Australia announced a few weeks ago they would be planting billions of new trees to aid in the fight against climate change. Greta tells us to plant trees to help fight climate change. Don’t pretend you don’t know who I…
Continue ReadingIf we are expecting mediocrity, surprise! We just might get mediocrity.
Maybe I’m just paranoid but I am starting to think New Brunswick’s lost decade could be emerging as our destiny. A few weeks ago the national organization that forecasts agricultural demand came out with its forecast for the next decade…
Continue ReadingFrom an ambitious vision to tangible action: Thoughts on the SOTP
I was delighted to hear the Premier roll out some ambitious targets at the State of the Province address last night. While I have never talked with him one-on-one a number who have had suggested to me his view was…
Continue ReadingSaint-Quentin: An interesting outlier – small, rural, remote and growing
I was in Saint-Quentin this weekend talking to the maple syrup folks about workforce issues. I was impressed. The village looks like a going concern. At a superficial level, Saint-Quentin doesn’t have a lot of fundamentals working in its favour. …
Continue ReadingBring on the Thunder: Can we build it? Yes, we can!
It’s been a long time since I uttered the phrase Bob, The Builder made famous “Can we build it? Yes, we can!”. If you have children in the 18-25 range you will likely remember that determined construction worker. I was…
Continue ReadingRumours of glory: New Brunswick edition
Could it be that New Brunswick is turning a corner? Could we be on the cusp of economic renewal in one of North America’s worst performing economies for over a decade (among provinces and states)? See for yourself. The population…
Continue ReadingPursuing opportunities: Banging on my drum, again
My thinking on economic development has evolved over the years. As long time readers will know for a number of years now I have been advocating for what I call an opportunities-based approach to economic development. In its simplest terms,…
Continue ReadingThe worrying decline in employment among New Brunswick’s largest employers
One of the things I get accused of the most is being a shill for big business. A more nuanced understanding of my position would be that I believe a strong economy needs a good mix of large and smaller…
Continue ReadingHow will the 2020s compare? A quick historical perspective.
Someone asked me to set our current economic and demographic situation in historical context. As a belated Christmas present I will do so here. I’ll start with a few caveats. First, I don’t particularly love ‘percentage change’ as an indicator. …
Continue ReadingGivers versus takers: The uncomfortable conversation
Every time I come down to the U.S. I invariably get into the ‘givers versus takers’ conversation. Why should people that work hard, educate themselves, take risks, push hard and make something of their lives turn around and pay for…
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