Blueknowser's First Blog

This is the first blog of many that are going to be based on what is happening (or not happening) in my home province of Nova Scotia, Canada. I would like to incite serious thought about living conditions in our province... and instill the will to engineer real change through the current leadership or by developing an alternative to the current 'do little or nothing' leadership in the government and business environments.

I have been contemplating launching a complete website on the subject for some time. Recently, after consulting with several friends and business contacts, it became clear to me that it would not be a great financial investment on my part. These same consultants indicated that it would be unlikely that the folks here would be interested in looking strategically at where the province is performing today. Will they look at what is possible and invest in change that could place our province and people where they should be on the social, economic, environmental and personal health ladder... I think so, but I have decided to blog, using my time and experience here, rather than investing more financially in addition to my time. These thoughts will live on their own, and if they are worth reading, they will be without my pushing them out to unsuspecting email recipients.

So how do I come to having the right to blog on about Nova Scotia. First, I am a Nova Scotian. I grew up in Truro and went to Saint Mary's University in Halifax... graduating with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1975. I went to work in the health care industry as a sales representative for a company that distributed hospital laboratory supplies and equipment... my territory was Nova Scotia and PEI. I soon realized that if a person wanted to have a career that included running a large company in the health care industry, there was no opportunity to do it from Halifax. The truth to this can be observed today when it is rare that any health care device manufacturer has even a resident representative in the Atlantic Provinces let alone an executive position; and only a few distributors have more than one sales representative.

Beyond being a Nova Scotian or a 'Bluenoser' as we are known, my insight comes from a thirty year career in the health care industry that included running medium to large enterprises in Canada, the USA and Europe. I have traveled the world over my career and have lived in Canada, the USA and Germany. I returned to our province three years ago, in retirement, to help my Mother as she goes through her later years. I have had the time to observe, listen, participate, and ruminate with my family and friends about what has 'not happened' over the years since 1975 when I left. My wife Lynnda and I live on the water of Jeddore Harbor on the Eastern Shore... that is very Nova Scotia!

I care deeply about the people here, and I strongly believe that they have been very poorly served by their past leaders... in the government and the business community. I believe that while the current government lead by Rodney MacDonald is one of the worst I have observed anywhere, they are not alone in that category with many of the past assemblies being nearly as bad. The saying 'you get what you vote for' does not really work in this instance, it is clear that there was not a viable team to choose from in the most recent provincial election... one party was lead by a physical education trained fiddler with no significant portfolio or business experience, and having few strong candidates for the important portfolios; one led by someone inclined to put his foot in his mouth and then marvel at the foot prints on his tongue when the press published the quotes; and the other a party that has clearly strong intellectual substance and a leading legal mind, but is threatening to move the province so far to the left it could see its shadow on the right... a radical, reactionary and potentially costly alternative to the other two who would do nothing.

So, what will my approach be to this situation...

I hope to be able to present information that will allow readers to consider alternatives to the status quo in Nova Scotia, today. While I have a strong bent to be aggressive, I realize that if we are to exact change here, it will take a persistent challenge, well thought through, relative to where we are and why its not good enough. Occasionally it will be worthwhile referencing other writers that through my research I have observed have ideas we should all be considering... and examples of those ideas being put into action. Clearly, it is also my intention to be a clarion for action, for if we fail to act now, it is clear that our province will fall by the wayside, an ashcan of promises made but not kept by our leaders over these many years.

Occasionally I hope to also place voice, video, and still photos on this site to help with the understanding of the Nova Scotia I have grown to love. An example is the sun setting off the railing of our deck over Jeddore Harbor. The sunset reminds me that there, looking into the sunset, is a lot of pollution and smoke that enables such beauty and much of our material life; and some how we must find a way to live so we can maintain the beauty that the crystal clear sky defines. The swish of the cirrus clouds is like a horse tail swatting at flies that would interfere with its life, hoping perhaps to clear the skies...

Please pass this blog to friends; we have a lot of work to do.