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of adverse economic conditions, the business turned to
innovative supply alternatives. The CEO realized that he
could never be competitive with his current customers given
the current escalating supply costs. Minas Basin countered
rising energy costs by investing even more heavily in
sustainable energy including biomass cogeneration, wind
energy, and tidal energy. Minas Basin rose to the challenge
of climate change by becoming one of the first Canadian
companies to trade carbon credits.

When the US economy struggled, driving commodity and
energy prices down, Minas Basin’s fortunes started to
change. “We saw the prices of our biggest inputs – energy
and OCC, fall dramatically,” Travers says. Like many busi-
nesses, Minas Basin has not emerged from the negative
economic transition unscathed. They were forced to tem-
porarily shut down operations toward the end of last year,
and Travers warns that an economic slowdown may affect
demand for their product. But the experience illustrates the
complexities of managing customers in a global economy,
and just how difficult it is to predict what the impact of
the US economic downturns will be on other countries’
local economies.

“A slowdown is never good news,” says Ryan MacNeil,
Executive Director of the Hants RDA. “But even in the
middle of a downturn, there are always opportunities for
growth.”

For instance, in a January press conference, Minas Basin
announced a number of advances on its estimated $12
million Bay of Fundy tidal energy facility. When it comes
on stream, the project will be North America’s first tidal
energy project. Together with Nova Scotia Energy Minister
Barry Barnet, Travers made a number of announcements
including new technology, the location of the turbines, and
an upcoming construction contract. The Bay of Fundy has