I was just going over some mutual fund data for a client. Here’s a startling fact. The per capita mutual fund holdings in Ontario are over double the level in New Brunswick. Each and every Ontarioian holds about $25,000 in…
Continue ReadingLet the games begin
A Times & Transcript story this morning quotes Premier Lord as being indignant with Ontario Premier McGuinty who’s ideas on Equalization would put the squeeze on provinces like New Brunswick:Premier Bernard Lord is pushing back against a campaign by Ontario…
Continue ReadingGot Gas?
If you have ever been to Washington County, Maine and driven around on the back roads you will agree with me when I say much of that County is dirt poor. In fact, statistics show that in many ways it…
Continue ReadingThe Über Economic Developer
For those of you who think that nothing can be done in rural New Brunswick. That economies of scale and integrated logistics force investment into larger cities. That ‘clustering’ has doomed economic development in New Brunswick. Here’s a story that…
Continue ReadingThe Top 10 economic development agencies
Site Selection magazine has just ranked the 10 Ten economic development agencies. This is no small feat as there are literally hundreds of these agencies across the United States. But I think there are some great learnings here for economic…
Continue ReadingA tale of two newspapers
Interestingly, both the Times & Transcript and the Telegraph-Journal ran stories and commentary on the 2006 Census. Both articles agreed on one thing: the Moncton CMA is likely to pass the Saint John CMA as the largest urban community in…
Continue ReadingThis stuff scares the crap out of me
Just got done reading a Maclean’s article called ‘Lagging Behind’ talking about Canada’s lack of ‘competitiveness’. It goes on to say essentially that the Canadian Council of Chief Executives and Kevin Lynch the new head of the Privvy Council are…
Continue ReadingCan New Brunswick become a Celtic Tiger?
The Telegraph-Journal ran a story on Tuesday entitled Can New Brunswick become a Celtic Tiger? which has stirred up some strong feelings. The thrust of the article was related to eliminating tuition on post-secondary education. Here are a couple of…
Continue ReadingConvention Centre Blues?
I am not one to pit one city against the other in New Brunswick, but the announcement yesterday of funding for a convention centre in Fredericton must be a little frustrating for the guys/gals at city hall in Moncton. Who…
Continue ReadingAdvice for aspiring politicians
Take this with a grain of salt but…. After almost two decades of watching politics in Canada and the US with most likely a little more intensity than the average Joe, I have come to one major conclusion: The most…
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