Through concerted collaboration executed in a spirit of co-opetition, over the last three years 11 Canadian cities have executed seven joint Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) missions with the Federal government to 12 countries.

Through investment missions done in cooperation with Invest in Canada, the leading lights of Canada's economic development agencies have learned two clear lessons: First, the battleground for Foreign Direct Investment is at the city level; and second, the weapons employed are the relative strength of city ecosystems and talent.

Driving without a drivers licence? How about management consultants without certification advising your government? Just like you wouldn't want unlicensed drivers on the road, a doctor operating without a licence or for that matter an engineer building bridges without professional certification, there is a public good in having professional bodies certify its members for competences and for complying with ethical conduct