Talent, not just tax breaks, drawing devs to Canada

by Justin McElroy on Nov 20th 2009 6:00PM

Tax breaks are a great way to get developers interested in Canada, according to minister of economic development and trade for Ontario Sandra Pupatello, but they may not be the best way to keep them there. Pupatello worries that while trying to entice devs, competing provinces could drive tax breaks to an untenable position. She says that nuturing a talent pool should be the bigger focus, an approach that has worked in Ontario.

"We knew that Ubisoft establishing a significant footprint in Ontario would in itself would help tell the story of what's available," Pupatello told Develop. "Why would Ubisoft come unless they knew that they were going to get absolutely the best talent?"

Uh, free health care and the staggering availability of Tim Hortons?

Source

Tags: canada, ontario, tax-breaks, tim-hortons, ubisoft

Reader Comments (68)

I love Robin.

I love doogie howser!

HIMYM is awesome.

How can you not love Robin Sparkles?

I agree completely

She can have dual citizenship with me any time.

Wait are we talking about robins donuts or am i really confused?

Let's go to the mall! Let's go to the mah-ah-all!

Sand castles in the sand.

They need to release a Robin Sparkles album, or at least put those 2 songs on itunes for charity.

They also now have the Bro Code in written form. The sacred scriptures of Barney have been put in written form.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bro-Code-Barney-Stinson/dp/1847399304/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258767624&sr=8-1

I second that notion to release Robin Sparkles' singles onto iTunes.

The Bro Code now recognizes the motion and will put it to a vote.

OMG that is the best photoshop ever!

I VERY much agree.

Lol i wondered what that image was all aboot buddy.

Canadian health care is not free, we pay hefty taxes for it.

It really annoys me when people call our health care system free.

Freedom costs a buck oh five

Isn't it also true that elderly Canadians have to put themselves on a knee-replacement waiting list 10 years in advance just in case they happen to have a knee injury? Yeah, free healthcare is AWESOME. /sarcasm

Uh oh,

It looks like Cheezeman has been watching Fox News again.

A friend of mine was 22 when he was in between jobs, had no insurance... and was diagnosed with cancer. the only reason he isn't $250,000 dollars in debt or dead is because the surgeon was a saint, and did it for free.

When I was living in New Zealand I had a friend there that was born in ireland. anyway he found out he had a tumor behind his lungs that was growing. To get it removed in NZ it would have cost him NZ$12,000(US$7,000) because he was not a citizen. I thought to myself, holy shit! that's a deal! He flew home to ireland and had it done for free. Yeah he might be taxed like crazy but his country is there for him when the shit hits the fan. this guy also went to college for free. I think to myself if that was me, I could either pay in NZ on a credit card or fly to america and have it done for for like $250,000.

America's system is great if you have money and aren't in need. but some times life takes a shit on you when you don't have the money.

@ Space

That's all well and good but some people spend their entire life paying that much money in taxes towards it and seeing absolutely no benefit from it.

Am I saying the American system is better? Nope. But I would disagree that our system is the best also. Both systems have their benefits and for people who do have the money/job to have good coverage universal health care is not as amazing as it seems.

I personally don't like the idea of paying money my entire life towards a system I will probably almost never use.

Actually, Huey, the tax differences aren't quite that staggaring. On average Canadians shell out 35% in taxes, while Americans give out 30%. The Canadian system moreso than the American tax system also targets the higher earners. Chances are you're paying almost as much as an American in taxes.

Huey,

I can understand the frustration in that, but having lived in both countries for quite some time, I can honestly say I would prefer a more universal system compared to what I experience here in the US.

I realized this when my company told us that they were reducing their matching 401k option to compensate for the fact that the insurance company drastically raised their rates for all us because one person in the entire company got cancer.

Ha! You're funny!

Fox has Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck. MSNBC has Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow,j.. None of whom I can stand. The national TV news (if you can call it that) here in the US has become so sensationalistic it rivals the National Enquirer for journalistic integrity. But you know what the sad part is? These shows get better ratings when they do this shit instead of real unbiased news reporting.

The problem I have right now with the US health care system is that there are 'for profit' insurance and pharmaceutical companies that are publicly traded. I don't like the fact that they are more concerned with pleasing their shareholders than giving people proper health care.

I also believe that health care should be a universal right for everyone in this world, and not just those (or their companies) that can afford it.

If there's a way to do that without government intervention, I'm all for it. But right now what's pissing me off is seeing these companies spend millions of dollars on advertising against health care reform when that money could have gone to someone that they've turned away.

We pay a lot of taxes, but we get a lot of services in return.

Ugh one of the most embarrassing House episodes ever.

The Canucks suck.

Speaking as a Canucks fan, we're usually content just to suck less than the Leafs.

@Delsaber

That's not to hard this year is it?

Toronto's game last night almost made be cry.

Sometimes I think the Leafs are only around to make the rest of us feel better.

@Delsaber

Trust me thats not very hard..... not very hard at all

Aim high! That's what I say. Snrk.

I'm a Computer Tech, and we have a lot of software from companies in Canada (I'm not sure why...). Anyway, I'll deal with different people from different companies, and their tech support people are always super nice. So based solely on that, I like Canadians.

It's definitely a stereotype that I have. (We've got better bacon down here, though.)

Better bacon? You do realise that we Canadians have access to regular bacon as well as pemeal bacon (the stuff you guys call Canadian bacon) right?

MMmmm I could go for some maple smoked bacon right about now.

(p.s. I hate the fact that Canadian bacon is called 'bacon', its bloody ham everyone!)

Am I crazy or was that a Three Panel Soul reference?

No, it's a reference to a really stupid commercial that Three Panel Soul also made fun of.

Legen - wait for it - and I hope you aren't lactose intolerant because it is - dary photoshop.

Cobie Smulders is amazing hot. The one thing Joystiq could have done to add to this post would have been remind people of:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF1b1pf9DRY

Lets go to...the mall!

Should that not be 'nurturing', instead of 'nuturing'?

To be fair, Ubisoft is already in Quebec - which has the same health care as the rest of us canuckleheads. What I suspect Pupatello is referring to is: why Ubisoft would come to Ontario as well - which goes further to explaining the the whole nurturing talent and culture.

Exactly what I was about to point out. Ubisoft had come to Montreal a long while ago, and thanks to their offices here the world now has the Price of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy, the new Prince of Persia, Splinter Cell and most of their sequels, Assassin's Creed, etc. They already had a presence in Canada, and decided to spread a little further to widen their pool of creativity.

Now we know who will be playing Dead Space Girl in the live action movie.

To all of you who are Canada envious, or bashing Canada in your posts:
1) Yes, our health care is awesome - no, I've never had to wait for anything, least of all anything life-threatening (several cases for myself actually). What you're hearing is scare mongering and it's damn well better than having to pay exorbitant fees to a hospital for something that "needs to be done".
2) No, we don't like Celine Dion either.
3) Our bacon is just called "bacon", and it comes in strips. This "Canadian bacon" you speak of is fried ham.
4) Yes, our beer is awesome, and our microbreweries are even more awesome.
5) Canadians are smart, even though our beer is clearly superior, and we drink a lot of it.
6) We are not "used to the cold" - stop suggesting that. We hate the cold as much as everyone else - our health care is just "that good" ;).
7) We actually like the States. Personally, I love Arizona, Oregon, California, Texas, the history of the original "colonies", the American Revolution, and the American national anthem, among others. Some Canadians are just a little vocal about your policies... (me, on occasion)

You think Canada has a rough stereotype? Try explaining how Arizona isn't a desert with wild Indians and gunfights in the streets. ;)

Any time I tell how some areas get hundreds of inches of snow, people don't believe me.

You forgot to say that you are afraid of the dark xD

pssht 6 is bullshit, i live in the middle of New York state and we're used to the cold. California relatives come up here and need a jacket in summer

You think NY is bad, try living in Ohio. Or in any of the area's under the Great Lakes. It is called the Lake Effect and it sucks. It is probably like living on the sea line in Canada. Constant dumping of cool precipitation.

8) Our military doesn't suck (Though it isn't the biggest focus of our country's budget...) and isn't in any way laughable. Even though it's not that big, throughout history we've kicked ass, including yours. So don't be disrespectin'. We won't do it again, because we're buddies now, but don't forget the past.

And yet we have had only 2 dinosaur games this gen

(Jurassic the Hunted and Turok)

Man when are the dinosaurs gonna get a bit of love in terms of games.

When Jurassic Park 4 comes out.

If not everyone that reads this post knows where that screen shot is from, go to hell.

Most under-rated show ever. In fact, best sitcom on TV right now.

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Talent, not just tax breaks, drawing devs to Canada

Reader Comments (68)

Posted: Nov 20th 2009 6:04PM Rhamsey said

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