[resent from correct address]
From: Nicholas Moreau nicholasmoreau@gmail.com
It could work either way, it could show Canada's really, really interested, or that Canada's really, really not cohesive in its bid planning.
Incidentally, whatever you guys decide, you are both welcome to help and participate, and to use WM 2011 as a platform to recruit/help build WM Canada if it is held in Montreal.
Montreal claims to have interest from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments for funding it. If this is indeed true, and the Montreal team has legitimately got preliminary interest, I say that's an immediate sign they should run the show, as opposed to Toronto.
It is true, but it should not be overstated either: I am going to go out on a limb here and admit that I expect that any financial support will be welcome, but small (a few tens of thousands at most). It's not insignificant, but it's not going to make it any less important to get good corporate and nonprofit backing from the private sector.
What *does* help is that I have a small army of professional lobbyists currently working the political scene with success (they're from the Palais des Congres); and I have had confirmed that I'll have a letter of official invitation from both Harper's and Charest's offices within a week or two, and I'm meeting someone from the Ministere de la Culture next week to talk monies.
-- Marc / Coren
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
2010/1/15 Marc A. Pelletier marc@wikimania.qc.ca
[resent from correct address]
From: Nicholas Moreau nicholasmoreau@gmail.com
It could work either way, it could show Canada's really, really interested, or that Canada's really, really not cohesive in its bid planning.
Incidentally, whatever you guys decide, you are both welcome to help and participate, and to use WM 2011 as a platform to recruit/help build WM Canada if it is held in Montreal.
Montreal claims to have interest from the federal, provincial, and municipal governments for funding it. If this is indeed true, and the Montreal team has legitimately got preliminary interest, I say that's an immediate sign they should run the show, as opposed to Toronto.
It is true, but it should not be overstated either: I am going to go out on a limb here and admit that I expect that any financial support will be welcome, but small (a few tens of thousands at most). It's not insignificant, but it's not going to make it any less important to get good corporate and nonprofit backing from the private sector.
What *does* help is that I have a small army of professional lobbyists currently working the political scene with success (they're from the Palais des Congres); and I have had confirmed that I'll have a letter of official invitation from both Harper's and Charest's offices within a week or two, and I'm meeting someone from the Ministere de la Culture next week to talk monies.
-- Marc / Coren
-- Marc-André Pelletier Wikimania Montréal marc@wikimania.qc.ca (sans frais) +1 800 210 0923 (portable) +1 514 691 2677
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Alan Walker wrote:
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
This may turn out to be amusing, then. :-) I'll admit that Ottawa is the least promising, and I wouldn't hold my breath. The biggest interest and support right now comes from Quebec with the support of Tourisme Montreal; and I'm in contact with the Mayor's office where they tell me they might have financial support on the Hotel side available through a business convention support program of some sort -- I don't know the details yet because I'm only meeting with their rep in two weeks.
I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may welcome the challenge.
-----Original Message----- From: wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Marc A. Pelletier Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:39 AM To: Wikimedia Canada planning list Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
This may turn out to be amusing, then. :-) I'll admit that Ottawa is the least promising, and I wouldn't hold my breath. The biggest interest and support right now comes from Quebec with the support of Tourisme Montreal; and I'm in contact with the Mayor's office where they tell me they might have financial support on the Hotel side available through a business convention support program of some sort -- I don't know the details yet because I'm only meeting with their rep in two weeks.
Hi Zana,
I think you may be getting two separate concepts crossed... currently, we're talking of Wikimania 2011, a one-weekend event, not Wikimedia Canada itself (which this mailing list is for), which would be a permanent, national organization. To have the event in two locations (even just Toronto's east and west ends) might be pushing it, transportation-wise. Some locations of the event (like Alexandria), you can stay in one building for the entire day, hopping from room-to-room.
That said, once we establish whether we're going with one bid or two, you're welcome to help develop and prepare either of the bids.
Nick
On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 1:46 PM, Zana Gordon zgordon@telus.net wrote:
I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may welcome the challenge.
-----Original Message----- From: wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Marc A. Pelletier Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:39 AM To: Wikimedia Canada planning list Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
This may turn out to be amusing, then. :-) I'll admit that Ottawa is the least promising, and I wouldn't hold my breath. The biggest interest and support right now comes from Quebec with the support of Tourisme Montreal; and I'm in contact with the Mayor's office where they tell me they might have financial support on the Hotel side available through a business convention support program of some sort -- I don't know the details yet because I'm only meeting with their rep in two weeks.
-- Marc-André Pelletier Wikimania Montréal marc@wikimania.qc.ca (sans frais) +1 800 210 0923 (portable) +1 514 691 2677
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Montreal's bid so far is quite extensive but I noticed that there're only 2-3 people that is really polishing the bid. What I am concerned is the small number of participants in the team which will have significant amount of workload should Montreal wins the bid. But since Coren got some professional lobbyists, I'm happy to wait for a week or so and see how it develops before determining if Toronto is going to throw the hat into the race. (Weird to see that the only "potentially successful" bid so far is Montreal)
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 13:54:30 -0500 From: nicholasmoreau@gmail.com To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Hi Zana,
I think you may be getting two separate concepts crossed... currently, we're talking of Wikimania 2011, a one-weekend event, not Wikimedia Canada itself (which this mailing list is for), which would be a permanent, national organization. To have the event in two locations (even just Toronto's east and west ends) might be pushing it, transportation-wise. Some locations of the event (like Alexandria), you can stay in one building for the entire day, hopping from room-to-room.
That said, once we establish whether we're going with one bid or two, you're welcome to help develop and prepare either of the bids.
Nick
On Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 1:46 PM, Zana Gordon zgordon@telus.net wrote:
I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may welcome the challenge.
-----Original Message----- From: wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Marc A. Pelletier Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:39 AM To: Wikimedia Canada planning list Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
This may turn out to be amusing, then. :-) I'll admit that Ottawa is the least promising, and I wouldn't hold my breath. The biggest interest and support right now comes from Quebec with the support of Tourisme Montreal; and I'm in contact with the Mayor's office where they tell me they might have financial support on the Hotel side available through a business convention support program of some sort -- I don't know the details yet because I'm only meeting with their rep in two weeks.
-- Marc-André Pelletier Wikimania Montréal marc@wikimania.qc.ca (sans frais) +1 800 210 0923 (portable) +1 514 691 2677
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
_________________________________________________________________ Reinvent how you stay in touch with the new Windows Live Messenger. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9706116
Zana Gordon wrote:
I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may welcome the challenge.
Considering that there has been little done to maintain a series of local meetups in Vancouver, I don't think that we are ready for the kind of sophisticated organization that Wikimania requires. I tested the waters when I came home from the Frankfurt Wikimania, and there wasn't much enthusiasm then; I even floated the idea of something in Seattle without success. It takes having attended a Wikimania to see how much goes into a conference that draws delegates from about 50 countries.
From Vancouver there's not much difference between flying to Montreal of flying to Toronto.
Ray
-----Original Message----- From: wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Marc A. Pelletier Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:39 AM To: Wikimedia Canada planning list Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
This may turn out to be amusing, then. :-) I'll admit that Ottawa is the least promising, and I wouldn't hold my breath. The biggest interest and support right now comes from Quebec with the support of Tourisme Montreal; and I'm in contact with the Mayor's office where they tell me they might have financial support on the Hotel side available through a business convention support program of some sort -- I don't know the details yet because I'm only meeting with their rep in two weeks.
I vote for Toronto, the center of the universe. All joking aside, wouldn't Ottawa be a better venue?
2010/1/16 Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net
Zana Gordon wrote:
I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I
may
welcome the challenge.
Considering that there has been little done to maintain a series of local meetups in Vancouver, I don't think that we are ready for the kind of sophisticated organization that Wikimania requires. I tested the waters when I came home from the Frankfurt Wikimania, and there wasn't much enthusiasm then; I even floated the idea of something in Seattle without success. It takes having attended a Wikimania to see how much goes into a conference that draws delegates from about 50 countries.
From Vancouver there's not much difference between flying to Montreal of flying to Toronto.
Ray
-----Original Message----- From: wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikimedia-ca-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Marc A. Pelletier Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 10:39 AM To: Wikimedia Canada planning list Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I will dance naked in the street if the Harper government gives a penny towards this event. :)
This may turn out to be amusing, then. :-) I'll admit that Ottawa is the least promising, and I wouldn't hold my breath. The biggest interest and support right now comes from Quebec with the support of Tourisme Montreal; and I'm in contact with the Mayor's office where they tell me they might have financial support on the Hotel side available through a business convention support program of some sort -- I don't know the details yet because I'm only meeting with their rep in two
weeks.
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Alan Walker wrote:
I vote for Toronto, the center of the universe. All joking aside, wouldn't Ottawa be a better venue?
I think that a key positive element in the previous Toronto bids was the availability of U of T student residences at a reasonable cost. Many of the delegates at Wikimania are students with student budgets. If we want to have more delegates from poorer countries scholarships need to be provided. Plane fares are already a huge expense for these students. The Bauen accomodated Wikimanians for $30 per person per night, and you can't get that by leaving people on their own to find hotel rooms in a big city. Delegates also like to stay near each other so that they can get together over drinks after the official sessions are over for the day. They go to their rooms to drop off the day's paperwork, and come back down to meet up with whatever others happen to be in the lobby. This doesn't work when the hotel rooms are scattered.
Both Montreal and Toronto have the advantage of having major airports. Ottawa, despite being the capital, still has a smaller proportion of direct international flights. That means we need to insure that people can easily get from either Toronto or Montreal to Ottawa. In Egypt Alexandria has two international airports, but that doesn't change the fact that most of the air traffic goes through Cairo.
Ray
2010/1/16 Ray Saintonge <saintonge@telus.net mailto:saintonge@telus.net>
Zana Gordon wrote: > I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong > with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may > welcome the challenge. > Considering that there has been little done to maintain a series of local meetups in Vancouver, I don't think that we are ready for the kind of sophisticated organization that Wikimania requires. I tested the waters when I came home from the Frankfurt Wikimania, and there wasn't much enthusiasm then; I even floated the idea of something in Seattle without success. It takes having attended a Wikimania to see how much goes into a conference that draws delegates from about 50 countries. From Vancouver there's not much difference between flying to Montreal of flying to Toronto. Ray
Alan, have you seen someone who's from Ottawa and involved in any Wikimania bid process? I think there's no interested person from Ottawa who wants to host Wikimania (or at least not a big crowd).
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:04:34 -0800 From: saintonge@telus.net To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I vote for Toronto, the center of the universe. All joking aside, wouldn't Ottawa be a better venue?
I think that a key positive element in the previous Toronto bids was the availability of U of T student residences at a reasonable cost. Many of the delegates at Wikimania are students with student budgets. If we want to have more delegates from poorer countries scholarships need to be provided. Plane fares are already a huge expense for these students. The Bauen accomodated Wikimanians for $30 per person per night, and you can't get that by leaving people on their own to find hotel rooms in a big city. Delegates also like to stay near each other so that they can get together over drinks after the official sessions are over for the day. They go to their rooms to drop off the day's paperwork, and come back down to meet up with whatever others happen to be in the lobby. This doesn't work when the hotel rooms are scattered.
Both Montreal and Toronto have the advantage of having major airports. Ottawa, despite being the capital, still has a smaller proportion of direct international flights. That means we need to insure that people can easily get from either Toronto or Montreal to Ottawa. In Egypt Alexandria has two international airports, but that doesn't change the fact that most of the air traffic goes through Cairo.
Ray
2010/1/16 Ray Saintonge <saintonge@telus.net mailto:saintonge@telus.net>
Zana Gordon wrote: > I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong > with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may > welcome the challenge. > Considering that there has been little done to maintain a series of local meetups in Vancouver, I don't think that we are ready for the kind of sophisticated organization that Wikimania requires. I tested the waters when I came home from the Frankfurt Wikimania, and there wasn't much enthusiasm then; I even floated the idea of something in Seattle without success. It takes having attended a Wikimania to see how much goes into a conference that draws delegates from about 50 countries. From Vancouver there's not much difference between flying to Montreal of flying to Toronto. Ray
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
_________________________________________________________________
As it stands, Montreal would appear to be the better place to put forward. Unofficially this is the year for North America to receive the nod, so we can't afford to have two or three competing bids. Montreal has several advantages right now that I am not seeing from Toronto or Ottawa.
Coren has noted that funding may be available from government sources for Montreal which would be a plus when the jury looks at the bid. The less Wikimedia has to pay, the better. Another area to look into is getting special rates on airfare from a major carrier, which the tourism bureau may be able to help secure. These advantages, combined with the bilingual area, make Montreal appealing. The Wikimedians in Toronto and Vancouver would be able to assist in arranging transportation from their respective areas.
No one in Ottawa has come forth, and Toronto has been a perennial bid.
________________________________ From: Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net To: Wikimedia Canada planning list wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Sent: Sat, January 16, 2010 2:04:34 PM Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I vote for Toronto, the center of the universe. All joking aside, wouldn't Ottawa be a better venue?
I think that a key positive element in the previous Toronto bids was the availability of U of T student residences at a reasonable cost. Many of the delegates at Wikimania are students with student budgets. If we want to have more delegates from poorer countries scholarships need to be provided. Plane fares are already a huge expense for these students. The Bauen accomodated Wikimanians for $30 per person per night, and you can't get that by leaving people on their own to find hotel rooms in a big city. Delegates also like to stay near each other so that they can get together over drinks after the official sessions are over for the day. They go to their rooms to drop off the day's paperwork, and come back down to meet up with whatever others happen to be in the lobby. This doesn't work when the hotel rooms are scattered.
Both Montreal and Toronto have the advantage of having major airports. Ottawa, despite being the capital, still has a smaller proportion of direct international flights. That means we need to insure that people can easily get from either Toronto or Montreal to Ottawa. In Egypt Alexandria has two international airports, but that doesn't change the fact that most of the air traffic goes through Cairo.
Ray
2010/1/16 Ray Saintonge <saintonge@telus.net mailto:saintonge@telus.net>
Zana Gordon wrote: > I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there anything wrong > with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I think I may > welcome the challenge. > Considering that there has been little done to maintain a series of local meetups in Vancouver, I don't think that we are ready for the kind of sophisticated organization that Wikimania requires. I tested the waters when I came home from the Frankfurt Wikimania, and there wasn't much enthusiasm then; I even floated the idea of something in Seattle without success. It takes having attended a Wikimania to see how much goes into a conference that draws delegates from about 50 countries. From Vancouver there's not much difference between flying to Montreal of flying to Toronto. Ray
_______________________________________________ Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Good points about Ottawa, it's too bad as it really does represent Canada well. In respect to funding, I haven't really read anything yet that suggests that there is any solid cash for any of the discussed cities. It sounds like we are going to choose the location based on the number of organized volunteers and the accessibility of the airport. Maybe someone can list us what Toronto has versus Montreal in a summary mail in terms of tangibles. I wonder if Rogers could be approached as a sponsor.
2010/1/16 Geoffrey Plourde geo.plrd@yahoo.com
As it stands, Montreal would appear to be the better place to put forward. Unofficially this is the year for North America to receive the nod, so we can't afford to have two or three competing bids. Montreal has several advantages right now that I am not seeing from Toronto or Ottawa.
Coren has noted that funding may be available from government sources for Montreal which would be a plus when the jury looks at the bid. The less Wikimedia has to pay, the better. Another area to look into is getting special rates on airfare from a major carrier, which the tourism bureau may be able to help secure. These advantages, combined with the bilingual area, make Montreal appealing. The Wikimedians in Toronto and Vancouver would be able to assist in arranging transportation from their respective areas.
No one in Ottawa has come forth, and Toronto has been a perennial bid.
*From:* Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net *To:* Wikimedia Canada planning list wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org *Sent:* Sat, January 16, 2010 2:04:34 PM
*Subject:* Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Alan Walker wrote:
I vote for Toronto, the center of the universe. All joking aside, wouldn't Ottawa be a better venue?
I think that a key positive element in the previous Toronto bids was the availability of U of T student residences at a reasonable cost. Many of the delegates at Wikimania are students with student budgets. If we want to have more delegates from poorer countries scholarships need to be provided. Plane fares are already a huge expense for these students. The Bauen accomodated Wikimanians for $30 per person per night, and you can't get that by leaving people on their own to find hotel rooms in a big city. Delegates also like to stay near each other so that they can get together over drinks after the official sessions are over for the day. They go to their rooms to drop off the day's paperwork, and come back down to meet up with whatever others happen to be in the lobby. This doesn't work when the hotel rooms are scattered.
Both Montreal and Toronto have the advantage of having major airports. Ottawa, despite being the capital, still has a smaller proportion of direct international flights. That means we need to insure that people can easily get from either Toronto or Montreal to Ottawa. In Egypt Alexandria has two international airports, but that doesn't change the fact that most of the air traffic goes through Cairo.
Ray
2010/1/16 Ray Saintonge <saintonge@telus.net <mailto:saintonge@telus.net
Zana Gordon wrote:
I have to admit I am new to this discussion, but is there
anything wrong
with a joint venture - east and west - I am from Vancouver and I
think I may
welcome the challenge.
Considering that there has been little done to maintain a series of local meetups in Vancouver, I don't think that we are ready for the kind of sophisticated organization that Wikimania requires. I tested the waters when I came home from the Frankfurt Wikimania, and there wasn't much enthusiasm then; I even floated the idea of something in Seattle without success. It takes having attended a Wikimania to see how much goes into a conference that draws delegates from about 50 countries.
From Vancouver there's not much difference between flying toMontreal
of flying to Toronto.
Ray
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
On Sat, Jan 16, 2010 at 7:28 PM, Geoffrey Plourde geo.plrd@yahoo.comwrote:
As it stands, Montreal would appear to be the better place to put forward. Unofficially this is the year for North America to receive the nod, so we can't afford to have two or three competing bids. Montreal has several advantages right now that I am not seeing from Toronto or Ottawa.
I think it's too early in the bidding process, at this point, to discount any city. I've worked on a few of the Toronto bids in the past, and while I'd love to see Toronto bid and win, if Montreal's bid is stronger and beats out a Toronto bid, I'd be happy to assist where I could with their bid. I'd hope that the Montreal folks would have the same feelings -- getting a Wikimania in Canada would be a big win, no matter which venue wins.
Coren has noted that funding may be available from government sources for Montreal which would be a plus when the jury looks at the bid. The less Wikimedia has to pay, the better. Another area to look into is getting special rates on airfare from a major carrier, which the tourism bureau may be able to help secure. These advantages, combined with the bilingual area, make Montreal appealing. The Wikimedians in Toronto and Vancouver would be able to assist in arranging transportation from their respective areas.
No one in Ottawa has come forth, and Toronto has been a perennial bid.
Toronto has some real strengths, and has been recognized for them by previous WM juries. The real question is if there comes together a viable team to actually do the grunt work of putting a bid together and can follow through with the event.
On the Ottawa side, I'm not sure. Is anyone on the list from Ottawa? While it could probably make a respectable run, we would need at least a few local people who were interested in running it, and so far that hasn't happened.
Gerald
On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM, Gerald A geraldablists@gmail.com wrote:
I think it's too early in the bidding process, at this point, to discount any city.
I agree here. There's nothing wrong with working on two separate bids, at least at this point. We can always re-evaluate this at a later date if one bid is stronger than the other.
Let the Montréal supporters work on their bid and the Toronto supporters work on theirs. ;-)
Wikiproject Ottawa actually spawned the very first WMF-related meetup, ever, anywhere in Canada (as far as I know), back in 2006. But evidenced by their project page, and the Yahoo Group they link to, there hasn't been anything real world, since 2007.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Ottawa#Meetup
Nick
On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM, Gerald A geraldablists@gmail.com wrote:
On the Ottawa side, I'm not sure. Is anyone on the list from Ottawa? While it could probably make a respectable run, we would need at least a few local people who were interested in running it, and so far that hasn't happened.
Gerald
On Sat, Jan 16, 2010 at 7:28 PM, Geoffrey Plourde geo.plrd@yahoo.comwrote:
As it stands, Montreal would appear to be the better place to put forward. Unofficially this is the year for North America to receive the nod, so we can't afford to have two or three competing bids. Montreal has several advantages right now that I am not seeing from Toronto or Ottawa.
I think it's too early in the bidding process, at this point, to discount any city. I've worked on a few of the Toronto bids in the past, and while I'd love to see Toronto bid and win, if Montreal's bid is stronger and beats out a Toronto bid, I'd be happy to assist where I could with their bid. I'd hope that the Montreal folks would have the same feelings -- getting a Wikimania in Canada would be a big win, no matter which venue wins.
Coren has noted that funding may be available from government sources for Montreal which would be a plus when the jury looks at the bid. The less Wikimedia has to pay, the better. Another area to look into is getting special rates on airfare from a major carrier, which the tourism bureau may be able to help secure. These advantages, combined with the bilingual area, make Montreal appealing. The Wikimedians in Toronto and Vancouver would be able to assist in arranging transportation from their respective areas.
No one in Ottawa has come forth, and Toronto has been a perennial bid.
Toronto has some real strengths, and has been recognized for them by previous WM juries. The real question is if there comes together a viable team to actually do the grunt work of putting a bid together and can follow through with the event.
On the Ottawa side, I'm not sure. Is anyone on the list from Ottawa? While it could probably make a respectable run, we would need at least a few local people who were interested in running it, and so far that hasn't happened.
Gerald
Geoffrey Plourde wrote:
As it stands, Montreal would appear to be the better place to put forward. Unofficially this is the year for North America to receive the nod, so we can't afford to have two or three competing bids. Montreal has several advantages right now that I am not seeing from Toronto or Ottawa.
Coren has noted that funding may be available from government sources for Montreal which would be a plus when the jury looks at the bid. The less Wikimedia has to pay, the better. Another area to look into is getting special rates on airfare from a major carrier, which the tourism bureau may be able to help secure. These advantages, combined with the bilingual area, make Montreal appealing. The Wikimedians in Toronto and Vancouver would be able to assist in arranging transportation from their respective areas.
Having two (or more) competing bids at this stage would be healthy at this stage. Each would push the other to do better. The strong points in one should inspire the other to improve in those areas. A single bid risks winning by default.
Government funding is clearly desirable, but even solid commitments, particularly from the current federal government, are too easily withdrawn. We aren't exactly great supporters of their intellectual property agenda.
I don't know how realistic it would be to find special airfares. This works best when significant sized groups of people fly together between the same two airports. Significant groups could come together from Frankfurt or San Francisco, but these are not the people who most need subsidizing. Don't expect a lot of people to come from Vancouver. Travel costs are still significant, even for domestic flights. The number of available flights is still substantial so making arrangements should not be too difficult for anyone smart enough to be active in Wikimedia projects. Travel between Montreal and Toronto in either direction should not involve flying. It's about a five-hour drive. The benefit of the short flight are taken away by the time wasted in airport check-in and security procedures. Informal arrangements are possible for those who want to pile into a car and drive together.
Ray
Exactly, currently the only serious contender is Montreal's bid so there's definitely room for Toronto's bid. These 2 bids are not mutually exclusive to each other. Speaking of the government, does anyone know if (and how) the discussions about funding will be affected when our legislature got prorogued?
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:28:52 -0800 From: saintonge@telus.net To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Geoffrey Plourde wrote:
As it stands, Montreal would appear to be the better place to put forward. Unofficially this is the year for North America to receive the nod, so we can't afford to have two or three competing bids. Montreal has several advantages right now that I am not seeing from Toronto or Ottawa.
Coren has noted that funding may be available from government sources for Montreal which would be a plus when the jury looks at the bid. The less Wikimedia has to pay, the better. Another area to look into is getting special rates on airfare from a major carrier, which the tourism bureau may be able to help secure. These advantages, combined with the bilingual area, make Montreal appealing. The Wikimedians in Toronto and Vancouver would be able to assist in arranging transportation from their respective areas.
Having two (or more) competing bids at this stage would be healthy at this stage. Each would push the other to do better. The strong points in one should inspire the other to improve in those areas. A single bid risks winning by default.
Government funding is clearly desirable, but even solid commitments, particularly from the current federal government, are too easily withdrawn. We aren't exactly great supporters of their intellectual property agenda.
I don't know how realistic it would be to find special airfares. This works best when significant sized groups of people fly together between the same two airports. Significant groups could come together from Frankfurt or San Francisco, but these are not the people who most need subsidizing. Don't expect a lot of people to come from Vancouver. Travel costs are still significant, even for domestic flights. The number of available flights is still substantial so making arrangements should not be too difficult for anyone smart enough to be active in Wikimedia projects. Travel between Montreal and Toronto in either direction should not involve flying. It's about a five-hour drive. The benefit of the short flight are taken away by the time wasted in airport check-in and security procedures. Informal arrangements are possible for those who want to pile into a car and drive together.
Ray
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
_________________________________________________________________ Reinvent how you stay in touch with the new Windows Live Messenger. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9706116
Andrew Leung wrote:
Exactly, currently the only serious contender is Montreal's bid so there's definitely room for Toronto's bid. These 2 bids are not mutually exclusive to each other. Speaking of the government, does anyone know if (and how) the discussions about funding will be affected when our legislature got prorogued?
The proroguing would have no effect at all. We are talking about a Wikimania that would take place in the summer of 2011. Thus any funding would be a part of appropriations for the government fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The budget for that year would only be tabled in early 2011. Will Harper still be in power then?
Ray
But it will definitely affects how much funding or promise we can secure *right now*
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:28:30 -0800 From: saintonge@telus.net To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Andrew Leung wrote:
Exactly, currently the only serious contender is Montreal's bid so there's definitely room for Toronto's bid. These 2 bids are not mutually exclusive to each other. Speaking of the government, does anyone know if (and how) the discussions about funding will be affected when our legislature got prorogued?
The proroguing would have no effect at all. We are talking about a Wikimania that would take place in the summer of 2011. Thus any funding would be a part of appropriations for the government fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The budget for that year would only be tabled in early 2011. Will Harper still be in power then?
Ray
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
_________________________________________________________________
Andrew Leung wrote:
But it will definitely affects how much funding or promise we can secure *right now*
How? We don't need the funding for right now. As for promises, the government already has experience in cutting previously promised funding.
Ray
Andrew Leung wrote:
Exactly, currently the only serious contender is Montreal's bid so there's definitely room for Toronto's bid. These 2 bids are not mutually exclusive to each other. Speaking of the government, does anyone know if (and how) the discussions about funding will be affected when our legislature got prorogued?
The proroguing would have no effect at all. We are talking about a Wikimania that would take place in the summer of 2011. Thus any funding would be a part of appropriations for the government fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The budget for that year would only be tabled in early 2011. Will Harper still be in power then?
Ray
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful bid for Wikimania and organization of the event?
2010/1/18 Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net
Andrew Leung wrote:
But it will definitely affects how much funding or promise we can secure *right now*
How? We don't need the funding for right now. As for promises, the government already has experience in cutting previously promised funding.
Ray
Andrew Leung wrote:
Exactly, currently the only serious contender is Montreal's bid so there's definitely room for Toronto's bid. These 2 bids are not mutually exclusive to each other. Speaking of the government, does anyone know if (and how) the discussions about funding will be affected when our legislature got prorogued?
The proroguing would have no effect at all. We are talking about a Wikimania that would take place in the summer of 2011. Thus any funding would be a part of appropriations for the government fiscal year ending March 31, 2012. The budget for that year would only be tabled in early 2011. Will Harper still be in power then?
Ray
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:04 AM, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful bid for Wikimania and organization of the event?
I agree, it would be good to find an advisor from Frankfurt/Cambridge/Taipei/Alexandria/Buenos Aires, someone that can help provide perspective into the process.
Perhaps just as pertinent, how many of us have actually gone to a Wikimania, to know what it's truly like?
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 10:42 AM, Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.com wrote:
Last time I recalled seeing a supporting letter from Toronto mayor David Miller. But I guess there's no point this time around because he will not seek re-election this year so your guess for next mayor is as good as mine.
That was just a support letter, a welcome mat, nothing more. I arranged for that through Tourism Toronto, and other than Miller signing it (as far as I know, it was his ink on the page), I don't know if it was even the staff of the mayor office who wrote it, I believe it was the staff of the tourism department.
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 16:46, Nicholas Moreau nicholasmoreau@gmail.com wrote:
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:04 AM, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful bid for Wikimania and organization of the event?
I agree, it would be good to find an advisor from Frankfurt/Cambridge/Taipei/Alexandria/Buenos Aires, someone that can help provide perspective into the process.
While I cannot be an exclusive advisor to any bid (I am, after all in the jury ;)), I am happy to provide help and answer questions about the organisation of a Wikimania, here, on meta or in private (please use delphine.menard****@*****wikimedia.fr**** (without the stars, of course).
Delphine (Lead organiser for the Wikimedia Foundation of Wikimania 2005, 2006 and 2008 , jury member since...well, since there is a jury ;-))
Delphine, what do you believe are the key elements of executing a successful Wikimania?
2010/1/18 Delphine Ménard notafishz@gmail.com
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 16:46, Nicholas Moreau nicholasmoreau@gmail.com wrote:
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:04 AM, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful
bid
for Wikimania and organization of the event?
I agree, it would be good to find an advisor from Frankfurt/Cambridge/Taipei/Alexandria/Buenos Aires, someone that can help provide perspective into the process.
While I cannot be an exclusive advisor to any bid (I am, after all in the jury ;)), I am happy to provide help and answer questions about the organisation of a Wikimania, here, on meta or in private (please use delphine.menard****@*****wikimedia.fr**** (without the stars, of course).
Delphine (Lead organiser for the Wikimedia Foundation of Wikimania 2005, 2006 and 2008 , jury member since...well, since there is a jury ;-)) -- ~notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 22:31, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Delphine, what do you believe are the key elements of executing a successful Wikimania?
lol, that's a _very_ broad question :)
You really want to look at this: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2011/Official_requirements_for_bidd... http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2011/Judging_criteria and read it carefully.
This basically says it all.
On a personal point of view, what makes a successful Wikimania is: - the people (try and get as many scholarships as possible so that you can get as many cool people in as possible) - the venue (a place where people not only "meet", but also "gather", ie. a place where they get together after sessions and deep in the night. Conference venue and accommodation should be as close as possible from one another) - the program (try thinking about topics even if the program committee will have a final say, it mobilizes speakers and attendees around a "theme" - it also helps for sponsors, because it focuses your and their attention).
That's about it.
Also maybe, try and put your money in the right place. Nobody needs super mega fancy accommodation (although a real bed and different "levels" of accommodation in the surroundings are a must have), but they all need working wifi, even when 500 geeks are connected. Nobody needs super duper confortable cushioned conference chairs, but the projectors and sound must work flawlessly
Hope that helps,
Delphine
Guys, let's not get off the track. There is no way that we will finalize Wikimedia Canada discussion before March 29 (the day when bidding ends). Instead of focusing on items that may not even materialize, can we go back to the discussion on Toronto's bid?
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:48:49 +0100 From: notafishz@gmail.com To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 22:31, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Delphine, what do you believe are the key elements of executing a successful Wikimania?
lol, that's a _very_ broad question :)
You really want to look at this: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2011/Official_requirements_for_bidd... http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2011/Judging_criteria and read it carefully.
This basically says it all.
On a personal point of view, what makes a successful Wikimania is:
- the people (try and get as many scholarships as possible so that you
can get as many cool people in as possible)
- the venue (a place where people not only "meet", but also "gather",
ie. a place where they get together after sessions and deep in the night. Conference venue and accommodation should be as close as possible from one another)
- the program (try thinking about topics even if the program committee
will have a final say, it mobilizes speakers and attendees around a "theme" - it also helps for sponsors, because it focuses your and their attention).
That's about it.
Also maybe, try and put your money in the right place. Nobody needs super mega fancy accommodation (although a real bed and different "levels" of accommodation in the surroundings are a must have), but they all need working wifi, even when 500 geeks are connected. Nobody needs super duper confortable cushioned conference chairs, but the projectors and sound must work flawlessly
Hope that helps,
Delphine
-- ~notafish
NB. This gmail address is used for mailing lists. Personal emails will get lost. Intercultural musings: Ceci n'est pas une endive - http://blog.notanendive.org
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
_________________________________________________________________ Say Happy New Year with Messenger for Mobile. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9706117
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 22:31, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Delphine, what do you believe are the key elements of executing a successful Wikimania?
lol, that's a _very_ broad question :)
You really want to look at this: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2011/Official_requirements_for_bidd... http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2011/Judging_criteria and read it carefully.
This basically says it all.
On a personal point of view, what makes a successful Wikimania is: - the people (try and get as many scholarships as possible so that you can get as many cool people in as possible) - the venue (a place where people not only "meet", but also "gather", ie. a place where they get together after sessions and deep in the night. Conference venue and accommodation should be as close as possible from one another) - the program (try thinking about topics even if the program committee will have a final say, it mobilizes speakers and attendees around a "theme" - it also helps for sponsors, because it focuses your and their attention).
That's about it.
Also maybe, try and put your money in the right place. Nobody needs super mega fancy accommodation (although a real bed and different "levels" of accommodation in the surroundings are a must have), but they all need working wifi, even when 500 geeks are connected. Nobody needs super duper confortable cushioned conference chairs, but the projectors and sound must work flawlessly
Hope that helps,
Delphine
Nick said: "That was just a support letter, a welcome mat, nothing more. I arranged for that through Tourism Toronto, and other than Miller signing it (as far as I know, it was his ink on the page), I don't know if it was even the staff of the mayor office who wrote it, I believe it was the staff of the tourism department."
Can we still try that again? It's better than nothing. Also, I think we should reconsider our residence options. Are we sticking with UofT residence or consider elsewhere?
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
_________________________________________________________________
Andrew Leung wrote:
Nick said:
"That was just a support letter, a welcome mat, nothing more. I arranged for that through Tourism Toronto, and other than Miller signing it (as far as I know, it was his ink on the page), I don't know if it was even the staff of the mayor office who wrote it, I believe it was the staff of the tourism department."Can we still try that again? It's better than nothing. Also, I think we should reconsider our residence options. Are we sticking with UofT residence or consider elsewhere?
I don't think it's a question of "sticking with"; all options should remain open. Someone would need to speak with U of T about costs and availability. When it's available would certainly influence Wikimania's dates.
Ray
I've scoured my emails, can't seem to find it. I can find my correspondence with the local MPP, but nothing pops up for "Miller Wikimania" or "Mayor Wikimania".
I had requested it through Tourism Toronto, an independent company that replaces the City actually having a tourism department. I believe they were offering to help suggest venues, service providers, but I held off last time, for lack of time before the bid closed.
Note I'm currently busier than normal, as I'm working temp at a museum, and I don't have the internet at home (by choice, not by other circumstances), so it may be best if others can try to contact them.
Nick
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 11:29 AM, Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.comwrote:
Nick said:
"That was just a support letter, a welcome mat, nothing more. I arranged for that through Tourism Toronto, and other than Miller signing it (as far as I know, it was his ink on the page), I don't know if it was even the staff of the mayor office who wrote it, I believe it was the staff of the tourism department."
Can we still try that again? It's better than nothing. Also, I think we should reconsider our residence options. Are we sticking with UofT residence or consider elsewhere?
Andrew
Try this one: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayor-miller-endorses-toronto.jpg
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:40:49 -0500 From: nicholasmoreau@gmail.com To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
I've scoured my emails, can't seem to find it. I can find my correspondence with the local MPP, but nothing pops up for "Miller Wikimania" or "Mayor Wikimania". I had requested it through Tourism Toronto, an independent company that replaces the City actually having a tourism department. I believe they were offering to help suggest venues, service providers, but I held off last time, for lack of time before the bid closed.
Note I'm currently busier than normal, as I'm working temp at a museum, and I don't have the internet at home (by choice, not by other circumstances), so it may be best if others can try to contact them.
Nick
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 11:29 AM, Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.com wrote:
Nick said: "That was just a support letter, a welcome mat, nothing more. I arranged for that through Tourism Toronto, and other than Miller signing it (as far as I know, it was his ink on the page), I don't know if it was even the staff of the mayor office who wrote it, I believe it was the staff of the tourism department."
Can we still try that again? It's better than nothing. Also, I think we should reconsider our residence options. Are we sticking with UofT residence or consider elsewhere?
Andrew
_________________________________________________________________
That was a rename I did, not the name of the attachment.
Nick
2010/1/22 Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.com:
Try this one: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mayor-miller-endorses-toronto.jpg
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:40:49 -0500 From: nicholasmoreau@gmail.com To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
I've scoured my emails, can't seem to find it. I can find my correspondence with the local MPP, but nothing pops up for "Miller Wikimania" or "Mayor Wikimania". I had requested it through Tourism Toronto, an independent company that replaces the City actually having a tourism department. I believe they were offering to help suggest venues, service providers, but I held off last time, for lack of time before the bid closed. Note I'm currently busier than normal, as I'm working temp at a museum, and I don't have the internet at home (by choice, not by other circumstances), so it may be best if others can try to contact them. Nick
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 11:29 AM, Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.com wrote:
Nick said:
"That was just a support letter, a welcome mat, nothing more. I arranged for that through Tourism Toronto, and other than Miller signing it (as far as I know, it was his ink on the page), I don't know if it was even the staff of the mayor office who wrote it, I believe it was the staff of the tourism department."
Can we still try that again? It's better than nothing. Also, I think we should reconsider our residence options. Are we sticking with UofT residence or consider elsewhere?
Andrew
Say Happy New Year with Messenger for Mobile. See more. _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Nicholas Moreau wrote:
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:04 AM, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful bid for Wikimania and organization of the event?
I agree, it would be good to find an advisor from Frankfurt/Cambridge/Taipei/Alexandria/Buenos Aires, someone that can help provide perspective into the process.
Perhaps just as pertinent, how many of us have actually gone to a Wikimania, to know what it's truly like?
I am one of about 20 people have attended all five, but as a Vancouverite I prefer to remain neutral and as objective as possible between Montreal and Toronto. I am prepared to be equally critical of either bid.
Should either be successful as the host city I will be pleased to support that winner.
Ray
Can we all agree in principal that we need to see a list of volunteers before we take any location under consideration? Do we have anyone in Toronto with Wikimania organizing experience that is willing to step up and lead a bid for Toronto?
2010/1/18 Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net
Nicholas Moreau wrote:
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:04 AM, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful
bid
for Wikimania and organization of the event?
I agree, it would be good to find an advisor from Frankfurt/Cambridge/Taipei/Alexandria/Buenos Aires, someone that can help provide perspective into the process.
Perhaps just as pertinent, how many of us have actually gone to a Wikimania, to know what it's truly like?
I am one of about 20 people have attended all five, but as a Vancouverite I prefer to remain neutral and as objective as possible between Montreal and Toronto. I am prepared to be equally critical of either bid.
Should either be successful as the host city I will be pleased to support that winner.
Ray
Wikimedia-ca mailing list Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
I'm in, and Gerald emailed me saying that he's in too.
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:19:08 -0500 From: fastalan@gmail.com To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Can we all agree in principal that we need to see a list of volunteers before we take any location under consideration? Do we have anyone in Toronto with Wikimania organizing experience that is willing to step up and lead a bid for Toronto?
2010/1/18 Ray Saintonge saintonge@telus.net
Nicholas Moreau wrote:
On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 4:04 AM, Alan Walker fastalan@gmail.com wrote:
Do we have anyone available to us that has participated in a successful bid
for Wikimania and organization of the event?
I agree, it would be good to find an advisor from
Frankfurt/Cambridge/Taipei/Alexandria/Buenos Aires, someone that can
help provide perspective into the process.
Perhaps just as pertinent, how many of us have actually gone to a
Wikimania, to know what it's truly like?
I am one of about 20 people have attended all five, but as a
Vancouverite I prefer to remain neutral and as objective as possible
between Montreal and Toronto. I am prepared to be equally critical of
either bid.
Should either be successful as the host city I will be pleased to
support that winner.
Ray
_______________________________________________
Wikimedia-ca mailing list
Wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-ca
Hi Andrew,
On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 11:49 PM, Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.comwrote:
But it will definitely affects how much funding or promise we can secure *right now*
It's really a chicken and egg problem here. While we would like funding commitments, gov't and business want to know the event is happening, not that it might happen. While we can get oodles of "wow, we'd love to support you" letters, we won't get any dollars until this becomes something more real. Toronto did generate a bunch of interest in previous years funding wise, and if we can get the Province and the City to commit, Ottawa will be easier to sway. And we might be able to get some help from our friends in Montreal on that account -- the Feds should be willing to spend money on Wikimania, whichever city gets the nod.
Gerald
Last time I recalled seeing a supporting letter from Toronto mayor David Miller. But I guess there's no point this time around because he will not seek re-election this year so your guess for next mayor is as good as mine. And there might be a new party governing Canada by 2011. Who knows?
Andrew
"Fill the world with children who care and things start looking up."
Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:07:17 -0500 From: geraldablists@gmail.com To: wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org Subject: Re: [Wikimedia-Canada] Fwd: Montreal wikimania bid
Hi Andrew,
On Sun, Jan 17, 2010 at 11:49 PM, Andrew Leung andrewcleung@hotmail.com wrote:
But it will definitely affects how much funding or promise we can secure *right now*
It's really a chicken and egg problem here. While we would like funding commitments, gov't and business want to know the event is happening, not that it might happen. While we can get oodles of "wow, we'd love to support you" letters, we won't get any dollars until this becomes something more real. Toronto did generate a bunch of interest in previous years funding wise, and if we can get the Province and the City to commit, Ottawa will be easier to sway. And we might be able to get some help from our friends in Montreal on that account -- the Feds should be willing to spend money on Wikimania, whichever city gets the nod.
Gerald _________________________________________________________________
wikimedia-ca@lists.wikimedia.org