Wednesday October 6, 2010

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Ted Talks

Tim Jackson's economic reality check As the world faces recession, climate change, inequity and more, Tim Jackson delivers a piercing challenge to established economic principles, explaining how we might stop feeding the crises and start investing in our future.

KITCHENER-WATERLOO –Home sales to the end of the third quarter of 2010 are ahead of last year by 4.5 percent. There were a total of 5,113 home sales through the Multiple Listing System (MLS®) of the Kitchener-Waterloo Real Estate Board (KWREB) during the first nine months of the year, compared with 4,892 during the same period of 2009.

Waterloo - Tim Jackson and Jacqui Murphy, partners in Tech Capital Partners, are taking their approach to venture capital investments and putting it to work for the region’s non-profit sector. At today’s launch of the 2010 Vital Signs report, they announced the formation of Social Venture Partners Waterloo Region (SVP Waterloo Region), a new network of community-minded individuals who combine financial contributions and professional skills with a passion for philanthropy.

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Global Economy

World Bank Chief Warns On Hurdles To Growth

World Bank - "The global economy is recovering at such a tepid pace, said World Bank President Robert Zoellick, that countries must guard against creating 'tensions' that could undermine further growth. Among the issues that warrant particular attention are: foreign-currency fights, protectionism, asset bubbles and food-price volatility, he said...." [The Wall Street Journal/Factiva]

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Municipal Election

Waterloo Ward 6 Candidate Jeff Henry - Statement

Waterloo – Waterloo Council candidate Jeff Henry spoke directly and thoughtfully to residents’ concerns in a spirited discussion with his Ward 6 opponents at the debate organized by Waterloo’s Voter Support Committee.

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Oktoberfest

Kick off Oktoberfest with a weekend of food and fun

KITCHENER – Downtown Kitchener is gearing up for the 42nd annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, and everything kicks off with Grillefest at 11 a.m. and the opening ceremonies at 11:30 on Friday, October 8, in Civic Square.

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Leadership

HONEST MEASURE - CFOs Cite Integrity as Most Important Trait for Future Leaders

TORONTO -A strong moral compass can give high-potential managers a leg up the career ladder, a new Robert Half Management Resources survey suggests. Twenty-four per cent of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said that, other than technical or functional expertise, integrity is what they look for most when grooming future leaders.

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Expansion

Avison Young opens new office in Boston

Leading Canadian commercial real estate firm acquires Essex River Ventures, opens sixth location outside Canada

TORONTO - Mark E. Rose, Chair and CEO of Avison Young, Canada's largest independently-owned commercial real estate services company, announced today that the firm has acquired Boston-based Essex River Ventures, Inc. (ERV) and opened a new office in the Massachusetts city.

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Transportation

Major Organizations Deploy Descartes' Wireless Solutions to Make Mobile Workforces More Productive, Effective and Secure

Customers Achieve Accelerated Time-to-Value Through Rapid Deployments in Several Industries

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Descartes Global User Group Conference -- Descartes Systems Group announced that it has successfully completed several large scale deployments ranging between 1,000 and 10,000 mobile resources in major enterprises.

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Municipal Election

Municipal Candidates Give their Opinions on Crime Prevention

Crime Prevention Council Releases Survey Results

Waterloo Region – In an effort to keep crime prevention through social development front and centre during the 2010 Municipal Election, the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council (WRCPC) invited candidates to participate in a survey about their priorities for local crime prevention.

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Recognition

R&T PARK RECEIVES EXCELLENCE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AWARD FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Waterloo - The University of Waterloo Research + Technology Park received an Excellence in Economic Development Award for their WATCH Magazine in the category of Magazines for communities with populations of 25,000 – 200,000 from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

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FDI

Jack Mintz urges Canada to reduce barriers to foreign direct investment

Recent takeovers and attempted takeovers of strategic resource companies have renewed concerns that some of Canada’s prized companies are falling into foreign hands. However, research released today shows that Canada has, in fact, not been a significant attractor of multinational investment, lagging behind a number of developed and developing nations.

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Economic Development

Terrible Trade Move by Feds Could Cripple Canadian Shipbuilding, CAW says

TORONTO/HALIFAX - After a written promise to proceed tactfully on policy to support Canada's all-important shipbuilding industry, the Harper government's rash decision to kill a customs tariff will reverse years of progress, deter domestic investment and wipe out jobs at Canadian shipyards, said CAW President Ken Lewenza.

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Democracy

Political Recession Takes A Heavy Toll On Africa

World Bank - "Africa has been harder hit by a democratic recession than it has been by the global economic downturn, according to research by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation charting governance across the continent's 53 states. According to data collected by the foundation

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Connected

Ontario advanced network first to launch operational 100G network

TORONTO - ORION, Ontario’s advanced research and education (R&E) network, announced the first phase of a major technology upgrade, making it the first to deploy a 100G operational network in Canada and the first R&E network in the world to deploy a 100G production network to support research and education.

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Economic Development

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OAK RIDGES MORAINE?

GTA - The Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation will convene a briefing session on Moraine related issues. This short session, complete with a light lunch, will focus on past successes put in the context of current and persistent issues.