Latest news with #Bridgewater
CBC
a day ago
- Business
- CBC
Bridgewater's energy-efficiency pilot program going unused by landlords
Social Sharing About five months after the Town of Bridgewater launched a pilot program offering incentives to make energy-efficient upgrades to their buildings, no landlords have taken up the offer. The town's pilot program, which launched in December, works side-by-side with Efficiency Nova Scotia's Multifamily Housing Program, which provides up to 80 per cent in rebates for energy-efficiency upgrades. Bridgewater's pilot program then offers landlords with buildings of four-to-six units financing at an interest rate of two per cent for any outstanding costs. Financing is capped at 15 per cent of the assessed value of the property. Leon de Vreede, senior policy and program planner with Energize Bridgewater, said upgrades like improving insulation and installing heat pumps would lower energy bills and reduce energy poverty in the town, which affects 38 per cent of residents. However, de Vreede said that because landlords don't often shoulder the costs of high power bills, many aren't motivated to participate in home-upgrading programs. Annette Hubley, a landlord in Bridgewater, said another reason why some landlords aren't interested in the program is that it requires them to keep units affordable for 12 years. "We would probably not take advantage of some of the programs because of the commitment and the rules around affordable housing," she said. "We try to stay within the marketplace [somewhere] in the middle." To qualify as affordable housing, rent needs to be at or below the current rental rates in the area, which in Bridgewater, is $711 for a one-bedroom apartment with no utilities. Not all units in a building need to meet this requirement, but at least four, or 30 percent of the total number of units. Robert Dykes, a former landlord and member of the town's advisory committee, said some landlords may kick energy efficiency down the road when it requires them to commit to a lower cost, especially if they don't have to pay the energy bill at the end of the month. "When you can't pay your taxes at the end of the year because you have no profit, [home improvements] become secondary," he said Dykes said that for landlords who do pay energy bills, making the transition to more energy-efficient infrastructure should be a no-brainer, especially since the rebates and financing covers most, if not all, of the costs. He said, for example, when he installed 24 heat pumps in a building he used to own, it slashed the power bill by 20 per cent. Dykes said even if there are no immediate benefits to energy efficiency from a financial perspective, landlords should take advantage of the resources offered to them because it helps them in the long-run. "It raises the quality of the building, it raises the quality of service you can offer your tenants and eventually, the sale price of your building will increase," he said. Still, de Vreede said the fact that Bridgewater has low vacancy rates and a lot of demand means landlords don't have to make improvements to compete in the housing market. He said while landlords may have little incentive to upgrade their buildings, the tenants living in them have high stakes on the matter as they face high energy bills. That's why de Vreede asks tenants to talk to their landlords and even meet with the town's energy navigator, whose job is to connect people with the energy-efficiency resources that match their needs.
CBC
4 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Tires are Nova Scotia's biggest U.S. export, and this town runs on them
After work, Mal Haley likes to watch the sun rise over Nova Scotia's LaHave River — it's a calming routine after 12 hours of intense heat and piercing alarms. Haley watches the sunlight-tinted water charge toward the Atlantic on her drive home after an overnight shift at the Michelin tire factory. Once, the river gave the town life. Today, it's Michelin that keeps Bridgewater afloat. Haley is exhausted. Twenty-four hours before, she roused her three-year-old son William, took him to daycare and got on with the day's chores. She hasn't slept since. All her life, Haley has called Bridgewater home. She's worked at the Michelin factory for almost 10 years. Now 28, one-third of her life has been spent making tires. Despite the long hours, Haley likes her job. She even prefers working nights. Making a living at Michelin lets her spend time with friends and family — her best friend and uncle both work there. Inside the factory, she manages a crew of five people and a 4.5-metre-high tire-making machine. The responsibility, though stressful, is satisfying. But stress has been building since Jan. 20, when Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president. He is pressing corporations to move to the U.S., raising concerns that Michelin may go south. A company town In Bridgewater, 1,270 people work at the Michelin plant. The French king of tires issues cheques to more than 25 per cent of the town's working-age people. Every company town is an ecosystem, says Dalhousie University economics professor Stephane Mechoulan. If the company falters, the entire town suffers. The factory — capable of producing 7,500 tires daily — is the centrepiece of Nova Scotia's manufacturing industry. Rubber is the province's largest export, thanks to Michelin's tires. In 2023, tire exports to the United States from Nova Scotia were around $1.2 billion. That's $139,000 worth of tires exported to the United States every hour, all year round. When Trump began talking tariffs on Canadian goods earlier this year, it spurred many questions. Will it be business as usual for the world's leading tire manufacturer? Will there be layoffs in Nova Scotia? Or the worst-case scenario — could Trump's belligerence prompt a relocation to the United States? So far, Michelin tires have been largely spared from Trump's tariffs. But given the fluid events of the past few months, it's not surprising Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is currently in France to meet directly with Michelin. Nova Scotia has three Michelin factories. Since 1971, Bridgewater has been home to the largest; the others are in Granton, near New Glasgow, and Waterville, in the Annapolis Valley. At nearly one million square feet — 59 hockey rinks — in size, you can't miss the Bridgewater plant from Highway 103. In fact, it has its own exit. Globally, Michelin is valued at $35.9 billion. Mechoulan believes it can afford to take a financial hit. But it has no obligation to. If Michelin pulls the plug or slows down production, Mechoulan predicts Bridgewater would experience "a chain reaction of doom." Inside the plant At 6:15 p.m. the next day, Haley pulls into the plant's parking lot 45 minutes before she's scheduled to work. She then scans her key card and passes through a turnstile — one of few gaps in a fence topped with barbed wire. Above the entrance is a sign reading WE MANUFACTURE THE FUTURE. Haley arrives early because she likes to chat with co-workers in one of the factory's many break rooms. It's a small space dressed up with chairs, a table, and Michelin rules and terminology from floor to ceiling. The people she sits with are more than friends; she sees them more often "than my own family." Haley isn't "overly concerned" about the future that Michelin employees proudly manufacture. But she's aware the situation is volatile. "God knows what could happen," she says. Haley trusts higher-ups to sort it out. In the meantime, the tires won't make themselves. Growing up, Haley thought of Michelin and Bridgewater as intertwined. Everybody knows it's a tire town. Her dad's best friend Deryck Bolivar works for Michelin. Still, she didn't realize "how many people work at Michelin until you start running into them," says Haley. "Pretty much any time I go to Walmart, I run into someone from work." At Michelin, Bolivar was Haley's first boss. His familiar face, coupled with helpful tips and tricks, made adjusting to a demanding new job a little easier. In one of her first meetings with the team, Bolivar accidentally referred to Haley by a childhood moniker — Princess. In the factory, the nickname stuck for years. On occasion, she's still referred to as Princess — in addition to a more recent nickname, Trouble. As troubling times loom over Canada, Haley remains optimistic. For hope, she looks to Michelin's investment in Bridgewater. The plant just completed a $300-million expansion — $194.4 million came from Michelin, with the remainder from the provincial and federal governments. Michelin "poured so much money into our plant," Haley says. "They'll do their best to keep it open." Driving new roads Francois Michelin picked Nova Scotia to be the home of his company's first foray into North America in 1969 (there are now 35 production facilities, including six in Nova Scotia and Quebec). Today, Michelin North America's head office is in Greenville, S.C. — a conservative, Republican state. About 70 per cent of what Michelin sells in the U.S. is built in the U.S., but that goes up to 85 per cent when Canada is included, the company said in a recent call with analysts. Since its arrival in Canada, Michelin has become Nova Scotia's largest private-sector employer and a crucial trading asset. Across the province, 3,600 people depend on the tire manufacturer to feed themselves and their families. The company offers all employees a defined-contribution pension, dental coverage and, after one year of work, 3.8 weeks of vacation — plus free tires. Its communities and employees like to say that Michelin is generous and accommodating. No mascot appears gentler than the Michelin Man. But the company has also generated controversy in the province. In 1979 — to chants of "Shame!" in the legislature — a Nova Scotia Conservative government passed an amendment to the Trade Union Act, which became known as the Michelin Bill. The bill decreed that in order to unionize, any company with multiple locations in Nova Scotia must sign up a majority of employees across all locations. The Opposition and public protested the bill in response. The bill was drafted during an effort to unionize by employees in Granton, and Michelin is never specifically mentioned in the legislation. The day after the bill was passed, a new Michelin plant in Waterville was announced. The Nova Scotia NDP had long declared that if elected, it would repeal the Michelin Bill. But once elected to power in 2009, NDP Premier Darrell Dexter didn't follow through. He told the press he had "no interest in fighting battles that happened 30 years ago." The Nova Scotia government has gone to great lengths to keep Michelin in the province. To build the plants, a Nova Scotia Crown corporation spent more money than Michelin itself. The town's response Overlooking the LaHave River from his office, Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell says he believes Michelin is as devoted to the town as employees are to the company. He has staunch faith in the company anchoring his small town. Mitchell is more worried about a production slowdown than a shutdown. For every layoff at Michelin, multiple people would feel the effect. "1,200 jobs is about 8,000 to 12,000 indirect jobs," he says. Whether it's the people driving the 100 trucks coming in and out of the plant daily, or local restaurants and shops, more than just plant workers would bear the burden. Mitchell likens the current political and economic tension to an animal storing food for the winter. The only difference? The animal doesn't know if winter is actually coming. "Do you start tucking away your money and preparing for a slowdown?" Mitchell asks. "Or is it all a bluff that's going to go away?"
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eric Lund Commits To Northeastern
Cushing Academy forward Eric Lund has committed to Northeastern, it was announced earlier this week. Lund, who hails from Bridgewater, Mass., just finished his second season at Cushing, scoring 14 goals and adding 10 assists for 24 points in 30 games. Throughout the year, Lund also suited for the Central Mass Penguins 18U, putting up seven goals and 19 points in 25 games. Throughout his 62 career games at Cushing, Lund produced a solid stat line of 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points. While he has suited up for Central Mass and Cushing over the past two seasons, Lund also spent time playing for the South Shore Kings and Bishop Feehan High prior to that. With Eric off to join the Huskies in the fall, he will be furthering the Lund family legacy with the Huskies. Lund's older brother Cameron, a San Jose Sharks draft pick, recently finished his NCAA career with Northeastern, putting up close to a point per game throughout his collegiate career. A talented player in his own right, Eric should be able to make a difference soon enough in the NCAA.
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Firstsource and Sanas partner to redefine customer conversations with AI
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. , /CNW/ -- Firstsource Solutions Limited (NSE:FSL) (BSE:532809), a leading global provider of transformational solutions and services and an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company, has partnered with Sanas, provider of the world's first real-time speech understanding platform, to enable next-level customer conversations powered by AI. Aligned with Firstsource's Un BPO™ philosophy, the integration of Sanas' Real-Time Accent Translation technology marks a strategic leap in AI-first customer experience. This seamless, speech-to-speech solution eliminates accent and language barriers—enhancing clarity, reducing cognitive strain, and empowering agents to connect with global customers more confidently and effectively. As AI moves from pilot to performance, early adopters are already seeing the impact— 128% more likely to report high ROI from their AI tools in CX. By embedding intelligent, unobtrusive tech into day-to-day operations, Firstsource is unlocking scalable, measurable value—boosting agent productivity, strengthening conversations, and delivering next-gen CX outcomes at speed and scale. "At Firstsource, we seek partnerships that reflect our commitment to smart, scalable transformation— solutions that deliver maximum impact with minimal friction, improving both experience and outcomes. Our collaboration with Sanas is a powerful expression of the Un BPO™ philosophy: leveraging intelligent, human-centric technology to elevate performance and ROI. "The Customer Experience (CX) landscape is undergoing a fundamental shift—from cost efficiency to outcome-driven impact. With Sanas' AI-powered Real-Time Accent Translation, we are enabling more inclusive, fluid customer conversations — irrespective of who the customer is — a consumer, a student, or a patient — without the need for hardware changes or system overhauls. It is an innovation that works in the background but transforms everything. "This is the Future of Work in action—a seamless human-AI partnership where technology enhances connection, boosts responsiveness, and empowers agents to perform at their best," said Ashish Chawla , President – CX and Consulting at Firstsource . The technology is industry-agnostic, enabling a host of benefits for enhanced communication across diverse industries. Early implementations of this technology in other enterprises have demonstrated significant performance results: 17% average increase in sales efficiency 21% improvement in Net Promoter Score (NPS) at a Fortune 20 global tech company 18% average reduction in AHT Zero instances of customers asking to speak with another agent 22% average boost in Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) 95% agent adoption rate "We're thrilled to partner with Firstsource to bring Sanas' Real-Time Accent Translation technology to their global operations. This collaboration marks a major milestone in our mission to make communication more inclusive and effortless. Our groundbreaking AI technology, combined with Firstsource's customer-first approach, enables contact center agents to have clearer, more effective conversations—regardless of accent or geography. Together, we are setting a new standard for exceptional agent and customer experiences alike," said Sharath Keshava Narayana , CEO and co-founder, About Firstsource Firstsource Solutions Limited, an RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group company (NSE: FSL) (BSE: 532809) (Reuters: (Bloomberg: FSOL:IN), is a global leader providing transformational solutions and services spanning the customer lifecycle across Healthcare, Banking and Financial Services, Communications, Media and Technology, Retail, and other diverse industries. With a global footprint across US, UK, India , Philippines , Mexico , Romania , Turkey , Trinidad & Tobago , South Africa , and Australia , we 'make it happen' for our clients, solving their biggest challenges with hyper-focused, domain-centered teams and cutting-edge tech, data, and analytics. Our inch-wide, mile-deep practitioners work collaboratively, leveraging Un BPO™ — our differentiated approach to reimagining traditional outsourcing — to deliver real-world, future-focused solutions that drive speed, scale, and smarter decision, turning transformation into tangible results for our clients. ( About Sanas Sanas provides the world's first Real-Time Speech Understanding Platform powered by its patented AI technologies. Born from a mission to power a kinder, more compassionate world, Sanas is pioneering a revolution in human connection by making global, real-time communication more inclusive. Today, Sanas offers Real-Time Accent Translation and Two-Way Noise Cancellation. Founded in 2020, Sanas is led by a team of exceptional co-founders, including CEO Sharath Keshava Narayana and CTO Shawn Zhang .
CTV News
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
'Shipyard Shindig' coming to Bridgewater
Atlantic Watch The organizers of the first ever Shipyard Shindig Music and Arts Festival share some of the events coming to Bridgewater, N.S.
