When is a brand new policy announcement by a political leader not about policy at all? In his fortnightly column, Brian Lee Crowley reviews Paul Martin's attempt in the leaders’ debate to turn the Charter of Rights and Freedoms’ notwithstanding clause into an election issue. He suggests the ploy has more to do with changing the subject than debating policy.
In his regular fortnightly column, AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley uses the spirit of the season to reflect on politics, politicians and our democracy.
The latest stop in the AIMS Angus McBeath North American Tour prompted a couple of opinion pieces in local newspapers. McBeath, the former superintendent of schools in Edmonton and AIMS Fellow in Public Education Reform, describes the remarkable turn-around in public education in his Alberta city. In this article, Jamie Gass opines Boston should take its lead from Edmonton's example.
The Port of Halifax is a key link in the Atlantica concept. This article in the December issue of Port of Halifax magazine provides evidence of the importance of marine trade to economic growth, and details how the Port of Halifax plans to utilize its natural assets to capture more of that trade.
China is moving quickly to make it to number one. While ports around the world are scrambling to add capacity to handle increased container traffic from China, the port of Shanghai-Yangshan is upping the stakes. Just days after opening Yangshan Phase 1, it announced APM Terminals joins the consortium for Phase 2.
This story in the Globe and Mail shows how shipments of Chinese goods via the Suez Canal are boosting business in the Port of Halifax. This mirrors recent AIMS' commentaries that show the increased use of the Suez Canal places Atlantica on the Pacific Rim.
Canadian Transportation & Logistics magazine featured Atlantica in the 'infrastructure' feature of its November/December 2005 edition. It based the feature on the talk delivered by AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley to Halifax Port Days 2005, where he prompted people to rethink geography and learn from history.
The groundwork is being laid to map Atlantica, the International Northeast Economic Region. First there is the significant Northeast CANAM Connections study covering transportation and economic issues on both sides of the border. Then there is the asset mapping project between Saint John and Bangor. RFP's have now been issued for both projects.
While many in the west are talking about increasing container capacity at key ports, China is already there. It is where ports in Atlantica need to be - able to handle the kind of volume that will be moved out of China's newest container port, Yangshan.
When the Globe and Mail was looking for someone to review this book about the regional business élite, it turned to AIMS. In this review, Brian Lee Crowley takes a look at the latest offering from Gordon Pitt, "The Codfathers". He suggests the book has the vices of its virtues.