Businesses Catch Come to Life Spirit at Gala Event

NOTE TO EDITORS: A list of new Nova Scotia Come to life charter members follows this release.

When 400 Nova Scotians are brought together something amazing is bound to happen.

Last night, the Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre was host to a gala dinner that served as a rallying cry for homegrown success. Co-hosted by Nova Scotia Come to life and the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce, the event brought local businesses, organizations and associations together to celebrate Nova Scotia.

"Together, we're stronger," said John Ouellette, president, Strait Area Chamber of Commerce. "There is a lot of success happening here in Nova Scotia and we need to acknowledge it, celebrate it and we need to tell the world. There are so many great stories of innovation, success, partnership, growth -- we need to stop hiding and start bragging."

The Celebration of Success provided an opportunity to crystalize that feeling of pride. The event is the fourth in a series of Celebration of Success galas held across the province. Other events were held in Antigonish, Yarmouth and Sydney.

"These celebrations serve as a lightening rod," said Stacey Jones-Oxner, Nova Scotia Come to life. "We're reaching out to Nova Scotians, reminding them how great we have it here, because sometimes we forget.

"We are more than what people may traditionally think about Nova Scotia. We need to remind ourselves and tell our story to others: Nova Scotia is truly a great place to live, work, invest and learn."

Guests enjoyed a four-course meal prepared by Nova Scotian chefs featuring Nova Scotian ingredients, sipped award-winning wine from Grand Pre vineyards, and listened to music that featured an 80-voice elementary school choir, banjo songster Chris "Old Man" Luedecke and his band, and Cape Breton's own Rankin Family.

Nineteen new charter members enthusiastically signed on at last night's event, bringing the total to 326. And 18 more expressed an interest in becoming charter members. Millbrook First Nation was among the new signatories. Millbrook and its Power Centre has become an economic engine in Central Nova Scotia, exemplifying a spirit of success.

"Building on each others strengths has long been a practice of aboriginal communities," said Chief Lawrence Paul. "Come to life is following this successful model, bringing together all Nova Scotians to demonstrate our current success and our potential."

Nova Scotia Come to life unites the public and private sector to provide a strong, unified voice that tells the world about this province and the many advantages of living, working, investing, visiting and learning here. Charter members are businesses, organizations and associations that represent success across all sectors from across the province. Charter members play an important role in delivering the Nova Scotia message to employees, customers and suppliers here and around the world.

To learn more about Nova Scotia Come to life, and about the initiative's charter members, visit www.novascotialife.com .

The new charter members are:

• Beaver Dam Fjords
• Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design
• Coast Beverages Inc.
• Ceilidh Tent and Event Rental
• East Coast Connected
• Farmers Dairy
• Guysborough County Regional Development Authority
• Harbourview Environmental Consulting
• L&M Highland Outfitters
• Lunenburg Queens Regional Development Authority
• Maple Signs and Engraving
• Millbrook First Nation
• Nova Scotia Centre for Craft and Design
• Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council
• Nova Scotia Association of Realtors
• Sandy Bay Networks
• Spatial Energistics Group Inc.
• The Rankin Family
• The Town of Port Hawkesbury