If you were to boil down the major themes of this blog and its over 1,800 posts over the past four years, they would be things like the need for more international business investment here, the need for higher wage…
Continue ReadingWinners and losers
I have discussed this issue a number of times but I think it should be revisited and examined because I don’t think we discuss it enough. I am talking about the winners and losers when it comes to economic development.…
Continue ReadingRolling the dice
Lots of interesting stuff going on these days. I see the Magnetic Hill area in Moncton will get New Brunswick’s casino. I’m not a huge fan of these facilities as they tend to just divert NBers entertainment spending (and unfortunately…
Continue ReadingBidding wars
It’s pretty nasty stuff but it is part of economic development. Bombardier is clearly playing cities off each other in a public way to see where they can get the best deal. A $240 million plan to entice a Canadian…
Continue ReadingEconomic anchors
I have been using this term more often lately which made me think about if I am using the term correctly and conveying my intended meaning. Upon reflection, I like this term. For me it refers to large, anchor companies…
Continue ReadingAl Strang stepping down
Moncton’s longtime city manager is retiring at the end of May. Moncton city council made the news public Monday night when it voted to accept Lawrence (Al) Strang’s offer of retirement. Strang has been Moncton’s chief administrator for almost two…
Continue ReadingAIMS’ municipal report card
AIMS is out with a an Interim Municipal Report Card for New Brunswick. I haven’t had time to digest it but it does compare economic development spending among the municipalities although I was taken aback by their definition of economic…
Continue ReadingOne track mind
I know that I have a one track mind when it comes to economic development. Maybe that is a tad overblown but when I saw the 2007 Atlantic Journalism Awards winners there was a derth of economic development related (even…
Continue ReadingOdds & ends
I have a serious question for the IT folks out there. I would really like their assessment of the IT industry in New Brunswick. It seems to me there are two distinct realities here and it’s just my impression. All…
Continue ReadingMorgan Stanley sets up in Montreal
From the G&M: The Quebec government has lured New York finance powerhouse Morgan Stanley to Montreal with a generous package of tax credits. Morgan Stanley says it will invest $200-million to build a technology centre in the city and create…
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