Just another day in the bizarro world of economic development in New Brunswick. We use taxpayers funds to build a highly regarded animation/multimedia training program at the community college in Miramichi and then we ‘invite’ Ubisoft (a France-based games development…
Continue ReadingDavid Suzuki the Capitalist
No, the famous Canadian environmentalist has not gone over to the dark side. After hearing Suzuki give an empassioned speech on the need to take the environment seriously, I got to thinking what if David Suzuki was using the same…
Continue ReadingCouncil of Atlantic Premiers
The Council of Atlantic Premiers released what they call their ‘regional priorities’ this week at their meeting in Saint John. These priorities represent a “cooperative approach to advancing Atlantic Canada’s economy”. Here they are as published in the joint communique:…
Continue ReadingWhet your appetite
A lot of folks around think that Moncton is booming. And, admittedly it is doing quite well compared to the rest of New Brunswick. However, as I have mentioned before, it’s population growth rate from 1991 to 2001 was 37th…
Continue ReadingDisclaimer about Bricklin
Just a quick disclaimer about the piece on CBC radio this morning. I am not suggesting that Premier Hatfield was a great supporter of economic development or even that the Bricklin project was a good one, per se. I am…
Continue ReadingManufacturing shipments down strongly
I will never understand what motivates the Times & Transcript when it comes to economic stories. New Brunswick’s manufacturing shipments are down by almost 12% from March to April of this year. Manufacturing exports are down and manufacturing jobs are…
Continue ReadingApology for name calling
I feel I must apologize for calling certain kinsd of anti-government economists ‘pinheads’ in a previous blog. Merriam-Webster defines a pinhead as “a very dull or stupid person”. If it makes them feel any better, I meant it in the…
Continue ReadingAtlantic Progress – for whom?
Earlier today I was flipping through the March 2005 edition of Atlantic Progress magazine and I read an ‘expert’ whining again about Atlantic Canada’s dependency on government. He praised Premier Lord for not ‘throwing good money after bad’ and supporting…
Continue ReadingI never understood tourism
I am going to get nasty emails for this blog but, oh well, here goes. I am not a big fan of tourism as an economic development tool. I guess much of my thinking on this relates to a study…
Continue ReadingMake New Brunswick a ‘No Spin Zone’
If you have had the pleasure (or lack thereof) of watching Bill O’Rielly on Fox News, you will know about the ‘No Spin Zone’. O’Rielly is by far the most popular TV News personality with his abrasive style and constant…
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