286 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

While I mostly agree with your assessment, why does Stu's Amazon bid have a sort of David Black-ish feeling of hubris about it?

 

I wonder if Stu will give the same tax breaks to every other Langford business that he will propose for Amazon?

[johnk]

Stew doesn't have a prayer in this play but Stew is no dummy. He gets Langford into the news beyond the CRD and sends an "open for tech biz" message without spending a dime..

[qwerty]

Having more of the tech industry in Langford would be great so hope this does attract more businesses there. Not everyone in tech wants to work right downtown.

[bluefox]

Once you sub out all the retirees, young people and unskilled labour, does the region even have 50,000 workers to begin with?

[sdwright.vic]

My work and my other half's place of employment just did postings. Neither got enough interest to fill. Both are $20+ positions with pensions. Some of the young ones that get a job were I work will quit after the first competition that the don't get the supervisor position they think they earn after being there for only 6 months.

There are not enough people willing to work here at the jobs we have.

[tjv]

Wow. The Capital is literally none of those things.

So you are saying Victoria has no tech sector?  On the world scale it doesn't and I told someone I knew in Boston high tech that we had a big high tech sector and he just laughed

 

I will say this, good for Langford for trying thou, its better than the City of Victoria would ever try

[manuel]

Langford is nowhere on the tech map - this play is as simple as Stew getting some free earned advertising in the hopes a couple of small businesses come their way.

For amazon it will be toronto vs vancouver vs the north Carolina tech hub vs montreal and at least a dozen other US cities. Essentially it is a competition to see who will give up the most to lure amazon there.

Given that HQ is in Seattle I expect that they will go east or south. With the current ant immigrant rhetoric in the US substantively affecting IT companies abilities to keep or hire some foreign employees, my gut tells me they are looking to see what subsidies theyll get north of the border. Based on this I'd say 50-50 for eastern canada. Langford has as much chance landing it as the police have shutting down the pot trade on lasqueti island,

[Nparker]

...Langford has as much chance landing it as the police have shutting down the pot trade on lasqueti island,

...or shutting down illegal pot shops in downtown Victoria.

[Cassidy]

There are more than a few folks who believe seriously that this is about Amazon beginning its migration out of the United States, due to the present political sadness taking place down there ... and the unknown future should the orange man get elected for a second term.

 

Thus any Canadian city rises to the top of the heap if you share this belief.

[AllseeingEye]

IMO one of Toronto, Boston or Austin TX will wind up as the winning bidder. Dallas and Atlanta will likely be in the conversation as well....

[tjv]

Langford is nowhere on the tech map

and neither is Victoria as a whole

[AllseeingEye]

and neither is Victoria as a whole

True; when reviewing industry reports and analyses as I've done periodically since moving back here in 2000-1, Victoria generally isn't even in the Top 15 IT markets in Canada.

 

Yet Halifax, roughly comparable and only slightly more populous than the CRD, typically averages out in Top 5 in this country when judged on those criteria usually associated with and used to measure urban "tech" markets in this country. Those parameters include everything from the size the of IT market, cost of living, work/life balance, gender diversity, total number of jobs/opportunities in the local market and, naturally, salaries....

 

One reason for the high Halifax ranking - no surprise to virtually anyone here regardless what vertical they work in - is that Halifax IT salaries actually improve its standing to an average of # 2 in the country. As most anyone can attest here "salary" is one of the biggest bones of contention. To put it as charitably and politely as I can Victoria salaries don't come anywhere close to being competitive to other Canadian markets and - generally - suck monkey ****.

 

A year or so ago I noted a Director-level position, in a local IT firm, that offered up the munificent sum of $65000. Had to read it, and the job description, twice before I could believe it. In YVR, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Waterloo, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax and many other markets, that employer (which was a well known firm, by no means a start up or in the VC stage) would have been laughed right out of the room. I've had conversations with major recruitment firms in Vancouver, Calgary and TO that consistently refer to Victoria (salaries) as everything from "a bad joke" to "an utter travesty". One Calgary recruiter smirked "maybe its something people smoke out there" that result in IT salaries often being out of whack with national IT industry norms and averages. Of course one does definitely need to factor in the infamous "island discount" nonsense into the conversation....

Edited by AllseeingEye, 24 September 2017 - 12:02 PM.

[Nparker]

Is it possible that IT salaries are below industry standards in Victoria as a result of the mass of public sector workers? What I mean is, if local IT compensation were competitive with their industry, would it drive wages up in the public sector as the only way to recruit qualified staff?

[tjv]

Salaries in Victoria are generally low regardless of what sector you are in.  I'm not in IT, but I know I could get a huge raise anywhere else in this country or the USA if I were to move.  I don't plan to move since I love it here too much, but salaries here are pathetic.

 

If someone offered me a Director level position (and I am at that level) for 65k a year I would laugh my ass off and continue to as I walked out of the room.

[Nparker]

Salaries in Victoria are generally low regardless of what sector you are in...I don't plan to move since I love it here too much, but salaries here are pathetic...

I thought you didn't live in Victoria?

tjv, on 24 Sept 2017 - 10:57 AM, said:

...its almost embarrassing to say I live in Victoria (luckily I can say I don't)

[Greg]

I hope Amazon doesn't see this thread, or the game is over for Langford. 

[sebberry]

tjv, VHF - chill out.  Surely we can discuss the topic at hand without resorting to personal attacks?

[sdwright.vic]

Thanks for liking my deleted comment Mat R.

[davidN]

Going to weigh in here as I find it interesting all of the polarization regarding Langford. We moved here recently and have been searching all areas for a place to live and seem to have a different take on Langford than a lot of you.

 

Here is what has transpired in the last week as we explored the "Langford Option".

 

- found an abundance of shopping options  - not high end but more than adequate for us- groceries, gas, restaurants etc.

 

- found the traffic tolerable to town and back. Certainly better than most big cities we have lived in

 

- found the people extremely friendly and helpful to us as newcomers

 

- found unbelievable sports and recreation facilities - virtually all new and upbeat

 

- went to a great family event called "Light up the Hills" in an area called Westhills -even met the mayor there and he welcomed us as possible new residents of Langford!

 

- Discovered that the new YMCA also has the arts covered with the Conservatory of Music and a regional library in residence.

 

- Learned that Royal Roads offers fully accredited university learning and there is even a World College just  short drive away in Metchosin.

 

All in all an extremely positive and productive week. Langford is now high on our list as place to settle. I have no idea how the tech sector might view Langford but good on the Mayor for throwing his hat in the ring. Obviously that way of thinking has helped envelope this growing area.

 

 

 

 

[sdwright.vic]

^live here for awhile