Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Harold's Intro

You've seen my name on the sidebar and may be wondering what the heck I'm doing with GAS. I don't have much experience with animation or computer gaming but I did do a fair bit of war-gaming (with the military) as well as helicopter flight simulation in a previous life.

My interest in GAS is as someone who has chosen New Brunswick as home [I'm originally from BC] and like many companies in this industry my clients are outside the Province. I started with the e-learning industry here in '98 and saw it flash, fizzle and partially rise from the ashes. My experience with industry associations has been not all that great but I like what GAS is doing, in that it's real conversations with real people and focused on the grassroots.

I think that there is some great potential here, as long as government keeps a hands-off approach (sorry about that my friends in govt, but let entrepreneurs do their own thing). One lesson I learnt from the e-learning industry was that the government propped-up too many businesses that should have failed. With GAS, I hope that the government concentrates on infrastructure, like making this province more open to immigrants. Better public transportation would be something positive. Also, I know people who would love to move here but our immigration laws are too strict. The Province should put pressure on the Feds.

Anyway, I'm interested in systems and strategy and new business models, and you can always get more than you want of my opinion on my blog.

3 comments:

Captain Flintlock said...

Transportations issues is a major concern for the Miramichi. No commercial airline.
Route 108 was addressed today by the premier Hon. Shawn Graham with major upgrades to connect to the Miramichi to the west.
The DND initiatives are a HUGE incentive for the province and we cannot ignore this opportunities for companies on the federal levels.

Gene Fowler said...

I beleive Kevin that you'll hear that public transportation in the Miramichi will be addressed within the next year or so. At least that's the rumour.

It's exciting to hear about 108, that could mean great things for Miramichi.

As for immigration laws, I'm not too sure. Based on my own personal experiences they've been moderate. I've hired alot of internationals in the last year, wasn't much of an issue. But it did take quite some time to process the paper work.

Beans said...

Hi Harold!

Great to have you on board here at GAS!

And I completely agree with your point of view on public transportation, as a lowly commoner myself, I find it very hard to get from point 'a' to point 'b' here in New Brunswick. As New Brunswick is not my home province, I am able to have such a fresh perspective on what we do and do not have. And that is one that has been bothering me for sometime.

In the same voice, it has allowed so many smaller businesses to pop up and be able to employ more of the community as in taxi services. There is about 5 taxi companies here in Miramichi a lone, and each of them vary with their rates. Allowing the choice as per the driver quality and car quality.

So it as it as it is, a yin and yang predicament. But I do believe that there are steps to be taken to take this province into another stage of development both for the consumer and pedestrian.