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South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) initiatives and issues


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#61 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 07 December 2020 - 01:04 PM

did you see in the city grants section how much money sipp gets? $190k from victoria alone.

#62 Nparker

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Posted 07 December 2020 - 01:53 PM

Did you see in the city grants section how much money SIPP gets? $190K from Victoria alone.

As a CoV taxpayer, I'd love to see some evidence of how I am better off for this expenditure.


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#63 spanky123

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Posted 07 December 2020 - 02:07 PM

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.


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#64 Mike K.

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Posted 07 December 2020 - 02:15 PM

Except when the power points and zoom meetings aren’t great.

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#65 TwilightZoneVictoria

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 11:35 AM

There was a trade trip to China in the fall of 2017. The mayor, SIPP and a bunch of other organizations went. It was during that trip that the relationship with U-Bicycle was forged.

 

They did a bunch of tourism promotion as well but that's destination Victoria's area. 

 

https://www.timescol...week-1.23064605

 

https://www.martlet....s-up-on-campus/

As a CoV taxpayer, I'd love to see some evidence of how I am better off for this expenditure.



#66 spanky123

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 11:55 AM

^ U-Bicycle was a Victoria company. They were part of Alacrity's first few companies. They were propped up as a China trip success story as the company had some ties there.


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#67 TwilightZoneVictoria

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 01:25 PM

Thought they were major investors. Regardless Helps said that China trip is the reason they set up shop here. Wonder if the relationship with Alacrity came before or after that trip.

 

Also realize just because Helps says it doesn't make it true. But I'm guessing it was one of the "successes" SIPP lays claim to as they were on that same trip to China.

 

Trying to justify to Nparker how city money to SIPP has benefited them.

 

 

U-bicycle North America was launched in Vancouver in 2017 by Simon Fraser alumni Grace Min, and the company takes pride in being the first stationless bike sharing platform in Western Canada. 

“We could not be more thrilled to launch in Victoria as our first North American location,” CEO Min said in a September press release when the bikes were first distributed. “This is a big step and milestone for U-bicycle as we get ready to disrupt the bike-sharing market across Canada and the United States.” 

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps echoed that sentiment in a statement to the press back in the fall. 

“We met Grace on our mission to China last fall,” Mayor Helps said, crediting that as the reason Min chose Victoria as the first North American city to distribute U-bikes ahead of other cities such as Austin, Texas.



#68 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 01:27 PM

except austin still has a bike share program.  we don't.

 

https://austin.bcycle.com/



#69 spanky123

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Posted 08 December 2020 - 02:04 PM

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps echoed that sentiment in a statement to the press back in the fall. 

“We met Grace on our mission to China last fall,” Mayor Helps said, crediting that as the reason Min chose Victoria as the first North American city to distribute U-bikes ahead of other cities such as Austin, Texas.

 

I think the point here is that you always have to very carefully read what the Mayor says and not allow her to draw a conclusion for you.

 

The Mayor is not saying that the company or Grace were from China. She says she met them on a trip to China. Alacrity had representatives on that trade mission! She says that Grace chose Victoria which is true but it was because she was living in Vancouver (SFU grad) and Victoria was a logical choice. It is not like Victoria was picked over other global cities however.



#70 Mike K.

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Posted 10 December 2020 - 01:04 PM

Here is another press release from Grumpy Taxpayers that is questioning Langford's lack of a live stream feed of council sessions.

 

Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria is calling upon the Inspector of Municipalities in B.C. to investigate Langford council and its lack of transparency and accountability to the public.

 

The request is prompted by Langford voting against livestreaming of council meetings or recordings to be played back at a later date. The decision - made behind closed doors on Dec. 7 - comes during a pandemic and a time when citizens have limited ways to participate or find out what council is doing.

 

"Democracy in Langford continues to die in darkness as a result of this decision," says John Treleaven, chair of Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria. "A council meeting in-camera to secretly discuss the need for transparency is as as bizarre as it gets."

 

"This council and its decisions around managing the municipality and a $100-million budget are not receiving sufficient scrutiny and public participation. It's of particular concern in a fast-growing, municipality with a large number of development projects where the public wants and must be heard."

 

Langford remains the only major jurisdiction in the province that doesn't do live-streaming or record proceedings for residents. It's unacceptable given that municipal law recognizes that the principles of governance includes accountability and that's very difficult especially during a pandemic, Treleaven says.

 

During the pandemic Langford council chambers are closed, but residents are able to participate in council and committee meetings via teleconference.

 

But an open meeting with public participation involves much more than that, and the province should provide more guidance to municipalities on that issue.

 

As it stands now, how do residents that can't phone-in find out a council decision, wait a month until the minutes are tabled? When they eventually get the minutes, how do taxpayers learn about the discussion and positions of councillors? Why is council hampering public participation in council meetings by holding council meetings at 5 p.m., instead of at the convenience of its taxpayers? How do the media provide adequate scrutiny given the time constraints?

 

The decision not to livestream wasn't unanimous on the seven-person council with at least two councillors, Couns. Denise Blackwell and Lillian Szpak, voting for the initiative.


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#71 spanky123

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Posted 10 December 2020 - 01:54 PM

Really no reason why they can't stream / record meetings. Not like it is still rocket science.



#72 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 03:10 AM

ocean hub:

 

 

 

The business case lays out the expected impact of various levels of funding, ranging from establishing a work space and start-up incubator program at the $5-million level to having multiple buildings, dozens of companies and a $50-million venture fund at the $100-million level, and ultimately an ocean-innovation district with more than 100 companies, large ­venture funds and a globally ­recognized ocean tech cluster at the $160-million level.

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...tive-1.24256525



#73 spanky123

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 08:17 AM

ocean hub:

 

The business case lays out the expected impact of various levels of funding, ranging from establishing a work space and start-up incubator program at the $5-million level to having multiple buildings, dozens of companies and a $50-million venture fund at the $100-million level, and ultimately an ocean-innovation district with more than 100 companies, large ­venture funds and a globally ­recognized ocean tech cluster at the $160-million level.

 

https://www.timescol...tive-1.24256525

 

This is the Mayor's last chance to change the channel on the mess she has created downtown and leave herself a legacy. Taxpayers should be very wary.

 

From what I heard, only two companies were willing to even put up $10K for the market assessment which is why they had to get the Feds to fund it. Hardly a show of support. The entire plan seems to be based on having the Government pay for the hub and then trying to convince companies to use it. Case in point receiving $5M to launch an incubator/co-working space. We already have 3 tech incubators and co-working spaces in town (Viatec, Alacrity, Kwench). None of them are full and none of them spent $5M getting up and running. 



#74 Barrrister

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 08:22 AM

A last great expensive boondoggle for the city.



#75 spanky123

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 08:27 AM

A last great expensive boondoggle for the city.

 

I am sure she will tell you the Feds are paying for everything and it won't cost the taxpayer anything :-)

 

Lots of rumours of backroom deals being cut with landowners and developers in that area. I hope none come back to bite us.



#76 Mike K.

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 08:32 AM

Where exactly is this being planned?

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#77 spanky123

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 08:39 AM

Where exactly is this being planned?

 

Generally speaking, the area of town by Capital Iron.



#78 Mike K.

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Posted 18 December 2020 - 08:42 AM

With Reliance announcing it is getting ready to unveil its plans for the CI holdings, could they be involved? It sure feels like something is cooking with the parallels in releases by the TC. They’re running a little series, it feels like.

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#79 spanky123

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Posted 22 January 2021 - 03:47 PM

Knew this was coming. SIPP wants $218K from Victoria this upcoming year and staff are suggesting that property taxes be raised (as one option) to cover it since contingencies and new assessment revenue has already been spent. https://pub-victoria...ocumentId=63218



#80 Nparker

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Posted 22 January 2021 - 03:48 PM

SIPP can take their request and shove it.


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