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What deters growth and prosperity? Pay attention to the differences and commonalities voiced by attendees at the four provincial workshops—do mutual challenges present mutual opportunities?
Newfoundland and Labrador
- Lack of self-confidence
- Misunderstanding of innovation (more than IT)
- Voter complacency, especially youth
- Poor “customer service” from government agencies
New Brunswick
- Intra-provincial competition for government resources
- Segregation of English and French
- Voter and emotion-based decision making
- Lack of succession planning
- Too much complacency; businesses too comfortable to grow
Nova Scotia
- Not enough investment capital
- Ontario-based banks not interested in small, local businesses
- Wages and benefits: employers can’t compete with Alberta
- Too many people disengaged from workforce
- Government departments and decision-makers working in silos
- Not enough R&D/commercialization
Prince Edward Island
- Seasonal culture
- Inadequate Internet
- Risk-averse
- Inferiority complex
- Insufficient public transit
- Fear of success (Tall Poppy Syndrome)
Where they overlap
- Bureaucracy/red tape
- Taxation
- Provincial debt and deficits
- Over-dependence on government
- Not retaining graduates
- Education doesn’t reflect workforce needs
- Not celebrating our successes
- Not enough exports
- Rural/urban divide
- Not enough immigration/newcomers not staying
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