Policy Library

Browse through our Policy Library to learn how our work affects business in Nova Scotia.

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2024-2025 Municipal Pre-Budget Submission
| Topics: Budget Issues

This pre-budget submission underscores the importance of mitigating impact successive property tax increases on our residents and businesses. We acknowledge burden that HRM is facing to accommodate record growth in population, however municipality must also recognize strain it placing homeowners businesses deal with growing pains. Addressing this issue essential ensure affordability prevent financial hardship among community.

Therefore, alongside efforts to advocate for reduced spending and lower taxes, this submission also attempts break down educate our members on trends concerns we see within the Municipality’s budget. By carefully considering impacts of successive tax increases, other programs, aim create a more sustainable equitable financial environment all stakeholders municipality.

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Q4 2023 Halifax Business Conditions
| Topics: Multi-Topic Publications

Overall business optimism throughout Canada’s major CMA’s remained unchanged from Q3 to Q4 of 2023. Halifax Business optimism fell slightly, while central Canada saw the most positive optimistic changes.

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2024-2025 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission
| Topics: Budget Issues

The following submission is a significant departure for the Halifax Chamber in form and content. The overall goal remains to make informed recommendations to the provincial government of key priorities that should be incorporated in to the upcoming 2024-25 Nova Scotia Provincial Budget. The recommendations are targeted to not only support the business community but all residents throughout the province. However, this pre-budget submission takes a much more focused look at a smaller list of critical areas of concern that will have maximum impact across the province, and not only provides in-depth rationale for the recommendations but costs them as well. The three key pillars of this submission are areas we feel are vital for the well being and economic stability of our province.

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Q3 2023 Halifax Business Conditions

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Q2 2023 Halifax Business Conditions

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Chamber's Response on the 2023-2024 Federal Budget
| Topics: Budget Issues

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2023-24 Municipal Pre-Budget Submission
| Topics: Budget Issues

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2023-2024 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission
| Topics: Budget Issues

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Halifax Chamber’s Presentation to the Law Amendments Committee on Nova Scotia Power Rates

Patrick Sullivan, President & CEO of the Chamber, recently presented to the Law Amendments Committee regarding the implications of the proposed amendments to Bill 212, which would cap Nova Scotia Power’s ability to raise rates past 1.8% until 2024.

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Halifax Chamber’s Presentation to the Law Amendments Committee on the governance issue of new NS Crown Corporations

Patrick Sullivan, President & CEO of the Chamber, recently presented to the Law Amendments Committee on newly proposed Bills 214 and 216, detailing the Chambers concerns with the governance structure of NS Crown Corps. Build NS & Invest NS.

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Halifax Chamber's Response to the Elimination and Restructuring of NS Crown Corporations
| Topics: Bulletin

Patrick Sullivan, President & CEO of the Chamber, recently submitted a response piece to AllNS, detailing the Chamber's views on the elimination and restructuring of NS Crown Corps.

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Chamber Policy Bulletin-June 2022
| Topics: Bulletin

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Halifax Chamber's Response to Nova Scotia's Provincial 2022-2023 Budget
| Topics: Budget Issues

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2022-2023 Municipal Pre-Budget Submission
| Topics: Budget Issues

The 2022-2023 Municipal Pre-Budget Submission highlights the top priorities of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s membership of over 1,800 businesses which employ over 65,000 people. Our recommendations are based on many conversations with our members over the past year and work on balancing the needs of the Halifax business community with that of the province.  

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HRM Permitting, Planning, Licensing & Enforcement
| Topics: Information for members

From: Halifax Regional Municipality

HRM Planning & Development and the PPL&C team are happy to announce that HRM is almost ready to go live with Release 2 (R2) of the Permit, Planning, Licensing & Compliance (PPL&C) online system. Please see the attached memo which outlines our implementation date and how we will be supporting your members.

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INFORMATION: Drive-Thru Litter Receptacles
| Topics: Information for members

From the Halifax Regional Municipality: We are quickly approaching April 1, 2022, when all quick service restaurants with drive-thru services in Halifax Regional Municipality will be required to have a litter receptacle within their drive-thru. This is in accordance with the updates to Solid Waste Resource By-Law S-600 put into legislation in April 2021.

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2022-2023 Provincial Pre-Budget Submission
| Topics: Budget Issues

For your information and interest, please find attached the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s 2022-2023 Provincial Pre-Budget submission. The submission outlines our member's concerns and policy goals for the new budget.  This submission also highlights the top priorities of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce’s membership. Our recommendations are based on many conversations with our members over the past year and work on balancing the needs of the Halifax business community with that of the province.

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Chamber's Presentation to the Provincial Housing Committee
| Topics: Affordable Housing

The Chamber presented our discussion and recommendations to the Provincial Housing Committee.

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Letter to Minister Corkum-Greek
| Topics: COVID-19

Feedback from the NEBLEC Group and members to Minister Corkum-Greek on COVID-19 Recovery, suggestions for support and funding, and recommendations for a recovery plan for our business community.

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Legal Info Nova Scotia: Workplace Sexual Harassment

The Legal Information Society of NS believes that by bringing the right people together, Nova Scotians who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace can receive support to make the informed decisions on which course of action is in their best interest. Nova Scotia is one of the few provinces to not include sexual harassment in occupational health and safety legislation but the need for employees to feel secure and respected while on the job is paramount. LISNS wants to optimize on the opportunity of making these resources available and known to all workplaces in our province. If you would like to learn more about these resources, please contact Makayla Jodrey, the Public Relations Coordinator at the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia at, 902-452-9568.

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