The Western Experience

James van Leeuwen Director

i-CANADA West

The  Western  Experience    

Reflec1ons  in  the  Key  of  F  

i-­‐CANADA    Advisory  Board  Mee1ng  

 

Windsor,  Ontario    November  17,  2011  

 

James  Van  Leeuwen  Ventus  Development  Services  

and  

Liven  Networks    

Pincher  Creek,  Alberta    

jvl@ventus.ca    

   

FATHER  

 

Freedom    

Fron1er    

Fairness    

Fortune    

Family    

Fulfillment  

   

 

Freedom    ✔    

Fron1er    ✔    

Fairness    ✔    

Fortune    ✔    

Family    ✔    

Friends    ✔    

Fulfillment    ✔  

   

 

FUTURE    

Freedom  ✔    

Friends  ✔    

Family  ?    

Fron1er  ?    

Fairness  ?    

Fortune  ?    

FULFILLMENT  ?  

FAIL…  

 

 What  is  the  

 

Founda1on    

of  our  na1on’s      

Freedom,    

Fairness    

and    

Fortune?    

 

     

Is  it  our    

Infrastructure,    

Ins1tu1ons    

and    

Industry?    

 

           

No.    

Hint:  It  starts  with  ‘F’.      

 

 

Fellowship    

“A  group  of  people  mee1ng  to  pursue  a  shared  interest  or  aim.”  

 “Free  and  friendly  associa1on,  especially  with  people  

who  share  one’s  interests.”    

Fellowship    shared  responsibility  and  burden    

Fellowship    infrastructure,  ins1tu1ons  and  industry    

Why  are  all  these  smaller  communi1es  in  the  U.S.  building  their  own  fibre  networks?    

 Because  there  is  no  profit  incen1ve  for  the  private  telecom  industry  to  build  the  highly  capable,  accessible  and  affordable  networks  that  all  communi1es  need  to  par1cipate  and  

prosper  in  the  global  Digital  Economy.      

These  U.S.  communi1es  are  now  at  war  with  their  private  telecom  industry.  

 

Smaller  communi1es  have  the  most  to  gain  from  the  Digital  Revolu1on.    

 They  are  the  lowest  priority  for  government  (least  votes)  and  industry  (least  profitable).  

 They  must  take  maders  into  their  own  hands,  

and  they  must  work  together.    

Rural  communi1es  are  to  society  as  roots  are  to  trees.  Larger  communi1es  should  be  

helping  them…  not  compe-ng  with  them.    

Community  Broadband  Networks  in  Canada      

Western  Ini1a1ves    

First  Na1ons  Technology  Council  of  BC    

Pacific  Community  Network  Associa1on    

Vancouver  ICT  Summit  (Feb.  23-­‐26,  2012)    

PICTURE  (Pugng  ICT  to  Use  in  Rural  Economies)    

Alberta  Council  of  Technologies    

What  will  the  future  hold  for  these  Canadians?  

That  will  depend  on  the  opportuni1es  WE  create.  It  will  depend  on  our:  

 Leadership  Fellowship  Vision  Strategy  Ini1a1ve  

Investment    

“Empty  pockets  never  held  anyone  back.  Only  empty  heads  and  empty  hearts  can  do  that.”  

[Norman  Vincent  Peale]  

 

   

 Becoming  an  intelligent  na1on  with  ubiquitous  world-­‐class  networks  will  require  us  to  build  a  na1onwide  fellowship  that  includes  our  First  

Na1ons  communi1es.    

This  is  the  capacity-­‐building  we  need  the  most,  and  it’s  the  work  I  do  at  local  and  regional  levels.  

 This  is  what  I  would  like  i-­‐CANADA  to  do  at  

the  na1onal  level.