Now we know why 'Son of Spirited Energy', Start Living, was launched all of a sudden this week.
The talking points so far for both initiatives are all identical. It's as if Robert Ziegler was in China evaesdropping, instead of on CJOB with Richard Cloutier Thursday morning.
As we roundtabled on Friday's show, callers joined Spirited Kenny and Young Josh, agreeing with their observations that the guiding hands of this rebranding exercise ( now sitting at over $4 million dollars with an executive director yet to come ) have not succeeded at convincing young adults- 28 to 40, those starting families and businesses ( let alone people outside the province ), that living and investing here is a viable option. How the failed infrastructure and fear of crime isn't something normal people will turn a blind eye to. That the Province and City of Winnipeg seem to be doing nothing, spending nothing, to RETAIN our own people who leave for Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver, and for all we know, have-province Newfoundland.
And to top it off, upon examining the promotional website, Kenny described it as "fluff".
However the government memo is very useful.
It contains lots of positive news about
* Winnipeg colleges and their education initiatives with China,
* deals related to CentrePort, and
* identifies other Manitoba leaders who attended and lobbyied.
The official press release is reprinted below.
Best of episode replays :
Monday = Oct. 30th interview with Mayor Sam Katz
Tuesday = (compilation) Our analysis of the NDP's endorsement of a non-whole food substitute for Milk as a source of calcium in Manitoba's North aka Let Them Eat Cheez Whiz
Wed. - live show with CTV's Crimewatch reporter Kelly Dehn, and more of your calls and emails.
GO BOMBERS!
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November 7, 2008
PREMIER'S ECONOMIC MISSION TO CHINA WRAPS UP
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Manitoba's New Inland Port, Business, Education Agreements Among
Highlights
Two Manitoba companies joined Premier Gary Doer in Shanghai
yesterday to announce business deals with Chinese companies
including one for energy-efficient windows and doors for new
homes.
Loewen Windows of Steinbach will be providing windows and doors
for a high-end housing project in the Shanghai region. Parker
Hannifin, which recently acquired Vansco, will be supplying
Lonking Holdings' construction machinery with electronic controls
that are manufactured at the company's Winnipeg facility.
"Manitoba businesses are known for producing high-quality
products and China is in need of such products in order to meet
the challenges and demands of its continued economic growth,"
Doer said. "I want to congratulate both companies on their
success in breaking into significant new markets."
The Canadian Leaders' Mission: China 2008 included Premier Dalton
McGuinty of Ontario, Premier Shawn Graham of New Brunswick,
Premier Robert Ghiz of Prince Edward Island as well as former
premier Pierre Marc Johnson of Quebec. Doer left the mission
early to travel back to Manitoba for the funeral of long-time
friend, colleague and cabinet minister Oscar Lathlin.
The mission also included more than 110 representatives from
industry, education and other Canadian organizations including 30
from Manitoba.
Expanding trade into new markets such as Asia and Europe was one
of the outcomes of the Oct. 20 premiers' meeting on the
economy. Manitoba's trade with China has risen more than five
times in the past five years. Manitoba's exports have jumped 586
per cent, rising to $545.9 million in 2007 from $79.5 million in
2002.
Promoting Manitoba's new inland port, CentrePort Canada, to
Chinese companies and investors was a key focus of the Manitoba
delegation's business mission to China.
"CentrePort Canada is open for business and has much to offer
Chinese companies that are looking for new, more affordable and
efficient ways to distribute their products," Doer said.
offer many competitive advantages. It is great to be here with
Manitoba business leaders who share our vision for building
CentrePort Canada."
The premier and Manitoba business leaders held a special session
in Beijing with Chinese investors and companies whose business
interests are in the areas of logistics, transportation and
manufacturing.
Several leaders who helped create CentrePort Canada participated
in the session including Jim Carr of the Manitoba Business
Council, Graham Starmer of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce,
Dave Angus of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and Chris Lorenc of the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association. Don Streuber of Bison Transport, Erla Glesby of Westco and Michael Rodyniuk of Winnipeg Airports Authority (WAA) also took part in the presentation.
"We have a tremendous story to tell," said Rodyniuk, chief
operating officer and senior vice-president of WAA. "Flying
through Winnipeg is much more cost effective than flying deep
into the United States. We can cycle aircraft faster and have the
best established dedicated cargo capacity in the country. This,
connected to Manitoba's incredible road and rail infrastructure,
means major U.S. and Canadian cities are easily accessed from
here. We are a true multi-modal international gateway to North
America."
The Manitoba delegation also promoted the inland port to officials from the Province of Henan and signed several agreements aimed at increasing economic development and co-operation between Manitoba and Henan.
Doer and Henan Gov. Guo Gengmao signed the Henan/Manitoba
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Enhanced Co-operation and
Economic Development. The agreement will support the development
of CentrePort Canada and includes provisions to increase
strategic co-operation and sister airport relations between WAA
and Zhengzhou Airport.
In addition, the Manitoba and Winnipeg chambers of commerce, and
the Henan Provincial Bureau of Commerce signed an agreement for
enhanced co-operation on business, trade and entrepreneur
development.
"It is extremely important that we take a hands-on approach to
promoting Manitoba as a great place to invest and do business,"
said Starmer, president and CEO of the Manitoba chambers. "The
mission has introduced local businesses to new opportunities in
China, which continues to have one of the world's fastest growing
economies."
While in Beijing, Canadian premiers also met with Chinese Foreign
Affairs Minister Yang Jiechi, held a round table with Chinese
governors including representatives of the provinces of Shangdong, Hebei, Henan and Hunan, and met with Cheng Siwei, retired vice-chair of the National People's Congress. They also attended the China Leaders Business Forum held by the Canada China Business Council.
In Chongqing, the premiers met with Chongqing party secretary Bo
Xilai and toured the inland port. In Shanghai, premiers met with
Shanghai party secretary Yu Zhensheng.
Manitoba's colleges and universities also joined Doer to announce
the signing of five agreements aimed at increasing international
education connections between the province and China, which sends
more students to Manitoba than any other country.
International education is an important part of Manitoba's economy and education system, with students from China and Hong Kong comprising nearly 32 per cent of Manitoba's international student body in 2006-07, up from six per cent in 2001-02. They contributed $23.5 million to Manitoba's economy through academic and related spending.
Highlights of the post-secondary education agreements signed in
China include:
- expanding the partnership between Red River College and
Shenyang Institute of Engineering to include two new combined
diploma programs in power-plant engineering and tourism in
addition to electrical engineering,
- renewing an agreement between the University of
Manitoba and Beijing's China Women's University to continue
providing a social-work intervention program for rural women in
China,
- reaching a new agreement between the University of
Winnipeg and Concord College on a scholarship program for Chinese students attending the U of W,
- signing a transfer agreement between the University of
Winnipeg and TAIE International Institute to allow graduates
admittance to the U of W, and
- signing an agreement between the University of Winnipeg
and Jiangsu Province International Education to co-operate in
areas such as research, faculty and staff exchange, and
short-term academic programs.
At the start of the mission, Doer presented Dr. Stan Cheung with
the Order of the Buffalo Hunt in recognition of his outstanding
contributions to the province of Manitoba.
Cheung is a prominent businessman, philanthropist and Manitoba's
long-time honorary consul in Hong Kong, regularly advising
Manitobans on industry and education matters both in Hong Kong
and mainland China. He is also a distinguished graduate of the
University of Manitoba.
In recognition of Cheung's generous contributions to the U of M
over many years, the university named its animal science research
unit the T.K. Cheung Centre for Animal Science Research at a
ceremony in 2006. Cheung helped build the facility and provided
bursary and graduate student assistance, library support,
equipment funding as well as donations to other initiatives.
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