Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame Induction Gala

JA Nova Scotia is inducting its latest class into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame on Wednesday, October 14, at the Halifax Convention Centre. It's an annual gala that's been running since 1993, and this year's inductees are James (Jim) Kehoe, Thomas (Tim) Moore, and William (Bill) Hay. Alongside them, the 2026 recipients are Jaime Landry, Dr. Mina Mekhail, and Ross Simmonds.

There's a bit of a tradition to the whole thing: every inductee gets their portrait painted by Nova Scotian artist James Middleton. They're recognised across five categories — Perseverance, Innovation, Community Building, Risk Taking, and Vision — so the names on the list cover a fair range of how people actually build things here. The evening also features the 'Legacy in the Making' Award, which JA Nova Scotia launched in 2025 to honour entrepreneurs who've been operating for less than 15 years.

It's a fundraiser as much as a celebration. JA Nova Scotia is a not-for-profit that works with youth on financial health, workplace readiness, and entrepreneurship, and the gala is one of their main ways of supporting that. The night is run by the young people themselves — the hosts and MCs are drawn from the Company Program, Company Achievers, and Alumni. With around 300 people expected, it's a decent-sized room for a mid-week evening.

The whole thing takes place in the Halifax Convention Centre Ballroom at 1650 Argyle Street. It kicks off with a reception at 5:00 pm, dinner follows at 6:00 pm, and the celebration starts at 7:00 pm, wrapping up around 9:00 pm. If you're booking a table, a Chancellor Table of 10 is C$5,000, a Governor Table of 8 is C$3,500, and a Chairperson table with four seats is C$1,750. Individual seats at a table of eight are C$350.