One of the 60 people laid off from a online sports-information company late last week says there was no indication that SportsDirect Inc. was planning to axe about half its staff.

The employee, who did not want to be identified, said the news was delivered in individual letters after a general staff meeting with CEO Paul Lavers on Friday. "If I had known what a mess they were in, I would have been on the job hunt," the employee said.

Lavers told CBC Tuesday that the downsizing was in response to the strong Canadian loonie. "We generate all our revenue in U.S. funds," Lavers said. "I have been at this since 1995, and back then, it was a 70-cent dollar."

The company, headquartered on Chain Lake Drive, markets its content to mainly U.S.-based media outlets and gamblers...

http://www.novascotiabusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?sid=96383&sc=107