Building a Bridge between Nova Scotia and Nunavut
Thursday, October 9, 2014
In June of 2014, Canadian North’s Boeing 737-300 set off on its first direct flight from Halifax (YHZ) to Iqaluit, Nunavut (YFB). This weekly non-stop service means expanded opportunities for Nova Scotia exporters. We chatted with Pam Rudolph, Trade Development Executive at Nova Scotia Business Inc. and Richard Garson, Service Manager, Halifax International Airport Authority (HIAA) to find out how this new service, which took about seven years to establish, came about.
NSBI: What made you realize that Nunavut could be a valuable trade partner?
RG: I’ve worked in the North, so I knew there was a huge amount of business up there. But they were primarily focused on Central Canada, so people in Atlantic Canada really struggled to get any of the work that was going on there. So I decided to ask NSBI to help us build a North-South corridor.
NSBI: What was your biggest challenge?
PR: We needed to find the best, and most positive way to enter the North. Nunavut is the only territory with its own land claim agreement, which makes it a very complex market. This agreement means that Nunavut is owned by its people, and their laws and agreements with the federal government are designed to ensure anything that transpires in their territory is done in the best interests of the people and of the land. We needed a market entry strategy and a consultant who understood both the Northern and the Nova Scotian business cultures. We decided to work with Ron Ryan, a gentleman who was born and raised in Nova Scotia and has worked in the North for most of his adult life. He developed a strategy for us and delivered it to the Nova Scotia business community in March of 2013.
NSBI: How did you build this relationship with Canadian North?
PR: Richard built the business case for Canadian North. He let them know he felt confident the passenger loads would be there. I backed him by explaining that, if we had cargo opportunities, our businesses would be able to sell product in the North because they’d be able to ship it directly to Iqaluit.
RG: The airline has never expanded this far east before, so this is a first for them. For the next little while, we’ll really be working on building our relationship.
As Nova Scotia companies look to increase their exporting opportunities. Nunavut offers new growth potential within our Canadian borders.
Contact NSBI for more information and stay up-to-date with our Newsletter to learn about trade and export programs and services.