153 replies to this topic

[Stephen James]

SIPP is in a good spot right now as nobody wants to poo poo the idea of economic recovery.

 

SIPP ran a good conference, they deserve credit for it. Whether it was worth $100K is open to debate but they had a variety of sessions and the speakers and panels were generally good calibre.  Aside from a bunch of meetings and sessions I am not sure how much practical came out of the event as SIPP themselves isn't really in a position to implement anything. As I have said all long, they do great power point's and you can add zoom meetings to that list.

Spanky, I think you've nailed it.

 

Surely the purpose of SIPP is not, "Lonely? Can't make a decision? Well, let's have a meeting!"

 

Good meetings and good speakers are not, we'd hope, the planned outcome. If they are, then $190,000 buys a lot of food, or fills a few potholes. 

[Stephen James]

Are these claims contrary to each other, or complementary?:

 

Current elected city leadership is viewed to be effective, bold and consensus-oriented. ...But the overall impression is that leadership is disjointed and the ambition not fully calibrated.

deeply conflicted loyalties? necessary political double-speak? one sentence to thank the hand that feeds, one to bite?

 

One of the tragic ironies of SIPP is that they're not really fans of capitalism... but everyone needs a job, right?

[Nparker]

...Current elected city leadership is viewed to be effective, bold and consensus-oriented...

No sane person could possibly believe this.

[Victoria Watcher]

https://southislandp...ity.ca/members/

 

 

Three municipalities absent from this partnership.

 

 

[Stephen James]

It should read “current elected regional leadership,” or “municipal leadership.” City leadership implies the City of Victoria. Esquimalt is a township, Saanich and Oak Bay are districts. The cities of Colwood and Langford (Langford not a part of SIPP) are typically removed from the “city” narrative and referred to as a suburban market or just as West Shore.

Right now civic leadership is at odds all across the region. You have Saanich backing away from amalgamation, you have unions concerned over Victoria’s handling of HR in light of dangers to workers, Oak Bay is unhappy with Victoria over Richmond Street and Mayor Helps’ assertion the Oak Bay Lodge should have been temporary housing, and Esquimalt is unhappy over policing costs stemming from a shared force with Victoria.

View Royal meanwhile doesn’t want any other jurisdiction to get a casino and Langford is facing major political pressures that could change how it develops post-2022, and Sooke is moving full steam ahead on becoming the next Langford, with business closely watching.

We need a little more meat from SIPP so guys like me can align with what we’re seeing down on the ground, and hearing from the people calling the shots. Because the last thing we need is another CMHC scenario where the information coming out of what is viewed as a credible, sincere and well connected resource is at total odds with the real-world scenario.

Mike:

What action have you been able to take as a result of a SIPP initiative?

What have been the results of that action?

 

I've been aware of SIPP since it was first pitched and, if it ever had one, it's mandate has been... opaque? mercurial? academic? conceptual?

 

There are (at least one) good people there and I'd love to hear that they've made an impact and what it was/is.

[Mike K.]

I don’t think there is anything to quantify at-present.

They have mentioned in PowerPoint presentations that their outputs may not have an economic or practical impact for a decade or more, or at least that’s how I interpreted one of their presentations to a local council. So when you spread the goal posts that far, claims of success are eventually difficult to separate from the fruits of competing investments.

There are social media comments from one SIPP employee that appear counter to the grain, like personal opinions about the cost of real-estate and rental vacancies. There are also comments from that person about a local media organization that in my opinion pass beyond the threshold of what you’d expect to hear from a representative of an economic lobby group.

Is the consensus among SIPP’s board that housing prices should fall? That stricter rent controls be implemented? That might go against the interests of property owners, who tend to be the people driving the economic engines of the region, and yet the personal comments of the individual make you wonder if they’re rooting for the region being extremely desirable, or not.

I guess what I’m getting at is you don’t see that level of discourse among Tourism Victoria employees, knowing that an economic development job requires ally-building and not alienation even if one’s personal opinions are counter to those of the organization.

I really don’t know what role SIPP plays. Their big investment was turned down, and the mayor of Victoria was the politician in Ottawa who thought she’d be taking home a funded project.

And the biggest question is why is only one of the two main economic nodes a member. Why is Langford opposed to SIPP?

[Mike K.]

SIPP has received $2 million from the province to administer a program along the BC coast. It’s an odd fit, but maybe this initiative is meant to stretch the coast and not just focus on “SIP.”:

B.C.-based “blue” technology and innovation is creating jobs for British Columbians, building a sustainable ocean economy, cutting the cost of ocean research and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“B.C. innovators are building connections, developing technology and fuelling research that will help transition B.C. to a low-carbon economy, including in the ocean-based sector,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Support for these leading-edge, pre-commercial projects ensures that British Columbians can continue to benefit from the growth and diversification of our first-class clean-technology sector.”

Seven projects received a total of $7 million from the Province’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund, two of which will support the ocean-based economy.

Victoria-based Open Ocean Robotics received $1.75 million to develop solar-powered, uncrewed surface vehicles with sensors, cameras and communication devices that can capture information from anywhere on the ocean and relay it to researchers instantly. Its solar-powered robot surface vehicles can travel non-stop for months without producing any greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution or risk of oil spills.

South Island Prosperity Partnership’s (SIPP)’s Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) received $2 million to serve as a catalyst and cluster facilitator for the blue economy up and down British Columbia’s coastline. COAST is filling a gap in the West Coast’s ocean and marine industry by connecting emerging technologies to large industry players like shipping, shipbuilding and defence/aerospace.

“Our government recognizes the need to support research and development in emerging sectors, like the ocean economy,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Our province can and should play a key role in supporting projects that directly address climate change, and prepare people and communities across B.C. for both the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

The ICE Fund is part of CleanBC, the Province’s pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. CleanBC guides government’s commitment to climate action to meet B.C.’s emissions targets and build a cleaner, stronger economy for everyone.

[Nparker]

Since the SIPP has proved to be utterly useless, naturally its mandate was expanded beyond its geographic limitations. Only government could see the logic in this.

Oh and don't even get me started on the "blue economy". 

[Mike K.]

No longer just anti-depressants, though.

[Stephen James]

I don’t think there is anything to quantify at-present.

They have mentioned in PowerPoint presentations that their outputs may not have an economic or practical impact for a decade or more, or at least that’s how I interpreted one of their presentations to a local council. So when you spread the goal posts that far, claims of success are eventually difficult to separate from the fruits of competing investments.

There are social media comments from one SIPP employee that appear counter to the grain, like personal opinions about the cost of real-estate and rental vacancies. There are also comments from that person about a local media organization that in my opinion pass beyond the threshold of what you’d expect to hear from a representative of an economic lobby group.

Is the consensus among SIPP’s board that housing prices should fall? That stricter rent controls be implemented? That might go against the interests of property owners, who tend to be the people driving the economic engines of the region, and yet the personal comments of the individual make you wonder if they’re rooting for the region being extremely desirable, or not.

I guess what I’m getting at is you don’t see that level of discourse among Tourism Victoria employees, knowing that an economic development job requires ally-building and not alienation even if one’s personal opinions are counter to those of the organization.

I really don’t know what role SIPP plays. Their big investment was turned down, and the mayor of Victoria was the politician in Ottawa who thought she’d be taking home a funded project.

And the biggest question is why is only one of the two main economic nodes a member. Why is Langford opposed to SIPP?

The person to whom you refer is an avowed socialist/Marxist who has opined, as example, that there is a "right" size to a SFH. When asked who makes that decision... this uni educated person abandons the argument, lol.

He should have been cautioned years ago about his tweets.

[Stephen James]

I don’t think there is anything to quantify at-present.

They have mentioned in PowerPoint presentations that their outputs may not have an economic or practical impact for a decade or more, or at least that’s how I interpreted one of their presentations to a local council. So when you spread the goal posts that far, claims of success are eventually difficult to separate from the fruits of competing investments.

There are social media comments from one SIPP employee that appear counter to the grain, like personal opinions about the cost of real-estate and rental vacancies. There are also comments from that person about a local media organization that in my opinion pass beyond the threshold of what you’d expect to hear from a representative of an economic lobby group.

Is the consensus among SIPP’s board that housing prices should fall? That stricter rent controls be implemented? That might go against the interests of property owners, who tend to be the people driving the economic engines of the region, and yet the personal comments of the individual make you wonder if they’re rooting for the region being extremely desirable, or not.

I guess what I’m getting at is you don’t see that level of discourse among Tourism Victoria employees, knowing that an economic development job requires ally-building and not alienation even if one’s personal opinions are counter to those of the organization.

I really don’t know what role SIPP plays. Their big investment was turned down, and the mayor of Victoria was the politician in Ottawa who thought she’d be taking home a funded project.

And the biggest question is why is only one of the two main economic nodes a member. Why is Langford opposed to SIPP?

...and the project Help's was micro-managing (the "smart" city award) was dead years ago so... money for what, for years?

[Mike K.]

The person to whom you refer is an avowed socialist/Marxist who has opined, as example, that there is a "right" size to a SFH. When asked who makes that decision... this uni educated person abandons the argument, lol.

He should have been cautioned years ago about his tweets.

 

There's a distinction between prosperity and equality.

 

I much prefer prosperity, but you're right, that we are seeing prosperity confused with equality, when fundamentally they are at odds with each other (i.e. one is a tide that floats all boats, the other an ebb that can catch you unaware).

[Nparker]

...prosperity...is a tide that floats all boats...

"Equality" has become a tide that sinks all boats.

[Stephen James]

SIPP has received $2 million from the province to administer a program along the BC coast. It’s an odd fit, but maybe this initiative is meant to stretch the coast and not just focus on “SIP.”:

B.C.-based “blue” technology and innovation is creating jobs for British Columbians, building a sustainable ocean economy, cutting the cost of ocean research and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“B.C. innovators are building connections, developing technology and fuelling research that will help transition B.C. to a low-carbon economy, including in the ocean-based sector,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “Support for these leading-edge, pre-commercial projects ensures that British Columbians can continue to benefit from the growth and diversification of our first-class clean-technology sector.”

Seven projects received a total of $7 million from the Province’s Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund, two of which will support the ocean-based economy.

Victoria-based Open Ocean Robotics received $1.75 million to develop solar-powered, uncrewed surface vehicles with sensors, cameras and communication devices that can capture information from anywhere on the ocean and relay it to researchers instantly. Its solar-powered robot surface vehicles can travel non-stop for months without producing any greenhouse gas emissions, noise pollution or risk of oil spills.

South Island Prosperity Partnership’s (SIPP)’s Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) received $2 million to serve as a catalyst and cluster facilitator for the blue economy up and down British Columbia’s coastline. COAST is filling a gap in the West Coast’s ocean and marine industry by connecting emerging technologies to large industry players like shipping, shipbuilding and defence/aerospace.

“Our government recognizes the need to support research and development in emerging sectors, like the ocean economy,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Our province can and should play a key role in supporting projects that directly address climate change, and prepare people and communities across B.C. for both the challenges and opportunities ahead.”

The ICE Fund is part of CleanBC, the Province’s pathway to a more prosperous, balanced and sustainable future. CleanBC guides government’s commitment to climate action to meet B.C.’s emissions targets and build a cleaner, stronger economy for everyone.

Bizarre, to making one wonder if SIPP's competency is archiving compromising photos...

 

So we have a group of highly paid people, at least one of whom espouses Marxism, who needed a purpose, and sent them $2 mm to build a cluster around one good idea...(Open Ocean Robotics doesn't need help - the principal is very effective and she has a tremendous product.)

 

What makes this even more Kurt Vonnegut to me is that SIPP was originally the idea to amalgamate Chambers of Commerce, led by Dallas Gislason, who did not succeed. Then Helps showed up, took iron-fisted, top-down, micro-control and pointed SIPP to win the smart cities competition. This  strategy succeeded (they didnt win the competition) because it got Emily (CEO) and Helps noticed in Ottawa. And now this??? After over 7 years???

 

Pardon my horrible cynicism... how does one get a ticket to this gravy train?

[Stephen James]

There's a distinction between prosperity and equality.

 

I much prefer prosperity, but you're right, that we are seeing prosperity confused with equality, when fundamentally they are at odds with each other (i.e. one is a tide that floats all boats, the other an ebb that can catch you unaware).

Gislason has Economics, so if the distinction is lost, that's his choice. (Parents left out the "life isn't fair" talk.) He is willfully blind to the failures of every Marxist example (they didn't do it right, lol), and does believe we'll all live within 15 mis of everything. He was a frothing-at-the-mouth Helps supporter, and remains an apologist.

 

I've never heard Emily make a Marxist leaning comment, and she's very smart, but it's hard to imagine her demonstrated success without her saying the right things to the right people.

 

My impression is that, just like the NDP organizing machine has built other elements into it's successful local strategy, SIPP has been coopted (like so many examples of public resources) to support the incumbents: in this case I mean both current council and the NDP, which seem indistinguishable anyway.

[Stephen James]

"Equality" has become a tide that sinks all boats.

it's a human nature thing...

We can imagine everything being fair to everyone (if we can even get past what that definition would mean) and have to accept the equivalent of grey cinderblock residences, poorly managed services, higher amounts of depression and suicide, less innovation and ambition, less scientific breakthrough (outside the military) and lots of thought control.

[Mike K.]

Equality is tethered to guaranteed/suppressed outcomes, right? You will never see the best of what's possible, if we are all expected to be equal (i.e. lesser than what's possible).

 

That's why Marxism fails, 100% of the time. When you force the best, to be among the average, it denies advancement, and by extension, robs everyone of benefits that when left to their own devices, are created, nurtured and expanded to all of us average people by the best among us.

 

Like life in Canada today. Our poorest, are still among the wealthiest on earth. In fact, a Canadian earning $50,000 per year, is among the top 1% of wealthiest people in the world.

[Nparker]

... You will never see the best of what's possible, if we are all expected to be equal (i.e. lesser than what's possible). That's why Marxism fails, 100% of the time. When you force the best, to be among the average, it denies advancement, and by extension, robs everyone of benefits that when left to their own devices, are created, nurtured and expanded to all of us average people by the best among us...

Exactly. I wish more people understood this.

[LJ]

Meritocracy only exists in professional sports, you don't produce - you're gone.

 

It used to be this way everywhere, unfortunately it has been co-opted by the woke left.

[Victoria Watcher]

Meritocracy only exists in professional sports, you don't produce - you're gone.

It used to be this way everywhere, unfortunately it has been co-opted by the woke left.

Still exists in lots of sales jobs. Most self-employed.