Ok, enough bitching and complaining already. Alicia Bulwik of the ICT Toronto project has agreed to meet with some members of the TorCamp community and our extended community of Toronto tech investors, entrepreneurs and bloggers on October 5th. Thanks to our good friend Allen Gelberg of MaRS for providing space. We will hear an update on what ICT Toronto has been up to and have input into its business plan. So now that the community has the City's ear, what does the community want to say? Let me take a first crack at it:

1. ICT Toronto needs to recognize all community members as legitimate economic development actors; i.e. "loosen up" and "open up"
2. ICT Toronto needs to pay attention to and take lessons from the successes of BarCamp, DemoCamp, CaseCamp, Enterprise2.0 and other unconferences as well as the success of a more traditional conference like Mesh; understand how they happened and the role they have in developing the community, the industry and Toronto's reputation
3. ICT Toronto needs a two-track strategy: one supporting the large end of the ecosystem, and another supporting the emerging players
4. ICT Toronto needs to be transparent to, and communicate regularly with, the wider technology community; a web site is a good start, but Toronto's tech bloggers are important influencers, thought leaders and opinion-makers and already have the audience, so take advantage of them

Community is important to the development of a vibrant tech industry. TorCamp and similar groups are communities of practice. Communities of practice include students, people working in the industry, current and former entrepreneurs, investors, teachers, academics, etc. Not all these community members operate a business today, or represent a formal organization. The community is not an organization. "Community is the framework". Economic development practitioners traditionally only recognize businesses and formal trade organizations as legitimate stakeholders. This must change. This is a paradigm shift from an industrial policy model towards the cultivation of an ecosystem. This shift in perspective is absolutely necessary to unlock Toronto's potential. This community can help make this shift manageable for those practitioners by demonstrating how to exploit the new tools of participatory community-building and social media. That link must be established. How can we move Toronto up the ladder globally? Paul Graham's essay "How to be Silicon Valley is an important starting point. Read Joey's series on the subject. You need rich people and nerds. I agree with many of Graham's points, especially on the importance of making a place that both nerds and rich people are drawn to:

There has been a lot written lately about the "creative class." The thesis seems to be that as wealth derives increasingly from ideas, cities will prosper only if they attract those who have them. That is certainly true; in fact it was the basis of Amsterdam's prosperity 400 years ago. A lot of nerd tastes they share with the creative class in general. For example, they like well-preserved old neighborhoods instead of cookie-cutter suburbs, and locally-owned shops and restaurants instead of national chains. Like the rest of the creative class, they want to live somewhere with personality.

So placemaking is an important part of building a vibrant technology industry. What kind of places do both nerds and rich people want to spend time? Why do people love Toronto? Well, a working, functional city with a high quality of life is a start. So culture is an issue for the ICT industry, as is transportation and the environment. The ICT industry should be putting its economic and political weight behind the recommendations of the Strategies for a Creative City project, and put pressure on senior levels of government to increase support for intelligent urban growth, improved regional transit infrastructure, improved creative education and social and cultural investment in our communities. What can ICT Toronto do specifically? First, convene all the communities of practice and industry groups to establish needs and priorities for the future and identify areas for cooperation. This would be a major regional forum for the ICT industry to bring the various partners together under a single roof. Next, bring large companies, communities of practice, venture capital firms and other levels of government together to pool resources and make strategic investments in pilot programs and local infrastructure such as:

• Innovation Commons spaces - bring entrepreneurs, geeks and rich people together on a daily basis
• Social Microfinance and other new models for seed funding of early-stage startups
• Ubiquitous and cheap wifi; affordable mobile data connectivity and ultra-broadband availability
• Link DemoCampers to large companies to pilot/partner new products
• Provide travel assistance to startups to attend key conferences, trade shows

Joey, David, Mark, Mathew, Rob, Tom, Rohan, Leila, Malgosia, Jay, Rick and Estelle will be there. Your input is important. Leave your comments here or trackback or email me: mark (at) remarkk (dot) com.

I missed DemoCamp, again! I developed a really nasty case of conjunctivitis, and didn't think it was a good idea to infect the best and brightest of Toronto's technology community. I'm looking forward to the video podcast when it comes out. In the meantime, Jorge blogged about it, so did Olivier. For those technologists out there with an interest in working with non-profits, you should check out Partnership Platform, a matching service for non-profits with technology needs.

Technorati Tags: barcamp, democamp, torcamp, Toronto

Via Stuart: CIRA elections are on. If you own a .ca domain, you can become a member and participate in the governance of the Canadian internet. Gotta love democracy.

Technorati Tags: CIRA, internet

I don't want to be all doom and gloom, but I do want to highlight a couple of important economic indicators for the future. Talk of a real estate bubble, it's bursting and the potential economic fallout will be front and centre for the next while. The real estate bubble, the US current account and trade deficits, consumer debt and consumer spending patterns and high energy prices are all conspiring to put the North American (and global) economy into a high-risk situation. Brush up on your Tipping Point. Meanwhile, the auto industry is in dire straights for the foreseeable future. When Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of DaimlerChrysler states that it is impossible to profitably make subcompacts in North America, watch out for continued recalibration of the trade economics of advanced manufacturing up the food chain. This is just the beginning of a larger trend, not a short-term blip. So, this places the issue of Canada's and Ontario's long-term economic future into sharp relief. The Ontario government in its report Toward 2025: Assessing Ontario's Long-Term Outlook, identified the Bio-Technology, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Entertainment and Creative industry clusters as having important long-term growth potential. Guess what? Those same three industry clusters appear as the bottom three in terms of competitiveness (measured by average wages) relative to competing North American jurisdictions according to the Institute for Competitiveness and Prosperity. So what are we doing about it? MaRS was one response. Innovation Commons is another. More is needed. Change is rapid and global. But the responses to change must be local. We must make our communities resilient in the face of global change. This was the conclusion of the federal External Advisory Committee on Cities and Communities, led by Mike Harcourt, which reported in June. Which is why initiatives like the ICT Toronto project and the Strategies for a Creative City project are too important to leave to government. When bubbles burst, when business cycles take a turn, resilient communities adapt quickly and have the structures in place to deploy the resources freed by economic adjustment and provide a secure foundation to build again for the future. Those that lack those structures face long-term decline as talent and capital flee to better environments. Where is the political discourse on these important issues? Where is the press? Community-builders are needed, with the vision and stamina to outlive the short-term political calculus of any single government. The economy of the future will be built by communities of practice, interest and geography. It is about connecting ideas with talent, experience and capital. We are more than free-moving economic actors, we are citizens of our communities, closely linked to one another. We need to articulate our aspirations for the future and work toward a new collective project. I invite you to join the conversation.

Technorati Tags: Canada, clusters, creativeclusters, economics, icttoronto, inmylifetime, Innovation, innovationcommons, Ontario, communities, sustainability, Toronto

Another TIFF season has come and gone. For more reviews, check out this great TIFF blog, Craig at the Toronto International Film Festival. Craig is seeing 40 films, and writing reviews for all of them. Impressive work.

L'Homme de sa vie ("Man of My Life"):

Replacing The Bubble as my favourite of the festival, L'Homme de sa vie is a wonderfully executed film by Zabou Breitman. Mature, thoughtful, with beautiful cinematography, L'Homme de sa vie tells an insightful and very human story about a contented family man on vacation with his family in the south of France and the relationship he develops with his gay neighbour. It is not a gay film per se. The two men are forever changed by a conversation they have one evening after a big dinner party, and events unfold that explore questions of family, love, fidelity and identity. The colours, visual style and sounds of this film are simply stunning. It features great, understated performances and pacing that communicate the long, lazy days of midsummer. The audience is given the space that allows the subtle human moments to stand out. Highly Recommended.

I have often been disappointed by "Gay Cinema", but films like L'Homme de sa vie, The Bubble and last year's Brokeback Mountain have shown what can be done with gay themes and characters. Traditional Gay Cinema has often been hard-edged with a political message, or reverting to awful stereotypes and cliched coming out stories. What is more interesting to me is how gay characters and themes are often able to express universal human themes in new ways. These three films are fantastic examples.

Snow Cake:

Snow Cake, from Director Marc Evans is a Canada/UK coproduction filmed on location in Wawa, Ontario and in studio in Toronto. The screenplay is a first for writer Angela Pell. Featuring big stars in Sigourney Weaver and Alan Rickman and music from Broken Social Scene, there is much here for wide audience appeal. The film delivers, with solid performances from Weaver and Rickman, a heartwarming and funny script that delivers a lot of great moments. Weaver plays Linda, an autistic woman whose daughter Vivienne dies in an accident with Rickman's Alex at the wheel. Alex, ridden by guilt commits to help Linda until the funeral. As he enters Linda's strange world outside the bounds of social norms and convention, he experiences a new freedom to confront his own past and demons. It is a redemptive story with great moments. While not without its flaws, it delivers on the audience's expectations. Worth a look.

And, with that, another film festival season is over. I'm looking forward to next year, and look forward to catching some of the films I missed at the festival when they come to theatres.

Technorati Tags: culture, film, TIFF, Toronto

ICT Toronto is (for now) a two-year project funded by the City of Toronto to develop the information and communications technology industry as a key sector in the Toronto region, with the following vision:

Toronto will become, and be acknowledged globally, as one of the 5 most innovative, creative and productive locations in the world for ICT research, education, business and investment by 2011.

As Joey noted today, judging from the web site and news presence not much has happened since the announcement in April:

It's almost five months later, and it appears that not much has happened. I haven't seen a press release since the one for their launch party, and a Google News search for "ICT Toronto" ends up without any results.

Joey goes on to lay it on the line:

In the meantime, Toronto's techies, without any of the money or manpower earmarked for ICT Toronto have held 4 DemoCamps and a BarCamp, events which have gone a long way to fostering a sense of community and cooperation in the local tech scene. And of course, actually building information and communication technologies, something the suits seem to have completely overlooked. This is hardly surprising. Silicon Valley was born of good circumstances coupled with the grassroots efforts of ambitious techies doing what they loved, not by government/business fiat. I'd call ICT Toronto a bunch of pointless martini-swilling stuffed shirts, but that's an insult to martinis and dress shirts, both of which I happen to like.

David, Jay and I were invited to join ICT Toronto as "members" (really an ad-hoc advisory committee) back in June, which I blogged about here. Well, I attended my second breakfast meeting (no martinis, just mediocre coffee and croissants) yesterday sitting on behalf of Toronto's BarCamp community, and wanted to share some progress, my thoughts and possible future directions. After the jump...

Technorati Tags: barcamp, Canada, cluster, democamp, icttoronto, technology, torcamp, Toronto

Reality Checks: First of all, as with any government initiative, things definitely do not move in web time. Reality check for all unconference attending, blogging, Web 2.0, tagging, social media consuming Gen-X geeks and Millennials.... the grey-haired folks we know we need (for their experience, investment and wisdom) don't live in our world. Have you tried explaining to your dad what BarCamp is? How'd that go? Also, I have to say that Alicia Bulwik, the City's economic development point person on the project, and several others in attendance do understand that they need the community: the young, the creative, the innovators. What's missing is that as a group they don't have the policy "hooks" for community. This is not surprising, as the question of how government can engage with diffused communities of interest, communities of practice and ethnic and geographic communities is a difficult problem to solve. The aspirations are huge, but resources are limited for now. But the problem is solvable and inexpensive, thanks in part to the BarCamp ethos and social media practices. What's being done?

• Benchmarking Study (where does Toronto rank in the world)
• Marketing Program development (Toronto as preferred location for large companies)
• ICT Toronto Business Plan development (what is ICT Toronto, it's role and how will it achieve its stated goals)

The Benchmarking Study is important, because the vision is for Toronto to be #5 in the world, but we don't know where we rank today. The Marketing Program is expected and unremarkable, focused as it is on attracting technology companies to locate in the region - just like every other economic development department in every major city in the world. And yes, a real web site is part of the plan. They are also looking to set up an "Ambassadors" program to enable people who can volunteer a small amount of their time and attention while traveling around the world to make the case for Toronto as a place to locate. The boldest idea is to have an "ICT festival", which could be great or a great disappointment, depending on how it's done. A series of coordinated and exciting technology events around the region is an interesting idea, but it needs content in order to prevent it from just being lame. This is where culture and community have important roles to play. In addition there was a presentation by Bill Hutchison, Chair of the i-Waterfront Advisory Council, on plans for ultra-broadband (1-10 GB/s) communities and a major digital media industry hub in the waterfront redevelopment zone. ICT Toronto Business Plan: The consultants developing the Business Plan, TSI Inc., presented a preliminary framework for a business plan. What is ICT Toronto? It is not another industry association, it shouldn't duplicate anything already existing. It is heading toward a private-public partnership funded by government and industry, eventually with a CEO and staff working towards the stated vision. The consultants were looking for input into the plan. What should be its priority activities? What would demonstrate a quick success? What is the preferred startup mode? What would allow ICT Toronto to gain the financial and in-kind support from the private sector it needs to make a real impact? What Should ICT Toronto Become? I made as impassioned a plea as I could muster for the need for ICT Toronto to define itself as a convening body for the various communities of practice, interest and geography that make up the technology scene in the Toronto region. Developing an organizational and governance structure, hiring a CEO, getting funding in place are all important in the long run. But activity cannot wait for that infrastructure if ICT Toronto wants to achieve its goals in its stated timeframe...it will simply be too late. Meanwhile, various communities of practice like BarCamp and others are doing great things on a daily basis around the region that create excitement, exchange knowledge and connect innovators to experience, talent and capital. These communities are important partners and strategic levers that can support the achievement of the vision. ICT Toronto needs to tap into them, support them and bring them together. What is a Quick Win? The best way to startup such an undertaking and create some excitement that draws in the various stakeholders to a collective project is to convene the communities and companies in a major forum, using Open Space or unconference methods to allow the passionate citizens of the community to participate, set priorities and pool resources. ICT Toronto cannot set a top-down direction without bottom-up legitimacy and support. Bringing everybody together is a first step towards a coherent strategy and plans for the future. How Can ICT Toronto be Resourced? ICT Toronto needs to define its value proposition to the large companies and government partners that can bring financial support and to the communities that can provide legitimacy, excitement, new ideas and in-kind support. In order to do this, mapping the value exchanges between the various actors in the ecosystem would be a good start to define that value proposition. Convening the companies and communities in a major forum offers the opportunity to articulate that value proposition. ICT Toronto should not be a charity, it needs to worth investing in and have a business case to support itself. Future Directions: One of the committee members is looking for volunteers to help define the content of the ICT Toronto web site. A group will be coming together on October 19th to do a workshop on the Business Plan, and I plan to contribute to that. The next meeting of the ad-hoc ICT Toronto committee will be November 30th, post the municipal election. One of my recommendations for right now is for ICT Toronto to invite members of the Toronto technology blogging community together to learn more about what is underway, engage their creative energy and create an ongoing line of communication that can further engage the communities that follow these influential bloggers: Joey deVilla, David Crow, Jay Goldman, Mark Evans, Rob Hyndman, Mathew Ingram, Michael McDerment, Robert Oulette, Stuart MacDonald, Tom Purves, Rick Segal, Bryce Johnson It is by embracing the emerging and established leaders of the Toronto technology community and their energy that ICT Toronto will be able to do something that is worth talking about. Otherwise, it risks becoming irrelevant in a very competitive world, where cities around the world are attempting similar strategies in this sector.