Biz X Magazine March 2022 by Biz X magazine

YOUR ONLY INTERNATIONAL BORDER CITY PUBLICATION

The Tax Man Cometh . . . Who Can Help File Your Personal Income Tax Return?

The 2022 Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award Winners And Finalists

THE PARENTING BIZ March Is Nutrition Month! Learn How The Whole

Family Can Take A Bite Out Of Unhealthy Eating Habits March 2022

$3.50

PLUS Blue Human Resources Consulting Inc.; Old School Auctions; Stereoland; Entrepreneur Renu Anderson; Dutch Boys Chocolate; Caffeine & Co. Café & Bakery And Plenty More Local News Stories!

Changing Of The Guard Three essential community organizations in the area are experiencing a change in management with new leaders set to take charge. From left: Fred Francis becomes Executive Director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County in April; Dr. Sonja Grbevski takes over as CEO for the Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor-Essex County Branch in March and Bill Marra is already at the helm of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare as President and CEO. — PAGE 18 B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

FOR BUSINESSES & PEOPLE IN WINDSOR, ESSEX COUNTY & METRO DETROIT SINCE 1998

B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS MARCH 2022 Volume 25 • Issue 3

4 Funny Stuff 5 From The Publisher: Local Art Award Nominations Needed 6 Rose City Politics: Are Windsor City Councillors And The Mayor Paid Too Much Or Not Enough? 8 Front Lines 11 Heard On The Street 12 From The Bookshelf: Stephen J. Kristof’s Feeling Normal Again 13 Just Sayin’: Should Canada Keep Our Constitutional Monarchy Or Embrace Full Political Independence? 14 Newsflash 16 Food For Thought: Caffeine & Co., Amherstburg When you want coffee hour to be special, the hard working people at Caffeine & Co. have the hot drinks and sweet treats you desire! They offer cakes, pastries and specialties like Signature Sugar Cookies and several different blends of coffee. For that extra special refreshment the spiked Chai Latte (shown above in photo courtesy of Meghan Boschin) with RumChata, caramel sauce and whipped cream with house made Cinnamon Sugar Donuts, make it the perfect candidate for dipping. Find out what other goodies you can indulge in at this quaint café in our regular column that always appeals to all the foodies in the region. 23 X X Files: Renu Anderson — Restaurateur, Sauce Queen And Cannabis Store Entrepreneur

24 Feature Story: Are You Feeling Stressed As It’s Tax Season? Tax time is here and there’s no surer way of mitigating those tax liabilities than to use the services of a tax professional. There are many firms throughout the Windsor and Essex County area capable of filing individual returns for people who live and work in Windsor, as well as those who live here and work in the U.S. So quit worrying over getting your taxes done and see who to get in touch with before the April 30 tax-filing deadline arrives! © Can Stock Photo/Maridav 29 Portfolio Corner: It’s Time For Perspective 30 The Parenting Biz: Healthy Eating Habits For Families A healthy diet is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle and a happy, fulfilling life. However, many people don’t know the difference between a good diet and a bad one. In this issue, perfectly timed as Nutrition Month is taking place in March, we feature dietitians and business owners in the food industry with the goal of creating a healthier future for you and your family. © Can Stock Photo/ilona75 37 Fun Activities For Grandparents and Grandchildren 38 Ask The Experts: “Moving In Stereo” With Stereoland 40 Awards Spotlight: Windsor-Essex Chamber 2022 BEA Update 43 Tech Bytes: TeCK Week YQG March 21 To 27 45 The Way It Was: Upholding Traditions . . . Through The Ranks 46 Biz Of The Month: Old School Auctions, Belle River

ON THE COVER — Changing Of The Guard — 18 A change-up in management at three community organizations in the area, is in the works for 2022. The newly appointed Executive Director of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County Fred Francis, officially takes over on April 1 from Kathleen Thomas. Dr. Sonja Grbevski starts her new position as Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch commencing March 7. Claudia den Boer previously held this position for the past seven years. And Bill Marra, began his new role as President and CEO at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare at the beginning of the year with the retirement of Janice Kaffer. For this edition, Our Cup Of Joe Columnist, Joe McParland, expands his regular column to four pages so our readers can learn as much as possible about the three new individuals who are committed to carrying on the tradition of excellence and professionalism of their predecessors and organizations that our region has come to expect. COVER LOCATION AND PROFESSIONALS PHOTOGRAPHED: Our three VIPs — Fred Francis (left), Dr. Sonja Grbevski and Bill Marra — take a little cover from the inclement weather during our photo shoot under the entrance to the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare facility at 1453 Prince Road, Windsor. Please note that through the magic of Photoshop, individual shots were taken separately and then digitally merged together for this front cover photo in order to adhere to the COVID-19 protocols currently in place. PHOTOGRAPHER: Rod Denis (RodneyLDenisPhotographer.com). B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

FUNNY STUFF BROUGHT TO YOU BY

Warning! Cuteness Overload

Send your funny animal photo with your pet’s name to: deborah@bizxmagazine.com and it may be included here in an upcoming issue. Make sure it gives our readers a laugh! Nova is The Lion King of the castle.

“Striving to provide our readers with a quality magazine that contains accurate information about the businesses and people that shape our border cities; and that challenges us to appreciate, explore and contribute to our communities.” SINCE 1998, Biz X IS DELIVERED FREE OF CHARGE TO EVERY REGISTERED BUSINESS IN WINDSOR & ESSEX COUNTY (10,000) AS DETERMINED BY CANADA POST. (NUMBER 03524213)

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The problem with this guitar, in Moo’s expert opinion, is that it’s out of tuna!

PRESIDENT

Deborah Jones VICE-PRESIDENT

Colin Jones

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION & SALES

Della Jones-Goulet, Assistant to the Publisher Kathleen Jones, Office Administrator You can run, but you can’t hide from Arthur.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Inside Bad Witch Bakery Gus Gus is just hanging with his gnomies.

Jack Rosenberg

WRITERS / PHOTOJOURNALISTS

Lori Baldassi Steven Bezaire Julianna Bonnett David Clark Andrea Grimes Dave Hall Dave Halliday Steven Mayo Joe McParland Jim Murphy Rose City Politics Panelists Rebecca Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rodney L. Denis Photography Josie Elysia Kim Jussila PRODUCTION DESIGN

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from the publisher

Awards Recognition For A Job Well Done By Deborah Jones As businesses, organizations and area professionals work hard to get revenues back to pre-pandemic levels, it is important that the community takes time to highlight these “survivors”. And this appears to be the case with all the award ceremonies in Windsor Essex this spring! To start, the winners of the Tech Awards, organized by WEtech Alliance, take place, virtually, March 21 to 27 as part of the fifth annual TeCK Week YQG (see page 43 for further details). Then on March 30, the seventh annual Best of Windsor Essex recipients are announced, hosted by Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. And on May 19 the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards gala reveals the final winners in 10 categories and honours two amazing local individuals (more on page 40 of this edition). Plus in a few months (mid-July) the categories for the 25th annual Biz X awards will open up for nominations too. So, for my column now, I want to help the Windsor Endowment for the Arts (WEA) and the City of Windsor in their search for 2022 nominations and applications for the WEA Awards/Grants and the Mayor’s Arts Awards.

Windsor Endowment for the Arts welcomes applications via their online application platform at: WEA-Arts.com until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 25, 2022. Nominations are open for one of four Art Leadership Awards of merit, presented to recognize and celebrate outstanding individuals, philanthropists, businesses and/or organizations devoted to the arts, in community, literary, performing and visual arts. WEA is also looking for nominations for their 11 art grants totalling $29,000 as follows . . . Emerging Artist Grants: Three grants of $3,000 each presented to support the professional and creative development of emerging artists in literary arts, performing arts and visual arts. Emerging Artist in Film Arts Grant: A $3,000 grant for a local filmmaker to create a short fiction film, short documentary, or feature-length documentary. Arts Infrastructure Grants: Four grants of $3,000 each to individual professional artists/arts professionals, ad hoc groups, collectives, organizations and businesses dedicated to developing the arts in community arts, literary arts, performing arts and visual arts.

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Elizabeth Havelock Grant in the Arts: A $2,000 grant to foster and support the artistic excellence of the mid-career artist in any artistic discipline. The Morris and Beverly Baker Foundation Youth Grant in the Arts: A $2,000 grant to a graduating high school student registered in an arts program at a college or university. The Eric Jackman Youth Grant in the Arts: A $1,000 grant for a Grade 11 or Grade 12 student who completes a summer internship at an arts organization in 2022. For the Mayor’s Arts Awards (WMAA), applications and nominations are accepted until March 25, 2022 at 3 p.m. on: CityWindsor.ca/residents/Culture/Pages/ Mayor-Arts-Awards.aspx There are three categories for the WMAA. First, Individual Artist: $1,000 to an individual artist engaged in a broad spectrum of activities having to do with creating, practicing or demonstrating art. Art is broadly conceived to include all genres and disciplines including performance, visual, literary, media/new media, and design. Second, Arts Organization: $1,000 to a community arts organization demonstrating a clear commitment to creating, practicing and demonstrating art. Third, Arts Volunteer: $500 to an individual supporting the arts by providing his/her own time and services, without receiving payment for their volunteer work. This year WEA and Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens plan to present the awards at an in-person event in May. Good luck to all participating in these great awards programs!

Rose City Politics

Diving In With Both Feet On Council Compensations

In this space the Rose City Politics panel will analyze, breakdown, and critique a local political issue that affects each and every Windsor resident.

The City of Windsor’s Council Compensation Review Committee reviews remuneration/compensation and benefits paid to the Mayor and City Councillors, as well as equipment and staffing resources, with a mandate to make recommendations, which would come into effect January 1, 2023 for the new term of Council. For this edition of Biz X, three of the four members of the Rose City Politics panel give their views on the compensation issue. A politician known for establishing a regime of patronage once said “A politician who is poor, is a poor politician.” While the adage is classist and not applicable to Windsor, deliberately keeping political salaries low distorts the political process in a way similar to patronage: acting as gatekeeper for who can serve. As a child I remember hearing something attributed to a then-City Councillor when discussing whether the role should be “full time,” that it would be impossible to recruit lawyers with a salary of $70k. “What lawyer would work for $70,000 annually?’’ You can probably guess the career of the politician who professed that gem. But, it speaks to a serious question — who do we want representing Windsorites on council? Who are we able to recruit to run when the salary is part time with full time (and more) hours? City Council members last received raises in 2019, the first since 2005, with total Councillor remuneration going from $40,180 to $45,957 plus an all-inclusive amount not tied to boards.

Doug Sartori Based on their survey, Windsor’s Council Compensation Committee seems to be taking a thorough look at what the public thinks is fair compensation for the Mayor and City Council. That’s an important element in defining appropriate pay, perhaps the most important

While the role of a City Councillor is part time, those who care, perform the job full time, often over time, the latter without pay. It would be remiss not to mention that our Mayor’s salary was $194,280 in 2019, while that of the City Of Toronto’s Mayor was $197,279. The facts remain clear — Windsor has an $889-million operating budget. Who do you want responsible for your tax dollars? Someone working part time? So what’s needed? Raise Councillor salaries to attract diverse candidates. Windsor only has one woman on council. It’s 2022. What gives? Council only has one blue-collar member — in the automotive capital of Canada. Lower the Mayor’s salary and office budget. Annually raise Councillor salaries pegged to inflation and review every two terms. Provide support staff for Councillors and increase annual expenses; Councillors need the tools to best represent their constituents. It’s time to change the status quo and get more diverse candidates to run for office — and win — and one way to do that is raising salaries and providing necessary tools.

Jon Liedtke is a Commentator for AM800, Co-host and Producer of Rose City Politics, a business consultant, serves on Artcite’s Executive Board, and is a band member of Windsor’s The Nefidovs.

element to get a sense of public opinion on. I hope in their recommendations they also consider the appropriate political balance between Mayor and Council. Right now, Windsor’s Councillors are compensated for part-time hours with a small support staff to help handle requests from constituents. If they were paid for fulltime hours they would be in line with private sector salaries for skilled workers or middle managers. The Mayor’s pay reflects a well-paid top management position and comes with a large staff and lavish budget. This is a somewhat extreme example of a typical pattern in Ontario municipalities. It is right for the job of Mayor of a large Canadian city to be well-compensated. It’s a position that must be all-consuming if it is to be done well. If you want capable people to apply for the job, it must be well compensated. This is not in itself a problem, necessarily. The problem with our current setup is twofold. Councillor pay is unreasonably low

considering the workload and expectations. In practical terms this means that many Council seats are occupied by retirees and people whose day jobs require little work. Considering that the Council is our recruiting pool for future Mayors, this policy starves the city of viable potential candidates. At the same time, the huge imbalance in staff resources between the Mayor and Council, creates a situation where it is very difficult for Councillors to work independently and pursue ideas that do not come out of the Mayor’s Office. An unscrupulous Mayor can abuse the extensive communication power of the office to promote themselves using city resources. If the goal is good governance and to attract the strongest leaders possible to serve on Council, the current arrangement falls far short of the ideal. It should change. Doug Sartori is a political observer and organizer. When he’s not recording podcasts or getting people out to vote he runs Parallel 42 Systems, a technology consultancy firm in downtown Windsor.

• • • •

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Jon Liedtke

The Rose City Politics panel includes Doug Sartori, Pat Papadeas, Don Merrifield Jr., and Jon Liedtke and broadcasts Wednesday nights at: RoseCityPolitics.ca. It is available on all your favourite podcasting and social media apps and appears in print in Biz X magazine. It is that time in the term of council to do their scheduled compensation review. The last review resulted in an 18% pay increase to around $195,000 for the Mayor, and 15% increase to around $46,000 for Councillors. According to the report put out by the committee at the time, this was the average pay for a Mayor of a “Tier 1” city, although it did state there were not many that fell into that category. Using salaries from regional Mayors and Councillors, the Mayor was receiving about $25,000 more and Councillors were receiving $22,000 less on average. At the time, the five person committee consisted of an ex-City lawyer, two board members that deal with the city, and the CEO of the hospital. Personally I don’t see that as an “objective community committee”. This time around it is a three person committee that seems a bit less connected to the Mayor. The city did have a community input

survey and meeting — but as is usual in Windsor — community input and meetings felt more like, as the Mayor once put it: “theatre and a show” for decisions that have already been made. My personal opinion is Councillors should be compensated relative to the averages and get big increases, whereas the Mayor should really be compensated according to the relative averages too. We all know the odds of that are nil. One factor I doubt is included, is the community’s average incomes when figuring out compensation rates. Like property tax rates, that should always be factored in. Communities’ “ability to pay” never seems to be an input. Given this, in my business in the future, when I put up a property for sale I will have a committee of my own to review my fees with the property owner. The committee will consist of my Broker, two fellow Real Estate Agents, my mom and two best friends, in an effort to keep it objective and fair.

Don Merrifield Jr. Don Merrifield Jr. is a REALTOR serving Windsor Essex County for over 21 years, a Co-Host on Rose City Politics for over 10 years, a father and grandfather, a former professional musician, and a former Ward 3 City Council candidate.

If you have a comment on this topic, please post it under the Rose City Politics column in the CITY section of BizXmagazine.com

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FRONTLINES

Successful Kingsville Chocolate Shop Up For Sale A

lmost five years after launching an artisanal chocolatier business on Kingsville’s main street, Cor Boon and Henry Noestheden have decided to retire and sell their Dutch Boys Chocolate shop. Boon and Noestheden both arrived in Canada in 1952 as children and would initially pursue entirely different careers — Boon as a technical and sales professional with a side hobby as an award-winning carver and Noestheden as a teacher and later as an award-winning designer with installations in major hotel chains. It wasn’t until they met at a dinner party in Windsor that an idea for a specialty chocolate shop utilizing their fine design and creative talents would take flight. “Cor needed someone to dog-sit for him and that turned into a friendship,” explains Noestheden. “I had researched chocolate making in the 1980s and after talking about what we could do together, we thought that it would be a good match for our individual skills.” The store offers handmade chocolate creations including birds, butterflies, crustaceans, beetles, fruit, cats and dogs, along with 4.25-inch round medallions featuring wildlife portraits. The secret to success, according to Noestheden, is having a good product and providing clients and customers

From 3-dimensional chocolates to handcrafted truffles with more than 26 unique flavours, customers like Richard Wyma (left) regularly stop in for that special gift or just to indulge in some of the finest chocolates around made by Dutch Boys Chocolate — founders Cor Boon (middle) and Henry Noestheden. Their Kingsville business is up for sale and is offered as a complete turn-key operation, without interruption during ownership transition. Photo by Rod Denis.

with a superior shopping experience. “You need to provide something familiar, yet at the same time surprising,” he says. Large store-front windows allow customers and passers-by a birds-eye view of chocolates being hand-crafted in an ultra-clean environment. In 2017, in its first full year of operation, Dutch Boys won a Jimmy Award, handed out annually by travel blogger Jim Byers, as the best chocolate maker in Canada. Now, as both men ease into another retirement, it’s time to find a buyer. The pair intends to stay on for three months once the sale is completed to help train the new owners who will, essentially, be taking over a turn-key operation. It is an ideal small business for a mature couple. This successful company has a large local clientele and the website: DutchBoysChocolate.com is already set up for online purchases. Boon plans to move to Prince Edward Island and focus on his love of photography,

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while Noestheden is in the process of launching a greeting card company and plans to split his time between Canada and the Netherlands. “Back in the late 1960s, I had a photo studio in Brampton so I’m looking forward to it,” comments Boon, who was once President of the Ontario chapter of the Professional Photographers of Canada. “I’m hoping to focus on nature and landscapes and perhaps even start exhibiting in a gallery.” But for now, the self-proclaimed “old Dutch guys” will take their time in winding down the business. The shop recently relocated to 6 Main Street West, a hop, skip, and a jump from the original building. If you are interested in investing in this business, stop by to chat with the owners. Of course everyone is welcome to visit during their hours of operation (closed Sunday and Monday) to pick up a delicious sampling of Dutch Boys Chocolate!

FRONTLINES

New HR Consultancy Firm Aims To Assist YQG Businesses As the pandemic continues to reset major work trends, HR leaders need to rethink workforce and employee planning, management, performance and experience strategies — enter Meaghan Wasylyk, Owner of Blue Human Resources Consulting Inc. “It’s critical for business leaders to understand that large-scale shifts are changing how people work and how business gets done,” comments Wasylyk. “Businesses who respond effectively to the pandemic can ensure their organizations stand out from competitors, while having the full expertise of an HR team available to them.” So, Wasylyk opened her agency in late January 2022. The meaning of the company name can be found on her website — BlueHR.ca — “for businesses constantly juggling many conflicting priorities and navigating the ever-changing employment landscape, staying up to date can feel impossible. HR best practices and employment legislation aren’t black and white. Our focus is to help you navigate the grey, or as we like to call it, the Blue.” Wasylyk is an HR leader with a passion

for the people that make a business successful and the massive potential for Strategic Human Resources to help shape the future of work. In her opinion: “The workplace landscape has changed, forcing employers to constantly rethink their strategy. They need to be able to move with speed and have the information necessary to make good decisions and ensure compliance. This is where integrating a strategic approach to HR can help.” She has had the opportunity to work in a variety of manufacturing and construction settings with companies ranging from 15 to 3,000 employees and understands the unique challenges that different industries and organization sizes present. Graduating from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) Business Administration, Wasylyk has her Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation (Ontario), as well as her Professional in Human Resources (PHR) designation (USA). She is also a part-time instructor at St. Clair College, teaching Human Resources Management as part of the

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New business owner, Meaghan Wasylyk of Blue Human Resources Consulting Inc. has an impressive record of identifying inefficiencies and implementing lasting solutions that streamline processes and improve operations. Photo courtesy of Syx Langemann Photography.

Human Resources Management Graduate Certificate Program. Blue Human Resources Consulting Inc. is a mobile-based business operating out of Lakeshore, Ontario.

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HEARD ON THE STREET After operating The Wreck At Colchester Harbour, 220 Jackson Street, since May 2019, Owners Steve and Mary-Anne Bjorkman have sold the business so they can transition into retirement. “We bought it as a retirement investment and now is the time to sell so we can slide into a retirement schedule,” explains Stephen, who retired from Ford Motor Company a year ago. Mary-Anne, meanwhile, owned and operated two women’s clothing stores in Essex — Just Plus of Essex and Golden Girl Fashions — but had stepped away from those a few years ago. “Running your own business, even a seasonal restaurant like The Wreck, is a full-time enterprise,” says Bjorkman, who recently became Deputy Mayor for the Town of Essex. “All the businesses kept both of us extremely busy and we’ve decided to slow things down for a while.” While Bjorkman declined to divulge the identity of the new owners he did reveal: “Since they bought it fully furnished, I imagine they plan to continue operating it as a restaurant.” In mid-February the home page of the website: TheWreck.ca and a recorded phone message, mention the restaurant is closed for the season and re-opening in the spring. At the time of writing, there’s no word yet on whether the new owners will retain the name or when it will be open for business again.

After almost 40 years, Windsor’s famous Shin Shin Chinese Restaurant is no longer part of the Wing family. It was established at 978 University Avenue West in 1985 by

Chef Tek Wing, who ran the kitchen for more than 30 years. For the past decade, the restaurant has been operated by Calvin He, Wing’s son-in-law. Last November the restaurant was sold to a family from London with February 4, 2022 marking the Wing family’s final day as owners. On the website: ShinShinRestaurant.com a pop up message from He thanked everyone as he prepared to move on to the next chapter of his life. “I will very much miss seeing the friends I’ve come to know, and I want to invite you all to visit the restaurant and allow me to say goodbye before I pass the restaurant to new owners in February.” According to: FoodBooking.com (a restaurant reservation service), Shin Shin was expected to re-open March 4. Neither the former owners nor the new owners could be reached for comment before press time.

In preparation for growth and expansion, the Soda Pop Bros. have moved into a new larger store at 5905 Malden Road, Unit 8, in LaSalle. “We’ve been in business for about 18 months and we’ve moved twice already because business has been going so well,” explains Jeremy Kinsella who co-owns the company with Jason Wilson. Previously, they operated out of The City Market on Walker Road and more recently a space on Drouillard Road. Kinsella adds that the partners are anticipating establishing franchises elsewhere in Canada, as well as in the U.S., within the next 12 months. In addition to more than two dozen varieties of their own brand of soda, the store sells t-shirts, hoodies, fridge magnets and cherry

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cola barbecue sauce, as well as 2,000 soda flavours from around the world. They’re also working on a promotion with local bartenders who will be invited to use one of the company’s soda flavours in creating a cocktail of the week. For more information, visit: SodaPopBros.com.

A high-profile property at the intersection of Campbell Avenue and Tecumseh Road West, is in the process of being turned into a large, modern laundromat designed to cater to the high percentage of renters and university students in Windsor’s west end. Owner Tony Abraham, who recently bought the property at 1707 Tecumseh Road West, informs Biz X that The Laundry Depot will feature 25 high-end washers and 30 dryers. “A lot of people in that area of the city don’t have laundry facilities in their own homes and apartments, so I believe this will fill an urgent need,” says Abraham, who also operates a similar laundromat in Leamington at 264 Erie Street South. In addition to offering a comfortable, safe space, he mentions the laundromat will also provide customers with Wi-Fi access. Abraham hopes to be open by mid-April. To learn more visit the Leamington location’s Facebook page under: The Laundry Depot.

A hefty increase in government and institutional building permits lifted the total value of permits, issued by the City of Windsor building department last year, to almost $400 million. A total of $98.6 million in government and institutional permits were issued in 2021, compared to $80.6 million in 2020, which raised last year’s total to $396.8 million compared to $392.6 million in 2020. Commercial permits climbed from $34 million to $36.4 million in a year-over-year comparison, but residential fell from $254 million to $242.3 million and industrial permits fell from $24 million to $19.4 million.

FROM THE BOOKSHELF

Feeling Normal Again . . . Local Author Tackles COVID Fallout

t may be hard to fathom, but for two years we’ve lived under a cloud of uncertainty and angst from the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in March 2020 who would have imagined that we’d still be reeling from it? Since then, the world has changed a lot and we’ve changed along with it. COVID has taken much more from us than we likely realize. Global rates of emotional distress resulting from the pandemic have skyrocketed and people everywhere are longing to feel normal again. While many people are feeling emotionally battered, they’re unable to articulate specifically what’s wrong or how to begin healing. Many of us have reluctantly accepted that we’ve been sentenced to a “new normal” that’s just a shell of the robust and happy lives we once enjoyed. Windsor based author Stephen J. Kristof’s new book — Feeling Normal Again — presents answers and strategies that will hopefully help heal the wounds and restore normality. When asked about his inspiration to write the book Kristof replies: “In mid2021, I began to recognize a pattern during conversations with friends and colleagues. So many people from different backgrounds were talking about how they just wanted life to feel normal again. After doing some research, I found that this has

become a global experience.” Kristof went to work, conducting further in-depth research and interviews to get a handle on exactly how this seemingly endless pandemic has impacted people in emotional, social and even political ways. Surprised at the extent to which our emotions have been battered, he found that the top impacts include anxiety, malaise, depression, social isolation, grief, sleep disorders, fatigue, broken relationships and loss of hope. Feeling Normal Again is a timely guidebook that keeps its promise, providing over 50 easy-to-use strategies to promote healing, living life more fully and returning to normality. So, what’s next? In Kristof’s opinion: “Most epidemiologists believe the pandemic will finally end this year. We may already be seeing the beginning of the end as a huge swath of our population has its dance with Omicron, which appears to be a milder variant. However, as the disease loosens its grip, the emotional damage may not simply disappear; that’s where my book offers help and hope.” The content also takes-on some weighty subjects, including the social and political divisiveness that have been further intensified by COVID, along with some sober advice about controlling its spread. Readers will feel particularly uplifted and hopeful as the book ends with much-needed positivity. “COVID will not have the last word,” states Kristof. “We owe it to ourselves to be resilient, to put a priority on our personal

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Local Author Stephen Kristof has previously written articles and web content, but Feeling Normal Again is his first mass-market book. He is already working on a second book to be released in fall 2022. Photo courtesy of Kara Kristof Photography.

healing, to be stubbornly hopeful and to have faith in God.” Feeling Normal Again is a must-read book for the times! It’s available locally at: From The Heart (1356 Ottawa Street) and Storytellers Bookstore (1473 Ottawa Street) in Windsor and the River Bookshop (67 Richmond Street) in Amherstburg. It is also available in paperback and e-book from Amazon.ca or Amazon.com by searching for “b09myr8fws”or “Feeling Normal Again Kristof”. If you would like to connect with the author please visit: StephenKristof.com.

JUST SAYIN'

Should Canada Move On From The Monarchy? Op-Ed By Steven Bezaire

he very idea of a monarchy, as a form of government in modern society, is so bizarre as to be comical. Think about it — by virtue of absolutely nothing more than historical precedent favouring one family’s bloodline, and the passage of significant time, all others are subjugated to that family’s continuing rule according to the principles of primogeniture (cue the Monty Python “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government” quote). It’s a pretty good gig if you can get it. The richest royal family in the world — the House of Saud — Saudi Arabia’s first family, is worth an estimated $1.4 trillion (US); the Al Sabah family in Kuwait, which has ruled since 1752, is reportedly worth $360 billion; the House of Thani, in charge of Qatar since the middle of the 19th century, is assessed at $335 billion (more than enough, presumably, to buy a “u”); and ’Ol Liz (Queen Elizabeth) and her gang are struggling with a paltry $88 billion (although estimating the family’s collective wealth is confusing because of each individual royal’s personal wealth, assets held in trust for the State and State-owned assets of which the Royal Family have exclusive use). In these days of toppling statues, burning churches, and renaming streets, schools, and public buildings in the name of egalitarianism, you’d think some of our new-found enlightenment would have caused us to reflect upon how the Royal Family became so wealthy. To that end, “colonizing” other countries into a “Commonwealth,” all while self-glossing an empire as “Great Britain” does, admittedly, sound better than the reality of forcefully stealing, on a massive scale, other nations’ natural resources by raping, impoverishing, and killing their people, and subjugating their future populations to British rule. Quite apart from the historical evolution of the British monarchy, is there a reason, in Canada’s modern political reality, why we still affiliate with Britain and allow its reigning monarch to be our formal head of state? As recently as last year a newspaper editorialist proposed . . . “While the Crown is

not perfect and does not rule in Canada, it is above partisanship, symbolizing the unity of the nation. This makes the monarchy a deeply authentic part of Canada’s political heritage and of its political culture of stability, peace, order, and (fairly) good government.” What a load of crap I say! Does any Canadian under the age of 50 care about our affiliation with the British monarchy? Does anyone believe it has any influence on our self-perception as a nation today? Is our political “unity” as a country, or our dignity as we aspire to be a world leader bolstered at all by the media spectacle that swirls around the Queen and her dysfunctional brood? Apparently not. A recent research poll (by Research Co. in 2020, based on a sample of 1,000 adults in Canada) found support among Canadians for retaining the monarchy at an historic low, with only 24% of those polled preferring to stick with the Queen versus an elected head of state. Would it change more minds or motivate action if Canadians knew that we spend about $50 million every year to maintain this affiliation — and that is in a year without hosting a royal visit (Will and Kate’s 2015 visit cost Canadians $137,500 per day — but, thankfully, Her Royal Majesty hasn’t graced our shores in over a decade). In fact, Canadians pay almost the same amount annually to support the Queen (within pennies per capita) as the British — although we get none of the massive tourist revenue for our contributions that the British see in return for their expenditure. This massive cost represents the infrastructure necessary to support the Office of the Governor General of Canada and 10 lieutenant governors, including their staffs (the Governor General has a staff of nine), maintaining their official residences (BC shells out enough money, annually, to run a 102-room official residence), their protection details, diplomatic protocols, drivers, servants and all travel costs for their entourages — almost entirely for public relations (think literary awards, tree plantings and ribbon cuttings). Any administrative tasks they actually performed have long been subsumed by the deputy premiers and their office staff. B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

If you have a comment on this column and want Steven to see it, visit the Biz Blog section on: BizXmagazine.com where you can have YOUR SAY on the topic too! How many Canadians can name the current Governor General? How about more than one in the last five? (I had to look them up). These offices, used as plum patronage appointments by the parties in power, are not immune from occupation by self-entitled “celebrity” Canadians, less concerned with national dignity than their own aggrandizement like Julie Payette, who resigned the post in disgrace last January after reports of her insufferable harassment of staff surfaced. Alas, it is unlikely to ever change: our constitution is remarkably hard to amend. Under section 41 of the Constitution Act, passed without Quebec’s signature while the current Prime Minister’s father was in charge, the “Office of the Queen” cannot be changed unless it is approved by Parliament and the “legislative assembly of each province.” It is difficult to imagine that any issue could unanimously unify all provinces in our ever more and more polarized confederation. Additionally, many First Nations would oppose the measure as they perceive their contractual entitlements, such as they are, were made with the Sovereign, and would require, and entitle them to, renegotiation of all treaties with a new republic free of the monarchy. Said Anishinaabe columnist Niigaan Sinclair in the Winnipeg Free Press last year: “In essence, the treaties would have to be negotiated. This sounds like a good idea to me, because unlike 150 years ago, our communities have lawyers. We’d definitely get a much fairer deal.” Pardon my pessimism, but the collective deterrents to changing this reality seem insurmountable. So, pour yourself a cup of tea and stiffen that upper lip. This archaic anomaly of Canadian politics and national identity are not going anywhere soon. Steven Bezaire is a local lawyer, humourist, former infant, an accomplished napper, and loves all puppy dogs and babies in the world. PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed in this editorial are those of the author and may or may not represent the views or opinions of those associated with Biz X magazine.

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NEWSFLASH THE RUNDOWN The membership of the Ciociaro Club of Windsor swore in its first female President, Anna Vozza, on January 30, 2022. A local, successful Real Estate Broker with Bob Pedler Real Estate Limited Brokerage, Vozza has been involved in the Club from a young age, where her parents made sure the family participated and volunteered in many of their events. Vozza was originally elected to the Board of Directors as one of the youngest Directors and has held the positions of Correspondence Secretary and Vice President over her 24 years of service on the Board. “I am beyond excited and thankful to have been sworn in as the first female President of the Ciociaro Club, an establishment that is very near and dear to my heart and has always been my extended family,” states Vozza. “As the daughter of immigrants who left Italy to come to Canada for a better life for their family, I was always encouraged to focus on education, leadership, community and to never let go of my roots.” She adds: “I am also eager to engage with our younger generation to get them involved with our Club’s rich Italian history, culture and heritage.” Her other experiences include being a Past President of the Windsor-Essex County Realtors Association, as well as the former Director at Large of the Ontario Real Estate Association. She has also been a Board Member for the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation. General Manager of the Ciociaro Club, Dino Quattrociocchi, states: “We are confident that Anna and her team, coming together with our operation, will continue building on past successes, serve our community as we have for the past 50 years, and remain leaders in the industry.” The Ciociaro Club, 3745 North Talbot Road in Oldcastle, opened in 1972 and has

Congratulations to Anna Vozza, the first female President of the Ciociaro Club in its 50 year history. Photo courtesy of Ciociaro Club.

a growing membership of 1,800 local Italian descendants. It is one of the area’s premier banquet/wedding/corporate facilities. Learn more on: CiociaroClub.com. The Brain Injury Association of Windsor & Essex County (BIAWE) has announced it is the first and only (in the province among brain injury associations) to make available a universally accessible website — BIAWE.com — to accommodate those with an acquired brain injury and other neurodiversities. The website now includes options for visual content, as a brain injury can affect a person’s ability to read. Managing this includes enlarging the print, changing the background colour to heighten the contrast between what’s written and the background, and the removal of moving objects. As well, those who are easily fatigued, experience cognitive overload, have difficulty reading, or are easily distracted while reading, can access the audio content. The content can also be translated into many different languages and read out loud. The website is now compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

NEW IN BIZ Rosati Construction held an official groundbreaking ceremony in mid-January, to signal the beginning of construction on the new 15,925 square foot Mercato Fresh Inc. at 3235 Banwell Road in Windsor. With design and construction being carried out by Rosati Construction Inc., the new facility is expected to be completed fall 2022 and will be constructed on a five acre property as the commercial development’s main retail anchor. The Rosati Group design team also includes Rosati Construction, Aleo Associates Inc., Fieldcraft Engineering Ltd. and Bezaire & Associates Landscape Architects & Planners. This will be the second location for Mercato Fresh, owned by Jonathan Reaume and Marc Romualdi, with their first market serving the ChathamKent community since early 2020. The new Windsor location will offer a fresh take on hot and cold prepared foods, fresh produce, meat and fish, a bakery, a café, freshly prepared sushi and a variety of grocery items. For further details on either company refer to their websites: MercatoFresh.com and RosatiGroup.com. B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

ON THE MOVE Zule Ankamah has a new location for ZuleEats at 2760 Howard Avenue in Windsor. She is pictured with a tray of Ghanaian meat pies that are available for pick up in the grab and go freezers, or pre-ordered on: ZuleEats.ca. Photo courtesy of Celesta Ponikowski.

After working out of a series of ghost kitchens for the past year or so, Zule Ankamah has reached the point where her ZuleEats restaurant has opened in a new brick-andmortar space at 2760 Howard Avenue in Windsor. “Ghost kitchens give new business owners a chance to get started without having a huge overhead, but commuting between the various spaces is hard and timeconsuming,” explains Ankamah who spent 26 years working at Caesars Windsor until pandemic restrictions temporarily closed the casino’s doors two years ago. “I’m very excited to have my own space so I can focus on the food.” Daughter Celesta Ponikowski says family members encouraged her mother to start her own business “because she was going stir crazy and there’s only so much house cleaning you can do!” Ponikowski adds that her mother was always passionate about cooking and often catered events in the region’s Ghanaian community. “I’m back to my first love,” says Ankamah. ZuleEats offers traditional Ghanaian pies, which include beef, chicken, vegetarian and vegan choices, as well as sausage rolls and sweeter offerings such as butter tarts and almond rolls. Her new space was previously occupied by an Armando’s takeout pizza restaurant. “There’s enough room for us to grow and if we outgrow it eventually, that would be a nice problem to have,” Ankamah comments. The new location is set to officially open in March, but you can always pick up her products at Little Foot Foods (1404 Tecumseh Road East), Lee and Maria’s (629 Seacliff Drive in Leamington and seasonally at the Downtown Windsor’s Farmers’ Market). For more information, visit ZuleEats.ca; LittleFootFoods.ca and: LeeAndMarias.com.

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FOOD FOR THOUGHT THIS ISSUE FEATURES…

Caffeine & Co. Café & Bakery 238 Dalhousie Street, Amherstburg By David Clark

must-see café and bakery in the small, but quaint town of Amherstburg is located in one of the most desired historical blocks on the Detroit River, in the former (1874 to 2012) Amherstburg Echo newspaper building. In particular, this gem, Caffeine & Co. (opened August 15, 2018) is surrounded by the King’s Navy Yard Park, a true window on Amherstburg. Inside is a beautiful and inviting café with an upbeat atmosphere. People come from all over to witness the history of the area and what it has to offer today. The décor of the café is a collaboration between owners and operators, Meghan Boschin and Marianella Pacanins, who both enjoy mixing traditional and whimsical details with a little edge. Brass details, combined with black patent leather, contemporary art and the show-stopper — a beloved pink cherry blossom tree — make it an Instagram photo op hot spot! “We believed this café/bakery concept would thrive in this location because of the beautiful, walkable surroundings,” explains Boschin. “There was nothing else like it in Amherstburg or all of Essex County entirely.

Photos courtesy of Meghan Boschin Beautiful atmosphere, beautiful food and beautiful people!” When you explore the menu options, you will always find something interesting and exciting. From the start, the breakfast choices offer several favourites, including the famed Avocado Toast. Served on multigrain toast with sliced tomatoes, avocado and sprouts, and finished with truffle oil, it has become the stand-alone champion at Caffeine & Co. Additionally you can add a poached egg, bacon, or smoked salmon. According to Boschin: “Our Avocado Toast is the best I’ve ever tried, anywhere, ever. True story!” Two runner-up meals include the Breakfast Sandwich (egg, cheddar cheese and bacon, grilled Panini style) and the Sunrise Bagel (smoked salmon, fresh dill, cucumber and cream cheese). When it’s lunchtime, the Paris Sandwich with roasted turkey breast, cranberry relish and Brie cheese on a French baguette, gives you that worldly taste. To keep you warm on those chilly days the soup of the day is curated by Pacanins who also prepares fresh quiche daily.

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Pictured with the chilled citrus juice Mimosa, you can take charge of the day with the Breakfast Sandwich that includes tomato, bacon, cheddar cheese and eggs, grilled Panini style.

Other lunch favourites include the B.L.T., with that classic taste you may be looking for, and the Grown-Up (Gourmet) Grilled Cheese, dosed with three different kinds of cheese (bacon and avocado can be added). For the kids, the Classic Grilled Cheese and the Willy Wonka Waffles are ideal choices with satisfaction guaranteed and sticky fingers too! And since baking is their thing, Head Baker Sandi Guadagno and her dedicated crew are responsible for creating every single item showcased, making them from scratch daily. “Our cakes have become known for their beauty and rich flavour,” says Boschin. “Their beautiful packaging makes them a must have for any occasion. They are offered in two sizes, 12 piece (large) or six piece (small). Another best selling baked item is the Crème Brûlée Cookie. Also a crowd pleaser are the Custom Sugar Cookies, which make every special occasion a little sweeter.” The cakes can include Classic Chocolate, Classic Vanilla, Carrot and Coconut with

In all its glory, Caffeine & Co. presents its Quiche Lorraine with Roasted Red Pepper Soup, a blueberry muffin and French Macaroons accompanied by a cup of their House Blend coffee.

specialties offered seasonally. You can also choose fresh baked pastries including cinnamon buns, fritters, muffins, cupcakes, and more. Specialty sweets like French Macaroons and Signature Sugar Cookies are also handcrafted weekly by their baking team. Of course there is always something brewing at Caffeine & Co.!

With multiple layers to get through, this Classic Chocolate Cake is featured with a strawberry butter cream frosting known for its rich and exotic flavour.

The coffee is roasted locally at Colonial Coffee and the House Blend features beans from Columbia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Mexico. Known as a Mocha Java Style Blend, it offers a universal flavour that goes with everything sweet and savoury. The Dark Roast is a Columbian bean, French roasted and the New Blend is in the middle as a sharp, delicate cup that goes well with dessert. The Espresso bean is minus the bitterness normally found in this drink and it goes without saying that flavoured Lattes such as the London Fog Tea Latte and Chai Lattes are best sellers too. Not to mention their Mimosas are always a fan favourite on the weekends! To spike your coffee, try Baileys, RumChata or Sambuca. You may even find a Dirty Chai Martini floating around on occasion. The loose leaf green, black and decaffeinated teas are also a popular choice, with the Cucumber Melon Green (a summer feature), while the Decaf Royal Wedding Rooibos Tea is enjoyed all year long. Some teas are sold retail as well. The wine is sourced right from Essex County like many other products at the café. Wines from Pelee Island Estate Winery are featured, such as a Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon and Prosecco from their Lola Collection.

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Staring down at this mountain of cheese, the GrownUp Grilled Cheese is a combination of Brie, Swiss and Cheddar, melted between multigrain bread and slathered with butter.

Some of the other local top rated businesses they partner with include The Iron Kettle and Silverstein’s Produce. Although you can visit the café in person, Caffeine & Co. can deliver in special circumstances and for large orders, upon request. Takeout is a great option too as their goodies travel well wherever they go! “At this time we offer online ordering via Instagram and will be expanding that through our website soon,” Boschin indicates. If you require catering for your special event, large orders can be accommodated, but the café does not host events on site. For more information and catering inquiries please contact the business directly. “Caffeine & Co. is always striving to create new and exciting menu items,” says Boschin.” “We may consider an expansion in the future, but our focus from the beginning has been to make this the best little bake shop it can possibly be!” And we can assure you, that goal has been accomplished! To keep up to date daily with the café, check out their Instagram page: @Caffeine_Company. For their menu and hours refer to: Caffeine-Co.com.

HAVE A CUP OF JOE WITH JOE

The Year 2022: A Time Of Bowie-like “Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes” COVER STORY By Joe McParland

fter two plus years of pandemic house arrest and varying degrees of restrictions, this year should have residents of Windsor and Essex County emerging from their isolation faster than Wiarton Willie’s prognostication of an early spring after not seeing his shadow! Do you want change? Then buckle up your seat belts because it is change you will be getting! However, for change to occur, YOU NEED TO BE the change you want by exercising your civic duty to vote when Ontarians head to the polls twice this year, within months of each other, to change the political landscape provincially and municipally. And, if you wish to change our current situation regarding COVID-19, follow the advice of the science and healthcare specialists. For residents of Windsor and Essex County, three of this region’s important community care and service organizations are changing their leadership at the highest level — Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch represented by Dr. Sonja Grbevski; the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County represented by Fred Francis; and Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare represented by Bill Marra. Let’s meet these three individuals now (all pictured on the front cover of this issue) and learn a bit about their past experiences, their qualifications and the strengths they “bring to the table”. Dr. Sonja Grbevski, The New CEO For The Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch Since March 16, 1971, the Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch (CMHA-WECB) has been the lead provider and advocate of specialized community mental health and addiction services, integrated with comprehensive primary healthcare services, in the area. (Refer to: WindsorEssex.CMHA.ca). For the past seven years, Claudia den Boer has held the title of Chief Executive Officer (CEO), completing her 30 year career in health care that included the Salvation Army Grace Hospital and executive positions at both Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and Windsor Regional Hospital. CMHA-WECB Board of Directors Chair

Barb Davis acknowledges den Boer’s 30 years of contributions in the statement: “The Board is grateful to Claudia for her visionary leadership since 2015. She has been a true advocate for the organization. Her well earned reputation, community wide, as a strategic thinker and trusted collaborator has garnered CMHAWECB a higher visibility and leveraged opportunities for partnerships and integrated services to better serve those in our community.” On April 4, 2022 den Boer officially retires, but to allow for some orientation on March 7, 2022, Dr. Sonja Grbevski commences her new position as CEO of the CMHA-WECB. Most recently, Dr. Grbevski held the position of Vice President, Clinical Services, Mental Health and Addictions at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. Her portfolio consisted of Adult Mental Health and Addictions, as well as Children and Youth Mental Health programs. With over 25 years of experience in the field of mental health, in both community and hospital settings, she has led significant initiatives within the Windsor Essex community and introduced new levels of service unique to Ontario, such as the Transitional Stability Centre: Crisis and Wellness. Furthermore, she redefined pathways to care and co-led the implementation of a formal collaborative with the CMHA-WECB, with integrated management positions, to streamline services to develop a barrier free client journey. With an established symbiotic relationship between Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

CMHA-WECB — a relationship she helped to create — Grbevski is well positioned to hit the ground running. She has been instrumental in the many community partnerships CMHAWECB has established with the City of Windsor, Windsor Police Services and

Dr. Sonja Grbevski, the new incoming Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Mental Health Association, Windsor-Essex County Branch (CMHA-WECB) poses outside their 1400 Windsor Avenue location. She brings to this position a strong clinical background and expertise in Mental Health and Addictions in our community. The entire CMHA-WECB team believes she will continue to move the organization forward along the trajectory established over her predecessor’s tenure as CEO. Photo by Rod Denis.

a host of other community organizations and stakeholders. Grbevski received her doctorate in Counsellor Education with cognates in Rehabilitation Counselling and Educational Psychology, from Wayne State University. And, until recent years, she was an Adjunct Professor in the Rehabilitation Counselling program at Wayne State University. She begins this latest chapter of her career with these words: “It is with great honour and enthusiasm that I joined the CMHA-WECB family. To be part of a grassroots and high performing organization that is embedded in this community, comes with great responsibility and opportunity to continue with the growth and success of the organization.” Dr. Grbevski adds: “I look forward to working with the CMHA-WECB team and our community partners, in continuing to strengthen the care for individuals/families that are faced with Mental Health and Addictions.” With her extensive clinical background and expertise in mental health and addictions in our community, Grbevski will continue an environment that inspires, empowers, and transforms all individuals into a culture that embraces the provision of optimal care. Fred Francis, The New Executive Director Of The Multicultural Council Of Windsor And Essex County Another of this region’s essential community service organizations is the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County (MCC), officially established on April 8, 1973. This was a result of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau adopting multiculturalism as the official policy of the Government of Canada in October 1971. The MCC’s mission is to create a welcoming community for all through education, community engagement and the promotion of diversity and equality. They provide award-winning programming in the areas of: Language, Settlement and Integration, Health and Wellness, Special Events, and Community Engagement. As champions of diversity and

As the new Executive Director of Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County (MCC), Fred Francis will be working from their downtown office at 245 Janette Avenue in Windsor. His engaging leadership in building on the area’s diversity has great meaning for him as his own parents received help when immigrating to Canada. Photo by Rod Denis.

harmony, the Multicultural Council strives to identify and address cultural and societal barriers throughout our city, county and region. (Learn more on: TheMCC.com). Effective April 1, 2022 Fred Francis becomes the new Executive Director of MCC, replacing Kathleen Thomas who is retiring after a distinguished 30 year career with the agency. The President of the MCC Board, Allison Johnson acknowledges: “We are grateful for the dedication, compassion, and visionary leadership shown by Kathleen Thomas throughout her three decades with the organization and her commitment to continue supporting MCC through this transition. While we know she will never truly leave the MCC family, we wish her well in her retirement and thank her for the impact she’s made on our community.” Francis is no stranger to the public, having served as the Ward One City of Windsor Councillor since 2014. Shortly after, he won a second term in 2018, and then made news by publicly disclosing his December 31 diagnosis of cancer. At 38 years of age, he was battling Nodular Sclerosis Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This news was received a little more than four weeks after burying his sister-in-law, Michelle Prince, who was fighting cancer. He underwent a rigorous 12 sessions of chemotherapy, while only missing three or four council meetings. His courage, tenacity, determination — all hallmark Francis family traits — saw him through this and he remains

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cancer free today. That courage was never more evident in his willingness to publicly share his experience with cancer so others could learn from his experience. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate,” says Francis when asked what his number one message to others would be. “It doesn’t care if you just turned 38. It doesn’t care if you just had a death in the family. It doesn’t care about anything. It could hit anybody at anytime.” Francis is the youngest of three sons to Farid and Arlette Francis, who immigrated to Windsor from Lebanon in the early 1970s. His father became a self-employed business owner and the three boys spent hours working the family business, Francis Mediterranean Bakery. He is a graduate of Holy Names Catholic High School in South Windsor. Afterwards, he attended the University of Western Ontario where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (combined honours History/Political Science) in 2003 before returning home to Windsor where he studied at the University of Windsor, earning both a Master of Arts degree (History) in 2006 and a Bachelor of Education degree in 2009. He started his professional career with the MCC in 2007, before entering the private sector in 2012 (his management experience comes from being the Director of Business Development for the region’s largest automotive retailer). In 2018 he returned to the non-profit organization and served as the Director of Programs and Development.

Regarding his new MCC appointment as Executive Director, Francis reflects: “I have had an amazing team of co-workers and worked at nearly every job at MCC. So, it is a privilege for me to now follow in the footsteps of Kathleen Thomas and build on her 30 year legacy of creating a more welcoming community for all. As I transition into this new role, I look forward to working with MCC staff, volunteers and partners in ensuring initiatives pertaining to diversity and equality remain at the forefront of our community.” His education and life experiences position Francis as the ideal candidate to lead the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County for years to come. He wraps up his section, appropriately, with the following: “As a son of immigrants, I believe I bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in settlement and integration, governance, operations, and community engagement, as well as a dedication to the promotion of diversity and inclusion.” Bill Marra, The New President And CEO Of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Tucked away in the city’s far west end is a large hospital campus whose service to the community dates back to 1888. Today’s campus is the result of a series of medical care realignments and mergers over the years. Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH)

employs 1,300 employees and has over 313 beds. As the regional provider of post-acute care services in Windsor Essex, it includes all programs and services such as complex medical/ palliative care, regional rehabilitation, cardiac wellness, bariatric services, specialized mental health and addictions, and children’s mental health. (View: HDGH.org for further details) In November 2021, Janice Kaffer, then the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HDGH — notified the HDGH Board of Directors of her intention to retire after 30 years in the healthcare field — including her last seven years as CEO at HDGH. Brian Payne, Chair of the HDGH Board, in paying tribute to Kaffer, states: “Janice is the epitome of a true leader. Janice has been an advocate, a voice for social justice, and she has never shied away from standing up for our community’s most vulnerable. Her commitment to the safety of our patients, our staff, physicians, and visitors through this COVID-19 pandemic has been paramount. She has led our organization through unchartered waters and done it steadfastly with a calm resilience that has been reassuring to us all. Janice’s ability to connect with staff, patients, and our community is to be commended.” While this transition was anticipated no later than March 31, 2022, the HDGH Board of Directors made the decision to advance the planned transition to January 1, 2022.

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Bill Marra is now President and CEO of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH). Through an open door and determined focus to upload the key values of their organization, there is immense confidence in the leadership HDGH will receive from Marra going forward. He is pictured inside the lobby of the facility at 1453 Prince Road in Windsor. Photo by Rod Denis.

As a result, Bill Marra, who has worked alongside Kaffer for the past seven years, took over as the new President and CEO of HGDH. Throughout the coming months, Kaffer will continue to support Marra and the HDGH Board of Directors in an advisory capacity.

Readers will know Marra through his successful six terms and 21 years on Windsor City Council, which he ended in 2018. In addition to his work on council, Marra has a lengthy list of community volunteerism and an even longer list of awards and recognition. Marra is a 1984 graduate of W. D. Lowe High School with postsecondary stops at the University of Windsor to obtain Bachelor of Arts degrees in both Sociology and Criminology. During the 1990s he received the designation of a Certified Dispute Resolution Mediator through a joint University of Windsor and York University program, and then earned his Masters Certificate in Public Management from The Schulich School of Business at York University. And in 2019 he received executive certification in Advanced Health Leadership through the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. With a solid educational foundation in criminology, Marra worked for 23 years in the Criminal Justice and Social Services Sector. He was a Youth Counsellor and a Probationary Parole Officer with the Ministry of Correctional Services. In 1999 he was named the Executive Director of New Beginnings (a centre for children and youth services; NewBeginningsWindsor.com). After 14 successful years with them, Marra embarked upon a career change and in 2011, was appointed President and Executive

Director of the Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital Foundation, the charitable fundraising arm of the hospital. Within two years he joined the executive cadre of HDGH and held the position of Vice President of People, Mission, Communications and Corporate Affairs at the time of his appointment as President and CEO. “I feel humbled and honoured to be offered this tremendous opportunity to work with and lead an organization that I care for very deeply,” says Marra. “As I reflect on my time as an employee with HDGH in my teens, as a board member 20 years ago, and now in the role that I have accepted, I feel absolutely blessed and I look forward to working with our entire HDGH and our partners across Windsor Essex as we continue the legacy and mission of our founders!” One of the first major tasks Marra finds himself immersed in, is with HDGH’s participation in the Stage Two Planning of the New Acute Care Hospital (The WindsorEssex Hospitals System) being built on County Road 42 at Concession 9. A critical part of the total makeover of the community’s healthcare system is the establishment of a new Centre of Excellence for Mental Health and Addiction Care at HDGH on Prince Road. This will include the transfer of Windsor Regional’s 68 acute-care mental-health beds and the addition of 49 new tertiary beds added to the HDGH inventory.

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Marra has been with HDGH for over 10 years and his commitment to the hospital’s mission and vision, as well as to the Windsor Essex community, is one of his greatest strengths. A Windsorite through and through, Marra (born in Switzerland, he immigrated to Canada with his Italian parents when he was three years old) has built his career and raised his family here in this community and he knows it well. He has been a member of the executive team for seven years and played a vital role in assisting with the hospital’s COVID-19 response. This immediate appointment of Marra as HDGH’s President and CEO will allow the work of HDGH to continue uninterrupted. The Future Is In Good Hands To Dr. Sonja Grbevski, Fred Francis and Bill Marra, all of us at Biz X magazine congratulate each of you on your 2022 appointments at three of our most important community care and service organizations. We also thank your respective predecessors: Claudia den Boer, Kathleen Thomas, and Janice Kaffer for their years of professional and committed service and for their tireless “changes” and contributions to the organizations they now entrust to you. We know you will do a great job of looking after the well-being of all residents in our region, always!

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PROFILING LOCAL WOMEN AT WORK By Rebecca Wright

Renu Anderson

A Master Cross Promoter Catering To New-Age Customer Base

local “serial” entrepreneur who owns several businesses in the area brings a taste of Thailand to the community for all to experience and enjoy. Renu (Ray) Anderson is the operator of two restaurants — Thai Palace (Thai-Palace.ca) and Thai Time (Thai-Time.ca) — along with a line of sauces called Ray’s Original (RaysOriginal.ca). “The food and menus at Thai Palace and Thai Time have been carefully crafted with fresh ingredients and homemade sauces,” explains Anderson who runs all businesses along with her husband Charles Anderson. With friendly staff who care about quality and customers, you are bound to find at both restaurants the next “craving that you must have,” asserts Anderson. Plus you’ll find yourself enjoying the environment set out at Thai Palace and Thai Time, just as much as the specialty cuisine! “The interior ambience is designed for an atmosphere that creates a warm, inviting place to enjoy amazing food with friends and family,” she describes. “And our take out is always great for those nights you just want to curl up and watch a movie in the comfort of your own home.” Opening 14 years ago, Thai Palace is situated at 1140 Lauzon Road. Thai Time opened five years ago and is located at 3395 Howard Avenue. There are 28 employees working between the two Windsor restaurants. Ray’s Original has been around for 11 years and is a line of signature Thai sauces customers can purchase at either restaurant and a few local stores in Windsor. Anderson states her sauces are a great way to enjoy her unique blends and incorporate the flavours into your own cooking at home.

Inside the Lauzon Road location of Thai Palace Renu Anderson is pictured in front of the entrance to the banquet room. Photo by Della Jones-Goulet.

But that’s not all she and Charles have on the go! They also recently opened RC Bud Shop (RCBudShop.ca), an independently owned and operated Canadian cannabis retailer. Located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario’s wine country at 6 King Street East in Harrow, their flagship store opened in February 2021. A second location, 8061 Wyandotte Street East in Windsor, followed in July 2021. “At RC Bud Shop we pride ourselves on giving our customers informative and exceptional customer service as they navigate recreational cannabis and how it works in their lives and community,” declares Anderson, adding she

has eight employees working between the two locations. “And because our two stores are in residential neighbourhoods, we take on the responsibility to provide the products the neighbourhood needs, answer questions the customer might have, and show them that it’s not just the ‘high’ cannabis has been used for, but how other parts of the plants can assist them on their health journey.” With each of the businesses, Anderson and her team are committed to being active and giving back to the community through warm clothing and can drives along with monetary donations throughout the year. For Anderson — who has a six year old daughter with Charles named Raechel — the balance of home and work life can only happen if you have a strong support system in place. “The staff you hire should be just as invested in the success of the business as you are, and we have been extremely blessed that we have the staff we have, in all our businesses,” she states. “With that said, every woman in today’s working force can tell you that barriers still exist, and we are always looking to break down these barriers with determination and hard work.” Leaving legacies for the next generation of female entrepreneurs is important in all sectors. As Anderson expresses: “My dream is that one day all women in business can stand proud and say, ‘I am a successful entrepreneur’ in their chosen fields and get the accolades they deserve without it being based on their gender or race.” As for advice for other female business professionals, she stresses it’s important to realize everything you try may not work and there will be inevitable mistakes along the way. “But don’t be hard on yourself,” she adds. “Learn from these experiences and move forward towards your goals!”

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FEATURE STORY By Dave Hall

Be Prepared As Tax Season Has Arrived

Pictured is the income tax package for the 2021 tax-filing season. The tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022. Photo courtesy of Canada Revenue Agency.

Drowning in receipts and pulling your hair out trying to get your 2021 taxes in order? Then it’s time to contact a local tax professional to help fill out your personal income tax return!

severely curtailed by governmentimposed restrictions. “It was really helpful at a time when people needed it most,” Garant believes. While tax season is rarely a time to celebrate, utilizing the skills of an experienced tax accountant or professional can mitigate liabilities, not only this year, but into the future as well. Since income tax returns are considered an essential service, tax practitioners have been able to remain open during the two-year-old pandemic. Many switched to a drop-off system, others handled client returns online and others booked appointments with all safety measures in place, including masks and plexiglass shields between desks. Pandemic or no pandemic, nothing stops the government from collecting taxes right? So let’s introduce you now to a small cross-section of tax practitioners across our region who can assist you with filing your personal income tax returns before the calendar hits April 30. B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

ith Canada’s tax-filing deadline just around the corner, finding a qualified tax professional will have a major impact on tax liabilities and may mean the difference between owing money at the end of April or waiting for your refund to roll in. Of course, tax liabilities can be mitigated by making prudent financial decisions, where possible, throughout the year. And the impact of the various federal government funding programs, including the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) which replaced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), will be felt once again by those who collected such benefits as a result of reduced income because of various pandemic restrictions. “It is taxed at source,” explains Greg Garant of Greg D. Garant Chartered Professional Accountant. “It’s better than not receiving it at all, but you will certainly be re-assessed if you don’t report it.” Beginning in September 2020, the CRB payments amounted to $1,000 every two weeks, but were later cut back to $600 and they have since been eliminated entirely. According to the federal government, more than 627,000 Canadians relied on CRB payments to help replace the income lost as a result of losing their employment or having their hours

Willson Income Tax

Founder Barbara Willson launched Willson Income Tax in 1960 after she was denied an opportunity to work with the public at her job with Revenue Canada, as it was then called, because she was pregnant with her son Mike. “Those were the days when you’d have to work behind the scenes and there were no maternity leave provisions,” Mike explains. “My mom and dad were big baseball fans, so they decided my mom would start doing tax returns and they’d spend the money on Detroit Tigers tickets.” Mike grew up in the business, became a partner in 1987, and took over completely when his mom, who had continued to work in the family firm beyond a normal retirement age, passed away 10 years ago.

Willson Income Tax in LaSalle offers year-round service by its friendly staff members, from left: Nancy Varacalli, Office Assistant; Paulette Vermette, Tax Consultant; Jennifer Willson, Office Manager and Mike Willson, Owner. Photo by Rod Denis.

Willson Income Tax specializes in both Canadian and cross-border income tax returns and counts many Windsor-based nurses who work in Detroit hospitals among their clients. “Filing cross-border returns is not exactly rocket science,” says Mike, smiling. “But you could need four returns — city, county, state and federal — which can be complicated. But, like any other job, it can seem complicated to an outsider, but it’s not that bad when you have been doing it for a while.” As an essential service, the business has been able to stay open year-round throughout the pandemic, albeit with limited appointments. Instead, clients have been leaving their tax materials in a drop box at the office and then picking them up again after their returns have been filed. According to Mike there are no requirements for annual courses, but he nevertheless keeps on top of income tax act changes on both sides of the border through industry updates and newsletters. “There’s always something changing,

it seems, so you have to stay current,” he stresses. The firm focuses on personal income tax issues and according to Mike, there’s been no shortage of clients. “I know what we are good at and we stick to it,” he states. Mike, who has a business degree from the University of Windsor, says the firm also helps with tax planning to help clients mitigate their tax liabilities in the future. The vast majority of returns are now e-filed and he believes that in the near future the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will set up an online system so that clients can submit their materials this way and software programs will take care of the rest. Fees at Willson Income Tax for Canadian returns are $80 with reduced fees for seniors and students. A cross-border return costs $425 because of the added complexity. This LaSalle firm is located at 5844 Malden Road and/or you can visit them online at: WillsonIncomeTax.com.

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Gregory D. Garant, CPA

For Greg Garant, who has more than 40 years of tax experience, a large portion of his business, Gregory D. Garant Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), focuses on cross-border and international returns. “We have clients across Windsor who work in the U.S., Canadians who live and work in the U.S., but still have to file here, clients in British Columbia who work in Washington State and even clients in Israel and Australia who have to file tax returns here,” says Garant who launched his firm in 1989. “Online filing has made it easier and there are clients I’ve had for 10 years and we’ve never met,” he points out. “It’s more impersonal because you lose the personal touch and the ability to talk to clients about their families and what’s going on in their lives. But, on the other hand, it’s more efficient because online you tend to get right down to business.” Garant also handles CRA and Internal Revenue Service reviews and audits, on behalf of clients, a process he says can take up two months of the firm’s time and resources. “We’ve had as many as several hundred reviews or audits to handle in a given year and it takes time to resolve them all,” explains Garant. “We also have to provide CRA with proof that U.S. taxes have been paid and that can be time-consuming as well.” Although he has six or seven full and part-time employees on a year-round

Greg Garant, who has more than 40 years of tax practitioner experience, opened his firm in 1989. In addition to tax returns for local residents, the company also focuses on tax returns for people living and working outside Canada. Photo courtesy of Greg Garant.

basis, Garant acknowledges he’s always looking for qualified people. “We’re working six days a week most of the year because taxes never go away and we’re always adding new clients,” he states. “We’re very informal when it comes to dealing with clients, but we are sticklers for details.” His firm also handles small business tax returns, small corporation tax issues and tax planning for clients seeking to mitigate their future tax liabilities. Fees for Canadian returns with Garant start at $75 and can increase depending upon the complexity of the return, while the fee for U.S./Canadian returns is $400. The firm of Gregory D. Garant Chartered Professional Accountant is located at 631 Pitt Street West in Windsor. For more information, visit: GarantCPA.ca.

Like other companies interviewed, McGuire agrees business hasn’t really been affected by two years of pandemic restrictions “because some things never go away and that includes taxes.” “We do meet with the occasional client if absolutely necessary because, like everyone, we’ve had to adapt to constantly changing circumstances,” explains McGuire. And while some tax preparers are comfortable meeting with clients, others prefer to use a drop-off system. “We have all the protocols in place including masks and desk shields, so it’s perfectly safe for everyone,” she says. The firm also offers bookkeeping services for small and medium-sized businesses unless the returns are complex and then the client is referred to an accountant for a more detailed approach. Industry newsletters and updates help keep McGuire and Dedona up to date on changes to the Income Tax Act. Dedona, who has been with the firm since 1986 and bought a share of the partnership in 1997, says the company’s 12 employees handle roughly 3,000 tax returns every filing season, including many for clients who have been bringing their tax information in for more than 20 years. In addition to tax returns, the firm offers advice about mitigating tax liabilities in the future and works with clients facing either a CRA review or audit. They don’t handle cross-border returns. McGuire says his firm offers free estimates, but did not want to disclose a set fee schedule because every return is different. “I wouldn’t want someone coming in thinking they are going to pay X number of dollars and then have it be a lot more,” he explains. You can meet Dedona and McGuire by setting up an appointment at their Amherstburg office, 421 Sandwich Street South, Unit #7. Online you can refer to them at: DollarsAndCents.co.

Dollars And Cents Investments Inc.

The company was launched in 1987 and current business partners Frances Dedona and Jon McGuire have been with Dollars and Cents Investments Inc. for 20-plus years and six years, respectively. “We each had the chance to buy in and we took it when the opportunity arose,” McGuire recounts.

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Ferrera Income Tax

When founder Olimpio Ferrera passed away in December 2021, his daughters made a pledge to keep their father’s business operating as it had for over 40 years.

Mary Ferrera and Diana Ferrera are Tax Consultants and the Owners of Ferrera Income Tax in Windsor. The firm, founded by their father Olimpio Ferrera, has specialized in Canadian and U.S. income tax since 1979. Photo by Rod Denis.

“My dad loved the business and he loved working in it and we want to make him proud of us by taking over and keeping it going,” explains Mary Ferrera who now runs Ferrera Income Tax alongside sister Diana Ferrera. “It’s always been a family business and we want to keep it that way.” Olimpio, who came to Canada in the 1960s, worked for 11 years for another tax firm before accepting the challenge to open his own firm in Windsor in 1979. Mary, who has a business degree from the University of Windsor and an MBA from Wayne State, handles the income tax portion of the business while Diana, who has a computer science education from St. Clair College, handles other tax issues such as GST and HST. In addition to filing tax returns on behalf of Canadian clients, the firm is also registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and is able to complete crossborder tax returns for many local residents who work in Michigan and beyond. “It can be quite complicated, because many U.S. states have different income tax rules and a few states don’t collect any

income taxes, so you have to be on top of all the different rules when clients come calling,” Mary comments. Diana and Mary both take courses on a yearly basis to keep up with changes to the Income Tax Act in Canada and must also be cognizant of changes across the border. The firm was open throughout the pandemic, with plexiglass screens separating staff members, but wasn’t always able to host client meetings in person, so much of it was handled online. When it comes to deciding between retaining the services of either a bookkeeper or an accountant, Mary says most clients opt for a bookkeeper when it comes to organizing income on behalf of a business and an accountant for complex tax returns. “It all really depends on the individual, but we can handle both and we always have,” she says. The firm’s fees range from $100 for a Canadian return to between $450 and $550 for a dual U.S. and Canadian return, depending on its complexity. They also offer payroll services,

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preparation of financial statements, tax planning/consultations, small corporation tax filing, and providing information on employer incentives, tax credits, and government subsidies. Ferrera Income Tax can be found at 235 Eugenie Street West, Suite 105A, in Windsor. To learn about their history, services, and to see tax links and tips go to: FerreraIncomeTax.com.

Income Tax Services After recently retiring from the City of Windsor’s finance department after more than 30 years, Itza Pinell decided to put that experience to good use. She turned her focus full time towards her own business, which she opened 15 years ago, operating as Income Tax Services. “It was time to work for myself and continue building up my client base,” Pinell indicates. Now, in addition to personal and corporate tax filings, Pinell focuses on the region’s large migrant population by preparing taxes for many Hispanic workers employed by Leamington’s massive greenhouse and farming sector. “They don’t qualify for a lot of deductions, which residents can claim, so it’s a very basic return, but if it’s not done correctly they can be hit with a large tax bill,” explains Pinell. “Many don’t understand, so it’s gratifying to help them make sure their returns are filed accurately.” Pinell says that filing tax returns on behalf of migrant workers has become a large portion of her business over the past few years. “In recognition of the important role

migrant workers play in our community, we are committed to helping them file their taxes in a timely fashion,” adds Pinell whose firm offers services in English and Spanish.

Itza Pinell, who spent almost 30 years working for the City of Windsor’s finance department, now operates her own business — Income Tax Services. She focuses a lot of her attention on filing income tax returns for the region’s large migrant worker population, with services offered in English and Spanish. Photo courtesy of Itza Pinell.

In addition to filing written returns for many of her clients, Pinell’s firm is also a member of the Efile Association of Canada, which represents tax practitioners from every region across the country and deals with senior managers with the CRA, when it comes to tax issues. “One of the key functions of the association is to communicate directly with senior management at CRA, on behalf of members, to discuss tax policy and administrative issues that affect all tax practitioners,” Pinell mentions. Pinell also works with clients facing an audit, advises them about tax mitigation strategies, helps prepare financial plans and provides advice on RRSPs and other ways to reduce tax liabilities via individual returns or business filings. Her business also offers tax planning, CPP and EI benefits applications, filing of back taxes, assistance with CRA audits, tax implications of rental properties, and CRA presentations. The fee for a basic tax return is $60 with higher fees for more complicated filings. Her company is located at 48 Erie Street South in Leamington. For further details view her website at: IncomeTaxServicesLeamington.com.

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Tax Heaven Awaits As we all have experienced, gathering up the paperwork needed to file your taxes and filling out forms for hours on end is never fun. (In fact you might even feel like you are in tax hell!) Tax returns can be complicated at times, so using the services of a local tax professional can make the entire process less painful and more of a delightful, somewhat heavenly experience. So what are you waiting for? Contact an expert now, as April 30 will be here before you know it!

Willson Income Tax has been helping its clients with their taxes since 1960 and Owner Mike Willson has been involved with the family business for over 35 years. Photo by Rod Denis.

portfolio corner

Getting Back To Normal By Steven Mayo

To start 2022 there is much discussion about elevated inflation and rising interest rates. In both cases they are working their way back to normal after a period of ultra-low levels which began March 2020. So, it’s time for some perspective. Interest rates had to begin to rise following the pandemic response instituted by Central Banks, which saw rates lowered to 0.25%. This was done to avoid a recession, to support the stock markets, and to generally “weather the storm”. Clearly it worked and we are past the need to stabilize. Beginning last fall, the Bank of Canada and the US Federal Reserve telegraphed to the markets that interest rates would begin to rise in 2022. At the time of writing we expect three to four raises this year. The new “demon” for 2022 is inflation. For many years the benefits of technology,

lower energy costs, offshore production etc. have all benefited consumers. Add to that a pandemic, when inflation actually was negative for a short time, creating a very low base for comparison. Throughout 2021, as demand was rising, supply issues appeared. This first appeared in the oil markets, with producers now having discipline and OPEC not substantially increasing supply to the market, resulting in higher oil and gas prices. Classic supply and demand economics. COVID-19, government policies, labour shortages, and more, all contributed to supply constraints and pricing pressures. Then throw in chip shortages that affected manufacturing of items like cars, trucks, and appliances. All of these things are contributing to higher inflation at one time. Inflation over a one year time period is noticeably higher. However, many items used to calculate

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inflation are discretionary, such as cars, appliances, and travel and may not affect all consumers. It is the rise in staples, such as food and clothing that is not as palatable. Economics does work in both directions. Eventually, with higher prices comes more supply. This is where companies play such an important role to help themselves (profit motive) and consumers. With a normalized economy we should eventually see pricing pressure subside as demand normalizes and supply constraints are resolved. For savers it’s good to see GIC rates and bond yields rising. For companies that are able to raise prices and maintain their margins, I would consider this “positive inflation”. These are the companies that investors should keep in mind to add to portfolios. Particular attention should be given to companies within the transportation and manufacturing sectors. Consider this quote by Chester Bowles as I end my column: “Production is the only answer to inflation.” Steven Mayo is a Senior Investment Advisor with RBC Dominion Securities Inc. (Member — Canadian Investor Protection Fund). This article is not intended as nor does it constitute investment advice. Readers should consult a qualified professional before taking any action based on information in this article.

THE PARENTING BIZ Feature Story By Jim Murphy

Nutrition Month 2022

It’s Time To Make Healthy Food Choices For Your Family

Start a new tradition of healthy eating in March with your family during Nutrition Month and every month after! Reducing food waste, buying local, eating more plant-based foods are just some of the ways to eat more sustainably.

arch is Nutrition Month as promoted by the Dietitians of Canada (Dietitians.ca). The theme for 2022 is Ingredients for a Healthier Tomorrow and the organization is using their skills and expertise to create change for tomorrow. Food security, food literacy, food sovereignty, sustainable food choices, nutrition care and prevention are all ingredients in a sustainable food system in which dietitians across Canada play an active and often leadership role. NutritionMonth2022.ca is a special website featuring a recipe e-book with 15 recipes curated by dietitians; resources to help you find a dietitian and an activity/ideas guide with advice from dietitians such as Julie Stephenson

This is the 40th #NutritionMonth! This year’s theme considers how the food choices we make today influence our future health, the health of our communities and the planet. Learn more on: NutritionMonth2022.ca. #YourFutureIsHealthy Graphic courtesy of Dietitians of Canada.

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from BC who shares her insights into implementing a successful breakfast and lunch program for students under 18. Dietitians help you make food decisions that are right for you by communicating trustworthy nutrition information, building confidence in your food skills, and working on the influences that impact your food decisions. So let’s honour all they do on March 16, 2022, Dietitians Day! To help raise awareness for Nutrition Month we start off with tips from a local dietitian, then feature several Windsor and Essex County businesses making eating healthy easy and convenient for your family, and wrap up with advice from an expert on food allergies and digestive issues.

THE PARENTING BIZ BANA Dietitian Stresses The Importance Of Intuitive Eating Healthy well-balanced eating is important for more than just physical health. Unhealthy eating can lead to eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia. For Nicole Boulanger, a Registered Dietitian at the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association (BANA), it is important to strive for, what she calls, normal, “intuitive eating.” “Aim for regular balanced meals most of the time and include a variety of foods from all the food groups,” suggests Boulanger, the Eating Disorder Dietitian. “In addition to regular balanced meals, honouring your hunger and fullness is helpful in meeting your body’s energy needs and maintaining your body’s natural weight.” Boulanger advises an individual balances his/her plate with complex carbohydrates (grains and starches), protein (beans, meat, fish, tofu, poultry, etc.), vegetables/fruit and fats (oil/margarine/butter, avocado, nuts, and salad dressing). “There are foods we want to enjoy daily to meet our nutritional needs,” says Boulanger. “Then there are foods we want to include regularly — but not as often — more for pleasure. Both are important when it comes to normal balanced eating.” Her advice also includes telling people they should avoid labelling foods as good or bad. This can lead to shame around eating and interferes with the enjoyment of foods. Instead, just refer to foods by what they are: dessert, fruit, bread, vegetables, chips, etcetera. Giving yourself permission to enjoy all foods will help prevent overeating. “Young children are naturally intuitive eaters and are great at listening to their bodies,” Boulanger indicates. “Our job

as parents is to provide them with regular balanced meals and snacks in a comfortable environment — preferably sitting at the table with others, while the child’s job is to decide how much to eat.” Boulanger recommends you throw out the “finish your plate” rule. This rule disrupts the child’s natural ability to honour their body’s signals, which tells them when they have had enough. It also creates a negative relationship with food. “Creating a positive eating environment and modelling normal intuitive eating will give your child the best head start in having a positive relationship with food and their bodies,” Boulanger states. “Make eating fun by finding new recipes together, exploring new foods and even growing your own food!” She also strongly urges people to stop the vicious cycle of dieting. “Not only is this a well-established damaging behaviour that is far too common, but I have seen the harmful effects of dieting on my numerous clients over the years,” Boulanger mentions. “The freedom they feel when finally releasing themselves from the burden of dieting by embracing the intuitive eating world, is so wonderful to witness.” A Registered Dietitian for 10 years, Boulanger has worked with BANA for eight years. She specializes in eating disorders and has a background in diabetes. “I have been interested in dietetics since I was in high school searching for a profession,” she recounts. “I’ve always been interested in a healthy active lifestyle and took an interest in nutrition as a way to help others. After high school I went into the nutrition program at Brescia at the University of Western Ontario.”

Nicole Boulanger, a Registered Dietitian with the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association, holds up the Healthy Eating Plate for a balanced diet (1/2 vegetables/fruit, 1/4 starch, and 1/4 protein). Photo by Rod Denis.

BANA, founded in 1983, is a not-forprofit, registered charity, community-based organization, located at 1500 Ouellette Avenue, Suite 100 in Windsor. For more information on their services, visit the website: BANA.ca. Macro Foods Inc. Reinforces Healthy Habits For Better Living Macro Foods Inc. specializes in healthy, gourmet, chef-prepared meals available through their retail locations or direct delivery right to your door, since 2015. Whether your goal is to slim down, bulk up or just maintain, their meals are

Pictured is a collage of the large selection of healthy and delicious pre-made meals available from Macro Foods Inc. Photo courtesy of Gregory Edwards/Dark Roast Digital.

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THE PARENTING BIZ packed with all the necessary macro and micro nutrients you need. “Eating healthily is a key pillar to living a long and happy life,” says Sara Ducharme, Co-Owner of Macro Foods along with Omar Abou-Said (with others owning specific locations). “When you feel good, a lot of other pieces in life fall into place. Investing in yourself and your health is the best investment you can make.” Placing an order with Macro Foods is easy! Just select from a wide variety of signature created dishes, custom or specialty meal options and choose between in-store pickup or have the meals shipped to you all across Ontario. Their staff of approximately 30 employees, carefully prepare, cook and package all meals to ensure they are fresh and ready to go. All meal containers are both microwave and oven safe so you can enjoy restaurant quality meals from the comfort of your own home! You can order à la carte, or subscription services are available as well. Macro Foods takes into account your allergies, likes, dislikes and previous history to give you the best meal possible. “As a previous body building competitor, I understand the importance of meal prepping, meal timing, portioning and

eating appropriately to reach your goals,” Ducharme comments. “At the time I was working a full-time and part-time job, as well as training for my show three hours a day; Sundays were my only day off and I spent the day grocery shopping, cooking for the week and cleaning up. If there was a convenient service like this available, I would have used it; so essentially I founded it (the business) out of necessity.” Visit Macro Foods at one of six brick and mortar locations in southwestern Ontario: Windsor (1389 Wyandotte Street East); LaSalle (6000 Malden Road); Tecumseh (23A-25 Amy Croft Drive); London (1422 Fanshawe Park Road West); Waterloo (C103-95 King Street South) and Chatham (611 Grand Avenue West); or check them out online at: MacroFoods.ca. Say Cheese! The Vegan Gardiners Plant-Based Deli Isn’t Full Of Bologna Located at 998 Drouillard Road in Windsor, The Vegan Gardiners PlantBased Deli specializes in producing hand crafted, vegan alternatives to cheese, meat and other products in a traditional deli style — allowing you to select the quantity you want of any of the dozens of flavours of meat and cheese they offer. Ryan and Amy Gardiner Upton,

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Amy Gardiner Upton, Co-Owner of The Vegan Gardiners Plant-Based Deli holds up a muffin from Auntie Aldoo’s Kitchen, a local business whose products they stock and sell. Photo courtesy of The Vegan Gardiners.

Owners of the plant-based deli, began hand crafting vegan meats and cheeses in 2017. They found the available options for vegan cheese and meat in stores were full of preservatives and questionable ingredients. Since opening their storefront in 2021, their staff of four strive to offer great tasting products with simple ingredients.

THE PARENTING BIZ “Our goal is to offer high-quality handcrafted alternatives to food staples people consume in their everyday life, and bridge the gap for those transitioning to a new diet in a delicious and approachable way,” Amy says. “When you eat healthily, you are full of energy, awareness and it gives your body long-term physical benefits.” Cheeses at their deli include smoked applewood cheddar, mild cheddar, sharp and smoky cheddar, rosemary olive asiago, sharp white cheddar, cracked black pepper asiago, truffle dill cheddar and more! Meats include shawarma shavings, Montreal steak spice cold cuts, ham cold cuts, maple-bacon smokies, and turkey cold cuts. Products also include charcuterie boards, along with meat and cheese tasting boxes. For more information see their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram @thevegangardiners. Grab A Meal To Go From The Meal Prep Company Finding the time to prepare delicious, healthy meals can be difficult. The Meal Prep Company (MPCO), located at 3850 Dougall Avenue, Unit 110 in Windsor, can help alleviate this difficulty by providing delicious, healthy portioned meals to go! All you have to do is choose from more

Katie Bastien, Owner of The Meal Prep Company, 3850 Dougall Avenue, Unit 110, in Windsor, offers convenient meals for busy individuals, who want healthy options, but have no time to prepare. They use premium fresh products and have meal choices for almost every diet such as vegan, gluten-free, pescatarian and more! Photo by Rod Denis.

than 40 healthy, ready-to-eat meals-togo, including caprese stuffed balsamic chicken, whole wheat spaghetti with pesto sauce and chicken parm bites; then place an order online or by phone. You can pick

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up your meals any day of the week or have them delivered on Sundays and Tuesdays. The MPCO also has a variety of packages catering to different dietary restrictions and dietary goals, including vegan,

THE PARENTING BIZ gluten free, weight gainer, weight loss, keto, pescatarian (a person who does not eat meat, but does eat fish) and a top picks package. Everything is prepared in-house by their staff of five. You can also grab one of their delicious smoothies and protein pancake mixes. “I think eating healthily is so important to our physical and mental health,” believes Katie Bastien, Owner of The Meal Prep Company since it opened in 2018. “We all know the sayings — ‘if you eat better you feel better’ and ‘you are what you eat’ — they are so true! Having a healthy lifestyle and diet will improve every aspect of your life. This is why at The Meal Prep Company we feel it’s so important to promote healthy eating, as well as make it more easily accessible to our community.” For more information on meals, view their website: TheMPCO.ca. Veg Out With Healthy Mama Located at 152 Lesperance Road, Suite 2, in Tecumseh, since 2016 Healthy Mama has served homemade, raw, mostly organic, plant-based, gluten free (GF), vegan food. Everything is made in-house, from their desserts down to dips and sauces. Healthy Mama is both a retail shoppe and a GF (gluten free) and vegan eatery. The restaurant offers indoor dining and curbside pickup is available Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Delivery is also offered. Menu items include bowls (ie nacho, sushi, Mediterranean), soups, salads, burgers and sandwiches, mac n’ cheese, smoothies, desserts, iced drinks, cozy drinks, coffee and tea, kombucha, juice, coconut water, oat beverages, sparkling water and a variety of alcoholic beverages. The retail shoppe includes refrigerated items, frozen items, snacks, diet and nutrition products, pantry items, Healthy

Mama bulk items, baked goods, desserts, coffee, tea and elixirs, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, along with home essentials. “Eating healthily is just the surface level,” indicates Nicole Hanson, Owner of Healthy Mama who took over the business in September 2021 from Tatjana Roksandic. “Eating a plant-based meal that is as locally-sourced as possible and made with intention, will feed the mind, body and soul.” Hanson believes that eating purposefully helps reduce disease and infection, along with providing one with the nutrition and all the good things our bodies were designed to take in. “Food is medicine,” she states. “It has true intention to serve every single cell exactly what it needs to stay in a harmonious state and is therefore the food we are intended to eat. After all, if you are getting food through your car window, what are you really getting?” For more information on products to purchase, and the restaurant menu, visit: Healthy-Mama.com. Quick, Plant-Based Wholesome Food From The Plant Base Inc. The Plant Base Inc., located at 126 Richmond Street, Unit B, in Amherstburg, is an eatery and specialty health food store. Opened in February 2019, Owner Danielle Girard and her helpful staff of two make everything from scratch using mostly organic ingredients free of refined sugars, dairy and gluten. “I got into the field when I lived above a vegan café where I would eat lunch,” Girard recalls. “I was there so often that I was offered a job. After learning how to create their amazing dishes, using natural ingredients, there was no going back!” Products you can enjoy from The Plant

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Shown here is the service counter inside The Plant Base Inc., Amherstburg’s first eatery where they strive to be eco-conscious and sustainable while guaranteeing quick, plant-based wholesome food ready for pick up. Photo courtesy of Taylor Lanoie.

Base include buddha bowls, soups, garden veggie burgers, mac n’ cheese, grilled cheese, peanut butter cups, dill pickle hummus, chia seed pudding, cabbage rolls, Italian meatballs, salad dressings, drinks (kombucha, lavender lemonade, smoothies, sparkling water, hot chocolate) and more! “Eating healthily is so essential for so many reasons that I could probably write a novel about it,” comments Girard. “It’s important for longevity, healthy hair, teeth, skin, bones and muscles! It boots immunity and lowers the risk of chronic illness along with promoting good gut health and helping the digestive system function.” You along with your family, or perhaps a few friends, can either eat-in, while your dish is made to order at The Plant Base,

THE PARENTING BIZ or you can pick up a healthy meal already prepared at your convenience. “At The Plant Base we strive to be eco-conscious and sustainable,” Girard expresses. “We are here to support your dietary needs, restrictions, and sensitivities, as we can provide quality dishes that are soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and refined sugar free.” Catering services and custom orders are also available. Learn more on the website: ThePlantBaseInc.ca. Get On The Right Track With Wright Health Centre Inc. Wright Health Centre Inc., located in the St. Clair Shores Plaza at Manning and E.C. Row in Tecumseh, has been treating digestive issues and hay fever using Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques (NAET) for 15 years. NAET was discovered by Dr. Devi S. Nambudripad in 1983. His technique is a non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to alleviate allergies of all types and intensities using a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure. “We treat one allergen at a time,” says Sandy Wright, Owner of Wright Health Centre Inc., who is a Registered

Sandy Wright, Owner of Wright Health Centre Inc, can help alleviate allergies of all kinds using Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Techniques. Photo courtesy of Reginald St. Louis.

Acupuncturist and Advanced NAET Practitioner. “If you are not severely immune deficient, you may need just one treatment to desensitize one allergen. A person with a mild to moderate amount of allergies may take about 15 to 20 office visits to desensitize 15 to 20 food and environmental allergens.”

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Wright tells Biz X that basic essential nutrients are treated during the first few visits. After that they work on eliminating food and environmental sensitivities. It may take several office visits to desensitize a severe allergen. “I started out as a medial photographer working in teaching hospitals like St. Michael’s in Toronto and the National Guard Hospital in Saudi Arabia,” states Wright, who has been practicing holistic alternative treatments for 27 years. “That’s when I became interested in other modalities of healing. I was called to study acupuncture in Sri Lanka and then moved to British Columbia to study homeopathy; personal reasons brought me back to my hometown of Windsor where I took a position at an allergy elimination centre and learned about NAET.” When it comes to allergies, what you eat plays a big part. “My best advice for staying healthy is to cut out refined sugar, dairy, wheat and processed foods, which are the most inflammatory foods and cause the most issues with health,” Wright informs Biz X. “Clean eating is the key.” Wright believes our bodies are like software and are designed to fix themselves. Unfortunately, no one

THE PARENTING BIZ ever presses the re-start button, so glitches accumulate until the body can no longer compensate. In her opinion, what they do with their treatments is like pressing the re-start button while they are in contact with the “offending item” (i.e. dairy, etc). The centre can be found at 25 Amy Croft Drive, Unit 10 in Lakeshore, and for further details on this business please refer to: WrightHealthCentre.com. Healthy Food, Healthy Life Nutrition Month (March) is the perfect time for your family to make some lifestyle changes and start eating healthily. The Dietitians of Canada Recipe e-book found on: NutritionMonth2022.ca is an ideal place to start with plenty of delicious, healthy recipes to try. And as always, lots of local businesses can assist you with finding all the right ingredients you need! There are plenty of wonderful delivery services and markets in the area, stocked with fresh local produce and healthy food items. But if cooking isn’t your thing, Biz X already has you covered with all the great ready-to-eat or take-out meal options discussed in this feature story, plus some fantastic health food restaurants for indoor dining too. Eat well, live well, be well!

Have you downloaded the free Nutrition Month 2022 recipe e-book? It includes 15 deliciously nutritious recipes, hand-picked by dietitians. For example one recipe is for the Mediterranean-Inspired Power Bowl (left) with quinoa, tomatoes, cucumbers, salmon or tuna, cheese and more. Another great recipe for desserts is a Dark Chocolate and Cherry Bread Pudding (right) with toasted almonds and brown sugar. Share your favourite with @DietitiansCAN. Find more recipes on: NutritionMonth2022.ca. #NutritionMonth #YourFutureIsHealthy Photos courtesy of Dietitians of Canada.

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THE PARENTING BIZ (NC) In this ever-changing world, we can sometimes feel like our grandchildren are speaking a different language. From new online trends and video games to slang words and fashion choices, we don’t always know where they’re coming from. To help you connect with them, check out these exciting ideas . . . 1. Bond Over Your Family History Use technology to help you bond with your grandkids in a meaningful way. These days there are many amazing genealogy companies that, after purchasing and sending off an easy nasal swab kit, can help you discover an ever-growing database of family history. Your grandkids can help you set up your own family trees online and you can work together to research fascinating family records. 2. Play An Old-School Game Forget online games — sometimes life is better with a board game. From classics such as Monopoly and Scrabble, to newer ones that have gained popularity in recent years like Catan and Cluedo, there are tons of options. Your grandkids might even be interested

Five Ways To Connect With Your Grandkids

Who needs video games when you can have just as much fun with good, old fashioned board games!

in learning timeless card games such as gin rummy, euchre or hearts. 3. Pass On A Skillset Being so young, Gen Z can benefit from lifelong skillsets or hobbies that you can teach them. Think of all the skills that you have accumulated over the course of your life, such as cooking, sewing, knitting and barbecuing, and even more hobby-based talents like fishing, golfing or piano. Ask your grandkids what interests them so you can pass it on. Make regular plans to enjoy these hobbies together.

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4. Make A Family Recipe Book Work with your grandkids to create a book of classic family recipes and beloved holiday traditions. This project presents a unique opportunity to work together and create something special on the computer that can be printed out and passed on for generations. 5. With Their Support, Join The Digital Age Think of all the possibilities you have to video chat with your grandkids, send pictures and articles back and forth, and even play games with them online if you boost your comfort with technology. If you’re feeling a bit uncertain, look for online resources that can help you learn the basics. For example, ABC Life Literacy Canada’s Youth Teaching Adults program offers incredible free digital literacy resources for adults. Learn directly how to chat with your grandkids online, email, FaceTime, Zoom and much more on your computer, tablet or cell phone. Find more information at the website: YouthTeachingAdults.ca. www.newscanada.com

ask the experts

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

“You Really Got Me” . . . Stereoland! By Dave Halliday

et’s think back to our younger years and try to recall what was involved in home entertainment. Certainly, there was always the television strategically positioned in the family room and then a sound system of some variety to provide the music we love. Over time the options broadened and the manner in which we accessed our home entertainment evolved as well. One of the initial items purchased when we moved into our new pad was often a music system. Who doesn’t recall cashing that first pay cheque and heading to the local audio store to find a system that could blow your hair back when you cranked the volume to 11? OK . . . maybe that was just me. So I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to my neighbours of the past! Mercifully for those that live near us, years went by and we matured and changed with the times that we encountered. The same can be said for the beloved audio stores that provided the platform upon which we blasted Van Halen’s debut album (hence the reference to the column title LOL!). Technological advancements in the manner in which we entertain ourselves at home have been constantly changing. In order to keep pace, businesses such as Stereoland (Stereoland.ca) located at 1251 Ottawa Street in Windsor have adapted as well. They provide a broad range of services and products for either home or office from televisions, lighting control systems, networking, security systems, and of course audio systems, just to name a few. Owned by James Ferry, Stereoland originated as a traditional audio only retailer in 1967 and has now evolved into a custom integration specialist company serving the

Inside the Stereoland showroom a sampling of speakers shown are: Focal Kanta No. 2 (black shortest on inside); centre speaker Focal Electra 1038 BE; Focal Sopra No. 3 (red); Bryston amp on short stand in the centre and Bryston Electronics in stand back left, and Anthem back right. Photo courtesy of Clark Wiggins.

needs of Windsor and Essex County residents. We at Biz X were recently afforded the opportunity of discussing the scope of the services Stereoland offers with Manager Clark Wiggins who has 44 years of expertise in the audio/home security field. As we have discussed, audio stores such as Stereoland used to be associated with towering speaker systems and components. Do you still offer these types of systems? “We still offer full range speakers, but there has also been a shift towards in-wall and inceiling style speakers where you hear, but don’t see,” replies Wiggins noting, “The quality and performance level has really excelled here.” Recent events have driven the entertainment habits of many back into our homes. One increasingly relevant area is that of home theatre. How can you assist a client in achieving the ultimate home theatre experience? “We offer world class highly regarded brands such as Anthem, Paradigm and Focal that have stellar reputations in this field,” states Wiggins. “Also our installation team has a wealth of knowledge to help guide our clients through a seamless process.” What is whole house audio and video

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distribution and how can it enhance one’s home? “Whole house distributed audio is a category where the end user can have audio in every room controlled generally by an app on your phone,” he informs us. “So if you are in the attic and want to change the song in the basement you can do that with your device.” What would the video distribution be? “The video portion would be more along the lines of all your video sources in a central location and then going out from there to the different rooms in the home and even out to the TV by the bar on the patio,” explains Wiggins. Home automation is certainly something that is experiencing growth. What can you tell us about it? “Certainly home automation is the wave of the future and one can automate practically anything these days,” says Wiggins pointing out, “Systems such as your blinds, lighting, doorbells, audio, and security can all be automated.” Are there other services that you would like to make our readers aware of? “When it comes to the home office our installers can offer network integration to expand your home network,” he says. “Feeling secure is part of the comfort of home and we offer security cameras and alarm systems to assist in achieving that.” Lastly, do you still offer the REALLY loud home stereo systems? “Yes,” chuckles Wiggins, concluding, “We can certainly offer equipment that can achieve that concert level of performance.” Well, thanks to the advice and expertise of the Stereoland staff you were really able to upgrade and automate many of the systems in your home. One of the upgrades you are most excited about is your new sound system. All we can say is that we hope the neighbours like Whitesnake! Rock on Biz X readers!

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AWARDS SPOTLIGHT

The 2022 Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber Of Commerce Business Excellence Awards 29 Finalists, 2 Winners, Gala Tickets Now On Sale

The countdown is now on for the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce 2022 Business Excellence Awards (BEA) gala, presented by Windsor Star. The BEA ceremony and gala — recognizing companies, organizations and individuals for their business excellence — is set to take place Thursday May 19, 2022 at the Chrysler Theatre and St. Clair College Centre For The Arts, at 6 p.m. This year marks a return for the gala to an in-person format following the 202021 BEAs, which were presented virtually due to COVID-19 regulations on public gatherings. During a Watch Party held January 27, finalists in 10 different categories for 2022, as well as two winners were announced. The virtual event was hosted by BEA Committee Chair Jason Toner and sponsored by Media Street Productions. Details were also announced on a new format for the BEA program, ticket sales

(Valuation) Inc., was named the recipient of the 2022 ATHENA Leadership Award, sponsored by Bell. and a new community online voting component (ending February 27) for the Pillars Of Our Community Award, which accounts for 25% of the judging total in this category. The impressive list of 29 award finalists includes a cross section of new and established businesses and community minded business professionals, not just in Windsor, but across Essex County, from Lakeshore to Harrow. While the finalists in the 10 categories must wait (as we all must) until Awards Night to hear their name announced as the final winner, two BEA 2022 Award winners were revealed during the Watch Party. Federica Nazzani, Founder and Managing Partner of Capital Assist

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Federica Nazzani, Founder and Managing Partner of Capital Assist (Valuation) Inc., was named the recipient of the 2022 ATHENA Leadership Award. Photo courtesy of Media Street Productions.

The owner of The Penalty Box Restaurant, Van Niforos, was announced as the winner of the Believe Windsor-Essex Award, during the January Watch Party. Photo courtesy of Media Street Productions.

The Award recognizes an individual or organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to positive business development, despite global market trends, and honours individuals who strive toward the highest levels of professional and business accomplishments. Nazzani was selected as the winner by the volunteer ATHENA Leadership Award Judging Committee, for her success in business as the Founder of a female-led

company, as well as her mentorship, and extensive volunteer work. Previously, in 2015, Nazzani was honoured with a Business Excellence Award in the Professional of the Year category. In addition during the Watch Party, the owner of The Penalty Box Restaurant, Van Niforos was announced as the winner of the Believe Windsor-Essex Award, sponsored by WFCU Credit Union. This prestigious Award recognizes an individual or organization that has demonstrated a significant commitment to positive business development, despite market trends. The recipient has in place definite and precise goals that will result in diversity of our region and enhanced economic growth to satisfy both individual pursuit for advancement and the overall economic development of our community at large. Niforos is a long-time business owner who believes in supporting local suppliers and utilizing local products. For example, the Chicken Delight served at his Walker Road

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restaurant has become a culinary favourite. He successfully altered the restaurant’s business model at the beginning of the global pandemic and not only retained his current staff, he also opened a second Windsor location last year on Cabana Road East. He is a strong, yet low-profile, community supporter, especially within minor sports and at the University of Windsor. The goal of the 2022 Business Excellence Awards is to showcase the companies, organizations, and professionals who have achieved success and overcome numerous challenges before and during a global pandemic and who are well positioned to continue contributing to the economic strength and diversity of our region for years to come. And so as follows, the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence presents . . .

The 2022 BEA Finalists Entrepreneur of the Year

sponsored by Grant Thornton LLP Goran Todorovic, Broker/Owner Team Goran, RE/MAX Care Realty Markie Tuckett, President/Designer Timber + Plumb Kitchens and Cabinetry Ryan Wise, CEO, Mosquito Man

Green Innovation sponsored by

Young Professional of the Year

University of Windsor & University of Windsor Alumni Association Contents Processing Centre Green Heart Catering Green Sun Rising

Large Company of the Year

sponsored by St. Clair College of Applied Arts & Technology Max Die Group Red Sun Farms

Mid-Size Company of the Year sponsored by RBC Royal Bank LFX Supply Centre Sequel Tool and Mold Windsor Chapel Funeral Home

New Company of the Year sponsored by Enbridge SPARK Pediatric Services Wedding in the Woods Windsor Creative

Pillars of Our Community sponsored

by Motor City Community Credit Union Janet Brown, Windsor Public Library, John Muir Branch Build A Dream Fight Like Mason Foundation

Professional of the Year

sponsored by TD Commercial Banking D r. Nadia Al-Aasm, Dentist/Owner Cabana Dental Fiona Coughlin, Executive Director/CEO Habitat For Humanity Windsor-Essex Dr. Phillip Olla, CEO Audacia Bioscience

Small Company of the Year

sponsored by Families First Absolute Comfort Control Services JEM Glamorganic Spa and Academy RARE Butcher Shop

Tourism & Hospitality

sponsored by Caesars Windsor and OLG F+B Hospitality Group The Grove Hotel and The Grove Bike Co. Wolfhead Distillery

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sponsored by Libro Credit Union Frazier Fathers, Institutional Strategic Planning Project Manager/Independent Consultant/Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Windsor and Community Policy Solutions Jordyn Severin, Owner/Lead Instructor Marie-Rose Music Studio Sawyer Telegdy Owner/Trainer/Nutritional Coach The Shred Shop Wellness Complex

BEA 22 tickets, either individual or in tables of 10, are now on sale on the chamber’s website: WindsorEssexChamber.org. The price includes the Awards Show in the Chrysler Theatre followed by an elegant dinner at the St. Clair College Centre for the Arts. In addition, the BEAs will also be presented live to Cogeco subscribers on YourTV starting at 6 p.m. on May 19, with several encore broadcasts to follow. Congratulations to Federica Nazzani and Van Niforos and good luck to all Chamber BEA finalists from your friends at Biz X magazine!

tech bytes

TeCK Week YQG Returns March 21 - 27, 2022

Reuniting the Regional Tech Ecosystem with Virtual Moments

TeCK Week YQG is set to return digitally this year — March 21 to 27, 2022 — offering a collaborative series of events spearheaded by WEtech Alliance. The week brings together tech leaders, founders, talent, researchers, investors, expats, and the broader community. This year the week is delivered entirely online and features a number of high-profile speakers and guests including: Anthony Di Iorio, Co-Founder of Ethereum and Founder/CEO of Decentral Inc.; Consul General Susan R. Crystal, of the U.S. Consulate General Toronto office; and Kelly Hoey, Networking Expert, Speaker and Author. Now in its fifth year, this week-long event is the largest regional technology festival dedicated to tech, talent and community. “WEtech Alliance is thrilled to bring TeCK Week YQG to our clients, partners and regional tech community,” states President and CEO of WEtech Alliance, Yvonne Pilon. “The pandemic has highlighted just how important a vibrant, innovative technology industry is to our society, economy and daily lives. Although we had hoped to be back IRL (In Real Life) this year, the virtual platforms we’ve adopted give us an opportunity to bridge the urban-rural divide by bringing programming to all corners of Windsor Essex, ChathamKent and beyond.”

The schedule for TeCK Week YQG 2022 includes . . .

Tech Predictions Day, March 21 powered by Deloitte, kicks off the week with an in-depth look at the top Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) trends set to impact the marketplace in 2022 and beyond. The event welcomes Duncan Stewart, Co-author of the annual Deloitte Global TMT Predictions 2022 report.

Tech Women Day, March 22 powered by the Consulate General Of The United States, brings women entrepreneurs, leaders and professionals together for an evening of virtual networking designed to empower and connect. The event features remarks by Consul General Susan R. Crystal, a fireside chat with Spellbound Founder and CEO, Christina York, and a facilitated networking session with networking expert, Kelly Hoey.

Tech Founder Day, March 23 powered by Spoken Artists, focuses on helping Founders advance and grow their technology businesses. The event features Ethereum Co-founder and Decentral Founder/ CEO, Anthony Di Iorio. From cryptocurrency, blockchain, finance and business, this wide-ranging conversation covers his career B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

as an entrepreneur, venture capitalist, community organizer and thought leader, as well as his insights on the “Perfect Formula” for entrepreneurs and leaders looking to grow.

Tech Homecoming Day, March 24 powered by WEtech Alliance, brings together Windsor and Chatham-area expatriates, former residents, alumni, newcomers and regional leaders to reconnect and reinvest with the place they once called (or will soon call) home, for discussions centred around turning the region into a Hub of Innovation. The event’s confirmed panelists include Jasen Sams, Vice President at Rocket Innovation Studio; Joel Paglione, Founder of Picks and Oak Bottle; and Jenny do Forno, Head of Talent at OMERS Ventures.

Tech Mobility Day, March 25 powered by Invest WindsorEssex, concentrates on cross-border opportunities within the mobility space. The event features Michigan Central Station, a mobility innovation district in Detroit, anchored by the iconic Michigan Central Station that brings innovators together in a dynamic urban ecosystem of community, culture, and cutting-edge technology, to create mobility solutions that make the world better for everyone. Anyone wishing to learn more or attend can do so by visiting: TechWeekYQG.com

Tech Talent Days, March 25 to March 27 powered by WinHacks explores the world of mobility and feature industry experts and companies who are transforming the way we move people and goods. This year’s virtual event features similar themes, challenges, and goals, while once again breaking new ground for digital events.

Finally, the 2022 Tech Awards powered by TekSavvy Solutions Inc. honour the region’s technology innovators, in all stages and sectors, for their achievements and success in Windsor Essex and Chatham-Kent. Each winner receives a one-of-a-kind award created by Andrew Tompsett, Owner of Hill Valley Maker. The winners are revealed throughout TeCK Week YQG, through a series of Tech Awards podcasts, hosted by Sarah Haefling, Owner of Elevate Podcast Co. and host of the Made it Happen podcast; and shared online through WEtech Alliance’s social media channels. Additional events throughout the week include an Innovation Information Forum for women-led businesses and a Diversify Your Supply Chain event, powered by Invest WindsorEssex. The week is free-to-attend and gives unique access to experts and thought-leaders who will share knowledge on subjects such as emerging technologies and trends, start-up growth, mobility, tech talent and community innovation.

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THE WAY IT WAS

With The Privilege To Serve By Andrea Grimes

uoting Canadian astronaut, Roberta Bondar, “Exploration is not something you retire from. It is a part of one’s life ethic.” Long before Windsor was named in 1836, became a village in 1854, a town in 1858 and a city in 1892, there was a militia presence “standing at the ready” to defend our Canadian frontier along the south shores of the Detroit River. In 1840, the Canadian government purchased a stretch of property — (a musket shot from the Detroit River) and erected a barracks that served as the headquarters of the 21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers. In 1849, the government abandoned the barracks; however, with the Fenian Raids of 1866 the government reclaimed the barracks. As political unrest “over there” raised the threat of a potential war, the Canadian government commissioned the construction of an armoury. On January 31, 1902, the Windsor Evening Record published an article announcing the January 30, 1902 opening of the Windsor Armouries: “Opened with éclat. The Essex Fusiliers were the hosts last night to an assemblage, which numbered fully 5,000 people.” Ever since Windsor was designated a frontier garrison town, generations of military families and civilians throughout Windsor and Essex County have honoured their commitments to support our militia — standing to uphold Canada’s military traditions. During the late 1970s and early ’80s, discussions developed regarding the need to establish a social network where members of our Canadian Armed Forces had opportunities to build camaraderie within the ranks. In “taking up the cause,” some Officers from Windsor and Essex County met in the Windsor Garrison Officers’ Mess at the Windsor Armouries

on January 25, 1981 to form an association which, (through a charter), became the Military Institute of Windsor (MIW). The Institute’s first meeting was held on April 14, 1981. (To learn more, refer to: Facebook.com/MilitaryInstituteOfWindsor) According to Roy Embury, President of the Military Institute of Windsor: “The MIW is comprised of former serving and current serving members of our Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service; commissioned Officers of other countries and civilians who have a vested interest in our military history. It is one of the over 25 similar institutes across Canada (all individually independent, but loosely associated under the Conference of Defence Associations).” In accordance with the Department of National Defence regulations, “The MIW focuses its resources on building and fostering shared values to support the development and maintenance of effective Canadian Military and non-military defence and security policies and capabilities through study, research and development; promulgation, submission, and presentation of briefs, position papers, and policy proposals to government and appropriate bodies; to promote a better understanding of the need for effective Armed Forces to meet the defence commitments of Canada, by the general public; and to provide a means of keeping the membership informed and up-to-date on matters relating to all aspect of National Defence and security, and to serve as a link between the community and the Regular and Reserve components of the Canadian Armed Forces.” MIW archives confirm the Institute was presented with the Colonel Picking Trophy in 1984 as having the largest percentage membership increase in

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Attending the Military Institute of Windsor’s (MIW) Charter Night Dinner at Beach Grove Golf and Country Club in 1985, from left: the late Colonel Leonard Baldock CD, (RCAF); (unidentified guest); Colonel (retired) Rae Martin, CD, (Essex and Kent Scottish) and the late Lt. Colonel Jack Baxter, CD, (Essex and Kent Scottish). The MIW celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2022. Photo courtesy of the MIW.

Canada for three years. In 2012, the Institute was selected as the recipient of the International Armed Forces Council’s Achievement Award in recognition of its accomplishments. Over the years, the Institute has participated in, and organized a variety of social, educational and military-themed events throughout Windsor and continues to do so where fellowship is shared “all present and correct.” “Our newsletter, the Communiqué keeps our membership informed of events, namely our Annual Charter Night Dinner, Spring Social, International Armed Forces Night, Welcome Back Fall b-b-q, Christmas Stand To, and Speakers’ Forums,” states Embury. “It also doubles as a platform to present pertinent information.” Canada’s distinguished military traditions, which were held in high regard by generations who had the privilege to serve; and by many who continue to “fill the ranks,” defines the foundation of our national heritage; standing to those values of freedom and democracy that our Veterans (who gave up gave up a piece of individuality to become a part of something larger than themselves) fought to preserve . . . “on all fronts.” As a civilian Veterans Advocate, Andrea Grimes was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Governor General’s Medal for her volunteer service to Veterans and a number non-profit organizations supporting Windsor’s military families’ network.

OF THE MONTH

Going Once, Going Twice, SOLD . . . By Old School Auctions By Dave Hall

hen Andrew and Melissa McCormick launched Old School Auctions (OSA Auctions) in their garage in November 2018, they had no idea how quickly the family business would grow. Now, they occupy a 10,000 square foot warehouse, and five family members — including Owen, 19, and twins Emma and Jaxon, both 16 — have been joined by four employees. “We’ve had to move three times already, just to accommodate the growth,” explains Andrew who worked as an auctioneer for a different auction house before striking out on his own with wife Melissa. “The growth has been amazing and we can only see it getting bigger.” Despite the business name traditionally meaning “old fashioned,” Old School is immersed in the new age of technology with the vast majority of its auctions conducted online with a live auction thrown into the mix, from time to time. From estate sales to business closures, and from fundraising charity auctions to a few odd items or collectables lying around a home, Old School handles it all and helps take the stress out of downsizing. Items can be sold online or by auction, either at their 2177 County Road 42 Belle River warehouse, or onsite where the client’s possessions are located. “The pandemic has really helped us because a lot of people still aren’t comfortable with strangers coming into their homes to view items for sale, so they have turned to us,” indicates Andrew, who recently retired after 24 years at Plant Products Inc. in Leamington. “Unfortunately, we’ve also had to deal with a number of business closures because of the pandemic.” With Old School’s assistance and expertise, clients and customers can participate in an auction from the comfort and safety of their own homes. When a client gets in touch, the first step for Old School’s staff is to catalogue and photograph every item being sold before the online auction is scheduled. Auctions generally open on Wednesday nights via their website — OSAuctions.ca — and run for a full week before bidding closes. “It’s a largely painless, efficient way of dealing with unwanted items,” says Melissa. “It can be an emotional time and very difficult for families to downsize, especially if it’s an estate situation.” She adds: “Not everyone is comfortable haggling over the price of something once owned by a loved one and our auctions eliminate that stress and discomfort.” Melissa also points out that clients can pull any items back off the sales list before the auction begins, because there are times when people give it more thought and decide they want to keep something after all. Auction items come in all shapes and sizes. For example, they recently handled the sale of a garage full of sports memorabilia, all done online. “The client didn’t have to invite 20 or so strangers into his home, he didn’t have to visit people and he didn’t have to spend all that time worrying about how to get it all sold,” states Andrew. “We were able to sell half the memorabilia one week and the rest the following week.”

As Andrew and Melissa McCormick of OSA Auctions know, every item has a value. So give them a shout before you throw it out! Their online auctions can help you maximize profits by putting your goods in front of millions of customers on the web. Photo by Rod Denis.

On another occasion, Melissa says their business was able to help family members who were arguing over possessions to sort out their problems. “We suggested they put it all in the auction, bid on the items they really wanted and then we split the proceeds equally between the family members,” Melissa recounts. “It worked and put an end to the fighting.” Old School generally charges a 25% commission, but will negotiate a flat rate fee for larger auctions involving hundreds of items. “A lot of people are collectors, but when they pass away, their family is left to deal with what’s left behind,” says Andrew. “What are you going to do with dozens of salt shakers, for instance? Well, we help them deal with all those possessions.” If there are too many possessions for a client to handle, Old School staff will catalogue each item and transport it all to the company’s warehouse in preparation for the auction. The company’s online approach also opens up the world for their clients and potential customers. “We’ve shipped auction items across Canada and to Australia and New Zealand,” Andrew notes. “It’s amazing to see where the interest in our auctions is coming from each week.” They also work with charities and help them sell donated items to fund various activities and programs. Among the organizations they’ve supported is the Allie Sunshine Project. With business still on the rise, in September 2021 the McCormicks opened OSA Liquidators Inc. at 540 Notre Dame Street in Belle River. While closed at times due to pandemic restrictions, the store reopens in the spring. Here customers can buy new items for a fraction of their original price. This expansion proves their future is promising as they continue to expand their online presence and ensure all their auction items are going, going, gone … to the highest bidder!

B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A R C H 2 0 2 2

Biz X Magazine March 2022

Articles inside

Biz Of The Month: Old School Auctions, Belle River

The Way It Was: Upholding Traditions . . . Through The Ranks

Tech Bytes: TeCK Week YQG March 21 To 27

Fun Activities For Grandparents and Grandchildren

XX Files: Renu Anderson — Restaurateur, Sauce Queen And Cannabis Store Entrepreneur

The Parenting Biz: Healthy Eating Habits For Families

Ask The Experts: “Moving In Stereo” With Stereoland

Food For Thought: Caffeine & Co., Amherstburg

Feature Story: Are You Feeling Stressed As It’s Tax Season?

Portfolio Corner: It’s Time For Perspective

Funny Stuff

From The Bookshelf: Stephen J. Kristof’s Feeling Normal Again

From The Publisher: Local Art Award Nominations Needed

Heard On The Street

Newsflash

Just Sayin’: Should Canada Keep Our Constitutional Monarchy Or Embrace Full Political Independence?

Rose City Politics: Are Windsor City Councillors And The Mayor Paid Too Much Or Not Enough?

Front Lines