Jag Sharma

Frequent public transit isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a must-have in a country as urban as Canada. Transit reduces traffic congestion, drives economic growth, and provides equitable access to jobs, education, and essential services. It's increasingly important for rural communities, where it can be a lifeline connecting residents to vital resources. Governments need to get the funding right by investing in transit infrastructure and operations.

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We need room to grow. Plain and simple. Whether the goal is to invite new investment or to keep our brightest businesses (and jobs) here in the region, the need to protect our ever-shrinking employment lands has never been greater. Join us December 10th to explore why the housing/industrial lands conversation does not have to be an either/or conversation, with lessons from leading jurisdictions that have found a path to balance. #investment #businessexpansion #housingcrisis #jobs

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The policy challenges to build more homes and to build net-zero homes face the same problem - a construction sector that needs to re-invent itself to be more productive and innovative. Net-zero building codes set the right direction for innovation and signal the need to change. The latest Efficiency Canada report walks through promising construction sector innovations and their impacts on productivity and the environment, with micro and macro policy recommendations. This research was led by Kevin Lockhart. I provided a few insights on innovation theory. https://lnkd.in/gFsxU5GF

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Municipal World members can take advantage of Kinetic GPO, a Canadian #GroupPurchasing organization established for municipalities and other Broader Public Sector and MASH entities across Canada. Kinetic GPO saves members time and money by reducing #procurement costs by leveraging the #purchasing power of group buying and by simplifying steps to procure. https://lnkd.in/gPvTQB-H #LocalGov

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Municipal World members can take advantage of Kinetic GPO, a Canadian #GroupPurchasing organization established for municipalities and other Broader Public Sector and MASH entities across Canada. Kinetic GPO saves members time and money by reducing #procurement costs by leveraging the #purchasing power of group buying and by simplifying steps to procure. https://lnkd.in/gPvTQB-H #LocalGov

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While the best approach to get there will inevitably have different partisan flavours, the outcome—a livable future, prosperous economy, and healthy communities—ought to be beyond partisanship. Great to see this new series on conservative climate policy.

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Cree Nation Government Announces Keep It Local, a New Mobile App and Campaign, as Part of the Year of Economic Development https://lnkd.in/eQdWnaaF Nemaska Eeyou Istchee (November 27, 2024)– The Cree Nation Government’s Department of Commerce and Industry (CNG/DCI), in partnership with the communities of Eeyou Istchee, is proud to announce the launch of Keep It Local, a new mobile app that rewards community members for shopping in Eeyou Istchee. Starting December 1, community members can use the Keep It Local app to enter a monthly $500 prize draw, earning new contest entries for every eligible purchase at a retailer in Eeyou Istchee. With just a few taps, people can upload their receipts and turn them into draw entries, adding some fun and excitement to everyday local shopping. Community members can enter up to five receipts per purchase date, and two winners will be picked each month. Each winner will receive $500 in the form of one or two gift cards to a local business of their choice, providing an even bigger boost to businesses in Eeyou Istchee. “The research is clear: For every dollar spent at a local business, 66 cents stays in the community—creating jobs, growing businesses, and building a strong future for our children and grandchildren,” said Anthony MacLeod, Director of the Cree Nation Government Department of Commerce and Industry. “The simple act of buying local encourages people to invest in our communities. With the holiday shopping season coming up, it’s a great time to think about how our everyday shopping choices can help grow the Eeyou Eenou economy. The Keep It Local app is a key part of a larger movement to uplift local Cree businesses with modern tools and technology. The Cree Business Registry will also be launched in the coming months to help connect government and entities with local entrepreneurs and services. Other CNG/DCI initiatives for the Year of Economic Development include improvements to the Cree Entrepreneurship Assistance Fund, revisions to the Cree Mining Policy, and a first-of-its-kind Cree Nation Business Summit. The department looks forward to continuing to build on these successes for years to come and has already committed to holding another Cree Nation Business Summit next summer. Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty says the app will inspire pride in community members, turning everyday purchases into a collective effort to support the Eeyou Eenou economy. “Eeyou Istchee economic resilience is for our Nation’s benefit. Encouraging our members to buy local contributes to that strengthening. This new app is innovative and showcases how you can participate.” The Keep It Local app is available for download on all Apple and Android devices now, with the first monthly contest starting December 1. To download the app and see full contest details, visit www.creekeepitlocal.ca

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Curious about impact assessments? Check out this short video and get in the know 😉

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CMHC and Statistics Canada just released the 2022 Canadian Housing Survey findings, which provide insight into a wide range of housing-related topics. Check out new observations on core housing need and housing affordability today: https://ow.ly/x6Vn30sGlAw

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Nearly seven in ten (68%) small businesses have experienced disruptions due to local construction projects in the past five years, marking a 27% increase since 2018, finds a new report by CFIB titled Hard hats and hard times: Public construction impacts on small businesses.  https://lnkd.in/e4FFp5mm

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Check out our article, "Telecommunications Infrastructure: An Understanding and Way Forward in Planning", published in the latest edition of OPPI Y magazine. https://lnkd.in/guziJAhx #Telecommunications #UrbanPlanning #Infrastructure #Connectivity #WirelessNetworks #OPPI #PlanningForTheFuture #5G

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Kudos to Shehryar Khan, MCIP, RPP for an excellent article! 👏 I just finished reading it and was impressed by how thoroughly you covered the unique challenges involved in expanding wireless services—especially when it comes to siting concealed multi-use cell towers in urban areas. Having spent over 25 years in Canadian telecom, mainly focusing on transmission planning and engineering to interconnect cell sites for Telus Mobility, I never had to dive into the complexities of real estate transactions for towers. But after working with you on multiservice projects involving 5G with public EV charging systems, I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the challenges you outlined! What struck me most is how vital it is to raise awareness on this issue. Everyone wants faster, more reliable cellular service, but when it comes to building the infrastructure, the NIMBY reflex kicks in. Your article not only highlights these hurdles but also brings much-needed education and practical insights to the conversation. And that rendering of the multi-service installation on the cover? Definitely one of the best I’ve seen. Well done, Shehryar! Your work is helping pave the way for smoother implementations of critical infrastructure. #Telecommunications #UrbanPlanning #Infrastructure #Connectivity #5G #wirelesscommunications #SiteAcquisition #LandDevelopment #REIT

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“Local Habitat for Humanity organizations across the country have more opportunities to deliver affordable ownership than ever before, but at higher costs than we could ever have imagined,” writes Ene Underwood, CEO Habitat for Humanity GTA. From affordable housing funds to time-limited incentives, the National Housing Plan aims to restore the dream of homeownership for all Canadians. Let's work together to turn promises into action and deliver the homes our communities deserve. Read now: https://lnkd.in/gpdG7kZ5

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🏡 BC’s provincial election: where each party stands on housing & infrastructure 🏗️ With the election just weeks away, we've broken down the housing and infrastructure proposals from the NDP, Conservatives, and Greens—all with bold ideas to address BC’s ongoing housing crisis and construction challenges. Our latest article dives deep into each party’s platform, covering: 🏠 Housing affordability and availability 📈 Streamlined regulations for construction 💰 Major infrastructure investments Want to understand how each party plans to tackle these critical issues? Read the full breakdown: https://lnkd.in/gWNH_KmP BC NDP | Conservative Party of British Columbia | Green Party of British Columbia

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Case Study: How the City of Maple Ridge Leveraged DIAL to Foster Innovation and Collaboration As resident needs evolve, municipalities are increasingly embracing digital and business transformation strategies to enhance service delivery, strengthen citizen engagement, advance strategic priorities, and streamline operations.   At the City of Maple Ridge, we are committed to innovation and service enhancement by leveraging digital and business transformation tools and techniques. These efforts empower decision-makers across our organization with access to best practice tools and essential support to drive impactful change.   I was pleased to participate in this program from SFU’s DIAL (Digital Innovation and Leadership (DIAL)) initiative, which helped me gain new insights to refine the City's approach to cascading strategic priorities across the organization. Through the insights of this program, and in collaboration with departments and leadership at the City, a new framework and digital system was implemented for managing the City’s OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) and the many resulting initiatives. This has enabled us to effectively align the City’s diverse portfolio of strategic projects with Council’s overarching strategic priorities and goals. Implementing this system has additionally enabled the organization to advance a more integrated and cross-functional way of implementing projects and aligning workplans across departments and strategic priorities.    This foundational work has also paved the way for many other strategic initiatives at the City, which are being advanced by leaders across the organization who are dedicated to innovation in service delivery and enhancing the City’s ability to meet resident needs. City of Maple Ridge; Pardeep Purewal; Scott Hartman; Michelle Lewis; Digital Innovation and Leadership (DIAL)

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Local businesses are encouraged to complete the York Region Employment Survey being conducted until August. This data helps York Region forecast and plan for future employment growth, land needs and more. To complete the survey, visit https://lnkd.in/gc2-fXKg #YRBizCounts Vaughan Chamber of Commerce York Link | York Region Economic Development #vaughan #business #economicdevelopment

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Environmental sustainability is a complex and nuanced value, but it’s one we’ve opted to live by here at NHA. And now, with the help of the Canada Greener Affordable Housing Initiative, we're going even further --> https://buff.ly/3Vmj9xZ

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Thankful to have been nominated & elected to the Board of the Canadian Parking Association. As always Carole Whitehorne and team put on an exceptional conference and tradeshow this year in Halifax. A few of the more interesting takeaways for me were: 1 - I participated on a panel discussing "one stop shops" vs. a "multi vendor approach" and through audience interaction we got off on a tangent of RFI's and RFP's. We (clients) need to do a better job of writing our RFIs and RFPs and we need to be more flexible in scoring/evaluating submissions with new technologies and/or new business processes. Probably could have done a half day session just on this topic. 2 - From a keynote on AI in our industry... "the challenge with AI is it doesn't know how to answer a question with "I don't know". 3 - We need to do more to promote the importance of parking in a sustainable transportation world - whether as a funding source for other initiatives, EV Charging, or just parking for situations where the automobile remains the most sustainable form of transportation (e.g. parking car sharing, shift workers, etc.) - parking is an important piece of the puzzle that is often forgotten or ignored.

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This is excellent and important work -- to date the focus has been top-down (regulations) and bottom-up (consumer incentives & experience), with scant attention paid to the folks in the middle getting the work done. Love the systems approach: "...we outline the concept of “home performance”, an approach that treats homes as complex integrated systems. Sequential retrofit strategies with upgrades planned over years to coincide with the end of equipment or material lifetimes could capture more value for all stakeholders. Business models centered around this concept would offer integrative services that value long-term and proactive planning. We introduce a framework to conceptualize existing and emerging home performance business models along a spectrum of value propositions for both contractors and homeowners."

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