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EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2007

haven’t seen her in years, but she’s onethe few local comedians/speakers who makes aliving out of it. I’m referring to Zandra Bell akaShirley Best. She does mostly corporate

shows during the winter season then hitsthe festival circuit. It’s obvious she’sdoing well—judging by the size of herdress. I doubt she’ll be insulted at thecomment because it’s a “big” part of heract. When she was just starting out, myfriend Laurie Peck was doing herbookings; Zandra would run her routinesand speeches past us, Bell knows there’snothing like insulting the boss and uppermanagement to get the employees on yourside and laughing.

Zandra just got back from Gay Paree—shehas a BA in French language and literature.She was getting pointers on designing clothingfor opulent-sized ladies. The night we met at thelatest Art of Conversation on the patio atNumber One Thorton Court, she was wearingone of her designs—a step above the fashion statementmade by Shirley Best as the “High Priestess of Polyester”.If you want to hire someone funny or buy a gown, call780.414.0411… or visit www.zandrabell.com.

Speaking of funny, I sure hope I can get a fewlaughs at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre on October 1st. TheCanadian Progress Club, downtown group, has booked meto roast and toast Premier Steady Eddie Stelmach, and ourpothole-plagued mayor, Stephen Mandel. At myadvancing age, it’s hard to believe I’m a virgin atanything… but I blush to admit this will be my first timedoing a roast. Much like my sex life, my performance willbe either boring as hell or laughable. Two of the otherroasters are Edmonton Oilers President Pat LaForge andnewsman Bob Layton of CHED. Three more will beannounced later. Call 780.481.3390 for tickets to thefundraiser.

It’s a small, small world. A couple of weeksago, the phone rang and it was my brother-in-law, Wally

(Peter) Triska calling from Vancouver—very excited.Turns out Canada’s original teen idol, Canadian Music Hallof Famer and multi-gold records singer, Bobby Curtola,had wandered onto Wally’s used car lot looking for wheels.At the height of his fame, Bobby was a popular fixtureduring Klondike Days and, one year, Wally washis driver in the parade. Not only did he buy acar, but Bobby came back with some friends andthey bought a few more cars.

Thanks to Wally, I got in touch with Bobby.He’s still singing—mostly Las Vegas, andsometimes New York. He’s living outside Halifax

in a small town called Liverpool. For those of you who don’t

know—or don’t remember—Bobby had 25 gold singles(including Fortune Teller andAladdin), 12 gold albums, andwas the first Things go better

with Coke guy. When he wasstill living here, he was inducted as member of the

Order of Canada for his achievements and humanitarianefforts. His eight-volume CD set covers four decades offame and you can bee-bop through rock ’n’ roll historywith a visit to www.curtola.com.

Hot off the news ticker tape. Weber Motorswas sold a few weeks ago. The purchasers are the EricksonGroup and Glenn Woolsey. The deal is not quite done yetbecause the manufacturer has to approve it. Gerry Yuenand partner John Ramsey will now slip gently intooblivion. Well, not quite. Gerry’s staying on to soften thetransition for customers and will probably get a demo todrive. After his two-year contact is over, he’ll be well-qualified for a greeter position at Wal-Mart—pushing cartsinstead of Mercedes.

It’ll be interesting to see if Grant Erickson actuallyshows up at the new dealership—he’s a renowneddelegater.

People go through life without making a largeripple… but some make a lot of small ones. HalJohnstone was one of those people. He owned Canine

Experience, a successful grooming business… our Sylviehad been one of his clients, and our new dog Cue wouldhave been. But, Dr. Ollie and I were stunned to learn thatHal had passed away suddenly. He was only 49.

In my July column, I referred to Hal as our “secretweapon” because he had put in a good word for us whenwe were negotiating with the breeder to acquire Cue. Overthe years, we had become friends. Hal will be muchmissed.

Edmontonians February cover featured a close-up head shot and asked “What’s next for Eva?” Well, nowwe know. Recently, the Honourable Maxime Bernier, thefederal minister of industry who is also responsible for the

National ResearchCouncil of Canada,announced theappointment of EvaMah Borsato as amember of the NRC.This is well-deservedrecognition of herentrepreneurial andscientificachievements asfounder ofEnvirocorp Ltd., co-founder of Cardio-Metabolics Inc.,and her currentendeavours aspresident andCEO of ICCI—

Intellectual Capital Corporation Inc.As this issue goes to press—literally—Eva is being

fêted by friends and fans at the home of Elexis Schloss.Champagne corks are popping in Glenora.

The Sourdough Raft Race has been postponedbecause the launch site won’t be ready until August 12th.Not good—it confuses the public. Not bad—it gives youmore time to get into the race. The organizers are short ofrafts so get busy. I’m sure this has absolutely nothing to dowith the new Admiral, journalist Nick Lees.

Nick’s induction was a hoot—the premier showed up,the mayor dropped by, a few councilors and fans were onhand. He told the story about his meeting with theastronaut Buzz Aldrich at a celebrity ski deal at SunshineVillage about 10 years ago. “Meeting” is a bit of astretch—they were standing beside each other at the urinalsin a very crowded men’s room at the Banff Springs. Nickwas trying not to sneak a peek. Then Buzz let go a veryloud fart… the room went quiet and Nick asked, “Did youdo that on the moon?” The astronaut made a quick exitamid the laughter.

Now go build a raft for Admiral Lees’ fleet.

If I don't mention the Heritage Festival atHawrelak Park from August 4th through 6th—a record 63pavilions, five brand new ones, 400 tasty dishes—Executive Director Jack Little will never speak to meagain. As tempting as that may be, I'd miss his jokes. Graba bunch of friends, catch a bus and I'll see you there. √

Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail [email protected]

IIZandra/

Shirley

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2007 3


t’s August in Edmonton and it’s the time ofthe year when we enjoy some of the best festivalsand biggest events produced in the region.

Jack Little’s Heritage Festival… Cam Haydenand Carole Dean’s Blues Festival… Larry Werner andGlen Vinnette’s amazing Big Valley Jamboree countrymusic festival in Camrose… and, of course, ourtremendous Fringe Festival.

August is not usually the time of the year to talk aboutChristmas—but bear with me, please.

Radio is highly competitive in Edmonton, what with 23signals broadcasting 24 hours a day. One of the oldeststations in town is Corus 630 CHED where my late fatherJerry spent 28 years of his life.

In December 1954, the then 1080 CHED (it moveddown the dial a few years later) started an annualChristmas program called Santa’s Anonymous. From it’shumble start of delivering a few hundred toys to under

privileged children in Edmonton, Santa’s now providesover 23,000 gifts and toys to kids.

In June, I was deeply honoured to be invited by CHED’sVP/GM Doug Rutherford to be part of Santa’sAnonymous by participating as a sponsor. Doug and I haveworked competitively for almost 25 years, both inVancouver and in Edmonton. The Forbes and Rutherfordlives have been somehow intertwined in radio over the past50 years as Doug’s late father Walt ran CJCA while mydad was running CHED. Brother Gerry worked withDoug’s brother Dave at CHQR in Calgary a few yearsback.

At my first meeting of Santa’s, I learned ChelseaDraegar had joined the project as well. She is a formerCorus employee (and brand new mom) who is also linkedto Santa’s because her late father—my good friend—Gary,was the Head Elf for many years. I went to high schoolwith Chelsea’s mom Dawn, and her grandfather was oneof the original CHED employees… so six degrees ofseparation has been part of all our lives since birth.

Gary passed away about two years ago, and DebbieWalker now heads up this great organization. The Boardand volunteer list includes some well known and venerablecitizens. Leslie Primeau and Syd Smith air on CHED.Daryl Hooke has been a creative genius at the station sincethe early 1970s. Dave Fowler will celebrate 50 yearsinvolvement next year. Wendy Batty, from the ChristmasBureau, is another tireless worker for the cause.

There are countless other people who contribute to makeSanta’s Anonymous a success, and many civic minded

clients donate their time and effort. For example, a fewyears ago when a facility was needed to house the toys,Pat Priestner and the people at Crosstown Motors steppedup and donated a building just off the Yellowhead.

But why are we talking about Christmas in August?Simply because Santa’s Anonymous works all year long tomake sure that the program runs efficiently in December.

I can vividly remember my father saying “Wouldn’t it benice if every child had a gift at Christmas… not a hand-me-down or a patched up toy, but a brand new toy.”

Every year, when I watch the thousands of kids and theirparents standing in frigid weather waiting to pick up theirgreen garbage bag full of toys to deliver to the recipients, Iwell up with pride realizing that something that Dad startedin the mid-1950s continues.

Driving through the Falconer Heights area of Riverbend,you will see several streets named after my father inhonour of the work he did. As well, you can hear his voiceeach Christmas on CHED in a piece called A Creature wasStirring. It’s been aired since the late 1960s, whichcertainly must be some sort of a Canadian radio record.

There are special events throughout the year: Call DebbieWalker at 630 CHED at 780 440 6300,www.630ched.com. And check out the tribute site I builtfor Dad at www.santasanonymous.com. √

Marty Forbes is VP and general manager of The Bear,EZRock and The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. [email protected]

II

had the pleasure of hosting the 21stAnnual Mayor’s Seniors’ Picnic this year—myguess: 1000 seniors in attendance. Congratulationsto Len Worrell and the committee for a fantasticevent. Many ladies donned their best hats,

reminiscent of the bygone Klondike Days. Mayor StephenMandel was in top form as he and his councilors handedout ice cream to the crowd.

I have to mention a couple of young performers. ReynaWhite Thunder performed atraditional hoop dance. She

attends St. Elizabeth Seaton School and was recentlyawarded a Wahkotowin Society Award. Quite anaccomplishment.

Jaws dropped after Harris Wang started to play. The 11year old pianist played some classical pieces and wasbrought back twice for encores. Harris has performed forthe Queen and appeared on the Tonight Show with JayLeno. My favourite line of the morning was when Harrisfinished his second piece, a gentleman yelled out “Hey,Sonny, play an oldie but a goodie for us.”

I was invited to help raise some money for localcharities at the Nunavut Day Canadian North Gala in earlyJuly. Held in Iqaluit, the Nunavut Commissioner’s ArtsAwards were handed out to Thomas Iksiraq of BakerLake and John Towtongie of Rankin Inlet. Each received$5000.

Commissioner Ann Meekitjuk Hanson reminded me ofour late Lieutenant Governor Lois Hole—both loved by allfor their warmth and spirit.

My father Fred joined me in Iqaluit via Portugal Cove,Newfoundland. We made our way to Pangurtung on BaffinIsland for a few days of exploring. Then, we took a boatinto Auyuittuq National Park for some hiking.

Dad loves the North and the West. He came to Canadafrom Europe in the late 50s and found himself in theYukon, NWT, BC and Alberta, running the roads as a FullerBrush man. He’s been coming to Edmonton of late forGrey Cups, Oilers playoff games and to visit me, but heremembers being in Edmonton in 1956. He didn’t have the

money to buy a beer but hecobbled his quarters into atrain ticket. Dad left from theold train station for Terrace,BC, then went on to theboom town of Kitimat,hunting for work at thealuminium smelter. “If Ididn’t take that train to BC, Iwould probably be a longtime resident ofEdmonton.”

Experiencing Pangurtungtogether was a once in alifetime chance—well worth the effort and cost. “Anychance you can get to the Arctic, you should grab it. It isgood for the soul,” Dad says.

A tip of a hat to Nick Lees of the EdmontonJournal on being named the 2007 Admiral of theSourdough Fleet. He joins the likes of Stan Hampton,Harry Hole, Ivor Dent, the late Bud Damur, Bill Comrieand Lyle Best. Nick has raised literally millions of dollarsfor various charities. He has run/swum/cycled uncountablekilometres, organized piles of events, hoisted a few glassesof wine and twisted every arm in the city to get thosedollars raised.

I have been very fortunate to be a partner in crime forsome of his efforts. Nick, Stephen Antle, CISN’s BruceBowie and I formed The Doughboys who put over$250,000 in the Salvation Army coffers in three years.

His Admiral title is but one of many awards given toNick, including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and theCity’s Award of Excellence for Sport Volunteering. He’sbeen recognized by Grant MacEwan College with anOutstanding Citizen award and honorary diploma, and bythe Professional Society of Fundraisers with one of itsannual philanthropy awards.

Nick’s latest idea is “…cycling a Haida Totem pole fromthe Queen Charlotte Islands to Mile 0 of the Yellowhead toEdmonton—1650km—aiding the Kids with CancerSociety.”

I am honoured to call Nick Lees a friend and lookforward to being a part of his future brainstorms.

Quite a night. Racing great Mario Andretti,Champ Car drivers Justine Wilson, Alex Tagliani,and Atlantic driver Mike Forest from Edmonton wereall in Hall D at the Shaw Conference Centre. MichelleWright provided music while Jennifer Martin oftheenergynews.com and CISN’s Bruce Bowie hostedthe event. I got called up to help with the auction as acelebrity spotter. Funds raised at the Rexall Grand PrixGala go to the School Lunch Program.

The champion bidder of the night was Dr. BrentSaik. You know Brent from his Alberta Sports VisionInstitute… his pro soccer club, the Edmonton Drillers…as the organizer of the world’s longest hockey game…or the optometrist for the Oilers and Eskimos. Hesuccessfully bid on a pace car ride with Andretti before thefinal Champ Car race, plus a private skate with Oilers RaffiTorres and Jarrett Stoll.

“I can’t wait to tell Mario that I have a race car license,”gushed a delighted Brent.

After his pace car ride and he told me that Mario hadadvised him to keep his arm in the car and hold on. “It wasa rush and definitely worth it for the cause. Mario is an

unreal driver—every corner, just when I thought we weregoing out of control, Mario worked the car like it was on arail.”

I got an e-mail out of the blue from former A-Channel favourite Dawn Chubai. Itwas nice to catchup with a formercolleague. Dawn is the weather hostfor the morning show on Citytv—soon to be Rogers—in Vancouverthese days. The Edmonton nativesays she loves it there, and keepsbusy singing and acting. She’scoming home next month toperform at the Four Rooms.Dawn will be accompanied byWes Yasiek on guitar, SandroDominelli on drums and Bruce

Mohacsy on keys. You can catch her gig onSeptember 15th.

Jody Colford of Birdie Golf 4 Women wants meto put out the word on a women’s golf clinic, hosted bySandra Post, a 38-year member of the LPGA. Shecompeted on the tour from 1968 to 1984 and won eighttimes—including a major and the Dinah Shoretournaments back to back in ’78. Besides teaching, Sandrais a golf commentator for TSN. Birdie Golf 4 Women is amanufacturer of very spiffy golf clothing. Get your freepasses to the August 16th clinic by [email protected]

I had a chat with Edmonton Film CommissionerPatti Tucker to get an update on the Brad Pitt film shot, inpart, at Fort Edmonton Park in 2005. The $30-million flickwas originally scheduled for release last fall, and touted asOscar-worthy.

Patti tells me the she hopes the Assassination of JesseJames by the Coward Robert Ford will be in Edmonton

theatres in September butno date has been set.Googling indicates thedate in the U.S. will beFriday, September 21st.According to the IMDbweb site, the film will bereleased in Spain, onOctober 5th. Hmmm.Delays usually indicateproblems… so does ayear later mean biggerproblems?

Pitt party? It is notlikely that Edmontonwill host a premiere.“It depends on the

producers and actorsschedules. It is tough to coordinate,” says Tucker. What?...not even a party in the Park?

A review of the film I found on Filmjerk.com, written byEdward Havens, states, “…likely be atop my personal listof The Best Films of the Year when it is released.” √

Mark Scholz, owner of MES Communications Inc. offers avariety of services including production, creative andentertainment. For more information or to suggest a storyidea, email [email protected]

II

Harris Wang

Fred & Mark Scholz

Reyna White Thunder

Dawn Chubai

4



FOUNDERDICK MacLEAN

AUGUST 2007Vol. XVIII

Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of eachmonth at 333, 10240 - 124 Street, Edmonton, Alberta,Canada T5N 3W6. ©All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reprinted or reproduced in any formwithout written permission from the publisher.

Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible forunsolicited manuscripts.

All stories Copyright ©Edmontonians

Publications Mail Agreement No. 40023292Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:Circulation Department333, 10240 - 124 StreetEdmonton, AB T5N 3W6Email: [email protected]

SHARON MacLEANPublisher and Advertising Director

Telephone: 780.482.7000Fax: 780.488.9317

e-mail: [email protected]

INSIDEVOX POPMuggsy Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Marty Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Mark Scholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3POLL STATIONOil Kings/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

LEADERSHIPIntuition/Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

EDMONTONIAN IN EXILEHumanity found/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

MY E-SPACEBlock to Shop/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

FEATUREDuff’s re-Design/Lauber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9

THE TRANSFORMERSSwish/Hanlen, Brost, Bradshaw, Ohlhauser . . . .10-11

MAKING MONEYTrade deficits/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

BIZINTELCivic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

LIVELY LIFESTYLESMenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

BARB DETERSEditor

[email protected]

COLUMNISTSLinda Banister

John BerryLinda Bodo

Tom BradshawLes Brost

Janet EdmondsonMarty Forbes

Muggsy ForbesSteffany Hanlen

Ron HiebertBruce Hogle

Greg MichettiDavid NorwoodLarry Ohlhauser

Erin RaynerMark Scholz

Nizar J. Somji

FEATURE WRITERSBarb Deters

Don HillRick Lauber

PHOTOGRAPHERSTerry Bourque

Janis DowBarb Deters

GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONRage Studios Inc.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

The Block to Shop Gals: Clockwise from the top: Jennifer Grimm, ShoenaStrudwick, Janine Dahn, Trina Pozzolo, GlendaPolak, Kristina Simpson and Kristi Sainchuk.

Photo by Terry Bourque Photography

No. 8

1818YEARS

C E L E B R A T I N G

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE OIL KINGS AND WILL YOU ATTEND THEIR GAMES?

To begin, we asked how familiar respondents were with theEdmonton Oil Kings. More than half (53 percent) indicatedthey were familiar with the junior hockey team—12 percentwere very familiar and 41 percent somewhat familiar.

Respondents were asked how likely they would be to attendone or more Edmonton Oil Kings games, which wouldprovide the opportunity to watch the next generation of NHLstars. Close to 40 percent said they would be likely to attend agame—15 percent were very likely and 23 percent somewhatlikely to attend.

WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS?Respondents aware of the Oil Kings were asked what theywould expect from a game experience. Good hockey or agood performance was the most frequent response, named bynearly half (47 percent) of respondents. One-quarter imaginedthey would enjoy the experience, that it would be fun andexciting. Some also believed that they would get a good valuefor their money (nine percent), that games would have afamily-oriented atmosphere (nine percent), and that theywould watch fast-paced hockey (eight percent).

HOW MANY TICKETS WILL YOU BUY?Respondents were asked how many tickets they would buy ifthey were to attend an Oil Kings game in the 2007-2008season. Fifty-eight percent indicated they would purchase a

pair of tickets, followed by 19 percent who would buy fourand 11 percent who would get three tickets. Five percentwould purchase a single game ticket, and another five percentwould buy five or more tickets to an Oil Kings game.

WHAT OTHER EVENTS DO YOU ATTEND?

Finally, respondents were asked what other sporting orentertainment events they attend. Most indicated they attendedconcerts or musical productions (25 percent), followed by avariety of sporting events: football (22 percent), hockey (21percent), baseball (17 percent), and soccer (12 percent).Festivals, including the Fringe, Street Performers, and theFolk Festival were also attended by 11 percent of respondents,as were the opera (eight percent), lacrosse games (sevenpercent), and plays or theatre events (five percent).

The Poll Station surveyed 100 City of Edmonton residents onthe topic and, while the results of the research are notstatistically reliable, they do provide a qualitative indicationof what Edmontonians are thinking.

Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and theowner of Banister Research and Consulting Inc., a full serviceprovider of market research and program evaluation services.Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll? ContactLinda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

STATIONajor junior hockey is returning to Edmonton. After leaving the city for more than 30years, the Oil Kings will call this their home for the 2007-2008 season. The OilKings were founded in Edmonton in 1950, but then moved to Portland and becamethe Winterhawks in 1976. Now, the Edmonton Investors Group—owners and

operators of the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL, and the owners of the legally registered name “OilKings Major Junior Hockey Club” in Canada—purchased an expansion franchise from the WesternHockey League in time for a re-launch this fall. The Oil Kings will now skate at Rexall Place andfeature future star players of the NHL. In this month’s Poll Station, we asked people about theirlikelihood of attending Oil Kings games and their expectations for a game experience.

MMWith Linda Banister

PollPoll

53%

15%

23%68%

25%

12% 11%7%

Said they were familiarwith the Oil Kings

hockey team.

Said they attendvarious sporting events

like football, hockey,baseball & lacrosse.

Said they attendconcerts or musical

productions.

Said they attendvarious festivalsaround the city.

Said they attend the opera.

Said they attendplays or theatre

events

Said they were verylikely to attend an Oil

Kings Game thisseason.

Said they weresomewhat likely toattend an Oil KingsGame this season.

Perc

enta

ge

Perc

enta

ge

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2007 5


f you have ever pondered what goes onin the mind of a leader, it will be acomfort to learn modern neurosciencealso finds this brainteaser of

considerable interest. Neuroscience is the study of how humans

think. A generation ago, serious enquiry aboutthe ‘c’ word—consciousness—was thought tobe career suicide, and consequently remainedoff-limits to scientists as taboo research.

“You couldn’t say the word,” recalledStuart Kaufman, director of the University ofCalgary’s Institute for Biocomplexity andInformatics. “We didn’t understandconsciousness at all,” because there was noscientific way to accurately measure andaccount for the human central nervous system,let alone the ‘mind’.

Famous for his ideas about Chaos Theory,Dr. Kaufman invested the early going of hisscientific career into the philosophy of mind.“My major contribution to the field amounts toa couple of tee-shirt slogans,” he laughed.“Consciousness: think of it,” that’s one, and theother, “Consciousness: it blows my mind.”

The study of consciousness certainly hasbefuddled scientists. At the beginning of thisdecade, I spent an afternoon, one-on-one, withMarvin Minsky, a founder of ArtificialIntelligence who complained, “I’m not evensure if consciousness is a noun.” However,neuroscience’s thinking about human cognitionhas advanced considerably since The Decadeof the Brain was launched in the 1990s byPresident Bush—George the First.

CAT scans and fMRI’s (functional magneticresonance imaging machines) and otherdevices take snapshots of the human brain andthe central nervous system. They measure whatis going on in the muck and guck of ourthinking. And with each and every scientificdiscovery, a fresh picture of how humansperceive the world is emerging.

“Neuroscience essentially says we haveunlimited potential and possibilities,” saidBastiaan Heemsbergen, author of TheLeader’s Brain, and a psychologist on corefaculty with Leadership Development at theBanff Centre. “The biggest discovery in thelast 10 years has been neuroplasticity,” whichconfounds the notion that the human brain ishard-wired or fixed at adulthood. “You canteach old dogs new tricks,” declared Dr.Heemsbergen with a grin that betrayed hismiddle-age.

ELECTRONIC THINKING CAPSExtraordinary tools for stimulating the creative

mind are just beginning to make their way outof the lab. It is now possible to put on anelectronic ‘thinking cap’—a piece of high-techgear called repetitive transcranial magneticstimulation—which sharpens cognition andshapes our ability to think better. Abbreviatedas rTMS, the technology pulseselectromagnetic fields around the outside ofthe human skull. Truth to tell: I’ve been part ofa team of researchers at Laurentian Universityin Sudbury, Ontario, who have experimentedwith rTMS devices over the past 10 years.

I also can tell you that DARPA (theadvanced research projects agency of theUnited States military) is also experimentingwith electronic stimulation and othersophisticated contraptions to enhance humancognition and so-called ‘situational awareness’.

All of this cutting-edge research hasimplications for 21st Century leaders of everysort who are required to make crucial decisionsin a very short timeframe, compounded by afog of inconclusive and overabundant data.

“When you have massive amounts ofinformation, it is just beyond the information-processing capacity of the brain,” said MichaelPersinger, an internationally-recognizedpioneer of rTMS and the director of LaurentianUniversity’s Behavioural NeuroscienceLaboratory. “You have to look for patterns.”

Artists, for instance, tend to be good atpattern recognition, the ability to pick outweak signals in the environment and bundlethem in such a way as to make sense ofseemingly unrelated or confusing pieces ofinformation.

Experiments with rTMS in Dr. Persinger’slaboratory, which imitate the ‘subtle energies’found in nature, have had a demonstrableaffect on human perception and, overall, thereis an increased level of awareness; it stimulatespattern recognition. This research was affirmeda few years ago when I was a guest at theAustralian National University’s Centre for theMind, under the direction of Allan Snyder, arecent winner of the prestigious Marconi Prize.After being roused with rTMS, some of Dr.Snyder’s human subjects exhibited uncannysavant-like abilities. Although extraordinarymental prowess tends to linger for only a brieftime, the application of rTMS might make allthe difference in a crisis or even perhaps aStanley Cup winning goal.

FUTURE SAVVYHave you ever made an intuitive leap? Wentforward with a business decision in spite of thespecifics because it felt right, only to find out

much later that it was indeed the right choice?So how did you know what to do?

Cold hard facts are what dominate left-brainthinking. And it is the right hemisphere that issaid to be the creative side of the humanbrain—this is where innovation lives.

“Intuition is a right brain activity,”Heemsbergen said, citing the research ofDaniel Pink, who argues that “what wedesperately require in this economy is a rightbrain focus. Intuition is a key critical skill.”

Reflecting on the function and creativepossibilities for the right side of the brain,Persinger is reminded of “one of my oldcolleagues, William Roll, who once said thereason that psi phenomena—that is telepathy,clairvoyance, the kinds of things that peopledon’t like to talk about—the reason it is notstudied by major industries and business isbecause that is how the really good businesspeople work.”

That’s their edge, he continued. “They’reable to extract more information from theimmediate environment” and perhaps beyondby a means which currently cannot beaccounted for scientifically. “They may call it‘intuition’ or good business sense or a hunch.But the point is some people have specialcapabilities that allow them access to what isgoing to happen in time. And those insights areutilized to make money.”

The immediate future for Persinger andother neuroscientists investigating the affects ofrTMS on the human central nervous systempoints toward a technology that extends thereach of ordinary perception. While it readslike the stuff of science-fiction, the scientificfacts suggest “the average person in the next30 or 40 years will have the insights of today’sexceptional business man.” And that impliestomorrow’s business person “to stay ahead,must be even more advanced, which means hewill be dependent upon a whole new tech-nology that will give him that cutting edge.” √

Don Hill is a ‘thought leader’ at theLeadership Lab and Leadership Developmentat the Banff Centre. He is also an award-winning writer and broadcaster with a largefootprint on the Internet. Listen to his radioseries Inspiring Leadership, a 20-part docu-mentary on contemporary leadership and thechallenge of leading in the 21st Century everySaturday morning at 8 AM on the CKUARadio Network.

For more details visit: www.ckua.com andwww.appropriate-entertainment.com

By Don Hill

Old dogs... new tricks?It is possible.

wen and I have lived inCalgary over a year now. Someof you might remember myfirst column in September 2006

when I recounted meeting a fellow in thecoffee shop line-up. On hearing we had justmoved to town that day, he cautioned us not to“lose our humanity”.

Not only do we feel that we are still prettydecent folk, but we have found manyexamples of “humanity” right here in theStampede city.

Here’s one of the best. A young momemployed at the car wash I frequent washaving trouble getting to work on time. Shehad to take two busses to get her baby daycare,then another to Bubbles. But, bosses Andrewand Tracey Bitcon didn’t fire her. They

suggested she come straight to work with thebaby, and one of them would drive the child todaycare. That’s the kind of flexibility andsupport they offer their employees.

The Bitcons left lucrative careers just over ayear ago—Andrew was a consultant andTracey a figure skating coach—to start abusiness that would allow them theopportunity of employing and mentoringpeople having difficulties finding and keepingjobs: young, single mothers, immigrants, andpeople living with mental or physicalchallenges. Andrew and Tracy bought an oldcarwash on McLeod Trail, hired most of theprevious business’s employees as labourers torenovate it in six weeks, and opened the firstBubbles Car Wash in Calgary.

The couple schedules employees hoursaround their school and daycare hours. Theyhelp them learn job and life skills, meetingthem where they are and offering gentleguidance to the next step. They work withvolunteer operations and agencies to providecontinuity of support to the people they help.And they genuinely like and appreciate thepeople who work for them.

I’ve spoken to a couple of young women

employed at Bubbles. When “Pam” was takingbaking and pastry arts at SAIT, Andrew andTracey gave her a job, and sold her cookiesand banana bread at the carwash. They helpedPam calculate reasonable prices for her bakedgoods, to cover the cost of ingredients and hertime, and then sold them to appreciativecustomers, taking no profit for themselves.Pam is saving the income from that venture tohelp her buy her first home. Sandi works therenow, and assures me “…it’s the best place towork!” She says the Bitcons make her feel likeshe is a part of the company. She is impressedwith how hard the couple works and howrespectfully they treat all their employees.

That’s what it’s all about: Giving people achance—sometimes several chances—to getsome work experience in asupportive, acceptingenvironment. I’ve alwaysthought Edmonton excelledin this area. It’s gratifyingto see that Calgary businesshas a similar focus. √

[email protected]

Edmontonian Edmontonian IN EXILE

OOBy Janet Edmondson in Calgary

II

ollaborative marketing. It almostsounds like an oxymoron. Isn’tmarketing about competing for marketshare? Doesn’t it defeat the purpose…

what do you mean you want to share my hard-fought-for market, hard-earned share and exposure?Won’t it erode my own message? Edmonton’s 124thStreet has a group of business owners that have putthese questions to rest in favour of a collaborative spinon marketing their area between Jasper and 102Avenues as the “Block to Shop.”

Jennifer Grimm is owner LUX Beauty Boutiquewhich she describes as an “apothecary filled with the hot,hard-to-find beauty brands loved by celebrities andproduct junkies.” Her specialty shop has been on 124thStreet for eight years and she has always made it a priorityto work with her neighbours to encourage shoppers to visitthe area. She has an interesting take on marketing: “I firmlybelieve, the better my neighbours do, the better I do.”

With Jennifer’s encouragement, some of the area retailbusinesses got together 18 months ago. Each contributed toa collective budget and meet regularly to plan events. Inaddition to LUX, the Block to Shop is comprised of GingerApparel, KAJ clothing, Caprice in Glenora, Pandora,Yo Momma Maternity Wear and TK clothing.Occasional members include Pad Thai restaurant andMcEleran’s Fine Furniture. The various owners of thecore Block group are predominantly “inspiring, go-getter”women in their 20s to 40s, each with similar yet slightlydifferent clientele. “This particular group of business ownersis very supportive and interested in building a cohesive

group to help propel each otherand our businesses to the nextlevel.”

One of their initiatives was theBlock to Shop’s first post cardcampaign. Participating storeshanded out the cards to theircustomers and area restaurantsincluded them in their billfolds.

How did Jennifer get the restaurants to join in with theco-operative effort? “I just asked.”

The 2006 winter shopping season inspired the 124thStreet Block to Shop Passport, a card that served as thecustomer’s passport to discounts at the participatingstores—a great way to increase traffic to a very specific,outdoor shopping destination in the cold winter months andto capitalize on the Christmas retail market.

Since the stores are almost all fashion focused, the Block

to Shop has also combined to increase their visibility atvarious fashion shows in the city. They even host their ownevent with help from McElheran’s at which each businessshowcases its strengths—be it trendy exclusive make-up,funky fashions for men and women, or chic clothes forexpectant mothers and their babies.

Charity auctions throughout Edmonton have alsobenefited from this collaboration. Instead of Grimmsubmitting a relatively small beauty basket—although, weall know size is not an indicator of value—or a giftcertificate, the stores provide a fashion package. Together,they are able to draw more attention to their donationsand their block shopping party by combining theirefforts—to their benefit and the benefit of the charityevent.

As with any new initiative though, there is still alearning curve. When I asked Grimm what she thoughtthe group’s biggest lesson was, she mentioned thatgiving the concept structure took some time. Actuallysetting up the budget, clarifying roles and workingtogether was tough. With any group project, there is aneed to keep the roles and contributions clear and theresults measurable. However, as they move forward,they will also have to be flexible. Essentially,although they each have their own businesses to be

concerned about, they have also started to developanother brand. This new Block to Shop may come torequire the same focus and nurturing as their individualbusiness brands do. They may want to consider building awebsite for the Block to Shop and using it as the focuspoint linked to each individual site. The possibilities areendless, and I hope this group of collaborative entre-preneurs continues building the structure… whilemaintaining flexibility and individuality.

Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing andCommunications Inc. You can submit marketing materialsfor review; suggest young entrepreneurs to be profiled;nominate a Top Three; or ask a business developementquestion. Contact [email protected]

Visit www.edmontonians.com for Erin’s Top Three Tips onCurb Appeal, provided by Jennifer Grimm.

6 EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2007

Proof__2________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

By Erin Rayner

CC

For Young Entreprenuersmy spaceE

Clockwise from top right: Jennifer Grimm of Lux; TrinaPozzolo, Pandora; Shoena Strudwick, Yo Mamma; GlendaPolak, Caprice; Kristi Sainchuk, Ginger; Janine Dahn and

Kristina Simpson, KAJ. Missing: Tamara Baltzen, TK Clothing.

Photos by Terry Bourque

Street Smart

7EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2007


lthough he had to initially find Edmontonin an atlas, Mike Duff couldn’t be happierto call our city home.

Duff, president and CEO of DesignGroup Staffing Inc., never expected to

land in Edmonton nor lead a thriving company inAlberta’s capital city. Born in Sydney, Australia,Duff attended post-secondary studies. “I graduatedfrom technical school. I was a plumber andelectronic engineer and set out from Australia on aone-year working holiday,” he explains.

Landing on Canadian soil, Duff “worked through a[Toronto] staffing agency; I had the opportunity for ajob in Edmonton at Stelco or one at Detroit Edison inDetroit.” The latter held no appeal so Duff relocatedhere. A three-month assignment stretched to two years.

Next, Duff moved on to Canadian Bechtel, a largeworldwide engineering, construction and consultingfirm. It was here that Duff was regularly approachedby his manager for his opinions on other staffmembers. “My boss often would ask me what Ithought somebody could do with their capabilities,or who we could get to do a certain task or project. Iknew most of the people in the organization andmore and more people were asking me for advice onwho could do what and how, so I thought that’s kindof cool… Maybe I should do that.”

Sensing a lack of further opportunity withCanadian Bechtel, Duff left to pursue hisentrepreneurial—yet very green—spirit. “When Istarted in business, I knew really nothing and verylittle about resources,” he laughs. “My first mentorwas my insurance salesman who basically told mehow he was trained: Make 20 phone calls a day andget five appointments.” That mentor also observedthat Duff looked young and might not be takenseriously by potential clients. Duff “grew amoustache to look older.”

His dream of opening an employment placementservice was realized in 1976. “The company wasfounded in Edmonton and we have [since] had 30consecutive years of double-digit growth.” DesignGroup Staffing matches employees and employerswith temporary and permanent job placements “inthe areas of engineering, construction, informationtechnology, accounting and office support.” Suchplacements—lasting from one day to severalmonths—benefit worker and employer. At no cost tothem, new candidates are assisted with résumépreparation, coached, screened and then referred topotential employers. Business-owners, in turn, savetime, effort and money by acquiring the placementcompany’s expertise for a fee.

Serving two markets was a simple decision.

“You can’t have a coin without two sides of thecoin,” states Duff. Companies like contractworkers to “provide flexibility for their work-force… to provide skills that they may not needpermanently… to augment their workforce throughchanging workload times… to provide security totheir permanent, core staff.” Shelley Trenouth,Design Group’s chief talent officer, adds that usinga placement service is highly practical, “It’s a veryefficient use of their time. They can thenconcentrate on what their core business is… andwe’re very good at what we do and let them dowhat they’re very good at.”

It’s been a recipe for success. Within threedecades, Design Group Staffing Inc. has grownnationally—24 branches in 16 Canadian cities.“We employ over 350 staff and a workforce ofover 3400 people,” Duff proudly declares.Edmonton boasts close to 80 head office staff.

Its list of major clients includes Petro-Canada,Colt Engineering, Syncrude and TransAlta—“...thekinda Who’s Who of the oil and gas refiningindustry and also the large engineering firms,”according to Duff—plus CIBC and AmericanExpress. Annual revenues last year surpassed awhopping quarter of a billion dollars.

Continued on page 8

AABy Rick Lauber

DUFF’SreDesign

The Design Group group: Howard Ho, director of IT; Mike Duff, president & CEO; David Shea, VP & generalmanager; and Damen Ng, CFOPhotos by Terry Bourque



Continued from page 7With Design Groups outgrowing its space inCommerce Place and facing escalating commercialrents, Duff considered his options. Who would knowthat he wouldn’t have to look far? In viewing the oldHop’s Handbag building at 10012 – Jasper Avenue,Duff liked what he saw.

The property, much like Design Group Staffing Inc,is also steeped in history. The structure, built in 1912 asTower Mortgage, served as corporate office forCanadian Pacific Railways for many decades. It waspurchased by a Hong Kong investor in 1994. Completedemolition plans hit a brick wall with City Council:The building’s face has historical designation. So, theinvestor kept the front and rebuilt the back. Theensuing tenant, Hop’s Handbags, failed to profit afterthree years and closed. The building—eventually soldto Marlow Properties Inc., owned by Edmonton realtorLarry Woodley of AE LePage—sat empty until January,2005 when Scope Communications took one-third ofthe space.

That mostly vacant hole on Jasper Avenue hasrecently been filled. Duff purchased a 50 percent sharein the property from Woodley. Another tenant—a spa—will be opening within the next couple of months. Allthree occupants have visible Jasper Avenue frontage,much to the delight of city councilors, neighbouringbusiness-owners and the Downtown BusinessAssociation.

Duff turned to Gregory McClung Architects totransform the former retail space into office space.While there were some sleepless nights for McClungand his crew, the 11-month project was made easierthan one would expect. The architect explains, “That’sa brand-new steel and concrete building behind thatbeautiful front façade you see… We gutted the buildingout on the main and second floors and provided awhole new interior space for the tenant.” Using glassand metal sheets, McClung created a bright and openwork area. “It’s extremely contemporary… acontradiction and opposition to what’s on the outside.”The newly-designed space includes an air-conditionedcomputer server room, a staff library, a café, a

centralized walk-through photocopying centre and acompletely glassed-in meeting room.

In remembering the building’s past, the centralstaircase was retained. This is stunning architecture—reminiscent of glorious films of yesteryear whenGinger Rogers would gracefully descend similarballroom steps to dance with Fred Astaire. Carpetingwas stripped away to reveal the shining originalhardwood below. And directly above this staircasestretches a newly-installed, state-of-the-art, 28-foot by28-foot skylight. Pemco Construction Ltd. turnedMcClung’s blueprints into reality.

Project manager, Manuel Ibasco, explains thesystematic approach, “The first phase involved theinterior demolition… number two, we had to constructthe interior renovations to the existing building, thenew offices. The exterior was phase three, whichinvolved the upgrade and enclosing of rear garagespace… we installed seven exterior windows andmoved the existing sliding door [on the front façade]and installed storefront windows. Of course, the biggestone was the installation of the pyramid skylight.”

Incredibly, the skylight was lowered into placeduring the winter months, requiring constant interiortemperature adjustments. A secondary issue was theplacement of the crane—finally located in the rearalley. The end result gets an appreciative nod fromDuff. “I think our architect is credited for the building.He had a lot of vision and artistic ability. He did anoutstanding job for us as did Pemco and interiordesigner, Candy McKay of Go Design Group”.

DUFF’S RULES OF RETENTIONAnd what lies ahead for Duff? A combination of both workand play. Once the dust settles, Duff plans a grand opening.“We’ll invite the mayor. We’ll have a pretty good shindig…a little music combo… some sushi and some horsd’oeuvres.” He will continue to focus on his own corporategrowth through business acquisitions, well underway withthe recent purchase of Aimco Labor Lease Inc., a staffingcompany based out of Oakville, Ontario. “We’ll probablyexpand the office services area of our business and also theengineering area in Eastern Canada.“

Plus, Duff plans to learn and teach others about employeeretention; keeping good staff is a widespread problem. “Ithink it’s on everyone’s mind. …Stats Canada just releasedthat we’ve had, in Canada, five consecutive months of thelowest unemployment in 33 years… 6.1 percent. So thedemand is there. The pie isn’t getting any bigger so peopleneed to be more aggressive—the market is tough andpeople are aggressively recruiting people out there sotherefore retention is tougher”.

But why do employees leave their positions? The answermight surprise you. “We believe that people leave their jobs

A contemporon an historic



primarily because of management… salaries areapproximately number five on the list.” Duff’s advice? Beproactive rather than reactive and follow his example of“attracting top managers, training and developing amanagement group.”

Other keys are to communicate with staff, provide apositive work environment and recognize those whosucceed within the corporation. A large whiteboard notingsales targets desired and reached by Duff’s sales team isconspicuous on one wall. “We’re implementing anemployee committee to give the employees a say in how

things affect them. We survey our employees every year aswe do our clients and implement their suggestions. Westrive to provide a work experience that enhances a person’ssense of pride in what it is that they do… we recognizepeople with commissions and bonuses but we alsorecognize them at an awards banquet every year where wehave our best of the best awards”

Direction and feedback (whether verbal or written) arealso critical; “… employees must know where the companyis going, where they’re fitting in and how they’re fitting inwith a business. It boils down to respect… respect foreveryone, from the janitor to the vice-president.”

These leadership philosophies are paying off. Since 1999,Design Group Staffing Inc. hasbeen consistently named as oneof Canada’s Top 50 Best-Managed Companies. “I thinkthe award is something thatwe’re very proud of… it reallyis a reflection of the staff in theorganization,” smiles Duff.

Employee satisfaction andretention along with revenuegrowth, by return on sales orprofitability, and customersatisfaction all equate tobusiness success.

The busy CEO alsoplans to continue“dabbling” in diversebusiness interests. Duffalso owns two local cardealerships, Subaru Cityand Rally Subaru, as wellas the DucorDevelopment Group,which constructs and converts luxury apartmentbuildings for resale. He sold the the Devonian Hyundaidealership earlier this year.

Duff will also certainly continue to enjoy the fruits ofhis labours, most notably his 40-acre ranch located insouth Edmonton where the family has lived for the past20 years. They share the spread with two horses, a pony

and a donkey that’s in love with one of three llamas—it’strue. At home, Duff often works from his kitchen tableand rarely strays far without his cell phone. On themorning of our interview, the doting father remindsdaughter Jaclyn of the dangers of wearing open-toedsandals when handling the horses.

The property will remain home for years to come asDuff and his wife Sharon anticipate moving into theirnew, sprawling 10,000 square foot house. The three-year project includes enviable amenities, a home office(finally), a theatre room and a walk-out basement. Thewine cellar—a room, really—could be a busy place ifthe family is settled in time for Christmas.

Now 61, one might think that Duff would behanging up his hat soon. No so. “Years ago, I

started to do something I loved and since that timeI’ve been retired. I’m not looking to go anywheresoon—unfortunately for some of the other people inthe organization who’ve got their eye on my corneroffice!” He grins. √

Mike and daughterJaclyn at home

mporary twiststoric façade

here would we be without setting goalsto achieve outcomes? How wouldbusinesses know if targets had beenmet? What would inspire us to get outof bed in the morning if we didn’t have

a vision or know what we wanted to accomplish that day?Life would be a series of unrealized dreams, wasted energyand random firefighting—masquerading as daily routine. Icall it ‘creating a busy picture’.

Swish Flowers is a classic example of a small businessthat started with a dream… but without a vision. OwnerSheryl Asp and life partner Irfan Qureshi have jumped headfirst into a blooming business that has room to grow—ifthey can back up a step or two.

Sheryl’s first assignment was to read The E Myth byMichael E. Gerber. One of my favourite and paragraphsfrom this insightful book is:

“Picture the typical entrepreneur and Herculean picturescome to mind: A man or woman standing alone, windblown against the elements, bravely defying insurmountable

odds, climbing shear faces of treacherous rock—all torealize the dream of creating a business of one’s own.”

Amazonian… Herculean—no matter. When I met Sheryland Irfan, I sensed it was them against the world!Beginning a venture without any idea of where you want togo does get you somewhere… maybe not where you thinkyou want to go. Without a vision, in due time, just getting tothe store can be a challenge. Owning a business should bemore than just buying a job. If Swish were my case study, Iwould call it The E Trap by Steffany Hanlen.

Sheryl is a smart, beautiful woman who, for no reason,has a tendency to defer to her partner. She appears to beon a downward spiral of emotional energy and health.When my clients do what they love to do—and putsystems in place to support it—energy, happiness andmoney follow. However, when what you love doingbegins to drain the life out of you, sadly, the personalprice can be very high.

Sheryl could be on a path that leads to personalshutdown. Swish is like the Cheers of Riverbend. Not only

is she the artistic force behind this business, she loves hercustomers and many come in for a visit, coffee in hand. Thedownside is that she tends to stop everything she is doing tochat even when she’s facing a deadline or a mountain ofpaper work. As a solution to this distraction, I suggested shecreate a do-not-disturb signal—a lit candle or a double-sided plaque that can easily be flipped over—to let staffknow whether or not she is available for a casual chat. Thisway she can set safe and respectful boundaries for herselfand not offend her customers.

Another issue is that most orders, pricing and clientinformation are filed in her head. A scary thought if she’sout of the shop and someone has to take over for a fewhours. There are no systems in place at Swish to help herorganize her processes or to help her staff step in wherethey can. Real growth of any business can only ever bebuilt on a strong foundation of systems, procedures andpolicies.

Sheryl expressed her fear that not only will she regularlyturn over staff, but they will never be able to do more than



WW

hen Sheryl Asp met Irfan Qureshialmost four years ago, she found thecourage to follow a dream. With hisencouragement and support, she

started Swish Flowers in an 866-square foot store inTerwilligar Square.

Sheryl brought a strong background in flowerarranging to her new enterprise, financed on abootstrap. Her days are devoted to filling orders for herloyal clientele. Fiancé Irfan works as an IT consultantfor two large steel companies, and teaches technologypart-time at Scona High.

Irfan joins Sheryl at the store after 5 pm most days,and together they work long into the night.

On the Seventh Day they do laundry.They are doing quite well financially. Swish Flowers

has enjoyed 30 to 40 percent growth year over yearsince they started. The store enjoys a discerningcustomer base that receives good value. Sheryl has aspecial touch with customers who keep coming backfor more. Staffing in this hot economy is an issue.

Their challenge is about the next step for growth:Should they be content with exploding revenues out ofa single location, think about more stores… or devise aplan to create multiple franchises? The store could useanother 1000 square feet, but where? Moreimportantly: How do they replicate Sheryl?

Swish Flowers started with a solid five-year plan.But it outgrew the flower pot.

Sheryl and Irf need help with visioning and settingpriorities, personally and professionally.

WW

BuddingEnterprise with Steffany Hanlen

Sheryl Asp and Irfan QureshiPhoto by Terry Bourque



just take sales at the register or tidy shelves. She is the floraldesigner—the heart and soul of this business—and it iswearing her out. When I asked to see her office, shephysically cringed. To me this was a sign that ‘overwhelm’was becoming a barrier to her success.

Sheryl and Irf have to ask themselves direct andcompelling questions. First, the hard question: If shewanted to double the revenue of her business, would, shebe prepared or able to work twice as hard? From here, onequestion leads to the next and can uncover how they get ahandle on this growing business.

I see Sheryl Asp as a powerful, passionate, humble andintuitive woman who loves what she does in a way thatmay not serve her without a long term vision for what shewants her life to look like. At 33, she acts and appears tired.She has recently committed to a fitness routine yet, likemost women, needs to make time for herself.

I hope she reads the book. Michael E. Gerber hasidentified an issue for many entrepreneurs. In a story-likeand results-oriented way, it points out the situations manypeople get into when they dream of being self employed.The problem I see with Swish is that the owners didn’t ask

themselves enough of the right questions when theyjumped into the E game. It will be interesting to see themtransform this business into somethingthat re-inspires them as much as itinspires their satisfied customers. √

Steffany Hanlen is a personalperformance coach who conducts “The Champion Seminars.”Contact [email protected]

nteresting how we form impressions of peoplebefore we meet them… Amazing how thoseimpressions often changes after.

Before meeting Sheryl and Irf I heard howSheryl had started Swish Flowers, how she had

met Irf in a coffee shop, and how he had helped move thebusiness forward—that was about it. In my mind, I hadenvisioned Sheryl as the sales aggressive one with Irfdiligently working the books and logistics of a busy shop.The reality was something else.

Ask Sheryl a question and one of two things willhappen. Most commonly her focus will go to the floor asshe thinks about her answer. She has broken eye contactwith me and I wonder if I can really trust her answer.Looking at the floor has little to do with her beingtrustworthy but, remember, people don’t perceive us aswe are… they perceive us as they are, with a lifetime ofexperience and filters. Watch trained politicians on thenews. Their answers sometimes have little to do with thequestions but, if they sound authoritative and keep eyecontact, we believe them.

More damaging to authority is when you ask Sheryl aquestion and she lets Irf answer for her. This happened sooften, I sensed the hair on the back of Les’s neck bristlewhen it occurred. Irf is trying to be support Sheryl in hercommunication needs. However, this has to stop. Itdiminishes her power in any business and most personalsituations. As a result, I’m left with the impression itwould be easier to deal with Irf in regards to Sheryl’sbusiness. That’s a problem—a bad habit that will be hardfor them to change.

Over the process of the transformation, one of mygoals will be to help Sheryl find her own voice. It’s therebut, over time, she has developed a “disconnect”—thewords just won’t come. Many people experience this:You know you know the answer to a question but yourbrain has turned to mush.

Irf was also not what I expected. Part teacher, part ITwhiz, he has a successful career, but is becoming a biggerpart of this growing business. Ask him about the future ofSwish and you will begin to see the road map. Irf is avery good communicator. There are a number of minor

negative traits, many of which his mother has beenpointing out over his lifetime. She’s right—and I promiseyou, Mrs. Qureshi, I will do my best. The real challengewill come when I see Irf in action doing a presentation. Iexpect he will be a very good presenter with some well-developed skills. For him, the transformation will be topolish those skills to become an effective corporatespokesperson.

Like many successful clients, the challenge will be inthe doing. Most recognize that they can do better. Irf’srevelation was that a lot of what he heard from theTransformers was not new. He was also very aware thatthis was an area that needs more attention from both ofthem. “We know we should bedoing…” has to be turned into “we aredoing…” With this couple, we’ll see ifthe timing is now. √

Tom Bradshaw is the head of theAcademy of Voice & Speech. Contact:[email protected]

IIwith Tom Bradshaw

ntering Swish Flowers I expected to be greetedby that wonderful fragrance of fresh flowers.My senses were overwhelmed: first bywonderful warm colour of the walls, the aroma

of scented candles, flowers and the warm greeting by a tall,attractive woman. Her firm handshake and engaging smileconvinced me this was Sheryl, the new Transformee.

“Hi and welcome, you must be the Transformer, I’ll beright with you once I finish with Mary.” On my firstassignment as a Transformer, I am already confident wehave selected the right person. Unfazed at beinginterviewed for Edmontonians, Sheryl does what she doesbest: serves her customer first.

Observing her work, I note she has a large frame, iscarrying about 10-15 pounds of extra weight, and needs toimprove her posture.

I comment on the great colour of the walls. Sheryl says,“That’s one of the reasons I wanted to own my ownbusiness, I like wacky ideas.”

Irfan, Sheryl’s fiancé and business partner, is standingbehind the counter sipping on a raspberry mochafrappucino. Following an introduction by Sheryl, “Irf”—ashe prefers to be called—never stops talking. We head toStarbucks for our interview where Irf keeps sipping…Sheryl and I order non fat lattés.

Having just returned from a week of giving seminarsto CEOs and entrepreneurs in Florida, I note a commonconcern from these partners. How do we keep a work-life balance while building the business? Sherylunderstands this better than Irf. She knows she iscarrying too much weight, struggles with finding timeto work out, and is concerned about proper nutrition forboth of them.

Irf likes to talk, but I need to get him to focus on thequestions I would like answered—this is my first columnand I would like to control the interview. I get his attentionby remarking on his waist size and how a waist size greaterthan 40 inches/109 cm is a valid indicator of his increasedrisk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heartdisease and certain cancers. When I inform him that sixpercent of the causes of premature death in Canadian menis from a heart attack, stroke or cancer of the colon, I havehis attention. Irf admits he needs to quit smoking as well.There may be hope.

Reviewing the literature for my book, The Healthy CEO,I noted that the most of us realize and agree we need toimprove our health. Why aren’t we seeing results? Mostpeople focus on results and are not prepared to change.Those who focus on change will get the results theydeserve.

Irf and Sheryl will need to use a change-managementprocess if they really want to get and remain healthy. Theprocess I have developed—and now used successfully bymany people—includes getting the knowledge they need tounderstand their health and wellness. Both need to assesstheir attitudes… to take responsibility… and to clearlyunderstand their motivation to improve their health andwellness. Sheryl appears very motivated as she had alreadyengaged a personal trainer to focus on exercising andnutrition. Irf is not mentally there. He hears his motherreminding him to lose weight and stop smoking, but has nottaken personal responsibility yet.

I’ve asked them to carry out a self assessment using thetools I have developed. They will then set goals forimprovement, create an action plan and an evaluationprocess. I will be monitoring their progress and holdingthem accountable to their plan. I cansafely predict, you will see a healthiercouple next time we meet them. √

Dr. Larry Ohlhauser, MD, is the authorof The Healthy CEO and president ofOhlhauser & Associates. Contact [email protected]

EEwith Dr. Larry Ohlhauser

he first word that came to mind when I metSheryl Asp and Irfan Qureshi was “potential”.This is a couple with enormous potential. Theycan get on the fast track to this realization

during their time with Edmontonians’ Transformers. Sheryl and Irfan are charismatic partners in life and in

business. They have powerful and complementary skill setsand a strong desire to succeed. I’m looking forward toworking with these two—to challenging them to do thepersonal introspection and conflict management skilldevelopment required to achieve that success.

Partners in love and in business face extra pressures inconflict management. Business conflict insidiously seepsinto the personal relationship, and personal conflict mayundermine the business relationship. Both can have toxiceffects. The failure of a business is traumatic, but not nearlyas painful as the end of a deep romantic relationship.

What are the core challenges that I saw? Sheryl and Irfancan mitigate future conflict by getting clarity today on theimportance of the business in their lives and by learningnew skills.

How important is Swish Flowers to each of them? If theyhad to choose between maintaining the business andmaintaining the relationship, which would they choose? Iwill ask them to think this through individually and thenshare their perspectives and come to agreement on howthey will manage their dual relationships.

Their second challenge will be to agree on their definitionof success in their business. I have a hunch that they havenot spent much time talking—really talking—about what

success would look like for each of them. If they are notclear on what it looks like, they sure as heck won’t know itwhen they get there. Definitions that are substantivelydifferent can sabotage both the business and personaldynamic.

The extraordinary and complementary skills that servethem so well also present challenges. Sheryl is a creativewho takes conflict very personally. She has an intuitive giftfor visualizing a floral arrangement to perfectly fit the needsof a customer. I’m not sure this is something that she caneven articulate—she simply knows how to turn flowers intoart.

Irfan has a brilliant, analytical mind. He is able to assesssituations quickly with responses rooted in his formidableeducation and work experience. It is easy for him to lay outa logical argument that is difficult to rebut.

That puts pressure on Sheryl. It is hard for creatives whodo not have similar education and experience to stand theirown ground in discussions with folks like Irfan.

Therein lies the challenge: Sheryl is uncomfortable withconflict and can’t easily articulate what she knows, but sheintuitively knows what needs to happen. Irfan is quick torespond and is very articulate.

It has become simpler for Sheryl to silence her own voiceand to defer to Irfan’s judgment. I suspect that he has notconsciously imposed this deference… but he certainlydoesn’t hesitate to express his opinions, Sheryl’s lack ofconfidence and lack of appreciation for her own gifts hascaused her to choose to defer to Irfan.

That is the path to trouble. Her pattern of deference could

spark resentment that will smolder and eventually burst intoflame if it continues. Professional and personal experienceshave taught me that this type of situation has the potential todestroy relationships. That is why these two gifted peoplemust expand and enhance their business and personalcommunication skills.

Effective conflict management requires well-honedpersonal communication tools. Transformer Tom and I willwork with the couple to enhance their speaking andlistening skills. Based on what I have seen, Sheryl’schallenge may be in the speaking side of the equation,while Irfan might be focusing on building listening skills.

Both need to pay attention to the messages that theirbodies are sending to the other… to detect the innerwarning signs of evolving conflict… and to work with theirbodies and minds to manage conflict situations.

That self-knowledge sets the stage for the “powerlistening” that really opens the door to authentic and honestcommunication. Authenticity and respect will be the linkbetween Sheryl’s creative gifts and Irfan’s powerfulintellect.

I believe that with those linkages inplace, the future for these two can be asbright and beautiful as their floralarrangements. I’m looking forward tohelping them meet the challenge. √

Les Brost is head of Southern StarCommunications.Contact: [email protected]

TTwith Les BrostPowerListening

FindingYourVoice

ChangingFocus



About three years ago, the absolutebest way to kick off an ice-breaking,cocktail party conversation was to opineover your latest experience with AirCanada or Canada Customs agents.

Complete strangers—keenly sensing amajor bonding opportunity—would becertain to chime in with tales about luggageending up in Fort St. John instead ofRome… the crabby and rude flightattendants… or the time they singled outyour grandmother for a search andsqueezed her toothpaste tube looking forweapons of mass destruction.

That was then. Now, the targets of choiceare Shaw, Bell, Rogers and—above all—TELUS, whose motto, oddly enough, is“The Future is Friendly.” Most Albertanshave at least a couple of knee-slappersabout these communications giants… thecommon element is they are all bad.

In business and consumer space, fewcompanies can match the negativitysurrounding TELUS.

So, imagine our sinking feeling when itwas revealed that TELUS was out to makea play for Bell Canada. That gloom turnedto elation when it discontinued its bid… butthe fat lady may not have sung just yet.Even now that the Ontario TeachersPension Fund appears to own Bell—subject to approvals that could take untilNovember—speculation is strong thatTELUS is simply biding its time to makeanother take-over attempt.

Few things could be worse for those whodepend on the ’Net for business success. Ifyou thought TELUS service and supportwere bad before, imagine even lesscompetition. Moreover, we Canadianstypically pay 30 percent more than U.S.consumers for cellular service. A TELUS-Bell—BELUS—deal could only increasethis.

However, help may be on the way…especially if a great new offering from U.S.-based T-Mobile comes to Canada. T-Mobile HotSpot @Home is a service that

costs an additional $10 per month on top ofyour regular cell phone plan.

The phone works the same way as aregular unit except that, when it is near aWi-Fi hot spot, it connects to the Internet.So? So you can now use that connection tomake your phone calls—kind of like amobile VOIP arrangement. In other words,your voice is carried via the Internet ratherthan the regular cellular infrastructure.

No wireless router in the home? T-Mobilewill provide a wireless unit, manufacturedby D-Link and Linksys, that attaches toyour regular high-speed Internet modem.You can block out your nosy neighborsfrom piggybacking on your service bysimply pressing a button. And, all yourphone calls are “free”—the time you talkusing the “Internet” method doesn’t countagainst the allowed minutes in your cellphone plan.

You can use this method at most, but notall, Wi-Fi networks and the phone willmemorize the location for the next time

you’re there. It also works well at hot spotslike Starbucks. If you have a goodconnection and Wi-Fi in your house, youmay even want to cancel your land linephone and use your cell at home all thetime—especially if the service quality is asgood as the initial users claim it to be. Theoverall savings benefits are obvious and“free” with no restriction on minutes are aterrific marketing angle.

Ideally, a family of four, for example—allwith their own cell phones—can use the T-Mobile account in their home for freephone service—even if it is connected to aShaw cable modem.

The best news? We won’t need a TELUShome account! √

Gregory B. Michetti of theAlberta-based systemsintegration firm MichettiInformation Solutions, Inc.can be reached viawww.michetti.com

Edmonton continues to fight itsimage problem. The most recent examplehas revolved around the Edmonton Oilers,who have had significant problems signingmarquee—or even semi-marquee—players.A number have said that their wives simplydon’t want to live in Edmonton… Nevermind the fact that they’ve never been hereto look for themselves.

Yes, Edmonton is the most northernmajor city in North America, but the keyword here is that it is a major city. And, byworld standards, it’s hardly alone in being“this far north.” Moscow, St. Petersburg,Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki,Riga, Edinburgh and Glasgow—All arefarther north than Edmonton. Manchester,England lies at a latitude of 53º 28’ 50;Edmonton is at 53º32’46… southEdmonton is farther south than Manchester.But perception is everything, and the factthat Edmonton lies a mere 300 km north ofCalgary—which somehow has avoided theoutpost reputation—seems to escape thosewho view this region as desolate andbeyond civilization.

This city has air connections to manymajor cities in North America and dailyservice to the world’s busiest internationalairport, London Heathrow. It actually hasshopping that many larger cities wouldenvy. I’m a big fan of West EdmontonMall, by the way—it has shops that areunique to North America, Canada, WesternCanada, or Alberta. Our climate is no worse

than that in Calgary or Toronto or Montréalor Denver, for that matter.

Maybe the best way to promoteEdmonton is to let others do it for us. Thebest recent example comes by way ofStephen Hunt of the Calgary Herald,whose comments included surprises: “Thefirst thing you notice about Edmonton,” hewrites, “is the trees. There are lots of them,in fact more than almost any other city inNorth America—beautiful, healthy elmtrees that make Edmonton streets that muchmore walkable.”

Hunt goes on to say that, “The secondthing you notice is the action.... When we—me, my wife Melanee, and four-year-oldson, Gus—arrive in Edmonton in themiddle of a Wednesday afternoon in lateJune, Whyte Avenue is buzzing. There arelots of people out walking, hanging out incafes and bars, or shopping at one of thevintage clothes shops or boutiques that areeverywhere around Whyte Avenue thesedays.... ‘Is there something going ontoday?’ asks Melanee, who grew up inBaltimore and has lived in Washington,D.C., and New York and loves crowdedstreets full of people.”

In fact, says Hunt, something is going onmost days in Edmonton between June andSeptember (and as we Edmontonians know,lots goes on between September and Junetoo). “The next morning,” he writes, “Istumble out onto Whyte Avenue, and set offfor a jog. Ten minutes later, I’m runningthrough the campus of the University ofAlberta. Even cooler, the neighbourhoodI’m running through is Garneau, now aliterary landmark thanks to Journal Culturecolumnist Todd Babiuk’s Giller Prize-

nominated The Garneau Block, a novel thatwas partly about the search for the mythicidentity Edmonton allegedly lacks.

“How about this?Edmonton’s festivals areits identity.

“The next thing I know,I’ve discovered a long setof wooden stairs that leaddown into a forest. When Icome to the bottom, it turnsout to be part of the rivervalley, which is the biggestsingle green space of anycity park anywhere—theriver valley is like having 22interconnected Central Parksright in the middle of yourcity. There are a few runnersand cyclists down here, butthe overall feeling is that hereis a city where you can, if you want, getcompletely away from everyone. Then, in10 minutes, find yourself right back in themiddle of the action, without so much ashaving to park a car.

“The river valley is the city equivalent ofhaving a secret identity. Of course, thesecret is there, for everyone to see. You justhave to be able to see the city for the trees.”

Thanks, Stephen Hunt. We need morepeople like you, telling the truth about ourcity.

Four high-profile Edmontonorganizations have partnered to clean thestreets around their properties. It mightinspire other businesses to take moreresponsibility for the appearance of theirstreet-fronts.

Edmonton Economic DevelopmentCorp., The Westin, the Fairmont HotelMacdonald and the local Chamber ofCommerce have hired a full-time outdoorcleaner to keep a two-block area aroundtheir properties (along Jasper Avenue and100th Street) in pristine condition until theend of the summer. Christie Basalle—anoutgoing environmental studies student—has been hired to become the “BlockAmbassador of Beautification” for thesummer.

“We had to do something to set theexample,” says Ron Gilbertson, EEDC’spresident and CEO. “Local business leaders

are telling us theyhave serious concernsabout litter andgarbage. Althoughthe City ofEdmonton’s CapitalCity Clean Upprogram is great, wewanted to dial it upa notch and takeaction to ensure thestreets surroundingour properties arethe cleanest inEdmonton.”

Christie will notonly clean litterfrom the

sidewalks and bushes aroundthe World Trade Centre Edmonton, theWestin and the Fairmont, but will also actas a goodwill ambassador to promoteEdmonton’s downtown attractions andplaces of interest. She’s highly visible in aneon yellow uniform displaying the badgesof the four sponsoringpartners.

Now let’s see EdmontonCity Centre, CommercePlace, Manulife Place, theUniversity of Alberta andother businesses, big andsmall, follow suit.

But for everyone concerned, how aboutdoing it year-round? √

David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor.Contact [email protected]

INTELINTELivic Buzzwith David NorwoodC BizBiz

iz IT 101with Greg MichettiB the future is expensive

Gilbertsonand Basalle

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After following my family westfrom Ontario to kick-start myjournalistic career, I twice worked at theMedicine Hat News—first as sportseditor and then as assistant editor. Mywife Gail is from the ’Hat and we stillhave many fine friends there.

Thus I have more than a passinginterest in what the courts will decidelater this month on this country’s mostnotorious 13-year-old, known only asJ.R. She is still undergoing psycho-logical and psychiatric assessments atAlberta Hospital that will assist indetermining what type of sentence shewill receive for her role in the murderslast year of her parents and her eight-year old brother.

Names of the parents and brotherhave been published in papers acrossCanada and around the world. Everyonewho covered this trial, as well as thevast majority of Medicine Hatters,knows the identity of J.R. So do I.

But the Youth Justice Criminal Actsays she cannot be identified becauseshe is under 18. A review of suchrestrictions is long overdue.

Most children, at one time oranother, think their parents are dumb,and question their decisions. It mightbe something as minor as a curfew orborrowing the car or, more major,such as the selection of friends orpartying without supervision.

But when a 12-year old—or anyoneunder 18—is convicted of collabo-ration in the first degree murders ofher family—or anyone else—there isno way in the world that the YouthJustice Criminal Act should continueto protect her identify. Particularly

when you have J.R. and boyfriendJeremy Steinke—a disgusting pieceof humanity—celebrating themassacre by having sex, laughing andpartying. No wonder jurors wasted notime in bringing in a guilty verdict.

Rather than protecting her identity,disclosure should be part of theultimate sentence for her heinousactions. Give Justice Scott Brookerthat option by changing the existinglegislation so that, starting with J.R.,names are automatically revealedwhen anyone is found guilty of firstdegree murder.

Violence is increasing daily inAlberta and Canada: everything fromgang activities to drive-byshootings… from home invasions toauto thefts… from bullying in ourschools to stabbings in the streets.

Medicine Hat now knows that coldblooded murders are also anunfortunate way of life today. I still

love the ’Hat and its residents, and Iknow they will recover from thisinfamy perpetuated by an individualwho, incredibly, faces a maximum ofsix years in custody and four years ofcommunity supervision.

On reading the letters that J.R. andSteinke exchanged prior to her trial,I especially remember the one whereshe said the two of them wouldbecome legends because of theirmurderous deeds. Ithink J.R. and Steinkeshould know that theyalready are—Legends ofEvil. √

Bruce Hogle is theformer news director at CFRN TVand recently retired head of theAlberta Press Council. Contact [email protected]

edia Minutewith Bruce HogleM

MAKINGmoney

nvestors seem to need something tofret over. They should be eternallygrateful to Uncle Sam because, overthe last few years, he has given them

lots of reasons to worry. America’s tripledeficits in personal savings, global trade andthe federal budget are all splattered in redink. This, along with the much-hypedhousing bubble, has investors worrying thatthese four Financial Horsemen of theApocalypse will eventually cause the U.S.economy to collapse.

But things have been getting better. By2010, America’s federal budget will bebalanced if current trends continue. Trillionsof dollars in capital gains from homes andthe stock market have more than offset thecountry’s lack of savings; the housingbubble deflated with a slow leak, not with apop; in most areas in the U.S., real estateprices have stabilized. Its housing sectoronly comprises about one percent of theglobal economy, so its macro impact ishighly exaggerated.

The only financial metric that continuesto get worse is the trade deficit—all $770billion of it in 2006. This gargantuanimbalance has investors avoiding the U.S.equity markets as if they were a ward ofSARS patients.

If the U.S. trade deficit is really that big athreat to stock, bond, real estate andcurrency markets, then retreating fromanything that trades below the 49th parallelis a brilliant strategy. But what if the tradedeficit isn’t as big a deal as everyone ismaking it out to be? If that were the case,the maligned U.S. market could representthe best bargain it has been in 20 years.

You have heard all the arguments adnauseum, making the case that the tradedeficit is a growing cancer to the economy,but I doubt you have seen the flip side ofthe argument. Doing so might just changeyour view.

STILL NUMERO UNONobody bothered to tell the U.S. economyabout the trade deficit. Unemployment is4.5 percent and growth is expected to comein at around 3.5 percent per annum.According to David Malpass, chief econo-mist at Bear Stearns, America adds 30percent more on average to global GNPeach year than does all of Asia combined,and it does this with one-tenth thepopulation. If gains from real estate and thestock market are included, U.S. householdsadd more to financial savings in most yearsthan the rest of the world combined.

America is still the world’s biggestproducer, exporter, saver and innovator. Inspite of all the doom and gloom, hereconomic growth is actually accelerating.

Between 1880 and 1920, the averageannual growth in Gross Domestic Productper person was 1.4 percent. This rose to 1.6percent between 1920 and 1960 andcontinued to climb to 2.3 percent during thenext four decades.

SURPLUSES ARE THE EXCEPTION2007 marks the 400th anniversary of thesettlement of Jamestown. Over that span oftime, America has run trade deficits 87percent of the time. Only 50-odd years outof those four centuries was it able toachieve a surplus. If deficits lead to econo-mic stagnation, why has the U.S. grown tobe the world’s most powerful economy andbeen able to maintain that position for overa century?

BRITAIN AND DEFICITSBritain has the strongest economy inEurope, yet it has run trade deficits since1984. At 5.5 percent of BDP, its tradeimbalance is only a snick lower than UncleSam’s 5.8 percent. Has this been a disaster?I don’t think so. Both the U.S. and U.K.have seen their stock markets grow at anidentical 13 percent per year since 1984.

NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH GROWTHGermany is an exporting machine. Thegoods it shipped last year totaled over atrillion dollars. Its trade surplus at sevenpercent of GDP is among the best in theworld, yet it is plagued by high unemploy-ment, a sluggish economy and under-performing stock markets.

Japan is another example of a country thatruns monster trade surpluses, yet it just cameout of a 10-year recession and has a stockmarket trading at half of its 1989 peak.

WHY MONEY POURS INTO THE U.S. Money pours into the U.S. for two reasons.The first is safety. It is only one of a handfulof countries that over the last 100 yearshasn’t been destroyed by war, occupation,nationalization or corruption.

The second reason is opportunity.America is an incubator for science,entertainment, lifestyle and finance. Moreinvestment opportunities are available thananywhere else.

TRADE FIGURES ARE INCOMPLETEWhat people find hard to grasp is thatnations don’t trade with each other.Individuals and entities do. Nike might buya running shoe from China for $5… thenturn around and sell it somewhere else for$100. Nike runs a trade deficit with amanufacturing entity in China, but thatdoesn’t mean the transaction wasn’t veryprofitable for the company.

Since many American companies areglobal in scale and don’t like to repatriateprofits for tax reasons, trade figures getdistorted. Foreign holdings also cause otheraberrations. If an international subsidiary inChina sells goods to its HQ in Ohio andhead office doesn’t reciprocate, this showsup as a trade imbalance, even though theAmerican company profits from both sidesof the transaction.

Wealth creation is also not accounted forin global trade stats. Apple might have itsiPods manufactured in China and run atrade deficit with them but, because of theinnovation the company has been able toachieve, the market value of Apple has risenfrom $8 billion three years ago to $76billion today.

Economies are now global. If we don’tcare that Saskatchewan runs a trade deficit

with Alberta, or Quebec with Ontario, whyshould we make a distinction between theU.S and its trade partners? Global trade is azero sum game. Global imports must equalglobal exports—that’s all that really matters.

America has lots of really big problemsthat should cause people to worry. I justdon’t think that the trade deficit should beone of them. √

Ron Hiebert, a Director,Investment Executive withScotiaMcLeod, teachesinvestment classes atGrant MacEwan College.The author of WealthBuilding can be heard onCFCW radio (790 AM) Sundays from 8 to 9a.m. on his show, Making Money. Contacthim at [email protected]

IIA Zero Sum GameBy Ron Hiebert



del Chmait is one of the hottest young chefsto grace our culinary landscape in a long time.The executive chef at Northlands is one of theyoungest to hold such a prestigious position,

and he’s certainly going to be one to watch in the future.I met Adel at the Green Spot in Athabasca, operated by a

friend of ours. I was working the breakfast run, and he washandling lunch and dinner. Now, years of training—punctuated with blood, sweat and tears—have

paid off and he’s headingup one of the busiest andbiggest banquet kitchensin western Canada.

I tracked down ChefAdel at Sip! atNorthlands’ Capitol Ex.Last year, it was theFood and Wine Expo.This year, City Pallet’sMary Bailey and ChefBrad Smoliak came onboard to expand on the concept. I thought it wasnothing short of incredible.

The idea is to give the 20-30 Somethings anopportunity to learn about wines and pairings… singlemalt scotch and hand-crafted beers… cocktail making…and food prep in a relaxed atmosphere. It’s as much aneducational experience as it is a chance to try new things

that perhaps you haven’t tried before.There’s even a So You Think You CanCook competition. The evening events alltake place adjacent to one of the largeentertainment stages in Agricom.

During Capital Ex, Chef Adel and ahandful of others prepare gourmet entrées.Each features a specialty product. Patronscan talk to the chefs while they’re working,ask questions, get a close up view, andsample the goodies.

“I love it. People are eagerly trying newfoods, new products—it’s a great education.” What ChefAdel likes is the close personal contact you get with thecrowd… something that’s not there in a fooddemonstration on a cooking stage.

Every evening, there’s a Twist-Off—the ultimate tastingclasses. You also can go from station to station and meet

the wine/spirits/beer merchants and food suppliers toexperience and learn about the latest trends.

The biggest draw? The scotch tasting. For those lookingto taste for the first time, or those with a discerning pallet,there was something for everyone. Among the most popularwas the 18-year old Bowmore Scotch—retailing at about$150 a bottle. Serving up the sips was Dave Gordon ofSaverio Schiralli Agencies. Jo-Anne and Dan Lindquist ofEdson sipped a few “Scotties” and were impressed not onlywith the quality, but the extensive tasting notes and businesscard-sized handouts about each brand.

Not bragging, but my recipes for honey-mustard glazedchicken and chocolate mousse, spiked with Glenmorangiescotch and featured in the February issue of Edmontonians,made their way to Scotland. I’m told they are being testedin a few kitchens. √

Contact Chef John Berry at [email protected]

with Chef John Berry

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LIVELYlifestyles

The Green KitchenThe Green Kitchent wasn’t that long ago that we saw thebeginning of an environmental revolution inour homes. Concerns about the environment,and what all the soaps and cleaners were doing

to harm it, forced major manufacturing companies todevelop bio-degradable cleaners. The movementspread and now we have fencing material made out ofrecycled milk jugs and other plastics… pavementmade out of recycled tires… and, of course, boxes andpaper made from recycled boxes and paper. The listgrows by leaps and bounds every week.

About the same time all of this started happening,there was a new buzz word in the culinary world—“organics”. Produce and animals raised forconsumption using natural fertilizers and compost,rather than chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Thehealth benefits are obvious, and the flavour, some say,improved. But—and there’s always a “but”—the costof organics, for many, was prohibitive. Some producewas as much as two times the regular price of non-organically grown items.

But now, according to Jim Hole of Hole’sGreenhouse, the big guys are sitting up and takingnotice. “The trend to organics is hitting such a level,that the large producers are finally seeing that they canmake money and save the environment at the sametime. Large grocery chains are now devoting wholesections of their produce aisles to organically grownitems.”

Dawn Kelly of Planet Organic says the demand for

naturally produced items is growing daily. “It’sbecome a health issue with not only the older folk buttheyounger generation as well.

Now that “buy regionally” is the norm for manyEdmonton restaurants and some hotels, the wordorganic is being added to the formula. Many upscalerestaurants are featuring quite a few organic items,including chicken and other meats.

As for cost, we’re getting to such a high level ofdemand that many are a fraction more than non-organic items. It’s all about economies of scale.

Kelly says that some items are actually on par oreven a bit lower in price. The trick, she says, is toknow what to buy. Always buy local and what’s inseason. “If you want to buy a Kiwi in December, it’sobviously going to be more expensive.”

Not only are the larger growers starting to see thatthis trend isn’t going to go away, they are investing inthe organic future. After years of dumping chemicalfertilizers into the ground, Hole says there is concernabout whether we are “maintaining the integrity of thesoil.”

By and large, he believes that commercial growersare good stewards of the land and both camps areworking toward the same end.

The next step? Hole has noticed that many peopleare seeking out heirloom varieties. No moregenetically modified seeds to give us bigger crops.Who knows... before long, we could be eating thesame vegetables our forefathers did. √

II

Dave, Ann & Dan



Green CuisineThe Kitchen

Energy saving appliances. Reduce powerand water consumption and greenhouseemissions with ENERGY STAR ratedappliances. Oh, and don’t make the samemistake I did. I upgraded to a new energyefficient fridge and kept the old onedownstairs for beer and bratwurst. Ach dulieber!Compost the most. Don’t throw out kitchenscraps. Save landfill space and make yourown rich organic potting soil bycomposting. Your garden will love you.Green cleaning. Use non-toxic organic dishsoap, detergent and cleansers and latheryour way to a cleaner lifestyle. And, checkout the wonders of vinegar and bakingsoda.Recycle and re-use. Rinse that resealableplastic bag and use it again. Bring fabricsacks to the grocery store for bagging.Repurpose empty jars for pantry sundries,and don’t forget about blue bagging.Thrill of the fill. Fewer loads in yourdishwasher save money and power. FYI: Adishwasher uses less water and heat thanhand washing methods. Load the dishes inthe washer and take Rover for a walkinstead.

Green RegimeThe Bathroom

Low-flush rush. On average, toilets are thesingle largest use of water in a household.Older models can consume five times theamount of water compared to new versions.Treat yourself to a new low-flush biffy andsave, save, save! Or add a couple of bricksto the tank to displace water.Shower power. Showers are next on theagenda. Older shower heads are residentialwater hogs. Today’s low flush heads areavailable in a variety of stylish models andwill pay for themselves in no time withlowered consumption.Tank-you. Tankless water heaters saveenergy, water and reduce carbon dioxideemissions. Save money and space! Remodelling? Consider purchasingcabinets, flooring, tiles and countertopsmade from recycled or renewable sources.

Green RoutineThe Bedroom

Insulation application. Make yoursanctuary comfortable throughout theyear with insulated ceilings and wallsand watch your energy bills drop.Inviting lighting. Fluorescent lightinguses one third the electricity oftraditional bulbs and lasts up to 10 timeslinger. Low voltage lights and timers aregreat runners-up.Fan plan. Ceiling fans circulate bothheat and cool air—saving energy andcold hard cash.Window Dressing. Weather-strip orcaulk older windows or replace themwith double-pane low E-gas filledwindows and let the sun shine in.Paint restraint. Use low VOC (VolatileOrganic Compound) paints to reducetoxic emissions from applied surfaces.FYI: Indoor air is three times morepolluted than outdoor air… paints andfinishes are among the leading causes.

Green ExtreemThe Living Room

Seal the deal. Insulate heating andcooling ducts.Attainable sustainables. Save ourrainforests and purchase furniturecreated from reclaimed or recycledmaterials. Consider cork or bamboo forthe floors, and pad around in comfort.The shut down. Energy vampires likesurround-sound receivers and plasmaTVs continue to suck energy 24/7 if leftto their own devices. Oh, and don’tforget to turn off the light when yourleaving the room, even for a short periodof time.Sweet Heat. Upgrade to an energyefficient furnace and watch the bills meltaway. Charge! Use rechargeable batteries.Harness harvest. Solar power is arenewable and clean alternative toconventional sources. Or, if you live in arural, windy area, consider wind energy.Like solar, wind energy is a greatenvironmental alternative to traditionalnon-renewable power.

Green SchemeThe Lawn & Garden

Adjust is a must. Avoid over-wateringyour lawn with an irrigation control thatsenses moisture content in the air andadjusts patterns according to currentconditions. Use a drip irrigation systemfor plants and pots.Rain, rain, go away. Straight into a rainbarrel and use for plantings and trees.Invest in gravity barrels with hoseattachments… and most are made ofrecycled plastic.Pest arrest. Fight pests with non-toxicliquids and concentrates. FYI: Ifrecruiting an army of lady bugs is not anoption, fill a spray bottle with one cup ofvegetable oil, one tablespoon

dishwashing liquid and one cup of waterto get rid of aphids.Infuse with reuse. Irrigate your gardenswith a gray water system that harnessesH2O from sinks, showers and washers.All decked out. Light your yard or patiowith solar powered lights or add a splashwith a solar fountain.

Green machineThe Laundry Room

Wash day. Buy ENERGY STARwashers and dryers. These appliancesare two of the biggest resource users inyour house. Combined, they can produce2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide yearly.That’s the same amount emitted from acar driving across the country.Handworks. When possible, hand washdelicates instead of dry cleaning them.Hot thought. Run laundry cycles onwarm/cold rather than hot/warm. It getsclothes just as squeaky clean. Dryerballs work better than anti-cling sheetsand last about two years.Improve the groove. Increase hot waterheating efficiency by reducing the waterheater thermostat to 120 degrees. Thissmart little move will also preventscalding. And, buy that hot water tankan insulating blanket to keep waterhotter longer and save even more.

Visit www.greenlivingonline.com andhttp://gliving.tv/ for more informative tipson how we can all preserve and protectMother Nature’s greatest creation. Fall intobed tonight with a clear conscienceknowing that you may not have changedthe world – but at least you’ve made aneffort.

And go to www.edmontonians.com forsix absolute green tips. √

Contact Linda Bodo [email protected] or visitwww.absolutebodo.com

Keen on the Green SceneLiving green may be equal parts science and ethics –

but quite honestly, it’s just plain common sense.

other Nature is tickled as more and more green homes sprout up across her vast domain.Thanks to public awareness, new technologies and friendlier environmental options, we canmake a difference. Being Keen on Green doesn’t mean changing our lives 180 degrees… itjust means showing a little respect for our dear friend by minimizing any negative impact to

her turf and enforcing a healthy living environment.

MM

with Linda Bodo



Letting gois never easy to do

We have had a lot of experience with familybusinesses that have multi-generationalmanagement. In most cases the founder isthinking about leaving and the nextgeneration is anxiously waiting to assumethe reins, or begin working with the newowner if the business is being sold. In allcases, emotions are running high and thepotential for conflict is high.

Founders all ask the questions: What is the true value of the business and

at what price should I sell to my children?Am I willing to carry a portion of the deal

to enable my children to close?Are my children really ready to take over

the business?Knowing what I know about the

sacrifices, risks and stress involved, do Ireally want to pass this load on to mychildren?

In the case of a third party sale, howwill the new owner treat my children andcan they carry on successfully withsomeone else?

In light of so many issues, why am Ieven thinking about leaving?

The reality is that the issues never goaway; they only get deferred if you shutthe process down. The next generationtends to believe they are ready totakeover and, in most cases, theyprobably have more experience and abetter education than the founder didwhen he/she established the business—plus now it has a solid base of ongoingcustomers and contracts.

It is the emotion that makes the processa difficult one. This is not an arms lengthtransaction, so to approach it as though itwere is a huge mistake. A lot of the issuestend to be a symptom of the real issuewhich is the owner letting go. I find thatmothers who share ownership with theirspouse have considerably less trouble

selling to their children and are moreconfident that they are ready to take over.

In one situation we handled, theincoming ownership group wasmotivated to buy but wanted the son torun the business for them. The vendor,who was past retirement age, decided hewanted to carry on and run it under thenew ownership. The son announced ifthat happened he would leave. Thepurchaser wanted younger managementwho could stay for another 10 to 15years. Part of our role was to ensure asmooth transition during that saleprocess.

Letting go is never easy to do but, ifyou are thinking about selling yourfamily-owned business, let us help guideyou through the process. Please [email protected] or call me at780.441.6793.

with Stephen W. Kent, CA(780) 441-6793

ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES &

CORPORATE FINANCE

Edmontonians Aug07

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