Number Of Mental Health Calls Police Responding To Has Jumped By 150 Percent

[chextvDOTcom]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Here Are The Sights And Sounds From Remembrance Day Parade Today

[chextvDOTcom]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Water Is Peterborough's Greatest Economic Opportunity In Decades

In times of economic turmoil, the tendency is often to look for ways to entrench and wait out the storm. However, this belies the fact that in tumultuous times great opportunities often emerge. Joseph Schumpeter, the late Harvard economist, claimed that times like these possess forces for "creative destruction." It is from the "creative" nature of economic change that opportunities arise. One such opportunity for the future of the Peterborough-area economy is emerging.

There is no doubt that the public sector has targeted water as a primary infrastructure and public health challenge. Over the past decade, the emphasis has changed from supplying water (e.g., transmitting large quantities of water) to one of water quality. Water quality is emerging as the fastest growing global issue of our time. 

Fortunately, it is in the area of water quality that the region has existing expertise. The recent Ontario Speech from the Throne (March 8, 2010) spoke directly to developing "clean-water" organizations in the private and public sectors. This is clear recognition of water as a public policy challenge and the growth that will be supported through public funding.

In 2010, the GPAEDC and Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster released a major study that mapped and analyzed the energy and water sectors in the area. In the water field, there are fourteen active and five interested Peterborough-area firms in the water supply chain. It is a good sign that all segments of the supply chain are currently populated by Peterborough-area firms. 

Photo: Evan HoltIn addition to private sector firms, the water related research Fleming College (the Centre for Alternative Wastewater Treatment) and Trent University (the Trent Water Quality Centre) make the sector in our region that much stronger. 

All indications are that Peterborough could—should it act quickly and in a concerted way—become a global centre in the field. The challenge comes not from just growing locally, or attracting those from outside, but from combining existing technologies and expertise to better position it for future growth.

Thankfully we are not beginning from scratch. Along with existing businesses in the field, there is a high level of academic involvement in research centres and programs being offered at Trent University (10 centres/programs) and Fleming College (10 centres/programs) that are related to water. 

In each centre and program has faculty, research and students attached to them.  They represent a very significant resource—particularly human—in the field.  Combining these centres and programs with the private-sector activity that has been identified reveals a strong foundation upon which to build a comprehensive water cluster in the region.

As much as the analysis of the private- and public-sector strengths that exist in the area's water sector, it is clear that it is made up of several successful, but rather isolated elements—there are few interconnections across the sector. With the considerable technological capacities, and high-level expertise, and a growing market, it is apparent that the region's water sector is less than the sum of its parts. That is, it is possible for the region to take a stronger position in the water sector if it were able to better utilize its existing technologies and expertise. 

To shift the situation to one where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, the water sector resources available in the region must be combined in such a way to improve its overall productivity and innovativeness to better position it to grow in this burgeoning, national and international market.

The greatest challenge is not in getting skilled people or technologies in place. The challenge is to create an organizational structure that can help the relatively isolated organizations identify and create new collaborations that can strength the region’s place in the national and global water market. In effect, we need to create an organization that can provide the overarching, coordinating services that were once provided by the "umbrella" organization of a multi-divisional corporation. 

When new market opportunities arise, there needs to be an organizational mechanism by which the existing technologies and expertise can be assessed relative to the opportunity. Should the technologies and expertise exist, a new business entity must be created to exploit it. 

In the past, when a large corporation was faced with a new market opportunity, it would pursue it by re-combining its existing expertise and technologies by simply creating a new division. Our current circumstances call for the creation of innovative business partnerships across—not within—organizations (e.g., joint ventures, strategic alliances) that promote growth, jobs, and the creation of wealth in the region.

There is absolutely no doubt that water will be a global issue in the twenty-first century. It will be a thriving international business sector. For Peterborough, taking a key role in that growing sector is an opportunity that we either proactively move on soon or lose to a less well equipped, but more organized community.

Opportunities like this do not present themselves often. We must seize the day.

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Tom Phillips Ph. D. Phillips is Economist & Sustainability Director - Greater Ptbo Innovation Cluster.]

****[UPDATE BY TOM PHILLIPS: Here's Dan Taylor, President & CEO of the Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster, speaking about the potential for a Water Cluster in the Peterborough Region]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Here's A KISS Tribute Band Pictured At The Wolf Studios With Pete Dalliday

And yeah, we dig that PTBO toque Pete's wearing.

[via @petedalliday]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Here's A Primer On The Five Local Candidates Vying To Be Your MPP (With Pictures!)

MIRIAM ON POLITICSLooking for bright spots in amongst the mire of political verbiage? Me, too. While there’s no shortage of shortcomings in our political process, each of the fellas vying for the job of MPP has his strengths. Here’s what I saw last night (September 13th) at the All Candidates Meeting—beginning with the lesser-knowns:

 

Ken Ranney (Socialist Party)
He's a good guy to have in situations like an election campaign. When he didn’t have anything to say to a question, he'd pass (how novel). Ken’s liveliness and good use of humour shines through; almost something of a trickster vibe here. Glad to have him in the race.

 

Gary Beamish (Green)
Gary has a fine ability to bring it all home. Whether responding to questions about the potential dangers of WiFi in schools or taxation policy, Gary was able to relate big issues to real life personal experiences. This guy has lived. He has heart, and humility, and isn’t afraid to show it.

 

Dave Nickle (NDP)
Dave's a fighter. While it’s not my favourite political style, having someone who had your back would be a good thing in an MPP. If Dave can keep boisterous audience members in their place, you’d have to believe he'd be in our corner in government. And kudos, Dave, for carrying the flag of proportional representation—the only decent idea offered towards engaging more people in democracy.

 

Alan Wilson (Conservative)
Hmmmm. Well, he’s got the lovely Irish Lilt. That’s pretty fun to listen to.

 

Jeff Leal (Liberal, incumbent)
At 26 years (and counting?) in elected office, Jeff does seem to really be a hard-working public servant. He’s got that exceptional ability to evade answers to direct questions. And he’s developed a thicker skin than any of the rest could probably ever muster. It can't be easy, and you give it your all.

 
 

[pictures of candidates via their election websites]

This is the debut politics column for PtboCanada by Miriam Lyall (aka Miriam Stucky). Former Green Party Candidate. Step-mom extraordinaire. Communications Maven. Check it out: MiriamStucky.ca.

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Watch The Fastest Bike Ride Ever Through Peterborough

Also, way to bring that funky music.

[YouTube]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Sebastian Bach's New Jersey Home Destroyed By Hurricane Irene

The flooding around Bach's homePeterborough's Sebastian Bach was devastated yesterday to see his house destroyed by Hurricane Irene.

Here is an excerpt from a long post he did on Facebook about the damage: "I am numb, in shock, & devastated to report that my home of 21 years, my house featured on MTV Cribs, has been destroyed, condemned, & deemed uninhabitable due to the extreme flooding courtesy of Hurricane Irene. In the 2 decades I have lived in this home, there has never been a single drop of water in the basement or anywhere else in the structure. Now Irene has overflowed the reservoir adjacent to my house. The surging waters have snapped the bridge in half next to my house & sent the bridge straight into my garage, knocking the house off of its foundation. The basement that has been dry for over 2 decades is now overflowing with water & I am not even allowed to start pumping the water out due to fears of electrocution. Original Skid Row & KISS fans, I have bad news for you. Gone are irreplacable items, such as my KISS Gargoyles from the 1979 tour. KISS pinball machine. Skid Row master tapes, video & audio, concerts, master tapes from Oh Say Can You Scream etc. Boxes & boxes of one of a kind Skid Row memorabilia, from the first tour to our last, all stuff I collected on the road that no one else had. I had a library in the basement with every single magazine that had Skid Row on the cover. This library took up a big part of the basement. All of this is lost now."  The street Bach lives on

Bach, who has decided to move to LA after what happened to his NJ home, did have a bit of a sense of humour about the destruction: "Somewhere under this water is a KISS pinball machine & 2 gargoyles from the Dynasty tour. If you see them floating past your house, they're mine. Or at least they were :(," he said in another Facebook post.

[Photos via Sebastian Bach's Facebook page]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Why Peterborough's Unemployment Rate Is So High In Global Context (And What Can Be Done About It)

THE PHILLIPS REPORTWith all the bad news coming out of the US, Europe, and international financial markets, the most common topic of discussion locally is unemployment. Locally, there is no doubt that the number of those without work has grown since the beginning of the international financial crisis in the fall of 2008.

The data is clear. The number of people unemployed in the Peterborough area doubled between November 2008 and May 2009—from 2,800 to 5,600. Thankfully, the number of unemployed has increased more modestly since May 2009. It now stands at 6,900. The good news is that even through the economic downturn, unemployment in Peterborough historically falls between May and November each year.

Several attempts have been made to understand the numbers. In many cases, more questions have emerged than answers. The Statistics Canada area is larger than the City but not, in terms of population, but not as large as the County and City combined. So what does it really mean for the City? How is unemployment measured and is the collection of the data accurate? As interesting as these issues may be, they provide little insight into the greater jobs challenge Peterborough is facing.

Economists are notorious for making predictions, so I am going to avoid making them. There are, however, economic forces that have a direct effect on the local economy and push it in one direction or another.  Where they will lead us, exactly, cannot be determined. Many of these forces are beyond the control of businesses—big or small—or local, provincial, or federal governments. Like it or not, the international financial crisis that began in 2008, the sovereign debt issues in Europe, and the debt ceiling debacle in Washington all have an influence—and not always in a small way—on our local economy.

Peterborough is a much more diverse economy than it was when it felt the effects of economic recessions in the 1970s and 1980s. This diversity in both the private and public sectors has given it a strong foundation upon which to build. To build on that foundation requires customers: local, national and international. Our industrial sector very likely serves more customers internationally than Peterborough businesses ever have, but the global economic environment is not doing so well, and, therefore, we’re not doing so well either.

The US is, in many ways, weak. Economic fragility and instability always leads to short-sighted decisions and more emphasis on maintaining themselves than on growth. These realities in the US inevitably have a negative impact on business here.

Last week the exchange rate was $1.06 US for $1 Canadian. That represents more than a 50 percent increase from when a Canadian dollar cost 70 US cents, not many years ago. That means a product made in Peterborough and sold for $100 Canadian cost the US customer $70 US a few years ago. Last week that same item would have cost the US customer $107 US. This clearly puts pressure on local businesses selling in the US to cut costs, and most importantly, become more productive to remain competitive.

These factors, relatively close to home, are combined with instability Europe to create a dismal view of prospects for economic growth and more jobs any time soon. The likelihood of what has been recently called "a double dip recession" is growing by the day.

The good news is that the Peterborough economy is international in scope. The bad news is that the international economy is generally not doing as well as the Canadian economy. Unfortunately, the standard of living to which we have become accustomed requires us to be a small part of a very large global marketplace.

As much as governments are the easiest to blame when an economic downturn occurs, all levels of government—municipal, provincial, and federal—have done exactly what was required to keep the local economy from suffering too greatly when the first downturn occurred almost three years ago. However, as we have seen from the recent disaster in Washington, there is a limit to what governments can do. If we are to lay blame it is not with government.

With the realities we are facing it is a waste of time to endlessly analyze what could have been done. The obvious question now is: What can be done?  Unfortunately, little can be done in the short-term since the negative forces are far beyond the ability of us, or our business and government leaders, to control, or even influence. Some measures can be taken to minimize the most serious consequences of this economic environment. The more important question is: What can be done now to be better prepared for the inevitable recovery?

In the private sector, this is a time to invest in new ways of doing business so that they are more productive and efficient when markets begin to recover. These necessary investments are much more than just technological. New organizational processes and partnership need to be explored, evaluated, and acted upon. The economy that will eventually emerge will not be the one that we enjoyed before November 2008. It will be much more competitive. We must be prepared for that inevitability.

In the public sector, the infrastructure—physical and human—must be put in place for the recovery. All levels of government should be commended on the initiatives that they have undertaken to improve the economic foundations of the area. There is no doubt that the physical infrastructure is being improved and expanded.  Educational opportunities and new facilities at both Trent and Fleming have expanded, and the recent announcement concerning skills training at Fleming will ensure that skilled people will be ready when the recovery comes.

The more difficult question is: What can the unemployed do? Even though there are examples of well-educated people who are unemployed, the truth is that those with higher levels of education have greater job stability and significantly higher incomes, overall. With the competitive pressures growing for business, those who will be first employed when the recovery arrives will be those who can contribute most to the future success of the business—the ones with the greatest productive and creative potential. 

With few opportunities to gain experience during the economic downturn, the only way to improve ones’ productive potential is through education. With the government investments that have been made to expand both Trent and Fleming, the opportunities to improve ones' productive potential are right here in Peterborough.

From a community-wide point of view, this unexpected economic downturn can lead to even greater prosperity when it ends if we treat it as an opportunity. Businesses, governments, and people have to do whatever they can to lay a broader and stronger foundation upon with to build a stronger, more innovative, and more creative local economy than we had before the downturn. Every aspect of our community— for-profit, not-for-profit, charitable—needs to look to how they can better serve a growing community once the economic tide has turned.
 
We need to return to the natural tendency to lay blame for the current economic instability and the current level of unemployment. As I have said, we cannot blame our governments for doing too little. There is only so much they can do. And it is not local businesses' fault. They surely don’t like the current conditions, so why would they create them. Something has happened in Peterborough that goes far deeper than the actions (or inaction) of business or government. 

The real culprits in this economic disaster are those who preach and practice out-dated and consistently unsuccessful approaches to how economies should, rather than really do, work. At the heart of the financial disaster beginning in 2008 are the same failed ideas that led to the Great Depression and every financially-driven economic downturn since then. It comes down to, like it or not, the ideas that underlie the actions of business—particularly finance.

At the heart of these ideas is the nineteenth century notion that all consumers and all businesses—as isolated, individual entities—following their own motivations will lead to socially beneficial results. No other way of doing things, according to this philosophy, could do better for society. This is the philosophy that is at the heart of mainstream economics. Of course, it has been, and will continue to be, proven not to lead to socially beneficial results. The theory and the facts simply don’t match. It is amazing that we now find ourselves appealing for remedies for our current economic disease from the very people, and their unwavering ideas, that made us sick in the first place.

It is ironic that those preaching the pro-individual, anti-social dogma cherish competition because of its ruthless punishment for those who fail in the marketplace, but they are not willing to live by the same rules themselves. Not one of the US business leaders who, beyond a shadow of a doubt, contributed to the global crisis, have been made accountable for their actions—and accountable to society, not just their shareholders.

More disturbing, especially in a time of high unemployment, are the cases of those who preach the failed ideas and praise the rigors of competition and accountability but do so from behind guarantees of lifetime job security. Why should we expect positive change when there are no incentives to get it right for society?  Those who are in a position to influence the economy but get it wrong are unaccountable and keep their jobs. Those who trust those in positions of influence, pay the price.

In times of crisis, it is much easier to find and focus on the true heart of the matter. We are in an era of unemployment and deficits—deficits of many different kinds. The most serious deficit we now face is the deficit of economic ideas that are relevant to our time—not the nineteenth century—and the deficit of will to rid us of the root cause of economic disaster and the unemployment that comes with it.  

[Contributed by PtboCanada's Tom Phillips Ph. D.]

[Editor's Note: Phillips is Economist & Sustainability Director - Greater Ptbo Innovation Cluster. This is his 4th column for PtboCanada.com. Click here to read his first column for us on Peterborough's "Creative Class", here to read his second column "Growing Peterborough From 'The Inside-Out'", and here to read his third on Peterborough's astonishing record of success in lacrosse.]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Indian River Reptile Zoo Near Peterborough To Capture The Gator In Stirling-Rawdon Pond

Photo by Ron Main[UPDATE: July 21, 9:21 a.m. There is growing skepticism that a gator is really in the Mill Pond in Stirling-Rawdon, and that the whole thing might just be a hoax. Bry Loyst from the Indian River Reptile Zoo couldn't find it in there, and the Star is reporting that analysis of the photograph taken by Ron Main by the provincial police forensic ID unit "has determined it's a picture of a photograph of an alligator."]

-------------------
ORIGINAL POST

That alligator—or caiman, a relative of the alligator—that has been hanging out in that Stirling-Rawdon Pond near Belleville for the past couple weeks may soon be captured (see the picture at left taken by Stirling-Rawdon resident Ron Main last Friday).

The Ministry of Natural Resources has commissioned Bry Loyst, curator of the Indian River Reptile Zoo near Peterborough, to capture the metre-long reptile, which is no threat to humans.

Bry Loyst pictured with Terri Irwin“The last (option) would be jumping on it like Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter,” Loyst tells the Toronto Star, explaining he’ll use a snare and lasso to catch the caiman, which he'd house at the non-profit zoo. The caiman was likely a pet that someone got rid of.

[Toronto Star; Indian River Reptile Zoo]

[Picture of Bry Loyst via Indian River Reptile Zoo website]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.

Check Out This Footage Of A Lightning Bolt Striking A Stop Sign In Peterborough

[YouTube]

Tip us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Follow us on Twitter @Ptbo_Canada.