There is no doubt the Conference Board has summarily dismissed St. John's and in fact this Province when it comes to new policy for Canadian Cities. If we take the report as a document the feds will listen to (and they will) - we have to be worried.
We could be looking at policy for transportation infrastructure - federal jobs and crown agencies - municipal infrastructure - educational institutes - and federal funding - being focused even more on Halifax.
Halifax is what the Conference Board calls one of the HUB cities.
Please Read below for a section of the Report
Policy Implications: Defining the Focus
In highlighting the distinctive needs of Canada’s big cities and the unique economic contribution of Canada’s hub cities identified through our convergence research, this volume makes a strong case for prioritizing this combined group of cities—which we identify as major cities (Halifax, Montréal, Ottawa–Gatineau, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver)—for national strategic investment and focus. Smaller cities and towns, and indeed the country as a whole, will thrive fully when their growth is fuelled by that of the country’s major cities. Helping Canada’s major cities reach their potential is therefore a win-win proposition for all citizens. A wider endorsement of this view by citizens and leaders alike will open the way for a more strategic approach to investment in Canada’s major cities.
You will also note that all provinces have a "major city" except the Atlantic Region which has been restricted to Nova Scotia and Halifax...and then there's this little tidbit for Canada's "Major Cities".
Canada’s major cities are critical to our national prosperity, yet they face significant challenges that limit their potential.Our major cities bear the costs of a growing urban population and expanding economy, but lack the fiscal capacity to meet their needs or to maximize their potential. Booming populations and sprawling development create congestion, environmental and health challenges unique to cities.
The challenges of managing growth are exacerbated by the deteriorating state of Canada’s urban infrastructure. Estimates of the national infrastructure gap ranged, in 2003, from $50 billion to $125 billion, with municipalities owning the largest stake in this gap. Canada’s present systems of municipal governance fail to provide cities with the organizational structures and decision-making capacity necessary for strategic planning and regional coordination.
The decisions that cities and provinces make about development patterns,
transportation, utilities standards, building codes and industrial planning will have profound environmental impacts. Canada’s major city-regions are competing for investment and jobs against other major city-regions around the world. Unless
governments and their civic partners support the kind of initiatives that are boosting the international rankings of competitor cities, prospects of improving the
record of Canadian cities are not good.
You know - I am just a little sick of our province being crucified by Canadian Institutions - and now the Conference Board weighs in on this ridiculous concept.
I hope there will be some response to this before Newfoundland and Labrador becomes a virtual appendage to Atlantica under the stewardship of Halifax.
Please see a copy of the Report HERE
It is interesting to note how this report came to be:
The Canada Project had its genesis in 2002 at The Conference Board of Canada’s annual Canadian Conference—a meeting of senior public and private sector leaders at which participants are invited to share their most pressing concerns about
Canada’s present challenges and future prospects.
Many of the leaders at this meeting raised the same underlying issue: that Canada was floundering in a state of public policy drift at a time that called out for national strategic action in the face of rising global competition.
And thus, The Canada Project was born.
Now, almost four years later—thanks to the $2.4 million invested by business and government organizations, the $1.0 million contributed by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the effort and expertise invested by some of Canada’s top researchers and professionals—we present this four-volume compendium of the results of our work.
Here are the list of sponsors for the Project:
Note the Lead Investor was CIBC
Academic Research Funding Partner: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Accenture Inc.
Alberta Ministry of Municipal Affairs
ATB Financial
Banque Nationale du Canada
BCE Inc.
Bombardier Transportation
British Columbia Ministry of Community Services
Business Development Bank of Canada
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canam Group Inc.
CGI Group Inc.
Deloitte & Touche LLP
DuPont Canada
EnCana Corporation
Ernst & Young LLP
Forest Products Association of Canada
General Electric Canada Inc.
George Weston Limited
Harris Steel Group Inc.
IBM Canada Ltd.
Imperial Oil Limited
Lafarge Canada Inc.
Manulife Financial Corporation
Mercer Delta Consulting Limited
Microsoft Canada Co.
Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Trade
Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
Power Corporation of Canada
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
RBC Financial Group
SaskEnergy Incorporated
SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Social Sciences and Humanities .
Research Council of Canada
Sun Life Financial Inc.
Syncrude Canada Ltd.
TD Bank Financial Group
TELUS Corporation
The Bank of Nova Scotia
The Co-operators Group Limited
Toronto Hydro Corporation
TransAlta Corporation
UBS Securities Canada Inc.
Unilever Canada Inc.
Xerox Canada Ltd.
It is time to move on this!
