The document provides an overview of the progress made in year 1 of implementing Halifax's regional economic strategy. Key accomplishments include: - Forming action teams to focus on regional centre development, business climate, talent, branding, and maximizing growth opportunities. - Undertaking studies and initiatives related to commercial taxation, workforce development, immigration retention, and developing the marine industries cluster. - Approving major development projects and implementing plans to incentivize growth in the urban core. The document outlines goals and next steps for year 2, which include furthering partnership efforts, leveraging opportunities like shipbuilding, deepening economic research, and advancing policy changes to promote regional centre development.

1. YEAR 1 RESULTS
May 24, 2012

2. Kim Mason
Regional President, Atlantic Canada, RBC Royal Bank

3. Strategy Goals
Regional Centre - Build a vibrant and attractive regional centre
that attracts $1.5 billion of private investment and 8,000 more
residents by 2016.
Business Climate - Promote a business climate that drives and
sustains growth by improving competitiveness and by leveraging
our strengths.
Talent - Create a welcoming community where the world’s talent
can find great opportunities, engaged employers and resources
for career advancement.
International Brand - Create a unique, international city brand
for Halifax.
Maximize on Opportunities - Capitalize on our best
opportunities for economic growth. 3

4. Values and Principles
VALUES:
 Partnership and alignment
 Sustainable development means preserving our environment
and building our economy
 Great communities have lots of social capital
 Sustainable growth is good
PRINCIPLES:
 People are our future
 Productivity and innovation are the foundation of successful
regions
 International focus
 Serve people better, move faster
 Building business confidence builds communities

5. What does success look like?
• More business, more people
• Larger labour force responsive to business requirements
• Sustainable economic growth/activity (GDP)
• Higher average income
• Cost competitive and a contagious business environment
• Confident business and proud people
• A more attractive and vibrant Regional Centre
• An increase in tax revenue for all three levels of government

6. INTERNATIONAL BRAND ACTION TEAM
Peter Spurway
Vice President
Corporate Communications, Concession Development
Airport Experience
Halifax International Airport Authority

7. INTERNATIONAL BRAND ACTION TEAM
PROGRESS TO DATE
• A committed and engaged Action Team
• Background research completed by Action Team comprised of Halifax branding
organizations and marketing specialists. Research included:
o A compilation of existing Halifax brand research, including an assessment
of existing stakeholders;
o A review of branding best practices;
o A comprehensive list of Halifax’s functional and emotional benefits;
o Definitions of target audiences;
o Preparation for an RFP.

8. INTERNATIONAL BRAND ACTION TEAM
What makes a good place brand?
Why does Halifax need to create a powerful
brand?

9. INTERNATIONAL BRAND ACTION TEAM
YEAR 2: What’s Next?
• Secure resources to fully fund an RFP for brand development and
benchmarking.
• Build a team of ‘Ambassadors’ that promote the city’s new
international brand.
• Encourage all residents to live the brand!

10. BUSINESS CLIMATE ACTION TEAM
Laura Charlton
Vice-President, Nova Scotia District, Bank of Montreal

11. BUSINESS CLIMATE ACTION TEAM
PROGRESS TO DATE
• Decision taken to form Action Team on an issue-by-issue basis.
• Commercial tax and locations study underway to study the
impact of commercial taxation on the sustainability of urban core
businesses.
• Chamber Roundtable on Taxation is ongoing.
• Provincial capital tax eliminated as of July 1st, 2012.

12. BUSINESS CLIMATE ACTION TEAM
What does a good business climate look like?
How can Halifax achieve it?

13. BUSINESS CLIMATE ACTION TEAM
YEAR 2: What’s Next?
• Halifax Chamber Roundtable process is expected to provide strong direction on
priority areas.
• Implement recommendations of the Commercial Tax and Location Decisions
study.
• Complete discussion paper on municipal commercial taxation and
communicate findings.
• Develop a strategy to address gaps in general tax competitiveness.
• Provide clarity on the top issues identified through the Partnership’s
SmartBusiness program to eliminate unnecessary regulatory burden on
business.

14. TALENT ACTION TEAM
Malcolm Fraser
CEO at ISL web marketing and development

15. TALENT ACTION TEAM
PROGRESS TO DATE
• Greater Halifax Partnership Connector program expanded from an immigrant
focused program to include young and emerging talent.
• Nova Scotia Workforce Strategy announced to address a shrinking workforce
and to help Nova Scotians acquire the right skills for good jobs.
• Provincial retention of immigrants has improved significantly.
• Issues defined:
• Foreign credential recognition.
• Creating a welcoming community.
• Improving the human resource competitive advantage in small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs.)

16. TALENT ACTION TEAM
What does a welcoming community look like?
How can Halifax foster the kind of community
that attracts and retains talent?

17. TALENT ACTION TEAM
YEAR 2: What’s Next?
• Make Halifax a more welcoming community;
• Define and develop a “welcoming” pilot project;
• Foreign student retention;
• Immigrant retention;
• Start addressing SME HR practice development

18. REGIONAL CENTRE ACTION TEAM
Andy Fillmore
Manager of Urban Design, Halifax Regional Municipality
Vice President, Council for Canadian Urbanism

19. REGIONAL CENTRE ACTION TEAM
PROGRESS TO DATE
• Strategic Urban Partnership (SUP) formed and meeting regularly, delivering
outcomes, preparing to hire a full-time cost-shared project manager.
• Regional Plan 5 Year Review (RP+5) commenced, completion by March 2013.
Will rebalance growth targets to focus on Regional Centre.
• HRMbyDesign “Centre Plan” for the whole Regional Centre commenced, with
phase 1 completion by October 2012 and overall completion by 2015. Will
incentivize major urban densification by removing barriers to development.
• HRMbyDesign Downtown Halifax Plan is working. 7 major projects approved
with 4 under construction and 3 on Barrington Street. Also, Waterside and
YMCA proceeding, Trade Centre following soon.

20. REGIONAL CENTRE ACTION TEAM
New Residential Units New Office Space
2006-2011 (Source: CMHC) 2008-2011 (Source: CBRE)

21. REGIONAL CENTRE ACTION TEAM
Purpose:
• Create “complete” and
walkable neighbourhoods.
• Focus growth and change to
commercial corridors and
opportunity sites.
• Use density bonusing to
provide housing affordability
and streetscape
improvements
• Promote investment and
densification through
improved, expedited
development processes.

22. REGIONAL CENTRE ACTION TEAM
How will density bonusing help to overcome the
challenges of Regional Centre development?

23. REGIONAL CENTRE ACTION TEAM
YEAR 2: What’s Next?
• Update the Regional Plan to better position the Regional Centre
for long term prosperity and sustainability.
• Implement the HRMbyDesign Centre Plan to capture a much
greater share of regional growth.
• Make needed changes to provincial legislation to allow density
bonusing and other important measures to advance sustainable
and affordable development in the Regional Centre.

24. MAXIMIZE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Paul Kent
President and CEO, Greater Halifax Partnership

25. MAXIMIZE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
PROGRESS TO DATE
• Successful “Ships Start Here” campaign to rally support for Irving bid. Economic impact
analysis complete.
• Identification of marine industries cluster as a major “next opportunity”.
• First Halifax Index completed.
• In-depth analysis of Strategy’s six growth sectors.
o Aerospace and Defence
o Financial Services
o Digital Industries and Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
o Oceans
o Transportation and Logistics
o Life Sciences

26. MAXIMIZE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
How can Halifax use the “Ships Start Here”
partnership model to maximize other growth
opportunities?

27. MAXIMIZE GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
YEAR 2: What’s Next?
Shipbuilding – Leverage the opportunity, manage change.
Halifax Index
• Create stronger economic and community research partnerships around
• Halifax Index.
• Strengthen, deepen and communicate findings.
Halifax Gateway
• Logistics Park development.
• Air Route development.
Competitive Intelligence – Research and act on opportunities and challenges.
Furthering a culture of partnership and innovation surrounding major
opportunities. This will be modeled after the Ships Start Here partnership and will
first focus on marine industry cluster development.

28. Questions and Answers