The two-day Cities Summit last week was a tweet-orgy for urban wonks, such as myself and everyone I know.
But, as I noted in my story, the real purpose of the get-together was to act as a giant flashing digital billboard for Vancouver: We’re more than just mountains and glass condos, honest! Come here and do business! Please!! We’re hip and wired!!!! Here’s our mayor to tell you!!!!!!
There were other fun moments, though. As I tweeted, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi is a one-person story-telling quote machine. He explained useful applications of open data in a way I’ve never really heard before. Google the stories about him and you’ll see.
Apparently this is going to become an annual event. If you don’t know what open data is yet, btw, you will by the end of the decade.
One last thing I want to know: Can this blog get one of the “Made in Vancouver” widget thingies launched at the summit? I believe this is truly a local manufacturing concern of great note. There’s a reason why every newsroom I’ve ever worked in was called the Word Factory and here you have an artisan product, but with the same fine industrial principles underlying it.
Plus there are at least 5,000 visitors in a year. Unless only 10 of you are hitting the keyboard 150,000 times apiece.
57 responses so far ↓
1 Bill Briscall // Feb 5, 2012 at 10:44 pm
Hello, Frances. We (RainCity Housing), too, want to put the ‘widget thingie’ on our website, as we are an entirely made in Vancouver entity. But I think you need at least 5000 visits a month. We’re getting there. How about you? Should all independent local bloggers and nonprofits start an online petition?
2 Lesli Boldt // Feb 6, 2012 at 7:47 am
I don’t qualify either – my company is a Made in Vancouver start-up but not a tech one…and my personal best for monthly visits to my website is probably 600/month. But I think you’re a contender, Frances!
3 MB // Feb 6, 2012 at 10:16 am
“…branding can’t be just about image or people will quickly discover the reality doesn’t match. It has to be the outcome of fundamental changes to the way a city or company conducts itself.”
Right on.
But that requires creating an economic strategy at least at the regional level, hopefully provincially and nationally.
Given the penchant for the Canadian merchant class and the politicians they have access to to continue to export natural resources in nearly raw form, to ignore the concept of “adding value” to those resources (e.g. sawmills cutting dimensional lumber vs. exporting raw logs, allowing petroleum belonging to the people to be refined in other countries, developing new methods to economically use our resources to bridge to renewable resources …), and to not invite those who know a thing or two about building creativity and resilience into local economies to the conferences (Thomas Homer-Dixon, Richard Florida …), it’s little more than PR.
Why is this important? Because public policy on things like education and funding R&D is important. Universities and industrial / commercial strategy is part of the urban fabric, and if said policies are weak, then the risk of being a bedroom community with fewer services, or a resort city like Vancouver’s critics like to call it, both with a shrinking Canadian industrial and management sector, are increasingly possible.
Please, let’s not host conferences where Pabulum is served. Let’s instead seek the economic solutions that will help us not just survive the 21st Century, but thrive ahead of the pack.
4 brilliant // Feb 6, 2012 at 10:58 am
Imagine what Joel Solomon could achieve if he cloned someone with Nenshi’s smarts and Gregor’s looks-world domination! Instead he’s got half a sandwhich.
5 Julia // Feb 6, 2012 at 11:05 am
Frances, not only do I think you qualify for that Made in Vancouver widget I suspect you are also a ‘green job’!
Break out the champagne.
6 Glissando Remmy // Feb 6, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Thought of The Day
“Made In Vancouver… another type of Golf Club membership, only you’d all have to be ‘Executive Golfer’ before you even apply…”
LOL, aren’t there enough foundations and membership associations out there in the City of Vancouver? Doing nothing but ‘registering you, and/ or ‘advocating’ on your behalf?
Branding is a form of third party shameless self promotion, a stay ahead of the curve, a Tommy Hillfiger name on the a back of your jacket, a Gucci handbag in your bony hand.
And all this in cooperation with, ahem, the City of Vancouver… tzaap?
Ballem gave her consent? Wonder, what would Solomon say? Does he approve of this?
But wait!
Crappy Planet Juz Company cannot claim the badge though, as their Made In East Vancouver shtick, recently moved to… Burnaby!
How horrible!
I want a “Made in Vancouver” badge too. But not an electronic one, a real one, the one you can sew on real things, on your pants, shirts, shoes, not a stamp on a chit-chat blog, or a partisan political web site.
In fact everything in Vancouver is brought from somewhere else. Even ideas. Some very bad ideas, like Vision ideas.
Perhaps this site coul have been inspired by the Lululemon, branding BS… “Designed in Vancouver… Made in China, Singapore, Bangladesh, Thailand, India…
That works for them just fine.
You don’t have to get the Executive status.
They accept your $100 bill/ shirt, no questions asked.
Just saying…
We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.
7 Chris Keam // Feb 6, 2012 at 2:18 pm
“In fact everything in Vancouver is brought from somewhere else. Even ideas. ”
A throwaway line in another Remmy rant, but sadly, a huge slap in the face to all the innovators and idea-generators who have hailed from Vancouver and left indelible marks on the global culture.
8 Silly Season // Feb 6, 2012 at 4:36 pm
@Chris Keam @Glissamdo Remmy
Gee, is it ‘snipe’ season already?
Two points.
I tend to agree with Glissy on the whole `branding`thing—either you`re the genuine article or you`re not. Branding seeks to create a “genuine experience” around a product or service. But work it too hard, or fake it, and you are just bogus and wasting resources.
No amount of `storytelling` or conjouring can validate that which does not exist. Truly, I understand this. I’ve worked for/ in government.
This means going beyond graphics, campaign,s etc and putting some sweat into analyzing, developing or attracting business here. I am scratching my head over precisiely what Vancouver Economic Development, does, actually.
What HAVE they done, except to “conceptualize’ on a certian direction, and put out some reports? Where is the muscle behind their output? How do they measure success? How are their “metrics” relevant or serving the citizens?
How can we attract more business here, given the costs of land, of living? Not everyone is going to come up with an app in their bedroom. And aren’t we tired of seeing our suburban neighbours grab light industry?
Chris, I also agree that we have had some talents here. How about some examples? But also, list some that were not only `Made in Vancouver`but those that have `Stayed in Vancouver`.
And why they’ve been important to, or good for, our local economy.
I know I could use the boost. Feeling a little glum on the biz front.
9 Michelle // Feb 6, 2012 at 4:42 pm
Chris #7 seems to be the perpetual bully.
The class monitor.
You definitely have a hard on for Glissy!
Too bad no one takes you seriously, ha, ha.
And I agree with Glissy too. There!
10 Chris Keam // Feb 6, 2012 at 4:56 pm
Seriously, anyone who can’t name at least a half-dozen Vancouverites who have made an international impact with their ideas needs a remedial lesson in local achievement.
No, I’m not going to name a single one. Why? Because a bunch of armchair experts will sit behind their pseudonyms and tear other people down. I refuse to offer them the opportunity. There’s enough hate in the world already.
11 Silly Season // Feb 6, 2012 at 5:07 pm
@Chris Keam
Wow. Astonishing answer, from you. You’re usually good with evidence based comments, and ask for the same from others. Which I respect.
Anyone can start/add to the list. Please, no individual sports stars or entertainers, unless they run their biz from here (so add direct value to local economy, work with local hires, etc).
I’d like the inspiration, frankly.
12 Chris Keam // Feb 6, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Sorry SS, and no disrespect intended towards your reasonable comments, but as you can see from Michelle’s remarks any time I make a comment, it brings out the least-valuable contributors to this blog. GR made a huge blanket statement to which I have responded. I have nothing more to add.
13 Terry M // Feb 6, 2012 at 5:30 pm
Chris @12
I didn’t notice you added anything!
Made in Chris Keam world is more like it!
Actually I agree with glissando’s take 100 percent!
14 Chris Keam // Feb 6, 2012 at 5:53 pm
One comment I would make is that there is no finer example of branding at work than the Glissando Remmy persona. Even has a slogan/tag line.
15 George // Feb 6, 2012 at 5:57 pm
Glissando, you never fail us… very good!
16 mezzanine // Feb 6, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Given the penchant for the Canadian merchant class and the politicians they have access to to continue to export natural resources in nearly raw form, to ignore the concept of “adding value” to those resources (e.g. sawmills cutting dimensional lumber vs. exporting raw logs, allowing petroleum belonging to the people to be refined in other countries, developing new methods to economically use our resources to bridge to renewable resources …)
Assuming that BC is a higher cost place for manufacturing, why would these products be successful?
Even ON and QC have a VAT-style HST to help manufacturing. Even with that, they are losing manufacturing to China and the USA.
17 Max // Feb 6, 2012 at 7:28 pm
@Glissy:
Your dissection is bang on ….as usual.
18 Max // Feb 6, 2012 at 7:51 pm
@mezzanine:
The reason – is that Canada sells on the international market. And when other countries can sell more cost effectively, Canada/BC needs to do what it can to stay competitive.
Did you know that the secretary and janitor at the Harmac Mill prior to bankruptcy were both making in the $90K/year salary range (not including benefits) The union helped them to bankruptcy and now the ‘non-union’ shop is profitable and all 3 lines are back working.
19 Max // Feb 6, 2012 at 7:53 pm
The think you have to LUV about Glissy – he/she points out the obvious, without being obvious.
20 Richard // Feb 6, 2012 at 8:32 pm
The real problem manufacturing is having in Canada is the high Canadian dollar caused by increasing high exports of oil. With plans to dramatically increase oil exports, the dollar will increase even more making us even less competitive.
21 George // Feb 6, 2012 at 9:01 pm
The high cost of union wages and benefits have greatly effected manufacturing costs…making us less competitive.
22 mezzanine // Feb 6, 2012 at 9:37 pm
@ George 21, I’m not sure of ‘the high cost of union wages’ being the major driver of decreased manufacturing, at least with mill jobs.
Forestry, while still important, especially in rural centres, is still going much restructuring. I’m no industry expert, but i think the employers and employees know that there are still declines ahead. The mackenzie sawmill in surrey that burned down 1 yr ago is still not being reconstructed. When was the last time you remembered a forestry strike?
23 mezzanine // Feb 6, 2012 at 9:41 pm
@ richard,
I agree that we can’t put our eggs in 1 basket. even though oil supplies are finite, it’s not inconceivable to have a commodities crash – to diversify will help prevent the whack to the economy.
still, oil and commodities are a major reason why canada, esp western canada, has been able to do relatively well in the current economy.
24 Julia // Feb 7, 2012 at 4:07 am
Silly Season, when you figure out what VEC actually does – please let me know. It gets a nice little budget of 2.6 million from the city, has the mayor as chair and Penny as a director. Read their big economic action report http://www.vancouvereconomic.com/userfiles/VEC-EAS_DEC2011_final.pdf and tell me what it actually says. Take out all the catch phrases and there is not much there. Look at what it says about business retention and there is not much there. Flying at 30,000 feet making observations is not always helpful.
Sadly, this administration is putting all their economic eggs in the VEC basket.
25 spartikus // Feb 7, 2012 at 8:16 am
By the statistics, Richard is closer to the mark than George.
By revenue per worker, Canadian manufacturing was rising until 2008. The year of the crash, and the approximate time the Cdn dollar rose dramatically.
China artificially keeps the yuan low so that it’s products remain competitive (much like Canada did in the 90s), but even then it too is losing labour-intensive manfacturing jobs to places like Indonesia.
26 mezzanine // Feb 7, 2012 at 8:42 am
^ Is correlation causation? wouldn’t the 2008 financial crisis and the downturn of the american economy have minimal effect on manufacturing as with the price of oil?
This ‘Cities Summit’ seems to be a start. Some things we can’t change, like asia’s mastery of supply chains in certain industries [1}, some things we can.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?_r=1&hp
^ this is a great article, BTW
27 MB // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:03 am
@ SS #8: “How can we attract more business here, given the costs of land, of living? Not everyone is going to come up with an app in their bedroom. And aren’t we tired of seeing our suburban neighbours grab light industry?”
How do you define “business”? The enormous range extends from McDonald’s to law offices, and employment from gas station clerks to stevedore. Does high quality business matter more than purely bottom-line? Where would the federally-owned Granville Island Public Market fit into this? And public institutions?
The need for a Metro-wide economic strategy is apparent. Shouldn’t public discussion on this topic invite intelligent commentary on innovation and creativity? Like I said, the conference is missing this dimension, and either T. Homer-Dixon and R. Florida would surely invoke an educational strategy as an important component if they were invited.
Sure, cheaper space has attracted developers to build office parks and light industrial warehousing districts in Vancouver’s suburbs, but we also have hundreds of hectares of thriving light industry too, and class AAA office space being built downtown again despite the high cost of land. Not that we shouldn’t attract more, but our focus seems to be concentrated mostly on downtown and Vancouver’s inner city.
@ Mezz #16: “Assuming that BC is a higher cost place for manufacturing, why would these products be successful? Even ON and QC have a VAT-style HST to help manufacturing. Even with that, they are losing manufacturing to China and the USA.”
The Chinese government for one seems to be very willing to distort the market by heavily subsidizing key commodities like oiol and coal imports to shield their own businesses from the high cost of energy. I’m sure there are many more layers to their subsidies now that wages are going up there. It’s obvious the Chinese will protect their exports by keeping prices artificially low in this manner. Is this a sustainable economic model?
The USA has lower overall labour costs since industrial heartland in the north became a rust belt. The South has always had lower labour costs than the North and Canada. However, they are still quite protectionist overall, as we have seen with trade moves against Canadian softwood lumber and more recently oil, which places their economic regime in the reality of political initerference. I also believe it’s going to be a long time before they fully recover from the financial meltdown, if ever.
It’s no mystery why Harper is looking to China, but his blatant approach has many, many questionable attributes, not the least benig environmental and the lack of added alternate value to sending raw resources offshore. But that’s another story.
Richard and Sparti linked currency and oil to economic performance, but I would add that more than one economist discovered a correlation between increases in the price of oil and recessions. Perhaps it’s not quite that simple, but oil is the world’s number one commodity and it does have a profound influence in many respects.
28 spartikus // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:03 am
The downturn had a huge effect on the price of oil, and manufacturing output was down around the world.
29 rf // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:08 am
If I’m missing something on the stats, Sparty, I’ll gladly retreat…..however….Manufacturing revenue per employee gained steadily for 2003-2007, as did the Canadian dollar.
Canadian manufacturing declined in 2008. The Canadian dollar declined significantly as well.
I can understand a lagging correlation between the peaking of the CAD in Nov 2007 and an eventual decline in manufacturing in 2008. There are ‘tipping points’ for everything when it comes to economics. However, the Canadian dollar declined signficantly more than manufacturing.
Both you and Richard seem to suggest that a rise in the Canadian dollar was bad for manufacturing….even though manufacturing rose steadily during the years that the Canadian dollar was appreciating.
It’s also a little defeatist to imply that without a discounted or surpressed currency a country can not compete or grow manufacturing (Germans would also snicker).
I get a good chuckle when the Richards of the world make these cynical declarations of a certain future and eventual doom about things like oil and the dollar.
Absent from his declaration about our dollar rising simply because we will export more oil is that the increase in exports means more supply.
Its also completely possible that we could be exporting more oil in the future but receiving less in total dollars in return (eg. 100 barrels at $100/barrel = $10,000; 130 barrels at $75/barrel =$9,750. )
I junked my ‘socialist economics’ (oxymoron?) textbooks after 3rd year……but I’m pretty sure supply and demand basics were in them.
30 Roger Kemble // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:22 am
rf @ #29
“I junked my ‘socialist economics’ (oxymoron?) textbooks after 3rd year……but I’m pretty sure supply and demand basics were in them.”
Me too rf . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?_r=2&hp
We’ve had a good run for 200 years following Adam Smith. Now it’s someone else’s turn.
31 MB // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:28 am
@ Sparti, but some, like Jeff Rubin and petroleum experts posting on The Oil Drum (and many others) have linked it the other way, that price spikes in oil lead to recessions, then to the cycle where recession brings down the price of oil, but only temporarily.
What’s unique about his time (i.e. the recession of 2008/09) the price of oil “stabilized” at around $100 a barrel, which is about 400% higher than it was a decade ago. Where will it be in another decade?
The peak oilers seem to be right considering the plateau in conventional oil supply, but the jury is still out whether oil prices will soar into unaffordability and economic calamity, as some alarmists portray it, or be tempered by the recessions it creates into a long and gentle descent.
The fact is, oil has the industrialized world shackled naked to the bed with playful fake leopard skin-lined handcuffs, while it prances around the room in black leather alternating between whipping and tickling.
Shouldn’t we be figuring out a way to cut loose from this vice sometime this century? Shouldn’t Vancouver be asking that question when it wants to host conferences to define its economic role in the world?
Given the AM talk radio and social media PR communications angle of this conference, and given that our illustrious leaders live to be tickled and whipped to please their corporate benefactors, I don’t hold much hope.
32 Roger Kemble // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:30 am
mezz @ # 26
Yes a great article. Thanqxz for the link mezz
33 Silly Season // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:44 am
@Julia #24
My point, exactly..
34 Silly Season // Feb 7, 2012 at 9:59 am
@ MB #27
My point, exactly. It does seem to me that we need a “mix’, hi and low touch, if you will. Obviously services such as law and accountancy can cascade off tech or light industry. Additionally not everyone has a professional designation, such as doctor, lawyer, etc.
That’s why I’d like to see or have that robust conversation about what the mix would be, how to build and sustain it.
Points about costs of workforce and taxation regimes are also well taken. What about figuring out niche industries (and, as you have pointed out, we do have them here–or at least in Richmond) that are tech innovation/R+D based as well as manufacturing centers for hi-end commercial products. I am talking about businesses that provide 200+direct jobs here, with a global reach in selling their products (which they do). Have enough of those higher pay, smart jobs and other businesses can flourish at both ends of the biz development spectrum.
That requires both a well educated workforce on the development and engineering side as well as a trades oriented and factory worker one on the hand skills side. trades training is a whole different animal these days—lots of maths, computer work, lateral thinking. I know we are struggling to find enough qualified workers.
Perhaps this constitutes a big of an emergency in terms of providing spaces in our post secondary institutions?
And of course, completely agree with the concept of regional development of business.
35 MB // Feb 7, 2012 at 10:02 am
@ rf #29: “Absent from his declaration about our dollar rising simply because we will export more oil is that the increase in exports means more supply … I junked my ‘socialist economics’ (oxymoron?) textbooks after 3rd year……but I’m pretty sure supply and demand basics were in them.”
You’re right. It’s about supply and demand.
But what happens when demand goes up and the supply is constrained?
There is a growing disconnect between what traditional economists and geologists have to say about oil, almost as large as the gulf between petropoliticians and envrenmentalists. The two have to come together in one room sometime.
The tar sands are constrained by the price and eventually the supply of natural gas and the availibility of water.
They are constrained also by the price of oil in the sense that Suncor, Petrobas et al, will succeed in exporting diluted bitumen (note: that’s a far step from being refined into higher petroleum products) only up to the point where consumers cannot or will not pay more, or where the Chinese government cannot afford to subsidize it at home any more. There is a ceiling, and where it is set has yet to be seen.
The other alternatives to the conventional supergiant oilfields of the world, which are now either plateaued or in decline, will not make up the looming supply shortage. The tar sands, Bakken oil shale, deep sea … these are very expensive to produce and have much lower net energy (i.e. energy return on energy invested).
Just to illustrate, the world today consumes about 87 million barrels of oil a day. The tar sands produce less than 2 million barrels a day, but let’s round up. The tar sands will therein keep the world economy running for a whopping 0.55 hours, or 33 minutes, and will top out in future at about 100 minutes.
Somewhere I read that the Bakken shale would keep the world going for only 55 days. Overall, the world can look forward to an oil shortage of between 15-40% over the next half century compared to today’s demand, depending on who you believe.
Developing alternative energy sources that are renewable is not just a hippie, Hollyhock pipedream, but a worldwide economic imperative. Consider BC’s vast potential in many renewables like wind, geothermal and tidal, let alone hydro.
So again, where is this being addressed at these so-called economic conferences?
Supply and demand indeed.
36 Silly Season // Feb 7, 2012 at 10:07 am
@MB @ Sparty @Richard
Re: macro economics and oil.
That’s one reason why I think specific, niche, light industries would be useful here. Quality, not having to worry about quantity, distribution and transportation costs.
37 Silly Season // Feb 7, 2012 at 10:07 am
…and dollars vs. yuans, etc.
38 spartikus // Feb 7, 2012 at 10:50 am
It’s also a little defeatist to imply that without a discounted or surpressed currency a country can not compete or grow manufacturing (Germans would also snicker)
Depressing one’s currency is, if you’ll forgive the term, “cheating”.
And you’re quite right to point out the Germans (amongst others) have a strong manufacturing sector in a high currency/high wage environment.
Just was mentioning that’s what China does, and that’s what Canada did.
I still think the evidence for the downturn in Cdn manufacturing points to the collapse of global demand, rather than the appreciating currency.
39 Higgins // Feb 7, 2012 at 11:23 am
Interesting discussion here, business in Vancouver or not.
who else… Glissando’s words “I want a “Made in Vancouver” badge too. But not an electronic one, a real one, the one you can sew on real things, on your pants, shirts, shoes, not a stamp on a chit-chat blog, or a partisan political web site.”
Many businesses have left for neighboring municipalities, for lower taxes and better incentives (as Glissando pointed out #6 “Crappy Planet Juz Company cannot claim the badge though, as their Made In East Vancouver shtick, recently moved to… Burnaby!” and is sadly true – talk about the hypocrisy of the mayor…) or off-shored their operations, manufacturing is… gone,most of it, some IT satellite offices from bigger companies, a few engineering firms that have been here for decades anyways… and that’s about it.
Now we have thriving hot dog trucks, yoga studios (laminate floors and rubber mats) and 1000 Starbucks , some of them… LOL, Drive-In (a very green option, yes, city hall?).
The real estate speculators have spoken. Vancouver citizens are out of their range, Honhg Kong type of living is in! No wonder many are pushing for Immersion classes in Mandarin, Cantonese… Everything that’s build these days is minuscule, crowded, the prices on the other hand are like for kings and queens.
By firing brent Toderian, the city lost an advocate for light industrial land within the city’s boubdaries. Give it a few more years of Vision blind run and all this land it’s going to become another dormitory community, people commuting for work to New West, Richmond or Surrey, but of course, biking around their own area on the numerous future bike lanes…
I agree rf #29, mezannine and Roger, Silly Season, MB on some points… I’m with you… on others not so much.
Now going back to the original post… I’d like to end with,
He’s bang on. This Made In Vancouver widget is nothing but a cheap gimmick, trying to get some undeserved attention back to the Office of the Mayor and that of City Manager. IMO.
40 Roger Kemble // Feb 7, 2012 at 12:29 pm
Did anyone attend City summit?
Frances quoting the mayor, “Come here and do business! Please!! We’re hip and wired!!!! Here’s our mayor to tell you!!!!!!”. Puleeeeeeze! On your hands and knees. Wow, are things that bad!
Vibrant economies don’t ask: they recognize a potential strength and go for it.
Industries, (wool, cotton), were I came from, did all the innovating from scratch: (where’s there’s muck there’s money. If thee does owt for nowt dee it for thee sen, etc).
IMO the mayor is making a huge mistake.
Robin Sylvester, (coming from, where, Singapore?), too, dissing BC’s farming potential. Suggesting industrializing the ALR is pretty heavy handed. He hasn’t got a handle on the job yet.
The Spetifore lands have been in developers’ sights forever. Delta Port is one big pile of coal: not many jobs, not much profit! Ditto Alberta sludge! At least we should refine it.
Do we really need another mega shopping mall?
The ALR: a unique and valuable resource. Stop sprawling on it. Better, the Mayor grandstand intensive food processing jobs.
Valley produce is a huge industrial base providing far more jobs than HTML. Replacing the truckloads of stuff coming up I5 from California and Mexico will authenticate green.
Metro Port: delegate the heavy lifting to Ridley Island: it’s closer to the market.
Hi-tech! fewer jobs! Every jurisdiction’s doin’ it.
41 mezzanine // Feb 7, 2012 at 12:40 pm
Agree with silly season #36. If we are to have manufacturing, we can’t rely on activities like sawmill work, but something more specialized. What though, I’m not sure.
Things like design, R+D, etc are paramount with this.
@ MB 35, there is potential with other green initiatives, but care should be taken with this. We might have more sources of green power, but what will we do with it?
ON seems to be experiencing some difficulties with it green initiatives, job-wise.
While Premier Dalton McGuinty touts the “green jobs” that will result from unprecedented investments in renewable energy, Mr. Timmons echoes critics who are more focused on the rising price of electricity, which they fear is eroding the competitiveness of Ontario’s industrial power customers.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/ontario-green-power-plan-sparks-cost-concerns/article1529704/
42 Dr. Frankentower // Feb 7, 2012 at 1:43 pm
“Did anyone attend City summit?”
Well, Roger, I hear that the keynote speaker’s solution to all the pertinent and pressing issues being discussed above was, um, a Twinkie!
That’s right, a giant Twinkie to put us on the map, be more recognizable world-wide for our great innovation, and give the tourists something new to gawk at.
I also hear Diane Watts got up and walked out in disgust as Mr. Coupland rolled out his Twinkie theory.
43 Michelle // Feb 7, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Oooooo, Chris Keam #12
We are soooo sensitive!
Dr. Frankentower #42
“Did anyone attend City summit?”
I don’t think so. Lots of buzz around it, no traction though. It phhsssed gloriously, with Robertson riding on his white horse!
44 Silly Season // Feb 7, 2012 at 6:04 pm
The sad view from Central Canada.
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/02/07/john-ivison-canadas-coming-equalization-war/
45 Tiktaalik // Feb 7, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Coincidentally this was actually a pretty great week for tech in Vancouver. DeNA, a major social gaming company from Japan, announced that their Canadian subsidiary would be based here, and Sony Imageworks, due to the success of the Smurfs movie developed here, will be significantly expanding their operations.
46 Joe Just Joe // Feb 7, 2012 at 10:03 pm
Yes and within the last month we also had Ubisoft announce that they were closing their Vancouver office and now EA announcing additional layoffs. Let’s not get carried away, we all know that the Flats aren’t populated with Tech companies as orginally planned, nor do I expect them to be populated with green companies within the next decade.
47 Everyman // Feb 7, 2012 at 11:11 pm
Joe Just Joe #46
I thought they were going to be populated with car dealerships (which must send a shudder down the spine of every good Vision supporter).
48 MB // Feb 8, 2012 at 9:50 am
@ Roger #40: “Valley produce is a huge industrial base providing far more jobs than HTML. Replacing the truckloads of stuff coming up I5 from California and Mexico will authenticate green….Metro Port: delegate the heavy lifting to Ridley Island: it’s closer to the market. ”
I’m with you to a point. Higher fuel prices will no doubt lead to more localization, like growing food closer to home (good critique of Mr. Sylvester’s comments), but they will also lead to fewer overseas cargo shipments.
Metro Vancouver, Prince Rupert and increasingly Kitimat, are more like funnels for moving resources outward and imported goods manufactured elsewhere inward rather than being engines of resilient economic growth on their own.
Why are we hosting conferences on PR tactics and not on authentic and original economic policy?
Just one example: Where is our policy to create a national energy plan that isn’t focused soley on shipping petroleum offshore? Why can’t BC ship wind, tidal and geothermal electric power to the rest of the continent via a national smart grid? Who needs Enbridge and oilsands products funneled through the province when we have our own vast renewable resources?
Public utilities and private companies related to clean energy would need to locate their offices and hundreds of employees somewhere. My guess is they’d prefer Metro Vancouver.
Then there is the manufacture of the components that comprise the grids, factories and offices of these enterprises.
So, addressing Vancouver’s economy must extend to an appropriate macro scale simply because Vancouver is interconnected at that scale. Forget branding. We need authenticity.
Cities like Paris, London and NYC don’t need the paper thin packaging of branding exercises. They stand on their own, and they don’t have a stunning natural enviroment at their doorstep, nor do they have such huge natural resources to exploit.
Maybe instead we need to reverse the strategy and look at Vancouver as a stand alone entity and exclude its natural heritage. Perhaps that will expand our view for the better.
49 MB // Feb 8, 2012 at 10:22 am
@ Mezz #41: “We might have more sources of green power, but what will we do with it? … ON seems to be experiencing some difficulties with it green initiatives, job-wise.”
Germany also has its critics — not the least Mr. Left, George Monbiot — for subsidizing renewable energy to such a high degree by guaranteeing a high per kilowatt hour price.
However, Germany has also created a new industry with good jobs and a huge national economic multiplier effect, and has made it possible for farmers and home owners to lower their reliance on fossil fuels by selling power back to the grid from their own solar photovoltaic panels and energy-from-farm-waste systems.
Germany is rooked by its dependence on imported Russian natural gas, and on coal with serious consequences for their overal energy balance and climate policies that extend throughout the EU.
Recently (i.e. after Fukoshima) they have also promised to dismantle many of their nucear power stations to maintain their governing coalition with the Greens, who seem to have developed a case of myopia and memory loss and forgot that Germany isn’t on the Pacific Rim of Fire. Wind, biomass, solar and nuclear are the elements that will help Germany decrease its dependency on finite fossil fuels and increase its independence.
Yes, that is expensive. But what does one give up to have low energy prices, if even for the short term?
There is also an argument that BC’s electricity rates have been artificially and unreasonably cheap for too long. The price of doing so is deferring upgrades and maintenance to the existing system, and bearing larger price increases only to rebuild the long-inadequate transmission network to accommodate more power from new sources.
You get what you pay for.
Price is a very effective instrument to control the rate of use, which in many regards is very wasteful when the price is cheap. Energy conservation makes extraordinary sense when considering the cost of maintenance and upgrades.
Using less at home means there is more for R&D, export and profit, and any increases in price will be largely offset by individual conservation measures.
Building new systems with redundant capacity and higher standards may result in higher initial capital costs, but will stretch out the operating and maintenance costs longer and defer the replacement costs by a significant amount of time.
Getting back to Ontario, why shouldn’t they be able to defer a big part of their growing provincial debt by importing clean renewable energy from BC and Quebec via a national smart grid coupled with a policy to promote far more conservation, and therein defer building horrendously expensive nuclear power plants? Share the load, as it were? BC has lots of spare capacity to export at 4:00 a.m. just when Ontario’s morning rush hour is starting.
This is the thing people like Homer-Dixon promote in their writings on resiliency and innovation.
50 Chris Keam // Feb 8, 2012 at 11:50 am
NYC – The Big Apple
Paris – The City of Light
London – The Big Smoke (bit of a stretch on this one I’ll concede… current slogan ‘a summer like no other’)
These cities have had a head start of hundreds of years over Vancouver in creating a brand. I think it’s an apples and oranges comparison. Whether this particular branding exercise is successful I won’t venture to guess, but pooh-pooh all you want, successful cities and businesses (mostly) have a clearly defined brand that is helping their efforts at carving out space in the public imagination.
51 Glissando Remmy // Feb 8, 2012 at 12:53 pm
Thought of The Day
“Made Up Inside City Hall has nothing to do with Made In Vancouver. What-so-ever!”
Chris Keam #14
“One comment I would make is that there is no finer example of branding at work than the Glissando Remmy persona. Even has a slogan/tag line.”
Gee, thanks.
However, I have to remind you one thing.
I’m not attending a popularity contest.
I am not in competition with others for name recognition.
I do not pursue monetary compensation.
I am not trying to take over a piece of the market place pie.
I am not shamelessly aiming for photo-ops, TV flashes, or ink in the papers.
On-The-Contrary.
Look again at the pathetic widget:
http://www.vanmade.ca/
That shouts at you Made In… City Hall!
That’s not the symbol/ logo for Vancouver, naah, take a walk in Stanley Park , walk by the 9 o’clock cannon, and look back at the city…
That Vancouver skyline, is the symbol of Vancouver! And if you insist, go back to the City Hall’s street level parking lot, sit right where Cllor Louie “doesn’t” park his car and look back at the city, towards the Lions.
That’s another Vancouver symbol!
Better read my comment #6 again!
“Branding is a form of third party shameless self promotion, a stay ahead of the curve, a Tommy Hillfiger name on the a back of your jacket, a Gucci handbag in your bony hand.
And all this in cooperation with, ahem, the City of Vancouver… tzaap?
Ballem gave her consent? Wonder, what would Solomon say? Does he approve of this?”
And if you have the time, pick up a copy of Naomi Klein’s “No Logo”, and read it!
Ok, then.
There! Following your suggestion and, for this time only… No slogan, No Tag Line, No Logo!
52 mezzanine // Feb 8, 2012 at 2:17 pm
@MB 49
i agree with much of what you say, but practically, it’s won’t happen for the near future. even trying to install smart meters is an ordeal and i am not sure if we would have the system up and running smoothly as scheduled. trying to implement time-of-use surcharges would be anethema, now anyway, right after installation.
and selling privately generated power – larger scale run-of-river private power projects have run into problems politcally with this. otherwise, looking at a similar jursidiction, it has required ++ subsidies for this to happen. google “ontario opposing wind farms” and you will also see the the public doesn’t have 100% buy-in either.
and clarify – if we do invest into ‘greener’ power, how exactly will this translate into jobs? I agree to move to greeener power for lots of reasons, but “jobs” wouldn’t be a main reason.
53 MB // Feb 8, 2012 at 3:31 pm
Chris, what came first, the city or the brand?
Im attended a lecture a couple of years ago by a “communications expert” on branding one of Vancouver’s blandest suburbs as a major economic program. It was so sad, like suggesting we could packaging air.
Authenticity and originality are their own brands.
54 MB // Feb 8, 2012 at 3:40 pm
Mezz, I’m just saying that hosting conferences on the economy that don’t address the economy at the larger scale is a bit ridiculous.
Resources, energy, urban development, and the corporate presence in Vancouver surroundking these elements are what Vancouver has been historically.
The next question is, What best suits Vancouver economically in the first half of the 21st Century? Somehow I don’t see Electronic Arts having a unique influence in 2040 like I do energy-related companies (public or private).
But PR — now there’s a field with a bright future!
55 Chris Keam // Feb 8, 2012 at 9:07 pm
@MB:
“Authenticity and originality are their own brands.”
Sometimes true, but what is also true is that it’s just as often a second or third iteration of an original idea that really takes off. Very often it’s due to good marketing and branding.
Packaging air was an interesting example. You’ve described bubble wrap, which is a very successful product, and further, I would argue that when we tout Vancouver’s environment as a selling feature we are in some fashion marketing (clean) air and branding ourselves as the place to find it.
56 Glissando Remmy // Feb 8, 2012 at 10:37 pm
LMAO!
MB #54,
“It was so sad, like suggesting we could packaging air.”
You know what’s funny about what you just wrote?
In Israel, Christians and Jews alike are selling Canned Air from inside Jesus Christ’s tomb… for decades!
And the business is as good as it was the day it started.
Wonder if they ever thought of going public, you know, an IPO just like Facebook, anytime soon…
57 MB // Feb 10, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Chris, Coca-Cola is a very powerful brand recognized around the world. I’ll conceed it’s success is due largely to packaging and marketing. I enjoy the odd can myself.
But is remains, after all, just sugared, carbonated, flavoured water.
I hope that this conference is about much more than packaging, marketing and branding, and actually delves into the character of the container’s contents.
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