It started with a brief email enquiry to Startup Canada in which John Hamblin asked about the process of creating a Startup Halifax.

Hamblin had been startled to learn that Halifax’s thriving startup community didn’t have its own chapter of the influential national organization.

Now, just a few months later, the retiree is surprised to find himself leading one from his home.

Hamblin retired as president of Clarke IT Solutions in March 2013 and runs a small consulting practice.

His Startup Halifax role will diminish the hours he can spend relaxing, but the grandfather of two tech-obsessed little girls doesn’t mind that. Hamblin has long been passionate about building entrepreneurship in this region.

“I believe entrepreneurship is the only hope for Atlantic Canada,” he said. “I’d like anyone with a viable business idea to get all possible help to make their business successful.”

Hamblin also mentors entrepreneurs and curates the Startup Digest newsletter.

“I contacted Startup Canada with a simple query, then found myself invited to a webinar on the application process. Soon, I was filling in the nine-page application. It was a lot of work, but now I have gathered together an impressive Startup Halifax team.”

It includes representatives of groups central to the local startup ecosystem. These include Springboard Atlantic, Innovacorp, academics from university entrepreneurship programs, professional groups and successful entrepreneurs like Saeed El-Darahali, president and CEO of SimplyCast, and Chris Cowper-Smith, CEO of Spring Loaded Technology.

Hamblin is pleased that Halifax will now benefit from Startup Canada’s supportive national network of entrepreneurs.

He said it has a catalyst fund for special projects and events. The national group also provides training and a free website for each startup community.

It also has a presence in Ottawa that allows it to speak on behalf of startup communities, Hamblin said.

Halifax already has some vigorous organizations that support the local startup community, and other regional centres, such as Fredericton, have already gained Startup Canada status.

Hamblin said Startup Halifax will work closely with the other groups.

“We want to be collaborative and mutually supportive. We’ll be a centralized funnel for startup information, and we’ll advocate for startup projects.

“We also hope to run regular events with presenters who can talk on topics vital to entrepreneurs like funding and sales.”

He said the region’s ever-growing web of startup-focused organizations makes this a promising time for local entrepreneurship.

“Now, we need a few really successful startups that result in both large employment and large revenue.”

The state of New York has declared startups as being crucial to the state’s future and has designated New York as startup-friendly, he said.

“They have policies in place to get startups to go to New York. We could do the same thing. In many ways, Halifax is an ideal place for startups.

“When (Research in Motion) was opening a new office, I spoke to senior RIM executives about Nova Scotia. Our list of benefits included quality of life, real estate prices, education and transportation links to Europe and major North American cities.”

Hamblin speaks with the passion of a local, although he is from Montreal and has been in Nova Scotia for the last 10 years.

Fluently bilingual, Hamblin holds a business degree from the University of Montreal and completed a post-graduate executive development program at McGill University.

He said he feels almost as fresh as the day he graduated.

“Just before I retired from Clarke, I went to a startup weekend at Dalhousie. I ended up joining a team and staying for the whole event.

“I felt younger than I had in years. It’s great to be around smart young people who are passionate about their ideas.”