Did You Know?

• approximately 25 percent of Atlantic Canadians have great difficulty reading, and they have few of the essential literacy skills needed to understand written materials.
• Literacy development is an economic as well as an educational challenge. Adequate housing, nutrition, and income directly affect people's ability to learn and their interest in learning.
• a parent is a child's first teacher. A child learns from a parent far longer than from any other person.
• people with lower literacy skills are more likely to live and work in dangerous environments that may negatively affect their health.
• only half of all Nova Scotians understand printed information well enough to make informed decisions about their own health and put them in a position to improve their family's health.
• the unemployment rate for people with low levels of literacy is about 26 percent, compared to 4 percent for people with high literacy levels.
• more than half of Nova Scotians in prison have less than Grade-10 language levels and math skills.
• people with lower literacy skills are likely to be under more stress due to social and economic factors. Stress is often a major factor in numerous negative conditions.
• literacy directly influences the ability of people to make effective use of the health-care system.

Did You Know?

• In order to buy what a minimum-waged worker could buy in 1976, today's minimum wage would have to rise by more than 35 percent.
• In 1999, 25 percent of all wage-earners made less than $8.00 per hour.
• In 1999, 50 percent of women working for an hourly wage made less than $10.00 per hour. Approximately half of these worked for less than $7.00 per hour.
• The provincial minimum wage has been raised to $6.00 per hour, effective October 1.

Did You Know?

• Between 1996 and 2001, 512 Nova Scotian family farms have gone out of business. If the stresses of running a family farm operation are getting you down, help is available. Call the Farm Family Support Centre at 1-877-418-7555.
• In 1958, 24 percent of Nova Scotia's forested area had trees more than 80 years old, and 8 percent had trees at least 100 years old. Today, less than 2 percent of forested area has trees more than 80 years old, while only 0.2 percent has trees at least 100 years old.
• In Nova Scotia, the unemployment rate was less than 5 percent in the late 1960s. In the 1970s it rose to 8 percent, and in the 1980s and '90s, has risen to about 12 percent.
• One in every 150 Americans is behind bars, as is one in every 900 Canadians. In Nova Scotia, one in every 1,600 people is in prison.
• A Dutch law prohibits discrimination against part-time workers, ensuring they get rates of pay and benefits equivalent, when pro-rated, to full-time employees. The average Dutch worker puts in 1,370 hours at their job annually. In Atlantic Canada, almost 40 percent of part-time employees would rather work more hours. The average Canadian workers puts in 1,732 hours at work annually, the equivalent of ten weeks more than their Dutch counterparts.
• A 10 percent shift from truck to rail freight would save Nova Scotia taxpayers $11 million a year.

Did You Know?

Nova Scotia is ready to be a player in "the global knowledge economy"

Nova Scotia's remoteness from major population centres is no longer a disadvantage. The province's telecommunications infrastructure compares favourably with North America's as a whole. The province has a critical mass of enabling information technology in place, but lags in the use of technology in the manufacturing industry. Nova Scotia leads Canada in the use of electronic commerce.

Knowledge-based businesses already make a major contribution to our economy. Nova Scotia's economy is far less resource-oriented than people generally believe. The service sector is proportionately larger than in Canada as a whole. Resource-based products remain the largest measurable export, while the export of knowledge-based services goes largely un-measured by conventional economic statistics. The engines of employment growth today are the high- knowledge jobs in information technology, cultural industries, and high-value- added manufacturing.

The opportunities of the knowledge economy are not evenly distributed.There is a danger that Nova Scotia will become a society of "haves" and have-nots." Post-secondary education has a profound effect on employability and income. Spin-off activity from the knowledge economy benefits a broad range of other businesses and occupations. So far, most of the growth and benefits of the knowledge economy have been concentrated in Halifax, but technology has the power to overcome geographic obstacles and open up new opportunities for rural and coastal communities. The onus is on these communities to re-invent themselves so that they too may enjoy the benefits of the knowledge economy.

Source: NovaKnowledge: Nova Scotia's Knowledge Economy Report Card, 1998 (Executive Summary)

Did You Know?

Women are much more likely than men to be poor in their senior years.

In 1993, 8.4 percent of Nova Scotian men 65 years of age or older were living below the poverty line.

In 1980, 31.5 percent of Nova Scotian women 65 years of age or older were living below the poverty line.

In 1993, 21.1 percent of Nova Scotian women 65 years of age or older were living below the poverty line.

• Among seniors, the poverty rate for men has always been lower than the poverty rate for women.
• The number of Nova Scotian men 65 years of age or older living in poverty has decreased substantially in recent years.
• While the poverty rate for Nova Scotian women 65 years of age or older has also decreased in recent years, it remains much higher than for men.

Did You Know?

The largest, the first and the best. All fittingly describe Nova Scotia's history of wooden boats and centuries-old romance with the sea. In October 1874, the W.D. Lawrence, Canada's largest wooden-hulled ship, was launched at Maitland; the very first Cape Islander was designed by a Nova Scotian in 1905 in Clark's Harbour; still considered the best racing schooner of all time, the Bluenose legacy shines from every Canadian ten cent coin.

This year (1996) Nova Scotia celebrates an era of some of the most inspiring pages in Canadian history during Year of the Wooden Boat. It was from Nova scotia that Joshua Slocum and Spray began their round-the-world journey, on whose shores fishermen of the world have gathered for centuries; where pirates and privateers challenged the seas, rum-runners "ran" and fortunes were made.

The Globe & Mail, ranked Nova Scotia's Year of the Wooden Boat among the top 12 tourist events in the world.

Did You Know?

Without the wife's income, twice as many Nova Scotian families would fall below the poverty line.

Poverty rates among husband-wife families in Nova Scotia, with and without the wife's income, 1993:

• In 1993, 9.3 percent of husband-wife families in Nova Scotia were living in poverty.
• In 1993, 18.6 percent of husband-wife families in Nova Scotia would have been living in poverty without the wife's income.
• Women need to work outside the home.
• In 1993, one in ten husband-wife families living in Nova Scotia were living in poverty. Without the wife's income, two in ten husband-wife families would have been living in poverty.

Source: Women in Nova Scotia: A Statistical Handbook

Did You Know?

• That of the $2.9 Billion of products exported from Nova Scotia in 1995 the largest sector of those exports was fish and fish preparations, valued at $790 million. This represents 27% of Nova Scotia's exports. The next largest sector was tires at 21.9%.
• Nova Scotia's foreign exports were valued at $2.9 billion in 1995,representing an increase of 14.5% over last year and 38.5% through the period 1991-1995.
• The largest annual sectoral increase was in fabricated materials (50.2%). This was mostly attributable to a rise in pulp and paper prices in North America.
• The largest annual decrease was in the non-metallic minerals and mineral fuels sector. It fell $116 million or 44.5% (mainly caused by a decline in coal, gypsum and offshore oil production).
• The largest sectors in terms of value in 1995 were fish and fish preparations ($789.9 million), tires ($643.0 million), wood pulp and paper ($379.9 million), paper and paperboard ($304.3 million) and metal fabricated products ($156.3 million).
• For the past five years, the Province's reliance on fish and fish preparations has declined by about -5.9% of total Nova Scotia exports while wood pulp has increased 2.4% and paper and paperboard has declined 1.2%.
• In terms of percent of total exports, the greatest increase has been for tires, from 18.6% of total in 1991 to 21.9% in 1995.
• The vast majority of our exports go to the United States (66.9%) with New England being the most important region within the U.S. (19.4%). Western Europe is the destination for 16.2% of our exports, followed by Asia (11.3%).
• While the quantity of groundfish landed has continued to decline over the last five years (-46.7%), the value of overall landings has not been as severe (-6.7%).
• The goundfishery (cod, haddock, flounder and hake, etc.) suffered a decline in both quantity (-76.3%) and value (-68.1%).
• Harvest of pelagic fishes (herring, mackerel and tuna, etc.) fell -25.6% in quantity but showed an increase in value of 46.5%.
• Shellfish harvest was the salvation in the fishery over this period -- although quantity decline -9.4%, the harvest value reached $363.1 million (+44.2%).
• Shellfish landings accounted for 39.3% of the quantity and 75.1% of total landings in the province during 1995.
• Prices for lobsters exported by air overseas have been increasing in recent years. This has helped offset the decline in the groundfishery.
• The processing sector is continuing to actively source raw materials from Norway, Iceland, Alaska and Russia. In 1995, 43,000 metric tonnes of frozen groundfish were imported for further processing.
• New and developmental fisheries are helping the inshore fishery diversify, including the growth of the "sea urchin" industry, inshore shrimp and red crab fishery and a rapidly emerging aquaculture industry.
• The value of aquaculture (farmed) production in 1995 was 50% above 1994 and export of aquaculture product showed a 35% increase in value in 1995.
• By the turn of the century, it is anticipated that aquaculture production will become a $45 million business in Nova Scotia employing nearly 1,000 people.
• That in 1995 there were 246,281 tonnes of fish landed in Nova Scotia, with a wharfside value of $483.5 million.
• While the quantity of groundfish landed has continued to decline over the last five years (-46.7%), the value of overall landings has not been as severe (-6.7%).
• The goundfishery (cod, haddock, flounder and hake, etc.) suffered a decline in both quantity (-76.3%) and value (-68.1%).
• Harvest of pelagic fishes (herring, mackerel and tuna, etc.) fell -25.6% in quantity but showed an increase in value of 46.5%.
• Shellfish harvest was the salvation in the fishery over this period -- although quantity decline -9.4%, the harvest value reached $363.1 million (+44.2%).
• Shellfish landings accounted for 39.3% of the quantity and 75.1% of total landings in the province during 1995.
• Prices for lobsters exported by air overseas have been increasing in recent years. This has helped offset the decline in the groundfishery.
• The processing sector is continuing to actively source raw materials from Norway, Iceland, Alaska and Russia. In 1995, 43,000 metric tonnes of frozen groundfish were imported for further processing.
• New and developmental fisheries are helping the inshore fishery diversify, including the growth of the "sea urchin" industry, inshore shrimp and red crab fishery and a rapidly emerging aquaculture industry.
• The value of aquaculture (farmed) production in 1995 was 50% above 1994 and export of aquaculture product showed a 35% increase in value in 1995.
• By the turn of the century, it is anticipated that aquaculture production will become a $45 million business in Nova Scotia employing nearly 1,000 people.
  

Did You Know?

It is often difficult to understand or relate to how important the fishery and the economy of coastal communities is to Nova Scotia and Canada as a whole.

The quantity of fish being caught, especially groundfish, is declining but the value of fish landings in Nova Scotia has remained high. As groundfish landings dropped, other species with greater value, made up the difference in dollar value.

* Source: Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters.

* Source: Fisheries and Oceans, Canada.

Did You Know?

The value of live lobster exports from Nova Scotia has reached an all time high.

• Nova Scotia is experiencing phenomenal growth in the export of live lobsters. Lobster is exported to about 40 countries, but it is the Asian-Pacific market that is really demonstrating strong growth.
• Live lobster exports to Hong Kong increased from $500,000 in 1992 to $13.3 million in 1995. Sales to South Korea totalled over $4 million, up from $172,000 in 1992.
• The entire industry now has total export sales of $229.6 million. This represents a 41% increase over sales in 1992.
• The United States is still the major buyer of Nova Scotia lobster accounting for sales of $136 million in 1995. Europe accounts for 24% of lobster exports*Nova Scotia is experiencing phenomenal growth in the export of live lobsters. Lobster is exported to about 40 countries, but it is the Asian-Pacific market that is really demonstrating strong growth.
• Live lobster exports to Hong Kong increased from $500,000 in 1992 to $13.3 million in 1995. Sales to South Korea totalled over $4 million, up from $172,000 in 1992.
• The entire industry now has total export sales of $229.6 million. This represents a 41% increase over sales in 1992.
• The United States is still the major buyer of Nova Scotia lobster accounting for sales of $136 million in 1995. Europe accounts for 24% of lobster exports.

Source: Nova Scotia Economic Renewal Agency - Nova Scotia Quarterly