I think calling anywhere 'Silicon Valley North' is more an attempt at marketing the location to businesses, rather than actually reflecting a 'Silicon Valley' like area where investment, technology, risk taking and knowledge or access to knowledge intersect.<p>I've heard Vancouver referred to as Hollywood North, but a significant portion of Film/TV production actually happens in Vancouver.<p>How many start-up successes have you heard of from Ottawa?
Disclaimer: I'm a proud Canadian, but also a realist.<p>I study in Waterloo, ON and have often heard it being called Silicon Valley of the north. I had the pleasure to spend this summer working in California, in the heart of the true Valley. If people really think Canada has anything remotely similar to the scale of this, they are delusional. The only real Valley-sized company Waterloo has is RIM.<p>I really look forward to that changing over the next few decades, but we're not there yet.