Investment Readiness

Don MacDoanld

Community Advocate

Don MacDonald didn’t realize how much he’d be involved in community affairs when he moved to Sheet Harbour to retire five years ago. “Businesses were diminishing and young people were moving away,” says the transport manager at construction giant Municipal Group. “It was a beautiful community, but it was suffering. We needed to do something as a community to make Sheet Harbour more attractive.”

So when he heard that NSBI was organizing a committee that would enlist the brainpower of community members to improve the utility of the Port of Sheet Harbour, and in the process, attract new industry and businesses to the area, MacDonald was quick to volunteer his considerable expertise.

At the time, the Port was in MacDonald’s words, “extremely underutilized.“ Marketing and promotions were minimal, it had only a single major user, and the attached industrial park struggled to attract tenants.

As a result of the committee’s work, Sheet Harbour businesses, citizens and partners now have a stronger understanding of both the Port’s advantages as a strategic asset, as well as the types of businesses the community should attract and sustain.

Most importantly, says MacDonald, the community has a self-made vision for the future. “We can look ahead five, ten years and see what’s possible and achievable as a community. We’re giving businesses and young people a reason to stay and a blueprint to thrive.”