Planners with the freedom and flexibility of passengers in mind.

The Indus Travel Experts are highly knowledgeable and passionate about helping clients design their dream vacations and prepare for unforgettable adventures.

Register for a Free Professional Development Course!

The Chamber of Commerce is pleased to partner with the Province of Nova Scotia to offer our members free professional development courses!

Check out these 2 courses starting in January 2024:

Performance Management with Lisette Jones (Registration is now closed for Performance Management as the course is full)

Wednesdays 9:00am-1:00pm | Starting January 17th 2024 for 10 weeks

The intention of this program is to provide you with a general overview and understanding of the role of performance management as an integral function of HR in your company – whether you have one or 50 employees. In addition to laying the foundation for a performance management system, the program will provide knowledge, tools and templates for engaging your employees, and applying coaching techniques to support your team in being the best they can be.

Learning Outcomes:
•Identify the core components of performance management
•Identify the four learning styles
•Explain how learning styles impact performance
•Manage performance logs
•Create a process for checking in with employees
•Conduct stay interviews
•Developing SMART performance goals
•Identify when and how to provide the three main forms of feedback
•Explain the three feedback triggers
•Illustrate the J Curve
•Design performance appraisals tools
•Identify the steps in progressive discipline
•Manage common performance issues
•Define the fundamentals of coaching
•List the elements in asking the right questions
•Compare and contrast facilitating versus directing a team’s direction
•Compare and contrast strategic questioning techniques and identify when to apply each

Customer Service Excellence with Lisa Olie

Mondays 9:00am-1:00pm | Starting January 15th 2024 for 10 weeks

This program creates the opportunity for you to provide the best experience possible for your customers. You will explore key elements of customer service standards, gain clarity on your customers’ expectations, study the seven types of challenging customers, and learn how to navigate difficult customer situations.

You will explore in-person, telephone and online/email customer interactions in various business settings to help you analyze your current customer experience and develop customer service strategies tailored to your business. You will learn techniques to improve internal customer service to help make you a better customer to your suppliers and business community.


These 10 week courses are free, customized to your needs, and provincially certified, with a value in excess of $1,500 per person.

Seats are limited and will be offered on a first come, first served basis.

Classes will be virtual so you must have a computer with a webcam to interact properly.

Requirements

  • Must be an owner or employee of a business based in Nova Scotia
  • Be willing to complete detailed registration form
  • In order to graduate you must attend 80% of classes

To Register

Complete the registration form and email it to info@yarmouthchamberofcommerce.com or call the office at 902-742-3074

Meet Our New Community Navigator

As a stakeholder in the The Yarmouth Region Medical Professional Recruitment Partnership, the Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Nancy Ellis as our new Community Navigator for Physician Recruitment and Retention. Nancy brings a wealth of experience and community connections to the role and is eager to share her passion for Southwest Nova Scotia with the medical professionals currently practicing in our community and those who are interested in calling the Yarmouth Region home. The Community Navigator program was established more than 4 years ago as a response to the loss of physicians being experienced across the province. As our Community Navigator, Nancy will serve as an important resource to help medical professionals feel welcomed and supported so that they can enjoy a long and happy career in the Tri-Counties.

Nancy Ellis, Community Navigator for Physician Recruitment & Retention

Nancy was born and raised in Nova Scotia, but moved to Yarmouth a decade ago. She explains that receiving a warm welcome in her chosen community helped her feel at home. “Having moved to Yarmouth nearly 10 years ago, I was also once a newcomer myself. I experienced first-hand the difference it can make having someone you can trust to have your best interests at heart help you make connections, meet new friends, sharing the best places to go for services, and introducing you to local activities and sights. I am excited to be a trusted resource for medical learners, physicians, and other medical professionals who are looking to call Southwestern Nova Scotia home. It is easy to see, through our community’s attractions and people, that this beautiful coastal area is an excellent place to live, work, and raise a family.”

Nancy is familiar with the healthcare struggles that rural communities face and sees her new role as an exciting opportunity to make an impact. “My past involvement with community groups, events, the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation, and the Chamber of Commerce coupled with my own family’s medical struggles have given me the perspective and awareness of how important it is to do whatever we can collectively and as individuals to help increase the number of medical professionals in our community and to support the efforts of this medical recruitment partnership.”

We are very pleased to welcome Nancy Ellis to the Medical Recruitment Partnership. Her experience in marketing and her wonderful working relationship with the community at large will hep to build on the successes of the past 5 years in our Physician Recruitment journey. – Kerry Muise, Chair of the Community Navigator Oversight Committee

Nancy hosted a seafood dinner celebrating local cuisine for physicians, medical learners and their families at Beaux Vendredis.

Supporting a strong healthcare system is an on-going effort that takes teamwork and Nancy is up to the task. “It is also clear to me that the Community Navigator role is not just held by one person, but is a support network of the community as a whole. Since the inception of this program, seeing people rally together, moving towards one common goal, and the achievements so far, has been inspiring and would not be possible without each and every person in our community doing their part to help! As the saying goes “it takes a village”, and I am honored to be a part of this “village” we call Yarmouth and the team that is working to serve the Tri-Counties in Southwestern Nova Scotia.”

Nancy at Le Village Historique Acadien where our physicians learned more about the Acadien culture that makes our community so unique!

Welcome to the team Nancy!

The magic of Maud Lewis brought to life in Yarmouth with projection show during March Fest

The side of the Western Branch of the Art Gallery of NS has been the screen for the Maud Lewis show. On March 28, the show switches over to a celebration of spring.
Tina Comeau · Multi-media journalist | Posted: March 22, 2023, 6:33 p.m. | Updated: March 22, 2023, 6:31 p.m. | 8 Min


A Maud Lewis show has been projected onto the side of the Western Branch of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in downtown Yarmouth as part of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce March Fest. TINA COMEAU PHOTO

YARMOUTH, NS – Kaylyn Melanson never met her great-great-grandmother, who was long, long passed away before she was born.

But throughout Melanson’s life, there have been countless opportunities for her to get to know her great-great-grandmother Maud Lewis, including a special one that’s been underway in Yarmouth.

As part of March Fest activities organized by the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, a three-week projection show featuring the art of Maud Lewis has been adding a magical element to the downtown.

Projected onto the side of the Western Branch of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Yarmouth, the whimsical show has been creating a buzz in the town.

Melanson, 25, says it is so wonderful to see Maud’s work, and Maud herself, continuing to be celebrated.

“Her popularity has never diminished. It seems to keep growing and growing,” she says.


The oxen that Maud Lewis famously painted at projected onto the side of art gallery in Yarmouth as part of a projection show that’s been creating a buzz in the town. TINA COMEAU

Rick Allwright, executive director of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce, says it’s been really exciting for the chamber to see how excited people are about the projection show as Maud Lewis’s art is brought to life in this new and vibrant way.

Allwright remembers first seeing the projection show in Halifax and wanting to do something similar in Yarmouth. It was decided by the Chamber that it would be a wonderful addition to its March Fest, which has included a month-long list of activities and events aimed at drawing people to businesses during what is traditionally a slow time of year.

People who have watched the Maud Lewis show say there’s a definite magical feel to it, which is meaningful feedback since a lot went into pulling it off.

The first logistic to overcome was what building to use as ‘the screen.’

Allwright says they needed a large flat building with minimal windows, or at least windows that could catch some color. The south side of the Western Branch of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia became the logical choice.


A Maud Lewis art show has been projected onto the side of the Western Branch of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia as part of the Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce’s March Fest. TINA COMEAU PHOTO

People can gather in Jim MacLeod Square (formerly Alma Square) to watch the show, which runs Tuesdays through to Sundays, starting at dusk each night. The show is on a loop and keeps replaying for two to three hours each night.

Allwright says the support from the art gallery and the adjacent Pharmasave has been great. The projector for the show is housed on the roof of the Pharmasave building, and the business has allowed for its power and internet to be used.

Allwright says the show’s creator, Nick Iwasko – of the company Wasko AV – was a huge help, along with the tech crews and contractors that set things up.

About Iwasko, Allwright says, “He’s the guy who coordinated all the production. He’s the artist that really put it together. So hats off to him. We knew it would come out great and it’s better than we thought.”

The show’s location is also symbolic in that over the years the art gallery has showcased the artwork of Maud Lewis, who was born in South Ohio, Yarmouth County in March 1903.

She later lived in her now-famous, tiny, art-inspired house in Marshalltown, Digby County with her husband Everett, from where she sold many of her modest paintings. She was born with birth defects and developed rheumatoid arthritis. This greatly reduced her mobility, particularly in her hands, yet she could still grasp and move her paintbrushes as she painted her cheerful art that mostly depicted animals, landscapes and flowers. Her art creations also covered the interior, and parts of the exterior, of her home.

She died in July 1970.

A steel structure in the dimensions and shape of Maud’s home is located off Route 1 in Marshalltown. On Digby Neck, retired Seabrook fisherman Murray Ross built a replica of her house that people can also visit.

There are many reasons, meanwhile, to take in the Yarmouth projection show more than once.

Maud Lewis is being celebrated through the show for the first three weeks. That began on March 7. A show celebrating St. Patrick’s Day was also added as part of the show for a few days. On March 28, a show celebrating spring begins its three-week run, which will go to April 18. There will also be an Easter component added to that show for part of the timeframe.


The art gallery building has proven to be a great screen for the project shows. TINA COMEAU PHOTO

Asked if there’s been any thought to doing shows in the summer when tourists will also be in the area, Allwright says it would be nice to do. He notes the show is costly to execute and it requires partners coming together to make it happen.

“But if we can find the funding to do another show, we certainly will,” he says.

For now, people have been loving and enjoying the Maud Lewis shows, adding to the never-ending affection people have for the folk artist.

Kaylyn Melanson says in 2018, it was a special time when four generations of her family visited Maud Lewis’s Marshalltown house, which is on permanent display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax.

Included in that visit were Melanson’s then two-year-old son, her father Paul Benoit (Maud’s great-grandson) and Melanson’s grandmother Marsha Benoit (who was Maud’s granddaughter). Marsha’s mother, Catherine Muise, was the daughter of Maud Lewis.


Kaylyn Melanson with her child stands in front of a photo her great-great-grandmother Maud Lewis during a visit years ago to Maud’s former Marshalltown home, which is on display in Halifax at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. CONTRIBUTED


Paul Benoit (Maud Lewis’s great-grandson) and Marsha Benoit (who was Maud’s granddaughter) during a 2018 visit to the Maud Lewis house at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax. CONTRIBUTED

Born out of wedlock, Maud’s daughter Catherine had been put up for adoption. Maud, however, had been told her baby had died.

The family says Catherine and Maud never developed a relationship.

Still, the family is proud of its connection to Maud.

Melanson says her nanny Marsha died years ago. She says her nanny would have loved the projection show now happening in Yarmouth, much like Melanson loved visiting her great-great-grandmother’s house.

“I love the little house in the art gallery. It’s just amazing how many layers of paint she painted on that door,” she says. “It was so nice that we all got to do that together.”