One of the things that bugs me about New Brunswick politicians is just how many of them will tell me “they aren’t interested in their legacy”. “I’m not worried about that.” is the common answer when I ask the question. …
Continue ReadingThink immigrants don’t stay in NB? There are 25,000 examples proving you wrong.
Over the past few years I have received a fair amount of feedback from New Brunswickers about immigration. Among those that have concerns about immigration, when I scratch the surface a little I usually find what they really think is…
Continue ReadingRespectful debate, open minds and democracy
When thoughts rush by And your signals seem to fly Keep it open Keep it open And help me keep mine open too Some will lie behind But we needn’t be unkind Keep it open Keep it open And help…
Continue ReadingWhile it is harder to track, New Brunswick’s services exports are critically important
While in Brazil on vacation recently I decided to look up New Brunswick exports to South America’s largest country. As I suspected the total value of exports from New Brunswick is minuscule – the total value of merchandise exports has…
Continue ReadingNew Brunswick needs more charity
Charity may begin at home but it certainly doesn’t end there. The latest Statistics Canada data on charitable donations is concerning. I have to start by saying religious institutions account for the bulk of charitable donations in Canada and the…
Continue ReadingShould Toronto be worried about retention?
The conversation about ‘retention’ – whether referring to immigrants or those born in Canada – is virtually the first thing that comes up when trying to have a conversation about efforts to expand the number of people in the New…
Continue ReadingThe early 70s economic boomlet in New Brunswick
The early to mid 1970s might have been know for social, economic and geopolitical upheaval around the world as well as bell bottoms, wide ties and Watergate but there seems to have been something interesting going on in New Brunswick.…
Continue ReadingNew Brunswick’s population conundrum in six charts
The following is a summary of New Brunswick’s population conundrum in six charts. New Brunswick’s population increased for the most part every year between 1926 and the 1990s. Lots of young people = lots of young families = lots of…
Continue ReadingAvoiding the binary decision trap in public policy development
A few days ago I was reading a screed about the evils of the forestry industry. To the writer cutting down trees was immoral, wiping out animal habitat forever and for what? Greed and avarice. The symbolism was stark. How…
Continue ReadingWhy can’t New Brunswick benefit from the ‘a-marketing’ sector?
When I was a kid my parents used to read me a nursery rhyme that included the phrase “went a-marketing” which I took to mean go buy stuff at a store. The term has evolved over the decades to mean…
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