We are told this morning that “Alberta’s fiscal woes will be laid bare in new legislative session”. I guess that is all a matter of perspective. Alberta’s Heritage Fund has $16 billion in the bank while every other province is…
Continue ReadingThat’s refreshing!
That’s what I like about Al Hogan. Eternal optimist. Here is the first line from the T&T story on the labour market situation: New Brunswick’s economy remained strong last month despite a significant loss of jobs across the country. I…
Continue ReadingIt’s gonna take time
It’s kind of fascinating to watch. The PM was in the Miramichi announcing funding for hockey arenas. The picture shows him standing in front of a podium that reads “Improving Arenas”. We have unemployment in Northern New Brunswick 15% or…
Continue ReadingOne man’s trash is another man’s treasure
As you know, New Brunswick was virtually left out of the growth of the manufacturing sector in Canada for decades. Other than manufacturing that is tied directly to our natural resources, we have attracted and fostered very little. By contrast,…
Continue ReadingMissing the real opportunity with the Gateway
This must be close to a dozen India BPO firms that have now set up in Toronto in the past 3-4 years. I have been calling since the early 2000s for New Brunswick and Atlantic Canada to position itself as…
Continue ReadingRecession? Time to roll out the small biz cliches
Here we go. Let’s bring out the cliches shall we? Andreea Bourgeois, director of provincial affairs for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said investing in the little guy is critical. “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy,” she…
Continue ReadingFlorida grand plan
The G&M has a story about the new report on Ontario’s compeitiveness. Co-author Richard Florida rejects the bailing out of industries and says that Ontario must strive to be the world’s first jurisdiction to revolutionize routine work, to make it…
Continue ReadingIggy’s Pecs? I’ll Pass
Lawrence Martin has a piece in the G&M today saying that Canada is ready for “a more sophisticated, intellectual form of leadership. ” Then he invokes Obama, of course. I’m all for intellectual leadership. I think our PM needs to…
Continue ReadingThat’s entertainment, folks!
I heard something funny today. If you are standing up, sit down to read this. Someone told me it was the strategy of the province to position Saint John as the ‘energy hub’, Fredericton as the ‘technology’ centre and Moncton…
Continue ReadingSprinkling money
I’m fairly new to the writing for a wide public audience. Seasoned writers know how to use works to conjure up the right images in the mind to make the point. The TJ editorial today used the phrase: Sprinkling money…
Continue Reading