Media

Here are various articles by and about John Tennant.

“Foreign Investment:  Local Perspective On A Global Issue”

In its November/December 2012 issue, Exchange Magazine Editor, Paul Knowles, writes about the importance and impact of foreign direct investment for Ontario’s Waterloo Region.  The article, “Foreign Investment:  Local Perspective On A Global Issue,” draws on comments from John Jung, CEO of Canada’s Technology Triangle; Kitchener Mayor Carl Zehr; Terry Reidel, a corporate director; and John Tennant.

“And the winner is . . . “

John Tennant’s contributions to the community were rewarded with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Cambridge Chamber’s 2008 Business Excellence Awards Gala. (Business Times, May 2009)

“Tennant leaving CTT; calls for ‘collaboration'”

  • VIEW Article in Exchange Magazine, June 2008

Columns by John Tennant in the Business Times (2004 to 2008)

Over a four year period, John contributed a monthly column to the Cambridge, Guelph, Kitchener and Waterloo edition of the Business Times.

In the October 2008 edition, the Editor of the Business Times, Jan Dean, commented, “We would like to thank John Tennant for his remarkable insights into life and business in Waterloo Region each month. His column has been a real boon to the business community.”

Here is a selection of the commentaries.

  • April-2004 – The Competitive Edge: The Waterloo Region – Canada’s Technology Triangle – has again come out ahead in the most highly regarded benchmark study of international competitiveness.
  • May-2004 – Getting On The Global Map: The Waterloo area is getting increased and deserved recognition as the growing urban cluster that it has become.
  • June-2004 – Diversity Drives Region: The Conference Board of Canada’s Spring Outlook presented an extremely positive economic portrait of the Waterloo Region.
  • July-2004 – Outsourcing Services: Threat or Opportunity? One of the political hot potatoes in the run-up to this year’s US elections is the outsourcing of service jobs to lower cost overseas locations.
  • August-2004 – Resurgent Silicon Valley Refocuses Its Resources:  Silicon Valley – unquestionably the global centre of gravity for high technology – is re-emerging from the 200 crash but with a more focused and cautious tone.
  • Sept-2004 – Entrepreneurs Are Part of Our Colourful History: Gather together a group of Waterloo Region business and community leaders and ask them to name the attribute that most defines the Waterloo Region.  The response frequently points to the longstanding tradition of entrepreneurship.
  • January-2005 – A Solid Launch Pad for Next Year: Canada’s Technology Triangle enters 2005 and the mid-point of the first decade of the 21st Century with an ever widening circle of recognition from influential external audiences and a palpable self-confidence about its future.
  • February-2005 – The Importance of Immigration: Increased levels of immigration will be vital to the economic growth of Canada’s Technology Triangle.
  • March-2005 – Border Solutions from ‘Gridlock Sam’: An efficiently functioning Canada-US border, especially in Windsor-Detroit, is critical to the Waterloo Region economy.
  • April-2005 – CME Looks at Next Generation Manufacturing: What will Canadian and North American manufacturing look like in 2020?
  • May-2005 – A Mega Bi-National Economic Region: A perspective on the larger economic geography of Canada’s Technology Triangle.
  • June-2005 – A Case Study for “World of Tomorrow”: The reassuring awakening by the national and international media to the Waterloo Region’s success.
  • Sept-2005 – Are We Too Dependent on Automotive? The automotive sector is the largest employer, but Canada’s Technology Triangle benefits from diversity.
  • October-2005 – We Are Truly “Blessed with the Best”: Cultural climate in Waterloo Region makes this a great place to live and do business.
  • November-2005 – What’s the Magic Sauce for Success? Report says tech companies have created more wealth for shareholders than in other regions.
  • January-2006 – The Key to Intelligent and Connected Communities: Our world and our work habits are being revolutionized by broadband access.  We are awaking to a world with fewer and fewer constraints on communication.
  • February-2006 – Who Will Win the Manufacturing Olympics? Winter sports are fun and compelling, but the global contest on which need to pay more attention is who will be the winners in the Manufacturing Olympics.
  • March-2006 – Standing Tall in a Flat World: Does Place Still Matter? The title of the latest book, “The World Is Flat”, from New York Times columnist and thought leader, Thomas Friedman, has become a catchy way to capture the idea that the global competitive playing field has been leveled and that most work and business activities are readily transferable to a host of locations around the world.  A key question therefore is whether place still matters.
  • April-2006 – BMO Study Lauds Region’s Stellar Growth in 2005: “The Waterloo Region and Guelph area is one of the brightest lights in the Ontario and Canadian economies.”
  • May-2006 – Competitive Despite Rising Dollar: The competitiveness of Canada and the Waterloo Region continues to rank favourably as compared to other G-7 industrialized countries, including the US.
  • June-2006 – Why We Should Invest in the Arts: “The more you give, the more you receive” – arts and business build prosperous communities.
  • July-Aug-2006 – So What Makes Waterloo Special? A series prepared by the Globe and Mail Report on Business positions the Waterloo Region as “the model for Canada’s economic future”.
  • Sept-2006 – New Principles to Shape Our Growth: The definitive blueprint for the next 25 years’ growth in what is already one of the most populous mega-metropolitan regions in the US and Canada has been unveiled by the Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal.
  • October-2006 – The Southwest Seeks the Spotlight: Assembly brings the ‘519 zone’ together to help raise its profile.
  • November-2006 – Within Our Grasp: The Quantum World: Quantum information, its disciples say, will be the next epoch-defining technological revolution, with an impact rivaling that of steam power, electricity and semiconductors.
  • December-2006 – A $20B Economy That’s Growing: The Waterloo Region’s economy goes into 2007 a growth leader among Canadian metropolitan areas, especially those in Eastern Canada.
  • January-2007 – A Year to Celebrate in Our Region: 2007 brings a host of Waterloo Region anniversaries – and with them, an extraordinary calendar of celebratory events.
  • February-2007 – Creating a Culture of Innovation: Innovation is fundamental to Canada’s and Ontario’s ability to compete and win in today’s global marketplace.
  • March-2007 – ‘What If . . .’  Artist Bridges Past and Present:  Might Woolwich’s West Montrose – known today for its historic “Kissing Bridge” – have become the heart of a mega economic region if it had chose a different design concept for its bridge?
  • April-2007 – Meeting Manufacturing’s Challenges: Response must stimulate investment, innovation, skills development and a change in manufacturing’s image.
  • May-2007 — Okay, Just Who Lost the Compass? North, south, east, and west: Waterloo Region needs better directional signs for visitors.
  • June-2007 – Our Quality of Life Has Its Rewards: What’s behind the accolades for Canada’s Technology Triangle.
  • July-2007 – You Can Feel the Winds of Change: Ontario is now No. 1 for wind power, and Waterloo Region can really benefit.
  • August-2007 – Is the Hydrogen Age Upon Us? University of Waterloo a force in fuel cell innovation.
  • October-2007 – Get to Know the Border’s Fast Lane: In all the discussions about the documents we may need to navigate the Canada-US border, a real deal fails to get the mention it deserves.
  • November-2007 – CTT a Driving Force in Our Region: Canada’s Technology Triangle, celebrating its 20th anniversary, has helped lure prospective investors.
  • December-2007 – Businesses Sense A Paradigm Shift: Corporate world embraces moves to protect the environment.
  • January-2008 – Tacking Into Economic Headwinds: US troubles are influencing the fate of others.
  • February-2008 – Region Ranked First-Class Place to Live/Work: New surveys recognize our diverse economy.
  • March-2008 – Region is One of BMO’s ‘Bright Stars”: A new BMO Capital Markets regional economic assessment for Waterloo Region and Guelph characterizes the area as “one of the brightest stars in the Canadian economic skies.”
  • May-2008 – Report Card on Competitiveness: KPMG looks beyond the numbers as cost differences narrow.
  • June-2008 – Your Next Car Will Be Green: Fuel economy standards, oil prices and consumer passion are driving change.
  • July-2008 – Learning Never Stops in Tech Triangle: Waterloo Region scores high marks in lifelong learning in a comprehensive survey recently released by the Canadian Council on Learning.
  • August-2008 – ‘Totally Toronto’, According to Feds: Waterloo Region, recently hopefully that it might be blessed with its very own CBC radio station, is now relegated to being the ‘bride’ who has been rudely left at the altar.