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South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) initiatives and issues


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#41 Mike K.

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Posted 10 September 2020 - 09:16 AM

Sooke’s chamber actually approached the town for money, and I believed they received a financial infusion as they were unable to support themselves. Now we have a chamber funded by the taxpayer, and that likely came about because Sooke funded SIPP.

But the SIPP presentation, oh man. It’s not what I expected. And this app idea seems so bizarre that I don’t know how it got past the concept stage.

Clearly, business people are not at the helm here, and Langford saw right through it and SIPP’s urban core focus.

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#42 TwilightZoneVictoria

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Posted 10 September 2020 - 11:59 AM

Why an app? If a business isn't following COVID protocols perhaps speaking to the manager or if particularly bad reporting to authorities. Reporting it on a privately made app reeks of witch hunt type app. If you want to find out that kind of information from your peers social media does it well enough. 

 

Not sure what the value in SIPP would be. The deliverables aren't clear. Lots of task-forcing and thought-leadershiping though.  



#43 Mike K.

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Posted 10 September 2020 - 12:51 PM

I would highly recommend individuals interested in this topic to view the post-presentation Q&A with Sooke councillors, who asked several good questions. I'm not sure if the entirety of council is convinced Sooke's investment in SIPP represents sufficient opportunity for a ROI.

 

https://www.youtube....ature=emb_title

 

If the link doesn't link directly to the time of the Q&A, it starts at the 1 hour mark.


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#44 GetLisaSomeHelps

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Posted 10 September 2020 - 02:35 PM

Why an app? If a business isn't following COVID protocols perhaps speaking to the manager or if particularly bad reporting to authorities. Reporting it on a privately made app reeks of witch hunt type app. If you want to find out that kind of information from your peers social media does it well enough. 

 

Right? Not only that, I doubt the app would get many downloads making it even more worthless than it already is. 

 

Like Mike said, how such a terrible idea for an app made it to development is beyond me. 

 

 

Not sure what the value in SIPP would be. The deliverables aren't clear. Lots of task-forcing and thought-leadershiping though.  

 

Siphoning money from FN/local governments/organizations to create a few well-paying jobs, I guess :confused: . Well, I can identify at least one 3rd party organization who are fans of the SIPP: the tech firm developing that app 


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#45 VIResident

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Posted 10 September 2020 - 05:25 PM

Sooke’s chamber actually approached the town for money, and I believed they received a financial infusion as they were unable to support themselves. Now we have a chamber funded by the taxpayer, and that likely came about because Sooke funded SIPP.

But the SIPP presentation, oh man. It’s not what I expected. And this app idea seems so bizarre that I don’t know how it got past the concept stage.

Clearly, business people are not at the helm here, and Langford saw right through it and SIPP’s urban core focus.

 

Understand, Sooke business licence fees funded the Chamber in the past, not 'taxpayers'.  That funding went elsewhere for a time.  

 

1.  Sooke Chamber Breaks from District (2016) https://sooke.pocket...trict-of-sooke/

 

2.  From 2020

Local business owner deeply disappointed by Council’s lack of support for Chamber 

https://sooke.pocket...rt-for-chamber/

 

3.  2020

GUEST COMMENT: Chamber clears up a few misconceptions 

https://www.sookenew...misconceptions/

 

4.  2020

Sooke council approves new funding for chamber of commerce

https://www.sookenew...er-of-commerce/


Edited by VIResident, 10 September 2020 - 05:31 PM.


#46 Mike K.

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Posted 10 September 2020 - 07:31 PM

Very good! Thank you for that.

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#47 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 20 September 2020 - 06:04 AM

Julie Angus, CEO of Victoria-based Open Ocean Robotics, told the Times Colonist in July the company’s solar-powered autonomous boat has collected oceanographic or environmental data that has been key for research projects by the Canadian Coast Guard and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

 

She said an innovation hub would be a key incubator to link small startups such as hers with larger, more established firms.

 

During a recent trip to Halifax, Angus saw the success of that city’s marine innovation hub, the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship, located in a former Canadian Coast Guard facility.

 

Helps said the project will work closely with Indigenous groups who have 12,000 years of knowledge with respect to the ocean.

 

https://www.timescol...tawa-1.24205499

 

with that 12,000 year head start why don't indigenous enterprises dominate the industry now?

 

and open ocean robotics seems to be the benefactor of government contracts but where is private industry in all this?  seems like a lot of smoke and mirrors.  and just more government money for sipp.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 20 September 2020 - 06:05 AM.


#48 Barrrister

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Posted 20 September 2020 - 09:03 PM

We are getting robbed, end of story.



#49 spanky123

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Posted 21 September 2020 - 06:40 AM

^ There was a time when local "economic development" groups received the bulk of their funds through business memberships. Nowadays, the bulk of the money comes through Government programs of one sort or another. I think that some groups, like Viatec, have been able to balance the interests of their membership with the reality of the economic environment. Others, like SIPP in my opinion, are simply sponges soaking up whatever they can. 


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#50 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 14 November 2020 - 08:31 AM

The recovery task force pulled together representatives from business, government, academia, the community and all economic sectors to develop specific actions laid out in the 48-page report.

 

Some of those actions include developing an ​Indigenous Economic Development Office​ for the South Island, owned and operated by First Nations that will help close the equity gap between First Nations and the rest of the economy.

 

There are also recommendations for new ​digital skills education, “up-skilling” and programs to leverage e-commerc​e, a push to establish an Ocean Innovation Hub to pursue emerging opportunities in the global “blue economy” and invest and promote buy-local programs on a bigger scale.

 

“[The plan] is the best of our region coming together to plan for a resilient, inclusive and prosperous future,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps.

 

“Now is the time to play a bit of offence, to play to our strengths, and not sit back and hope for recovery to happen.”

 

 

 

https://www.timescol...oria-1.24239321

 

 

more rubbish.  this agency likes to talk a lot.  but i'm still unclear what their actual function is.


Edited by Victoria Watcher, 14 November 2020 - 08:31 AM.


#51 spanky123

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Posted 14 November 2020 - 10:51 AM

^ Without even looking at it I can tell you it will be a good looking report. For the $1M a year they get in funding, I would expect nothing but top notch powerpoint presentations. 

 

The local tech community offered FREE ecommerce services to businesses transitioning online immediately after the pandemic started. Any business that needed help got it so I fail to see how a new SIPP initiative starting just as the pandemic is ending accomplishes anything. The ocean hub and other programs are either pipe dreams or regurgitated ideas for services that already exist. None of that matters though, in my opinion it all boils down to where the Government money is and what they can be encouraged to fund. Nobody will ever do a cost benefit analysis after the fact to see if anything of value materialized.


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#52 spanky123

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 08:53 AM

Redeveloping the Rock Bay area into a tech hub isn't a new idea. Mayor Fortin launched a plan and advisory committee during his term to look at creating a "green energy hub". A few years ago Mayor Helps and SIPP created their "smart city" proposal and today we have the "ocean hub". 

 

I am not against innovation or trying to redevelop an area which is underutilized, far from it. My objection to these various "plans" is that there is no bottoms up needs analysis. Nobody approaches the tech community and asked what can be leveraged and what problem needs to be solved. Instead, each one of the plans targets one simple thing - Government money. Whatever the flavour of the day, the Mayor and economic development agency of the day simply try and find a round peg to fit into the hole. 



#53 Mike K.

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 08:56 AM

That's what these economic agencies are for, tapping into government money.


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#54 spanky123

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 09:56 AM

Poof goes $100K. Money well spent?

 

https://southislandp..._SIPP-FINAL.pdf



#55 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 10:07 AM

Poof goes $100K. Money well spent?

 

https://southislandp..._SIPP-FINAL.pdf

 

of course not.  markets will recover (or not) with or without a "roadmap".  it's garbage.



#56 spanky123

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 10:29 AM

I was very surprised to see that each of the stakeholders made recommendations that would benefit themselves. 


Edited by spanky123, 16 November 2020 - 10:29 AM.

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#57 Hotel Mike

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 11:27 AM

Spanky, believe it or not, the idea of 'high tech' in Rock Bay goes even further back. In the dying days of the Bob Cross mayoralty, he proposed something similar with a long term goal of establishing that area into some sort of tech centre.


Don't be so sure.:cool:

#58 Victoria Watcher

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Posted 16 November 2020 - 11:39 AM

Spanky, believe it or not, the idea of 'high tech' in Rock Bay goes even further back. In the dying days of the Bob Cross mayoralty, he proposed something similar with a long term goal of establishing that area into some sort of tech centre.

 

which is pre even the thought of internet.  i'm unclear why high tech needs to be centralized.



#59 VIResident

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Posted 17 November 2020 - 04:44 AM

From the Website: https://ninetyminutesfrom.com/ What if the city we love doesn’t love us back? As the cost of living in Toronto continues to climb, so many of us just can’t make it work here anymore. But where should we go? That’s something I’m trying to figure out. In case you are trying to figure that out too, I’ve pulled together a ton of information and an interactive map to get us started.

 

An important piece - recommended reading.  Put the lense on Vancouver Island - BC even.  What do you see?

 

 

As the pandemic pushes urbanites out of big cities, some look for communities that share their values

 

".....finding a community with sufficient diversity and a political environment that doesn’t feel alienating."

 

".... track demographics and voting patterns in more than 40 municipalities."

 

“I’m no fan of the Liberal Party, but if a town votes 40-per-cent Liberal versus 40-per-cent Conservative, that kind of tells you something,” Ms. Williams said.

They also document whether an area has had a Black Lives Matter march, if it holds a Pride parade, and if it has an LGBT-friendly church. "

 

"....where we will be able to continue doing this sort of work in our community and live alongside people who care about the same things.”

 

"People are coming here because they like the walkability of certain areas, and the older housing stock in the lower city.”

 

https://www.theglobe...-some-look-for/


Edited by VIResident, 17 November 2020 - 04:53 AM.


#60 Mike K.

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Posted 07 December 2020 - 09:44 AM

Grumpy Taxpayers has awarded SIPP its top "candy cane" award for 2020. Here's the mention in a press release that just went out:

 

Congratulations to the South Island Prosperity Partnership which grabbed top honours in the 5th annual Candy Cane Awards sponsored by the civic watchdog Grumpy Taxpayer$ of Greater Victoria.

 

SIPPs is recognized for successfully mobilizing leaders across the community to develop an economic development plan during the pandemic.
 

Their report, Reboot - Greater Victoria’s Regional Economic Recovery, was followed by Rising Economy Week, a virtual conference in which 1,100 leaders from B.C. and the prairie provinces, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon in partnership with Pacific Northwest Region participated.

SIPP is an alliance of over 65 public and private-sector partners in Greater Victoria, including 11 local governments, nine First Nations, three post-secondary institutions, nine industry associations and nonprofits, and more than 30 major employers.

 

"The effectiveness of the SIPP partnership shows the power of working together as a region on our shared economic and social prosperity, most significantly during the perilous circumstances in which we find ourselves today," says chair John Treleaven.

 


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