From my recent TJ column on changing consumer spending habits in New Brunswick Statistics Canada released a broad set of data this week on household expenditures. The recent trends in spending reveal some interesting facts about New Brunswick consumer spending…
Continue ReadingThanks, Robert. What’s next?
I see that Robert Irving’s new Moncton head office was officially opened last week. I wonder how many Greater Monctonians realize how much investment and how many jobs have been created in Dieppe by those operations in the past 15…
Continue ReadingOptimism v. Pessimism – Round One
“It’s snowing still,” said Eeyore gloomily. “So it is.” “And freezing.” “Is it?” “Yes,” said Eeyore. “However,” he said, brightening up a little, “we haven’t had an earthquake lately.” ― A. A. Milne A lot of folks these days…
Continue ReadingNow, hug a bureaucrat
I know this is a shameless play on The Economist cover story from last week but nevertheless…. I spend a lot of time travelling around New Brunswick and the Maritime Provinces and it seems to me the reputation of the…
Continue ReadingEmbracing urbanism
Here is my recent column in the TJ on urbanism. I am particularly interested in this idea of an urban activist. You may be surprised about this as I chafe at some of the activist movements in New Brunswick. I…
Continue ReadingWant to know why wholesale sector GDP is dropping? Ask.
An economic developer sent me an email yesterday suggesting that the negative feedback from ICT and engineering firms to the attraction of IBM and a big engineering outfit was proof we shouldn’t engage local private sector leaders in economic development. …
Continue ReadingEngineering economic growth: Halifax edition
Of the dozen or so Tweets/emails I have seen regarding the engineering firm that is setting up 400 jobs in Halifax, most of them I either disagree with or have a slightly more nuanced view. This is one of those cases…
Continue ReadingThe Feds giveth and taketh away
While there is considerable discussion about the growth of federal government transfer payments to New Brunswick over the past 15 years, less focus has been put on the rise in federal government public administration GDP over that time frame. In…
Continue ReadingOutrage: Rosedale subsidizes Etobicoke
I see David MacKinnon has brought his anti-Equalization message to the pages of the Telegraph-Journal. He is one of a growing number of voices in Ontario that blames equalization for Ontario’s economic woes and throws in the usual after thought…
Continue ReadingBring on the sociologists, please
It is interesting how easy it seems to be to get people fired up against economic development and so hard to get people fired up for economic development. Forget economists, I think it is time to enrol the sociologists in…
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