Indecent Proposal

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Brad Ferguson

I had this great idea. It was 2005 and I wanted to build a multi-plex hockey rink for the City. I assembled a piece of land, structured the financing and partnered with a non-profit operator such that all profits would be cycled back into the operations to keep the cost to Edmonton Minor Hockey as low as possible. It was a beautiful model that would fix the cost of minor hockey for the next 30 years at a price lower than it cost today. Just beautiful.

All I needed was the City to consolidate their operations from adjacent single-pad arenas and guarantee a lease for the equivalent amount. I couldn’t figure out why on earth they wouldn’t support my proposal.

Looking back, I realize I was wrong. So young; so naive.

Last week, the City of Edmonton made a business decision to consolidate office space which facilitated the development of a new tower in our downtown core. They were first approached by an unsolicited proposal that demonstrated the value of consolidating space, as an enabler to a new development. Like me, for the longest time the proponent couldn’t figure out why on earth the City wouldn’t support such a logical proposal.

But the City of Edmonton did the right thing.

It took an extra six months, but the City took the time to issue an RFP (Request for Proposal) and appoint an independent fairness advisor to oversee the process. They knew making a decision, any decision, with a private firm would come with the risk of massive public scrutiny.

Much can be learned from my little story and that of the office tower. Specifically, as we enter an era where public/private partnerships become more common, the private sector needs to understand and respect that whenever public funds (no matter what size) are being used to enable a development (no matter what size), the project will require: (1) a public RFP process; (2) a fairness advisor; (3) full transparency from the private sector proponent.

The City of Edmonton did the right thing, and it is important that the business community understand that the days of full transparency are here to stay. Backroom deals will be publicly scorned. Businesses will shoulder the consequences. And political leaders will wear the judgement. Most importantly, attempts to work around the transparent process harm our reputations and slow down the pace in which novel ideas can be realized in our city.

If we learn to do it right, we will accelerate growth. If don’t, we will live with saga after saga.

Speed of Edmonton

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Brad Ferguson

What is going on out there??

That’s what people keep asking me regarding the traffic situation these days. And I am preparing myself for that question to be asked over and over in the years to come … be it spring, summer, autumn or winter.

Let’s take a look at my back-of-the-napkin math today at lunch:

Our 1,200,000 population in the Edmonton region is growing at ~3.9% per year, which means that we are adding ~46,800 new people in the Edmonton region, and adding ~20,000 new cars on our roads … every year. It’s also likely that ~3,500 of those new drivers have never experienced snow before. Yikes!

Our $78 Billion economy is growing around ~3.7% per year, which means that we are adding ~14,500 new commercial vehicles on the roads … every year … on top of this year’s additional ~17,000 new commercial trucks carrying products and materials throughout the region each and every day.

Ouch! No wonder we have congestion … and not just in our sinuses.

No wonder expanding our LRT Network is the #1 Priority of Edmonton City Council.

We are not only a winter city … we need to be a student-friendly city, a green city, a fast-moving city, an efficient city, a scalable city, a downtown-friendly city and an affordable city for us to continue to be an economic and entrepreneurial engine for Alberta.

We are a high-cost jurisdiction when compared to many locations. In order for our economy to boom and our businesses to be competitive, we need to focus on the speed at which our people, ideas and goods can move.

Expanding our LRT system is a key investment that accelerates Alberta.

Let’s make it happen.

Time to Move Forward

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Brad Ferguson

Many people may disagree. That’s perfectly okay.

This blog is for the optimists, the idealists, the innovators and the romantics. It is for those searching for new solutions and for those who always strive to make things better. It is for the doers, not the talkers. It is for those who want to help; rather than for those who sit and complain – the critics.

On April 23rd, 2012 the Progressive Conservatives won their 12th majority government, winning 61 of the 87 seats across the province. It was a compelling mandate towards a progressive Alberta with a renewed focus on making our two major cities – Edmonton and Calgary – into strong, vibrant metropolitan magnets for thousands of new Albertans. The internal vision centered on culture, public transit, education, and compassion while the external efforts focused on repositioning our brand amidst growing global pressure to restrict our growth.

That was the vision that we elected, and I believe it was the right vision for our province.

The 18 months that have followed have been mired in controversy and missteps. And there have been plenty of issues that have given people cause to be upset and disheartened. I have shaken my head on issues of political interference, precipitous legislation and cavalier budget cuts, and there were many things that gave reason to hold certain Ministers to account.

So on Friday, the Premier took action and shuffled the cabinet, and I compliment her on the decisions made. To many it didn’t seem like a big shuffle, but the changes were made like a precision surgery.

• Dave Hancock as Deputy Premier and Minister of Advanced Education and Innovation will return leadership and vision to the foundation of our economy, while recognizing the need for policy capacity and intellect at the senior Minister position;

• Doug Horner as President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance will ensure much needed continuity and accountability to the fiscal plan set forth;

• Diana McQueen as the Minister of Energy will bring thoughtful determination to energy policy that is grounded in technology and sustainability;

• Manmeet Bhullar as Minister of Human Services will bring discipline and caring to a portfolio of services that needs to protect those in need and of those being left behind;

• Ken Hughes as Minister of Municipal Affairs will bring a consultative respect for the differences between our large and small municipalities and an urgency in addressing regional cooperation for us to truly move forward together;

• Doug Griffiths as Minister of Service Alberta will accelerate the speed of rural connectivity and the speed of eGovernment such that our institutions do not become anchors to achieving our potential; and

• Robin Campbell as Minister of Environment & Sustainable Resource Development will bring an acute understanding of how we need to live with the consequences of our growth.

These, along with those staying in portfolio, are a committed group of people now leading some of our most important ministries, and we all have a choice: Are we going to support them and help move our province forward, or are we going to spend the next 2.5 years buried in cynicism, apathy and resignation?

I submit that the opportunities and risks in front of us are far too significant to let the next 2.5 years pass hoping that some balanced alternative emerges. We have work that needs to start today, not in 2016, and from my perspective there is much work to be done:

• As pipelines move toward approval, we need to start planning for the massive infrastructure projects that will immediately follow;

• As our GDP continues to expand at twice the rate as the rest of the country, we need to prepare ourselves for 150,000 new Albertans, with 40,000 coming to the Edmonton region;

• As the world continues to challenge our social license to develop the oil sands, we need to liberate it as a platform for invention within a well-functioning innovation system;

• As more people, materials and goods move across traditional boundaries, we need regional cooperation that equitably shares both burdens and gains to the system;

• As a larger population becomes dependent on education, healthcare and social supports, we need a revenue model that provides stability and long-term planning;

• As our cost of healthcare balloons at an unsustainable rate, we need to embrace innovation and delivery options that allow generations to come to afford a similar level of high-quality care; and

• As our major cities become the major economic drivers of the economy, we need to redefine what is delivered centrally versus locally within a new municipal funding structure.

Time is ticking away. Everyday. And frankly, we cannot wait for 2.5 years to pass in order for some new government to emerge and suddenly solve all these “simplistic” challenges. The work needs to start today, and I encourage us all to shift our energy from critic to contribution.

I said at the beginning that many may disagree. That’s perfectly okay.

There is work to be done.

But if we want to compete globally, we cannot wait.

Goodbye & Hello

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Brad Ferguson

It is time to say goodbye.

I look back on the Edmonton that once was … a city with booms and busts that blew in and out like the breath of an infant – so young, so naive. A city that lacked confidence and conviction about its role in the province, in the country and in the world. A city without identity … a city without soul.

It is now time to say hello.

I want to lean forward and embrace the Edmonton that now is … a city with potential that is just beginning. A city with confidence and charm that is, for the first time, understanding its responsibility in the world. A city with youth and vitality that knows no limits. And a city with purpose that defines Alberta within a strong Canada, as opposed to an Alberta that walks alone.

We are young, but no longer naive. We are powerful, but can no longer be irreverent. We are the economic and entrepreneurial engine of Canada, and we are a bridge-builder in a united West. We are a place of hope and opportunity for new Albertans, and we are a place with open arms, open hearts and open minds … grounded in the common values of respect, resourcefulness, creativity and compassion.

There is a mystique about Edmonton that makes people wonder how we can achieve so much. We are blessed with what the world wants – energy, water, food and fibre – and we are working endlessly toward creating an education system, a healthcare system and an innovation system that is among a handful of the world’s best. We will always challenge ourselves to be better and better, because Canada needs us to be better and better.

That is what is expected of a Capital City. That is what we should expect of each other.

The time has come to say thank you to our Mayor. And, perhaps for a moment, compare the Edmonton that once was … to the Edmonton that now is.

The last nine years will echo an eternity.

We thank you.

E-Town Edmonton

Posted on September 9, 2013 by Brad Ferguson

What would you ask one of the world’s most interesting people? That’s my task this week as Chris Hadfield, Guy Kawasaki, Hilary Mason, Tiffany Schlain, Bruce Croxon and David Usher all come to share their experiences with the attendees at E-Town (www.e-town.ca).

I started by taking some time to look back at the themes of this blog, and realized that they collectively make up the very themes that will be explored on Thursday (pm) and Friday (all day) this week. Themes like … Becoming Remarkable, Building [IT] Here, Entrepreneurial Thinking, Civic Branding, Festival Creation, Post Secondary Excellence, Powerful Women, Innovation, Commercialization, Competitiveness and the fact that our Capital Region Rocks … are not only what our city needs to be talking about, but they’re also the themes and ideas that need to be baked into the missions of our individual organizations.

How can you teach courage?
What do you feel least prepared for?
What differentiates those that succeed from those that fail?
How can a simple idea become a movement?
What’s coming next and how do we prepare ourselves?

Members of Edmonton’s entrepreneurial community have come together to create E-Town with the goal of stimulating the entrepreneurial discussion of “What’s Next?” and “How do we Capitalize on What’s Next?” We created this conference/festival specifically for those that want to be remarkable, and those willing to lead the charge in their own unique ways. It’s perfect for entrepreneurs, but it is even more perfect for aspiring entrepreneurs and those teams of people within organizations who embrace the mindset of “we gotta change.”

Thursday night we start with one of the great Canadians … Commander Chris Hadfield … and after his keynote he’s asked to stay around and jam with The Barenaked Ladies. How superfantastic is that? Then, Friday is an intense learning and networking experience …. continuously challenging you to think differently and act courageously. It’ll be a great show, with an abundance of energy.

Please don’t miss it. We designed it for you!! Registration will close quickly, so do so now as we are trying to finalize our numbers for the food trucks (Yum!).

See you there.

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: