I was only 2 in ‘88, but the story is the same from my perspective. I think so much about how to get my city to incentivize more manufacturing industry. The sma

I was only 2 in ‘88, but the story is the same from my perspective. I think so much about how to get my city to incentivize more manufacturing industry. The small amount we do have is the most lucrative use of the space in the municipality on a square foot basis, yet the city makes it far more difficult than is necessary to start these types of businesses. Worse still is that this type of space, relative to population, is decreasing when it should be increasing. We have SO MUCH potential in Canada. It’s incredible. The only thing stopping us is ourselves. What drives me nuts too is that my kids find work in places like tourist traps and Tim Hortons. When I was a kid I got to learn to build things, use tools and machines, use my body, plan projects (albeit very menial ones in my teens), and figure out what the hell all this abstract stuff in school was really for. I was applying math, drafting simple designs, writing to customers about orders, and using skills I hadn’t found real-world uses for up until that point. They’re missing out so much. But our city is, too. My kids are worth far more than serving coffee and frying fish and chips for tourists. And they’d be worth even more in ten years if real opportunities existed here. They’d have knowledge and skills they’ll never find in those places. It really drives me crazy. So much wasted potential. We can do better, but we need policies that enable us to do it.