Past Events from September 4, 2019 – September 8, 2025 – Digital Nova Scotia – Leading Digital Industry

From COBOL to Co-Pilot: 70 Years of “Soon We Won’t Need Programmers Anymore”

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS, Canada

Speaker: Andrew Burke (Co-Founder, Developer at BeanCounter Technologies) Join us for a captivating journey through seven decades of tech predictions, hype cycles, and the enduring spirit of developers. From the early promises of COBOL automating business logic to the current buzz around AI tools like GitHub Copilot, this TechTalk Atlantic event explores a recurring theme in tech: "We won’t need programmers anymore"—and why that never quite comes true. We'll dig into the historical moments when new technologies promised to replace coders, examine why those predictions fell short, and discuss what today's AI moment means for the future of software development. Whether you’re a seasoned engineer, an emerging dev, or just tech-curious, this talk offers a mix of history, insight, and a healthy dose of humor. Expect real talk, bold questions, and a forward-looking conversation on what it means to be a programmer in an age of rapid automation. Spoiler: programmers aren’t going anywhere—but their tools (and titles) are evolving fast. 🧠 Insights from the past. 💡 Lessons for the future. CODE OF CONDUCT Agenda: 6:00PM – 6:15PM: Welcome & Registration 6:15PM – 6:20PM: Sponsor Speech 6:20PM – 7:00PM: Speaker Presentation 7:00PM – 7:45PM: Networking 7:45PM – 8:00PM: Program End

Free

IGNITE: STEM Networking Night – Halifax

IGNITE: STEM Networking Night Join Ignite for an evening of connection, mentorship, and meaningful conversations at IGNITE: STEM Networking Night! IGNITE is more than just a networking event—it’s a movement. Whether you’re looking to advance your career, share your expertise, or be part of a community creating real change, this is the place to be. What to Expect: Welcome Panel: Hear from seasoned career panel Systems Change Workshop: Attendees will participate in a systems change workshop (pre- and post-event survey and brief activity on day of event) Mentorship: Connect with industry professionals and accomplished leaders who can guide your STEM journey. Networking: Meet people from inside and outside your industry, expanding your reach as you create lasting connections. Discussions: Join the dialogue on how to create meaningful change in STEM—challenging gender roles, redefining identity, and breaking barriers. Limited Seats Available Due to the limited space at IGNITE and its intimate and impactful experience, they kindly ask that if you are unable to attend after securing a ticket, you inform them as soon as possible. This will allow them to maximize attendance and ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from this event. Please let them know at kwallace@scwist.ca as soon as possible so […]

Free

SNMA Summer School: Branding & Storytelling

Join SocialNext for a webinar on branding and storytelling designed for marketing professionals looking to elevate their brand presence and connect more deeply with their audience. This session will cover how to shape a clear brand identity, craft narratives that resonate, and apply storytelling techniques across platforms to drive engagement and loyalty. Led by Will Yang on behalf of Differo, the webinar will offer practical strategies, examples, and inspiration to help turn your brand message into a powerful tool for growth. About Will: Will Yang is a content strategist and branding expert specializing in short-form video and destination marketing. As CEO of Differo Marketing, he has led campaigns for Tourism Nova Scotia, Halifax Shopping Centre, and Discover Halifax. Will empowers businesses to tell compelling, authentic stories—often using just a smartphone. Come have a laugh and up your brand storytelling skill with us!

Free

Essentials of AI for non-profits

Mount Saint Vincent University 166 Bedford Highway, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

Essentials of AI for non-profits, a full-day interactive workshop for non-profit professionals, will be held on Tuesday, August 12 at MSVU. Participants will explore how artificial intelligence can advance their mission, ease operational pressures, and amplify impact, without overwhelming their teams or compromising their values. No technical experience or coding knowledge is required! The workshop will be facilitated by Melissa Peneycad, Director of Public Engagement & AI Strategy at MDR Strategy Group, a Halifax-based social enterprise that drives meaningful transformation in non-profit and public sector strategic communications, public engagement, organizational design, and AI. She is the award-winning and best-selling author of Essentials of AI for Beginners and Generative AI Basics & Beyond. Early-bird tickets are $375 per person. Scholarships are available to equity deserving community members.

$375

SNMA Summer School: Bad Data Is Worse Than No Data: Common Tracking Mistakes That Quietly Kill Sales

You’re making “data-backed” marketing decisions… but what if the data is wrong? In this tactical session we’re breaking down the most common data tracking mistakes that quietly kill sales— and how to fix them before your next campaign. From Google Analytics to UTM links to the best (and worst) ways to track leads and conversions, you’ll walk away knowing: What errors to look for, and how to spot them fast What a comprehensive data system looks like How to build a tracking system that supports real revenue— not just pretty reports About your host: Ally is a data-backed marketing consultant who helps entrepreneurs who don't have time (or money) to waste— take the guesswork out of marketing success. She teaches you to track your marketing and make data-backed decisions on where to invest your marketing efforts, so you can stop the trial-and-error, start focusing on what gets you results, and save time on what doesn't. Join us and get your marketing back on track!

Free

2nd Annual Check Point Golf Tournament

Granite Springs Golf Club 4441 Prospect Road, Bayside, Nova Scotia, Canada

Check Point are excited to invite you to their 2nd Annual Golf day presented in partnership with their Valued Channel Partners! August 21st, 2025, 10AM Tee off Granite Springs Golf Club - 4441 Prospect Rd, Bayside, NS B3Z 1L6 Come alone and they'll pair you up with others, or bring a team! What to expect: A fun fill day on the links at Granite Springs Refreshments throughout the day End off the day with a BBQ Lots of great opportunities to network on the course! Spots are limited RSVP today! **This event is not open to students at this time**

Free

Ocean Connector: Sociable!

192 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. 192 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

COVE’s Ocean Connector: Sociable! will be held on Thursday, August 21 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club! The annual Ocean Connector: Sociable! will be held on Thursday, August 21, from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Mic Mac Amateur Aquatic Club, located at 192 Prince Albert Road, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada. No presentation or keynote speakers – this Ocean Connector is about networking with the marine tech community!

Free

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION – SOVEREIGN PUBLIC CLOUD CAPABILITY

The Government of Canada (GC) is committed to enhancing its digital infrastructure to meet the evolving business needs of various government organizations and to fulfill Canadians' expectations for simple, secure, and efficient delivery of government services and benefits. To this end, Shared Services Canada (SSC) is seeking to procure commercially available public cloud services that can operate at multiple data sensitivity levels for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and native Platform as a Service (PaaS) CS-IAAS-2024 - Tender Notice | CanadaBuys . In line with this commitment, the GC aims to establish a secure and resilient enterprise digital security ecosystem. This ecosystem will not only support the continuity of services that Canadians depend on, but will also expedite the transition to modern, secure, reliable, user-centric, and barrier-free services, with a strong emphasis on security, privacy and transparency. Upholding the public's trust in Canada's institutions and data holdings is paramount and SSC pursues these goals by focusing on the core principles of integrity, confidentiality, and availability of the data it stores on behalf of the GC. These principles ensure that information is protected from unauthorized access (confidentiality), remains accurate and complete (integrity), and is accessible when needed (availability). Emerging challenges relating […]

Free

Right Tool, Right Task: Navigating AI with Precision

VOLTA 1800 Argyle Street #Unit 801, Halifax, NS, Canada

Speaker: Jaswanth Tata / Murtaza Lookmanji AI is everywhere—and so is confusion. This practical, no-hype session shows you how to match the right tool to the right task so you get the right outcome. We’ll demystify agents, chatbots, copilots, visualizers, and automation platforms, compare their strengths and limits, and give you a simple decision framework you can reuse at work tomorrow. Expect crisp selection criteria, real Halifax use‑cases, red‑flag questions for vendors, quick evaluators (ROI, risk, privacy), and a takeaway matrix mapping common roles and workflows to proven tools. Leave with a vetted shortlist, smarter guardrails, and the confidence to say “no” to shiny‑but‑wrong AI choices.   CODE OF CONDUCT Agenda: 6:00PM – 6:15PM: Welcome & Registration 6:15PM – 6:20PM: Sponsor Speech 6:20PM – 7:00PM: Speaker Presentation 7:00PM – 7:45PM: Networking 7:45PM – 8:00PM: Program End

Free

AI Safety Solution Project: Lessons Learned

The PIER 1209 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada

On Friday, September 5 join Ryan Grant, Manager of Operations and Projects at The PIER, and Corey Gleason, Deputy Harbour Master for the AI Safety Solutions Project - Lessons Learned. Friday, September 5 1209 Marginal Rd. Halifax 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch provided HYBRID OPTION - link will be shared the day before the event.   Through The PIER and the Port Opertations Centre, the AI Safety Solution Project set out to collect data through AI and machine learning, beginning in late January 2024. The information collected enabled the Halifax Port Authority to explore data-driven solutions which might reduce the frequency and severity of lost time and reportable traffic incidents. By sharing lessons learned we're demonstarting our value towards continuous improvement which acknowledges project successes, helps us prevent the repetition of past mistakes and ultimately strengthens future project outcomes. We hope to see you there!

Free