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BIG Data is a BIG Deal to Saint John

Published on 2012-12-12 by in Event, New Brunswick, Saint John, T4G, Technology

Big Data

How I See The Opportunity

My company, T4G Limited, is planning a BIG event here on January 24, 2013 that is focused around Big Data and it’s opportunities.

Why is this such a BIG deal to us in New Brunswick – and especially in Saint John?

Big Data is a huge (and growing) opportunity and we are well positioned to take advantage of it.

In Saint John, ICT (Information Communications and Technology) is one of the high-growth sectors identified in True Growth 2.0, our recently revised Regional Economic Development Strategy.  I was honoured to be a member of the volunteer Steering Committee that spent four months interviewing community leaders to figure out how to renew and update Saint John’s regional development strategy. During those conversations, big data came up a lot – and not just with traditional ICT companies. Everyone is grappling with figuring out how to manage data, including how to create a workforce ready to meet this growing need. That’s why a Centre of Excellence makes so much sense to a growing number of people.

That’s why it’s so fitting the Big Data Congress take place in Saint John at Port Saint John’s two cruise terminals, overlooking the Bay of Fundy. This is the same location where a single cruise ship, redirected here due to a hurricane, ignited the idea of a cruise ship industry in Saint John.  Since that time, we have welcomed over 1.5 million visitors – boosting the tourism sector in our region and across the province.

This event can be the same type of catalyst –  learning from leading thinkers, identifying opportunities, and spurring action to move forward.

I hope you can attend and be part of this initiative!

The Event

Information is being frequently updated on the Leading Thinkers website:

Big opportunity. Big ideas. Big data.

T4G and the NBITC invite you to spend the day with some of North America’s leading Big Data thinkers, doers, and innovators on January 24th, 2013 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Data science is driving economic and technological change and the implications are limitless for the private and public sector.

Join us as we bring together Atlantic Canada’s emerging data science innovators with some of North America’s leading thinkers and doers for a day of open conversation to explore what big data means for us, our communities, and how it can reshape your business.

A trio of big data thinkers headline the Congress.

  • Breakfast keynote: MIT researcher and author Andrew McAfee (Race Against the Machine; Enterprise 2.0)
  • Lunch keynote: Harvard lecturer and Deloitte Analytics senior advisor Tom Davenport (Judgment Calls; Analytics at Work)
  • Closing keynote: Wired contributing editor Steven B. Johnson (Future Perfect; Everything Bad is Good for You)

The Big Data Congress also features breakout sessions, workshops, a Big Data Kitchen Party, a Maritime dinner feast and a closing concert with award-winning Canadian rockers Joel Plaskett Emergency.

via Leading Thinkers

Contact

If you are interested in attending, sponsoring, or just looking for more information - please contact me!

Related Big Data Articles

 
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Propertize.ca Helps Identify Tax Cut Winners

Published on 2012-12-03 by in New Brunswick Politics, News, Propertize.ca

Propertize.ca helped provide property tax assessment data which made it easier to identify the largest tax cut winners in a CBC.ca article from today.

A collection of power plants, shopping malls, industrial sites and commercial properties are the big winners in a multi-million dollar property tax cut introduced by New Brunswick’s cash-strapped provincial government last week, a CBC News review shows.

…

No numbers were given over how the cuts will be distributed, but a CBC review of current tax assessments compiled by the website propertize.ca shows the 10 highest taxed properties will eventually save a combined $3.4 million a year.

NB Power’s Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station will be the single biggest winner with a property tax cut of $759,768, followed by:

  • NB Power’s coal-fired generating plant in Belledune ($411,306)
  • Champlain Mall in Dieppe ($397,579)
  • the new Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (PCS) mine in Penobsquis ($343,633)
  • Irving Oil Ltd.’s refinery in Saint John ($319,546)
  • NB Power’s oil-fired generator at Coleson Cove ($300,251)
  • Regent Mall in Fredericton ($242,360)
  • the old PCS potash mine also in Penobsquis ($238,332)
  • McCallister shopping mall in Saint John ($197,510)
  • Irving Paper’s east Saint John mill ($194,205).

via CBC.ca (written by Robert Jones)

 

 

  • Has Propertize.ca helped you?
  • Is Open Data important to you?

Let me know what you think!

 
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Support for True Growth 2.0′s Recommendations on Enterprise Saint John

Published on 2012-11-29 by in News, Saint John

True Growth 2.0‘s recommendations for refocusing Enterprise Saint John received positive reviews in today’s Telegraph-Journal Editorial:

A steering committee led by Saint John Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart has proposed a way to harness Enterprise Saint John’s strengths more effectively, by integrating the city’s economic development policy with the provincial government’s efforts to stimulate development regionally. The idea makes sense – and it’s refreshing to see this council asking how ESJ can be improved, rather than proposing to gut it.

The future of regional enterprise agencies was cast into doubt earlier this year, when the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency announced that it was pulling their federal funding. The provincial government followed suit, and now proposes to replace the enterprise agencies with a network of 12 regional economic development advisory councils. This has led community councils across the province to ponder whether additional means are needed to support local economic growth. At least one municipality – Fredericton – is closing its enterprise agency.

This is not an option favoured in Saint John, where fostering new growth is one of the newly elected council’s top policy priorities. The question before councillors is, how can the city ensure that its efforts complement what the provincial regional advisory boards will be doing?

Deputy Mayor Rinehart has served as Dean of Business at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus, and as chairwoman of Enterprise Saint John’s board. Objectively and personally, she understands the impact that this agency can have on the growth of the city’s industrial, commercial and retail base.

Her committee has recommended expanding energy-related industries; advanced manufacturing and industrial fabrication; financial, insurance and professional services; information and communications technology; health sciences; and tourism. The committee also urged council to review Enterprise Saint John’s board structure and appointments process with the goal of fine-tuning it for a new role – to act as a regional advisor to the minister of economic development.

Like the deputy mayor, we see this as a logical evolution. Enterprise Saint John has always had a regional mandate; if municipalities in the region continue to support it, we see no reason why it could not become the region’s chief champion and facilitator of economic growth.

via telegraphjournal.com

 
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Saint John Style

Published on 2012-11-28 by in News, Saint John, Videos

Saint John Medical School (aka Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick) students created a recruitment video for Dalhousie Medical School MMI weekend 2012:

A parody video called Saint John Style spoofing the South Korean song Gangnam Style has become a hit on YouTube with more than 2,500 views.

The video was written, created and features students from Dalhousie Medicine New Brunswick and shows them dancing in lab coats and colourful tights at key landmarks in the city, such as the Saint John sign, in front of John Hooper’s statues and at the skate park.

…

The intention of the video was to show applicants that Saint John is a good place to study and the student culture is warm and welcoming, Chan said, but they also wanted to raise the program’s public profile because it’s only three-years-old. He said many people don’t realize that Halifax’s Dalhousie University has a satellite medical school program for New Brunswick residents.

Chan and filmmaker and editor, Ron Yan, said what’s different about DMNB is that the class size is small, which means they get a lot of one-on-one time with doctors and tutors in a hospital setting.

“I think one of the biggest things we wanted to convey with this video and what can’t be understated is the chemistry that we have with each other,” Chan said, “and the non-competitiveness and the constructive atmosphere we have with all our classmates.”

via telegraphjournal.com (written by Otiena Ellwand)

 
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True Growth 2.0 Executive Summary

Published on 2012-11-23 by in News, Saint John, Saint John Politics, Uncategorized

It’s been a busy few days!

True Growth 2.0 was handed over to the Regional Mayor’s last night after several months of work.

At the public portion of the event, Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart gave a high level overview of the plan.  Below are a few snippets from today’s Telegraph-Journal article on the event and plan:

A proposed strategy to bolster economic growth in the region will focus on attracting jobs and investment in six sectors that range from health sciences to financial services.

The economic development plan for Greater Saint John seeks to build on the region’s strengths, such as affordable living and the port that offers a shipping gateway to the world, to draw more workers and businesses.

…

Deputy Mayor Shelley Rinehart, chairwoman of a steering committee behind the proposal, said business leaders and the region’s economic development agency will be responsible for setting goals and seeing them through.

“In January there will be a call to action, and I hope all of you are ready to roll up your sleeves and work hard,” Rinehart told a crowd of business executives and politicians at the Diamond Jubilee Cruise Terminal.

…

The new strategy focuses on attracting jobs and investment in six areas: tourism, energy, financial, insurance and professional services, advanced manufacturing and industrial fabrication, information and communications technology and health sciences.

Many of those were part of the old plan, dubbed True Growth, but Rinehart said her steering committee confirmed over the last few months that there is still great opportunity to grow these sectors even more.

via telegraphjournal.com (written by Reid Southwick)

 

The executive summary of the report was handed out at the event, and I wanted to make sure was shared online for anyone that wasn’t able to attend.  Click the image below to download a copy:

 

Update: The full report can be viewed here!

 
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T4G and Innovatia raise over $16,000 for MindCare

Published on 2012-11-22 by in Saint John, T4G

Remember a while back when I mentioned that we were going to dress up like the Village People and perform at One Nite Wonders to raise money for MindCare NB?

Well, we actually did it (after many lunch hour practices) – and it turned out to be a very fun evening!

Not only did we get a chance to perform at the event, we also managed to raise over $16,000 for MindCare NB.

Want to check out our performance?  See the video below that was shot by a co-worker at the event.

Who says technology companies can’t dance?

 
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True Growth 2.0 Invitation

Published on 2012-11-21 by in Saint John

Please see the following invitation for a preview of True Growth 2.0.

I’ve been working with a fantastic group of people as a member of the steering committee (and learning a lot):

  • Deputy Mayor Shelly Rinehart
  • Neil Jacobsen
  • Dale Knox

It’s very exciting to see things shaping up, and I hope to see you there tomorrow!

Invitation:  A special preview of “Charting our Renaissance: True Growth 2.0

The public is invited to a special preview of “Charting our Renaissance: True Growth 2.0” which will lay out the direction for economic growth in our region.

Join Saint John Deputy Mayor Shelly Rinehart, your Regional Mayors and Councillors, and members of the True Growth 2.0 Steering Committee, from 5:00-5:30 pm on Thursday, November 22 at the newly opened Diamond Jubilee Terminal.

The Deputy Mayor and the rest of the Steering Committee will provide the public with a special sneak peek before the Regional Mayors and Councils go into their strategy session to consider the direction, recommendations, and approval process with the task force.

The session will begin and 5:00pm sharp, and we look forward to sharing with you what we heard from the community throughout the True Growth 2.0 engagement process over the past 4 months.

via saintjohn.ca

 
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A Focus on the Big Challenges: Team Building & Restoring Trust

Published on 2012-11-19 by in Saint John, Saint John Politics

In case you missed it, Saint John’s new mayor, Mel Norton, posted a great article on his blog over the weekend detailing Council’s highlights to date and ongoing challenges.

It’s a great read, and it I would encourage you to share it within your networks.

It’s also an important reminder why Mel and the current council are needed now more then ever:

The City’s current Council members took their seats around the horseshoe on May 28th at a celebratory swearing-in ceremony where we were greeted with optimism and applause. I know that my Council colleagues and I each felt that, in that moment, we could take on any challenge and overcome any obstacle. Though the celebration and applause has given way to the regular work of Council, the optimism that greeted us that night remained in each of us as we took up that work and set about fulfilling the great expectations that you have placed on us.

Though I know that each member of Council has been working very hard over these months, I know and feel the same sense of urgency you all feel to get our city back on track quickly. I hope that as we move forward we can rebuild your trust in our city’s future.

Let me start by acknowledging that there remains much work to do to correct a broken pension plan and a growing debt; and to better meet the needs and the priorities of our people. Let me also tell you of just some of the progress that we have made since taking office.

The first five months at City Hall has been about building the bridges and the teamwork to forge ahead and foster a culture of ownership and positive change, both within City Hall, and within the greater community at large. Outlined below are some of the highlights on our progress and the partnerships formed to help build on success in our shared future…

Click here to read the complete article.

Also, be sure to follow Mel Norton on Twitter @Melnortonsj!

 
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A stitch in time

Published on 2012-11-17 by in New Brunswick, Open Data, Propertize.ca

Check out the latest issue of Progress Magazine for the following article by Lisa Hrabluk titled “A stitch in time” that includes references to my side project Propertize.ca.

Propertize.ca is a tool to easily view and compare property tax assessment information in New Brunswick.

A first step would be for governments to become early adopter clients of innovative products, most of which, like TotalPave, are either lower-cost alternatives or promise increased efficiencies that could lower operational costs. It’s something that Saint John’s Shawn Peterson, an IT consultant at T4G Ltd., advocates on his blog and through his actions. In 2008, while he and his wife were shopping for their first house, Peterson began playing around with the public data available on property assessments. Unhappy with the Government of New Brunswick’s system, he built a better one in his spare time, Propertize.ca. It allows a user to type in any address in the province and find out the assessed value of the properties around it.

“I like creating things that help people; my problem is finding ways to monetize them,” says Peterson, who figures he has made a few hundred dollars with Propertize.ca, all of which he directs into his daughter’s Registered Education Savings Plan. The site is so popular that staff at Service New Brunswick use it. But despite its popularity, it’s a struggle to get the attention of government officials. “Government needs to move from being a barrier to data to a bridge that connects the public and private sectors to the government,” says Peterson. “There are many opportunities for government by opening up access to non-personal data and it costs very little.” Most importantly, it encourages local innovation.

Click here to read the full article!

 
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JokeSJ Contest. Winner Reveiled!

Published on 2012-11-16 by in Saint John, SaintJohnShawn.com

Earlier this week, I closed the comments on the JokeSJ Contest, and I had my daughter draw names from a hat.

The winner was Scott Anderson who posted the following joke:

Why did the chicken cross the road?
I don’t know…why?
To get to your house.

Knock, Knock
Who’s there?
The chicken silly!

Scott will be receiving a Just For Laughs prize pack as part of the Capital One Canada “Laughing all the way to the bank” giveaway:

Prize pack contains $100 gift card to a local restaurant, a Just For Laughs Gag DVD, a DVD featuring one of the tour’s comedians, and a Just for Laughs Mascot plush toy (approximate value $125)

Thanks to everyone who submitted their favourite joke!

 
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