The Fracturing of the Irving Empire?

Wow.

The Globe and Mail's business section led today with a story suggesting that the Irving family - New Brunswick's wealthiest - is split over succession plans, and as a result may end up formally splitting up the myriad sections of the company.

The process, which will likely take over a year (and result in lots of work for Bermuda lawyers!), will formally separate forestry from energy, and may also produce a number of junior stand-alone companies.

Here's an idea. Once the legal papers are all signed, take the various components of the Irving Empire public. The resulting I.P.O.s would be larger than the province's budget, and provide regular New Brunswickers with an opportunity to share in the company's wealth.

Of course, this would also make company books public...

Where Is Journalism For Sale? Here in NB, apparently...

Say what you will about the control Irving-owned Brunswick News has over New Brunswick's daily papers, at least the crusty journalists at the Telegraph Journal work reasonably hard at crafting the daily news. Their record is far from perfect, but on any given day an NB reader can at least get more out of the TJ than its provincial cousins, the Daily Gleaner, or the Times-Transcript.

The once scrappy urban weekly, here, however, has clearly lost whatever journalistic principals it might have once had, in the pioneering years before it was consumed by Brunswick News. It's latest low, almost laughable to anyone who watches local media?

The October 18 cover story, proudly circulated throughout Fredericton, Moncton and Saint John, asks New Brunswickers to why not? consider natural gas.

Hardly the pull-no-punches reviews of urban life that here was once known for, but as a cover story it appears relatively benign (after all, natural gas is somewhat cleaner than the majority of energy sources NB Power forces New Brunswickers to consume on cold winter mornings).

The only problem? When you turn inside to actually read the cover story, it turns out that it is little more than a breathless press release/advertorial, prepared and paid for by Enbridge NB, the province's largest supplier of natural gas.

No wonder copies of here are now orphaned regularly, left in brightly-coloured newspaper boxes throughout the province. Saint Johners once had a small newspaper worthy of conversation. Now all they get is an 'urban' product about as newsworthy as a Walmart flyer.

In Golf, it's called a mulligan...

In politics, it's a do-over.

The Graham government has just announced a working group to examine the future of post-secondary education in NB. All indications are that this working group is supposed to fix the PR nightmare left by the work of the last guys.

The working group will be led by NB PSE officials.
Rick Miner has not been invited back.
The polytechnic idea may soon perish thanks to the work of over 4,000 Facebookers, another 1,000 or so committed emailers, and a united Saint John community.

You Spin Me Right Round, Baby, Right Round

Two government lines, two different dates.

"Although these are only recommendations from an independent commission and final decisions haven't been made yet by our government, I am pleased that the report kept the students' interests as its central theme.."
- Minister Ed Doherty, from a September 7 GNB News Release

"Before meeting with the students, I want to meet with the university presidents, and I also want to meet with the community college stakeholders," he said. "There will be an opportunity in the future to meet with the student groups, but our top priority today is to meet with the stakeholders at the university."
- Premier Shawn Graham, quoted in the Telegraph Journal on
October 11

If students' interests are the central theme driving the reforms, wouldn't these students be considered key stakeholders?

Aren't they worried about the wrong set of student numbers?

Saint Johners are still feeling mighty raw at Rick Miner's idea to close down UNBSJ, and letters, faxes and emails are putting a fair bit of pressure on government MLAs.

Amidst government's desire for transformative change in education, however, they may be focussing on the wrong set of numbers (or no numbers at all, in the case of Miner's report). In 2005/06, according to GNB's own education statistics, local school districts 6 and 8 saw over 220 kids drop out.

Just this Spring, UNBSJ saw over 422 of its students graduate. While this is a fine achievement, a comparison to the number above suggests that in its drive for self-sufficiency, the province is looking at the wrong institution to reform. For every 2 graduates UNBSJ produces, Greater Saint John still turns out 1 high school dropout.

According to the last census, a high school drop-out in SJ earns slightly more than $18,ooo. A university graduate earns more than $45,000. All of this suggests that perhaps we need to radically overhaul our high schools, and not our institutions of higher learning.

But to do this, we'd actually need to have government officials look at numbers for a change.

My Saint John Includes UNBSJ

In what will surely go down in history as one of the most ill-advised recommendations in the history of NB government commissions, the province's PSE commission has recently recommended the effective downgrading of UNBSJ from its current status as a comprehensive university.

The poor souls found at the Edmunston and Shippegan satellites of U de M are also to be sacrificed, in the name of "transformational change" that no one really seems ready to embrace. All told, if the commission recommendations are to be accepted, students from both the Fundy Coast and the North Shore of the province will be forced to migrate elsewhere (including, obviously, out of province universities) if they hope to complete a 4 year university degree. The significant international perspective UNBSJ is bringing to New Brunswick will also effectively be undermined, as will the research capacity of our province.

Ultimately, if the most dramatic proposals are accepted, our fine province will be less-educated. Poor old Louis Robichaud's revolutionary experiment of Equal Opportunity (and its strong education component) is now facing the prospects of its own funeral. Let's hope these dumb ideas are promptly shelved, and the old man's expirement gets to continue. New Brunswickers deserve access to quality higher education today, just as they did in the decade in which UNBSJ and UdeM were first established.

The Lonely Life of an NB Blogger....

The Telegraph Journal has recently launched its own blogosphere, and sadly, most of the highlighted blogs are uninteresting.

Need an example? This gem highlights a nose-hair trimmer, which can apparently be bought on ebay. I'm sure Dalton Camp can rest in peace knowing his old TJ columns have been replaced by online musings of weird ebay stuff.

An actual attempt at significant blogging in New Brunswick, meanwhile, is about to retire from the internet as a result of apparent reader indifference.
( http://www.portcitypolitics.blogspot.com)

Good night, port city politics. You were certainly cranky, but at least you avoided discussions of nose hair.

The Sandpipers were here! The Sandpipers were here!

Since this blog writes the odd bit on NB culture, it's easily time for a post on nature.

And what better topic than the Bay of Fundy's migratory

sandpipers! As the images taken at Johnson's Mills highlight,

they're quite a show...

Another Number Not Seen In the Times & Transcript

Odd things happen when papers essentially farm out their business section.

Take the Telegraph Journal (please! -ed). In recent months, they have practically phoned in a large part of their business news from their Moncton desk, despite the fact that the provincial paper is based in Saint John.
Because the Moncton Times & Transcript publishes whatever employment-related news release that emerges out of the hub city, you can't expect that paper to focus on good news in Saint John. But since the Telegraph Journal isn't doing it's job, some big stories are being missed.
A prime example is the latest Labour Force Survey. According to the July data, in the last year 4 out of 5 jobs created in NB were located in the Saint John CMA. For whatever reason, this sort of news isn't found in the provincial daily.

Oh well. Maybe Enterprise Saint John should just hire Paul Zed's communications staff. They will send out press releases on everything....

AECL and NB sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

According to this sunny news release, AECL (or more enthusiastically, TEAM CANDU!) is prepared to conduct a feasibility study on a second Lepreau.

AECL is about to write (and pay for) a report that suggests NB should go ahead with a fancy-pants new reactor, primed to deliver over 1,000 MW of electricity to the United States.

Considering how the federal crown corporation is about to examine the export-worthiness of its own product, perhaps it is too much to ask for due diligence. But it would be really nice if someone at the provincial crown corporation, NB Power, thought hard about this:

• With a utility debt of over $2.9 billion, and average earnings from exports falling in at around a meagre $300 million annually, NB Power isn't necessarily in the best position to expand its load capacity.
• Lepreau I may have been a good investment, but it was built over 25 years ago. Since that time, NB Power generation assets have certainly had a spottier record of performance (Coleson Cove? Belledune?....anyone? Bueller?)
• The Americans are considering building over 25 new nuclear reactors, all with the financial assistance of Congress. Perhaps the New England energy market may not be as lucrative as AECL hopes (prays?) for.

All this to say that a Lepreau II feasibility study is certainly warranted, but perhaps not one that will be written by the folks who want to build the darn thing. Unless, of course, AECL offers to move Deep River, Ontario here to NB. At least that would help this province's population strategy...

UPDATE: According to the optimists, this project - if it goes ahead - won't cost NB taxpayers a dime, and NB Power may not in fact be the operator. Developing...

Oh, Snap! It's a Word-Fight over at Maclean's

Maclean's columnist Mark Steyn has spent the last few months vigorously defending the honour of Lord Black of CrossHarbour, and suggested on almost a daily basis that quite possibly the Worst Canadian Ever (TM) would be declared innocent of the mountain of charges against him.

Of course, Steyn was wrong, and has been licking his wounds online ever since the 4 guilty verdicts were announced.

Now, rival Maclean's blogger Paul Wells has rubbed a little salt on Steyn's wounds. In his blog, Wells soothes all those who fret about Canada's high dollar by reminding them of one of Steyn's earlier predictions:

True, 96 cents is a little salty, but have no fear. By December the loonie will be down to 60 cents US, or maybe 55. Also, rampant environmentalism will send unemployment skyrocketing. All by December! Five months hence!Trust me. I have it on the highest authority.

Oh, Mark Steyn, you may be a decent writer, but your fortune-telling instincts are about as sound as the girl on the late night Quebec infomercials.
And of the old National Post alumni, Wells has you easily beat. He's sort of a Bruce Hutchinson or Dalton Camp to your Warren Kinsella.

Let's All Head Off to Maine

With a strong Canadian dollar, the old New Brunswick tradition of cross-border shopping is being rekindled, after almost a decade-long slumber.

The new $400 personal exemption on duties certainly helps make a weekend trip very attractive - not to mention a pretty good summer concert series at L.L. Bean.

But NBers now have a new reason to reward Maine business with their consumer spending. In the face of an increasingly out-of-touch President, Maine's two Republican Senators have now begun to openly side with Democrats on the question of ending the Iraq War.

Good neighbours, indeed.

NB Dept of Poverty Reduction

Title from an actual NB Government News Release:

PAUPERS TO BE SOLD AT KINGS LANDING

Glad to see that Family and Community Services has finally come up with a way to reduce poverty. This is way more innovative than a $100 rebate on heating bills...

Kudos to Fred...

As in Fredericton, who is now attempting to jump onto the band-wagon of post-Kyoto environmentalism.

Their mayor Brad Woodside is still a bit of a loser, but at least City Hall has put together a decent environmental website. Now, if only they could come to the realization that their summer air-conditioning load is largely supported by NB Power's use of dirty fossil fuels.

Of course, the city of stately elms largely imports its power from dirty-fuel generators that are safely beyond the view of local residents, so Frederictonians can certainly be proud of their nice website, if nothing else.

Not to be picking on the capital city. At least they weren't Quispamsis, which tried to get a government grant in order to send out Christmas LED lights. Quispamsis also happens to have the richest household incomes in New Brunswick, so they can afford to cough up the cash needed to buy Canadian Tire's latest holiday trim.

It's an Equalization Pile-On!

Just when you thought you heard enough of Bill Casey, the fiddling NS premier, and that guy from Saskatchewan, Saint John's Paul Zed decides to offer his thoughts on the frothing equalization stew.

His claim? That Stevie Harper is short-changing NB to the tune of a billion dollars, according to some academic study nobody ever bothered to read (the best kind of academic study, for sure!). Zed has laid this claim, in all its partisan glory, on the front page of the online globe and mail.

Actually, the essay is not that bad (I wonder who wrote it?), and it certainly is a better Saint John contribution to a national debate than anything Elsie Wayne ever said.

The only problem? Too much equalization discussion will surely drive anyone mad. Just ask Danny Williams.

Vegas, Anyone?

The Government of New Brunswick has now decided to underwrite the gambling purse of New Brunswick's threatened horse-racing industry.

Others may disagree, but in my mind supporting gambling as a means of economic development is just plain silly. It may work in Vegas, but only for those who forget that Nic Cage's awfully depressing Leaving Las Vegas was based on an autobiography.
Back in the real world, $1 million is about to be wasted, while just south of the border, New York's horse-racing industry (with fancy racinos, to boot) is looking for another handout.

Canada's New Government (TM) at Work...

First, came the 5 government priorities, which managed to help propel Stephen Harper into 24 Sussex.

After that, John Baird was going to turn his government green.

Now, with a spring election safely behind them, Canada's 'new' government is focussing on the sort of issues Canadians really want action on - preventing an imminent flood of strippers from former Soviet Republics.

How is this even on Canadians' radar, outside of a depressing strip of dead-end strip-joints near the Toronto Airport? I'd like to see the polling on that...

You won't see this in the Moncton Times & Transcript

uh-oh.

The latest labour force data for New Brunswick has been released, and behind the rosy announcements there is a very troubling figure.

It appears that Metro Moncton, the dominant engine of employment growth for much of the last decade, has stalled a bit, or to be somewhat blunt, apparently fallen off a cliff.

According to the Labour Market Bulletin, Metro Moncton now has 6,000 fewer in its labour force than last year. It's participation rate dropped a whopping 6.4%.

Yikes. How can any NB urban area lose 6,000 from its labour force, and everybody miss it?

Did Bernard Lord suddenly take half of his old constituents with him when he started communiting to Montreal?

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Facebook comes to NB

Much like the rest of the internet world, New Brunswick has warmly embraced Facebook. This is a welcoming event, if only because it makes for more interesting digital reading than Charles Leblanc. Sadly, even online our parochialism still shines through (ex: how come SJ gets a network and not F'ton? M'ton? New River Beach? South Branch?)....

There are, however, some really interesting Facebook groups that make our tiny province look like a wonderful little laboratory for democratic exchange.

Some examples?
Saint John needs a 24 hour liquor store - 833 members
Fredericton Call Centre Employees - 100+ members
Port City Gossip - 80+ members
Saint John Singles - 2 members?
Dairy Queen Fredericton Employees - 180 members!?!
Fredericton Drivers Make Me Violent - 500+ members
Bring the Eagles to Moncton - 400+ members??
I lived in Moncton now I'm gone - 350+ members
I'm drunk in my facebook picture - NB chapter - 150+ members
Is the Saint John Telegraph Journal a tabloid? - 150+ members

of course, if group memberships were linked to elections, the guy who's going to get an image of Bruce Frisko's face tattooed on his body because 25,000 Maritimers told him to is likely going to be the next Premier of PEI in a couple of weeks...