VOLUME 15, ISSUE 3 Krizan constructs suite career with Premiere … · 2016. 4. 18. · homes. This...

VO LU ME 15 , IS S U E 3

I N S I D E

Krizan constructssuite careerwith Premiere

Just an unassuming guy from small-town southern Alberta, Brad Krizan has put together an astonishing

educational and corporate C.V. within a relatively brief time frame. His university education in urban and regional studies originally piqued an interest in real estate. That growing fascination, in turn, led him to build a base of knowledge and experience in a variety of asset classes throughout Canada and the U.S. At this particular stage of his career, he is acknowledged to be an expert in the field’s most demanding disciplines. In retrospect, Krizan regards his formative years with Oxford Properties Group as his introduction to the major leagues of commercial real estate. While with Oxford Properties, he worked on a number of important transactions, learning a great deal about contract law, high-level negotiations and the inner workings of a variety of different industries. His years with the company also enabled him to nurture several professional relationships that have stood the test of time.

TOM K EYSER Business Edge News Magazine

S E E ‘ D I V E R S E E X P E R I E N C E ’ O N P A G E 1 2

PAGE 28 Dictionary for a downturnRob Driscoll redefines the times

PHOTO BY LAURA PARRY

20 QUESTIONSWith Brad Krizan

PRESIDENT OF PREMIERE SUITES WESTERN LTD.

BO RN/RA IS ED : Taber, Alberta

FA MILY: Married with two kids

ED U CATIO N: Masters of Business Administration from Royal Roads University, Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Lethbridge in Urban and Regional Studies.

premieresuites.com

PAGE 16 Sick time good policySick people working are bad for business

PAGE 23 The elephant in the roomStrategies for avoiding foreclosure

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BC Hydro is top bossTwo B.C. corporations rank highest in Forbes Media’s list of Canada’s Best Employers.PAGE 6

House it going?The national real estate market is humming along.PAGE 8

Beware the board/bossSmall business advice columnist Jarrod Stanton explains why it is a bad idea to be the CEO and the board of directors.PAGE 10

Writing our Ill willThe concept of guaranteed sick time in the workplace is examined by columnists Danyaal Raza and Ryan Meili.PAGE 16

Feeling so declinedGuest columnist Jock Finlayson tells us not to expect a rapid rebound from the current commodity carnage.PAGE 16

Chemical reactionsNova Chemicals CEO Todd Karran is charged up to talc from his Calgary base about Julie Beck being named CFO. A Joule in the rough, Beck is expected to be a catalyst for positive energy at Nova. It is somewhat iron-ic that while Beck’s attraction to Nova crystalized, Karran, having proven his metal, precipitated the transition by exiting the CFO post last year in his organic and mercuric transition to chief conductor. Sulfite to say, Beck will be a key element in the nucleus of the management team. Ether way, ferrous fair and a strong yield and solid bonds are anticipated in the long-term solutions at Nova. PAGE 17

Fore(closure)!Before you head out to the golf course to burn through the last of your savings, take a good look at your mortgage and personal finances.PAGE 18

Carving your NietzscheNorman Leach is looking at the tough times upon many of us as an opportunity to grow personally and professionally. PAGE 20

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The Canadian housing market is off to a very

strong start to 2016, having registered the highest sales levels since 2007. Fully 75% of local Canadian real estate markets are experiencing year over year sales growth. While the Alberta and Saskatchewan real estate markets (for example, Calgary price drops almost 3.5 percent

in February over February 2015 and Saskatoon dips nearly 3 percent) suffer the brunt of the oil price collapse, most of the rest of Canada is doing just fine. The majority of the Canadian real estate market has a strong/stable status while the Lower Mainland of B.C. is extremely strong. The Vancouver region is at the virtual ceiling of a “sellers’

market”, which is at a 60 percent sales-to-new-listing ratio and year over year sales increasing by more than 20 percent. Ontario as a whole is experiencing a positive real estate market. The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is also hot at barely under “sellers’ market” territory and has experienced strong price growth of more than 10 percent year over year. British Columbia has the strongest growth in the country and is experiencing a trickle-down effect from the sizzling Lower Mainland market. As was experienced in the early 1990s, high prices in Vancouver and Richmond allow homeowners to cash out and take their equity to other markets such as South Surrey and White Rock, paying off mortgages and upgrading their

homes. This time around, we are again seeing this transfer of equity as the Fraser Valley is picking up steam and Victoria is approaching 10 percent growth in early 2016. Outside of the major markets, Canadian real estate is generally in positive territory, while Canmore remains the only positive market in Alberta. Both the B.C. Lower Mainland and the GTA are expected to continue to lead Canada’s real estate scene with the balance of B.C. and Ontario benefiting from the trickle-down effect. The balance of the country can look for positive price growth and mostly balanced markets while Alberta and Saskatchewan hope for growth in the price of oil, which would help stabilize those markets.

While Alberta reverses, B.C. and Ontario continue real estate surgeRAN DALL WHITEReal estate columnistBusiness Edge News Magazine

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A pair of B.C. organizations topped

Forbes Media’s inaugural list of Canada’s Best Employers. BC Hydro was No. 1 in the ranking of the top 250 employers across 25 industries, followed by Vancity and Quebec-based ABB Canada. The list was assembled by research firm Statista from an independent survey of 8,000 Canadian employees working for large firms or institutions. The ranking indicates Canadians’ trust and passion for their domestic companies. Seventy per cent of the Top 50 were Canadian companies, and the top two companies in the survey are based in Canada.

Survey respondents were asked if they would recommend their own employer or any other employers in their industry to a potential employee. To ensure the independence of the survey, the companies were not informed in advance. Only permanent employees took part in the survey. According to the survey, the most satisfied Canadian employees work in the construction, oil and gas operations, mining and chemicals category. The complete list of the 250 best Canadian employers can be found at www.forbes.com/canada-best-employers.

BC Hydro tops Forbeslist of top employersBusiness Edge News Magazine

1. BC Hydro 2. Vancity 3. ABB 4. Ubisoft 5. Costco 6. University of Guelph 7. Metrolinx 8. Toronto Hydro 9. Google 10. Université Laval 11. Mercedes-Benz

12. Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) 13. Sheridan College 14. Ericsson 15. City of Calgary 16. Cenovus Energy 17. Queen’s University 18. EPCOR Utilities 19. Université de Montréal 20. FedEx

The top 20 employers from the Forbes’ list:

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U TILITYnet.ca and Business Edge News

Magazine have teamed up on an exclusive offer to dramatically reduce your monthly energy costs. To take advantage of the Five Point Business Edge Rate, go to the sign-up form on www.UTILITYnet.ca. Click on the “Sign-Up” tab and you will see the options on the application form: The limited offer is open only to clients and readers of Business Edge News Magazine. It is not a published rate. Sign-ups will be limited to just 500 residential customers. The sad truth is that we all know someone who has been hit with the downturn of the economy, and there are lots of people who are tying to tighten their belts. This joint program is intended to help participating clients and Business Edge readers lower their household utility expenses. It is a step in the right direction with the following benefits:• The lowest electricity fixed

rates in Alberta priced at 5 cents per kWh, guaranteed until the end of 2017.

• Monthly Administration Fees of only $5 per month.

• Support Alberta’s Climate Change initiatives by helping to “Green the Grid” via the purchase of a minimum of 5% Green Energy offsets. This is affordable and for the average consumer, it will cost about 50 cents per month.

• Earn 5% interest per annum on a minimum security deposit of $150 posted for the term of the plan. That is certainly better than what the banks are offering.

• The offer is open to only 500 customers.

There is no cancellation fee and consumers can opt out of the agreement with 10 days notice. UTILITYnet.ca is a privately owned company based in Calgary. The roots of the company date back to 1978, and UTILITYnet has set aside a block of energy at these discounted rates to help people in need. “The collective goal of Business Edge and UTILITYnet.ca is to help make a tough economy a little more positive for some of our fellow Albertans,” said UTILITYnet managing partner Nick Clark.

UTILITYnet.ca serves up savings for Business Edge audienceBusiness Edge News Magazine

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Nureva’s Span system provides 30-foot surround experience

Nureva Inc., an award-winning collaboration/solutions

company, announced the creation of a 30-foot (9.1m) immersive collaboration environment that surrounds teams with their digital content. The surround experience is created via three panoramic projectors installed on adjoining walls and enabled by a multi-display setup tool in Span software. This tool links the computers and merges the cloud-based canvas across the three systems. The resulting immersive environment gives teams a truly expansive view of their content, which consists of digital sticky notes, sketches, images and flip charts.

This configuration transforms huddle rooms into rich environments for creativity and innovation. As in any project room, team members benefit from being close to their content. Every detail is within easy reach, and content can be fluidly and efficiently moved across walls and around corners. Panning at any location seamlessly moves the whole canvas and its contents around all three walls. The result is more efficient collaboration and an enhanced sensory experience with users reporting reduced distractions and a heightened focus on their content. Team members can quickly identify connections, fill in gaps and see relationships that spark new ideas.

In addition, the system’s cloud-based software enables in-room and remote participants to access the material any time through personal devices. “Wrapping a room with 30 feet of digital content takes immersive collaboration to a new level,” said Nancy Knowlton, Nureva’s CEO. “Creating a surround experience with the Span system was a logical next step to support the collaboration needs of our customers with products that fit with their processes and physical spaces.”

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The Span system created by Calgary-based Nureva (www.nureva.com) provides work teams with new levels of immersion and collaboration.

Wrapping a room with 30 feet of digital content takes immersive collaboration to a new level.

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Want to read about other successful business leaders?Visit BusinessEdge.ca for your daily dose of inspiration

The best thing about going into business

for yourself is that you can do whatever you want. The worst thing about going into business for yourself is … you can do whatever you want. The point is, the freedom of becoming an entrepreneur also often brings the freedom to neglect responsibilities that no CEO or general manager who reported to a board of directors or shareholders would be able to get away with. Many of the companies in the $3-20-millon range of annual revenue are just a few years removed from the start-up days of an ‘owner-operator’ situation. Opportunities were seized and growth came quickly. When this occurs with a single company owner, or even with two partners, the separation of the roles between “owner” (board member, shareholder, etc.) and “CEO” (boss, GM, etc.), is often not happening. Here’s the trouble with being the “boss” and the “board”.

The CEOs (you) are doing a lousy job because they “enjoy” the freedom from the accountability, reporting, updates, and overall attention to results that the board would demand of them. The board (also you) is not functioning at optimal levels, either, because it cannot remove itself from the clutter of reactive needs and issues, and truly take an outside (investor) look at things. Also, the board can tend to be a little soft in its expectations of the CEO as it appreciates a little too much – “hey that guy’s trying hard; let’s give him a break!” As CEO or boss of your company, ask yourself weekly: “if I had one or several shareholders who owned 50%+ of my company, would they be satisfied with:”• my sticking to CEO level

tasks, or performing work appropriate to my pay grade?

• my yearly, quarterly, weekly, and daily planning?

The trouble with being the boss and the board

S M A L L B U S I N E S S

JARROD STANTONBusiness Edge Coaching Inc.

• my cash-flow forecasting?• my budgeting, tracking,

hitting and reporting key targets and goals?

• my efforts and progress to streamline and systematize the entire company?

• etc., etc. As the owner/board of your company – ask yourself weekly is my CEO . . .• in a proactive mode most

of the time, always looking to grow the company as an asset?

• always ready with the written 90-day plans outlining key initiatives in all areas of the business?

• free to focus on results and growth, or stuck putting out fires?

• performing the way we need him/her to?

• etc., etc. In other words, would I be working harder for someone else’s dreams than I currently do for my own? Ouch. An

easy place to begin to be a “better board for yourself” is with the quarterly planning. Get in the habit of taking an entire day to plan the next 90 days, every 90 days. Your shareholders expect no less – even if that shareholder is you. That’s who you are working for after all, right? The reason you got into business in the first place, right? You can do your 90-day plan in private or leverage the support of others in your exact same situation and book into our GrowthCLUB: 90 Day Planning Sessions. If you are struggling with being the “boss” and the “board” and you want out of the situation: you can hire a CEO, bring on a board of advisers, bring on a coach, bring on shareholders/investors, or take the simplest step – start with the intense quarterly planning; you must find a way to chart the course. Your owners (YOU) deserve that respect.

Get in the habit of taking an entire day to plan the next 90 days, every 90 days. Your shareholders

expect no less – even if that shareholder is you.

Is the green economy here yet?Hint: Tesla is worth $32 Billion USD

The commercialization of technological innovation is a

tremendous wealth creator. Just look at IBM, Apple, Microsoft and Google: the list of companies which have created remarkable businesses riding technological waves is endless and expanding. Apple started with computers, went big on software, pivoted to personal music devices and then Steve Jobs focused on the smart phone. In 1998, Google was founded as a search company. One among many. It evolved into a data company which sells billions of dollars a year in advertising targeted to what you want to buy. This is why Lomiko (TSXV: LMR. OTC: LMRMF) CEO A. Paul Gill believes that you don’t pick winners, you build them. At the root of most successful technology companies is an insight into a new way of doing things: a process, a material, an understanding of how a particular technology will impact the world.

Tesla Motors Inc. ($TSLA) is currently building a massive “giga-factory” that alone will consume 120,000 tonnes of flake graphite by 2020, the equivalent of five new mines. The graphite market is expected to grow by 10% per year, and Lomiko aims to develop a resource of graphite for these markets. “Graphite is a key element in the new green economy,” says Lomiko President and CEO Paul Gill. “High purity, large flake graphite is vital to the production of lithium-ion batteries, which run everything from your smart phone to electric cars. Demand increases every year, and we want to position the company to take advantage of that demand.” Beyond the obvious market that is coming for Li-ion batteries and graphite, Lomiko Technologies’ key insight is that a one atom thick layer of carbon called graphene is changing the world. From batteries to smart phones to never-wash windows, graphene is working its way into materials science and from there into the cutting edge of technological innovation across the entire spectrum of advanced electronics, fabrication, coatings, components and computing. Lomiko Technologies is a stand-alone company designed to profit from the opportunities presented by graphene and other advanced technologies.

Its roots are in Lomiko Metals, a TSX Venture listed graphite exploration company. Lomiko Metals has been involved in discovering, drilling and creating opportunity in the graphite sector. Its focus has been on graphite properties in the Province of Quebec and it owns or has options on a number of properties offering high purity, large flake near surface deposits. How to Benefit From Graphene: The Plan Lomiko Technologies will take the technology assets of Lomiko and operate as a technology company. Whether it is in the lighting industry, the graphene super capacitor space or simply as a minority shareholder in a successful graphene 3D printing company, Lomiko Technology will present a coherent, sector focused face to the investment world. In order to implement the plan, Lomiko Tech needs to finance and develop the new graphene projects and find partners in academia and the business community looking to develop and introduce new products that will benefit from the unique properties graphene has to offer. Most of all, Lomiko Technologies will be able to continue and expand its relationship with Graphene Labs. A key factor in Graphene 3D Lab and Lomiko Technologies success in the current opportunity is Graphene Labs customer base of over 10,000 companies and laboratories world-wide. Contact Lomiko Technologies at [email protected] for more information, and follow developments at lomiko.com, lomikotechnologies.com or follow Lomiko on Facebook.

Graphite is a key element in the new green economy.

Lomiko President and CEO Paul Gill

BY JAY CURRIE

Later, at OPUS Corporation, he relished the opportunity to work with a highly entrepreneurial real estate team at the height of a development boom in Calgary. He was exposed to every aspect of commercial real estate from land acquisition to financing; from the development permit and construction process to the point of sale. He continues to savour the memory of such challenging projects as Stampede Station and the Golder Building while with OPUS. Subsequently, Krizan became director of corporate administrative services for Encana Corp. There, he became familiar with the oil & gas industry, gaining a deeper appreciation of the business and its importance within both the provincial, federal and international context. Encana provided him with his first opportunity to work cross-border on real estate and other special corporate initiatives, something he fondly recalls as a “fantastic experience. The U.S. is a much bigger, more entrepreneurial and more mature market than Canada, so I learned a great deal doing business there,” he says. “In addition, there were signature career events for me, such as leading the team that moved the company into Calgary’s BOW Tower.” Also with Encana, Krizan enjoyed the opportunity to

lead corporate service functions that were new to him at the time. These included corporate travel and aviation, fleet vehicles, customs services, security, facility management in addition to exposure to corporate reporting related to areas he oversaw. Today, he says peforming these duties was akin to leading a mini-conglomerate of service companies – an invaluable set of life and career experiences. Krizan also cherishes his time as a member of the board of the Calgary Telus Convention Centre, at which he enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with a number of senior business leaders in Calgary. Eventually, as board chair, he worked through a series of initial reviews to explore potential expansion of the centre in downtown Calgary. This volunteer function provided Krizan with important exposure to the developmental opportunities that exist in public infrastructure as well as the ways in which important public facilities can be pivotal to the economic diversity and well-being of municipalities and their importance in being place-making spaces. 1. Your background includes leadership roles with a wide range of real estate organizations, including the Calgary Chapter of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), IFMA Calgary and the Calgary Community Land Trust (CCLT). What kind of an impact have those experiences had on your career? A number of these opportunities were volunteer based, so they had a great impact from a leadership perspective. When there is no formal reporting structure or hierarchy in volunteer leadership roles, you learn firsthand what collaboration and non-authoritative leadership is really about. These were great opportunities for me to better understand people’s motivations when money is not a defining factor in their reason for being involved with an organization. With respect to my NAIOP and IFMA involvement, these are both very important industry member associations that look at real estate from the owner/developer perspective (in the case of NAIOP), and the tenant/user perspective (IFMA). I always wanted to develop a balanced view of the issues and opportunities in real estate, and being involved in associations touching different realms of the industry was very valuable for networking and gaining a broader perspective. In the case of CCLT, this was my first

Diverse experience translates to balanced perspectiveC O N T I N U E D F R O M F R O N T C O V E R

Premiere Suites Western president Brad Krizan has taken on many leadership roles throughout his career.P H O T O B Y L A U R A P A R R Y

exposure to a not-for-profit group trying to provide a solution related to affordable housing. I learned a lot about the issues and the mandate they were trying to fulfill. It was my first board position and I will admit I was a bit of a meek presence during my involvement as I was soaking up concepts I didn’t fully have a grasp on at the time. Ultimately, one of the great gifts I receive by being involved with each of these organizations is the opportunity to both exert leadership and learn about leadership from a wonderful cross-section of people while rounding out my understanding of other facets of industry and corporate governance. Those experiences continue to be valuable to me in my professional and personal life. 2. What are your central duties as president of Premiere Suites Western Ltd.? My focus is providing the strategic leadership for the company and overseeing all aspects of the business. A significant portion of my time is spent on overseeing the operational performance of the company and planning the forward direction and growth strategy for the region. Business development activities take up a sizeable amount of my time, as does providing guidance and mentorship to staff. 3. Who is the typical customer that utilizes long-term stays at Premiere Suites properties? Our typical customers are corporate stays of 30 days or more. This would include those working on key projects with their company, executives or employees in the midst of a longer-term transfer who want a place to stay for an extended time period before committing to long-term property ownership or the leisure traveller who wants accommodations that have similar elements to staying at home that a hotel is unable to offer. 4. What percentage of your properties are owned by the corporation versus managed for third-party owners, and where would you like that percentage to be? The majority of our suites are via third-party owners. Because of the fluid nature of our business and the ability to adjust our inventory, there is no specified percentage target I can point to at this juncture. We like to own when we can acquire suites at reasonable market pricing. We aren’t a buyer of suites during rising or “hot” markets.

5. In what areas of the country is Premiere Suites most active? We are a national organization, so we are very active across the country. By size and revenue, Western Canada (Alberta and British Columbia), Ontario and Atlantic are our most active regions. 6. Is Premiere Suites being affected by current economic challenges such as the downturn in Alberta? Our business is affected by the same economic challenges as other businesses. What we do find is that while some sectors like oil and gas have scaled back their business with us, other sectors continue to be active given their businesses are not tied to oil and gas. Ultimately, though, we are seeing lower occupancy of our suites than we would like. 7. What is your growth strategy for the business? Without giving away any secret business plans, I would categorize our strategy to be one of strategic patience coupled with a desire to increase market share profitably. Ultimately, for us it will mean aligning with the right kind of real estate for our business. Having the right inventory is key. Once that is solved, the issue of filling that inventory becomes much easier. 8. I know you are a family man. How would you assess your current work-life balance? It is as balanced as I can make it given the work commitments I have. I make it a point to attend as many school and sporting functions that my children participate in, and make sure I see my kids in the morning before I go to work. I also make it a point to be home for supper as much as possible. Sometimes networking events preclude that, but I’m selective in how many events I attend for business purposes. My view on work-life balance is that life is a balancing act no matter what, so you need to make sure the things that are truly important to you are the ones you always find ways to make time for. It’s easy to get out of balance when things that are not core priorities drift into your life. C O N T I N U E D O N T H E N E X T P A G E

9. Is competing in sports a nice release for you? I’ve played a variety of sports since I was a kid and never really stopped. The great thing about sports is the combination of exercise coupled with competition being a great way to clear the mind, blow off steam and hit the reset button mentally. Plus, it’s the one area that hard work can be something other than mental, which is what makes it so great for clearing the mind. 10. You sit on a number of boards, including that of the Calgary Downtown Association, which has a business revitalization mandate. Is Calgary’s downtown being revitalized? Calgary’s downtown has changed dramatically in the 21 years that I’ve lived here. When you consider the amount of new development coupled with continued redevelopment of areas like Eau Claire, Stephen Avenue, the CORE shopping centre and East Village, there is definitely a different level of vitality in the downtown core. We still have more opportunity for revitalization, but the downtown is morphing into a much more active place, not just for pure commerce but as a social centre outside of business hours. It is sometimes lost on people that downtown Calgary is an actual community, with long-term residents and long-term regular visitors, but that perspective is starting to change with each new condominium and hotel development that occurs. 11. There has been a lot of change on the political landscape – on the provincial and federal levels. Do you think the Alberta NDP and federal Liberals have what it takes to effectively navigate the myriad economic challenges of the day? Governing is a tough job no matter which party is in power, and the public has high expectations. These are two new governments with a lot of new faces in critical roles. There will be a learning curve and it will be crucial for them to be pragmatic about what we are facing as a province and a nation and that the solutions for navigating current economic challenges will need collaboration and embracing ideas that may fall outside of party ideology. Time will tell if they are able to handle these challenges positively or negatively, and it is too early to know how it will play out, much to the chagrin of the public. Ultimately, responsibility lies as much with citizens and businesses to find ways to steer through and improve upon our economic challenges as they can move faster than any government can respond.

12. When you peer into your crystal ball, when will the Alberta economy emerge from this downturn? I wish I had such a crystal ball! We are facing a structural change to what affects our economy and a clearer recognition of how much we cannot control (such as the price of oil), so there are a lot of unknowns. Being an optimist I’d like to believe that we will start to see movement, even if it is small movement, toward recovery later in 2016. The bigger question is whether we are going to be returning to boom levels of economic activity in Alberta, and I think that is going to be on hold for a number of years.

Krizan, admittedly an optimist, predicts some movement toward recovery for the local economy later this year.P H O T O B Y L A U R A P A R R Y

Recession-proof is an interesting concept and most people don’t focus on it until

a recession is upon them. For us, it is about being as nimble as possible during

this downturn and adjusting our inventory to suit demand

in the market.

13. What would you say are the key factors in getting our economy back running on all cylinders? In the short term, better co-ordination within Canada across a number of industries. We can do a better job of supporting business internally within Canada and creating a cost-competitive environment within our own country. Keeping borrowing costs low will also be important. In the long term, we need to spend more time looking outside of Canada to understand the context of what drives the global economy because we’ve spent far too much time as a nation telling ourselves we are important on the global stage and far too little time understanding how we can be effective and influential in the global economy. 14. Are you seeing evidence of Canadian corporations scaling back their travel budgets? There has been scaling back, particularly in the energy sector. 15. Do you think that the cutbacks will hamper those companies’ ability to achieve and maintain profitability? That is tough to gauge. Typically, travel is an easy area to target for reduced spending because it is a highly visible business expense. There will definitely be a focus on the activities of travelling workers and ensuring they are highly productive while on the road and not stretching their travel into a “bizcation”. 16. What can you do to help Premiere Suites be recession-proof? Recession-proof is an interesting concept and most people don’t focus on it until a recession is upon them. For us, it is about being as nimble as possible during this downturn and adjusting our inventory to suit demand in the market. 17. What are the advantages of staying with Premiere Suites as opposed to a standard hotel? Our type of accommodation is geared toward long-term stays because our suites have more square footage and in-suite amenities such as laundry, kitchen, cable TV and wireless Internet that really make it a home away from home. Hotels don’t offer this kind of feel or amenity mix.

18. What is the average cost difference with, say, a 30-day stay at one of your suites versus a hotel room? We don’t gauge this based solely on the cost of the room night so much as the cost compared to the square footage our guests enjoy. Our suites have 30% to 40% more square footage coupled with our ability to be up to 25% cheaper, so it is important to keep in context that there is a value proposition linked to the size of our suites, not just the pricing. 19. Where do your customers see the improved price points? Our cost advantage is in the 30-day-plus stays. For shorter-term stays, we hold our pricing more in line with hotel rates as our business model is not built around short-term stays. 20. Do you have a good team behind you? I am fortunate to have a dedicated team behind me and great partners to work with nationally within our organization.

Afood handler going to work with a cough, a

parent sending their sick child to school or an emergency room nurse making snap decisions through the fog of a flu. It doesn’t take a medical degree to appreciate the counterproductive consequences of these decisions, yet far too often these are the stories of our patients and countless others like them. For far too many, struggling to make ends meet, afraid to lose even a day’s pay – going to work sick is the only choice they have. Understanding why requires swapping stethoscopes for statutes and looking upstream for answers. With the exception of Prince Edward Island, no province or territory guarantees a minimum number of paid sick days for employees. Across the country, young people, seniors and low-wage workers are the hardest hit. Less than half of young and older employees work in jobs that provide paid sick

days. The lower an employee’s pay, the less likely they are to be covered by a voluntary sick days policy. Even in Canada’s single exception, the birthplace of Confederation, legislation is woefully inadequate. Prince Edward Islanders are entitled to a single day of paid sick leave – but only after five years of continuous service with the same employer. Worse still, not only do countless Canadians lack paid sick days, many are at risk of losing their job for unexpected illness. In Ontario alone, 1.6 million people cannot rely on any labour legislation for protection against losing their jobs for taking a sick day without pay. The news is not all bad. San Francisco, a city many associate with high-tech start-ups and the innovation

economy, has been a leader on using paid sick days to keep its residents healthy. Since 2007, the Golden Gate City has mandated that all employers provide their workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked. After surveying more than 700 employers and nearly 1,200 employees, researchers found employees were better able to care for themselves and family members, including being able to stay home with a sick child. Even more encouraging, two-thirds of employers supported the new mandated policy and the vast majority reported that their profitability did not suffer. Despite being eligible for five or nine paid sick days per year, the typical employee used only three, and a quarter used none.

San Francisco’s success should come as no surprise. Research has shown that paid sick days reduce the duration of sickness, the risk of worsening minor conditions and are associated with higher return to work rates from serious illnesses like a heart attack. Though this has been a long-standing problem, calls for change are growing ever louder. In Ontario, the provincial government has commissioned a review of the Employment Standards Act, legislation that has seen no major revisions since the end of the Second World War. There, a coalition of doctors, nurses, researchers and workers, have launched a campaign for change along the lines of the San Francisco model.

Guaranteed sick time good policy and smart business People working despite being sick has been estimated to cost Canadian businesses $15-25 billion per year

O P I N I O N

BY DAN YAAL RAZA, FAMILY PHYSICIAN,A ND RYAN MEILI, EXPERT ADVISOR

Guest opinion columnistsTroyMedia.com

Across the country, other groups of health care providers and workers are starting to come together to push for change. The phenomenon of presenteeism (people coming to work despite being sick) is endemic in our work culture

and has been estimated to cost Canadian businesses $15 to $25 billion per year. Protecting sick time is part of sending a message to employers and employees to rethink our approach to work. When we take care of ourselves, and take the time needed to

recover when ill, it improves the short and long-term health of workers, and the bottom line of the businesses that employ them. It’s high time we had policies guaranteeing sick time for Canadian workers.

Dr. Danyaal Raza is a Family Physician at St. Michaels Hospital in Toronto and a member of the Decent Work and Health Network. Dr. Ryan Meili is a Family Physician in Saskatoon, an expert advisor with Evidence Network and founder of Upstream.

Wendy Ellen Inc: 10 years of first-rate HR services

She describes her organization as a “grassroots” HR firm because

Wendy Giuffre sincerely believes that the success of any enterprise begins and ends with its people. During 28 years as a human resources professional, she has seen it demonstrated time and again. And she walks the talk on a daily basis as the senior decision maker for Wendy Ellen Inc., currently celebrating 10 years of successful operations in Calgary. “There is no question that your talented and loyal staff members are your most valuable asset, no matter what kind of business you run,” she says. “These are the people who drive your sales, optimize your processes and solve problems for your customers.” And when your thriving business begins to grow, it is a full-time job to seek, find, train new people – the RIGHT people – to add to your team: time-consuming elements such as maintaining staff morale, sorting out benefits programs, negotiating contracts – all the challenging tasks that add up to strong employee relations. That’s where Wendy Ellen comes in. Giuffre and her experienced team are in position to take the place of a human resources department that your small or mid-sized business would otherwise need.

By inviting Wendy Ellen into your workplace on an as-needed basis, you are free to concentrate on your core business, to devote more of your time to pursue strategic priorities. Meanwhile, you are secure in the knowledge that the members of your team are in the best possible hands. Wendy Ellen’s customer service model is based on filling your own specific needs. Working onsite or offsite as required, Giuffre and her gifted team will take care of the people side of your business, within a professional and compliant framework. That hands-on approach is what frees up Wendy Ellen’s clients, giving them time to concentrate on the bottom line. “We like to get our hands dirty,” Giuffre says. “Working seamlessly within the framework of our customers’ organizations, we act as neutral, nonjudgmental consultants aiming for the creation of a culture to promote employee engagement and retention.” Thinking about recruiting new staffers? Wendy Ellen can help you find the right person, enabling you to build your team with those able to adapt most readily to your specific culture, in terms of skill sets, personality fit and role fit.

An important bonus: the price is right. “In terms of recruitment, we are definitely more price-friendly than other large recruitment companies and offer different pricing options,” Giuffre adds. Giuffre and her team specialize in every facet of human resources consultation, from legislative compliance to management coaching to wellness initiatives. You will find additional details on Wendy Ellen’s informative website www.wendyelleninc.ca. Contact Giuffre directly at 403.815.4336 or wendy@ wendyelleninc.ca for more information.

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We act as neutral, nonjudgmental consultants aiming for the creation of a culture to promote employee engagement and retention.

The ongoing decline in commodity prices has

hit Canada’s economy hard, depressing incomes, and triggering layoffs and capital spending cuts. The U.S.-dollar prices of most internationally traded commodity products have slipped, hammering hundreds of resource companies and their suppliers, and hurting business and consumer confidence across swaths of the country. It is important to realize that the commodity carnage is not restricted to oil. It is also affecting natural gas, coal, base metals, potash, various industrial raw materials, and some segments of the agri-food sector. Lumber prices have also beaten a hasty retreat in recent months. The World Bank’s January 2016 commodity market update provided a comprehensive summary of the gruesome statistics. In 2015, worldwide energy prices plummeted 45 per cent from the previous year’s levels,

while non-energy commodity prices were down by 15 per cent (both measured in U.S. dollars). Relative to their peaks in early 2012, the main industrial commodity price indexes tracked by the World Bank have plunged by two-thirds in the case of energy goods, and by more than one-half in the case of metals. Agricultural commodity prices have dropped by one-third from their most recent peaks. There are few reasons to expect a sharp turnaround in commodity markets. For most natural resource products, prices are expected to bottom out in 2016 before staging a marginal recovery in 2017. The table above compares the average U.S.-dollar prices for a number of commodities

Widespread commodity price declineswill depress the national economy through this year and probably into 2017

JOCK FI NLAYSONGuest opinion columnistTroy Media

U.S. DOLLAR PRICES FOR SELECTED COMMODITY PRODUCTS (ANNUAL AVERAGE)

2013 2014 2015 2016

Oil (bbl) $104 $51 $37 $48

Natural gas (mmbtu) $3.73 $2.61 $2.50 $3.00

Iron ore (mt) $135.40 $55.80 $42 $44.10

Aluminum (mt) $1,847 $1,665 $1,550 $1,612

Copper (mt) $7,332 $5,510 $5,000 $5,190

Nickel (mt) $15,032 $11,863 $10,000 $10,801

Wheat (mt) $312 $203 $185 $193

Phosphate (mt) $148 $117 $120 $119

bbl - barrel; mmbtu - one million British thermal units; mt - metric tonne.Source: World Bank, Commodity Market Outlook, January 2016

in 2013 and 2015, along with the World Bank’s forecasts for the next two years. By 2017, most commodity prices are expected to still be significantly lower than they were in 2012-13, when the decade-long global commodity boom had not yet come crashing down. Faltering economic growth in emerging markets is a key factor dampening commodity prices. In the case of certain commodities, such as oil, natural gas and some base metals, an expansion in global supply is also playing a substantial role in keeping a lid on prices. Economic growth projections for the vast majority of emerging markets

have been revised down for the next two years, on the heels of the deceleration seen in 2014-15. The World Bank points to a risk that “. . . a faster-than-expected slowdown in major emerging market economies – especially if combined with financial stress – could further reduce commodity prices, setting back growth in commodity exporters and [for] the global economy.” For Canada, all of this amounts to a notably inauspicious start to 2016. After all, natural resource-based products account for half of this country’s merchandise exports, one of the highest shares among all developed economies. Until

recently, more than two-fifths of business investment in Canada was driven by the energy, pipeline, mining, agriculture and forest products industries. As these sectors struggle or contract, the Canadian economy will continue to feel the pain. It is that simple. The Bank of Canada recently estimated that the dramatic decline in oil prices is costing our economy $50 billion in lost income annually, equivalent to $1,500 for every Canadian. That is just oil. Add in the effects of the broader commodity slump and the income losses to Canadians are many billions of dollars greater still.

While consumers and some Canadian industries are benefiting from lower prices for energy and other resource products, the overall economy is suffering. And if the World Bank is right, the suffering isn’t about to end any time soon. For this year and probably into 2017, Canada’s economy will be challenged to eke out even a smidgeon of growth, amid an epic worldwide commodity downturn that has extended to many of our most important export products. Jock Finlayson is executive vice-president of the Business Council of British Columbia.

Alberta’s real estate sector is resilient. It is

full of smart, well-capitalized companies familiar with Alberta’s economic cycles. The players have changed substantially over the past 10 years with more national and international players backed by institutional money. Developers today play Calgary and Edmonton as part of Canadian and/or international portfolios. However, new political dimensions are testing the industry’s mettle. Is industry prepared for new factors for capital-investment decisions? While articles of late hyper-focus on the economic cycle, I choose to provide the lesser told, but equally important, political topics that could fundamentally affect the market. An NDP government has rendered old political networks, and rolodex’s (for those that still have them), relatively useless. Industry is challenged with establishing new government relationships. At the same time, the Municipal Government Act (MGA), Alberta’s largest piece of legislation governing how municipalities, councils, planning, and taxation work, is being overhauled. No small task.

The MGA review commenced in 2014. The industry focused on key MGA areas of city charters, regional planning, environmental and park-land dedication, development charges & financing, and inclusionary zoning. These are major MGA amendments which industry and municipalities must work within to deliver housing to Albertans. A change in government in May 2015 ushered in a new minister of municipal affairs and, since then, another new minister. It is understandable then that this slowed MGA review and adoption of legislative changes well into 2016. The Government is now considering positions as to how the MGA will allow for the making-good on campaign promises – particularly those of inclusionary zoning, affordable housing, and city charters – before further revealing relevant information to the public, industry, and municipalities. Regional growth management will also be implemented via entities such as the Calgary

Regional Partnership through upcoming legislation. Industry also awaits the hiring of a new city manager for Edmonton where city council desires a “hands on” leader to deliver results to Edmontonians and council. A recent re-organization of city departments in the interim is under way. Look to see the new city manager’s strategic objectives for Edmonton Council soon after a hiring announcement. The “Build Calgary” initiative at the City of Calgary will continue to be watched closely. Recently, Build Calgary’s recommendations delivered to city council for new and infill community development

charges were accepted with industry and political support. These changes substantially increased existing levies on the whole, at the same time introducing inner-city levies for the first time. Look next for how other Alberta municipalities follow suit or not as they compete to grow. So as we start a new year, answers to some political questions, but not all, were revealed. For the rest, you will just have to stay tuned. David Allen is the founder of Situated, an Alberta-based real estate development adviser and management firm. Look for more articles and learn more about Situated at www.situated.co.

Alberta’s policy shifts and impact on real estate – where are we? DAVI D ALLENBusiness Edge Exclusive

R E A L E S T A T E

An NDP government has rendered old political networks, and rolodex’s (for those that still

have them), relatively useless.

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Julie Beck appointed CFO of NOVA ChemicalsBusiness Edge News Magazine

HIRE INTELLIGENCE

NOVA Chemicals Corporation announced recently that Julie Beck will join the company as senior vice-president and chief financial officer. She will work out of NOVA Chemicals’ Pittsburgh commercial centre. Beck served previously as vice-president, finance and divisional chief financial officer of Joy Global’s Underground Mining segment and brings with her an extensive background in corporate finance, treasury and strategy. “I really look forward to building on my past experience and working alongside the NOVA Chemicals team,” said Beck. “NOVA Chemicals has a great culture of innovation and collaboration, and I can’t wait to get started.” Beck will be a part of NOVA Chemicals’ senior management team and will as CFO succeed Todd Karran, who was named chief executive officer in 2015. “I’m thrilled to welcome Julie to NOVA Chemicals, where she will help shape the future of our company,” said Karran. “As we look forward to continued growth in a changing marketplace, Julie’s experience and leadership will help play a critical role in our ability to enable

our customers to deliver products that make everyday life healthier, easier and safer.”

Greybrook Realty Partners Inc. has named Chris Salapoutis as president and chief operating officer. Salapoutis will oversee the firm’s growing business operations and play a critical role in developing and executing Greybrook’s strategic objectives and positioning the business for long-term growth. Salapoutis was formerly president and COO of Macquarie Private Wealth, prior to which he was the COO of Macquarie Capital Markets. He brings to Greybrook a wealth of expertise with more than 30 years of differentiated business and financial management experience. A result-focused leader, Salapoutis has held executive positions in some of the most recognized firms on Bay Street, including Orion Securities Inc., Cartier Partners Financial Group, Merrill Lynch Canada Inc., Midland Walwyn Capital Inc. and Fidelity Investments Canada. He is a chartered accountant and has been heavily involved in various industry bodies over the years.

“Chris is an experienced and well-respected executive in the financial services industry,” said Peter Politis, CEO of Greybrook Realty Partners. “He brings invaluable capital markets, wealth and asset management experience to the table, and we are thrilled to have him on board. He is joining Greybrook Realty Partners in our next phase of growth and we are confident he will enable us to meet our strategic objectives.”

David Segal, a co-founder of DavidsTea, has resigned as brand ambassador for the Montreal-based company. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company says Segal left to “dedicate more of his time to exploring other entrepreneurial interests.”

Segal, 35, remains one of DavidsTea’s largest shareholders with 6.5% of its outstanding shares, according to a company spokesperson. He co-founded the company eight years ago with his cousin, Herschel Segal, who founded Le Chateau. DavidsTea opened its first bricks-and-mortar outlet in 2008 in Toronto and now has 156 stores in Canada and 37 in the U.S., selling various blends of tea, along with tea accessories and other products. In its last fiscal year, DavidsTea opened 39 stores and is planning to open the same number again this year. After going public last June, its shares soared to nearly US$30, but have since fizzled and closed Monday at US$11.88.

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I don’t think a single Canadian would deny that,

in the last 12 to 18 months, there have been drastic changes to our economy. Job security or even just HAVING a job can no longer be taken for granted. Chances are someone you know has had wages cut or lost their job altogether. Current and foreseeable economic conditions make finding a new job difficult. Payments become increasingly hard, if not impossible, to make. With this in mind, serious questions need to be asked even though it’s natural to want to avoid them. There is an elephant in the living room of many Canadian homes. This prevalent pachyderm is foreclosure,

and it’s a real possibility for thousands of families. The good news is that options exist to avoid foreclosure and retain some of the equity you have worked so hard to establish. From your lender’s perspective, they DO NOT want to foreclose on your home. It’s time-consuming, a logistical nightmare, and they rarely recuperate their costs. In a discussion with a mortgage specialist recently, he said it’s in the lender’s best interest to work with you to help you keep your home.

So what are those options to help avoid foreclosure? Naturally, each situation is unique. In some cases, lenders will work to implement an extended “skip-a-payment” scenario with few, if any, penalties. A mortgage’s life may be extended to consolidate higher-interest debt, thereby making payments more manageable. If these options aren’t available, the best suggestion is to sell your home to access your equity before it is too late.

With home prices decreasing rapidly in hardest-hit markets, the goal is to extract as much equity as possible before all is lost. Selling your home in the current economy is not only possible, but you may sell for more than you think. Determining how to make this happen can seem overwhelming, which is why you need professional help on your side. The key is having a knowledgeable, focused real estate agent that will give you no-holds-barred advice about your home’s value and target demographic, as well as a comprehensive advertising, marketing and sales plan. You need someone who will work with you to preserve as much your hard-earned equity. Benefits are two-fold. First, you keep as much equity as possible. And no elephants are harmed in the process. Trevor Foraie is a top-producing residential REALTOR® focusing on Calgary and surrounding areas.

Do you see it? That’s the real estate elephant and he’s in the room

TR EVOR FORAIEBusiness Edge Exclusive

R E A L E S T A T E

AS I write this I am 35,000 feet over

the Great Lakes heading east. Being stuck in a flying cigar tube with 100 people gives you a chance to pause – and to think. I have come to the conclusion that all of the uncertainty n the world today is going to make us better at running our businesses. Like many businesspeople, I follow the news incessantly. I watch the 6 o’clock news, have satellite radio in my vehicle and live stream news to my cellphone. This news overload is in the hope that I will be able to figure out what is going on in this world. So far it has not worked. So here are my three conclusions: 1) It is time to let go. We can all lament the fact that oil is no longer at $130 a barrel or that the economy is in tatters, unemployment is at an all-time high or that government seems to be acting completely irrationally. All good stuff for the 6 o’clock news but not much help in running a business.

We have been through times like these before and the only way to look is forward. I am convinced that this will end. When? Who knows? But rolling up in a ball and hiding under the covers in not the answer. I have made a commitment that I am done worrying about the things I cannot change and will instead focus on those I can. 2) The best defence is a good offence. The instinct, when entering tough waters, is to batten the hatches and hope the waves don’t swamp you. Great advice if you are captain of a ship, but absolutely the worst idea when running a business. Being afraid is only going to lead to your business going down. Now is not the time to stop marketing – it is the time to increase it. If people don’t know you are in business, you won’t get any and the business – your business – is on the way to Davy Jones locker. Now is the time to implement a social-media program and perhaps integrate that with advertising in a targeted traditional media outlet that reaches 157,000+ businesses with every issue (hint: it’s the one you are reading now). It is

time to reach out to those 20% of our customers that give us 80% of our business. It is time to be innovative. Canada may be struggling, but there is a great big world out there and business is booming. It does mean getting on an airplane, going somewhere new, trying something bold. Nothing beats the rush of adrenalin that comes from running our businesses like true entrepreneurs. (Remember when owning a business was fun?) I am committed to the idea that, whatever happens, my business will not die the death of 1,000 cuts. If we are going down, we are going down fighting. 3) Business is about people; always has been, always will be. Because I am convinced my business is going to survive – even thrive, in these times, I need good people. If you are a giant corporation, you can afford to lose people (well, possibly not, but it can help the quarterly bottom line). If I lay off one person, I have laid off 20% of my workforce. All of us have those things we said we needed to do some day when we have time. Now is the time. Time to get the staff

trained in that software we bought but no one had time to learn. Time to call on those customers we took for granted when times were good. Time to look in the mirror and say “How can I do things better?” Time to be a better leader and a better businessperson. Layoffs stop now. It starts with my business – where I can make a difference. It has to start somewhere. Someone hung up a sign in my office that said “Doing new things is easy – it is letting go of the old that is hard.” It is still there because I believe it. The old days are behind us. As much as I love history, that is what it is – history. Now will someone let me out of this cigar tube so I can get the ball rolling? Norman Leach is the founder of Norman Leach & Associates, a boutique consulting business in Calgary that guides companies and non-profit organizations to their next level of success. As a professional speaker and trainer, Norman is in demand for his presentations and seminars on leadership, business development and business strategy. You can contact him at [email protected].

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The next time you go racing down the hill on

your skis or snowboard, give a thought to the folks who were out in the middle of the night grooming those runs. Or the folks who pay the electric bills to power that high tech snowmaking gear. And don’t forget the mechanical and electronic technology folks who make all this possible. Andrew Cradduck is the guy who keeps the snow just right at Panorama Mountain Resort in British Columbia. As Director of Mountain Operations he commands the snowmaking gear and co-ordinates the business side of that operation too. “We schedule our snowmaking to coincide with our electrical billing periods,” he says, “so that we only run our air compressors and water pumps within three electrical billing periods. We even negotiated with BC Hydro to have our meter read on the 20th of each month, and historically we’ve been able to make snow starting on October 20.”

How big is the monthly variation in electrical demand at the resort? Cradduck gives this analogy: “Throughout the year, we’re driving a Toyota Corolla, but when we make snow we’re driving a Ferrari, so BC Hydro basically charges us a premium for renting a Ferrari for three months.” In Alberta, he says, electricity service is privatized but still a large expense for ski areas. “I know at Nakiska, for example, they manage their electricity very carefully, but it’s got more to do with how their consumption rate varies throughout the day. So they negotiate and buy blocks of power that they can use at various times of the day, and they’ll choose to make or not make snow. We’re lucky in that we don’t have to worry about that factor.”

Cradduck says BC also charges a “conservation factor” charge which Cradduck is hoping to see go away. It encourages year over year energy efficiency and penalizes increasing use. He says this “works fine for places like shopping malls, but not for us in the East Kootenays where we can have a cold spell that you didn’t have for the last three years – it’s a whole different ballgame.” Snowmaking is particularly important to lure skiers and snowboarders from far away, an important factor for a destination resort like Panorama. “If you’re booking your vacation in the fall, for skiing in March, you don’t want to get a call that says don’t bother coming. Last year we had tree to tree, summit to base skiing right up to closing day.” He also argues that because man-made snow

can be precisely controlled, it provides a better surface which many ski racers prefer to the natural stuff. He says there’s art as well as science in snowmaking. “If the perfect temperatures hit at 3 in the morning, but you expect them to warm up the next day, you’re not gonna call people in and do a start-up, because by the time you get started and everything, you’ll be shutting down again. So we look for forecast trends where we’re going to see a sustained period of cold weather, we can keep things running through, or at least start up say at five in the afternoon and shut down the next morning at nine o’clock.” Cradduck sits amidst an array of radios and pump controllers, though much of his job can be handled from a laptop. “We have software on

Proper use of technology criticalin making of snow and money

DR. TOM KEENANTech Style, Business Edge

it that monitors the fan guns,” he says, “and the nice thing is that they all have kind of a mini-weather station on them, so that we can see what the temperature is throughout the mountain.” He also has remote control software that so he can start a pump from his dining room table. “The pump house is literally across the creek from my house” he says,” but when it’s -10 and you’re in your pajamas you don’t really want to go out and drive to the pump house.” As for the future, he sees the installation of a booster pump house at the top of the first lift. Water is not a constraint since they draw from the creek, and have a large water licence. “For all intents and purposes, we have an infinite water capacity, which is not the case at every ski hill. Some places are drawing their water from their domestic water supply, so you’re paying someone to treat that water and pump it to you, and that costs a lot.” Other areas have a mountaintop reservoir, but it has a finite capacity so they can run out. “The ultimate dream for me would be that we would have permanently mounted guns on every run that we have snowmaking on, and I sit in a pump house with a control room that has a massive green button on the wall that I press, after I’ve selected which

runs I want to make snow on, the water valves swing automatically and the air is supplied through a series of valving, and all I have to do is go out on a snowmobile and make sure the snow is going on the run and not into the trees on onto a chair lift.”

Or, of course, he could just send in the drones some day in the future. For the next few years, though, it will be crews of workers moving snow guns and lines. And Andrew trying to ensure that you have that smooth ride down the hill. Give him a wave as you fly by.

Dr. Tom Keenan is a professor of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary, a Research Fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and author of the best-selling book Technocreep.

If you’re booking your vacation in the fall, for skiing in March, you don’t want to get a call that says don’t bother coming.

Tough times, they are upon us. Job

losses abound, wages are being frozen or cut, and in many sectors it is virtually impossible to get hired. Fret not, friends. I am here to help. I have been through the toughest of times. There was the time in Grade 9 when I told my parents that I was no longer interested in attending weekly Catholic mass. Their synchronized response “Well, then I guess you are no longer living in this house” did not deter me whatsoever . . . until I ended my holdout and went to church 15 minutes later. Then there was the time in my second year of Grade 12 when I wore a massive woman’s wig for a mugshot that ran with some fellow basketball players on the back page of the first section of the Calgary Herald. My dad’s response at suppertime on the day it was published: “Thanks Rob – now my entire staff thinks that my son is a transvestite!” (Publisher’s note: my dad is actually a super nice and tolerant guy)

Your definitive glossary for the economic downturn

ROB DRI SCOLLBusiness Edge

L I G H T E R S I D E

Then there was the time in my first year of university when, on a date with the hottest babe I could ever imagine dating, we went back to her place, her parents were out of town, and I had to pretend that I knew what I was doing. Yes, I have survived some extremely difficult experiences. So I am kind of a big deal on the subject of emerging from perilous times with style and grace. The key is understanding precisely what is going on, so you can formulate a strategy for success. With that in mind, I present the definitive glossary of terms related to the current economic crisis: Layoff – a verb used to help fend off job loss when your boss comes in to your office with the “I am about to deliver really bad news” look on his face. Usage: “Hey, layoff, Man! I am just trying to pay the rent and feed my children.” Economic downturn – a term describing a cost-saving initiative at a hotel on a

business trip. Usage: “(To front-desk personnel) I would like to save a few dollars on room cleaning, so could you please do an economic downturn of the sheets and skip the chocolate on the pillow?” Severance package – a phrase used in the organized crime disposal business when someone sleeps with the boss’s wife. Usage: “Hey Vinny, I want you to take out the garbage – and don’t forget to sever his package.” Oil patch – a Band-Aid solution that covers up a lack of economic divergence when crude behaviour is at a high. Usage: “Hey, Alberta - don’t worry about that silly economic-diversity thing; just apply the oil patch and everything will be OK.” New ditty – A short, repetitive song performed by someone who has just been laid off and is facing divorce and foreclosure; usually sung while running naked. Usage: “At least that crazy streaker had a positive new ditty;

you could hear him yelling ‘Everything is awesome, everything is awesome,’ all the way down the street.” Supply and demand – Natural forces that drive economic success or failure. Usage: I am going to supply you with a gun and demand that you rob a bank so we can cover our next mortgage payment. Profits – an obsolete term that used to describe the cash earned after covering expenses. Usage: “Hey, Fred – remember when our company used to make profits? Now, we are merely prophets of economic doom.” Economic hangover – the act of hanging over the railing of a bridge, pondering if you will ever get a job again. Usage: “That dude is experiencing an economic hangover; let’s go try to talk him off the ledge.” Don’t jump! Unless it is at a chance to improve your economic fortune through a positive attitude and determined effort.

Warning: This article contains graphic violence, questionable language and new-ditty

When you’re faced with tough Canadian Weather,

www.artictherm.com 780.939.3141

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