someone123
Nov 28, 2007, 7:46 PM
The comment from Dawn Sloane is rich. As for government jobs, I think it's generally a good thing that they're an increasingly small part of the city's economy. As long as employment is growing and wages are going up relative to cost of living the city's economy is in half decent shape.
I also like some of the comments on the Daily News website. "Maybe Peter Kelly will hold a study on taking action". Hah.
Port traffic, office space among HRM's challenges, economist tells council print this article
STÉPHANE MASSINON
The Daily News
This city is facing numerous economic challenges, the Greater Halifax Partnership told Halifax Regional Council.
Young people are leaving; the port's container traffic is down; the feds are shedding jobs; the black community hasn't been tapped into; attitudes toward HRM growth aren't great; there's inadequate office space and controversy over immigration.
Fred Morley, Greater Halifax Partnership's chief economist, updated councillors yesterday at a committee of the whole meeting on the challenges the city is facing.
On port traffic being down, councillors were told inefficient loading is a cause for concern.
Turnaround time
For instance, the port of Savannah, Ga., is apparently concerned with the amount of time it takes a truck to enter the facility, be loaded with a container and leave. Savannah's turnaround time is five minutes, but port officials want to get it down to one minute, as in Singapore.
Halifax's turnaround time is between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours, the Greater Halifax Partnership said.
Inadequate office space for some large financial-services companies that want to set up shop in Halifax is also an issue. They want posh downtown digs, and those are hard to come by.
"Office space is a constraint for us right now," Morley said.
Another cause for concern is the fact that the federal government is decreasing the number of jobs in HRM. Though Halifax has the business case to house the jobs, they are sometimes relocated for political reasons, councillors were told.
Best place
"It's not good enough to say, 'Jeez, we'd like to have jobs here, please leave the jobs here.' We have to have a strong value proposition.
"We have to convince people that this is absolutely the best place in the country to base your armed forces, to base your (Department of National Defence) employees and federal government employees," Morley said.
The city's African Nova Scotians aren't fully integrated into the job market. The resources of the community are underused, Morley said.
"We can't afford that any more," he said.
Downtown Halifax Coun. Dawn Sloane said it's time to act on these challenges.
"Stop talking and start doing, and get this city going," Sloane said.
smassinon@hfxnews.ca
I also like some of the comments on the Daily News website. "Maybe Peter Kelly will hold a study on taking action". Hah.
Port traffic, office space among HRM's challenges, economist tells council print this article
STÉPHANE MASSINON
The Daily News
This city is facing numerous economic challenges, the Greater Halifax Partnership told Halifax Regional Council.
Young people are leaving; the port's container traffic is down; the feds are shedding jobs; the black community hasn't been tapped into; attitudes toward HRM growth aren't great; there's inadequate office space and controversy over immigration.
Fred Morley, Greater Halifax Partnership's chief economist, updated councillors yesterday at a committee of the whole meeting on the challenges the city is facing.
On port traffic being down, councillors were told inefficient loading is a cause for concern.
Turnaround time
For instance, the port of Savannah, Ga., is apparently concerned with the amount of time it takes a truck to enter the facility, be loaded with a container and leave. Savannah's turnaround time is five minutes, but port officials want to get it down to one minute, as in Singapore.
Halifax's turnaround time is between 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 hours, the Greater Halifax Partnership said.
Inadequate office space for some large financial-services companies that want to set up shop in Halifax is also an issue. They want posh downtown digs, and those are hard to come by.
"Office space is a constraint for us right now," Morley said.
Another cause for concern is the fact that the federal government is decreasing the number of jobs in HRM. Though Halifax has the business case to house the jobs, they are sometimes relocated for political reasons, councillors were told.
Best place
"It's not good enough to say, 'Jeez, we'd like to have jobs here, please leave the jobs here.' We have to have a strong value proposition.
"We have to convince people that this is absolutely the best place in the country to base your armed forces, to base your (Department of National Defence) employees and federal government employees," Morley said.
The city's African Nova Scotians aren't fully integrated into the job market. The resources of the community are underused, Morley said.
"We can't afford that any more," he said.
Downtown Halifax Coun. Dawn Sloane said it's time to act on these challenges.
"Stop talking and start doing, and get this city going," Sloane said.
smassinon@hfxnews.ca