The ICT industry is a tricky one from an economic development perspective. Because the industry is a perfect example of Joseph Schumpeter’s process of ‘creative destruction’ you get a lot of failure. In fact, I read once that most VCs…
Continue ReadingEt voila
I guess when we want to know what BNB is up to we will have to put Rebecca Penty on the case. Her story in the TJ this morning outlines what BNB has been doing to protect the Oracle operation…
Continue ReadingAG releases his report
New Brunswick’s auditor general is out with his latest report. It’s almost 200 pages worth of mostly data on the provincial books. I am still going through it but page 48 is interesting. That is where you will find a…
Continue ReadingOn Whitehill
It seemed to me that Whitehill was always based on a fairly terminal business model. When you are basically a one-trick software pony the more successful you are the more likely it is that someone will buy you out or…
Continue ReadingIcelandic emigration
I hear that Manitoba is getting set for another wave of immigrants from Iceland following the economic collapse. Apparently this happened once before and a number of Icelanders settled in Manitoba. I have always wanted to go to Iceland. They…
Continue ReadingFredericton, Ontario’s broadband revolution!
Hey, it looks like broadband in Fredericton has resulted in the city attracting “numerous companies”. This is from a U.S. columnist who apparently knows all about Fredericton and its broadband: I expect some people will be pretty surprised in a…
Continue ReadingMarching in support of economic development?
I guess the ‘Chi is starting to get interested in economic development. More than 200 people came out on Saturday to show their support to the sale of the Weyerhaeuser mill. A Quebec-based company, Arbec, wants to buy the mill…
Continue ReadingPulling against gravity: Redux
“The Western economy is the beating heart of Canadian progress in the future. This is where the action is. And, if this is where the action is economically, then we have to be there, too.” says Michael Ignatieff, who is…
Continue ReadingPolitics and economic development
I have been trying to make the case over the years that support of economic development can translate into political rewards. I have just recently looked at the 2006 election results in New Brunswick (provincial) and correlated them with recent…
Continue ReadingRestless New Brunswicker
I just finished reading Ike, a biography of former President Eisenhower and now I am on to Team of Rivals, another look at Abraham Lincoln this time from the perspective of his Cabinet. The author talks about Lincoln and his…
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