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Mission and Management

CarShareHFX is Atlantic Canada's first multi-vehicle CarSharing service. 100% Canadian and locally-owned, we're dedicated to providing greater mobility and personal freedom for the people of Halifax and beyond. Our goal is to place the convenience of a shared-vehicle within a 5 or 10 minute walk of anywhere in the city, at every Metro Transit terminal, and handy to the street where you live. We know that carsharing is crucial to the long term health of our urban environment and economy. CarShareHFX is a people-first enterprise and we believe that together – with your support and enthusiasm – we can realize this vision where everyone has access to vehicle mobility without the need for individual ownership.

Mission

Our mission is to provide easy and dependable round-the-clock self-serve access to shared vehicles to as many people as possible so that:

People don't feel they have to own a car in order to get around.
People feel empowered to use active (walking, cycling and so on), and public transportation in conjunction with all other modes of mobility.
We can collectively reduce traffic congestion and the related social and environmental problems associated with an over abundance of individually owned vehicles.

CarShareHFX is a member of the CarSharing Association and is contributor to – and committed to it's principles and code of ethics.

History

CarSharing has distinctly European roots and on this continent proud Canadian origins.

Quebec-based Communauto was North America's first carshare organization, founded by Benoît Robert in 1994.
In January 1997, Tracey Axelsson and four others pioneered Vancouver's Cooperative Auto Network, the first carshare organization in English-speaking North America.
On October 6, 1998, AutoShare was launched with a group of 16 pioneering members sharing 3 cars in Toronto.

Throughout the subsequent decade similar businesses sprouted on both sides of the Atlantic. A decade later by 2008 these three CarShare's were serving tens of thousands of members with substantial fleets of hundreds of cars. At the same time the CarShare concept had caught on in cities throughout the world.

We pay tribute to Commonweal CarShare Ltd, for bravely pioneering carsharing in Halifax with one shared vehicle back in 2001. Building on – and with lessons learned – from this initial experiment, CarShareHFX launched with nine cars and issued it's first keyfobs to founding members in December 2008. With an ever-expanding membership of both organizations and households, a year later CarShareHFX was named New Business of the Year by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce.

In our second year of operations, we forged alliances with the Province of Nova Scotia and Capital Health potentially providing convenient and cost-effective vehicle access to thousands of employees. In the autumn of 2010 we formed a partnership with Communauto, one of the longest running and most successful CarShare operations in the world, in order to guide our growth, development and expansion in the coming years. In January 2011 our behind the scenes and long term commitment to the international CarSharing Association was made public in a press release from Washington D.C.

CarSharing Association delegates in Chicago 2010

CarSharing Association delegates meeting in Chicago, October 2010

Management

Pam Cooley, President
Pam Cooley is a problem solver and innovator and has demonstrated this ability through a diversity of work assignments. She has worked in Guatemalan refugee camps and inner cities and is familiar with the inside of many national and international boardrooms both in the public and private sectors. Pam has advised CEOs – she has chaired Federal Ministerial stakeholder tables – she has been active in bringing ethics and values to business – she has made a difference.

Pam has established expertise in the areas of project development, organizational change, professional development coaching and facilitation. Her ethical approach to solving complex and controversial problems has positioned a number of her clients as the proud recipients and nominees for Vancouver's Ethics in Action Awards.

Pam is the founder and president of Choosethical Ventures Inc., a consulting and facilitation services company that has been in operation since 1996. Choosethical Ventures Inc., under Pam's leadership, has worked with over 150 businesses, organizations, and various levels of government. She has assisted with strategic planning, organization, and community and business development which is all based on a strong platform of ethics. Find out more.

Pam has served as a commissioner on the Vancouver City Planning Commission which advises city council on the future development of the city. She is keenly interested in the growth potential of Canadian cities and in particular Halifax with a focus on infrastructure needs. She feels that Halifax, like other cities, has a need for a fabric of transportation services including car sharing. Pam is committed to the realization of a successful and thriving CarShareHFX in the Atlantic Canadian marketplace.

Peter Zimmer, General Manager
Peter Zimmer, BS (Physics), MFA (Sculpture), is an inventor, product designer, entrepreneur and consultant.

Peter's passion for Halifax has encouraged his frequent participation in hearings, seminars, and public consultations about the city's growth, design, and planning. He is currently a member of the Community Advisory Panel for the Halifax Regional Parking Strategy. Based on years of research and planning, Peter believes that car sharing is part of a business solution that addresses the growing need for an integrated transportation policy with HRM. As an owner and co-founder of CarShareHFX, Peter demonstrates his commitment and support for car sharing, with the belief that it is a viable complement to the existing transportation infrastructure.

Peter was the founder and Managing Director of ZMR Designs Ltd. located in Port Hood, NS. At ZMR, he was the inventor, designer, and promoter of the internationally marketed Clam-Chair. The Canadian Museum of Civilization has added a Clam Chair to its prestigious collection of contemporary Canadian furniture. At ZMR, Peter was also instrumental in business development, public relations, and marketing of ZMR products nationally, and internationally.

Peter has been active in the community, and he has served on boards and executives of the Nova Scotia Designer Craftsmen, Nova Dance Theatre, Dance Nova Scotia, Halifax Rowing Club, St. Joseph's Children's Centre, St. Joseph's College for Early Childhood Education, and the Inventors Society of Nova Scotia.

CarShare Atlantic Ltd., 2459 Agricola Street (at Roberts), Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K 4C1
Telephone 902.406.7439 Fax: 902.406.7431 Email: info@carsharehfx.ca