Inside Business - Winter 2015

As the judges review the nomi-nations, anticipation continues to build for the Timmins Chamber of Commerce’s 2015 Nova Business Excellence Awards, the region’s big-gest celebration of entrepreneurial achievement.

To be held at the McIntyre Arena on Thursday, April 16, the 13th annu-al Nova Awards are a prestigious gala event recognizing the best of Tim-mins business across 14 categories.

More than 600 people attended in both 2013 and 2014, and this year’s event promises to uphold its reputa-tion as a spectacular way to celebrate

business success, according to Al Thorne, President of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce.

“The annual Nova Awards are a great way for the Chamber to cele-brate the best and brightest entrepre-neurs in the community and shine a light on those who make Tim-mins a great place to do business,” said Thorne.

“We received many stellar nomina-tions this year for some truly worthy businesses, which represent a diverse cross-section of Timmins’ economy. I don’t envy our panel of indepen-dent community judges, which has

the difficult task of choosing just 14 recipients, though it’s clear from our nominees that every one of them is worth celebrating.”

Finalists will be personally notified on Feb. 26 at their place of business by Chamber volunteers and staff, who will also present a small gift to commemorate the special occasion.

Photographs of these visits will be taken throughout the day and presented online at the Chamber’s Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/TimminsChamber. Video will also be taken wherever possible and displayed as part of the Nova

Awards’ opening segment during the April 16 gala.

This year’s Nova Awards gala will feature a “cirque” theme, which is fit-ting as the Nova Awards showcase business, group and individual suc-cess in the same way a “cirque” show-cases talent, said Thorne.

“We’ve introduced a few new categories to better highlight busi-ness success, and these include the National Bank Lifetime Business Achievement Award and the North-ernTel Productivity, Innovation & Di-versification Award. These categories will help us to clearly demonstrate the strength of Timmins businesses and their determination to succeed.”

As in recent years, CTV Television news personalities will interview the event’s finalists, organizers and community champions on the Nova Awards’ own version of the red car-pet. These segments will be broadcast live throughout the many flat-screen televisions on display throughout the area, which served to promote fur-ther conversation among attendees during the celebration.

Other examples of Timmins talent will be on hand throughout the event, in the form of locally produced hors d’oeuvres, snacks, and of course the high-class décor, all of which is be-ing supplemented by the hard work of countless volunteers who donate their time to make it all happen.

Tickets for the Nova Awards will go on sale Feb. 20, 2014 at $100 plus HST, or a discounted price of $85 plus HST for Chamber members. Tickets can be ordered by emailing the Chamber at [email protected]

QUARTERLY WINTER 2015

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A TImmINs chAmbER of commERcE pUbLIcATIoNChamber prepares to celebrate best of local biz at 13th annual Nova Awards

Recipients to be honoured across 14 categories

The Nova Business Excellence Awards will once again celebrate the best of Timmins business at the McIntyre Arena on April 16. The 2014 event drew more than 600 attendees.

Nominees for the 13th annual Nova Business Excellence Awards will be announced Feb. 26 for the following categories:• BMT Insurance & Financial

Services Business Contribution to the Community Award

• Porcupine Gold Mines – Gold-corp Canada Ltd. Business Contribution to the Commu-nity Award (31+ Employees)

• RBC Marketing Innovation Achievement Award

• City of Timmins Non-Profit Organization Award

• Collège Boréal Young Profes-sional Award (Under 35)

• TD Bank Group Business of the Year Award (6-30 Employees)

• Scotiabank Business of the Year Award (1-5 Employees)

• Northern Credit Union Lim-ited Business of the Year Award (31+ Employees)

• FNETB Best Place to Work Award

• National Bank Lifetime Busi-ness Achievement Award

• NorthernTel Productivity, In-novation & Diversification Award

• De Beers Canada Aboriginal Partnership Award

• Northern College Service Ex-cellence Award

• Caisse Populaire de Timmins New Business Award (Under 2 Years)

inside business2 - FEBRUARY 2015

Northeast Ontario can expect modest eco-nomic growth and job growth over the next few years, according to a new economic forecast re-leased by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and the Credit Unions of Ontario.

The report forecasts that the unemployment rate for the region will continue its down-ward trend to 6.2 percent by 2016; this marks a decrease from 6.8 percent in 2014, which re-mained below the provincial average of 7.3 per-cent. However, the Northeast is expected to ex-perience only modest employment growth (0.1 percent growth in 2015, 0.2 growth in 2016) for the next two years, a trend that trails behind most other regions of Ontario.

The industries contributing most to near-term economic growth are primary resource industries, retail-wholesale trade, health-social services, and a variety of other service indus-tries. Construction contributes only margin-ally to forecast growth, according to the report, which considers the Northeast Economic Re-gion to include Greater Sudbury and the dis-tricts of Nipissing, Parry Sound, Manitoulin, Sudbury, Timiskaming, Cochrane and Algoma; this region is home to over 560,000 residents.

The report’s authors note that fortunes of the region are closely entwined with the outlook for global markets for primary products such as pulp, lumber, steel, and metals.

“There continue to be challenges in the north-east, particularly with regards to outmigration and the lack of any real employment growth, but there are nevertheless some positive signs for our region’s economy,” says Al Thorne, presi-dent of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce.

“There are some good indications for our

natural resource sectors, and these have tradi-tionally been Timmins’ strengths.”

A number of major projects in the region will contribute to employment over the next few years. Construction continues on the 25 mega-watt New Post Creek hydroelectric develop-ment. As well, the development and conversion of the Energy East Pipeline, which cuts across the Northeast economic region, may begin in 2016.

Moderate improvement in commodity prices will also support growth in the mining sector through to 2016. Nickel, zinc, and lead prices are expected to move higher over the next two years, with copper prices following in 2016 as the U.S. economy picks up steam and the global economic recovery slowly takes hold. Signs of a strengthening gold market are also lending some optimism to the Timmins area in particu-lar, as new capacity continues to contribute to increased gold production.

A strengthening U.S. economy and a rebound in housing markets bodes well for the forest products industry. A rise in U.S. housing starts is offering better prospects to northeastern Ontario’s wood products sector, whose recent growth has to date trailed other parts of Cana-da. To capitalize on this growing demand, com-petitiveness challenges posed by such issues as rising electricity rates will need to be addressed.

Reduced activity in Canada’s oil and gas sec-tor, as a result of the sharp drop in oil prices in recent months, will challenge the steel industry in Sault Ste. Marie as oil producers scale back their investments and pipeline construction gets deferred or possibly cancelled. Oil prices are expected to remain weak until producers address the current glut in supply. In response

to this weakness, Tenaris Algoma Tubes, a ma-jor tube producer, temporarily laid off about a quarter of its workforce in early January.

Low commodity prices and uncertainty around development timelines are also damp-ening the prospects for the Ring of Fire, which would be a significant contributor to the North-east economy.

“There are a number of issues that need to be overcome to help spark greater growth po-tential for the northeast,” adds Thorne. “This is partly due to global factors beyond our control, but it’s also due to regulatory issues that need addressing right here in Ontario. We sincerely hope to work with our partners in business and government throughout the province in the coming months and years to help address these issues and help enhance prosperity in the north-east – prosperity which, in turn, benefits all

of Ontario.Key Facts and Highlights:•NortheastOntario’spopulationisexpected

to drop slightly (-3,000) over the next two years as the region continues to face out-migration.• Housing prices in Northeast Ontario are

among the lowest in the province, selling at an average price of $216,000. Prices are expected to rise by roughly half a percentage point each year for the next two years.•Eventhoughmortgagerateswereatrecord

lows last year, sales declined an estimated five percent and marked the third consecutive an-nual decline. Net out-migration and minimal employment growth since the recession are negative local demand factors overriding the positive effect of low rates.

Download the full economic outlook at http://tinyurl.com/NortheastOutlook2015

Lower unemployment forecast for Ontario’s Northeast

Natural resource industry success will drive economic success in northeastern Ontario, according to a report.

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inside business FEBRUARY 2015 - 3

The Chamber consists of groups of volun-teers that typically meet once a month to help advance the interests of the Chamber’s 750-plus members, and to help guide Chamber efforts.

Each committee works on specific topics and issues that develop policies and action plans that help the Chamber to create a positive business outlook for Chamber members and the business community as a whole.

If you are interested in joining any of the com-mittees and improving Timmins’ business com-munity by contributing your knowledge and expertise, please contact Nick Stewart by phone at (705) 360-1900 or via email at [email protected]

Member Services and Events Committee

This committee oversees the Chamber’s memberships, events, and fundraising. It helps find ways to help the Chamber improve member benefits for all.

This year, the committee has been finding new ways to improve the Member to Member Discount Program as well as ways to improve services for young professionals. A new pricing option for young professionals has been intro-duced to a number of events in order to engage this important demographic.

A new personal membership for young pro-fessionals will soon be introduced. This mem-bership will allow individuals under 40 to take advantage of exclusive pricing on Chamber and community events as well as one-time discounts at local businesses such as Bliss Beauty Bar, Cof-fee Warehouse/Vicky D’Amours Bakery, Discov-er Fitness with Kate Durst, Maurices, Toffanello’s Fresh Pasta, and Wacky Wings Timmins. The membership will provide access to professional and leadership development opportunities, and act as a collective voice for young professionals in the Timmins area.

To better improve the Chamber’s offerings and provide more focused and greater value to

members, the committee has also begun to seek feedback from the sectors that make up its mem-bership. To do so, the Chamber membership was split into nine separate segments: associations and non-profit organizations; creative services; financial and insurance services; hospitality; in-dustrial, trade and manufacturing; professional services; retail; transportation; and other. The Chamber has been meeting with these segments with the goal of obtaining feedback on events, identifying policy issues, and sharing best prac-tices.

The first of three sets of meetings were held in December, and the second meetings are tak-ing place through February. If you are interested in attending these meetings, please send your name and the segment meeting you would like to attend to [email protected]

With feedback from these segment meet-ings, the Chamber introduced the #Cham-berDealOfTheDay on social media during the month of December. Each day, the general pub-lic received special promotions of up to 50% off with participating members by displaying the

deal, which was posted on the Chamber’s Face-book and Twitter pages, on their mobile device at the checkout.

Government Regulation and Policy Committee

This committee helps tackle issues of inter-est to the business community and Chamber members. Whether it is municipal, provincial, or federal level issues, this community works to find solutions to these problems on behalf of lo-cal businesses.

Last year, the committee submitted a policy resolution to the Canadian Chamber of Com-merce calling for better federal collection of labour market information; this was done in partnership with the Sudbury and Calgary Chambers of Commerce as well as the Canadian Chamber’s Human Resources Policy Commit-tee. The resolution was successfully adopted by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce at its annual general meeting held in Charlottetown, P.E.I. in September.

This year, the committee has been working on reviewing draft recommendations for the

Ontario Chamber’s annual economic agenda for Ontario, Emerging Stronger. This document contains recommendations aimed at the gov-ernment and the private sector to take Ontario’s economy from recovery to growth. The report will be released in February.

Finally, the Government Regulation and Policy Committee is currently working with the Chamber members to develop a policy resolu-tion to submit to the Ontario Chamber of Com-merce at its annual general meeting in Cornwall on April 30-May 3.

Municipal Affairs CommitteeThe Municipal Affairs committee works on

issues at the municipal level that hinder the success of businesses in the community. This year, the committee has been discussing the mu-nicipal procurement processes, parking in the downtown and the municipal budget.

The committee has been discussing ways to encourage the city to buy locally and reinvest in the community. This discussion allowed the cre-ation of a Business Climate Improvement report on municipal purchasing, which was presented to City Council in September. The report out-lines recommendations for the City to improve the ways in which they approach municipal pro-curement and make information about the pro-cess available to the public. The committee met with Joe Torlone, the City’s Chief Administrative Officer, and Gord Deacon, the City’s Manager of Purchasing, to discuss how the Chamber and City can work together on these recommenda-tions.

The Municipal Affairs Committee has been working on its annual municipal budget presen-tation to City Council. The recommendations will include the most pressing, most common municipal priorities as suggested by the mem-bership in a survey distributed in December. The Chamber will present these recommenda-tions to City Council in February.

Timmins Chamber committees: Winter 2014-2015 update

News from the Chamber network

Ontario and Timmins Chambers sound alarm over Ontario’s

debt and deficitOntarians should be very concerned about the

province’s fiscal situation, according to a report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Timmins Chamber of Commerce.

The report, How Bad Is It? What Do We Do About It?, finds that while Ontario’s fiscal situation is better than that of many other regions and countries facing financial issues, the province is likely to reach a state of crisis unless it cuts spending and changes the ways it does business.

The report’s central finding is that Ontario’s history of spending is unsustainable: in only seven of the past 25 years has the government balanced its books or achieved a surplus. As a result, the province has been digging itself deeper and deeper into the red. By 2016-17, interest payments to service the provincial debt are projected to consume 10 cents of every dollar the government spends, the report contends.

The report also offers six approaches that the government can take to reduce its spending and move along a more fiscally sustainable path. These approaches, which include adopting asset recycling and seeking alternative service delivery (ASD) opportunities, have been successful in

reducing government spending while achieving key outcomes both abroad and in Ontario.

To read the report, please visit www.occ.ca

Natural resources sector working to protect environment

Natural resources are needed to support growing global prosperity, and Canadian industries are working hard to address any related environmental challenges, according to a recent report.

Entitled The Measures that Matter: How Canada’s natural resources sector is working to protect the environment, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s report examines the ways in which Canadian industry and government are addressing the environmental challenges of resource production.

The report provides a summary of the harvesting and extraction process of each type of resource and outlines the main environmental challenges posed by each stage of the process. It also describes some of the key strategies that resource industries are using to address those particular environmental impacts.

To read the report, please visit www.chamber.ca

Commitment to innovation important for competitiveness

Strong commitment to innovation is the

best way for Canadian companies to compete and win in modern manufacturing, argues a Canadian Chamber report.

The Canadian Chamber consulted with members in the manufacturing sector, the largest sector of the Canadian economy, to uncover the barriers that are preventing them from harnessing technology and innovation.

The report, Manufacturing Innovation: Driving Canada’s biggest sector through disruptive technologies, offers three overall recommendations:• Manufacturers can leverage best practices

in overcoming barriers that currently prevent them from a broader and faster adoption of disruptive technologies that have the power to increase competitiveness and to potentially open new markets.•Canada’sinnovationpolicyframeworkmust

be structured to acknowledge and support business investment in R&D. Government should consider new inventive options, such as adopting an “innovation box” approach to R&D funding that reduces taxes and promotes domestic intellectual property activity.• A policy framework that rewards

collaboration, recognizes product cycles across various industries, acknowledges that the milestones for innovation incentives cannot be generic across industries and moves beyond a bias for breakthrough technology research is essential to improving Canada’s innovation scorecard.

Please visit www.chamber.ca to read

the full report. 2015 economic outlook mostly

hopeful, says reportChanges are coming to the global economy

in 2015, said a panel of experts at the Canadian Chamber’s inaugural Crystal Ball Symposium held December 1, 2014 in Ottawa.

The panel, which consisted of experts in technology, economics and world geopolitics, discussed trends that will shape the global business in 2015 and beyond. The discussions during the symposium were the foundation for the Canadian Chamber’s report Looking into the Crystal Ball: Economic, Political and Technology Outlook 2015.

The report predicts the upcoming year to be partly perilous, but mostly hopeful. Oil, coal and iron have fallen 50 percent or more, to levels that haven’t been seen since the great crisis of 2009. Europe is standing still, emerging markets have slowed and are more vulnerable than in the past. The United States of America is the only major economy that has been strengthening. It is the world’s largest economy with 20 percent of global GDP. Thanks to a resurgent consumer and astonishing strength in the corporate sector, the American economy is growing at almost 4 percent.

The Canadian Chamber is optimistic that the U.S. economy can bring the global economy forward and growth can accelerate to 4.1 percent in 2015 from 3.3 percent in 2014.

To read the full report, please visit www.chamber.ca

The Timmins Chamber Board of Directors met with Timmins-James Bay MPP Charlie Angus on Jan. 21 to discuss federal issues such as labour market information, skills training, and Ring of Fire funding. As part of its efforts to give its members a voice at all levels of government, the Timmins Chamber regularly meets with Timmins’ political representatives.


By Jenn BrunetResource Centre Agent, Employment Options Emploi

Employers in Ontario now have access to the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, a new program designed specifically to provide them with an opportunity to invest in their workforce with help from the provincial and federal governments.

Launched in September 2014, the pro-gram is being delivered through the On-tario government, and funded by the fed-eral government at $192 million a year for the next six years.

Delivered through the Ontario govern-ment, this program will provide Ontario with approximately $192 million per year for the next six years. It represents an op-portunity for the province to engage more effectively with employers to support On-tarians in obtaining new skills required to fill and succeed in available jobs.

The vision of the program is to have the most educated people and highly skilled workforce in the world in order to build the province’s competitive advantage

and quality of life, and doing so by mov-ing trainees into better paying and higher quality jobs.

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant will pro-vide direct financial support to employers who wish to purchase training for their employees. Employers will have the right to choose which individuals they would like to have trained, and the training pro-gram that meets their workforce needs. The funding will then be delivered through a cost-sharing agreement between the in-dividual employer and the government.

The employer is responsible for at least one-third of the direct training costs while the government will cover the remain-ing two-thirds, up to $10,000 per trainee. Small employers who have 50 employees or less can choose instead to contribute up to 50 per cent of their required contri-butions in wages paid to training partici-pants, up to a maximum of $25,000.

Incentives of up to $1,000 may also be paid to the employer and to the individ-ual to help offset any additional costs that might be incurred as a result of the place-ment. Incentives must not be used as a subsidy for the participant’s wages.

The Canada-Ontario Job Grant may be used to hire and train unemployed in-dividuals to fill job vacancies, to support the expanding of an employer’s workforce, to create permanent sustainable full time

jobs, and to enable invested employees to remain in their current positions or to take on new positions within the company that offer greater responsibility and/or rates of pay.

To be considered eligible for this pro-gram, you must be licensed to operate in Ontario, and employ the individual select-ed for training; if the individual was hired to fill a vacancy, it can be conditional upon completion of the training and subject to a regular probation period. The training program must be delivered in Ontario and be related to a job that is also located in Ontario.

Service providers can work with the em-ployers to identify their workforce devel-opment needs and provide information on how to access the appropriate skills train-ing programs. To qualify for the grant, the employee must not be participating in any other government training program that offers funding support for the same tu-ition, books or other training-related cost.

Federal, provincial or municipal govern-ments or agencies do not qualify for this program, nor can this program be used to train participants to displace staff or to re-place staff who are on lay-off. All applica-tions received for the Canada-Ontario Job Grant will first be assessed for eligibility, each application must meet all guidelines to be considered for funding. However, it

is important to note that meeting all eli-gibility requirements does not guarantee funding of the application.

This program is being driven by employ-er demand, which must be directly related to a required skill set. The training must not exceed one year in duration and must be provided by one of the following third-party providers:•CollegesofAppliedArtsandTechnol-

ogy•Publicly-assisteduniversities•Schoolboards• Private trainers operating in compli-

ance with the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005•Union-basedtrainingcentres• Product vendors (e.g. related to soft-

ware or machinery)If you’re an employer with a particular

skills demand, the Canada-Ontario Job Grant might be right for you. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis on-line at www.ontario.ca/employeetraining.

Our local office, Employment Options Emploi, will receive your electronic appli-cation and contact you to finalize the de-tails and access the funds. If you have any questions regarding the program, please call our office at (705) 268-3033 or (705) 268-3800 and we will be happy to assist you with your application process. We look forward to working with you.

Train your staff through the Canada-Ontario Job Grant

You’ve seen them at Cham-ber events, you’ve received their phone calls, and you’ve had them swing by your workplace; now in their fourth year, the dedicated volunteer Chamber Ambassa-dors continue to help businesses make the most of their member-ship.

Initially unveiled in Septem-ber 2011, the Timmins Cham-ber of Commerce’s Ambassador program consists of a motivated group of 15 entrepreneurs and business professionals acting as crucial liaisons between the Chamber and their fellow mem-bers.

This team of Ambassadors has been incredibly active in reaching out to the membership, whether it’s a personal call to congratulate a particular milestone, or a help-ing hand and an introduction or two at one of the Chamber’s many events. They graciously serve as front-line representatives, guid-ing new and seasoned members alike to get the most out of their involvement with the Chamber.

This service is invaluable for both the Chamber and its mem-bers, while also providing the Ambassadors themselves with ample opportunities to increase their own professional recogni-

tion and networks. By helping to be the face of the Chamber, Am-bassadors also earn exposure for their respective businesses.

If you’re interested in joining the Chamber Ambassador team, please contact Carmen Swartz at the Chamber at (705) 360-1900, or via email at [email protected]

In this and the coming issues of Inside Business, the Timmins Chamber will profile individual Ambassadors to help members get to know this energetic team of volunteers.

Chamber Ambassador Mar-tine Francoeur

Q. What is your job/place of employment?

I am a Commercial and Per-sonal Lines Account Executive with Paul Ayotte Insurance Bro-kers Ltd., a.k.a. a registered insur-ance broker. As a broker, my goal is to properly insure my clients’ most valuable assets while put-ting money back in their jeans!

Je suis une représentante exéc-utive des lignes commerciales et personnelles aussi connu comme courtière d’assurance à Paul Ayo-tte assurance limitée. Mon objec-tif comme courtière d’assurance est d’assurer les actifs les plus

précieux de mes clients tout en leurs économisant de l’argent!

Q. Why did you decide to be-come a Chamber Ambassador?

I wanted one place where I could meet and socialize with all types of people from local busi-nesses with the possibility of making friends along the way.

Je voulais un endroit où je pourrais rencontrer et socialiser avec tous les types de personnes des entreprises locales avec la possibilité de se faire des amis le long du chemin.

Q. What work is involved in

being a Chamber Ambassador?The Chamber organizes so

many networking, educational and fun events that the possibili-ties are endless. The workload of a Chamber Ambassador can be as little or as much as you would like it to be, from greeting mem-bers to helping with some of the greatest and largest events in town.

La Chambre organise un si grand nombre d’activités éduca-tives et amusantes que les possi-bilités de réseau sont infinies. La charge de travail d’une ambassad-rice de la Chambre peut être aussi peu ou autant que vous voulez, qu’il soit de saluer les membres jusqu’à aider avec certains des événements les plus grands et les plus importants de notre ville.

Q. What do you enjoy most about this role?

I enjoy the countless oppor-tunities to meet new people and work with other Chamber Am-bassadors that I would otherwise have never met.

J’apprécie les nombreuses oc-casions pour rencontrer de nou-velles personnes et travailler avec d’autres ambassadrices de la Chambre que je n’aurais jamais rencontrée autrement.

Q. What benefit do you feel

the Ambassador program offers to members?

Chamber Ambassadors are free advertising. Through word of mouth, we promote the busi-nesses and services of our mem-bers to our networking circle every chance we get. We are all about helping you grow your business through referrals.

Les ambassadrices de la Cham-bre sont de la publicité gratuite. Grâce au bouche à oreille, nous encourageons les entreprises et les services de nos membres à notre cercle de mise en réseau toutes les chances que nous ob-tenons. Nous sommes tous ici pour vous aidez à développer votre entreprise grâce aux par-rainages.

Q. How do you benefit pro-fessionally from serving in this role?

By fulfilling this role, I become more reputable and continue to grow my network. I have be-come a “go-to” contact for many and have gained many clients as a result.

En remplissant ce rôle, je devi-ens plus digne de confiance pour continuer à développer mon ré-seau. Je suis devenu un contact “go-to” pour plusieurs gens et j’ai acquis beaucoup de clients à la suite.


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Porcupine Engineering Services Inc. celebrated its 10th anniversary with a staff luncheon on October 31, 2014. Brian Emblin, Mario Colanto-nio, and Frank O’Donnell took a few moments to tell us about the business.

Q: Provide a brief description of your business.

Porcupine Engineering Services (PES) has been operating in Northern Ontario since 2004. In our Timmins office, we presently have a staffing of technical personnel offering mechan-ical, electrical/instrumentation and civil/structural engineering expertise in the industrial field. Should the need arise, we have affiliations in place with complementary firms to add capa-bilities in process engineering and design, and mining engineering and design.

Q: How many employees do you have?

It has cycled over the years based on demand and the economy. At the peak, in 2008, we were 65 people; to-day, we are at 29.

Q: What factors have helped you to successfully reach this particular milestone?

A diverse client base across all in-dustries. A strong competent employ-ee core group. Being customer-service oriented. We are very flexible in our response to client needs.

Q: What has been your most memorable moment in business?

The day we started has to be the most memorable moment. That deci-sion to do it and kick it off was excit-ing and scary at the same time.

Q: What’s one interesting thing

about your business that people might not be aware of?

The first thing people are sur-prised with is that we employ nearly 30 people in Timmins and now have a Sudbury operation that employs 10 people.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you have overcome as a business to reach this milestone?

I would say that finding the right person to work in this engineering services provider business is the most challenging. The business is quite cy-clical and our people understand that. It’s not for everyone.

Q: What has your experience do-ing business in Timmins been like thus far?

Timmins and the region has been a very good place to work. Our clients

understand the value of engineering and appreciate the responsiveness of a local firm.

Q: Describe how your business started, and how it’s changed over the years.

Certainly the size and scope of

projects has changed. In the begin-ning, clients were likely wary about trying out a new, small, company but as we grew, so did our ability to deliver on larger and larger projects. Having said that, we still take on very small as-signments as we did in the beginning.

Neo Laser Tag Inc. celebrated its second anniversary on November 1, 2014. Owner Dan Daoust took a few moments to answer a few ques-tions about his business.


November 1, 2012 was the grand opening of our Family Entertain-ment Centre. We started off with

4,100 square feet, which included laser tag, cannonball air blasters and a party room. As time went by, we saw the need to grow and had the opportunity to invest more into our community. Two years later, we’ve grown to 9,100 square feet which enabled us to add bum-per cars, ticket redemption arcades, an indoor playground and a second party room.


We currently have eight part-time employees and will be hir-ing two more to help with the Kid Zone.

Q: What factors have helped you to successfully reach this particular milestone?

The main factor that has helped

us is our staff. Without them, we would not be where we are today.

A second factor would be that we keep growing to make it a one-stop fun spot.

Q: What has been your most memorable moment in business?

Every time I hear “this place is awesome” or when individuals tell us that they appreciate what we’ve done for Timmins.

Q: What’s one interesting thing about your business that people might not be aware of?

Most people don’t know that NEO stands for Northeastern On-tario because we are the only Laser Tag facility of its kind in our region.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you have overcome as a business to reach this milestone?

The biggest challenge has been awareness. Because of our multiple expansions, it’s been hard to let people know about us.

Q: What has your experience do-ing business in Timmins been like thus far?

We’ve been grateful for the com-munity’s support so far. We are from Timmins and we know that we needed more activities that fam-ilies can to do together.

Q: What can we expect from your business in the future? Are there any plans on the horizon you would like people to know about?

We just launched our indoor playground. As we continue getting the community’s support, we will keep giving back with more activi-ties.


Porcupine Engineering: 10th anniversary

The owners and staff of Porcupine Engineering

NEO Laser Tag: Two years in business

Owner Dan Daoust (center) and his sons Logan and Braxton.

Near North Video Productions celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2014. Its owner, Mark Rogers, took a few moments to answer a few ques-tions about his business.


Near North Video is a full-service production facility offering high-quality and affordable professional video services.


Depending on the project, team size can vary. With production projects in Toronto and Timmins locations, our work is produced by experienced, knowledgeable and

creative individuals and contractors who have been a part of Near North for many years.

Q: What’s one interesting thing about your business that people might not be aware of?

Near North Video Productions actually does a lot of slide and film transfers. We are always asked about old movie reels, VHS and old cam-corder tapes. Yes, we can definitely transfer all those old video tapes in your closet to digital. We also offer audio and video equipment rentals. Just recently, Near North Video Pro-ductions began to offer production projects using an aerial drone - video from above is great for any corporate

or industrial project.Q: What has your experience do-

ing business in Timmins been like thus far?

This is home for Near North Vid-eo Productions. It’s been 25 years of successful productions. A lot of creativity has happened over those years. I’m lucky to have had great positive business experiences. Let’s go for another 25 years – you can do a write up on the 50th anniversary!

Q: Describe how your business started, and how it’s changed over the years.

Television of course! Back in my college days (how old would that make me?), I took part in some short

in-house news pieces. That was it! I got the video bug. From there I cre-ated the company, filling a niche in the Timmins business community. Near North Video Productions was established.

Q: What can we expect from your business in the future? Are there any plans on the horizon you would like people to know about?

Video production and technology is always changing. Always room to grow, do new things, take creativity to other levels. Now that we have a high-definition mobile unit, you will definitely see more live streaming with multi-camera production set-ups. Stay tuned!

Near North Video: 25th anniversary

Owner Mark Rogers


Managing Editor: Keitha RobsonEmail: [email protected]

Editor: Nick StewartEmail: [email protected]

Staff Writer: Courtney LaforestEmail: [email protected]

Advertising Opportunities: Carmen SwartzEmail: [email protected]

Published by:

Timmins Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 985, Timmins, Ontario, P4N 7H6

(705) 360-1900

Fax: (705) 360-1193

www.timminschamber.on.ca

Inside Business is an information package provided to members of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce and buinesses at large. The positions expressed in by-lined columns are the opinion of the subject editor and do not reflect the position of the Timmins Chmber of Commerce unless specifically stated. The Timmins Chamber of Commerce assumes no responsibility for statements or claims made by advertisers. “Inside Business” is published 6 times per year by the Timmins Chamber of Commerce. Issue dates are January, March, May, July, September and November. Closing date is the second Friday of the previous month. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the publisher’s written permission.

New Member ProfilesAlgoma University at Timmins (705) 235-3211Education

Algoma University offers students in Timmins who have completed a college diploma or are transferring from another university the op-portunity to work towards an Honours Bachelor of Social Work (HBSW) or a Bachelor of Arts in Community Development (CD) degree at the Northern College Timmins Campus. These programs are designed to complement each other and are well suited to prepare students for careers in Social Work and Community Development in the North.

[www.algomau.ca/Timmins]

Capilia Look 140(705) 267-7566Beauty Salons, Spas and Tanning

Always on the cutting edge and with 30 years in the beauty industry, Louise has travelled around the globe to bring the best possible service to all her clients. London (England), New York, Paris, and Chicago are some of the places she has trained with world-renowned stylists such as Nick Arrojo from TLC’s What Not to Wear and the Toni and Guy Academy in London (England) and Paris. With her world travels, she’s renowned as a make-over specialist and very educated when it comes to fashion.

In the last two years, Louise bought a franchise called Capilia, which is a hair loss center. Louise has been studying in Montreal and is now a quali-fied tricologist, which means a specialist in hair loss. Louise specializes in hair replacement, hair transplants, and tops and wigs. We care about your hair loss at Capilia!

[http://capilia-timmins.capilia.com] Centre Educatif Rayon de Soleil – Timmins(705) 363-6406Daycare

We are present in the community of Timmins at the public elementary school Lionel-Gauthier. We offer children of all ages an excellent educa-tion, stimulating and nourishing their minds as we help and support them until a helping hand is no longer needed.

We practice positive reinforcement and pa-tience as we guide the children not only to respect adults but to cultivate mutual respect between classmates. As you may or may not know, our Rayon de Soleil centres have had a tremendous impact in our surrounding communities. The unique and remarkable teaching approach called Play-Based Learning education is implemented in all of our classrooms. This learning concept, along with an ideal in-school location, offers an extremely convenient all-in-one morning drop-off for parents with children from 18 months and 12 years old. We offer warm meal plans that follow the Canadian Food Guide and all food restrictions to assure a safe and allergy-free environment. We

have qualified and experienced teachers that also work with children with learning disabilities, as well as children with special needs.

Our child care centres operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. We also offer a day camp service on PD days and for March break. Our summer camps generally start on the first Monday after the end of the school year and end on the last Friday in August.

[www.centreeducatif.vpweb.ca]

Core Business Solutions(705) 531-4468Office Equipment and Suppliers

At Core Business Solutions, we offer our customers technology solutions and services to improve business results. We provide IT computer support for small to large enterprises. We are also an authorized sales agency for Xerox Canada. Core Business Solutions is a Canadian-owned company established in Timmins which aims specifically to provide a high level of service for the area. Our dedicated team has the unmatched industry knowledge, professionalism and expertise needed to address the unique challenges of your business.

[www.corebusinesssolutions.ca]

Katelyn Malo Photography(705) 266-5331Photography and Videography

Katelyn Malo is pleased to announce the open-ing of Katelyn Malo Photography in downtown Timmins. She earned her undergraduate baccalau-reate in International Development at the Univer-sity of Guelph, followed by professional photog-raphy training at the internationally recognized Sheridan College in Oakville. Her passion for the visual arts and photography in particular were fueled by her extensive global travel.

Katelyn specializes in portraiture (including corporate, family, editorial) and wedding photog-raphy, where she strives to create powerful images of her subjects in their natural environments. Kate’s easy manner and keen eye allow her to capture subjects in a relaxed and comfortable way. Her work has been featured in major publications and she has produced her own compilation of local portraits in her book “Timmins, Portraits of a Home Town”.

[www.katelynmalo.com]

L.M.W. Coaching, Consulting & Mediation(705) 288-6554Consultants

Want to get to great because good is not good enough anymore? At L.M.W. we are there to sup-port you. We offer life/corporate coaching, human resources consulting and mediation services; we help move people forward to reach their goals.

Our founder Lisa Wilson has her Bachelor of Business Administration, is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP), is trained in Ad-

vanced Dispute Resolution (ADR), DiSC and True Colours. She is a Member of the Human Resourc-es Professionals Association and the International Coaches Federation.

Lisa draws on over 15 years of experience in human resources, as well as her passion for people. Driven and goal-oriented, she enjoys assisting oth-ers in achieving their individual or company goals in order to move to their next level of success professionally or personally. At L.M.W. Coaching, we help you discover your strengths and use them to your advantage. We work on areas of perceived weakness and discover how they too can be used to your advantage.

Human Resources Consulting involves a variety of services: recruitment, retention, benefits, organizational development and planning, team building, and training to name a few. L.M.W. also offers mediation services and can help settle a dispute; we assist in finding each party’s underly-ing concerns and come to an agreement that will work for all.

[www.LMWconsultation.ca]

Le Loup FM(705) 269-8307 Media

Notre station de radio francaise voudrait aider votre entreprise ou organisation à recevoir plus de visibilité en vous aidant à atteindre et viser votre marché francophone grâce à la radio. Le Loup FM rejoint plus de 130,000 francophones.

Six marchés: 20,000 francophones locales à Timmins, 8,000 francophones à Kapuskas-ing, 6,000 francophones à Hearst, 1,100 fran-cophones à Chapleau, 50,000 francophones à Sudbury et 30,000 francophones au Nipissing (Sturgeon Falls) etc..

Le Loup FM rejoint aussi les petites villes des alentoures telle que Gogama, Foleyet, Matheson, Iroquois Falls, Cochrane, Fauquier, Moonbean, Kirkland Lake etc

Nous avons toute les écoles, collèges et universi-

tés francophones qui nous écoutent aussi.[www.leloupfm.wix.com/leloup]

Lemongrass(705) 360-5253Home and Garden

In the last 10 years, Sonya became interested in home decorating and accessorizing for interior and exterior design. She specializes in helping clients who know what they want, but just aren’t quite sure how to put it all together. Her creative and inspiring ideas help her clients create a living space that feels beautiful, comfortable and inspir-ing.

At Lemongrass, Sonya’s goal is to work closely with her clients to determine and create an envi-ronment that is a reflection of their needs, whether it is a single room, an entire home or an outdoor patio. Sonya loves every moment of her work and takes great joy in meeting new clients and fulfill-ing their home decor needs.

Lemongrass offers discounts to other Chamber members; visit www.timminschamber.on.ca/cou-pons to learn more.

[www.lemongrassboutique.ca]

M&M Meat Shops(705) 267-2066Food and Beverage Stores

M&M Meat Shops has been serving Timmins residents since March 1988 – nearly 27 years. We are proud to be a part of Canada’s largest retail chain of specialty frozen foods with locations coast to coast. We offer a delectable selection of more than 375 mouth-watering products; you’ll find your trusted family favourites plus exciting new tastes to satisfy the most selective palates. The majority of our dishes are ready to thaw-and-serve or heat-and-serve to make meal prep easier for you. Our knowledgeable and courteous staff look forward to serving you!

[www.mmmeatshops.com]

209 Pine St. SouthTimmins, ON

P4N 2K6

tel: 705-267-4629fax: 705-267-2932

email: [email protected]

• name badges: plastic, brass, aluminum of variouscolours, full colour logos, with magnet or pin,

protective coating

• door and wall signs

• printing full colour logos on coffee mugs

• 2-1/2” round buttons

• awards: plaques, trophies, medals also available in acrylic, glass, or crystal

• corporate desk sets and clocks

• rosewood and maple pen/pencil sets

J&SEngraving_quarterpg_Layout 1 13/01/2015 4:09 PM Page 1


New Member ProfilesNatural Health Solutions(705) 365-8458Health

My clinical approach pairs my science and research knowledge with my love for and pro-ficiency in natural treatments. I’ve developed primary-care skills, allowing me to treat a variety of acute and chronic conditions, and the ability to maintain a comprehensive family practice. My passion, however, lies in pediatrics and women’s health. I see my role as a naturopathic doctor as your health coach. I will share with you my knowledge of health and disease prevention and motivate you to use these tools in order to restore your body’s balance and to support your body’s innate healing ability.

[www.naturalhealthsolutionstimmins.com]

On The Go Fashions (705) 266-6807Clothing and Jewellery

Established in 2006, On the Go Fashions is presently located in the heart of downtown Timmins. We carry a wide selection of jewellery. From everyday casual to evening glitz, we have something for every occasion! One-on-one con-sultations are also available for the bride and her wedding party. We encourage all of our customers to bring in their dresses or outfits for us to acces-sorize.

We also carry exclusive clothing lines such as Joseph Ribkoff, Frank Lyman, Sympli, Spanner, Red Coral and more. We have unique styles for all budgets! With over 10 years of experience in the fashion business, we are here to help you find clothing that not only compliments your body, but your personality as well. We specialize in the art of camouflage, helping women find that perfect outfit to hide those specific target areas!

After-hours shopping is available for those who are too busy to shop during the day. This service is offered by appointment between 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.,

from Monday to Friday. When you look good, you feel good! Come on

over to On the Go Fashions, and let us bedazzle you!

On the Go Fashions offers discounts to Cham-ber members; visit www.timminschamber.on.ca/coupons to learn more.

[www.onthegofashions.com]

Priority Tax & Business Services(705) 268-3954Financial Institutions and Services

Priority Tax & Business Services Inc. offers convenient, accurate, and affordable income tax planning and preparation services for sole propri-etorships, the self-employed, or those who may be single, married, common law, separated, divorced or widowed. We also understand seniors’ tax returns, returns for deceased persons, social assistance, disability and government assistance programs, rental income, capital gains and various income investments incomes.

Priority Tax & Business Services Inc. also in-cludes business services such as HST remittance, remote administrative assistance, accounts pay-able and receivable, bank reconciliations, prepara-tion of business tax returns including personal returns, winding up your business as well as a full resume and cover letter service. Additionally, we provide services for filling out general forms, government forms, and tax adjustments and can answer any tax questions. Katherine Chartrand is also a licensed paralegal with the Law Society of Upper Canada, a member of the Women’s Para-legal Association and has been appointed by the Attorney General of the Province of Ontario as a commissioner for taking affidavits. Priority Tax & Business Services also offers e-File services with Revenue Canada.

[www.prioritytaxandbusiness.ca]

Riggin ‘N Slings(705) 235-3331Manufacturing, Equipment and Repair/Mining Contractors and Suppliers

Riggin ‘N Slings began in March of 2013 in South Porcupine. After working for 12 years in the mining industry, Ms. Rivers felt there was a need for a new rigging supplier in the Timmins and surrounding area.

Our products include IWRC (wire rope), Crosby fittings, Loadloc (shackles), nylon and polyester synthetic slings, chain hoists, chain levers, custom chain bridles, wire rope (1/8” up to 2”), chain (Grade 30 to 120), snatch blocks, wire rope clamps, turnbuckles, lever and ratchet load binders, cargo and ratchet straps, and various kinds of hooks, thimbles, master links and anchor chain.

We are proud to be the exclusive distributor of Unalloy-IRWC, Bridon, Pewag, and Yoke prod-ucts. We carry a full line of rigging equipment and hardware, as well as many other accessories for all types of rigging applications in transporta-tion, construction, general contracting, mining, forestry or any other industry which requires lifting, securing or rigging products.

Our 500-ton press allows us to manufacture wire rope slings from 1/4” to 2” in diameter, and we also manufacture various types of wire rope assemblies and chain assemblies.

Riggin ‘N Slings is a small family business providing 24/7 service. Sling inspections are per-formed at your site by certified riggers that have worked in this industry for several years.

Speedy Car Wash(705) 266-0124Services/Other

Located in South Porcupine on King Street, we feature three self-wash bays which are great for washing cars, trucks & ATVs. The bays feature spray guns, brushes and all the options needed to clean your vehicle to perfection. Also available are

two self-serve vacuums and carpet shampooers.

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 287(705) 235-3010Organizations

The Royal Canadian Legion is a national organization committed to our veterans, their families, and the communities they call home. The Legion promotes remembrance and continues to serves our communities and our country. We offer programs and services for a wide variety of groups at the local and national levels.

[www.legion.ca]

Via Lia Travel – TPI(705) 531-8747Travel

Via Lia Travel is owned and operated by Lynn Lia. She specializes in cruise travel, groups, cus-tomized itineraries, and travel insurance. Via Lia Travel is an associate of Travel Professionals Inter-national, Canada’s largest and leading network of independent travel advisors.

[www.vialiatravel.ca]

Workplace Safety and Prevention Services(705) 266-3613Health, Safety, Security and Fire

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) is a leader in providing impactful risk management solutions that drive lasting busi-ness success for our customers. WSPS offers unparalleled health & safety expertise, insight and solutions for creating healthy work environments where employees thrive and businesses prosper.

[www.wsps.ca]

inside businessFEBRUARY 2015 - 12

March of Dimes grand opening

Super 8 renovates, re-launches

Super 8 hosted a re-launch party to mark the re-opening of the newly renovated hotel on Thursday, November 20.Pictured from left to right: Voula Dikalitotis, Regional Sales Manager of Holloway Lodging; Tiffany Thibeau, Super 8 Manager; then-Mayor-elect Steven Black; and Chad Hope, Vice-President of Operations for Holloway Lodging.

Discover Fitness does one-year victory lap

Timmins Chamber member Discover Fitness with Kate Durst celebrated their one-year anniversary with a ribbon-cutting, facility tours, protein shakes, healthy snacks and a cardio equipment challenge on Monday, December 8.Pictured are Discover Fitness owner Kate Durst (left), Timmins Chamber President Al Thorne (second from right), and Timmins City Councillor Pat Bamford (right), as well as the Discover Fitness staff.

Timmins Chamber member March of Dimes celebrated the grand opening of their new location at 38 Pine Street North on Friday, December 12. March of Dimes Employment Services helps individuals who have barri-ers find employment. They also help employers find reliable employees.Pictured are Councillor André Grzela (fifth from right) and the March of Dimes staff.

On the Go Fashions finds a home

Timmins Chamber member On the Go Fashions held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Thursday, November 13 at their 177 Third Avenue location. Pictured from left to right: Dan Brazeau, President of the Downtown Timmins BIA; Chantal Herbet, Manager of On the Go Fashions; Mayor-elect Steven Black; Carmen and Peter Harvey, owners of On the Go Fashions; and Phil Barton, Past President of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce.

Inside Business - Winter 2015

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Transcript of Inside Business - Winter 2015