Blog
Selling Our Region: Why Western Nova Scotia Needs a Value Proposition
October 1st, 2026By Wade Cleveland Picture an investor searching for a new location to open or expand a business. They have a shortlist of regions in front of them, and they are trying to decide where to land. Somewhere on that list sits Western Nova Scotia. Where the Bay of Fundy pulls…
What Western Nova Scotia Business Owners Can Do Now to Build Resiliency
September 29th, 2026This is the fourth and final article in a series on the Western Region Business Resiliency Index. The Index uses a survey of 63 businesses across Western Nova Scotia. This article turns the findings into practical steps. New to the series? Read Article 1 here, Article 2 here and Article…
The Resiliency Index: Where Western Nova Scotia Businesses Are Already Strong
September 22nd, 2026This is the third in a four-part series on the Western Region Business Resiliency Index, built from a survey of 63 businesses across Western Nova Scotia. New to the series? Catch up on Article 1 here, and Article 2 here. A different side of the results Our first article shared…
Business Resiliency in Western Nova Scotia: Where Businesses Are Most Exposed
September 16th, 2026This is the second in a four-part series on the Western Region Business Resiliency Index. Article 1 shared the big picture from the Western REN Business Resiliency Survey. Western Nova Scotia businesses scored 1.65 out of 3.00 on the overall Index. This score placed the region in the moderate range….
How Resilient Are Businesses in Western Nova Scotia?
September 8th, 2026This is the first in a four-part series on the Western Region Business Resiliency Index. The Index uses a survey of 63 businesses across Western Nova Scotia. We start with the big picture: What did local businesses tell us about their ability to withstand disruption? What happens if tomorrow does…
Hiring Internationally? Here’s Where to Start
August 25th, 2026Two new tools to help Western Nova Scotia employers navigate immigration hiring with more confidence. By Sara Bateman, Western Regional Enterprise Network Eighty-eight percent of employers in Western Nova Scotia are open to hiring immigrants. Seventy-seven percent say the immigration hiring process is too complex to manage with the HR…
From a Conversation to a Career: How One Person Found His Spark at Ryan’s Electrical
July 15th, 2026Some career paths start with a guidance counsellor. Jaimus LeBlanc-Joyce’s started with a family friend, a coffee shop, and a program he’d never heard of. By Wade Cleveland, Western REN A One-Guy Truck That Grew Ryan’s Electrical didn’t start big. Back in 2000, it was Mike Ryan and a truck,…
How Sissiboo Coffee Roasters Found Their Perfect Match Through the Western REN Connector Program
July 9th, 2026Good coffee brings people together. And sometimes, the right program connects exactly the right people at exactly the right moment. By Wade Cleveland, Western REN Sixteen Years, One Tiny Hallway, and a Dream Worth Funding If you’ve ever sipped a cup of coffee in a café, hotel, art gallery, or…