Edmontonians Feb07

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Proof__2_________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

EDMONTONIANS FEBRUARY 2007

few weeks ago when Dr. Ollie and Iwere at West Edmonton Mall, I spotted astore I wanted to stop at, so we agreed tomeet down the way. I headed across the mall

only to find myself doing the back stroke—in a watertrap—in my overcoat. Surprised, to say the least—almosthad a Metamucil moment—I stood up drenched, clotheshanging and clinging to me. No one in the crowd washolding up numbers for my Olympic nose dive. Nor didanyone come to help me out—except Dr. Ollie, who triedhard to suppress her laughter. As we walked amidst curiouson-lookers, she even found my trail of wet footprints mildlyamusing.

Thankfully, only my shoulder was bruised on the bottomof the damn pool. After getting home and again the nextday, I reported the embarrassing incident to the mallsecurity office, pointing out there’s no fence or barrier tostop anyone from taking a header. Someone called back afew days later to say they had taken a look at the tapes(security tapes, I presume) and found I wasn’t payingattention so it was my fault.

Being in the commercial insurance business, I expectednothing less. The mall likes taking your money, but doesn’tlike spending much to keep you safe. How much is afence? I went back to photograph the scene of my public

moment, and talked with a few of the staff working in thearea. Mine was not an isolated incident… and, it turns out,it’s adults—not kids—who belly flop.

As usual, this will only be solved by some lawyerworking on contingency. If you’re wondering why I’m soticked, they didn’t even offer to dry-clean my clothes orreplace the very expensive pair of hiking boots.

Don’t relax when walking the mall, it’s dangerous. I’vebeen Plutoed—a new word meaning you’ve been had.

I now believe everything that happens on CSI.Let me explain: Not long ago, a Constable Farrel of theEPS called with some strange questions. “Do you own aNikon camera?” Yes. “Have you been to Italy?” Yes. “Doyou drive a Chrysler Intrepid?” Yes. He explained, “Wearrested a homeless person who had your camera.” An off-duty officer—my unsung hero—nabbed the guy in anotherparkade some blocks away. Constable Farrell handled everything quickly, and even came over to our condo to completethe documents.

Now for the CSI stuff: They traced the license on mycar… in a photo on one of my digital cards. I was verylucky.

Here’s how it all came to pass. Dr. Ollie had hostedabout 25 of her marathon Running Room friends and

instructors in the condo party room. Robert Prybysh, ofArrow Engineering was kind enough to share some singlemalt scotch he scored at the Concordia Grande MasqueBall silent auction. Naturally it turned into a scotch-tasting party—except for me, I don’t drink. No one wasblistered so I didn’t manage to get any embarrassingpictures.

Anyway, instead of cleaning up, we agreed to do it inthe morning. But, I forgot my camera in a cardboard boxunder the bar. It was discovered by Mr. Burglar who hadpried open an outside door, in spite of pieces of steelcovering the locks, and strode around opening doors. Heeven ate the leftover food in the fridge.

SIRENS—Support to Individuals at Risk inEveryone’s Neighborhood Society—is an energetic groupof volunteers headed up by Frank Klemen and TerryJosey. The society supports aboriginal youth, thementally ill, school breakfast programs, a choir, and abasketball team, and provides a variety of assistance. Youcan help by attending their Valentine’s Day Dance,Friday, February 16 at the Northgate Lions Centre, 7524-139 Ave. This event features Juno Award winner, BillBourne as well as long time favourite Tacoy Ryde. Getyour dancing shoes on.

AA

FUNNYpompous & unfair

By Muggsy Forbes

Metamucil moment...and other adventures

EDMONTONIANS FEBRUARY 2007 3


Normally we spend New Years’ Eve at theFaculty Club, but this year we were up at the Coast TerraceInn dancing our little hearts out to the terrific big bandsound of the Trocadero Alumni Band. “Table 6” turned outto be a hoot. One of the ladies was an author of children’sbooks. Cora Taylor-Georges has had 20 books publishedand has just come out with a new one. She and hubby EarlGeorges spend the winter in Florida where he is a drummerin local bands. The other bunch of fun lovers were Art andBetty Wilson, Ken and Sybil Thatcher, a former Journalstaffer, and Joyce and Geoff Henwood. The band, the foodand the company were so good, we all pledged to meet attable 6 next year.

By the way, Sharon MacLean knew of a story aboutCora who, as it turns out, appeared on the front cover ofEdmontonians in the August 1993 edition of the magazine.Cora is the mother-in-law of Jane Livingston, first editorof the magazine after founder Dick MacLean moved on tothe big newsroom in the sky.

“We didn’t know what we were doing in those days,”recalls Sharon. “Jane had never been an editor before; sheonly started writing for us four months before Dick passed

away.” In thescramble to resolvetheir first cover,Jane mentionedthat Cora wasconsidered to beone of Canada’stop children’swriters, lived inEdmonton, andwas about torelease her fifthbook. Presto: theirfirst profile. Jane,recovering from abrain aneurismsuffered two yearsago now resides inFort McLeod with

her son and Emmy-winning husband, Clancy who is aboutto start a construction company. “We still think Cora iscover-girl material,” says Sharon of the woman who startedher book publishing career 22 years ago at age 50. Her mostrecent title, released last year, is Murder in Mexico and,according to Jane, her new husband Earl, the jazzdrummer, “is the best thing since sliced bread.”

My old buddy Giuseppe Albi is head of EventsEdmonton by day and a very good artist by night. He ishaving a showing in the Peter Robertson Gallery, (10183 -112 Street), on February 15th. The show is called MultipleViews and utilizes “multiple tone travel paint”. Giuseppeobtained this unique medium when he visited GoldenArtists Colors in up-state New York a couple of years ago.The special characteristic of this paint is that it changes tonewhen viewed from different angles. Sounds fascinating.

When local Edmonton mom Lynn Roch’s sonannounced he was having his nuptials in Cuba, sheimmediately asked her boss if he wanted to come along.Just happens that he is award winning photographer FredKatz. Matt and his bride Rhonda were joined by 85friends and family—including parents Lynn and Gilles andSandra and Harold Lipps—for the mid-Januarycelebrations. The couple exchanged vows on a cliffoverlooking the Gulf of Mexico. A fabulous exoticlocation… captured for a lifetime among the 500 photostaken by Fred, who must have been clicking away like aherd of turtles. How Lynn became known as MohijtoMamasita is a whole ’nuther story.

My humble apologies to Mrs. Marjorie Ward.Last month, I mistakenly referred to her as Stephanie—Ishould have known better.

At a fundraiser in the fall, Dr. Ollie picked up anevening at the River Cree Casino with dinner at the SageRestaurant. It was very good. I had an 8 oz steak with spicyfries. Dr. Ollie had the lamb tenderloin. Both the food andservice were excellent and the server knew the menu well.

Just as we were leaving, Carmelo and Stella Rago ofSorrentino’s came in with Peter and Paolo Sorrell ofSorrell Financial. I called Carmelo to find out what hethought. He said, “Hey, all agreed that it was goodexperience and would deserve another visit.” He was politeenough not to compare it to Sorrentino’s.

The community has lost a number ofoutstanding citizens in the past few weeks. Priscilla Bestpassed away of cancer at 55. Her husband Lyle has been adriving force on the local fundraising scene for many years.We had the privilege of spending many very enjoyable

times with the couple. Our sincere condolences to Lyle andthe kids, Justin, Brandon and Aaron.

In my December column, I acknowledged that Dr. R.Casey had “been great, ridding both eyes of cataracts.” Isaw him in early January. So I was stunned to hear that hehad passed away about six days after that visit. I hadjokingly referred to him as “Mr. Glaucoma”—he said hereally enjoyed the comment.

When our offices were across the street from each other,John Poole and I often had lunch together. He was one ofthe brightest, most interesting people you would ever meet.He loved to get a preview on the gossip I was compiling formy column. The memorial tribute at the Winspear was adelightfully informal affair… in keeping with a man whowas warm, friendly, down-to-earth—not the least bitpretentious. The contributions from John and his wifeBarbara have made this city and province a far, far betterplace.

And, as we went to press, Dr. Ken Paproski, a formerConservative MLA, and Leroy Chahley, retired Chief ofPolice and city councilor, were being laid to rest. ✔

Additional reporting by Edmontonians staff.

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

Priscilla and Lyle... a terrific couple

Cora and friend in 1993

Rhonda and Mattbarefoot in the Gulf

Photo by Fred Katz

4



HOW MANY CELL PHONES DOES YOUR HOUSEHOLD OWN?

First, respondents were asked if they own a cellphone. Perhaps not surprisingly, almost three-quarters (73 percent) of respondents said theyhave a cell phone. Fifty-nine percent indicatedthat someone other than themselves in thehousehold owns a cell phone.

Only those respondents who said theirhousehold owns at least one cell phone wereasked how many cell phones they have. Almostone-third (32 percent) own a single cell phone,with 46 percent owning two cell phones. Twentypercent said their household owns at least threecell phones. On average, households with cellphones have two phones.

While it is not uncommon to see teens using acell phone, only seven percent indicated thatsomeone under 18 years old in the householdactually owns a cell phone. The average age ofcell phone owner is 38 years. People over 55make up almost one fifth (18 percent) of cellphone owners.

WHAT ABOUT PUBLISHINGA CELL PHONE DIRECTORY?Respondents were asked for their opinions aboutthe publishing of a directory of cell phonenumbers. Only 20 percent agreed with the idea.Three-quarters of those who liked the idea of acell phone directory indicated that it would behandy. Considering those who disagreed with theidea of the cell phone directory, the mostcommonly cited reason was privacy (70 percent).

These respondents wanted to keep their numbersprivate, limited to people of their choosing. Somementioned the changing nature of cell phonenumbers would make a directory difficult to keepcurrent.

SHOULD THERE BE RESTRICTIONSON CELL PHONE USE?

Finally, respondents were asked if there should berestrictions placed on the use of cell phones. Asizeable majority (85 percent) felt restrictionsshould be in place. Restricting the use of cellphones while driving was cited by 91 percent.Restricting cell phone use in schools (45 percent)and in restaurants (31 percent) were othercomments; 12 percent suggested banning cellphone in theatres, and four percent wanted cellphones banned entirely.

The Poll Station surveyed 100 City of Edmontonresidents on the topic and, while the results of theresearch are not statistically reliable, they doprovide a qualitative indication of whatEdmontonians are thinking. ✔

Linda Banister is a certified managementconsultant and the owner of Banister Researchand Consulting Inc., a full service provider ofmarket research and program evaluation services.Want a question included in the EdmontoniansPoll? Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

STATIONhile commonplace today, cell phoneusage was a novelty a generationago. This is due, in part, to thedrastic change in technology since

their inception in the 1970s. From large, cumbersomephones in the early days to sleek, camera phones oftoday, cell phones have become a staple of manypeople’s lives. In fact, it is not uncommon to seechildren through to seniors communicating with cellphones. In this month’s Poll Station we asked peopleabout cell phones, their usage and other related issues.

WWWith Linda Banister

PollPoll

FOUNDERDICK MacLEAN

FEBRUARY 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]

INSIDEFUNNY, POMPOUS AND UNFAIRMetamucil moment/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

POLL STATIONCell phones/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESSPort Alberta/Lockhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

EDMONTONIAN IN EXILEAnthony Henday/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

COVER STORYLady in red/Hodgson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

THE TRANSFORMERSIconoclasts/Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Old boys’ club/Hanlen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Listen up!/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Make a man listen/Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11The Yin and Yang/Williamsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

BIZINTELBizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

MAKING MONEYFool me twice/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

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

BARB DETERSEditor

[email protected]

COLUMNISTSLinda Banister

John BerryLinda Bodo

Tom BradshawLes Brost

Janet EdmondsonMuggsy ForbesSteffany Hanlen

Ron HiebertBruce Hogle

Cheryl LockhartGreg Michetti

David NorwoodErin Rayner

Nizar J. SomjiColin Williamsen

FEATURE WRITERSBarb Deters

Don HillKristin Hodgson

Peter Drake McHughMichael O’TooleMarg. Pullishy

PHOTOGRAPHERSTerry Bourque

Fred Katz

GRAPHIC PRODUCTIONRage Studios Inc.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Entrepreneur Eva MahPhoto by Terry Bourque

No. 2

1818YEARS

C E L E B R A T I N G

Perc

enta

ge

Perc

enta

ge91%

32%46%

20%

45%31%

12% 4%Said they wouldban the use of

cell phoneswhile driving

Said theirhousehold owned

one cell phone

Said theirhousehold ownedtwo cell phones

Said they had atleastthree cell phones in

their household

Said they wouldban the use ofcell phones in

schools

Said they wouldban the use ofcell phones inrestaurants

Said they wouldban the use ofcell phones in

theatres

Said they wouldban the use of

cell phonesentirely

EDMONTONIANS FEBRUARY 2007 5


dmonton International Airportwants to act as a hub for North Americacargo movements. All of those widgets beingproduced in China and the rest of the Asia

Pacific have to be unpacked and repackaged for NorthAmerican distributionsomewhere, and local authoritieswant that somewhere to beEdmonton.

Recently, I made the earlymorning trek to the Leduc NiskuEconomic DevelopmentAuthority to hear Glen Vanstonespeak on Port Alberta—billed asa multi-modal gateway in themovement of goods to/from theU.S., Mexico and Canada withthe rest of the world. Now I amalways skeptical of claims by development authorities thatthey are “strategically” located on a major trade route.Every country trying to attract foreign investment does it, asdo many other groups such as this all over the world.Nonetheless, Vanstone makes a persuasive case for thedevelopment of Port Alberta due to its relatively closeproximity to the sea port at Prince Rupert and its situationon major global air routes.

Despite always having had this geographic advantage,Edmonton thus far hasn’t become a major location in globalsupply chains, but two new developments are driving thePort Alberta initiative. The first is the construction of acontainer terminal in Prince Rupert which will have acapacity of 500,000 TEUs (20-foot container equivalents).Secondly, new generation aircraft are able to fly longerdistances before re-fueling. Both add up to the opportunityfor Edmonton to position itself as a full service inland port.

The Prince Rupert terminal is the only deep water port onthe west coast and the only one expanding at a time when20 Chinese ports have booked construction to handle 100million TEUs. In other words, the Chinese capacity to shipgoods will be much higher than west coast ports’ ability toaccept those goods, so the Prince Rupert expansion will beoperating at full capacity as soon as it opens. Once the new

terminal is operational, there will be only one way to movecontainers west out of Prince Rupert: by train. And everytrain that moves out of Prince Rupert will have to transitthrough Edmonton on its way to other major centres acrossthe mid-western United States and central Canada.

But Port Alberta won’t exist solely to service containersentering North America at Prince Rupert. “Demand forinexpensive Asian goods will not abate and if supplierscan’t ship them, they’ll fly them,” Vanstone adds. Currently,many cargo planes refuel in Anchorage, Alaska en routefrom Asia, and continue on to other North Americandestinations for unloading. But now, those new generationaircraft can bypass Anchorage, the world’s third largestcargo airport. (Hong Kong is the largest and FedEx’sMemphis airport comes in second). With Edmonton alreadyon those flight paths, Vanstone would like cargo planes tostop here and again, Edmonton could act as the centre of amulti-modal transportation network.

There are certainly other locations vying to compete inthis aggressive market but Edmonton has other advantages:a huge swath of undeveloped land at the airport, super-longrunways capable of accommodating today’s largestaircraft… its neighbor, the Nisku Business Park, is thelargest industrial park in Western Canada… andEdmonton’s role as the gateway to northern development,particularly in the oilsands and diamond mines. But theInternational Airport is doing more than just talking aboutthe potential for Port Alberta; the expansion of the cargoapron will start this spring and raw land is being preparedfor development.

In the shipping industry, time truly is money. For thatreason, shippers are constantly seeking ways to cuttransport costs, either through reduced shipping times orless congested facilities. They would be wise to considerPort Alberta as an alternative.

EDMONTON TECH TRAINERGRADUATES FIRST STUDENTS AT ITS MEXICAN CAMPUS With Alberta in the midst of a skills shortage, many peopleare exploring faster education alternatives to universitydegrees and two-year diplomas. Intensive short courses,usually four to six months long, are finding a niche inCanada and delivering graduates who are ready to hit theground running in their chosen profession. Edmonton’sDevStudios has embraced this concept wholeheartedly insoftware development, information technology and digitalmedia production. With its local program operating at fullcapacity, the company started pursuing a Mexicanexpansion two years ago.

DevStudios and its partner BidMexico undertook almosta year-and-a-half of market research and relationshipbuilding before settling on the city of Leon in Guanajuatostate. Once they had the support of local governments andemployers (many of whom are transnational corporationsand Fortune 500 companies), convincing prospectivestudents and their parents of the value of a hands-on

diploma program with a Canadian curriculum was simple.As a result, 27 students will graduate on February 16thfrom one of DevStudios three offerings: softwaredevelopment MCSE.NET, design and motion graphics, or3D animation. Thirty-six students are already enrolled in thenext semester, starting on March 26th.

The new school was developed as a near replica of itsEdmonton headquarters. Armando Sanchez of BidMexicois managing director, handling everything from finding abuilding, designing and decorating it to be consistent withthe look of the Edmonton institution, hiring local staff,renting accommodation for Canadian instructors, andliaising with local government and industry officials.Sanchez notes that this is the only school of its kind inMexico and that it is being promoted as a Canadiantechnology institute, which increases its appeal.“Prospective students are amazed that they do not have toshare a computer with three other students… that they havetheir own machine to work from.” The fact that Mexicanstudents will receive exactly the same education as

Canadian students is also attractive. The first cohort ofstudents in Leon includes two Canadians who decided tosupplement their education with a unique culturalexperience.

However, despite following the Canadian business modelas closely as possible, some changes had to be made. “Itwas an adjustment for our Canadian instructors,” CurtisGreenland, DevStudios director of education told me.“They have to teach from eight a.m. until one o’clock andthen break for siesta before resuming classes at four andworking until eight in the evening.”

Looking ahead, the company has plans to open moreschools in Mexico, and perhaps further into Latin America.China is also being investigated. Ultimately though,Greenland explains that at the heart of every expansion isthe desire to “enable people to improve their skills andcontribute in a small way to thedevelopment of a country.” ✔

Cheryl Lockhart owns InternationalStrategies Ltd., specializing in export-relatedplanning and marketing. E-mail: [email protected]

GREA

TER EDMONTON

INTERNATIONAL BUSINE

SS

By Cheryl Lockhart

EE

Port AlbertaViable vision of a

multi-modal gateway

ave you driven the Anthony Henday yet?Spending Christmas holidays at home in

Edmonton gave us several opportunities todrive this magical freeway. Returning from

a 4:00 a.m. trip to the airport, I took my maiden voyageand had the road to myself–green lights all the wayhome. Took the same trip a week later—much busier at9:00 a.m.—and still, clear sailing. Friends in St. Alberttell me that taking the Anthony Henday knocks half anhour off any expedition to destinations in southEdmonton and beyond.

Of course, anyone who wants to travel from the southto points north can avoid the endless red lights andaccidents along Gateway Boulevard, the Whitemud and170 Street.

If you have ever driven through Calgary, to continuesouth or to head west to the mountains, you have spenttime on the Deerfoot Trail–probably far more time thanyou had anticipated. Drivers are almost guaranteed thatat some point on this six lane “freeway” traffic willcome to a standstill. To alleviate this perpetual gridlock,

a ring road system is also being built for Calgary. Thesection that will connect Highway 2—QE 2—to thewestbound Trans-Canada Highway is scheduled forcompletion in the fall of 2008, weather permitting. Aneastern ring road to bypass Calgary for destinations eastand south should be completed in 2009.

Congratulations, Gateway to the North–the gate isactually open and it works. ✔

[email protected]

Edmontonian Edmontonian IN EXILE

By Janet Edmondsonin Calgary

HH

Armando Sanchez, second from right, with staff in Leon, Mexico

Armando Sanchez, second from right, with staff in Leon, Mexico

Prince Rupert Terminal expandingPhoto courtesy of Prince Rupert Port

Glen VanstoneGlen Vanstone

Anthony Henday Drive

6 EDMONTONIANS FEBRUARY 2007

Proof__3________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

his month’s entrepreneur is reluctant tocall himself a businessman. A part-timeforklift driver, Steven Teeuwsen, 25,developed a passion for photography

while studying journalism at Grant MacEwanCollege, taught English in Taiwan, and was able toexplore his passion while traveling the world. With hisbeard and long hair, he is coming to grips with his newfound identity as an entrepreneur.

Upon returning to Edmonton last year, Steven sawan opportunity for an Edmonton-based, arts-focusedmagazine. After long discussions with a friend at aLondon UK design firm, Steven created NotebookMagazine, a collage of artworks, bound in a beautifulfull color, quarterly publication.

To make his “invention” a reality, he went to workputting up posters looking for artists’ submissions,cold-called independent businesses along WhyteAvenue and 124th Street seeking advertisers, andpublished the inaugural issue in December 2006.

“With Notebook, I wanted to create a showcase ofthe works of Edmonton-based artists and writers in aquality magazine for its own sake, but also to helpbuild community and collaboration.”

The magazine is a business. I asked him how,reluctant though he may be, he was addressing thisaspect of his artistic pursuits. “I started out with veryrelaxed business structure and quickly realized Ineeded a more formal business structure.”

With the popularity of online blogs, forums, Youtubeand the like, I was curious to explore why Steven hadchosen a printed medium. Essentially, it came down topersonal preference and, according to Stephen,“although the Internet is popular and an easy way tocommunicate, it is missing a human connection.” Thisis also why Notebook will hold a launch party withevery quarterly issue: to enhance the connection andfurther contribute to building Edmonton’s artisticcommunity.

From a marketing perspective, a printed magazineoffers different challenges than an e-zine. Aside fromthe obvious costs involved with printing anddistribution, it is more heavily dependent onadvertisers for support and profit than an Internetsupported e-zine.

I asked Steven what his plan was for seeking out

more advertisers to make his publication sustainable.He immediately mentioned that securing moreadvertisers will require a change in mind-set on hispart. To prospect and secure larger clients, in this caseadvertisers, any business needs to come across asthough they have a future, solid experience, aconsistent way to “deliver” and generally appearbigger than they may actually be. I assured Steven that,based on my recent reading from Michael Gerber’s E-Myth Mastery, many entrepreneurs feel this change ofmind-set—from small/medium (ie manageable)business to confident and larger than we appear—uncomfortable.

Gerber says, “Entrepreneurs do not set out with aresult in mind despite what everybody thinks thoughthey always discover a result they set out to create.Creation is discovery. Discovery is magical. Discoveryis the juice entrepreneurs live for.”

And this is definitely true in Steven’s case. A workof art, in my experience, rarely is a by-product ofpainstakingly detailed plans, but more a combinationof planning and uninhibited risk to surrender to theneed to create.

Steven believes “Edmonton is big enough to support aquarterly arts based publication… Now it’s just a matterof seeing if the demographic can support it.”

Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing andCommunications Inc.You can submit marketing materials for review; suggestyoung entrepreneurs to be profiled; nominate a Top Three;or ask a business developement question. [email protected]

Morango’s Tek Café, 10118 79 Street: Morango’s isoutside the downtown core but easily accessible onEdmonton’s southeast side. There’s plenty of parking; it israrely busy or loud, and offers high speed Internet for a flatrate of $3 a day. It also has a private boardroom availablefor rent for bigger client meetings.

Steeps Urban Tea House, 12411 Stony Plain Road:True to its name, Steeps serves tea—the most amazingselection of loose leaf teas—but no coffee. This location

offers a calm, casual place for an informal, yet productivemeeting, unlike Steeps Tea Lounge on Whyte Avenuewhich is filled to the gills with exuberant universitystudents.

Remedy Café, 8631 109Street: This is anotherfavourite with the university crowd but fairly quiet duringthe day. Remedy offers convenient parking, lots of seatingand a vibrant, young, creative atmosphere, wireless highspeed Internet access, and the best Chai in town.

TOP THREEA lot of businesses start in a home-based office until the company is able to take on the weight of a larger, bricks andmortar location. In the interim, tea and coffee shops become the venues for client and supplier meetings. It can be achallenge, however, to escape the ultra busy, noisy chain shops. Happily, I’ve found a few out-of-the-way locations

quiet enough for productive meetings.

Dear Erin:I am passionate about my new business ventureand want to make it successful, but I am havingtrouble focusing and being productive. Yet, I knowthat’s the only way to succeed. Help! How do Ifocus on my business without drowning in it?

Sinking Fast

Dear Sinking Fast:As a generation, sometimes we are labeled lazy orlacking a decent work ethic. But, it sounds like youhave the desire and the passion to work hard. What’smissing are the accountability mechanisms to keepyou and your business on track.

You should consider a business coach or coachingsystem—something I’ve had success with. Thesecompanies or individuals are similar to a board ofadvisors or directors for your business and your worklife balance. They are objective listeners with theexperience to not only look for your best interests butalso the best interests of your company. They can helpyou set goals for growth and keep you accountable bybreaking down those larger goals into smaller,manageable, less overwhelming pieces.

When looking for an advisor, first decide if youwould prefer individual or group coaching. Then doyour research: Ensure you select someone who iscompetent and experienced—not necessarilyexperienced in your particular industry, but in businessand building businesses in general. The cost of theseprograms can be anywhere from $175/month to bepart of a group program with some individualcoaching up to thousands per month for individual,one-on-one coaching. ✔

TTBy Erin Rayner

For Young Entreprenuersmy spaceE

Everyone has a dream ofsuccess and yet not everyone

succeeds. Why is that?

Steffany Hanlen, Olympic Performance Coach, NHLSkating Coach, and renowned Personal PerformanceCoach will teach you what you have in common withOlympic Athletes and World Class Performers. Are

you a business owner, a real estate investor, asuperstar parent or self-employed entrepreneur?

Are you the decision maker in your business? This could be what is next for you…

The Champion Seminars -PHASE I

“From Values to Vision”

A powerful four-hour workshop that takesyour personal goals and reframes them in a

way that makes them achievable, NOW!

Instinct. Attitude. Inspiration.

Saturday, February 24, 2007 9:00 am - 3:00 pmRoyal Glenora Club, Edmonton, AB

Investment: $350.00+GST

Think Valentine’s! Register with one other person, say you saw this in Edmontonians, and receive a $50 gift certificate for dinner at your choice of 3 fabulous restaurants in Edmonton. Say “Yes” today!

For more information and to registercall: (780)436-4159 EX#3 or email

[email protected]

www.steffanyhanlen.com

7EDMONTONIANS FEBRUARY 2007


By Don Hillhey’re everywhere. You know them: thepeople who make other people in yourorganization feel uncomfortable.

If you’re familiar with my broadcastventures, thus far, you’ll also know that I’ve been labeledoutspoken and provocative; it is a role I’ve come to acceptover the years. People aren’t necessarily upset with mepersonally, but take great exception to the ideas I oftenbring to the table–issues that are disturbing or dangerous tothe status quo.

“You are a pest,” Ruben Nelson, president of Square OneManagement said, reflecting on one of my incarnations inAlberta’s provincial media. “But you are a necessary one.”

Every organization has its outsiders—the dreamers withcrackpot ideas that have a whisper of truth about them—seeds of innovation come from these folks.

There are also people around the table who mix things upand are seemingly at odds with just about everyone andeverything. Cantankerous—their actions seem premeditatedto offend. So why have them around if they’re sodisruptive?

“In general, organizations need them,” David Horth saidwith a wry smile. A facilitator at the Center for CreativeLeadership at the Banff Centre, one of the world’s topthink-tanks concerned with the study of leading andleadership, he has a healthy regard for the iconoclast inevery organization.

Cirque du Soleil, the internationally renowned circustroupe based in Montreal, underscores the value ofmaverick thinking. At “some of their important seniormanagement meetings,” Horth noted, “a clown is invited,who is basically there to be provocative, dissenting and stirthings up!”

Given an opportunity, he added, “I would probably bethat clown.”

Leaders must keep the door open to oddball thinking.There is plenty to learn from people who only acceptk-n-o-w for an answer.

“I think you’re seeing a change of the guard in thesector,” according to Charlie Fischer, the CEO of NexenInc., a key player in the northern Alberta oilsands, alongsideits other major petroleum interests around the world.

“In the early days of the industry it was very muchcommand and control–you did what you were told,” Fisherrecalled. “But I think in the environment we’re in today,where knowledge is king, you’ve got to come up with goodideas. You have to get those ideas early.”

Enter the maverick, the iconoclast who serves as thevanguard of what could be lurking just over the horizonline… information that has a probability of affecting yourorganization, but at the outset seems so unusual, so strangeand ‘out there’, that it doesn’t seem to have any immediateutility.

Iconoclasts tend to be a nuisance and you shouldbudget for being ticked off, but they are a useful ‘earlywarning system’. And “if you throw bureaucracy in theway,” Fischer warned, “it doesn’t happen.

“It’s really important to have a very open structure, anda structure that supports communication and a transfer ofknowledge,” he continued. “The competition is supposedto be outside our walls–not inside our walls.”

But how do you manage unconventional thinkers andtheir at-odds-behaviour with the organizationalinfrastructure, which sometimes declares that they’re notjust outside of the box, but are off in a bewilderingwilderness of their own making. You would not be remissto assign their counsel a cautionary post-it as nuts,prickly, paranoid even.

Stay with me.

“I realize that we can’t all be chefs in the kitchen… wehave to have followers as well,” explained John Dormaar,a research scientist, emeritus now at Agriculture Canadain Lethbridge, with a reputation for unconventionalthinking that has literally broken new ground. Hispioneering work in the soil sciences has improvedagricultural practices around the world. “Sometimes weare wrong to be different. But still everybody in mybooks has the right to be different and try to follow theirintuitions.”

“You must realize that this is an emotionallydemanding thing to do,” Brian Crowley, director of theAtlantic Institute for Market Studies said with a furrowedbrow. He’s no stranger to ‘thinking different’, flying inthe face of convention from his perch at the Halifax-based think-tank. “You have to be willing to take thatprojection of anger and rejection and say ‘I don’t carewhat you project onto me emotionally. I’m still here totell you that the idea is not right and there is a better idea,this is what it is, and why it’s better.’”

Crowley is correct.There is another way and it is called a ‘skunkworks’; the

original term is attributed to a much-storied division withinLockheed-Martin, a huge conglomerate. During World WarII, it developed advanced technology and hardware thatmade a significant contribution toward ending the globalconflict with a decisive victory.

Today, a skunkworks is typically a small gathering ofinnovative thinkers from within a larger organization. Theseare the people who come up with the radical new designsand products–ideas that don’t have to immediately go tomarket or be subject to performance targets, such as aspecific return on investment within a business cycle. Call itpure research by people who defy convention within thelarger institutional framework—the people who tend to getlost before they discover something new. You must trust intheir process. When they win, they do tend to win big.

There is another important voice that needs to be heeded,no matter how uncomfortable it may be to listen to whatthey go on and on and on about. If you are a freshly-mintedleader… pay particular attention to the musings of thecurmudgeon, often the senior person sitting close to the exitdoor, who asks, “the very questions that must not be asked,”said David Horth, with a laugh.

“The danger in [today’s] organizations is there’s literally agap between people who know stuff and have been aroundfor awhile, and people a little wet behind the ears and thinkthey know stuff,” Horth elaborated, gesturing with his handin a knowing way.

“This is the big year for retirement of people 60-plus,” atrend that is not limited to Canada and the United States. Asone of the so-called baby-boomers, who is staring downretirement in a few years, Horth knows that the institutional“role of curmudgeon is going to probably vanish veryquickly in the next little while.” The maxim of use it–itmeaning the contrarian views curmudgeon’s are reputed tohave–or lose it is real.

Not to worry. “The curmudgeons are going to turn out to be

consultants,” he warned and, just as quickly, broke into awide grin, laughing heartily with the thought of futureprospects. ✔

Don Hill is a ‘thought leader’ at the Leadership Lab andLeadership Development at the Banff Centre. He is also anaward-winning writer and broadcaster with a largefootprint on the Internet. Listen to his radio series InspiringLeadership, a 20-part documentary on contemporaryleadership and the challenge of leading in the 21st Centuryevery Saturday morning at 8 AM on the CKUA RadioNetwork.

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

iconoclast ~ 1. a destroyer of sacred images, specifically2. one who attacks and seeks to overthrow traditional orpopular ideas or institutions [from Medieval Greek eikonoklasts, “image breaker”]

curmudgeon ~ 1. a surly person 2. a miser

surly ~ grumpy or habitually uncivil; gruff[Variant of obsolete sirly—originally “lordly,” masterful,imperious, from sir.]

from The Tormont Webster’s Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

Flying in the face of convention

TTBrian Crowley David Horth

Iconoclasts

va Mah is a woman who epitomizes the roadless traveled.

While she doesn’t think of herself as someonewho has done anything extraordinary with herlife, there is much to learn from this successful

Edmonton business woman. “You need passion in everything you do. You need to

start and sustain, and when you reach your personal goals,it’s time to move on.”

Her love of knowledge has never ceased, and with fourextremely successful careers behind her, she shows no signsof kicking back. Eva is already looking forward to her nextchallenge.

“It’s not in my nature to settle down. One of these days, Iwill.”

Eva calls Terwillegar home; her backyard provides amagnificent view of the River Valley stretching out fromher back door. She lives with her husband Frank Borsatoand her excitable eight-year-old dog, Bogart, a Kerry Blueterrier. A grand piano nestled in her living room is a tributeto her musical upbringing, while artworks adorn the wallsof her home. With every piece of art, there is a story—andEva has lots to tell.

For the success she has had in life, half of her fortune hasbeen seeing a great opportunity when it presents itself. Herresidence is one of those examples. She purchased it whenthe economy turned; her only regret is not buying moreneighbouring property.

A CURIOUS LADYEva was born and raised in Red Deer, the second child offive. Growing up in Alberta always held new adventures forEva and her curiosity always guided her.

Before she reached the age of six, she wondered why herfather, Sidney, left everyday. Instead of asking her dadwhere he went, she decided to explore on her own.

So one day, little Eva hid in the backseat of his car undera blanket and, when he arrived at his first stop, she burst out

and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Surprise!” That first stopended up being her grandfather’s dry-cleaning businesswhere she was put to work sweeping the floors and foldingthe linen, learning what it took to make a living. For thatfirst day of work, grandfather Willie Yet Mah gave her asilver dollar—a prized possession she still has today.

Her hardworking nature and entrepreneurial spirit are notan accident.

Eva’s grandfather believed Canada was the best place tolive and he made it that way for his family. The senior Mahoperated Red Deer Laundry and Cleaners for 25 years,owned a bowling alley and a pool room, and partnered withhis children in the Michener Hill store.

“To my relatives, it was important that they all wanted tosucceed and give back to the community.”

Sidney also wanted to succeed and he had many pursuitsincluding restaurants, real estate, wholesale, retail, and evencattle farming.

“Dad used to say that one needs to take a risk in order tosucceed.”

Hard work has been the foundation of Eva’s life. Afterfinishing high school, she attended the University ofManitoba—a last minute surprise to her mother Margaretwho had already enrolled her in classes at the University ofAlberta. Eva studied interior design in the faculty ofarchitecture, and it was at the U of M she met her husband.After completing her degree in the 1970s, she returned toEdmonton where she honed her skills on governmentfacility projects and in the commercial buildings sector for anumber of years. A quick learner, she was quickly movedthrough the senior ranks.

In 1985, Eva’s entrepreneurial spirit kicked in and shestarted Envirocorp Ltd. Her company provided facilitiesdesign and project management services to various clientsincluding Xerox, Pepsi, Oxford and Stantec. When it waspurchased by Stantec four years later, she remained as aprincipal for 10 years.

Her father’s death following cardiac surgery inspired her

to help future patients. Eva created and co-foundedCardioMetabolics Inc., which holds worldwide exclusiverights to technologies licensed from the University ofAlberta. CMI was recently awarded the US FDA PhaseIII international, multi-centre clinical trial for a cost-effective drug called DCA (Dichloracetate) thattreats cardiovascular and diabetic diseases forelderly patients requiring heart surgery.Although no longer president and CEO, Evaproudly pointed out a January news releaseannouncing that DCA showed promise as a“breakthrough drug for the treatment ofcancer”—specifically for patientsrequiring chemotherapy.

Her passion in the healthcarefield continues as she sits onthe Caritas board of directors.She is also currentlypresident and CEO ofIntellectual CapitalCorporation Inc. thatprovides business andmanagement consultingservices. It positions, appliesand transitions emergingintellectual property intocommercially viable industryproducts. ICCI provides businessanalysis and planning services toprivate and institutional biotech andtechnology clients, consults on landdevelopment initiatives, and offers projectmanagement services to internationalcorporations.

FRONT-AND-CENTREEarly on, Eva was picked out of crowds. She was chosento present flowers to the late Prime Minister John



By Kris Hodgson

EEIn search of the next entrepreneurial challenge

Lady in red



Diefenbaker’s wife.She studied pianointently winningawards, “when Iwanted to.”

While pursing herMBA at Queen’s, itwas no mistake thatEva got handpickedfrom her class towrite a paper herprofessor thoughtwould be the mostchallenging. Shetackled Transferenceof Wealth in theGlobal Economy:The Role ofCanada’s ForeignPolicy, with ease.Hugh Segal, herprofessor andrecently PrimeMinister StephenHarper’s national

co-chair of the Conservative Partycampaign in the 2006 election, marked her paper withdistinction.

Eva has earned various awards—including theAlberta Centennial Medal—and accolades forprojects. She has attracted international clients tothe City of Champions when they were swayingtoward centres like Calgary, Vancouver andToronto.

“I credit the people who worked with me. Theywent to the nth hour for me.”

When she headed-up Envirocorp, Stantec wasimpressed that she discovered a project to bid onmere days before the closing date, but she still wonit. This led to the eventual takeover of her companyby Stantec in 1989.

As an architect with Stantec, Eva worked onrevitalization projects like Centre High: an out-of-the-box project for the Edmonton Public SchoolBoard. The success she saw in revamping thatbuilding was recognized in the first semester. “Thekids thought it was cool and hip. They didn’t thinkthey were in an institution.”

The first time she visited Beijing as an adult,Chinese businessmen looked at Eva, a secondgeneration Chinese immigrant from Canada whocouldn’t speak Mandarin, and they didn’t know whatto think. “They couldn’t figure out what I was!” she

says laughing. “I didn’t fit the mold.” Eva has made many tough decisions, but she has

always felt she made the right decision. Her fatherinspired her to always be ethical.

“As long as you do right, then you can sleep nightswith a clean mind and a clear heart.”

To her peers today, Eva is known as having theaptitude to pushing the envelope because she knowsthere is more than one way to climb a mountain.

“If you take the well-traveled path, you alwaysknow what you are going to expect. If you take thepath less traveled, you get both good and badsurprises along the way, but that’s the way youlearn.”✔

Giving back…A partial list of Eva Mahʼs

volunteer involvement

Caritas Health GroupBoard director, 2003 to present

Trustee, 2005 to present

Alberta Art GalleryMember, Campaign Committee,

2006 to present

La Soiree GastronomiqueCo-chair, 2006

NAIT SS Benefit GalaChair, 2003

Economic Development EdmontonGreater Edmonton Investor Forum &

Conference member, steering committee,finance and investor forum for the knowledge

based industry, 2001

Alberta Association of Architects (AAA)Councillor/LID representative, 2000

NAIT Foundation board member, 2000

Alberta Economic DevelopmentAdvisor, Provincial Task Force for International

Consortia Architecture & Engineering & Construction (AEC), 1996

China Canada Business AssociationBoard Director, 1993 to 1996

cultural event chair, inaugural Autumn Moon Festival

RICH HERITAGEEva Mahʼs Canadian roots run deep. Her maternal grandparents immigrated toCanada early in the 20th Century. Grandmother Yit Soon came to Canada in1908, and grandfather Duck Lee immigrated in 1912. Evaʼs mother Margaretwas born in Lethbridge.

On her fatherʼs side, grandfather Willie Yet Mah came to Canada in 1921. Itwasnʼt until 1949 that his wife Kim arrived with the rest of the family, includingEvaʼs father Sidney who was born in Canton in 1929.

Eva resided with her family in Red deer until she left for the University ofManitoba.

Eva Mah –then and now

Eva with parentsMargaret and Sidney



By Les Brostiscord in the boardroom: It all starts withimproving listening skills. It is not anaccident the Creator gave us two ears andone mouth. Heck, cave men and womenprobably used their ears in more

sophisticated ways than we do today. That’s why we need to hear before being heard. When

we listen before speaking, we build empathy withothers. Listening to what is really being said is a keyconflict management skill—and it’s darn hard work.

What is listening? It’s not a simple question. We hearmusic played in the background as we work… but arewe really listening? The act of listening involves notonly our ears, but also our eyes, head and heart.

Effective listening—I call it “power listening”—requires us to be present for other people, and to setaside our desire to speak in the interest of hearing andunderstanding others. That’s not easy, as most of ushave been struggling to be heard since we were pups.

A practice technique that I use is to imagine that aparticular conversation is the last one I will ever have,and I want to savour the total communicationexperience of that conversation. That means that I mustlisten intently—powerfully—to the other person, givingmy full attention to their words and body language. Ican’t be framing a response to their remarks or thinkingabout their mistakes in fact or logic. My only job is topay attention to their message. Try this exercise with

someone you trust. You will findthat you have powers ofobservation that you haven’t beenusing.

How do you complete thecommunication loop and let peopleknow that they have been heard? Iuse the paraphrase, a powerfullistening tool. Here is how it works:When the person to whom youhave been listening is finishedspeaking, give that person anaccurate paraphrase of theircomments. It is important that younot “play back” a verbatimtranscript. Put their words in yourwords. When you are finished; askthem; “Have I got it?” If youhaven’t, incorporate changes untilyou do.

Always focus on facts and checkout assumptions. A surmise or hunch or educated guessis just an assumption. Remember: You only know whatyou know. Many of us struggle to set aside ourassumptions—like thinking “Bob is always criticizingmy ideas because he wants me to look bad in front ofthe other directors.” If we listen with power, we mighthear what Bob is really saying, and realize that this

time, Bob is building on our ideas. So how do we check out our

assumptions? We use another powerfultool in the conflict manager’s toolkit:questions. As another key element ofconflict management, they are the keysthat open the door of understanding.Asking good questions is a powerfulway to build your own understandingof the expectations, beliefs andpriorities of others. They help you tounderstand the common and diverginginterests at play within the room. Useopen-ended questions that probe forinformation. “Help me to understandyour thinking” is one of my favourites.

Each of us has the capability tobuild upon our skill sets and makeconflict management a positive andenriching part of our professional andpersonal lives.

Don’t resist conflict. Embrace it as an opportunity toget to know more about other ideas… and to get toknow yourself better in the process. ✔

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

DDListen up!

he Old Boys’ Network. I know that one—intimately. I spent 15 years working in a verymale-dominated field called the NHL. Amongstall the jockstraps and five o’clock shadows,

there seemed to be little room for a woman here. If I hadever taken issue with any of the Old Boys, I would neverhave lasted as long as I did. There were times when theydidn’t even know they were the Old Boys… in fact, theywould be offended if they overheard someone call themthat. One of the most important things I learned in order toexist and be successful in a male-dominated field was toacknowledge that it was a male-dominated field.

Instead of trying to squeeze in, I focused on becomingthe best in the world at what I did. I studied, trained andpracticed my craft; I attended team meetings and get-togethers only when and where I was invited. I was politeand respectful of the Old Boys’ space. I became moreinterested in them and what they were doing. For the mostpart, I kept my mouth shut until I was sure I had somethingof value to say. I lasted nine years with the Oilers’ with thisthought process.

Male hockey players do most oftheir talking on the ice. Take themaway from the rink and you’ll quicklyrealize they are short on words. This isnot meant as criticism, but instead asscientific fact. Men, on average, useabout six to 7,000 words daily whilewomen use over 20, 000. If I wantedanyone to listen to what I had to say—to have my words ring with moreimpact—I needed to learn to speakmore concisely. I’m not saying all menare quiet or all women are chatter-boxes. My point is that if I wanted tobe heard and understood, I needed firstto listen and next to understand. Thesame lesson would be true, I assume,for a man in a female-dominatedbusiness.

Neuro linguistic programming(NLP) is a fascinating study of communication and humanbehaviour. The number one pre-supposition of NLP is “thateveryone is doing the best they can” and the next one isthat “we experience life through our own model of theworld.” Ergo, if I could see the model of the world thatexists for others, or try to understand how they sawsomething (for example, the players and staff of the teams Iwas working for)… and if I could truly see and believethey were all doing the best they could, then nothing theycould do or say could hurt or exclude me. I began to realizethat no one was out to get me and, if I stayed true to my

values, I was always more than welcome to participate andbe included in whatever I wanted. It was when I hadexpectations about being included, or made assumptionsabout how things should be, that I got shot down.

Human nature tends to lead us to tell “our stories” whenwe meet someone new. We share experiences with eachother. It allows us to quickly determine commonalities ordifferences in status, education and even values. However,such a conversation is steeped in judgment whether weknow it or not. This is not bad or wrong. Judgment is justone of the filter systems we use to decide if we arecomfortable with another person or feel safe in a situation.We consciously or unconsciously size each other up almostlike predators circling prey.

In business, this instinctive quality can kick in andimportant decisions can be made on first impressions. Asa woman in a male-dominated business, I realized thiskind of judgment can create insecurity, panic and evenfeel like professional suicide. We keep talking when weshould be listening… or try to change who we are, insideor outside, just to fit in. Most of us generally don’t want

to hang out or do business withanyone who is not who they say theyare. In my coaching business I callthis, ‘the-trying-too-hard-guy’syndrome. Those “guys”—male orfemale—who are trying way too hardto impress, shamelessly pushing orpromoting themselves, trying to attainmore and more external goals only toimpress, often push people away.

I am often impressed with thestrength and commitment of womenentrepreneurs and executives. But, itsurprises and saddens me to hear thatso many of them feel something isstill missing despite their success.

Trust me, there is nothing missing. Take this time to reflect on who

you are. Then the what you do andthe how you do it will unfold. The

barriers of that old belief system, your perceptions andthat silly glass ceiling associated with the Old Boys’Network will be shattered… but only if you are true toyourself.

Surround yourself with other powerful women. Learnto trust yourself and each other. And stop talking when itis time to stop talking. You really have nothing to prove. ✔

Steffany Hanlen is a personal performance coach whoconducts “The Champion Seminars.”Contact [email protected]

The old boys’ clubBy Steffany Hanlen

TT

Photos by Terry Bourque

Les Brost

Steffany Hanlen

Eva Mah is but one example ofEdmonton’s growing community

of women entrepreneurs andbusiness leaders.

Her story triggered discussionabout boardroom performance.

How can women enhance their effectiveness in this male-dominated arena?

How can they make themselves heard?

This month the Transformerstackle those challenges.



COMMUNICATIONNon-verbals Your audience has assessed you within six seconds or lessfrom the moment you enter the boardroom. Not only thatbut you have a 30-minute attention span in which to makeyour case, says Kim Arsenault. And according to CherylSoleway, Power Posture Coach™, physiotherapist andfunctional movement specialist. “The way you carryyourself–being your posture has a significant impact onyour image and overall appearance.” Proper alignmentcoupled with strong posture will provide the femaleexecutive with a significant advantage in delivering apowerful message.

How you use your body/physiology is responsible for 60percent of your message. Your body’s silent language is thelargest part of how you deliver yourmessage and will undoubtedly havethe most impact in influencing youraudience to your desired intention.Keeping in mind that the definitionof “influence” is a transference ofemotion—and motion createsemotion—how you use your bodyis the motion that creates the e-motion.

Non Verbal - PreparationBy gently pulling your belly buttonin toward your spine, you willactivate all of your corestabilization muscles. This will alsoflip on the master switch to all 12meridians/railroad lines to which allof your chi/electrical energy flowsto the approximately 1,000+acupuncture and acupressure pointsthroughout your entire body.

Prior to beginning yourboardroom presentations, take a moment to perform somedeep diaphragmatic breathing, as well as alternate right and

left nostril breathing exercises toactivate the electrical potential ofboth hemispheres of your brain.The purpose of these exercisesis to get you out of yourhead—particularly if you area cerebral type—and becomefully integrated from amind/body perspective. Thiswill assist you in feelingcentered and grounded.

VerbalMost of us have heard thestatement, “it’s not what you say,

but how you sayit” that creates yourdesired outcomes.How you verbally expressyourself is the remaining 40 percent ofthe message–33 percent of which istonality and seven percent is words.The energy and strength of your voiceis directly connected to the amount ofavailable chi/electrical energy availablefrom your adrenal glands. The adrenalglands are the size of lima beans andeach of them sits on top of each one ofyour kidneys. Traditional Chinesemedicine refers to the kidneys andbladder as the element of water and theseason of winter. This just happens tobe the ideal time from the seasonalperspective to be cleansing andrebuilding your kidneys and bladder, aswell as strengthening your adrenalglands to build up your internalreserves to sustain your body

throughout the long, cold winter months and all of yourboardroom dances.

Verbal - PreparationFueling your mind and body

correctly will provide youwith the necessary energyfor your boardroomencounters.

The human brainrequires approximately140 grams of glucoseper day for normalfunctioning, and possibly

two to three times thatwhen you are making a

boardroom presentation. Asteady supply of complex

carbohydrates will help provideyour brain with the necessary

amount of required sugar andglucose to assist the brain in functioning

at an optimum level. To maintain consistent strength in your adrenal

glands (which is the strength of your voice) duringthe “water/winter” season, focus on potassium richfoods. I suggest all dried fruits, mandarin oranges,juices: blueberry, cranberry and peach; and deep-rooted, round vegetables such as squash andpumpkin.

Ensure that you are always properly hydrated. Try to bein bed by 10:30 p.m. since optimum physical rejuvenationoccurs between 10 pm and 2 am, and optimum mentalrejuvenation occurs between 2 and 6 am.

Moving audiences to action will hinge upon your abilityto play the edge between yin and yang and maintain theequilibrium that is required to achieve a high rate ofsuccess as you swim with the sharks in the heat oftoday’s boardrooms. ✔

Colin Williamsen is the president of The Wellness CoachesInc. Contact: [email protected]

omen in business, no matter howsuccessful, commonly ask me thesame question.

“How do you make men listen?”While I can’t help you with that

guy around the house, I can help you with theboardroom boys.

First, realize that one of the most difficultsituations for any speaker is addressing a group ofmen in a business setting. Mix women into youraudience and the group will think more individually.But a corporate group of men will have or build aunified mentality. They will only react as a group,and, as the speaker you will have to take control.This dynamic will change if the president or anotherperson of authority joins them. Then the group willonly respond to what is appropriate—appropriatebeing the reaction of the authority figure. So itshould be very simple: Win his approval and the restof the group will follow. But wait a minute. It’snever quite that simple.

Too often, there is an individual in the room whobelieves it is his responsibility to challenge what isbeing said. Often women tell me they are intimidatedwhen these “Boardroom Bullies” interrupt byincreasing their volume. Just like schoolyard bullies,you need to have the skills to win them over andmake them your champions, or at least get them tolisten. Men have learned that when we want to beheard, all we need to do is speak louder.

Volume is all about breathing and breath support.Think about the act of shouting. Your first impulsewill be to take a deep breath. Most women will

notice that, as they try to take a deep breath, theirshoulders will raise moving closer to their ears. Thisis upper chest breathing and can produce only mildsupport resulting in a tightening in the throat,limiting volume. Now think of the Opera Diva whobelts out an Aria. Her breathing is deep and herthroat is open. This is intercostals diaphragmaticbreathing. If you run, do yoga or, according to mylovely wife, have gone through several hours ofheavy labour, you know the kind breathing andbreath control I am talking about.

Learn to control and develop this power and youcan shout any man down.

Of course this might not always work. So here aresome strategies that most men don’t use.

First of all, don’t interrupt. Wait for the bully tofinish interrupting you… pause—a good, longpause—and take it from there. That pause is oftenenough to make the point. If you are willing to listento them—and it is in your best interest to do so—then they should be willing to listen to you. This is arespect issue but, if they are not able to have adialogue with you, consider that you may be wastingyou time.

The tone or pitch of your voice can also be helpful.Science has shown that, as women get frustrated,their voices will go up in pitch. No, really, I’m notmaking this up. The female voice enters a range thatis actually hard for the male ear to hear.

I wouldn’t recommend you force your tone downto try to sound more manly, but trying someresonance may get a positive response. Simply hum alow tone that you can feel in your chest… as if you

are considering what has just been said. This lowertone will help the male brain to focus on your voice.

Some other points to ponder: “People do businesswith people like them,” is the credo I hear inEdmonton these days. One of the ways you canestablish this is by matching the vocal energy of theother person. If you’re in conversation with someonewho has high energy and speaks quickly, trymatching their cadence. If the mood is more reservedand methodical, then slow it down.

Also consider how fast you are talking. If you getnervous just before the big presentation, that nervousenergy can cause you to speed up. This can bebeneficial if you are telling a funny story but, if youwant the room to remember something, slow it down.If it’s technical information, slow it down a lot.

Physical gesture can also be very effective as away of gaining the focus of a group. It can also be avery effective way to emphasize or punctuate a pointyou are making. Here is a caution though: Justremember that great battles have been fought overthe misinterpretation of a single physical gesture. ✔

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

By Colin Williamsen

By Tom Bradshaw

How to make a man listen

WW

The Yin and Yang in the boardroom

Colin Williamsen

Tom Bradshaw



Uh oh.Somebody just hacked into the computersystems of a major U.S. retail firm andcopied/swiped/viewed the VISA creditcard numbers and purchasinginformation of approximately twomillion Canadians.

Um. So what?OK, first, let’s review. Last week, it

surfaced that hackers stole customerinformation from computer systems ofTJX Cos., the U.S. parent firm ofCanadian retailers Winners andHomeSense. Reports say as many astwo million Canadian Visa card accountswere affected. The hack was discoveredin mid-December and included trans-actions between 2003 and part of 2006.

There’s more. Another Canadian newsitem came to light last month whenCIBC Asset Management admitted abackup computer file containinginformation about almost half a million

of its Talvest Mutual Funds clientsdisappeared during an internal officemove. CIBC said it appeared that noneof the information was inappropriatelyaccessed, but it was taking precautions toreassure its customers that their accountswould remain safe.

The actual theft orcompromise ofthese systems isn’tnews. It seems tohappen a lot andmakes for greatheadlines on slowdays with non-technical reportersof the daily newspapers.

What is news is when somebodyactually uses your credit card and getsaway with making a major transactionthat you have to pay for. So far, I haven’tseen a single reported incident of wherea regular, normal day-to-day Winners-VISA credit card carrier has been forcedto pay for something that was purchasedby the credit card hacking thief.

However, let’s say somebody didmake a $700 purchase on your VISA

card after obtaining the number illegally,and the amount showed up on your nextstatement. Do you think you will pay it?Not a chance. You will call your MLA,MP, local mayor and hire JohnnyCochrane—well, maybe not that Johnny

Cochrane—beforeyou write thecheque… especiallyif you can easilydemonstrate youdidn’t make thepurchase.Remember that anyonline purchaseusing a credit card

contains the date, time and IP address ofthe purchaser. To coin a great Microsoftline: “It’s not a bug! It’s a feature!”

Let’s take another example. Howmany of you have handed your creditcard to a dozy, sinister looking waiter ina sleazy restaurant in Mexico or adumpy bistro in Greece simply becausethe American Express logo was on thedoor? What’s to stop that person fromwriting down your credit card number,expiry date and security code on the

back or even to photocopy yoursignature? Nothing.

Now, here’s the best part: Do youknow why the thieves seldom use thecredit card information? Because it is toohard to use, there is too much securityand, above all, it is way too easy for theenforcement agencies to catch the badguys.

Having a list of stolen credit cardnumbers is the electronic equivalent of aregular bank robber who gets 10 grandin cash from an armed robbery.Generally, the cash is stained with thatsecret dye the banks use for just such anoccasion.

In other words, stealing data may beeasy but using the data for profit is adifferent story. Rarely are they able topull this off and, even then, it is insuredso the cardholders almost never get hurt.

There’s a second aspect to all this;relating mostly to customer informationand the security of such. Call me crazy,but most run-of-the-mill e-crooks findthe buying habits of people quite boring.In fact, more often when a system ishacked, it is by one company looking togain an advantage over their competitor.In that case, you almost never hear of thehack.

Years ago, Sun Microsystems CEOScott McNealy said, “You have noprivacy. Get over it.” ✔

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

INTELINTELiz IT 101

with Greg MichettiB

The Edmonton EconomicDevelopment Authority scored a coup insecuring New York Times columnist PaulKrugman as the keynote speaker for itsannual luncheon on March 21. Krugman isan award-winning, thought-provoking, and

often controversial author who also isprofessor of economics and internationalaffairs at Princeton University. He hasauthored more than 20 books and 200papers in professional journals and editedvolumes, and is known for his ability tocommunicate complex economic andpolitical issues in a straightforward andunderstandable way.

His work in economics has earnedKrugman widespread acclaim from

professional and academic circles, and hehas received numerous awards for his work,notably the American EconomicAssociation John Bates Clark medal,given every two years to “that economistunder 40 who is adjudged to have made asignificant contribution to economicknowledge.” His current academic researchis focused on economic and currency crises.

At the same time, Krugman has writtenextensively for abroader publicaudience. Some of hisrecent articles oneconomic issues,originally published inForeign Affairs,Harvard BusinessReview, ScientificAmerican and otherjournals, are reprintedin Pop Internationalismand The AccidentalTheorist. In Edmonton,Krugman’s keynoteaddress will discusseconomic and politicaltrends and issues ofglobal significance, andoffer insights as to howthey may impactCanada and Alberta.

Still waiting onannouncements ofmajor new officetowers in downtown

Edmonton, but plenty of rumours abound,some more substantial than others. Therapidity of development, however, meansthat by the time this column actuallyappears, some new project may well havebeen announced.

One significant redevelopment on thehorizon, however, is that of theProfessional Building, on Jasper Avenuebetween 108th and 109th Streets. Long astructure dedicated to medical, dental andother health-related businesses, it has beenempty for some time, awaitingredevelopment. It is now owned by one ofEdmonton’s more active propertydevelopers, ProCura Urban Properties,which is planning to redevelop it,including an expansion east to 108thStreet, eliminating the unsightly parkinglot at that corner. The transformation ofthe building will be striking, as therenderings show, and will provide avisually appealing entrance to downtownalong Jasper from mid-town Oliver.

The building, now known simply as10830 Jasper, will be designed andconstructed under a LEEDs[environmental] certification program, andwill offer more than 210,000 square feetof office space and 25,500 square feet ofretail space, along with 177 undergroundparking stalls. ProCura’s website notesthat the “plan to revitalize this citylandmark is the beginning of the nextgeneration of development in this area.”This is probably not hyperbole, sinceProCura also owns the Mayfair Hotel(now a hostel) across the street, as well asthe contiguous vacant lot next to it on109th and Jasper, and the former funeralhome immediately south of that—allprime for redevelopment. ProCura alsoowns the fully-leased AssociatedEngineering Plaza on the southwestcorner of 109th and Jasper and theParamount Theatre building further easton Jasper. In addition, ProCura, inpartnership with Vancouver‘s WestbankProjects Corporation, is undertaking themost comprehensive redevelopment inEdmonton history, the $1 billion-plusCentury Park, on the former HeritageMall site.

No word on when the redevelopment of10830 Jasper will begin, but the Cityissued a permit to ProCura in October.The office segment of Edmonton’s realestate market is the only one not to haveshown strong growth in the past fewyears, so one can only hope that thisrejuvenation project will start soon.

A strong indication of the strengthof the Edmonton multi-unit residentialmarket is the fact that LanghamProperties, developers of the aptly-namedIcon condo project on 104 Street offJasper, have announced that the height ofthe second tower, whose units went on salein January, has been increased to 35 storiesfrom 30. A number of real estateprofessionals with whom I have talkedrecently said there is no sign the market isslowing down, and they cite a lack ofinventory as one reason prices are rising. Iexpect we’ll see more and more signs ofthis in the months to come.

Edmonton International Airport’s2006 final passenger count is in: morethan 5.2 million passengers, an increaseof 15.5 percent over 2005. That makes itthe fastest growing of Canada’s majorairports, and predictions are for equallyimpressive growth in 2007.

The major airlines are aware of andcontributing to this growth as well. AirCanada announced in early Januarythat it will introduce seasonal daily non-stop service between Edmonton andHalifax from June 15th to September16th. The flights, using Airbus A319s,will join WestJet’s seasonal non-stop toHalifax, now entering its second year.As well, increased frequencies onexisting routes are responding todemand; both Air Canada and WestJetare anticipated to add flightsdomestically, and Air Transat isbringing back its seasonal Edmonton-London Gatwick charter service after anabsence of several years, joining theEdmonton-Frankfurt non-stop it has alsooperated seasonally. Expect to see moreflights to Europeandestinations, if not thiscoming year thencertainly next.

The growth ofEdmonton InternationalAirport reflects theongoing strength of theregion’s economy. ✔

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

ivic Buzzwith David NorwoodC

BizBiz

Paul Krugman

Professional Building on Jasper

Credit cardhacked?

Get over it!



Alberta Newspapers and Televisionstations always provide heart-warming pictures ofValentine Day activities… of everyone fromchildren to seniors and those in between,exchanging cute cards or other items expressinglove and care for one another.

Albertans and Canadians are not afraid to displaysuch affections—something this increasinglyviolent world could learn from. That’s why I’msuggesting that the United Nations declareValentine’s as a universal day for celebrating lovefor our fellow man.

I advocate this at a time when too manynations—and their citizens—look askance atcompassion for others because of race, colour andcreed. Hatred, violence and terrorism areincreasingly advocated—even against innocentwomen and children, sometimes within their ownfamilies. Two sickening examples come to mind:

Nazanun Fatehei of Iran, was sentenced todeath for stabbing to death one of three men whoattempted to rape her when she was 17. A publicoutcry saw the sentence commuted, but she stillhas to pay blood money to the family of thewould-be rapist. Ironically, if she had allowed therape, she would still have been punished with 100lashes.

In Gaza City on the West Bank, absolutely nocredibility remains amongst the so-calledleadership of feuding Palestinian political parties,Fatah and Hamas. How else do you explain thebarbaric political murder of three brothers, aged 9,6 and 3, on their way to school––with the oldestboy being shot 10 times in the head !

Unbelievably, there has been absolutely nouproar about either incident. Very ironic when yourecall the months of orchestrated kidnappings,bombs, fires and publicity on government-controlled Middle East media, over that Danishcartoonist’s caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.One Pakistani cleric even offered a $1-millionbounty for the death of the cartoonist.

Those archaic barbarians advocating such hatred,even against their own people, would obviously beshocked at the marriages of Sherwood ParkAnglican priest Neil Gordon and his Jewishlawyer wife Susan Bercov, as well as EdmontonJewish lawyer Saul Katz and his Lebanese wifeGenoa Chadi.

While Edmontonians have every justifiable rightto be proud of compassion for our fellow man, wecan’t be smug. Not with the murders of EvanGrykuliak who was killed at his own birthdayparty at La Perle community hall; or DylandMcGillis of Lloydminster who died after beingjumped by a bunch of thugs on Whyte Avenue.Then there was the grizzly death of 13 year oldNina-Louise Courtepatte, horrific details ofwhich I can’t bear to repeat.

However commendable it might be, I have to berealistic about those sick individuals of this globalvillage taking a day off from their plannedatrocities. So forget about a world-wide Valentine’sDay love-in. That doesn’t mean, however, I can’textend personal blessings and love to all of you onthis very special day, and every dayof the year. ✔

Bruce Hogle is the former news director atCFRN TV and recently retired head of theAlberta Press Council. Contact [email protected]

edia Minutewith Bruce HogleM MAKINGmoney

nvestors feel betrayed. The Conservative Partytold them in 2005 that there would be no attemptto change the way income trusts were taxed.Twelve months later, on Hallowe’en, they

received a financial scare they didn’t expect. Incometrusts, excluding certain real estate investment trusts(REITs), after a four-year grace period would be taxedthe same as regular corporations.

Foreigners, who held 22 percent of the total floatof income trusts, started dumping their holdingsthe morning after the announcement, causing unitprices to tank. Income trust investors faced adouble slap in the face. Not only were they goingto face a future drop in their income but, with thesinking value of their shares, a reduction in capitalas well. No wonder investors were furious.Betrayal really hurts, especially when it costsmoney.

Yet, for all the complaints about beingblindsided, there were telltale signs that shouldhave warned investors that all this tax-free incomegushing from corporate coffers was too good tolast.

POLITICALLY UNTENABLEThe present government is taking a lot of heat forbeing two-faced but, in reality, they had very littlechoice. When Telus and BCE announced they weregoing to convert from a corporate to income truststructure, the dam had been broken. Within twoyears, most major corporations in this countrywould have become trusts. In a socialist countrylike Canada, that is completely untenable. Ourcountry’s public finances are built around a taxsystem that is both broad based and progressive.You make money; you pay tax. No exceptions. Themore you make,the more youpay. Mostcorporations areprofitable—many are veryprofitable. Toassume that thevoting publicwould let thecorporate sectoroff the hookfrom paying taxis a pipe dream.Governmentscount votesevery day. Theyknow thatallowing one particular group to avoid tax wouldbe tantamount to committing political suicide.Legislatively creating a tax free zone around asignificant contributor to the Canadian financialsystem is a one-way ticket to becoming Canada’sofficial opposition.

TRUSTS HAVE BEEN SHUT DOWN ELSEWHEREMany people think that the income trustphenomenon is a uniquely Canadian investmentstructure. It isn’t. Both Australia and the UnitedStates had to deal with the proliferation of incometrusts more than a decade ago. The differencebetween us and them is timing. Both Australia andAmerica understood right away the consequence ofletting trust units expand exponentially. That iswhy they nipped their growth in the bud and shutthem down almost immediately. Canada adopted adeer in the headlights approach. We only reactedwhen our entire tax collection infrastructure wasthreatened by a tsunami. We chose to be reactiveinstead of proactive. This, unfortunately, is thetypical Canadian way of dealing with radicalchange.

GOVERNMENTS ARE WISHY WASHYIf you forget how fickle governments can be, a

brief refresher on their tax policy u-turns will soonchange that.

Remember the Alberta Stock Savings Plan thatwas passed into law on February 1st, 1986. Itallowed you a generous tax credit of up to $3,000for the purchase of qualifying shares. Within acouple of years, the government figured out thattoo many people were gaming the system and, as aresult, they put an end to the program.

Between 1972 and 1987, you only had to pay taxon half of your capital gains. In 1988 and 1989,that figure rose to 66 percent. From 1989 to 2000,the taxable inclusion of capital gains rose to 75percent. In the year 2000, the amount of tax youhad to pay on capital gains dropped to 66 percentand then to 50 percent, which is where it is today.Along the way, there was even a brief period oftime when the first $100,000 of lifetime capitalgains was tax exempt. That went the way of thedodo bird in 1994.

In 1993, the Liberals promised to get rid of thetax that brought down Brian Mulroney’s Conser-vative government. Yet when they were elected,they reneged on that promise and the hated GST isstill with us 14 years later.

Mutual fund limited partnerships, the dividendtax credit; income splitting, taxation on deferredinterest, movie production tax shelters, etc. These,along with dozens of other popular tax strategies,have been changed or eliminated over the years.

THERE IS A LESSON HERETax breaks are never ever permanent. Historyshows us that they appear and then are modified ordisappear with alarming frequency. Governmentsuse tax breaks as a very effective carrot to get the

votes they needto get elected.When they attainoffice, prioritieschange. Theynow have acountry to runand that requirescash flow. Theeasiest way toincrease thefunds available tothem is to raisetaxes or discon-tinue tax breaks.When a newparty comes intopower, new

special interest groups need to be catered to. Thisbrings with it a completely different tax agenda.Old tax breaks are discontinued and new onescome into being.

The lesson that should be taken away from this isthat investors must never build a portfolio concen-trated around a particular tax strategy. The cleardrivers of any financial decision need to beprimarily focused on the profitability of aparticular investment on a stand-alone basis. If aninvestment can satisfy this requirement, then anytax baubles associated with it should be consideredicing on the cake. Tax savings mean that more ofthe profits will stay in your pocket and less will goto the government.

If you were caught off guard by the recent taxchanges, I feel for you. If it happens again, thenshame on you. To be fooled twice, leaves you withonly yourself to blame. ✔

Ron Hiebert, a director atScotiaMcLeod, teaches investmentclasses at Grant MacEwan College.The author of Wealth Building canbe heard weekdays at 7:34 am, onCFCW radio (790 AM). Contact himat 780.497.3215 [email protected]

II

Tax breaksnever permanent

By Ron Hiebert

Fool me once, shame on you!Fool me twice, shame on me!

~ Anonymous



obbie Burns Day festivities may havesubsided, but the celebration of scotchlingers on. Time to think outside the glass.

Cooking with scotch is a lot more popularthan it was 15 years ago. People are more adventurouswith their food. Scotch is being used as both aningredient in cooking and as an accompaniment tomany dishes such as beef, venison, fish and curedmeats.

Anthony Burnet, the Glenmorangie Scotch regionaldirector for the Americas, should know. He travels allacross North America educating people about theintricacies of the whiskey.

Scotch for scotch-lovers is what wine is to wineconnoisseurs. Yes, you can be snobbish about it, butwhy bother. It’s a whole new world of intriguing,mysterious flavours that arouse your senses of smell,taste and sight. Now before I get too carried away, aperson’s scotch preference is a personal one, basedsolely on taste. And, in some cases, the pocketbook.

There are two types of scotches: A blended scotchutilizes anywhere from two to 100 different scotches toform a blend, while single malts are the purest form ofscotch you can get. Single malt scotch can be verysharp and very smoky, depending on whether it isfiltered through peat or a light smoke from burning peatis piped into the vat. Single malts account for onlyeight percent of the scotch market worldwide… butthey are gaining prominence.

Burnet says cooking with scotch is an excellent wayto introduce your wife, partner or friends to the worldof scotch. “It’s a great avenue to explore the singlemalts. People really are quite surprised by the flavour.It’s often a whole new experience for them.”

It’s not a complicated process. Like beer and wine,scotch can be poured over your poultry, game or meatto impart a simple, vibrant flavour. Or it works well inmarinades or bastes. But adhere closely to the recipe,because of its bold and unique flavour qualities. You

don’t want to overpower your dish with too muchscotch. Like a fine scotch is to be sipped and enjoyed, alittle will go along way in imparting a subtle, head-turning flavour.

When married with herbs such as rosemary, oregano,thyme and other spices, it will complement the overallflavour of the dish. In many recipes, scotch will beused to deglaze the pan of the aromatic bits that willform the base for your sauce.

Its full bodied peaty aroma is what’s sought after inyour marinade. This will enrich the natural flavour ofyour main dish, such as salmon, and give it a totallynew dimension.

JOHN BERRY’S GLENMORANGIE HONEY MUSTARD-GLAZED CHICKENI am a big fan of chicken thighs because they haveincredible taste and are very tender. I had four wholelegs and separated the drumsticks and thighs with aknife, using both parts for this dish. I served it over aplate of Basmati rice with peaches, raisins, onions andmushrooms. Plain rice will do or you can create yourown rice dish. Be careful not to season too muchbecause it will detract from the wonderful scotch glaze,which can be poured overtop the dish when cooked.

Four whole chicken legs, separated1 Tbs. butter 2 Tbs. grainy Dijon mustardSplash of olive oil 1/3 cup honey1/4 cup diced parsley 3 cloves garlic, diced1/2 cup Glenmorangie 10 year-old Scotch

—and a bit extra for the ChefSalt and Pepper to taste

• In a sauté pan add butter, a splash of olive oil toprevent the butter from burning, diced garlic. Brownchicken on all sides.

• Remove and place in a casserole dish.• De-glaze it with the scotch and reduce by half.

• Add the honey and mustard and mix well.• Pour over the chicken in the casserole dish and bake

at 350ºF for 45-50 minutes. Serve over a bed of rice.

GLENMORANGIE CHOCOLATE MOUSSEThe wonderful nutty flavor of the 10 year-old scotchwith vanilla-honey tones marries well with the rest ofthe ingredients. It’s absolutely delicious.

1/2 pint whipping cream, lightly whipped1/2 pound dark chocolate4 eggsGenerous splash of Glenmorangie 10 year-old Scotch

• Lightly whip the cream• Melt the chocolate and slightly cool• Beat the eggs with a mixer at full speed until fluffy.• Incorporate the cream and chocolate together

lightly folding with a spatula. • Do the same with the beaten egg, but be light handed

in folding.• Add a generous splash of Glenmorangie 10 year-old

Scotch.• Cover and let set for 4-6 hours. • Serve with whipped cream and a leaf of mint to garnish.Serves: 12

Contact Chef John Berry at [email protected]

RRwith Chef John Berry

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enry Ernest Dudeney (1857-1930) wasan English author and mathematicianwho specialized in logic puzzles.Revered as the country’s foremost

creator of puzzles, Hank is also credited with inventing theNine-Dot Puzzle.

Challenge: Connect the dots using four straight lines drawnwithout the pencil leaving the paper.

Solution: In order to successfully solve the puzzle, one hasto realize that the dot boundaries are psychological. Think“outside the box” by extending the lines beyond theimaginary border created by the nine dots.

You can employ the same open-minded philosophy whenlooking at everyday objects around the house that can berecycled or better serve in an alternative function. So, nexttime, save that broken spatula. The blade is great forscraping wax from surfaces caused by unruly drippingcandles.

Push-Me-Pull-YouTired of ordinary dimmer switches? Hollow the shaft of aninteresting drawer pull and insert an adapter available atlighting outlets. Dim the lights with pizzazz.

Clip GripUse binder clips as easels to display your favourite photos.Available in various sizes, these paper clips are strongenough to uphold mounted photos as well.

Cork FrogIf you want to display a singlelofty bloom in a vase, use corksto stabilize the stem. The corksfloat, creating a sturdy supportwithout the use of a traditionalflower frog. This concept workswith larger bouquets as well,keeping buds exactly whereyou arrange them.

Tied and TrueUnruly pillow dilemma on yoursofa? Anchor them in place withdrapery tie backs. Sew each end ofthe tie back onto your pillow anddrape over the back of the couch.No more musical pillows.

HighlightsAre you plagued with a 1970’ssunshine ceiling in your kitchen?Do you feel like you are in the

midst of an airport landing strip every time you turn thelights on? If remodelling is not in the budget, considerreplacing a few ofthe Plexi lenseswith fome cor.Available at artshops, fome corcan be painted andeasily cut to shape.Good bye controltower.

For the BirdsI recently received a handsomehanging votive holder that Iconverted into a bird feeder. Byreplacing the glass candle vessel witha larger one, I can fill with sufficientseeds for several days. Squirrelproof, this decorative addition in theyard affords the birds the luxury offine dining in the pines.

A Little Dab will do YaThe candelabra light fixturein the dining room sportsbare bulbs. Give it a littleold world charm with a tubeof silicone. Squeeze clear

silicone into a disposablecontainer and dip torpedoshaped bulbs. Twist bulbslightly when removing fromcontainer to create a flame-tipped profile. Dry for 24hours upside down, tip willlengthen as it dries. Great forthat next intimate dinner.

Easel CarrouselA small wrought ironeasel can be easilyconverted into a chictoilet paper dispenser.Attach easel to abathroom wall withdrawer pulls and usethe stand to house asmall dowel todistribute paper.Tasteful and tailored.

Tooth TechYour PC case has busted a seam. No problem. Use dentalfloss for heavy duty stitching where strength is moreimportant than colour matching. Easy to use, the cut-and-release container provides a waxed thread that glidesthrough the toughest of fabrics.

Tin SpinWe all know that olive oil tins make great ice buckets andvases when the top is removed, but did you know they alsomake great door stops? Simply fill with sand through thespout and replace lid. Weatherproof and strong enough for agamut of gales.

So…you think it’s been done before? Charles H. Duell,Director of the US Patent Office, said, “Everything that canbe invented has been invented.” That was in 1899, clearlyhe was inside the box. Remember Dudeney’s challenge andfree yourself.

If you have any unusual re-purposing of commonplaceobjects, do share and drop me a line. ✔

Contact Linda Bodo at [email protected] or visit absolutebodo.com.

LIVELYlifestyles

HH

Thinking Outside the BoxOutside the Box: an expression used to describe nonconformist, creative thinking.



Are we on the same page?

I am always amazed by just how out ofsync the operators of a company can bewith the owners.

Recently we were asked to assist acompany by raising some financing for anew venture that management deemedan obvious complimentary diversificationof its current operations. They hadresearched the opportunity extensively,purchased some equipment, embarked onimplementation and needed to raise someserious capital. When advising the boardof directors on the feasibility for raisingthe capital, it became apparent that theydefinitely were not on side with this newinitiative; further funding was unlikely.

In another situation, we were asked toassist a management group raise capitalto buy out the absentee owner. The grouphad determined what they were preparedto pay for the company based on theirbelief that, as long-time management,they would receive a discounted purchaseprice. Initially the group was reluctant toengage us as they felt they had such anexcellent relationship with the owner thatour services would add little value. Whenwe finally got to meet with the owner weconfirmed that his desire to sell was atbest marginal, his price expectation didnot involve a discount and, if he were tosell, he wanted to sound out themarketplace to see the level of interest inhis business. If management wanted tobuy him out it would be in a competitiveenvironment.

Here’s another example: a 60 percentmajority owner engaged us to sell abusiness that had four shareholders. Hewas ready to step down and wasconfident that his other partners wouldfollow his lead and do whatever hewanted. He kept them in the dark untilthe process was well underway. Of course,they did not follow his lead obligingly andresented not being informed of his planup front. As a result, they had little desireto sell their shares. Buyers tend to avoidvendors that are not unified in their causeand do not want to get involved incompany politics and problems.

You must get your ducks in a row whenyou are about to embark on a newdirection and make sure all thestakeholders are on side. If you are notcertain how to go about this or you needassistance in implementing yourstrategies, we can help and add value toyour plans. Please give me a call at780.441.6793 or [email protected].

with Stephen W. Kent, CA(780) 448-9099

ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES &

CORPORATE FINANCE

Edmontonians Feb07

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