In the post September 11th era the focus being placed on security is understandable and necessary. Transactions crossing international borders must be secured and free of terrorist threats. On the other side of the equation lies the concern of retailers and distributors who depend on a well managed an efficient border so that delays don’t drive up costs and threaten business opportunities for the Atlantica region.
The AIMS concept called Atlantica is a trade corridor reaching from Halifax to Buffalo - the International Northeast Economic Region - and it can change the prosperity of the region while improving the access of the North American heartland to emerging international trade patterns. It would appear business and community leaders in Buffalo, New York agree, after hearing details of Atlantica from AIMS president Brian Lee Crowley. He explained to a breakfast meeting of political leaders and a luncheon crowd at the Rotary Club of Buffalo how the northeast trade corridor from Halifax to Buffalo would benefit all communities along the route. Both events attracted the influential leaders of the community interested in learning more about Atlantica.
On February 10, 2005 Samual Huntington was the third speaker in the Grano series. He spoke to the "Great American Myth". The Atlantic Institute for Market Studies has been a partner since the series inception.
Good quality and low-cost air links are indispensable to any plan to build the economy. This is why AIMS President Brian Crowley puts forward in his latest column a modest proposal for Ottawa to consider: Let's make Atlantic Canada a test case for open skies. Let Air Iceland and Continental and Northwest and anybody else who can meet our safety standards fly without restriction into this region. Let them pick up passengers wherever they like, and let them decide what destinations they offer to attract customers. Read the full article to see how this idea has helped Ireland, among others, turn around their struggling economy and how the concerns about protecting our “national carrier” are easily overcome.
Reading the National Post, one might reasonably conclude the Port of Halifax is the end of the Earth, or at least the end of the line. Under the headline, "Shippers divert cargo to Halifax from Vancouver, despite longer voyage and higher costs", a recent article implied Halifax is an expensive inconvenience forced on Asian shippers solely because of Vancouver's congestion. Think again. Major changes in shipping technology, and projected huge increases in shipping volumes, have now put the east coast of North America on the Pacific Rim. More: the Port of Halifax is emerging as a major gateway to the heartland of North America, and the only Canadian east coast port that can plug into these new developments.
The Port of Vancouver has become so congested with freight from China that importers -- including major retailers -- are bypassing the West Coast and docking in Halifax. The journey from Asia takes at least twice as long but shippers and their customers are trying to avoid the traffic snarls on Vancouver's docks and rail lines that can tie up goods for up to two weeks. Read this piece from the National Post to consider the reasons behind and implications of this latest development in global transportation and commerce.
“Billions of Dollars a day. That’s what changes hands in a 24-hour period along the Canada-U.S. border, making it the largest trading block in the world. But instead of getting smoother as time goes on, the last three years have seen the Americans take a step back. Not only is it now more difficult for people to get across the border, but stricter security measures slow the flow of goods and services as well.” Read this piece from Atlantic Business Magazine as the debate heats up on whether Atlantica, the International Northeast, is the means to promote the needed inclusiveness and cooperation.
Buffalo, New York is the second largest Port of Entry to the United States, second only to Detroit and ahead of New York. This commanding position in international trade flows is due to Buffalo's proximity to Canada's industrial heartland. And where does Buffalo see its future growth coming from? Atlantica -- the International Northeast Economic Region. In their video promoting Buffalo as a major gateway to the American heartland, the city's connections to international trade routes via the Port of Halifax are highlighted. This video has received wide play, including by the New York State Transportation Commissioner, Joe Boardman. View this video, and see how the western and eastern ends of Atlantica are tied together by economic logic and powerful trade relations.
Michael Ignatieff spoke in Toronto as the second of four speakers in the Grano lecture series on the potential and limits of American power:
While Canadians don't like to be reminded of it, we are more like Americans than anyone else on Earth. While we often engage in the "narcissism of small differences" (pretending that marginal differences between us are more important than the vast body of common experiences and values), to people from outside North America, Canadians and Americans are virtually indistinguishable. In his regular column, AIMS’ President Brian Lee Crowley explores this fundamental truth as we prepare to welcome U.S. President George Bush this week.