.jpg)
What a great evening!
What a great way to celebrate British Columbia success.
And what a great thing it is to see this province once again assuming a leadership role in Canada.
I do not say that lightly.
A few weeks ago, Leading Edge B.C. released the results of a survey by Environics Research Group.
The survey was directed at finding out what states or provinces venture capitalists consider the most competitive places in which to do business.
A few years back, in an earlier survey, B.C. ranked dead last.
The most recent survey put B.C. ahead of every other Canadian province.
Let me give you another example of how far B.C. has come.
A few years ago, business people in Calgary used to nominate the Premier of B.C. as their biggest booster. They delighted in the claim that businesses fleeing B.C. were turning Calgary into Canada’s headquarters capital.
No longer.
Last fall, the Edmonton Journal gave voice to the new view with a piece that led with the words:
“Heads up Alberta. You’ve got competition. In case you haven’t heard, B.C. is back.”
The Journal declared that Alberta’s largest high-tech and biotech players “wouldn’t crack the top 10 in B.C.”
It’s quite a turnaround. And I’m proud that we have been able to be a part of it.
Our role, as we see it, is to provide the most efficient, lowest-cost market we can for issuers and investors alike.
And we’ve had considerable success – Canada has the lowest trading costs in North America, and is second in the world only to Japan, by a recent international survey.
We like to think that it’s one reason why B.C., in addition to its other strengths, is punching far above its weight on technology.
On TSX Venture, the numbers are really quite dramatic, as Linda Hohol, the President of TSX Venture Exchange, is always delighted to demonstrate. Linda is with us tonight, as is John McCoach, Vice President of our Vancouver office.
Out of 287 tech listings on the venture exchange, 99 are from B.C. – 34 per cent. In fact, 44 per cent of Venture Exchange listings are B.C. companies.
Last year, Venture companies raised more than $4 billion in financing, nearly half of that by B.C.-based companies.
For a province that only a few short years ago flirted with have-not status, the turnaround has been stunning.
But there is another reason for the transformation, and it is my special pleasure tonight to speak to that reason.
In these cynical times, governments are too seldom credited for their contributions. But there are few who would now deny that the government of this province has been a very important catalyst for change in this province.
Indeed, the people of this province have just put their stamp of approval on the policies that produced B.C.’s turnaround.
And in so doing they affirmed their support of the person at the heart of it – the Premier of British Columbia, The Honourable Gordon Campbell.
Mr. Premier, your success has won you not only the approval of your electorate, but the admiration of the country.
Ladies and gentlemen, Premier Campbell.
