286 replies to this topic

[Fixerdave]

I think deciding on who's running 1st requires knowing WHY they want a second HQ.  There's little business sense to it, unless they were somehow running out of qualified people to hire.  That's doubtful.  Thus, there is a non-business reason, which pushes Canada into the lead: anti-Trump, easy immigration, that kind of thing.  If Canada, then where?  AI is Montreal, but that's not really an HQ, more a research lab kind of thing.  I say Vancouver: same time zone, same Cascadia culture, same climate, and easy commuting between the two.  Seattle, but across the border.  But, if it was Vancouver all along, and all the other submissions are just going to be binned because the whole thing is just a ploy by Amazon for tax breaks... that Victoria (Langford) bid is actually a real alternative, one of the very few real alternatives. 

 

Most of what sets Vancouver apart from any other Canadian city actually also applies to Lanford.  It comes down to a choice between buying what you can or building what you want.  Do they buy property somewhere near a skytrain terminal or do they build a transit system integrated into their HQ.  Both would likely cost the same in the end.

 

Rumor is they initially wanted all of Bentall II - not cheap real estate by a long shot. Stew's play clearly is simply to get Langford onto the broader radar; in doing so if he manages to bag a smaller, second tier employer it is a game hand well played. He's been angling for a BCG entity, ministry or crown corp, for ages as we all know. FWIW my bet is Amazon goes to one of Toronto, Boston, Dallas or Atlanta, in that order....

 

Agreed that Lanford's bid was more advertising than serious.  Imagine their surprise if they actually got the Amazon HQ... kind of the "Mouse that Roared."  Even Canadian articles waxing on about all the long-shot cities never mention Lanford.  Doubtful many working for the CBC even know where Langford is.  And, yes, I'm counting the ones that work in Victoria.

[Bingo]

Most of what sets Vancouver apart from any other Canadian city actually also applies to Langford.  It comes down to a choice between buying what you can or building what you want. 

Do they buy property somewhere near a skytrain terminal or do they build a transit system integrated into their HQ.  Both would likely cost the same in the end.

 

 

Langford is growing by leaps and bounds and is bursting to have the E&N Railway right of way upgraded into a useful alternative to get around.

If Amazon locates to the area in the right location they could have their own...Amazon Station. 

[VicHockeyFan]

Austin already has LRT.

 

https://en.wikipedia...pital_MetroRail

 

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 21 October 2017 - 06:36 AM.

[North Shore]

There was an interesting bit of analysis on CBCRadio last evening.  That analyst has it going to Toronto.  

 

Victoria: Isolated on an earthquake-prone island.

Vancouver: Canada's Seattle, why do the same thing twice?

Calgary: good candidate, lots of room, LRT, good transport links, in the same league as Denver, which is apparently being considered.

Montreal: handicapped by the language issue.

Toronto: decent culture, transport, close to major population centres, cost of living/housing might be a handicap..

[North Shore]

right now Greater Victoria doesn't even have 5,000 available workers

 

Hold a job fair down at Willows Beach?  I hear that there are several available workers down there right now...

[VicHockeyFan]

I don't think Montreal is handicapped by any language issue.

[North Shore]

^ Yes it is! (and on, and on, with the Monty Python skit!)

I think that people do take it into consideration if they were to look at moving for a job - I know that I certainly have.

And, you're Canadian - it's not as much of an issue for you as it might be for Americans...

[Mike K.]

Montreal is very English. There are even entire regions where English speakers live, but chance of finding someone employable by a tech company who does not speak English is extremely rare.

[VicHockeyFan]

You might be partially right, North Shore. Maybe as a Canadian with a tiny bit of French knowledge I don’t see it the same as a US person would.

[todd]

Austin already has LRT.

But we got that island vibe.

[spanky123]

Montreal is very English. There are even entire regions where English speakers live, but chance of finding someone employable by a tech company who does not speak English is extremely rare.

 

true but by the time Amazon finishes translating every corporate document to French we will be well into 2020.

[AllseeingEye]

Quebec's far bigger issue than language is taxes, especially for anyone coming out of the US market. One reason why the Montreal Canadiens rarely sign big name NHL free agents is the tax hurdle which typically would require them to match any US-based offers to the tune of millions of dollars simply to match. Quebec has the highest income tax bracket in Canada - and that is a major drawback to any firm considering a move to the province, even more so than language.

[PraiseKek]

I've heard from insiders that Langford actually has a good shot at this despite all the idiots in Victoria claiming otherwise. 

[zoomer]

I've heard from insiders that Langford actually has a good shot at this despite all the idiots in Victoria claiming otherwise.

Well call me a idiot, but there is no way in hell Langford has a shot.

The region is far under the Amazon stated 1 million criteria, never mind the fact it can’t compete with the labour pool of cities with 10 to 20 times the population.

50,000 new jobs probably equals a total increase in population of at least 150,000 to 200,000 if you take into account families moving, plus all the spin off jobs. I doubt Amazon wants to wait several decades for the region to build for and manage that growth.

There’s many other reasons why no one takes this seriously, but they’re too obvious to entertain further.

[davidN]

Perhaps insiders at Langford City Hall (who may be a little biased!).

 

Without a proper transportation link I doubt if Langford is in the running.

 

Good job by the Mayor to raise Langford profile tho!

[Fixerdave]

There was an interesting bit of analysis on CBCRadio last evening.  That analyst has it going to Toronto.  

...

Vancouver: Canada's Seattle, why do the same thing twice?

...

 

That's the reason I think it will be Vancouver, or Langford.  It is Seattle, but in Canada.

 

 

Well call me a idiot, but there is no way in hell Langford has a shot.

The region is far under the Amazon stated 1 million criteria, never mind the fact it can’t compete with the labour pool of cities with 10 to 20 times the population.

50,000 new jobs probably equals a total increase in population of at least 150,000 to 200,000 if you take into account families moving, plus all the spin off jobs. I doubt Amazon wants to wait several decades for the region to build for and manage that growth.

There’s many other reasons why no one takes this seriously, but they’re too obvious to entertain further.

 

A) if you count Nanaimo and points south, we're about 1 million.

 

B) I highly doubt it will be 50,000 people and 5 billion investment.  That's just some imaginary numbers to make various levels of government prostrate themselves.  Figure, maybe, 20% of that to start, and probably for quite a long while, unless the US goes completely insane (more completely insane?).  But, in that case, it would be a matter of finding housing for every Amazon Exec and the 350,000 fleeing Canadian tech workers heading back up north.

 

David...

[Mike K.]

Nanaimo and points south bring us just barely up to 600,000, and that's including Port Alberni.

[VicHockeyFan]

New Jersey offered $7B in tax breaks.

 

http://www.chicagotr...1017-story.html

[Bingo]

Amazon will come here only if the off-work lifestyle appeals to the employees, and you can't always find that in a large city.

[Lorenzo]

New Jersey offered $7B in tax breaks.

 

http://www.chicagotr...1017-story.html

I can only imagine what Boss Hogg in Langford offered them.