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AVCC eNews: July 14, 2022

Physicians Community Navigator News

This week in our Physician Community Navigator News, Breanna welcomed the new cohort of family medicine residents to the Annapolis Valley with gift baskets filled with local treats and products from the region. 

Don’t forget to follow the Annapolis Valley Chamber on Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn to learn what our Physician Community Navigator is up to throughout the summer. 

Perfecting Pronouns Lunch & Learn on Fri. July 15th, 12-1pm.

Welcome! – New Members:

Renovamen Contracting Ltd.

Anderson Pottery

ReFresh Home and Design

Wolfville Dentistry

New Hope Wesleyan Church 

Kap Unity Canada

Sun Screen Printing

Shine So Fine Automotive Detailing

K & M Rolloff Container

Matt’s Towing

Xplornet Enterprise Solution 

Meet a Board Member – Greg Wagner

👋 Meet one of our Board of Directors, Greg Wagner! 👋
Greg Wagner is the Facility Personnel Manager for Michelin in Waterville, representing over 1400 employees and their families in the Annapolis Valley. Greg has over 28 years of manufacturing experience across different industries.
He was born and raised in the Valley. Like many Nova Scotians, he and his wife left the Valley but soon realized that they missed all this area had to offer and returned. They have been living and raising their family in the area ever since, residing in Coldbrook.
Greg has a passion for leadership and believes in a healthy and active lifestyle. He appreciates that being a director with the Chamber gives him an opportunity to use his experience to help promote business in the Annapolis Valley.
Thank you, Greg, for all that you do for the Annapolis Valley Chamber of Commerce and the community. 👏👏

From our Members:

What happened to Venetian Blinds??
If you have been shopping for window coverings lately you may have noticed that an old favourite, Venetian blinds, are no longer available. In fact, not only Venetian blinds, but all window coverings that have cords or chains which could endanger a child will no longer be available.
Why is that? you ask. Well, the answer lies in new Health Canada regulations that came into effect May 1st governing corded window coverings. While the regulations themselves are as cumbersome to read as regulations tend to be, the gist is that no corded window coverings are permitted to be sold as of May 1st this year. For more detailed information including the regulations themselves, visit Canada.ca and search: “window covering”.
So now what?
Well, all the window coverings manufacturers have responded to the regulations by deciding which products can be modified to adhere to the regulations and which cant. Those that can’t will simply no longer be offered for sale. On the positive side, they have also been very proactive in developing new methods of controlling and operating window coverings that do not require the use of cords. One example is the Newton High-Speed Lite-Lift from Altex, available in our showroom.
The list of products affected by the regulations is more than just Venetians, each manufacturer has dropped a different set of products depending on exactly how their product was controlled. Some currently unavailable products will likely return as resourceful engineers develop new control methods.
Check with your local window coverings for specifics.

Reduced Covid-19 Restrictions and What That Means for Small Business

Covid-19 does continue to hang around, but public health has decided to continue to reduce restrictions with kids now out of school and fewer cases in hospital. Dr. Strang announced that the province of Nova Scotia removed all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday, July 6th. 

What does this mean for your business? For your business, you are still in control. If you choose to require masks or isolation of your staff if they catch covid, it is up to you and your workplace health policy. This may mean you should relook at your policies now. If a workplace has occupational health policies that are stricter than the public health recommendations, such as mandatory masking or isolation requirements, people must continue to follow those policies at your workplace. Admittedly, there is currently far less mask-wearing in public settings or in business locations, so enforcing any policy you may have will become increasingly difficult. But it is up to you.

What does this mean for our community? Read the updates below:

Isolation

  • isolation shifts from being mandatory to strongly recommended for people who test positive for COVID-19
  • it is also strongly recommended that people who have symptoms such as a cough, sore throat or fever isolate until feeling better
  • it is still important for people with symptoms to avoid high-risk settings and people at higher risk
  • if a workplace has occupational health policies that are stricter than the general public health recommendations, such as mandatory masking or isolation requirements, people must continue to follow those policies.

Masks

  • will shift from strongly recommended to optional
  • masks are still strongly recommended for people who are ill or in a crowded indoor setting
  • for people who have COVID-19 symptoms but cannot isolate, it is strongly recommended they wear a well-fitted mask in indoor public places, on public transit and crowded areas
  • it is each person’s own decision whether to wear a mask, weighing their risk factors and comfort and those of people around them.

Testing

  • people with symptoms will still have access to COVID-19 testing at testing centres across the province
  • people with symptoms who are in a low-risk category in their self-assessment will have access to rapid tests only and will not receive a PCR test whether or not they test positive on a rapid test
  • higher risk people and those who work or live in higher-risk congregate settings still have access to PCR testing, and it is still recommended
  • Nova Scotia will no longer offer testing for those without COVID-19 symptoms
  • rapid tests will continue to be available for pickup at public libraries and MLA offices, but people who are sick should not go.

Long-Term Care, Corrections Facilities, Shelters, and Transition Houses

  • to align with the policy at hospitals, designated caregivers and visitors will no longer need proof of vaccination to visit
  • designated caregivers and visitors will be able to remove their masks when visiting in a private area or while outdoors
  • seven-day isolation for residents who test positive for COVID-19 continues to be required.

This month, the provincial government will shift to a monthly COVID-19 report, which will be posted online. The report will be produced on the 15th of every month and reflect the COVID-19 epidemiology in the province for the previous month. The first monthly report will be for June and will be available on July 15. The COVID-19 dashboard will continue to be updated weekly.

Read the full news release here.

It’s been a challenging two years. We at the Chamber thank you for your continued support throughout this pandemic. We are a membership-based organization that only exists because of businesses like yours supporting our advocacy work. We appreciate your commitment and are here for any current and future challenges or questions you may have. We will continue to be the voice of business. 

Valley Business Hub: Co-working & Boardroom Rentals

Inside the Valley Business Hub, we have built workplaces that are available for rental. If you are a start-up business that needs a cool space to operate, looking for a place to host a meeting or small workshop, tired of your home office and looking for someplace to collaborate or focus on a tight deadline, maybe your business needs an Annapolis Valley dedicated workspace for staff when in the area, we have many options available to you!
Additional Details about the Rental Space