[Advisors] "digital strategy" canada?
Kristina Verner
kverner at uwindsor.ca
Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:38:47 -0500
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Hello Everyone,
I have been quietly following along with the discussion, and, while =
James has articulated much of what I was going to say, I did want to =
share some additional information regarding i-CANADA, as there appears =
to be a continued misunderstanding of what i-CANADA is doing, who is =
involved, and how it may be able to help move the discussions forward =
for many intelligent community related matters in the Canadian context, =
including broadband services, digital inclusion, and also in terms of =
helping to craft a digital strategy moving forward.
As many of you may know, I am also actively involved with i-CANADA and =
have been since fairly close to its inception when I was in =
community-University research initiative down at the University of =
Windsor. The co-founders of i-CANADA reached out to me when =
Windsor-Essex was named in the Top 7 Intelligent Communities globally to =
see if there were transferrable lessons that they could share with other =
communities to help them overcome some of their digital economy =
challenges.
After the ICF awards cycle completed, I also worked with i-CANADA and =
served as host for the first national summit in Windsor, where we had =
representation from approximately 80 communities from across the =
country, and approximately 150 folks in attendance. The majority of the =
attendees were either municipal leaders or economic development staff. =
However, we had representation from the health, education (both K-12 and =
post secondary, arts, digital media, planning and design and, the ICT =
sector (both private sector and accelerator-type of groups in the form =
of not-for-profit regional RICs). The private sector representation was =
focused on some of the "art of the possible" discussions to help =
illustrate to the attendees that broadband was simply a means to an end, =
but not the end itself. Various projects were highlighted from various =
sizes of communities - ranging from Golden BC to Waterfront Toronto =
(some of these presentations showcased projects that were municipally =
lead, with others driven significantly by the grassroots and =
cross-sectoral in nature). There were discussions across various sectors =
include arts and culture, health, sustainability, etc. While there were =
sponsors (as is the case at any conference), there was no exhibition =
space, and no real vehicle provided for private sector agendas to be =
pushed along. =20
The second national summit was held in Montreal in October. While there =
were more private sector attendees, they were sharing lessons learned on =
topics such as social business and business process transformation - =
they weren't priming the pump or peddling their wares in the least. =
Attendees were able to hear about the latest developments in the =
research and education networks (including how ORION is now working more =
closely with the municipal sector), and first responders. Crowd-funding =
as a creative solution to overcoming the financial barriers to =
innovation was also discussed. It is key to remember that a great deal =
of value at both of these events is the significant amount of knowledge =
exchange that occurs among the attendees. =20
I am getting ready to host the third national summit in Toronto since I =
have moved onto a new position. This event will be held in June. =
Topics will include how to create a sense of community (be that defined =
by geography or interest) in connected environments, how open data and =
analytics can support healthy communities, sustainable transportation =
systems, clean water, energy savings etc., social and digital inclusion, =
an update on the regional initiatives that have been developing (there =
have been strong developments particularly on the east coast and also =
through James' leadership in the west), and a glimpse into global best =
practices relating to intelligent community development.
Last year, I suggested that i-CANADA might be a valuable ally for TC to =
work with when CAP was being wound up. However, this type of discussion =
came up at that time, and to be honest, I found it a bit disheartening =
that people were judging i-CANADA not based on fact, but based on =
perception. I'm not sure if that's due to past experiences with CATA =
(which as an active part of i-CANADA I see as a sponsor of the activity =
- not the controlling body) or simply due to a lack of exposure to the =
i-CANADA programs. They have been doing a terrific job on the first key =
topic that they were focused on - the push to keep the discussion moving =
on broadband. They have recently met with the head of the CRTC to =
discuss potential ways to move the bar nationally and try to make the =
moonshot that was defined by the attendees at events such as the =
national summits and Canada 3.0 real. (Important note: i-CANADA's =
leadership is acutely aware of the fact that broadband is only a tool - =
it is not the solution to the challenges we face as a nation.)
I really don't understand the perception that i-CANADA has been created =
to benefit the private sector in the least. Their focus has been in the =
creation of a solid base of community leaders to help keep the =
discussion moving forward. The i-CANADA Council of Governors includes =
17 Mayors from across the Country, 2 Premiers, 3 University Presidents =
and academic leaders, 8 representatives from various ICT industry =
clusters, 4 other private sector CEOs (e.g. Peter Aceto - who has =
effectively embraced a social business strategy in his leadership of ING =
Direct), Presidents of 4 of the regional research and eduction networks, =
the director of a federal agency, and 2 private consultants (one of =
which is Bill St. Arnaud). This group will continue to expand so that a =
more representative tapestry of views can be woven into the messages and =
initiatives. These folks are collaborating on a number of responses to =
key issues and are preparing to announce some engagement type of =
initiatives that will further raise awareness of some of the issues that =
Canada is struggling to overcome from a Digital Economy perspective.
In addition to the Council of Governors, there is a Board of Advisors =
that is a larger group or more front line folks, such as myself - =
essentially Intelligent Community practitioners that are bringing =
opportunities and lessons learned to the table.
The LinkedIn group is not in the least a fair representation of the =
scope of i-CANADA's activities. Based on the comments coming from this =
group, I am concerned that the message is getting misconstrued as a =
result of the nature of the activity that tends to occur in that space. =
We may need to consider a more active moderation role to ensure this =
outlet does not convey a different set of values from what the i-CANADA =
mandate actually is. i-CANADA's key areas of focus are on fostering best =
practices among Canadian communities, knowledge transfer among those =
communities, and advocating on the gaps that exist to ensure that our =
nation remains competitive in the global broadband economy. Admittedly =
i-CANADA needs to have some sponsors to underwrite the events and =
programs as there are costs associated with these activities. =20
If i-CANADA is not necessarily taking on an area of interest that this =
group has, it simply may be as a result of this group not being active =
contributors to the dialogue that is occurring. They have a genuinely =
open door and are more than happy to work with other groups that are =
doing great things to benefit Canadian communities (with a broad =
definition of the term "community"). I would suggest that a great =
course of action would be for this group to reach out to i-CANADA and =
explore how they may be able to assist TC in achieving its objectives - =
and vice versa. Maybe a great first step would be to have a few folks =
attend the conference in June to gain an understanding and appreciation =
from first hand exposure to the community champions and various subject =
matter experts that will be in attendance? =20
I have always seen the two groups as very complimentary to one another =
and had hoped last year that TC would have been open to working with =
i-CANADA with a particular interest in amplifying the digital inclusion =
concerns.
If anyone is interested in attending the conference, preliminary =
information can be found at: http://icanada.nu/events/ . I would also =
welcome any direct questions if you have a specific area of interest.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Kristina
On 2013-02-22, at 10:20 PM, imaginit <imaginit@eastlink.ca> wrote:
> James:
>=20
> I am optimistic that with yourself and Marita involved there will =
be two forces within iCanada to help steer them towards more real =
community involvement.
>=20
> I only hope that the emphasis is place upon involve the community =
itself, rather then trying to fix the issues with government =
representation of those communities. I cannot get excited with the =
announcement of a Mayor or government CTO joining iCanada. Necessary? =
Yes. Sufficient? Hardly.=20
>=20
> I question how anyone can bring the governments up to speed with =
the needs of the community without understanding those needs. And I =
don't believe any of us really understand all the communities in the =
municipality we live in, never mind across Canada.
>=20
> A difficult task? Certainly. Indeed, some would propose it is =
impossible - a rationalization often used to justify autocratic =
governance.
>=20
> Good Luck.
> Gary
>=20
> -----------------------------------------------
> More people are killed every year by pigs than by sharks, which shows =
you how good we are at evaluating risk.
> - Bruce Schneier, Beyond Fear
>=20
> THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND =
CONFIDENTIAL.
>=20
> On 2013.02.22, at 7:22 PM, James Van Leeuwen <jvl@ventus.ca> wrote:
>=20
>>=20
>> On 2013-02-22, at 3:04 PM, Gary W Kenward <garykenward@eastlink.ca> =
wrote:
>>=20
>>> James:
>>>=20
>>> Thank you for your perspective. I find it interesting that you say =
iCANADA wants to get the two sectors working together. CATA started the =
iCanada initiative, and as far as I have been able to determine, have =
not tried to reach out to any community.=20
>>=20
>> As just one member of i-CANADA's Advisory Council, I have personally =
reached out to at least twenty communities large and small here in =
western Canada over the last two years.
>>=20
>> Elected officials from some of these communities now serve on the =
Governance Council of i-CANADA, and CIOs and IT Managers from some of =
these communities have joined the Advisory Council.=20
>>=20
>> I have done the same with western Canada's major Research & Education =
networks, which are now also represented on i-CANADA's Governance Board.=20=
>>=20
>> The Premier of New Brunswick is Chairman of the Governance Council, =
and Mayor Brad Woodside of Fredericton also serves on the Governance =
Council.=20
>>=20
>> "We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would we charge =
you for broadband?=94
>> [Mayor Woodside commenting on Fredericton=92s Frede-zone public =
access WiFi network, www.fred-ezone.ca]
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>> I disagree that there is no interest, and I disagree that there =
are not community groups wiling to interact. I think the major issue is =
more likely that the groups are local, small and numerous. A =
quintessentially Canadian behaviour is to engage governments under the =
assumption that they represent communities. Having worked with some of =
these communities locally, there seems to be a general experience that =
the governments are not very good at engaging community groups even with =
their government programs, never mind iCanada.
>>> =20
>>> As an example: I first heard of i-Canada when it created a LinkedIn =
group. I read the first postings, and then the web site. Interest was =
proclaimed and questions asked by a number of people (presumably mostly =
Canadian members of the LinkedIn community). iCanada did not respond to =
any inquiry at that time. And, a cursory perusal of the the iCanada =
group today shows that there continues to be no attempt at fostering =
discussion. The group simply serves as a platform for disseminating =
iCanada announcements. So how is this engaging the community?
>>>=20
>>> My professional background includes working in the =
telecommunications and data networking sectors. There's good reason to =
question CATAs motivations regarding iCANADA - they are an industry =
organization driven by profit opportunities for their members in select =
markets. The current flurry of announcements regarding mHealth is a =
perfect example. I do not have an issue with their motivations except =
when they attempt to disguise those motivations behind a facade of =
community service.
>>>=20
>>> Communities, governments and businesses working together is the =
ideal scenario for pretty well any issue Canada faces moving forward. =
Governments and businesses working together without communities is not =
an ideal scenario.
>>>=20
>>> I will begin to believe they are truly interested in communities =
when representatives are included in iCanada discussions and events =
(take a look at the January, 2013 announcement on http://icanada.nu/ - =
not one representative of the community appears in the list of people =
gathered to "create a plan to develop an equitable high-bandwidth =
regional community, bringing ultra-high-speed service to homes and =
businesses throughout the twin provinces." In an area where there are =
many communities and community groups.
>>>=20
>>> I wish you all the best in your endeavours to influence iCanada.
>>>=20
>>> Regards,
>>> Gary
>>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> I did not say there was no interest, Gary, I said there was a lack of =
committed leadership.
>>=20
>> My local Economic Development Committee might be interested to hear =
what I have to say, but this does not imply that anyone is going to take =
any initiative in this community.=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> That said, you make a valid point.=20
>>=20
>> If we could get all the committed community leadership we have in =
Canada supporting a single nationwide initiative, we would have a much =
better balance between community and enterprise agendas.
>>=20
>> This is i-CANADA's objective, and it's why I volunteer for them.
>>=20
>> I hope you will all consider doing the same.
>>=20
>>=20
>> As for our expectations of senior governments...
>>=20
>> Whether these expectations are warranted or not, they are failing us =
badly.
>>=20
>> The System - OUR System - is broken, and outliving its usefulness.=20
>>=20
>> Despite this, an attitude of Ain't-Broke-Don't-Fix-It still prevails.
>>=20
>> We may be reluctant to accept reality, because it means the burden of =
leadership now falls to us as individuals and communities.
>>=20
>> I personally believe this is the essence of the challenge Canada =
faces at this point in its history.
>>=20
>> If we fail to respond, we fail ourselves and we especially fail our =
children.
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> "The major advances in human civilization all but wreck the societies =
in which they appear." [Alfred North Whitehead]
>>=20
>> More than anything, this is a commentary on the history of =
institutional change.
>>=20
>> Historically, government institutions have always been the slowest to =
change in the wake of a technological revolution.=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> The truth of the matter is that our senior governments need external =
guidance to help them adapt to the new realities we are now facing.=20
>>=20
>> They reflexively look inward, which is the worst possible thing to =
do.
>>=20
>> There is always plenty of rhetoric and window dressing around =
'engaging the citizen' and 'listening', but even if they hear what we =
were saying, they are still unable to respond.
>>=20
>> The internal tensions in our senior governments today are =
unprecedented, and paralyzing.=20
>>=20
>> They cannot respond effectively without a wholesale change of =
leadership, and this will not happen until WE make it happen.=20
>>=20
>>=20
>> I should mention that this will be the first technological revolution =
to seriously disrupt our academic institutions as well as our government =
and economic institutions.=20
>>=20
>> If we end up giving this disruption a name, it might be something =
like The Great Decentralization.
>>=20
>>=20
>> JvL
>>=20
>> P.S.: In case anyone is wondering, I am not a political =
revolutionary.=20
>>=20
>> I am a community sustainability consultant interested to help =
communities (and governments) to capitalize on the changes we are now =
experiencing.=20
>>=20
>> There is a tremendous amount of good that will come of all this.=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>> =20
>>>=20
>>> THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND =
CONFIDENTIAL.
>>>=20
>>> On 2013.02.22, at 4:40 PM, James Van Leeuwen <jvl@ventus.ca> wrote:
>>>=20
>>>> Gary,
>>>>=20
>>>> what will help Canada the most is to have our community/municipal =
sector and our enterprise sector working in tandem to pull Canada in the =
direction it needs to be going.
>>>>=20
>>>> A priority objective for iCANADA is to get these two sectors =
working together to mutual benefit and to broader societal benefit (they =
get it, Marita).
>>>>=20
>>>> The under-representation of the community/municipal sector in =
i-CANADA is not a matter of preference on i-CANADA's part.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> The condition reflects the availability and eagerness of leadership =
in the enterprise sector, and the widespread lack of committed =
leadership in Canada's community/municipal sector.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> Most of our community leaders still either do not recognize the =
need to lead, do not care to lead, or do not think they have permission =
to lead.
>>>>=20
>>>> Wanting permission is a quintessentially Canadian trait, but no =
community in Canada actually needs permission from anyone to meet its =
own broadband needs.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> This crippling condition does not exist in the U.S., which helps to =
explain how community broadband has become such a robust and rapidly =
growing trend down there.
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> For i-CANADA, the critical need is not to weaken enterprise =
involvement, but to strengthen community involvement.
>>>>=20
>>>> Our lack of community leadership is our single greatest obstacle in =
advancing the digital agenda in Canada... not industry, and not =
government.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> To make the best progress, this is the challenge we should be =
channelling our available attention, time and energy into.
>>>>=20
>>>> As an example of what i-CANADA is doing, co-founder Barry Gander =
will be travelling out to Calgary next month to engage an audience of =
municipal and corporate CIOs.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> I will helping to coordinate and deliver the event, because this is =
my 'turf'.
>>>>=20
>>>> i-CANADA needs all the help we can get right across Canada, =
especially volunteer support at the community level.
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> Why waste time engaging federal government when they are so far out =
of their depth and their priorities lie elsewhere.
>>>>=20
>>>> Our telecom and broadcast industries also have different =
priorities, which often conflict directly with the needs of communities.
>>>>=20
>>>> Both industries want to own our business rather than earn it, =
because it's the only way they know how to do business. It is their =
business DNA.
>>>>=20
>>>> I have said this before...
>>>>=20
>>>> If industry or government were actually capable of responding =
meaningfully and effectively to the grand opportunities we are facing in =
the 21st century, we would have had a digital strategy years ago.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> The notion of Gbps residential Internet connectivity for $70/month =
simply does not reconcile with their mental models of reality.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> They cannot provide the leadership we need.=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> Virtually all of my consulting and volunteer activity today is =
directly focused on addressing this community leadership challenge.
>>>>=20
>>>> On the consulting front, I am about to commence work on a study =
that will produce a comprehensive assessment of economic benefits =
associated with community broadband deployment in rural and remote =
communities.
>>>>=20
>>>> The purpose of the study is to rationalize the costs of deployment =
for key potential stakeholders, including communities-at-large, local =
governments, senior governments, academia and industries.
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> On the volunteer front, our local government here in Pincher Creek =
has an Economic Development Committee to advise elected officials on =
where they should be taking initiative.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> I have just been accepted on to the Committee, and I will be =
presenting to the Committee next week on the merits of community =
broadband.=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> I have been advocating for community broadband throughout southwest =
Alberta for the last eight years, ever since the Alberta SuperNet went =
into operation.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> This will be the first time in eight years that I have been invited =
to give a presentation on the relevance of broadband to community =
economic development and community sustainability.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> My sense is that a few of our younger community and business =
leaders are finally beginning to accept that neither industry nor =
government has the motive or the mandate to meet the longer-term =
broadband needs of our community.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> It might just be wishful thinking on my part, but my point is to =
illustrate just how acute this lack of leadership is.
>>>>=20
>>>> Considering that we have had the SuperNet for eight years, you =
would think that by now all of rural Alberta would be a showcase for =
leadership in community broadband and digital economic development.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> We have only one serious initiative (Olds Fibre), and a tiny =
handful of less ambitious initiatives.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> This is the reality of Alberta... the place our current Prime =
Minister hails from.=20
>>>>=20
>>>> JvL
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>> On 2013-02-22, at 11:56 AM, Gary W Kenward =
<garykenward@eastlink.ca> wrote:
>>>>=20
>>>>> There's a lot of ironic humour in your comment.
>>>>>=20
>>>>> Thank you.
>>>>> Gary
>>>>>=20
>>>>>=20
>>>>>=20
>>>>> THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND =
CONFIDENTIAL.
>>>>>=20
>>>>> On 2013.02.22, at 1:58 PM, Marita Moll <mmoll@ca.inter.net> wrote:
>>>>>=20
>>>>>> Ken, I don't have the answer to this question. James has been =
working really hard on getting i-Canada to understand the concept of =
community.
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> I'll pass this to him.
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> Marita
>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> On 2/21/2013 11:42 PM, imaginit wrote:
>>>>>>> Marita:
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> Please clarify for me: the strategy outlined in Michael's =
posting lines up with iCanada's "Innovation Nation" objectives, which =
focusses on investment incentives for internet businesses? An agenda =
that the current government (that is, Prime Minister Stephen Harper) can =
easily align himself with?
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> I am all for promoting investment in high tech in Canada =
(although not a fan of some of the stimuli, such as SR&ED tax credits, =
another component of iCanada's 'platform"). However, based upon the =
information provided on iCanada's web site and it's prolific LinkedIn =
postings, I find the proposition that iCanada is working for the =
community to be misrepresentative.
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> Do you know of activities by iCanada that are aimed at directly =
engaging Canadian communities, particularly rural, aboriginal, elderly =
and other communities in need?
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>>> Gary
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> -----------------------------------------------
>>>>>>> "The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
>>>>>>> the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to =
himself.
>>>>>>> Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man."
>>>>>>> - George Bernard Shaw
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND =
CONFIDENTIAL.
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>> On 2013.02.21, at 6:43 PM, Marita Moll<mmoll@ca.inter.net> =
wrote:
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> The elements of the govt's digital strategy listed in the =
letter -- see link below -- are laughable. Maybe we should send the =
minister a letter with some suggestions of what a real digital strategy =
might consist of. Actually there are several articles in the collection =
"The Internet Tree" which would suffice very well. One is by our very =
own Garth Graham, another by Michael Geist.
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> Marita
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> On 2/19/2013 7:05 AM, michael gurstein wrote:
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>> I don't know which is worse... Not having a digital strategy =
for Canada or
>>>>>>>>> having the kind of digital strategy that we are likely to get =
from a Harper
>>>>>>>>> Government :(.
>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>> The government's response to digital strategy critics
>>>>>>>>> <http://wordsbynowak.com/2013/02/15/digital-strateg/>
>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>>> Advisors mailing list
>>>>>>>>> Advisors@tc.ca
>>>>>>>>> http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/advisors
>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>>>> Advisors mailing list
>>>>>>>> Advisors@tc.ca
>>>>>>>> http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/advisors
>>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>>>=20
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Advisors mailing list
>>>>>> Advisors@tc.ca
>>>>>> http://victoria.tc.ca/mailman/listinfo/advisors
>>>>>=20
>>>>=20
>>>=20
>>=20
>=20
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-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hello =
Everyone,<div><br></div><div>I have been quietly following along with =
the discussion, and, while James has articulated much of what I was =
going to say, I did want to share some additional information regarding =
i-CANADA, as there appears to be a continued misunderstanding of what =
i-CANADA is doing, who is involved, and how it may be able to help move =
the discussions forward for many intelligent community related matters =
in the Canadian context, including broadband services, digital =
inclusion, and also in terms of helping to craft a digital strategy =
moving forward.</div><div><div><br></div><div>As many of you may know, I =
am also actively involved with i-CANADA and have been since fairly close =
to its inception when I was in community-University research initiative =
down at the University of Windsor. The co-founders of i-CANADA =
reached out to me when Windsor-Essex was named in the Top 7 Intelligent =
Communities globally to see if there were transferrable lessons that =
they could share with other communities to help them overcome some of =
their digital economy challenges.</div><div><br></div><div>After the ICF =
awards cycle completed, I also worked with i-CANADA and served as host =
for the first national summit in Windsor, where we had representation =
from approximately 80 communities from across the country, and =
approximately 150 folks in attendance. The majority of the =
attendees were either municipal leaders or economic development staff. =
However, we had representation from the health, education (both K-12 and =
post secondary, arts, digital media, planning and design and, the ICT =
sector (both private sector and accelerator-type of groups in the form =
of not-for-profit regional RICs). The private sector =
representation was focused on some of the "art of the possible" =
discussions to help illustrate to the attendees that broadband was =
simply a means to an end, but not the end itself. Various projects =
were highlighted from various sizes of communities - ranging from Golden =
BC to Waterfront Toronto (some of these presentations showcased projects =
that were municipally lead, with others driven significantly by the =
grassroots and cross-sectoral in nature). There were discussions across =
various sectors include arts and culture, health, sustainability, etc. =
While there were sponsors (as is the case at any conference), =
there was no exhibition space, and no real vehicle provided for private =
sector agendas to be pushed along. </div><div><br></div><div>The =
second national summit was held in Montreal in October. While =
there were more private sector attendees, they were sharing lessons =
learned on topics such as social business and business process =
transformation - they weren't priming the pump or peddling their wares =
in the least. Attendees were able to hear about the latest =
developments in the research and education networks (including how ORION =
is now working more closely with the municipal sector), and first =
responders. Crowd-funding as a creative solution to overcoming the =
financial barriers to innovation was also discussed. It is key to =
remember that a great deal of value at both of these events is the =
significant amount of knowledge exchange that occurs among the =
attendees. </div><div><br></div><div>I am getting ready to host =
the third national summit in Toronto since I have moved onto a new =
position. This event will be held in June. Topics will =
include how to create a sense of community (be that defined by geography =
or interest) in connected environments, how open data and analytics can =
support healthy communities, sustainable transportation systems, clean =
water, energy savings etc., social and digital inclusion, an update on =
the regional initiatives that have been developing (there have been =
strong developments particularly on the east coast and also through =
James' leadership in the west), and a glimpse into global best practices =
relating to intelligent community =
development.</div><div><br></div><div>Last year, I suggested that =
i-CANADA might be a valuable ally for TC to work with when CAP was being =
wound up. However, this type of discussion came up at that time, =
and to be honest, I found it a bit disheartening that people were =
judging i-CANADA not based on fact, but based on perception. I'm not =
sure if that's due to past experiences with CATA (which as an active =
part of i-CANADA I see as a sponsor of the activity - not the =
controlling body) or simply due to a lack of exposure to the i-CANADA =
programs. They have been doing a terrific job on the first key =
topic that they were focused on - the push to keep the discussion moving =
on broadband. They have recently met with the head of the CRTC to =
discuss potential ways to move the bar nationally and try to make the =
moonshot that was defined by the attendees at events such as the =
national summits and Canada 3.0 real. (Important note: i-CANADA's =
leadership is acutely aware of the fact that broadband is only a tool - =
it is not the solution to the challenges we face as a =
nation.)</div><div><br></div><div>I really don't understand the =
perception that i-CANADA has been created to benefit the private sector =
in the least. Their focus has been in the creation of a solid base =
of community leaders to help keep the discussion moving forward. =
The i-CANADA Council of Governors includes 17 Mayors from across =
the Country, 2 Premiers, 3 University Presidents and academic leaders, 8 =
representatives from various ICT industry clusters, 4 other private =
sector CEOs (e.g. Peter Aceto - who has effectively embraced a social =
business strategy in his leadership of ING Direct), Presidents of 4 of =
the regional research and eduction networks, the director of a federal =
agency, and 2 private consultants (one of which is Bill St. Arnaud). =
This group will continue to expand so that a more representative =
tapestry of views can be woven into the messages and initiatives. These =
folks are collaborating on a number of responses to key issues and are =
preparing to announce some engagement type of initiatives that will =
further raise awareness of some of the issues that Canada is struggling =
to overcome from a Digital Economy =
perspective.</div><div><br></div><div>In addition to the Council of =
Governors, there is a Board of Advisors that is a larger group or more =
front line folks, such as myself - essentially Intelligent Community =
practitioners that are bringing opportunities and lessons learned to the =
table.</div><div><br></div><div>The LinkedIn group is not in the least a =
fair representation of the scope of i-CANADA's activities. Based =
on the comments coming from this group, I am concerned that the message =
is getting misconstrued as a result of the nature of the activity that =
tends to occur in that space. We may need to consider a more active =
moderation role to ensure this outlet does not convey a different set of =
values from what the i-CANADA mandate actually is. i-CANADA's key =
areas of focus are on fostering best practices among Canadian =
communities, knowledge transfer among those communities, and advocating =
on the gaps that exist to ensure that our nation remains competitive in =
the global broadband economy. Admittedly i-CANADA needs to have some =
sponsors to underwrite the events and programs as there are costs =
associated with these activities. </div><div><br></div><div>If =
i-CANADA is not necessarily taking on an area of interest that this =
group has, it simply may be as a result of this group not being active =
contributors to the dialogue that is occurring. They have a =
genuinely open door and are more than happy to work with other groups =
that are doing great things to benefit Canadian communities (with a =
broad definition of the term "community"). I would suggest that a =
great course of action would be for this group to reach out to i-CANADA =
and explore how they may be able to assist TC in achieving its =
objectives - and vice versa. <b>Maybe a great first step would be =
to have a few folks attend the conference in June to gain an =
understanding and appreciation from first hand exposure to the community =
champions and various subject matter experts that will be in attendance? =
</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>I have always seen the two =
groups as very complimentary to one another and had hoped last year that =
TC would have been open to working with i-CANADA with a particular =
interest in amplifying the digital inclusion =
concerns.</div><div><br></div><div>If anyone is interested in attending =
the conference, preliminary information can be found at: <a =
href=3D"http://icanada.nu/events/">http://icanada.nu/events/</a> . =
I would also welcome any direct questions if you have a specific =
area of interest.</div><div><br></div><div>Have a great weekend =
everyone!</div><div>Kristina</div><div><br></div><div><div><div>On =
2013-02-22, at 10:20 PM, imaginit <<a =
href=3D"mailto:imaginit@eastlink.ca">imaginit@eastlink.ca</a>> =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dwindows-1252"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
">James:<div><br></div><div> I am optimistic that with =
yourself and Marita involved there will be two forces within iCanada to =
help steer them towards more real community =
involvement.</div><div><br></div><div> I only hope that the =
emphasis is place upon involve the community itself, rather then trying =
to fix the issues with government representation of those communities. I =
cannot get excited with the announcement of a Mayor or government CTO =
joining iCanada. Necessary? Yes. Sufficient? =
Hardly. </div><div><br></div><div> I question how =
anyone can bring the governments up to speed with the needs of the =
community without understanding those needs. And I don't believe any of =
us really understand all the communities in the municipality we live in, =
never mind across Canada.</div><div><br></div><div> A =
difficult task? Certainly. Indeed, some would propose it is impossible - =
a rationalization often used to justify autocratic =
governance.</div><div><br></div><div>Good =
Luck.</div><div>Gary</div><div><div>
<div style=3D"orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; =
widows: 2; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: 2; =
text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: =
space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: =
2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: =
space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: =
2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: =
space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"orphans: =
2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: =
medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; =
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; "><font color=3D"#511989" style=3D"font-size:=
10px; "><font face=3D"Lucida Grande" style=3D"font-weight: normal; =
font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; "><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"></font><span style=3D"font-weight: =
normal; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; =
">-----------------------------------------------</span><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><font face=3D"Comic Sans =
MS">More people are killed every year by pigs than by =
sharks, which shows you how good we are at evaluating =
risk.</font></font></div><div style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: =
medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; =
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; "><font color=3D"#511989" face=3D"Comic =
Sans MS" style=3D"font-size: 10px; "> - Bruce Schneier, Beyond =
Fear</font></div><div style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: medium; =
font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; =
letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-transform: none; =
white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; =
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; "><span style=3D"font-size: 10px; =
"><br></span></div><div style=3D"orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; =
text-indent: 0px; widows: 2; "><font color=3D"#9c1800" face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><span style=3D"font-size: 10px; "><b>THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN =
THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL</b></span></font><font =
color=3D"#9c1800" face=3D"Trebuchet MS" style=3D"font-family: Arial; =
font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10px; =
"><b>.</b></span></font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></=
div>
</div>
<br><div><div>On 2013.02.22, at 7:22 PM, James Van Leeuwen <<a =
href=3D"mailto:jvl@ventus.ca">jvl@ventus.ca</a>> wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><meta =
http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dwindows-1252"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
"><br><div><div>On 2013-02-22, at 3:04 PM, Gary W Kenward <<a =
href=3D"mailto:garykenward@eastlink.ca">garykenward@eastlink.ca</a>> =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Diso-8859-1"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font =
color=3D"#0061ff">James:</font><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><font color=3D"#0061ff"> =
Thank you for your perspective. I find it interesting that you say =
iCANADA wants to get the two sectors working together. CATA started the =
iCanada initiative, and as far as I have been able to determine, have =
not tried to reach out to any =
community. </font></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>As =
just one member of i-CANADA's Advisory Council, I have personally =
reached out to at least twenty communities large and small here in =
western Canada over the last two years.</div><div><br></div><div>Elected =
officials from some of these communities now serve on the Governance =
Council of i-CANADA, and CIOs and IT Managers from some of these =
communities have joined the Advisory =
Council. </div><div><br></div><div>I have done the same with =
western Canada's major Research & Education networks, which are now =
also represented on i-CANADA's Governance =
Board. </div><div><br></div><div>The Premier of New Brunswick is =
Chairman of the Governance Council, and Mayor Brad Woodside of =
Fredericton also serves on the Governance =
Council. </div><div><br></div><div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; "><i =
style=3D"font-size: 13px;"><b>"We don't charge you to walk on our =
sidewalks. Why would we charge you for broadband?=94</b></i></div><div =
style=3D"margin: 0px; "><span style=3D"font-size: 13px;">[Mayor Woodside =
commenting on Fredericton=92s <i>Frede-zone </i>public </span><span =
style=3D"font-size: 13px; ">access WiFi network, </span><span =
style=3D"font-size: 13px; color: rgb(4, 51, 255); "><a =
href=3D"http://www.fred-ezone.ca/">www.fred-ezone.ca</a>]</span></div></di=
v><div><br></div><div><br></div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div =
style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font color=3D"#0061ff"> =
I disagree that there is no interest, and I disagree that there are not =
community groups wiling to interact. I think the major issue is more =
likely that the groups are local, small and numerous. A quintessentially =
Canadian behaviour is to engage governments under the assumption that =
they represent communities. Having worked with some of these communities =
locally, there seems to be a general experience that the governments are =
not very good at engaging community groups even with their government =
programs, never mind iCanada.</font></div></blockquote><div><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: =
space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><font =
color=3D"#424242"> </font></div></blockquote><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: =
space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff">As an example: I first heard of i-Canada when it =
created a LinkedIn group. I read the first postings, and then the web =
site. Interest was proclaimed and questions asked by a number of people =
(presumably mostly Canadian members of the LinkedIn community). =
iCanada did not respond to any inquiry at that time. And, a cursory =
perusal of the the iCanada group today shows that there continues to be =
no attempt at fostering discussion. The group simply serves as a =
platform for disseminating iCanada announcements. So how is this =
engaging the community?</font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><font color=3D"#0061ff"> =
My professional background includes working in the telecommunications =
and data networking sectors. There's good reason to question CATAs =
motivations regarding iCANADA - they are an industry organization driven =
by profit opportunities for their members in select markets. The current =
flurry of announcements regarding mHealth is a perfect example. I do not =
have an issue with their motivations except when they attempt to =
disguise those motivations behind a facade of community =
service.</font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><font color=3D"#0061ff"> =
Communities, governments and businesses working together is the ideal =
scenario for pretty well any issue Canada faces moving forward. =
Governments and businesses working together without communities is not =
an ideal scenario.</font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><font color=3D"#0061ff"> I =
will begin to believe they are truly interested in communities when =
representatives are included in iCanada discussions and events (take a =
look at the January, 2013 announcement on <a =
href=3D"http://icanada.nu/">http://icanada.nu/</a> - not one =
representative of the community appears in the list of people gathered =
to "<span style=3D"background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: =
18px; text-align: left; ">create a plan to develop an equitable =
high-bandwidth regional community, bringing ultra-high-speed service to =
homes and businesses throughout the twin provinces." In an area where =
there are many communities and community =
groups.</span></font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><font color=3D"#0061ff"> =
I wish you all the best in your endeavours to influence =
iCanada.</font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff">Regards,</font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff">Gary</font></div><div><font =
color=3D"#0061ff"><br></font></div><div><div =
apple-content-edited=3D"true"></div></div></div></blockquote></div><div><b=
r></div><div>I did not say there was no interest, Gary, I said =
there was a lack of committed leadership.</div><div><br></div><div>My =
local Economic Development Committee might be interested to hear what I =
have to say, but this does not imply that anyone is going to take any =
initiative in this =
community. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>That said, you =
make a valid point. </div><div><br></div><div>If we could =
get <b><i>all</i></b> the committed community leadership we =
have in Canada supporting a single nationwide initiative, we would have =
a much better balance between community and enterprise =
agendas.</div><div><br></div><div>This is i-CANADA's objective, and it's =
why I volunteer for them.</div><div><br></div><div>I hope you will all =
consider doing the same.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>As for =
our expectations of senior =
governments...</div><div><br></div><div>Whether these expectations are =
warranted or not, they are failing us =
badly.</div><div><br></div><div>The System - OUR System - is broken, and =
outliving its usefulness. </div><div><br></div><div>Despite this, =
an attitude of Ain't-Broke-Don't-Fix-It still =
prevails.</div><div><br></div><div>We may be reluctant to accept =
reality, because it means the burden of leadership now falls to us as =
individuals and communities.</div><div><br></div><div>I personally =
believe this is the essence of the challenge Canada faces at this point =
in its history.</div><div><br></div><div>If we fail to respond, we fail =
ourselves and we especially fail our =
children.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><i><b>"Th=
e major advances in human civilization all but wreck the societies in =
which they appear." </b></i>[Alfred North =
Whitehead]</div><div><br></div><div>More than anything, this is a =
commentary on the history of institutional =
change.</div><div><br></div><div>Historically, government institutions =
have always been the slowest to change in the wake of a technological =
revolution. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>The truth of =
the matter is that our senior governments need <b><u>external</u></b> =
guidance to help them adapt to the new realities we are now =
facing. </div><div><br></div><div>They reflexively look inward, =
which is the worst possible thing to do.</div><div><br></div><div>There =
is always plenty of rhetoric and window dressing around 'engaging the =
citizen' and 'listening', but even if they hear what we were saying, =
they are still unable to respond.</div><div><br></div><div>The internal =
tensions in our senior governments today are unprecedented, and =
paralyzing. </div><div><br></div><div>They cannot respond =
effectively without a wholesale change of leadership, and this will =
not happen until WE make it =
happen. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I should mention =
that this will be the first technological revolution to seriously =
disrupt our academic institutions as well as our government and economic =
institutions. </div><div><br></div><div>If we end up giving this =
disruption a name, it might be something like <b><i>The Great =
Decentralization</i></b>.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>JvL</div=
><div><br></div><div>P.S.: In case anyone is wondering, I am not a =
political revolutionary. </div><div><br></div><div>I am a community =
sustainability consultant interested to help communities (and =
governments) to capitalize on the changes we are now =
experiencing. </div><div><br></div><div>There is a tremendous =
amount of good that will come of all =
this. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></d=
iv><div><br></div><br><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"word-wrap: =
break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: =
after-white-space; "><div><font =
color=3D"#424242"> </font></div><div><div =
apple-content-edited=3D"true"><div style=3D"font-family: Arial; =
font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: =
none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span =
style=3D"font-size: 10px; "><font face=3D"Trebuchet =
MS"><b><i><br></i></b></font></span></div><div style=3D"font-family: =
Arial; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; =
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; =
orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: =
none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; =
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; =
"><span><span style=3D"color: rgb(156, 24, 0); text-align: left; =
font-size: 12px; "><font face=3D"Trebuchet MS"><b><i>THE INFORMATION =
CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND =
CONFIDENTIAL.</i></b></font></span></span></div>
</div>
<br><div><div>On 2013.02.22, at 4:40 PM, James Van Leeuwen <<a =
href=3D"mailto:jvl@ventus.ca">jvl@ventus.ca</a>> wrote:</div><br =
class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><meta =
http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Diso-8859-1"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; =
">Gary,<div><br></div><div>what will help Canada the most is to have our =
community/municipal sector and our enterprise sector working in tandem =
to pull Canada in the direction it needs to be =
going.</div><div><br></div><div>A priority objective for iCANADA is to =
get these two sectors working together to mutual benefit and to broader =
societal benefit (they get it, Marita).</div><div><br></div><div>The =
under-representation of the community/municipal sector in =
i-CANADA is not a matter of preference on i-CANADA's =
part. </div><div><br></div><div>The condition reflects the =
availability and eagerness of leadership in the enterprise sector, =
and the widespread lack of committed leadership in Canada's =
community/municipal sector. </div><div><br></div><div>Most of our =
community leaders still either do not recognize the need to lead, do not =
care to lead, or do not think they have permission to =
lead.</div><div><br></div><div>Wanting permission is a quintessentially =
Canadian trait, but no community in Canada actually needs permission =
from anyone to meet its own broadband =
needs. </div><div><br></div><div>This crippling condition does not =
exist in the U.S., which helps to explain how community broadband has =
become such a robust and rapidly growing trend down =
there.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>For =
i-CANADA, the critical need is not to weaken enterprise =
involvement, but to strengthen community =
involvement.</div><div><br></div><div>Our lack of community leadership =
is our single greatest obstacle in advancing the digital agenda in =
Canada... not industry, and not =
government. </div><div><br></div><div>To make the best progress, =
this is the challenge we should be channelling our available attention, =
time and energy into.</div><div><br></div><div>As an example of what =
i-CANADA is doing, co-founder Barry Gander will be travelling out to =
Calgary next month to engage an audience of municipal and corporate =
CIOs. </div><div><br></div><div>I will helping to coordinate and =
deliver the event, because this is my =
'turf'.</div><div><br></div><div>i-CANADA needs all the help we can get =
right across Canada, especially volunteer support at the community =
level.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Why waste time engaging =
federal government when they are so far out of their depth and their =
priorities lie elsewhere.</div><div><br></div><div>Our telecom and =
broadcast industries also have different priorities, which often =
conflict directly with the needs of =
communities.</div><div><br></div><div>Both industries want to <i>own</i> =
our business rather than <i>earn</i> it, because it's the only way they =
know how to do business. It is their business =
DNA.</div><div><br></div><div>I have said this =
before...</div><div><br></div><div>If industry or government were =
actually capable of responding meaningfully and effectively to the grand =
opportunities we are facing in the 21st century, we would have had a =
digital strategy <b><i>years</i></b> =
ago. </div><div><br></div><div>The notion of Gbps residential =
Internet connectivity for $70/month simply does not reconcile with their =
mental models of reality. </div><div><br></div><div>They cannot =
provide the leadership we =
need. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Virtual=
ly all of my consulting and volunteer activity today is directly focused =
on addressing this community leadership =
challenge.</div><div><br></div></div><div>On the consulting front, I am =
about to commence work on a study that will produce a comprehensive =
assessment of economic benefits associated with community broadband =
deployment in rural and remote communities.</div><div><br></div><div>The =
purpose of the study is to rationalize the costs of deployment for key =
potential stakeholders, including communities-at-large, local =
governments, senior governments, academia and =
industries.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>On the volunteer =
front, our local government here in Pincher Creek has an Economic =
Development Committee to advise elected officials on where they should =
be taking initiative. </div><div><br></div><div>I have just been =
accepted on to the Committee, and I will be presenting to the Committee =
next week on the merits of community =
broadband. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>I have been =
advocating for community broadband throughout southwest Alberta for the =
last eight years, ever since the Alberta SuperNet went into =
operation. </div><div><br></div><div>This will be the first time in =
eight years that I have been <b>invited</b> to give a presentation on =
the relevance of broadband to community economic development and =
community sustainability. </div><div><br></div><div>My sense is =
that a few of our younger community and business leaders are finally =
beginning to accept that neither industry nor government has the motive =
or the mandate to meet the longer-term broadband needs of our =
community. </div><div><br></div><div>It might just be wishful =
thinking on my part, but my point is to illustrate just how acute this =
lack of leadership is.</div><div><br></div><div>Considering that we have =
had the SuperNet for eight years, you would think that by now all of =
rural Alberta would be a showcase for leadership in community broadband =
and digital economic development. </div><div><br></div><div>We have =
only one serious initiative (Olds Fibre), and a tiny handful of less =
ambitious initiatives. </div><div><br></div><div>This is the =
reality of Alberta... the place our current Prime Minister hails =
from. </div><div><br></div><div>JvL</div><div><br></div><div><br></di=
v><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><di=
v><div>On 2013-02-22, at 11:56 AM, Gary W Kenward <<a =
href=3D"mailto:garykenward@eastlink.ca">garykenward@eastlink.ca</a>> =
wrote:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">There's a lot of ironic humour in your =
comment.<br><br>Thank you.<br>Gary<br><br><br><br>THE INFORMATION =
CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.<br><br>On =
2013.02.22, at 1:58 PM, Marita Moll <<a =
href=3D"mailto:mmoll@ca.inter.net">mmoll@ca.inter.net</a>> =
wrote:<br><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">Ken, I don't have the answer to =
this question. James has been working really hard on getting =
i-Canada to understand the concept of community.<br><br>I'll pass this =
to him.<br><br>Marita<br><br>On 2/21/2013 11:42 PM, imaginit =
wrote:<br><blockquote type=3D"cite">Marita:<br><br> Please clarify =
for me: the strategy outlined in Michael's posting lines up with =
iCanada's "Innovation Nation" objectives, which focusses on investment =
incentives for internet businesses? An agenda that the current =
government (that is, Prime Minister Stephen Harper) can easily align =
himself with?<br><br> I am all for promoting investment in high =
tech in Canada (although not a fan of some of the stimuli, such as =
SR&ED tax credits, another component of iCanada's 'platform"). =
However, based upon the information provided on iCanada's web site and =
it's prolific LinkedIn postings, I find the proposition that =
iCanada is working for the community to be misrepresentative.<br><br> =
Do you know of activities by iCanada that are aimed at directly =
engaging Canadian communities, particularly rural, aboriginal, elderly =
and other communities in =
need?<br><br>Regards,<br>Gary<br><br>-------------------------------------=
----------<br>"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;<br>the =
unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to =
himself.<br>Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable =
man."<br> - George Bernard Shaw<br><br>THE INFORMATION =
CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL.<br><br>On =
2013.02.21, at 6:43 PM, Marita Moll<<a =
href=3D"mailto:mmoll@ca.inter.net">mmoll@ca.inter.net</a>> =
wrote:<br><br><br><blockquote type=3D"cite">The elements of the =
govt's digital strategy listed in the letter -- see link below -- are =
laughable. Maybe we should send the minister a letter with some =
suggestions of what a real digital strategy might consist of. =
Actually there are several articles in the collection "The =
Internet Tree" which would suffice very well. One is by our very =
own Garth Graham, another by Michael Geist.<br><br>Marita<br><br>On =
2/19/2013 7:05 AM, michael gurstein wrote:<br><br><blockquote =
type=3D"cite">I don't know which is worse... Not having a digital =
strategy for Canada or<br>having the kind of digital strategy that we =
are likely to get from a Harper<br>Government :(.<br><br>The =
government's response to digital strategy critics<br><<a =
href=3D"http://wordsbynowak.com/2013/02/15/digital-strateg/">http://wordsb=
ynowak.com/2013/02/15/digital-strateg/</a>><br><br>____________________=
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c.ca/mailman/listinfo/advisors</a><br><br><br></blockquote>_______________=
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