[Advisors] Report of meeting -- InCan - Dec. 8

[Norah Fountain]

A Rural Caucus might lend support - it used to exist.


On 13/12/11 8:18 AM, "Work" <pframpton@lefca.org> wrote:

> That is great news indeed
> Now for the champion
> It only takes one or two backbenchers
>=20
> In Ontario we used the women caucus to save Childcare a few years ago...?
> Does harper have caucuses?
>=20
> Meeting with glen Murray on Friday (liberal - sigh) but will seek his adv=
ice
>=20
> Paf
>=20
> Sent from my iPad
>=20
> On 2011-12-12, at 8:16 PM, Marita Moll <mmoll@ca.inter.net> wrote:
>=20
>>=20
>> Report of the meeting at Industry Canada, December 8, 2011.
>>=20
>> Participants:
>>=20
>> Bruce Winchester, head policy advisor to the Minister of Industry
>> Marita Moll, Telecommunities Canada
>> Darlene Thompson, Telecommunities Canada and the Government of Nunavut
>> Monique Chartrand, Communautique
>> Patrick Dub=E9, Communautique & Living Labs
>>=20
>> This meeting was scheduled to last about 45 minutes.  In fact, it lasted
>> almost two hours =AD a huge amount of one-on-one time with someone at that
>> level. We are not sure what it was in our letter that piqued his curiosi=
ty.
>> He did indicate that he usually only met with the big players =AD Bell, Ro=
gers,
>> etc.
>>=20
>> Mr. Winchester was extraordinarily candid with us.  This was certainly n=
ot a
>> session in which we were listened to politely, patted on the head and se=
nt on
>> our way. From the beginning, he engaged with us constantly at the very
>> practical level =AD sometimes even trying to draw us into conversations ab=
out
>> other current online issues we were not there to talk about =AD e.g.  broa=
dband
>> in rural communities, the value of satellite connections, the economy in
>> northern areas, etc.  But we had assumed correctly that presenting well
>> documented projects with proven economic value would be the only way to =
hold
>> the attention of someone in this government.
>>=20
>> On the negative side, he was quite clear about how the department felt a=
bout
>> this program =AD it didn=B9t belong there, it was outside of the mandate, et=
c.
>> etc.  He volunteered that the department had tried to get the regional
>> development agencies to take it over =AD but that these agencies had decli=
ned
>> to take on what they called an =B3unfunded mandate.=B2 One of the first thin=
gs he
>> said was =B3You=B9ve got to lose that name, for starters!=B2  There were some
>> suggestions that the lingering perception of this program was that it wa=
s
>> more of a social service than an economic driver.  We said that we were =
there
>> to change that =AD to tell some of the stories that rarely made it to his
>> level.  Darlene Thompson and Patrick Dub=E9, who spoke about northern proj=
ects
>> and the =B3living labs=B2 experiments in Montreal respectively were right on
>> their game. And Mr. Winchester became more and interested in the
>> possibilities that were presented.
>>=20
>> One of the lasting comments, for me, was =B3You folks need a champion.=B2  O=
f
>> course, he wasn=B9t volunteering to take that on.  It was pretty clear to =
us
>> that the department had no intention of renewing this program.  So that
>> leaves the question, why did he meet with us at all?
>>=20
>> Perhaps our good news stories are getting out there.  Even this governme=
nt
>> needs good news stories =AD small, innovative, creative, locally generated
>> projects.
>>=20
>> The meeting ended on a positive note.  Darlene had brought pre-print cop=
ies
>> of the book of exemplary projects she has been working on with Clarice f=
or
>> the last few years.  I also had a copy of a booklet of short (one pager)=
 CAP
>> stories.  So we left him with some tangible evidence.
>>=20
>> Final comments:  We do think a spark may have been ignited =AD we are not =
sure
>> how to keep it going.
>>=20
>> Marita, Darlene, Monique and Patrick.
>>=20
>>=20
>> _______________________________________________
>> Advisors mailing list
>> Advisors@tc.ca
>> http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/advisors
> _______________________________________________
> Advisors mailing list
> Advisors@tc.ca
> http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/advisors
>=20

--=20
Norah Fountain
Communications Specialist
Your message is my life=B9s work.
T: 705.762.2122