Biz X Magazine May 2018 by Biz X magazine

YOUR ONLY INTERNATIONAL BORDER CITY PUBLICATION Walkerville First In Line For Mayor’s Districting Money

Gold Star Coverage On The “WESPY Awards”; “40 Leaders Under 40” & The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber Of Commerce BEA Winners 100 Year Anniversary Celebration Of The Windsor-Essex County Association Of REALTORS Community Gaming and Entertainment Group; Sky-Vu Solutions; Life Coach Victoria Rubio; The Cheese Bar and plenty more!

May 2018

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“YouTube Giant Walks Among Us”

The secret is out! Our region is home to one of the biggest Internet stars around — Glenn Fricker of Spectre Sound Studios. Follow his path from local studio producer to international celebrity status as a YouTube icon . . . and “Rock On” always! — Page 18 B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

FOR BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE IN WINDSOR, ESSEX COUNT Y AND METRO DETROIT

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table of contents May 2018 volume 21 • issue 5

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4 Funny Stuff 5 From The Publisher: Welcome Shelley Oswald To The Biz X Team 6 Editorial Viewpoint: Walkerville In The Spotlight Walkerville Business Improvement Association (BIA) Chair Cara Kennedy (shown in top photo courtesy of The Walkerville Tavern of which she is the Owner) is aggressively pursuing a major boundary expansion of the BIA while also embracing Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens’ plan to transform two blocks into a “Distillery District,” reports columnist Alan Halberstadt. 8 Front Lines 11 Heard On The Street 12 Biz Bits: The First “Border City Financial Case Competition” 14 Newsflash 15 Boost Your Biz 16 Dates To Remember 22 Have A Cup Of Joe With Joe: The Fifth Annual “We Will Rock Blue” Concert 24 Milestones: The Windsor-Essex County Association Of REALTORS 100 Year Celebration Events 27 Generation YKNOT: Millennials In Real Estate 28 Ask The Experts: Web Based Entertainment With Sky-Vu Solutions 29 Hot Shots: The 13th Annual “WESPY Awards” Mark Knight, on air talent for WE-TV (Windsor Essex television) and Patty Handysides, AM800 (middle photo by Rod Denis) were on site at the Caboto Club for the “WESPY Awards” (Windsor Essex County Sports Persons of the Year) ceremony as emcees for: WE-TV.ca. The March banquet paid tribute to the Windsor Essex sports community including athletes, coaches and administrators from all disciplines. 32 Food For Thought: Say Cheese! The Cheese Bar, Emeryville, ON 34 Hot Shots: “40 Leaders Under 40” Awards Ceremony 37 Take The Lead: Alex Brown — The “Digital Nomad” 38 Portfolio Corner 39 XX Files: Victoria Rubio, Owner Of Live Your Best Life With Victoria 40 Awards Spotlight: The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber Of Commerce 28th Annual “Business Excellence Awards” (BEA) Recipients The Chamber BEA award recipients were revealed in early April at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts. After a ceremony at the Chrysler Theatre, guests then attended an After Glow with food stations and plenty of networking. Ready to open the doors (photo at left by Rod Denis) to let everyone enjoy six hips of beef, a mashed potato martini bar, vegetarian options and lots of sweet treats from left were: St. Clair/Chrysler Theatre’s Veronica Mancini (Front of House Manager) and Joe D’Angela (Director) with Marianne Burke, Event Manager for the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber Of Commerce who are pictured sharing a laugh with our photographer as their photo was taken. 42 Hot Shots: The 6th Annual “Bridal Ball 2018” 44 From The Bookshelf 45 The Way It Was: The Importance Of A Padre 46 Biz Of The Month: Community Gaming And Entertainment Group

ON THE COVER — ““YouTube Giant Walks Among Us” — 18

Windsor’s very own Glen Fricker, President and CEO of SpectreSoundStudios YouTube channel, covers everything related to recording hard rock and metal in his tutorials. His impressive following of 250k subscribers is proof that people love his rants on the state of the music industry. Biz X Writer Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh recently sat down with Fricker (wearing a rock t-shirt, Darth Vader slippers and all!) at his studio to get the full story on how he became such a big deal. Photo by Rod Denis. (RodneyLDenisPhotographer.com) B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

FUNNY STUFF!

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“Just Sing, Sing A Song!” Have a laugh or two with our funny pet pictures. Send your photos to deborah@bizxmagazine.com and it may be included here in an upcoming issue. Make sure it gives our readers a chuckle! Aria is “sittin’ on the dock of the bay, wastin’ time.”

“You say it’s your birthday. Well it’s Lux’s birthday too, yeah.”

“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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“Cause Luna’s a model, you know what I mean, and she does her little turn on the uh... catwalk.”

PRESIDENT Deborah Jones VICE-PRESIDENT Colin Jones OFFICE ADMINISTRATION & SALES Della Jones-Goulet, Assistant to the Publisher Kathleen Jones, Office Administrator Shelley Oswald, Account Executive

“It’s been a hard day’s night and Maizy has been working like a dog.”

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Jack Rosenberg WRITERS / PHOTOJOURNALISTS Lori Baldassi Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh David Clark Paul Germanese Chelsea Girard Andrea Grimes Alan Halberstadt Dave Hall Dave Halliday Jason Kerluck Marlene Markham-Gay Steven Mayo Joe McParland Jenn Sadai Rebecca Wright PHOTOGRAPHERS Rodney L. Denis Photography Lori Deschaine PRODUCTION DESIGN Rae Marie MAILING & DELIVERY ADDRESS FOR BIZ X ONLY P.O. Box 27035, 7720 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor, Ontario, N8T 3N5 e-mail: info@bizxmagazine.com

CALL 519-977-2199 NOW TO BOOK YOUR AD! VISIT BIZXMAGAZINE.COM AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL UNDER “SUBSCRIBE” IN THE TOP BAR TO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION OF EACH ISSUE DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. BIZ X MAGAZINE IS OWNED BY 1277025 ONTARIO LTD. AND IS PUBLISHED EACH MONTH WITH THE EXCEPTION OF DOUBLE ISSUES IN THE SUMMER AND NOV/DEC. THE MAGAZINE IS ONLY SOLD ON NEWSSTANDS IN ONTARIO FOR $3.50 PER COPY PLUS HST AND PERSONAL SUBSCRIPTIONS MAY BE ORDERED FOR $40 PLUS HST FOR 10 ISSUES IN CANADA. THE ACCEPTANCE OF ADVERTISEMENTS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THE PRODUCTS OR SERVICES ADVERTISED. THE PUBLISHER DOES NOT ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR INFORMATION PROVIDED IN EDITORIALS AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY COLUMNISTS AND ADVERTISERS. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN ANY EDITORIAL COLUMNS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER. INFORMATION IS TIMELY AS OF OUR PRINT DEADLINE. BIZ X MAGAZINE IS A REGISTERED NAME OF 1277025 ONTARIO LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION. CONTENTS COPYRIGHT ©2018 BY 1277025 ONTARIO LTD.

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from the publisher

Here We Grow Again By Deborah Jones

This issue I have some great news to share with you! We are so pleased to welcome a new Account Executive — Shelley Oswald — to our team. “When I decided to leave my former advertising job, where I’d been for 21 years, Biz X was the only magazine I considered,” says Oswald. “I had no backup plan . . . that was the plan to sell for Biz X! I’m so happy to be working here Shelley Oswald and can’t wait to see what the future holds.” Shelley has been in the advertising business for the past 28 years and graduated from the University of Windsor with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. She knows the advertising business and has the experience her clients need in order to make an informed choice on their ad size, budget and how to creative an effective ad. “I love working in advertising,” she says.

“It’s all I’ve ever known and bringing my client and their customers together drives me to succeed. Success for my clients is my motivation!” To top it off, she is also super friendly and caring. Anyone who has ever met her knows how hard she works and her outstanding level of professionalism shines through in everything she does. As a resident of LaSalle, she will look after our clients in this area along with the Town of Amherstburg and west Windsor. Shelley also will handle businesses that cater to children in all areas across Essex County. This will be her focus for the first few months but then she will reach out to companies and organizations all over! She realizes how important it is for advertisers to choose a publication giving them the best bang for their advertising buck. With our advertising rates remaining unchanged since we began back in 1998 we have worked with the economy to help

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local businesses/organizations market their products and services at an affordable price. Full colour is always included in our rates and we have used, since day one, Canada Post to deliver the magazine to our distribution area. You can also find additional copies of Biz X at trade shows and certain issues are delivered to the U.S. market to reach those Canadians working over the border and American tourists visiting our region. And we were the first magazine in the area with a digital edition emailed out to subscribers who opt-in to receive our magazine so you know they are reading it. We also have an interactive website with news, event calendar, videos, photos, blogs and digital editions of Biz X available for people to view and leave comments. All of this means more attention to our magazine and increased X-posure for our advertisers! Of course myself and my sister Della Jones-Goulet are still servicing the clients we have had for many years but we hope new clients will give Shelley a call to book an ad with us soon! You can contact her at 519-300-4960 or by email: Shelley@BizXmagazine.com. In closing, we thank you for welcoming our newest team member with open arms to your business!

editorial viewpoint

Mayor Has Tiger By The Tail In Dishing Districting Spoils By Alan Halberstadt *If you have a comment on this topic please post it under my column in the CITY section of BizXmagazine.com

t’s unfortunate that Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens’ good idea of establishing a “Distillery District” as a section of the Walkerville Business Improvement Association (BIA) has been tainted by City Hall’s shoddy treatment of a neighbouring BIA. Timing is everything, and in this case the timing couldn’t be worse. Dilkens rolled out his idea of districting when he had City Council set aside $5.25 million in the 2018 Enhanced Capital Budget in mid-January. Walkerville was named as one of six beneficiaries of the Mayor’s commercial district theme plan, along with Downtown, Sandwich, Riverside, Ford City and the Asian sector of Wyandotte Street West. Dilkens declared that Walkerville would be first in line when he showcased fancy drawings by Archon Architects at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Walkerville BIA on January 30. All well and good, until the fateful Council meeting of March 5, when seven Councillors, including Dilkens, pulled the rug out from under the $1.4 million streetscaping plan of the Wyandotte Town Centre BIA. Dilkens and company, who had approved of the Town Centre plan a year earlier, suddenly decided they didn’t like the “World Marketplace” theme or the first phase of the project, colourful overhead streamers which were dissed as amateurish. Council was roundly roasted for sticking the matter on the agenda without proper notice to the Chair of the BIA Board Tamara Kowalska, presumably because CAO Onorio Colucci urgently wanted Council’s direction on how the Town Centre plan squared, or apparently didn’t, with the Mayor’s new districting brainchild. The optics were atrocious and set off a social media frenzy accusing the city of kicking a poor multi-cultural cousin to the curb while pouring more riches into the “uppity” Walkerville business district it shares a border with — Gladstone Avenue. Ironically, the Dilkens plan for Walkerville has some clever elements. Forewarned that past suggestions to rebrand Walkerville the “Distillery District” met with hostile pushback from the BIA membership, the South Windsor resident shrunk the plan to include only Devonshire and Argyle Roads in the far east corner of the six block BIA. The idea of a district within a district, highlighting the rich heritage of Hiram

Walker’s whisky empire, struck a responsive chord with the BIA leadership. “We’re very much in favour of it,” says Walkerville BIA Chair Cara Kennedy. “It can only enhance the area, bringing in more foot traffic, bike traffic and car traffic. We don’t want to lose sight of the fact that we will still be Walkerville.” “I think it’s a great idea . . . it’s long overdue,” enthuses Mike Brkovich, Owner of Walkerville Brewery, first opened by Hiram in 1890. The Mayor made a commitment to see the project through at the AGM said Kennedy, who had previously been invited to see an eight foot plus statue of Hiram Walker nearing completion by local artist Mark Williams for a reported $400,000. Dilkens has trumpeted the idea of putting the statue in the controversial $1 million roundabout which will dead end Devonshire at Riverside Drive. If city engineers decide it’s not a good fit there, it would be displayed in a parkette at the intersection of Riverside. The slides Dilkens showed at the AGM included overhead ornamental lighting, “Walkerville Distillery District” welcoming signs, tree planting, a pedestrian walkway over Riverside Drive, a pathway between the two blocks and painting the street in front of the brewery in an argyle pattern.

Walkerville BIA Chair Cara Kennedy, with her sons and business partners Ben (left) and Austin. Photo courtesy of The Walkerville Tavern. B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

“It’s not set in stone . . . I’m sure it would be done in phases because it would be a lot of money,” says Kennedy, Owner of The Walkerville Tavern who became BIA Chair in January of 2017. Kennedy and her board are moving forward with an ambitious plan to greatly expand the BIA. The new boundaries would capture J.P. Wiser’s, North America’s largest distillery, on the north side of Riverside Drive, and the Children’s Aid Society, on the south side. Both these entities approached the BIA seeking membership. The dormant Canadian Club Brand Centre, which Kennedy reports will soon be occupied by the offices of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), is also included. Although the boundary expansion initiative was unrelated to the Mayor’s districting idea, overlapping would occur if everything comes to fruition. Brkovich believes the city and BIA need to capitalize on the Hiram Walker legacy carried on by his brewery and Wiser’s thriving business, which employs 300 people and distills and bottles international brands including rum, vodka and liqueurs as well as Canadian whisky. Wiser’s recently launched its own Hiram Walker and Sons brand centre, hosting public tours demonstrating its grain to glass process, weddings and other public events. The brewery also runs successful tours where Brkovich regularly encounters Michigan and Ohio visitors who know more about what this historic district offers than many Windsorites do. It has untapped potential as a destination attraction, he says, which will see tourists spill off into the Walkerville business district. Kennedy says city planners are receptive to expanding the BIA boundaries south on Walker Road to Richmond Street, and west from there to Gladstone. This would add about a dozen duespaying members to the 98 existing basket. The newcomers would include: Walkerville Eatery, The City Market, The Party Warehouse, Walkerville Bed and Breakfast, Clearwater Animal Clinic and a new transportation parts business occupying the old fire hall. “This is a growing community,” says Kennedy, a down-to-earth dynamo who wants to dispel the perception that Walkerville gets everything at the expense of its neighbour. “We fully support the Wyandotte Town Centre BIA, 100 percent,” she says, noting that Council left $1 million as a budget placeholder for Town Centre’s use some unknown time in the future. “Streetscaping is going to do wonders for that neighbourhood, for all of us,” Kennedy emphasizes. “Anything (city) administration can do to help them will only enhance the area. Wyandotte Street is a vital commercial artery. I would hope they do get their funding.” With the October municipal election fast approaching, the ticklish question for Dilkens and Council will be who gets how much and when.

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FRONTLINES

Home Is Where The “Windsor Home & Garden Show” Is To welcome the spring season, 20/20 Show Productions Inc. hosted the 36th annual “Windsor Home & Garden Show” from April 6 to 8, 2018 at a new venue, Central Park Athletics. Situated at 3400 Grand Marais Road East near Central Avenue in Windsor, over thousands of Essex County residents strolled the aisles of the show visiting the booths of area businesses and organizations. With over 200 vendors from across Windsor and Essex County — whether you were looking at building a new place to live, buying an existing home or undertaking renovations to your current house — the “Windsor Home & Garden Show” was the ideal opportunity for consumers to view all kinds of products and meet with professionals to explain the services needed to make their dream home a reality. With free expert advice, in-booth demonstrations and exclusive deals, the home show had something for everyone. Check out a few of the vendors on this page (in photos by Chelsea Girard). To learn more about upcoming shows by 20/20 Show Productions refer to: OntarioTradeShows.com.

Richard Divinch from Culligan Water — water treatment equipment/drinking water systems.

Shaun O’Rourke, Owner of O’Rourke Safety Surfacing — rubber surfacing/rubber mulch.

From left: Grant Schweitzer, Gean and Greg Keating of SunCoast Enclosures — offered custom built enclosures to fit your deck, pool or patio.

Chad Goulet, Owner of Go Green Carpet Cleaning — ducts, grouting, carpet cleaning, restoration and more! The Go Green Companies are proudly celebrating 10 years in business in May.

From left: Matt Rieder, Dan Nauta and Ben Snow from Men In Kilts — window and gutter cleaning. Don’t forget “No Peeking” allowed, LOL!

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FRONTLINES

Salon Cure Gets Local Salons And Customers Involved In Green Movement A local hair salon is getting the community involved in an international initiative to reduce waste and be more environmentally friendly in the industry. Another reason locals love Salon Cure, winners of the 2017 Biz X Award for “It’s Always A Good Hair Day At This Salon,” is they’re a member of Green Circle Salons, an international organization described on their website as “the beauty industry’s pathway to sustainability.” Green Circle’s website explains how “Salons produce difficult-to-manage waste often contaminated with bleach, hair colour and other chemicals . . . As they create, they make waste.” So, since 2009, they’ve committed to “pioneering truly sustainable solutions for repurposing, recycling and capturing 95 percent of salon and spa waste.” Green Circle Salons is based in Toronto and has more than 1,500 member salons across North America who are committed to its initiative to reduce waste in the industry. Salon Cure is one of those salons taking on this task.

Salon Cure Owner Christine Withington holds up a certificate from Green Circle Salons outlining how much her business helped save the environment in 2017.

Salon Cure (on the web: SalonCure.ca) Owner Christine Withington came across an article and news video online about Green Circle while researching Kevin Murphy products. “After discussing it with a fellow co-worker Chantal Selley, we both knew that this would be something that we had to look into and be a part of,” explains Withington. “Green Circle was relatively unheard of in Southwestern Ontario so it was difficult to find information, but once we did, it just took off.” Between “Earth Day” on April 22 and “World Ocean Day” on June 8, Withington has organized to have local salons and

Green Circle boxes are sent to member salons to help organize and separate the different types of recycled products. Photos by Rebecca Wright.

customers collecting their recycling, including hair clippings, excess chemical waste, broken dryers or flat irons, chemicals, foils, colour tubes and more. “Then we will all get together at Salon Cure on June 11 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., at which time we will weigh out all that we were all able to divert out of the landfill,” explains Withington, adding that Green Circle will be present at the event to answer any and all questions. “The purpose of the event is to showcase what we as an industry can do by offering alternatives to how we dispose of our waste,” notes Withington. “We have a responsibility as individuals and as an industry.” Salon Cure was given a certificate from Green Circle Salons last year, which outlined how their efforts have helped the cause. It states that in 2017, Salon Cure diverted 295 pounds of solid waste and 60 pounds of liquid waste. It also states that in total, 955,011 pounds of salon waste was diverted from landfill spaces and water streams by Green Circle Member Salons across Canada and the U.S. in 2017. The public is invited to join as well and Withington feels it would be great to have the public know and support what they’re doing as an industry to reduce, reuse and recycle. “We at Salon Cure believe that we have a responsibility to do our part in reducing what we put in our landfills and down our sinks,” says Withington. “Sourcing more environmentally responsible methods and products will help keep our aquatic ecosystems clean and healthy.” Withington has brought several other salons on board with the initiative, including (at press time): Pop Hair Gallery, Capello, Bounce, Envii, Voce, Modify Hair Studio and Carizma. To participate, contact Withington at Salon Cure. B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

GOOD NEWS FOR WINDSOR-ESSEX UPCOMING RETAIL STORE WILL BE THE THIRD FOR GOODWILL INDUSTRIES® IN WINDSOR Goodwill Industries – Essex Kent Lambton is proud to announce the opening of our newest retail store in Windsor in the summer of 2018.

Sixty employees will work in the 18,000-square-foot retail store when it opens this summer. Construction is nearing completion! “We are very excited about the growth in Windsor-Essex,” explains Goodwill CEO Kevin Smith. “We see tremendous potential in the city and we are looking forward to creating jobs and growing our presence here with this new store.” Goodwill currently operates a retail store at 1643 McDougall Avenue in Windsor, a bookstore at 298 Lauzon Road, as well as retail stores in Chatham and Sarnia. T. 519-956-2610 www.goodwillekl.com Charitable Registration #119139426RR0001

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BRINGING YOU UP TO SPEED ON THE LATEST BUZZ AROUND TOWN!

HEARD ON THE STREET

A large vacant building on Windsor’s main thoroughfare which, until two years ago, was home base for reservists with HMCS Hunter, is now for sale for $2.25 million. A spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada says the building was first offered to other government departments, but there was little interest and it has now been listed publicly for sale for about two months by CBRE Limited. The building at 960 Ouellette Avenue encompasses more than 51,000 sq. ft. and includes a large gymnasium, two drivein doors, office space, a full basement and a fenced parking lot. The former grocery store was commissioned by the Department of National Defence in 1941 as a training centre during the Second World War. It has been vacant, and largely in disrepair, since the opening of a new HMCS Hunter training centre two years ago at 90 Mill Street on the city’s west side. The new centre, built as part of the Conservative government’s Economic Action Plan, supports Windsor’s naval reservists in a naval-themed building near the Detroit River.

Citing extra duties with the recent opening of Nola’s, a Cajun and Creole restaurant in Walkerville, Chris Mickle has called a halt to the popular “Fork & Cork” festival in July, which ran for the past six years at Windsor’s Riverfront Plaza. Mickle also operates Protenders Special Events and Catering as well as the Dominion House Tavern in Sandwich. “There just isn’t time to do it all,” says Mickle. “It takes most of the year to pull together because you have to arrange for equipment, book entertainment and reach agreements with restaurants

and beverage companies as well as many other details.” Mickle adds that it was a popular festival and it’s going out on a high note. And while his busy workload precludes running the festival this year he said “anything’s possible” when asked if it might return in the future. The festival showcased local restaurants, wineries, distilleries and craft beer producers while at the same time offering up national and local entertainment along the riverfront.

Operators of The Toy Box Early Childhood Education Centre will be able to add 200 more child-care spaces when its new building opens at 3966 Walker Road by mid-summer. Owner Anna Raymond expects the new centre will be open by July 1 once all the final construction and interior work is completed. Raymond says she intends to keep the Toy Box’s existing centres at 2550 McDougall Street and 2665 Howard Avenue open as well. The two freestanding locations have about 400 part-time and full-time spaces. The Toy Box also operates four latch-key programs at schools across the Windsor area. “Business has been going very well since we opened in 2002,” adds Raymond. “We’ve had quite a bit of response to our new centre since the billboard went up, but so far it has been more of a soft reveal. We expect more people will contact us once we have something tangible to show them.” Raymond, who currently has about 75 full and part-time employees, expects to add another 35 or so once the 19,000 sq. ft. centre is open.

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The value of building permits issued by the City of Windsor during the first quarter of this year has dropped by more than $27 million, largely due to a major reduction in residential construction. The value of permits issued through the end of March hit $59,162,499 compared to $87,320,623 a year ago. Residential construction permits fell from $52 million to $31.6 million and government and institutional permit values dropped from $23 million to $9.4 million. Industrial construction increased from $2.2 million to $8.1 million and commercial permits showed a slight increase from $9.8 million to $9.9 million. Major construction projects include a Bellwood Poultry processing plant at 1518 Mercer Street for $7.2 million; a new library branch at 363 Mill Street for $4.39 million; renovations to a duty free store at 31 Park Street for $2 million; renovations to a Shoppers Drug Mart at 3060 Howard Avenue for $2 million and a new aircraft hangar at 3200 County Road 42 for $1.9 million.

After spending most of their service industry life as night owls, Mike and Alex Lambros have decided to become morning people and will open up Central Diner on the site of the former Ocean’s Restaurant at 2883 Howard Avenue. “I’m 56 and Alex is a little older and we’re both tired of working 14 hours a day until well after midnight,” says Mike. “Now, we’ll be open 12 hours a day, maybe work six each and be done.” The diner will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Lambros brothers had operated Lefty’s Bar and Grill and then Lefty’s On The O in downtown Windsor for 12 years before selling the business to Jim Arbour, their former Manager and Bartender, last October. Central Diner will feature old-style diner food such as hot beef, hot chicken, hot turkey and hot hamburger sandwiches as well as clubhouse sandwiches and hand-packed burgers. It’s expected to seat 50 with a staff of six when it opens perhaps by mid-June or early July.

BIZ BITS

The First “Border City Financial Case Competition” Photo And Story By Dave Hall

ore than two dozen business students from five universities recently participated in the inaugural “Border City Financial Case Competition” hosted by the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business in late March. The competition pitted four person teams against each other in a pair of business case scenarios, one which required participants to present valuations in the grocery store industry and another which asked teams to analyze a leveraged buyout situation. “Teams were given the first case a week ago and were asked to bring their presentations to Windsor and present them to a panel of 10 judges,” explains Nico Fazio, a student at the Odette school who is also Founder and Director of the competition. “In the second example, teams were given just four hours to complete their analysis and again present it to judges.” In the two day competition, Ryerson University placed first followed by the University of Guelph in second place and the University of Windsor’s investment fund team in third spot. For the 28 participants, the competition presented them with an opportunity to use their analytical skills in real-world situations. “It was a great learning experience and it gave us all an opportunity to identify our passions and which kind of business we might want to follow in the future,” says Brunilda Gjini, a fourth year student at the Odette School. Teammate Dylan Maitre, a second year student, adds “the competition helped teach us about teamwork and knowing your role on the team based on your individual strengths.” There were two other teams from

Owen Coughlin, left, Dylan Maitre, Brunilda Gjini (seated) and Khaoula Hassani work on their presentation during the inaugural “Border Cities Financial Case Competition” at the University of Windsor’s Odette School of Business.

Windsor along with Western University and Michigan State University. Second year student Owen Coughlin expresses the competition also “helped us identify what we don’t know and we will all go back to class after this knowing a lot more about where we want to go in the future.” For fourth year student Khaoula Hassani, the competition presented an opportunity to react positively under pressure and accomplish a goal in challenging circumstances. Among the sponsors for the event were: Highline Mushrooms (headline), EPICentre (gold), University of Windsor Alumni Association and TD Commercial Bank (silver) as well as bronze sponsors CPA Ontario, Cooper’s Hawk Vineyards, Rockstar Energy, Hub International and the Odette School of Business. Judges were from: TD Commercial, TD Private Wealth, RBC Dominion

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Securities, RBC Capital Markets, EPICentre, Pepsico Canada, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, BMO Nesbitt Burns, Highline Mushrooms and the University of Windsor. Also involved on various committees, along with Fazio, were: Brett Beattie, Matt Berkens, Mike Rocca, Rachel Khouri, Helena Yaghy, Michael Valente, Adam Obeid, Stephen Shields, Nathan Callaghan, William Alfieri, Christian Palameta, Lisa Fransen, Julie Moskal and members of the Odette School Finance Association along with Mitch Fields, Francine Schlosser, John Mihalo, Kerry Gray and Barbara Barone from the Odette School. Justice Dundas from the University of Windsor built the leveraged buyout case which capped the second day of competition. Learn more on their social media page: Facebook.com/BorderCityCaseComp.

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

NEWSFLASH THE RUNDOWN In April 2018 Security ONE Alarm Systems, a regional electronic security and automation company headquartered in Leamington, ON, acquired customer accounts from Aarway Communications LTD. The purchase adds approximately 112 customers to the Security ONE Southwestern Ontario customer base. “Aarway’s commitment to providing customers with outstanding service makes them a great fit for Security ONE,” says Chris Neumann, Director of Corporate Strategy for Security ONE. “They have been serving their community and have been a dealer partner for nearly a decade and we are proud to introduce Aarway customers to the local Security ONE team.” The purchase of Aarway is the first acquisition for Security ONE this year. Aarway customers now have access to the advanced automated and smart home solutions, video surveillance, access control and fire/life safety solutions offered by Security ONE. “Most notably the only ULC listed, CSAA Five Diamond Certified monitoring station in Southern Ontario, as well as the secure MySecurityONE online account management portal,” Neumann mentions. The purchased accounts are serviced out of Security ONE’s four locations in Leamington, Windsor, Chatham and London. For more information please visit: SecurityOneAlarm.com. Workforce WindsorEssex, the region’s Local Employment Planning Council (LEPC), as part of their In-Demand Jobs & Career Profiles project, has launched a firstof-its-kind online labour market tool for the Windsor Essex region called “WEexplore” that makes the process of exploring indemand careers easier than ever. Unlike any other job search tool, WEexplore simplifies the task of researching information about

CANINE RESCUE & TRANSPORT Robert Clark bbbcrescue@gmail.com

in-demand jobs. It presents detailed career profile information such as job overview, wages, skills, more in a way that allows users to visualize what jobs might lead into and out of the region’s top in-demand jobs and to help people take the next step in their career. The tool automatically populates a list of local job postings on a daily basis. Users are able to customize the information displayed by showing all jobs or selecting a specific sector. They can also enlarge or shrink the size of the job circles to visually display the salary or number of available job postings. The tool is automatically updated daily with local job postings, giving users a reason to return to the website often. In total, 150 jobs are represented on the new tool. The jobs were chosen because they lead into or out of the region’s 80 in-demand jobs. The WEexplore tool is available in English and French on their site: WorkforceWindsorEssex.com/weexplore. Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), the official Destination Marketing Organization for the region, unveiled, in mid-April, a distinct, bold new brand, logo and marketing campaign. The focus on modernizing the tourism bureau’s Canadian goose graphic and type represents a fresh application to their current offering. The font calls out to the destination in a more prominent way. “You can see from our recharged new logo a more powerful bird, stronger, more defined and the geographic region we serve — Windsor Essex in stand-out — more authoritative block capital letters,” says Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor

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If you can’t adopt, foster. If you can’t foster, sponsor. If you can’t sponsor, volunteer. If you can’t volunteer, transport. If you can’t transport, donate. If you can’t donate, educate.

Essex Pelee Island. “The logo colours are reduced from four to two allowing for grander focus and positive positioning. The new marketing campaign invites travellers to discover what Windsor, Essex County and Pelee Island have to offer. With a main image and supporting copy, the ads will connect with visitors on an emotional and physical level,” outlines Orr. “With our attractions being experienced based, we want to ask the question — ‘WHERE CAN WE TAKE YOU?’” (WE is a friendly acronym for Windsor Essex). Another change at TWEPI is to one of their fundamental pillars and marketing tools, the annual “Official Visitor Guide” of the region, which will also take on a fresh, new approach. The theme will focus on experiences that feature less copy and more blog-style photography. This will assist with trip planning and in-market itineraries. Change is good and Orr wraps up by stating, “We are proud ambassadors of our region and we feel this refresh of our brand and the complementary campaign accentuates the attributes Windsor Essex provides visitors. Connecting with them on an emotional and physical level is paramount in shaping snapshots of and partaking in authentic experiences.” See samples of the new campaign and events in the area by logging on to: VisitWindsorEssex.com.

HALL OF FAME In celebration of “National Volunteer Week” (April 15 to 21), Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, presented the “Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers” to 41 individuals on April 17, 2018, during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa.

The Founder of Adopt-A-Vet, Brad Krewench recently received the prestigious “Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers” by the Governor General of Canada, Julie Payette. Photos courtesy of the Governor General of Canada.

The “Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers” recognizes the exceptional volunteer achievements of Canadians from across the country in a wide range of fields. As an official Canadian honour, it also pays tribute to the dedication and exemplary commitment of volunteers. Windsor resident Brad Krewench, CD Founder and CEO of AdoptA-Vet (visit: AdoptaVet.ca) was presented with the prestigious “Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers” by Payette (see accompanying photo). According to Krewench, “Adopt-AVet is a federal registered non-profit organization based in Windsor, Ontario. Our purpose is to ensure that heroes who fought and fell to preserve our Canadian values of democracy and freedom that we enjoy are never forgotten.”Adopt-A-Vet is currently working with the local Safety Village (TheSafetyVillage.com/pages/about-us.html) to build a scaled version of an Armoury. Krewench adds, “Our building at The Safety Village will feature interactive display videos from Veterans telling their stories. By providing this family-centred education resource to the community, Adopt-A-Vet will ensure our Veterans’ stories of duty and service will live on as part of our Canadian history contributing to the legacy of remembrance for this generation and those to follow.” To read more about the “Sovereign’s

Medal for Volunteers.” refer to the website: GG.ca/document.aspx?id=16147 The Professional Engineers Ontario Windsor-Essex Chapter is proud to announce the induction of one of its own into the provincial engineering regulator’s “Order of Honour” during its annual gala celebration of outstanding leadership and dedication to the profession. The event was held on April 20, 2018 at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. The “Order of Honour” pays tribute to individuals who have rendered conspicuous service to the engineering profession, usually through Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). Recipients have made substantial contributions to the operation of the profession, its professional status or one of the many specialized functions of the engineering regulator. Andrew Dowie, P.Eng., FEC, of Tecumseh has been inducted as a Member of the Order. Dowie was the first recipient of the “G. Gordon M. Sterling Engineering Intern Award,” presented in 2010. Since then, he has served the profession by volunteering on the “Sterling Award” subcommittee as well as the PEO Windsor-Essex Chapter, which he joined in 2006 and chaired in 2013 and 2014. One of his many chapter volunteer positions included service as Government Liaison Program Chair, where he represented his chapter at various galas, conferences and luncheons with politicians. Dowie also worked closely with PEO to create its first annual Candidate College, recruiting politicians to discuss the importance of having engineers run for office and how to run a successful campaign. His notable volunteer activities include serving as a longtime leader with Scouts Canada and serving as a judge at the “Windsor Regional Science, Technology and Engineering Fair” and the “Canada Wide Science Fair” in Windsor. In further recognition of his service to the engineering profession, PEO successfully nominated Dowie for recognition as a “Fellow of Engineers Canada” (FEC) in

December 2017. Under the authority of the Professional Engineers Act, PEO governs over 85,000 licence and certificate holders and regulates professional engineering in Ontario. Learn more by visiting the website: PEO.on.ca.

ON THE MOVE With all those fresh new approaches mentioned on the previous page of this Newsflash section for Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI), comes the need for some administrative moves within their structure to strengthen the organization. Most notably is the recruitment of a Communications and Executive Assistant, two Board Members, and a Visitor Information Specialist; the promotion of Jason Toner as the new Director of Communications; Jessica Riley as the new Tourism Coordinator; and the transferring of Will Alexander from their tourism programs team to Manager of Marketing Programs. Congrats to all! The Town of Essex (Essex.ca) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brandi Sieben to the position of Manager of Human Resources, as of April 9, 2018. She has over 12 years of progressive work experience in the field of Human Resources and most recently held the position of Human Resources Manager at A.P. Plasman Inc. Sieben has a Human Resources Management certificate from St. Clair College and holds the Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation through the Human Resources Professional Association. As part of the Corporate Services Department, she is responsible for programs and policies as they apply to employee relations, compensation, benefits, performance, and staffing for the Town. Jeffrey Morrison, Director of Corporate Services comments, “Our staff members are our most important asset and we’re thrilled to have Brandi, and her wealth of experience, to help lead our team.”

Setbacks Should Never Hold You Back By Jenn Sadai These short business tips are brought to you by Jenn Sadai, a Windsor author who uses her talents and experiences to empower women. She can be reached through the various social media links on her website: JennSadai.com.

Every career path will have a few bumps along the way. Many successful people usually encounter countless hurdles before their rise to the top and still face disappointment regardless of the level of success they’ve achieved. Tough days will never stop driven people from pursuing their dreams. Those challenging experiences are

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a necessary part of their journey. Relish every obstacle and absorb the impact. Learn from each experience and move forward with confidence. Never let a setback hold you back from reaching your full potential. If you want to make it in this world, you have to learn to rise stronger after every fall.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

MAY/JUNE2018

D AT E S T O R E M E M B E R Biz X has the list of business events (and some fun stuff) that you shouldn’t miss! Please be sure to confirm all events before attending. VISIT: BIZXMAGAZINE.COM AND INPLAYMAGAZINE.COM AND CLICK ON THE “EVENTS” TAB TO SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE BORDER CITIES!

WINDSOR & ESSEX COUNTY

Having an event? Submit your listing to us at: Bizxmagazine.com and InPlaymagazine.com

*unless noted the area code to dial is 519 May is “National Physiotherapy Month” where Physiotherapists, physiotherapist assistants and students organize activities in May across the country to highlight how physiotherapy helps lives. May 7 to 13: The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is proud to celebrate and acknowledge “Nursing Week 2018” to recognize the year-round dedication and achievements of Registered Nurses (RNs), Registered Practical Nurses (RPNs) and Nurse Practitioners (NPs), and to increase awareness of their contributions to the well-being of Canadians. Find out more by checking out: ONA.org. May 9: Women Leading the Way and United Way present a luncheon to celebrate and honour women who help shape our lives. “Celebrating Women Who Inspire Us” at the Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Road (E.C. Row) in Windsor with Keynote Speaker Shelley Awad, a local best-selling children’s author, from noon until 1:30 p.m. Admission is $35 with lunch and please bring a children’s book for the United Way’s Summer Lunch program. Questions? Visit: WeAreUnited.com/celebratewomen; email: events@weareunited.com; 258-0000. May 10: The “TMT Predictions 2018 Breakfast” presented by the WindsorEssex Regional Chamber of Commerce at the Fogolar Furlan, 1800 North Service Road in Windsor from 7:30 until 9:30 a.m. Special Guest Speaker Duncan Stewart, Director of Research, Deloitte Canada Technology, Media & Telecommunications presents “TMT 2018 Predictions” gamechangers for your business. Whether self employed or working for an organization, your work consistently interacts with technology, media and telecommunications. The technology environment is crucial to your business. Admission is $20 to $25. For info email: mburke@windsorchamber.org; view: WindsorChamber.org/events or call 966-3696. May 10: The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce “After Business” at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Drive West in Windsor from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Join the chamber and other business professionals and entrepreneurs on the fourth floor outdoor terrace overlooking the Detroit skyline for an early evening of networking, visiting exhibitors, sampling complimentary appetizers, cash bar and

door prizes. As well you can promote your company and generate new business with exhibit space. The May “After Business” offers the opportunity to showcase your products/services and develop potential clients at an economical price. Register early as there are limited spaces available. For more info on admission and exhibitor costs email: bmalmberg@windsorchamber.org; log on to: WindsorChamber.org/events or call 966-3696. May 11: “Celebrity Men Fashion Event” for The Kidney Foundation of Canada at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts, 201 Riverside Drive West in Windsor begins at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are only $60 for general seating and available online at: Kidney.ca/CelebrityMen. As well there are a limited number of $85 VIP tickets for sale which include two well drinks, prime reserved seating and wait service during the show. Call 977-9211 to get your tickets to see 12 local professionals strut their stuff on the runway! May 12: “Science Rendezvous 2018” at the University of Windsor- Education Gym and CAW Centre located at 401 Sunset Avenue in Windsor from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Enjoy a day of mind-blowing demonstrations and exciting exhibits. Science passports will be handed out upon arrival with those who complete their passport by visiting each booth becoming eligible to win raffle prizes from Windsor Rock Gym, Adventure Bay, Exodus Escape Rooms, Museum Windsor and many more. This all ages event is free. For more info email: sruwindsor@gmail.com; check: ScienceRendezvous.ca/event_sites/ university-of-windsor or call 226-246-6732. May 14: The 4th annual “Windsor Regiment Golf Classic” at Sutton Creek Golf Club, 2135 County Road 12, Essex from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Registration at 11 a.m. with Howitzer Start at 1 p.m. Admission is $125 and includes 18 holes of golf, cart, lunch, steak dinner and competitions. Proceeds from this signature fundraising golf classic “on the greens” to support local soldiers, veterans and cadets. To register email: jpfcelestino@gmail.com or call John Celestino, 326-0156 or Rachel Micallef, 254-2535 x 4558. May 17: “Provincial Election Debate 2018” presented by the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce at the Ciociaro Club, 3745 North Talbot Road in Windsor from 11 a.m. (light lunch) until 1:30 p.m. The debate — with moderator B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

Windsor Star’s Craig Pearson — includes the candidates from all three Windsor and Essex County ridings with each assigned a 30 minute debate. Admission is $25 to $30. Repeat air times on YOURTV Cable 11/700 HD on May 17 and 18 at 8 p.m. More info email: mburke@windsorchamber.org; visit: WindsorChamber.org/events or call 966-3696. May 19: Second Chance Animal Rescue of Windsor/Essex County hosts their first “Barkfest!” at Silver Tee Golf & Virtual Gaming Centre, 1360 Hwy. 3 in Oldcastle from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. with a rain date set for May 20. This is another fun outing for you and your entire family (canine friends included)! Every hour on the hour of the event — a different activity is planned. Three prizes will be doled out for each. There will also be adoptable dogs on hand looking for their fur-ever homes, face painting, popcorn for purchase, “Guess the Jelly Beans” contest, and the BBQ will be fired up. The cost is FREE and everyone is welcome. For more info email: scarescue.julie@outlook.com; refer to: SCARescue.org or call 990-1760. May 24: “The WEAs Awards and Grants Ceremony” and the “Mayor’s Arts Awards” presented by Windsor Endowment for the Arts recognizes and celebrates the contributions of some of our community’s most talented artists, arts organizations and arts leaders. The Mayor presents three awards and WEA presents 11 grants and four arts leadership awards. Of special note, WEA also honours Dr. Alan Wildeman, President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Windsor with the Windsor Endowment for the “Arts Record of Achievement Award” for his positive and lasting impact on the arts in our community. The ticketless event takes place at the WFCU Centre, Collavino Hall, 8787 McHugh Street in Windsor from 5:30 p.m. until 9:15 p.m. Admission is an entrance payment of $40 to attend the hall and ceremony or a $150 payment includes Crown Royal Lounge Reception and Awards ceremony with tax receipt for a portion of entrance payment to support WEA’s endowment funds. For more info email: rourkecj@cogeco.ca; visit: WEA-Arts.com or call 977-5898. May 24: The Italian Women’s Club presents “Ladies Night: An Evening of Fashion” at the Giovanni Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue in Windsor from 6 until 10 p.m. Vendors, dinner, raffles and fashions

by J. Michaels and Island Girl Fashions are on the schedule. Proceeds support The Canadian Mental Health Association. Admission is $45 per person, and children 5 to 12 are $20 to attend. To learn more email: joanne@cabotoclub.com; go visit: CabotoClub.com or call 969-3970. May 26: Your presence is requested at “A Royal-Tea Party” at The Fogolar Furlan Club, 1800 North Service Road in Windsor from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. for an afternoon filled with fun, friends, tea, treats, entertainment and shopping in support of The Downtown Mission of Windsor. Tickets are only $20 and can be purchased on their website: DowntownMission.com or by calling 973-5573. May 27: “Walk for Alzheimer’s 2018” at the Ford Test Track Park, 3001 Seminole Street in Windsor from 9:30 a.m. until noon. Let’s celebrate by Making Memories Matter in the Windsor-Essex community and walk (a 5k timed event is optional) together to honour those who have passed and acknowledge the work that must be done to provide help and hope for those living with the disease today. Admission is free. For more details and to register, email: ABelleau@aswecare.com; go to: WalkForAlzheimer.ca or call 974-2220. May 27: A Downton Abbey-style “Garden Tea Party” takes place in the magnificent Rhododendron Gardens in the King’s Navy Yard Park, Dalhousie Street in Amherstburg. There are two sittings available: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or 3 to 5 p.m. Tickets are $30 each. Proceeds to benefit the Belle Vue Conservancy Restoration Project. More information at: BelleVueConservancy.com; email: acabrera@amherstburg.ca or call Anne Rota at 730-1309. June 1: The 42nd annual “Poor Boy Luncheon”presented by Advocis Windsor takes place at the Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue in Windsor from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Each year funds are raised to support the local Cystic Fibrosis chapter. These funds allow children to receive treatment for CF in Windsor, instead of traveling to other regions. Tickets are $10 and lunch is

included. Questions? Refer to: Advocis.ca; email: windsor@advocischapter.ca or call 251-4002. June 2: Pat Pagano presents the 16th annual “HandiCapable Fishing Derby.” Special guest Italo Labignan, host of Canadian SportFishing TV show at Assumption Park at 9 a.m. Entertainment by Music Express, Windsor Flyboard and Enchanted Adventure Parties. Any special needs kids participate at no cost. To register please go to: ICHA.ca or dial 977-1209.

June 3: The “Windsor Walk for Arthritis” takes place at Malden Park located at 4200 Malden Road in Windsor from 9 a.m. until noon. Arthritis is a serious disease with no cure. Today, more than six million Canadians are affected by arthritis, that is one in five. When you join the “Windsor Walk for Arthritis,” you help the Arthritis Society to achieve the vision to live in a world where people are free from the devastating effects that arthritis has on lives. This is a family friendly way to make a difference while having fun in the process. Choose from 1 km or 5 km walks or the 5 km run through the beautiful Malden Park. Hands on activities for the kids, face painters, characters, free snacks and refreshments, prizes and fun surprises all

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await. You are even welcome to bring your (well-behaved) pet friend! Admission is free if you fundraise (and free for kids). For more info email: lpeters@arthritis.ca; refer to: WalkForArthritis.ca or call 433-2191. June 7 to 10: The “LaSalle Strawberry Festival” presented by Town of LaSalle happens once again at Gil Maure Park located at Front Road at Laurier Drive in LaSalle. The four day event features a carnival, live music, strolling entertainment, talent show, parade, fireworks, food trucks, vendors and more. All situated on LaSalle’s beautiful and historic waterfront. Don’t miss the fun this June while eating lots of local strawberries! Admission is $5 with children under 6 and seniors no charge to enter. For further details on hours and the complete schedule email: events@lasalle.ca: visit: LaSalle.ca or call 969-7771. June 11: “Go Green Golf Tournament” presented by Canadian Mental Health Association takes place at Essex Golf & Country Club, 7555 Matchette Road in LaSalle from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The tournament features 18 holes of golf with cart, pizza upon arrival, great golfer gifts, lunch at the turn, great pick-a-square prizes, entertainment and dinner. Proceeds support the Griefworks program, which provides supportive grief counseling to children and youth who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Admission is $300. For more info email: khill@cmha-wecb.on.ca; visit: WindsorEssex.CMHA.ca or call 255-7440. June 12: “Detroit Tigers Canadian Fan Game Night” presented by Canadian Mental Health Association takes place at Comerica Park, 2100 Woodward Avenue in Detroit from 7 until 10 p.m. Join the Canadian Mental Health Association, WindsorEssex County Branch in celebration of all Canadian fans of the Detroit Tigers! Your ticket includes admission to the game, a Canadian Tigers fan hat and a donation to CMHA-WECB. Proceeds support the Sole Focus Project.Admission varies. For more info email: khill@cmha-wecb.on.ca; check out: WindsorEssex.CMHA.ca or call 255-7440.

From Local To Global . . .

Cover Story By Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh

YouTube Icon Burns Up The Road To Achieve “International Celebrity” Status

Photo courtesy of Spectre Media Group and artistic interpretation by Yannis Bordas.

International YouTube icon Glenn Fricker, President and CEO of SpectreSoundStudios covers everything related to recording hard rock and metal in his tutorials.

ow do you measure when you have made it in the cyberspace Hall of Fame as a YouTube celebrity? . . . When you reach a million views every video? When you have 25 million, 50 million or a 100 million followers? Or is it when a local YouTube icon’s mother picks up a magazine and sees her son “old school” on the front cover? This issue of Biz X magazine features on the front cover a worldwide celebrity who has over a quarter of a million subscribers, and over 43 million views on his YouTube channel, SpectreSoundStudios. (YouTube.com/user/SpectreSoundStudios). When I (the writer of this cover story) was asked to do some consulting for Glenn Fricker’s company based in Windsor with a worldwide reach, I was a bit taken aback. The conversation started with two requests on my part. I was picking up a letter of reference my son needed to renew his Berklee College of Music scholarship and I had a request for Fricker. I was hoping he could delay taking my son out of school to work on projects and play all over the world, until summer break, when he could intern full time. As the discussion continued, I realized just how much Fricker and his company, Spectre Media Group has “blown up”

and why they are shifting to a Los Angeles base to partner with Warren Huart, an English multi-platinum producer and recording engineer. Huart produces music for Aerosmith, and The Fray to name a few and has worked in film and television most notably for “Inglorious Bastards”; “Transformers”; “Scrubs”; “Grey’s Anatomy”. . . Huart owns Spitfire Studio in Los Angeles and hosts a YouTube Channel, “Produce Like A Pro.” Fricker recently teamed up with Huart on a project featuring music written and performed by local LaSalle artist, Christian Vegh who has shared a stage with Robben Ford, Steve Vai and Suzy McNeil and recorded with band members of Elton John, Ringo Starr and David Bowie. On bass was Tony Franklin, an English rock musician known as the “Fretless Monster” (bass guitarist with The Firm, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, David Gilmour, White Snake . . .). On drums was American, Matt Star, currently touring with Mr. Big and who has worked on previous projects with members of KISS, Whitesnake and Guns N’ Roses. He’s played on songs used in movies and TV shows like “The Proposal,” “F/X” and “Sons of Anarchy.” How did Fricker go from his first debut B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

project in 1998, “How to Not Completely Suck in a Recording Studio,” to working with musicians from all over the world? I was amazed at the evolution of his journey and how he embraced technology to stay relevant in his field. Fricker, a media arts graduate from Sheridan College in Toronto didn’t know his first project was an indicator of the road ahead. Fricker started out directing music videos, but soon switched to sound recording during the audio revolution when equipment and pricing made it feasible. “My first home recording used digital waves for audio by megalithic systems, it was one of the first 8 channel interfaces for the PC,” he recalls. Fricker started working on video recordings for local bands from all genres — blues, Celtic, metal, hip-hop . . . In 2009 he had a three month layoff from Chrysler (where he worked full time) and began doing voice-overs for a company making audio books. Using accents helped develop his studio voice, even if it was out of his comfort zone. In 2010, DSLR with video capability came in, making videos affordable, so Fricker offered music video packages. Next, YouTube came along and it was an easy way

to distribute music, as in the past it cost about $3,000 for film. Fricker went to work on a local film next as a cinematographer. “I just wanted to keep diversifying,” he states. However, it didn’t go well. “My blunt honest approach was not appreciated” and Fricker realized he does not “work well with idiots.” He was let go after telling them to “get their crap together and stop wasting his time.” It was at this point when Fricker decided he should “do his own thing” and “be his own boss.” Fricker now had time to resurrect a dormant project, one he started in 1998 in an article, “10 Ways to Get Your Band Ready for The Studio.” He recalls: “I was working with the band Perpetuate at the time so I bounced some ideas off them. I couldn’t believe that 14 years later I was still seeing the same mistakes during recording sessions, so I decided to finish the article. I remember thinking ‘why do this as an article when I can make a video and reach way more people and possibly help someone’.” With his house paid off he figured “I can say what’s on my mind and if it ruins my business, so be it.” Friends warned him his blunt criticisms and harsh opinions would tank his studio, but the lure of “honest reviews and being a wild, unpredictable and uncontrollable consumer watchdog” was too enticing. When friends and companies like Pro Audio responded with “that’s fantastic, do more” he knew he was on to something. Next Fricker was inspired by a blues singer “cupping the mic” in Memphis. Realizing this was a universal problem, he created a video “How to Hold a Microphone.” In 2014, he did a guest spot in “Maniac,” a “Border City Music Project” with Jon Gillies. It premiered at the Capitol Theatre and Fricker had to say one line which was, “I refuse to use auto tune — I’m sick and tired of it and I refuse to use it.”

Just one of many celebrities he has met, Glenn Fricker interviewed Richie Faulkner, guitarist from Judas Priest at the “NAMM” (North American Association of Music Merchants) 2017 trade show in California. Photo courtesy of Glenn Fricker.

This caused the audience to “go nuts.” He knew he was on to something with his “old school” purist outlook and borrowed an Axe-FX II (Digital Amp Simulator) to compare against a traditional tube amp and made “Axe-FX versus the Real Deal” and that’s when momentum began. Fricker started creating videos once a week, mostly gear reviews and common sense studio tips. He decided to not worry about hurting feelings, after all: “This is metal and there is no crying in metal.” In 2015, during another layoff, he increased to three videos a week and thought about Diversifying beyond YouTube. “I went to my first ‘NAMM’ (North American Association of Music Merchants) and learned so much about how the music business works and a lot about diversification” Fricker reveals. “You really can’t make a living with a small channel, you need YouTube ads, sponsorships, merchandise and your own products to sell.” Fricker began to brand himself and develop merchandise on his website: SpectreMedia.ca. His products, known for outrageous and crude sayings include cell phone cases, posters, hats, mugs, hoodies and over 20 shirts. His cab simulations, and courses like

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“Pro Mix Academy,” “Mixing Math Rock” and “Producing Prog (Progressive) Metal” as well as consultations, add to his revenue stream. Personal appearances, fan meet and greets and events in Vegas, L.A., Europe . . . have made him a celebrity who can’t go anywhere without fans snapping selfies and asking for autographs. When he was in Times Square with his wife, Fricker stopped for an autograph, while late for a play. “How can I turn down a fan, he’ll think I’m an idiot,” he expresses. (This is not very Howard Stern-like behaviour, someone he is sometimes compared to.) Fricker’s main revenue comes from ad sponsorships, products he sells, direct sponsors and lessons. One of his mentors, Jamie Hush: a programmer for the NFL, told him to run the numbers. “If you have a video that reaches a 100, and sell one product for every 10,000 views you sold 10 products,” Hush explains. “As your reach grows to a 1,000,000 views and you have a hundred videos selling 10 products — now that becomes significant.” Fricker recommends taking lessons from YouTube great Rob Scallon.

YouTube icon Glenn Fricker –– “Comic-Con” style! Graphic courtesy of Spectre Media Group.

“He gave me a 90 minute crash course on how to make money on YouTube,” Fricker mentions. “Scallon wanted to meet me, but seemed intimidated,” and he admits that his viewers “don’t get deadpan and try to figure out if I’m joking.” His secret is being able to say outrageous things with a straight face. Music gear companies better be ready to hear his blunt opinions, filled with colourful expletives. “I will demo a product if I like it, but a review is always my honest opinion and sometimes harsh,” says Fricker. If he is going to harshly critique gear verbally and literally, Fricker will purchase it. One favourite — “the gear he loves to hate” — is an infamous, affordable beginner’s amp. We won’t write any more, you’ll have to go online and watch the video to see which one he obliterates! Fricker has used sledgehammers and samurai swords to destroy them, even blowing one up in the Nevada desert. In fact there is small remnant of one on his wall above his mixing board. Fricker planned on staying at Chrysler, but too many opportunities are calling. He currently earns 10% on merchandise, 30% on YouTube ads and 20% on direct sponsorship (like DistroKid a music distribution platform).

Another thing that Fricker feels impacted this industry was the decline of kids “playing real instruments” resulting in a decrease of guitar magazine readership and subsequently less ads. Companies are trusting YouTubers with followers to give honest evaluations. Spectre Media’s gear reviews are extremely valuable to musicians; especially young struggling artists who can’t afford to make mistakes when buying gear. “It’s great that on-line shopping has increased selection and decreases price, but you can’t audibly hear a gear review that is in a magazine,” Fricker explains. “However, you can demo exactly what the product can do and what it sounds like in a video.” Some bigger companies are suffering because they haven’t realized this market shift and the change in consumption. Watching Fricker’s videos and hearing the difference in the gear helps musicians find their unique sound and aids in the elusive, never-ending pursuit of the perfect tone. In June of 2015 Fricker uploaded his video called “Stupid Musicians’ Texts” mostly from band members to recording engineers and it blew up. “We used insane voices, sped them up to sound like chipmunks and now we are on our 16th episode,” says Fricker. “I like Penn & Teller and always wanted them to do a show

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on the music industry, so I did my own. The music industry needs a big dose of glaring reality once in a while.” One of his biggest videos reaching almost a million hits “Can you play METAL on a Telecaster?” was covered by Guitar World, Bass Player magazines, Gear Gods and Reddit to name just a few. The biggest impact on Fricker’s success is going to conventions and events like “NAMM” (California and Nashville); “Gear Fest” (Indiana); “Musikmesse” (Germany) and networking. “My first summer at ‘NAMM’ I met Huart and now we have partnered up with common goals,” Fricker reveals. “I attended the “AES” (Audio Engineering Society) convention

Screen shot of a YouTube tutorial with Warren Huart and Glenn Fricker at Spitfire Studio in Hollywood Hills, California.

Glenn Fricker shows off a few of his SWAG products. Photo courtesy of Spectre Media Group.

and a party at Hybrid Studio in Santa Ana after with software developer, Alex Nasla and Huart. Here we laid out our plans to start a new company.” Giving Biz X magazine a first scoop he announces the launch of a new music production and tech company, Lancaster Audio, which will be based in L.A. They are busy developing software, branding their company and releasing their website. They plan on continuing their production master classes with celebrity engineers from all over the globe. If LaSalle artist Christian Vegh survives his internship with Huart, (known to be extremely demanding since he’s used to working with the best of the best) Lancaster Audio will look at bringing him on for the on-line guitar lessons. What’s next for Fricker?

Upcoming shows and projects at Summer “NAMM” (Nashville); “GearFest” (Indiana); “GuitCon” (Germany); “Music China” and possibly Russia. There’s even talk of a reality show. The question is: will it be “old school” on the “Telly” or a cyber-show on the “Tube” where they create, play, mix and master right in front of your eyes? These larger than life talented characters would definitely give us something to talk about.

Merchandise created and sold by Spectre Media Group.

Despite his harsh reputation, it was hard for me as the writer of this story to be intimidated by this big gruff guy when he is being interviewed in enormous puffy Darth Vader slippers. LOL! My thoughts on this YouTube giant — he can be crass, crude and brutally honest, but he loves music, recording, and gear and

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does everything he can to promote our local musicians. Fricker definitely “walks softly” and carries a big “Schtik!” Stay “tuned” or stayed “tubed” to follow this iconic giant’s future path.

Check out these cool videos (at approximately a million and counting views) featuring local Windsor Essex musicians like Christian Vegh, Cameron Fluery, TJ. Dowhaniuk, Jackson Ward, Chris Rafinski, Matt Diamante, Keith Wilkinson, Mike Wisnuk and Brandon Wright. “Can you play METAL on a telecaster?”: YouTube.com/watch?v=BFdQsz1p5m0 Look for Christian Vegh on guitar, Jackson Ward on drums. “Can you play METAL on a Les Paul?”: YouTube.com/watch?v=pu4PoohBXv4 The history of Les Paul from origins to recent near bankruptcy with demos. “Things Musicians NEVER SAY in the studio”: YouTube.com/watch?v=nCvSB0F2grU “It’s A Hard-Knock Life”: YouTube.com/watch?v=YBBpMpJAwjQ GuitCon Collaborative Video with special guest appearance by Fricker.

HAVE A CUP OF JOE WITH JOE

Do You “Desire” A Little U2? By Joe McParland

f you are like the millions of worldwide U2 fans — and you are a person who seeks ways to help your fellow man and like “win-win” opportunities — then I have an announcement for you. The fifth annual “We Will Rock Blue” concert (see: WeWillRockBlue.com) features Desire — International U2 Tribute (U2TributeDesire.com) at the Chrysler Theatre, downtown Windsor. The Saturday, June 16, 2018 concert is a benefit for local homegrown organization, Roots 2 Wings. (Roots2Wings.ca) Once again, Biz X magazine is proud to be the presenting sponsor of this show as it continues to assist Windsor Essex residents and businesses wherever it can. Other sponsors involved include: Above & Beyond Massage Clinic; The Electromac Group; AM800; YourTV; Hampton Inn & Suites, Hogarth Hermiston Severs, St. Clair College Alumni Association, Windsor Mold Group; CTV and Suzor Family Law and Mediation. The concert is put together by Scott Rawlings, a native Windsorite and perhaps one of the area’s best-kept secrets when it comes to entertainment personalities. He is the Owner of Magic Enterprises Productions (MagicEntProd.com) and has performed across North America for the past 20 years. Rawlings produces shows for casinos, festivals, fairs, amusement parks, cruise lines, resorts, trade shows and a number of other varied venues. He is a professional magician whose interest in magic goes back to his early years. Rawlings tells us it all began for him “with our close family friendship with Bob McNea,

In October 2015 over 1,000 people saw The Fab Four, a Beatles tribute band from Toronto perform at the “We Will Rock Blue” concert. Scott Rawlings (middle), President of Magic Enterprises Productions and event organizer is shown here with the band from left: John Turfryer (Ringo), John A. MacDonald (John), Rawlings, Mark Harrison (Paul) and Tom Walsh (George). Photo by Rod Denis.

who in these parts was better known as Bozo the Clown, and later, Oopsy the Clown.” He is also an inventor of magic with his signature illusion “the Decapitator.” As well he proudly points to internationally renowned magician, Jason Byrne, as his “star” student. Rawlings generously assists not-for-profit organizations in their fundraising efforts. Five years ago he started “We Will Rock Blue” (he coined the title), the annual tribute concert to support Roots 2 Wings, a local Windsor organization since 2013. Their mission is “to provide youth and young adults living with a disability the opportunities to grow and develop skills to enhance their independence, social skills, and quality of life.” The concert series title, “We Will Rock Blue,” references the colour frequently associated with autism, depression, and other mental health issues. Over the past five years, Essex County residents have been treated to amazing

performances paying tribute to some of the greatest musical groups and performers of our time: Queen, The Beatles, Elton John, ABBA and now, U2. I have been honoured to co-emcee the shows for the past two years — and this year’s too with AM800’s, Kara Ro. The Elton John and ABBA tribute concerts were sellouts and absolutely thrilled the crowds. Not only do these performers sound like the “real thing,” their stage presentation closely replicates the originals in terms of costume, staging, lighting, body movements, gestures and language. It is difficult at times to believe they are not the originals! Desire — International U2 Tribute promises more of the same. The group hails from the Hamilton-Toronto area. Bill McDowell, Music Producer and Founder of Chazon Management, in the Toronto area, offers his review of Desire: “in my humble opinion, there are times watching you perform when I swear you are better than the boys from the Emerald Isle. No disrespect to U2, but it is true. I cannot wait to see your show again. Incredible. You are all to be congratulated on such an amazing show!” This year’s “We Will Rock Blue” is expected to be another sellout, so get your tickets now at the Chrysler Theatre box office or online. To quote words from famous U2 songs, “With Or Without You” this show will be “Even Better Than The Real Thing” and you will have a “Beautiful Day” if you attend. And I promise that you will come away from this U2 tribute show thinking “I can’t believe it’s not Bono (U2’s iconic front man)!”

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By Dave Hall Photos by Rod Denis

For A Century And Counting, Our Region Is SOLD On The Windsor-Essex County Association of REALTORS!

elebrating 100 years of representing the interests of real estate agents, brokers, brokerages and their clients across the region, the Windsor-Essex County Association of REALTORS (WECAR) is focusing its efforts this year on thanking area residents for supporting their local agents. A year-long advertising campaign on billboards, in print and broadcast media, as well as on Transit Windsor buses, will be highlighted by a free client appreciation day May 26 at the Ciociaro Club from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Krista Gionet, Executive Officer of WECAR, explains the event is designed to show the association’s appreciation for their customers’ support over the past century. “It’s also being held to thank our 972 members and 56 associate members for their work and support of our industry,” says Gionet, who has been with WECAR for 29 years. The association was formed by 25 realtors in 1918 as the Border Cities Real Estate Board to provide support and training for its members and provide information about the industry to its clients. It’s now the oldest real estate board in Ontario and the second oldest in Canada with more than 60 member firms generating

Photographed at a special press conference in April to announce WECAR’s past charity contributions, 100 year anniversary celebrations and special community events over the next few months, from left are: Greg Goulin from the Windsor Residence for Young Men; Jeewen Gill, Broker of Record, National Realty Exchange Corp.; Ron Foster representing the Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation and Krista Gionet, CAE, CRAE, Executive Officer, WECAR.

almost a $1 billion dollars in annual sales compared to just $40,650 in sales in 1945. In 1971, the Windsor Real Estate Board and the South Essex Real Estate Board amalgamated to become the Windsor-Essex County Real Estate Board and it assumed its current name in 2012. WECAR provides support services to its

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members, including training, workshops, data input, listings services and lobbying efforts on behalf of its members at meetings of both the Ontario Real Estate Association and the Canadian Real Estate Association. “The association provides essential services to our members and also helps pull us all together for charitable fundraising

efforts,” explains Kelly Schroth, Broker of Record and Sales Manager at Deerbrook Realty Inc. Brokerage. “Many of us have our own charitable causes, but it’s always great to get together as a group and make a difference.” At a recent press conference (see accompanying photos) outlining its celebrations for the year, WECAR announced a $5,000 contribution to victims’ families and the community of Humboldt, Sask. in the wake of April’s bus and tractortrailer accident, which, at press time, had claimed the lives of 16 people, including 10 Broncos’ hockey players. According to Daniel Hofgartner, President of WECAR and a Broker with Buckingham Realty, WECAR supports area hospitals, children’s educational programs, the University of Windsor’s medical school and area blood drives, among many other initiatives. Gionet adds that WECAR contributes between $50,000 and $75,000 to charitable groups every year and individual agents and brokers add to this total with their own yearlong fundraising campaigns. “We support any number of different

This year’s Board Members for the Windsor-Essex County Association of REALTORS from left are: Elica Berry, Salesperson, RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd., Brokerage and WECAR Director; Krista Gionet; Maggie Chen, Broker of Record, LC Platinum Realty Inc. and WECAR Director; Daniel Hofgartner, Broker, Buckingham Realty (Windsor) Ltd. Brokerage and WECAR President; Lorraine Clark, Salesperson, Deerbrook Realty Inc. Brokerage and WECAR Director; Tina Roy, Broker, RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd., Brokerage and WECAR President-Elect and Jeewen Gill.

groups and our celebration this year is also aimed at raising the profile of real estate agents in the community and showcasing the work they do in

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support of charitable causes,” she says. The association continues to fund an initiative designed to attract active retirees from across Canada to relocate to the Essex

County area through a 100-mile peninsula branding campaign. It was originally funded as a joint effort by the City of Windsor, the County of Essex, the Windsor Essex Home Builders’ Association, and the WindsorEssex Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We believe it has been a success and in our view you don’t quit when it’s going well,” Gionet stresses. “So, we have decided to continue running the campaign in the hopes it will continue to bear fruit.” In the six years since the campaign was launched, hundreds of active retirees and their families have moved to the Windsor area to take advantage of the climate, lakefront living, low cost of living, affordable housing, proximity to Detroit’s entertainment and sports teams, as well as golf courses and boating opportunities. “It worked very well when the local economy was in recession and there seems little reason to stop now when you have some momentum,” states Gionet. She mentions that while the local real estate market has been hot for the past year or so with many properties selling well-above asking price as a result of bidding wars, it can still be a challenge for REALTORS, many of whom work part-time. Gionet and Hofgartner also comment that while clients largely see just the results of work by their agents when properties are sold, real estate agents are engaged in a high-risk financial industry. “A listing doesn’t represent a sale,” remarks Hofgartner. “There is no upfront money. Finding a buyer could take months and if the sale falls through, we never recover our costs.” Gionet adds, “It can be a slow climb to success for our agents and brokers, many of whom work part-time while holding down other jobs.” Long time WECAR member and

Also on hand for the anniversary announcements from left: Steve Mustac, Broker of Record, Manor Windsor Realty Ltd.-Brokerage; Frank Binder, Broker of Record, Royal LePage Binder Real Estate, Brokerage; Bob Pedler, Broker, Bob Pedler Real Estate Limited-Brokerage; Ron Foster, Windsor Regional Hospital Foundation and Daniel Hofgartner.

former President Frank Binder of Royal Lepage Binder Real Estate believes the association’s work is invaluable to its members by posting listings in a central spot and establishing rules by which the industry governs itself. “Essentially the association acts as a co-operative and works with similar associations across Canada, which allows our clients and members to access Canadawide listings through a multiple listing service,” says Binder who has been an association member since 1975. “We pay a monthly fee to access all the service offered by the association.” Schroth is looking forward to the client appreciation day and sees it as an opportunity to catch up with fellow agents despite the competitive nature of their industry.

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“We’re all friendly rivals in the same business so it’s great when we can all get together in a non-competitive setting and talk about anything and everything, not just the business,” says Schroth. May’s free appreciation day includes a bouncy castle, clowns, cotton candy, hot dogs and a band, during the five hour party. In addition to hosting the party, WECAR distributed 100,000 magazines earlier this month extolling the virtues of the association giving information to clients across the region. WECAR representatives are also planning to attend various fairs and festivals throughout the year to raise the association’s profile. For more information about WECAR, visit: WindsorRealEstate.com.

GENERATION YKNOT

Millennials Are Moving The Needle On The Real Estate Market By Paul Germanese The YQG real estate market is a fast moving target these days and millennials are responding with sophistication and technology that allows them to pounce quickly and from afar. New technology is becoming a factor with the fast growing segment of out-of-towners eyeing Windsor’s real estate, as well as the growing number of millennials and professionals looking to come home from big cities and boom towns across Canada. As an agent working with property hunters hundreds, or sometimes thousands, of kilometres away we have to be on our “A” game. Video tours, electronic signing, preinspections, and third-party showings have become the norm. Some agents send their cross-border clients’ virtual reality kits so they can “walk through” the property as if they were there.

Technology is key in marketing to millennials who use social media platforms.

For millennials already on-site and actively house hunting, they learn quickly how to navigate a sizzling market where multiple offers and bidding wars are standard, and where properties don’t stay on the market for very long. They learn to tilt the process to their

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advantage — starting with the understanding that the goal is to write offers and stay patient. It often takes a few offers to truly get a sense of how the market operates and what strategies land that successful close and Instagram-ready front-yard handshake. For those listing their property, it’s all about maxing out value and presenting listings to the market at a fair price and in a professional manner. And again, technology plays a key role in marketing to millennials who use social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Technology and sophistication aside, certain time tested advice still rings true today. For millennials who are buying their first home my advice as always is — be patient and get your first purchase right. Your first purchase is not only a milestone and a memory that you will cherish, but it has the potential to set the tone for future real estate purchases while serving as a springboard for your next one. Paul Germanese is the top producing agent at Royal Lepage Binder Real Estate. He is the recipient of the “top 35 under 35” (2016) and “ top 200 agents” in Canada (REP Magazine) 2016, 2017. He is also a member of YKNOT Windsor-Essex. (Facebook.com/yknotwe)

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Pardon The Interruption, Perhaps It’s Time To Consider Sky-Vu Solutions By Dave Halliday

ypically you enjoy watching the hockey playoffs outside, but this year the weather just isn’t co-operating. You’re all set in your usual spot on the back deck. Beverages are within an arm’s reach in the cooler. Snacks are strategically positioned on the small table to your left and your lucky jersey hangs over the back of your chair awaiting the drop of the puck. Your wife rightly thinks you’re nuts, but it has become your playoff routine. Whether it is superstition or just a strange habit, you’re fine with whatever she thinks as long as your team wins! This year is a particularly significant one as your team seems to really have a chance to go all the way. The anthems are over. The warm up skate is complete. The puck drops! You pull the lucky jersey over your head and open your first beverage. All seems in order until the first clouds appear. The rain intensifies and despite the canopy overhead keeping you dry, the satellite signal drops and you’re left wondering if they scored on that last power play. Perhaps it’s time to look at other alternatives. We at Biz X were able to sit and discuss some of the web-based options for home entertainment with Shawn Jaffri, Owner/Operator of Sky-Vu Solutions (SkyVuSolutions.com), 11865 Tecumseh Road East in Tecumseh. Sky-Vu has been assisting the residents of Essex County for the past 14 years. Obviously there is more to web-based entertainment than being able to watch the game, but what are the other advantages?

“We all know how expensive it can be to go to the cinema to watch the latest movies, particularly if there is a group of you going,” notes Jaffri. “Thanks to streaming and high speed broadband, you can now sit at home and enjoy access to a vast array of movies as well as TV shows for a subscription fee.”

Android TV gives you more access to more movies, television shows, live events and live sports . . . so which one of you will control the remote? Photo credit: © Can Stock Photo/HaywireMedia

Beyond movies and television shows are there other capabilities? “There is no longer any need to go to arcades or casinos to enjoy gaming,” believes Jaffri. “Thanks to high speed broadband, a range of online gaming sites, and excellent gaming consoles, all sorts of games can now be enjoyed at home.” Can you describe the advantages of a streaming device? “The main advantage is accessibility,” he indicates. “Where there is Internet, there is now television. They are an easy plug-and-play device. The only installation needed is to connect to the Internet like they would a mobile phone.”

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What can you tell us about Android Boxes? “Android TV has been specifically designed for the bigger screen televisions we now employ,” Jaffri points out and adds, “Android has a dedicated interface, remote support, specifically designated Play Store, and all the other goodies you’d expect from a streaming set-top box.” What other aspects of our lives can be enhanced via streaming technology? “With the wide variety of music sites and apps that are now available, people pay for and download their own tunes and create their own playlists rather than just buying CDs,” states Jaffri. “What’s more, you can benefit from a wide range of musical genres so no matter what type of music you are into you will find plenty that is perfectly suited to your tastes.” Your home has now become a state of the art haven of entertainment and convenience! You jump from playlist to playlist by voice command. You have access to more movies, television shows, live events, and live sports than ever before and it is available on all of your devices. You have all this amazing technology within the comfort of your own home and yet when the playoffs roll around each year you still set yourself up outback on the deck to watch the games. The advancements in home entertainment that have spawned from Internet based technology is truly amazing . . . unfortunately they haven’t been able to develop an effective technology to assist the superstitious sports fan!

HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT The 13th Annual “WESPY Awards”

March 20, 2018 at the Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue, Windsor. Photos by Rod Denis. All people in photos listed from the left.

1. Domenic Papa, Owner/Founder of the “WESPY (Windsor/Essex Sports Persons of the Year) Awards” and CEO of WE-TV was thrilled to introduce his special guest star, Romanian-born former gymnast and a fivetime Olympic gold medalist, Nadia Comăneci, as the 2018 Keynote Speaker. Comăneci was the first gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10.0 at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal and then, at the same games she received six more perfect scores, as well as, winning three gold medals. She won two more gold medals and attained two more perfect 10s at the Games in Moscow. She is now a motivational speaker who encourages young people to expand their horizons and skills. 2. Charlie Hotham, Owner of Hotham Building Materials Ltd. (co-sponsor of the evening) was instrumental in getting other companies and organizations to sponsor this year’s WESPY Awards. He is photographed with his friends and family: wife Gail Hotham, a Teacher with the Windsor Essex County Catholic District School Board; daughter, Andrea Hotham, a Sales Consultant with Tribal Printing; Madelyn Stannard; Robert Gilboe; Kristi Gilboe Stannard, Constable, Windsor Police Services; Andrew Stannard, FCA Canada Manager and Mike Stannard, CEO of Tribal Printing.

3 5. Eddie Chittaro earned the Unifor Local 444 & 2458 “Male Legacy Award.”

3. Softball pitcher, Amanda Simke of the Windsor Lancers Softball Team was the 2018 Mickey Renaud “Captain’s Leadership Award” winner presented by the W.M.H.A./ Windsor AAA Zone.

(photos found on the next page) 6. The “Athlete of The Year” winners hold their awards proudly: Andrew Garant, Windsor Clippers Lacrosse (not present but award accepted by his father, Barry); Karlie Moore, Sandwich S.S./Border City Athletics Club and Lionel Sanders, Triathlete/ Ironman Competitor presented by Canadian Executive Search Group, University of Windsor and Canadian Executive Search Group respectively.

4. Bob Daragon, 1978 Montreal Expos baseball prospect, won the “Courage and Determination Award” presented by McTague Law Firm. Sadly, Daragon has recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

7. “Team of the Year” went to the Holy Names High School football team represented by: Anthony Gharib, player; Dan Hogan, Coach; Rob McIntyre, Coach; Michael Herzog, player and Dan Bishop, Coach B IZ X M A G A Z IN E • M A Y 2 0 1 8

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HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT The 13th Annual “WESPY Awards” continues March 20, 2018 at the Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Avenue, Windsor. Photos by Rod Denis. All people in photos listed from the left.

(6 & 7 captions found on the previous page) 8. (photos next page) Knobby Knudsen “Volunteer of the Year Award” winners were Jim Morgan, Windsor Clippers; Melanie Cardinal, Sandwich S.S. and Egidio Mosca, Caboto Club Soccer presented by Hogan’s Printing/Dugout. 9. John Savage (right) of the Memorial Cup Committee/Windsor Spitfires is congratulated

by Scott Martindale, General Manager of Martindale Windows & Doors for earning the “Ken Dryden Executive of the Year Award.” 10. The “Female Legacy Award” went to Marilyn Holland who is shown being congratulated by a few of this year’s WESPY sponsors: Jim Lucier, Lucier Glove & Safety Products; Brad Hearn, The Fort Fun Centre;

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Marilyn Holland, Skate Canada Professional Coach; Charlie Hotham, Hotham Building Materials and Dan Reiner, Reiner’s Guaranteed Collision Centres. 11. The Female and Male “Swimmers Awards” went to Maddie McDonald, Windsor Aquatic Club/Walkerville S.S. and Ethan Fazekas, Windsor Aquatic Club.

For a complete list of all recipients honoured at the 2018 “WESPY Awards” please visit: TheWespys.ca

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THIS ISSUE FEATURES . . .

FOR THOUGHT

The Cheese Bar 214 Dubois Avenue, Emeryville, ON By David Clark

millennial on the move, Sarah Barrette, Owner/Operator of The Cheese Bar in friendly Emeryville, is well-travelled with her products in tow and a marketplace back at the shop for all to investigate. Since May 29, 2015, cheese and everything that goes with it awaits you at The Cheese Bar. Barrette and her sister Rebecca Radu attend to this cozy and well-stocked store, preparing for your arrival. You will appreciate the woodsy and rustic look — a small but industrious shop. At the helm, “I prepared myself for this endeavour with many years of travelling and exposure to different types of gourmet foods around the world, having widened my perspective to new and different food products,” says Barrette. Also, she has 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry to look back on.

Wildly colourful cheese platters are born at The Cheese Bar. Photo courtesy of Sarah Barrette.

Due to the huge selection of cheese available at The Cheese Bar, Biz X will now point out a few of the customer and staff favourites.

Cheese heaven and all the accessories are displayed by The Cheese Bar Owner Sarah Barrette. Photo by David Clark

The vote is in and the customers favour: Brigid’s Brie, Hot Chili Havarti, Wild Nettle Gouda, Cow’s Extra Old Cheddar and Celtic Blue reserve. The staff picks include Becky’s choice, the Waltzing Matilda by Monforte with Spiked Apricot Preserve on a Kii cracker. With the shop owner partial to the fresh chevre from River’s Edge Goat Dairy with Zone 6’s Beet Chutney on a Rosemary and Parmesan Stonewall cracker. According to Barrette, “The prices range from $4 to $12/100g from some of our local Brie to imported Pecorino infused with Black Truffles.” Of course, you will always find a wide selection of Aged Cheddar, Havarti, Brie

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and other common choices at the store. Regarding related products, “We pride ourselves in being the only store that carries both sheep and goat milk yogurt with only two ingredients, Barrette expresses. “Pasteurized milk and live cultures, ideal for the stomach.” The Cheese Bar also carries small batch Gelato and Vegan Sorbet. Natural and fresh sheep and goat milk are in the house. A favourite choice for many is the Cow’s brand butter from P.E.I. Plus you can explore a modest selection of accessories including cheese products, crackers, meats and spreads — it is a Speciality Grocery Store. Additionally, gable (starting at $15) and gift boxes

(ranging from $28 to $125) are handcrafted on site. Cheese and Charcuterie platters are aesthetically pleasing, created to your specifications and come in small to extra large sizes.

A box full of essentials including Maple Cheddar and candied Wild Smoked Salmon. Photo courtesy of Melissa Lenarduzzi.

Gift sets are also here and range from $50 to $250. The perfect companion for your cheese is the selection of cured meat including Kielbasa and mild pepperettes. A true multifunctional business, “We also do in-house privately tutored tastings,” adds Barrette. “This is an opportunity for The Cheese Bar to come to you!” Check availability for next season and keep in mind there are Pop-Up Cheese Bars for weddings, anniversaries, receptions and other special events. As Barrette explains, “Pop Ups are a bar height stand with all you can eat including three to four types of cheese, local comb honey and chocolate, fresh baguette and crackers, mildly smoked sausage and olives.” Many other businesses in the area also carry The Cheese Bar cheeses on a regular basis including: Robbie’s Gourmet Sausage Co., CREW Winery, Frank Brewing Co., Good Neighbour, Little Foot Foods and a few others. In addition, you can find The Cheese Bar at several festivals this year, such as the “Willistead Night Market” and the “Downtown Windsor Farmer’s Market.” “In the very near future we are looking to open a storefront where we will offer a fully stocked display counter of Ontario, Quebec and other Canadian cheese, along with a small imported section,” Barrette states. “The Cheese Bar will be hosting tastings, workshops and small cheese platters to enjoy with wine or a beer in a courtyard strung with lights and chill tunes.” More information on The Cheese Bar products and services can be found on their website: TheCheeseBar.ca.

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“40 Leaders Under 40” Awards Presented By Leadership Windsor/Essex

HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT March 28, 2018 at Caesars Windsor Augustus Ballroom, 377 Riverside Dr. East, Windsor Photos by Rod Denis. All people in photos listed from the left.

1. The “40 Leaders Under 40” committee responsible for this outstanding awards ceremony was composed of respected and experienced individuals from across the Windsor/Essex County area. Like their award recipients, they are leaders in their industries, professions and communities. Committee members included: Lorraine Goddard, CEO, United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County; Barry Horrobin, Tish Glenn, Eric Griggs, Helga Reidel, Matt Brannagan, Lori Atkinson and Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh, Director of Leadership Windsor/Essex (LWE). To learn more about LWE visit: LeadershipWindsor-Essex.org. 2. The “40 Leaders Under 40” Awards identifies outstanding young achievers in Canadian business, visionaries and innovators who are changing the way things are done. They are inspiring others and already giving back to their communities in meaningful ways. And every one of them is under the age of 40! Our first batch of winners were: Andrew Dowie, David Burman, Dr. Irek Kusmierczyk, Adam Castle, Danielle Tartaro, Award Sponsor Lori Atkinson of Libro Credit Union; Andrew Banar, Cessidia De Biasio, Sherrilynn ColleyVegh, LWE Director; Celesta Gaba and Austin Roth. (missing from photo: Alison Hunter).

3. Continuing with “40 Leaders Under 40” recipients we have: Natasha E. Feghali, Michael Cholubko, Nour HachemFawaz, Natalie Packer, Myla Picco, Remy Allison, Michael Bennett, Naomi Ruth Levitz, Dr. Maxwell Abraham, Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh, LWE Director; Paul Dufour and Award Sponsor, Nicole Howick of Caesars Windsor.

4. In November and December 2017, the community submitted over 150 nominations and from this list of outstanding individuals, the top 40 award recipients were selected by a selection panel representative of the public, private, and non-profit sectors in Windsor and Essex County. More of the “40 Leaders Under 40” were pictured here in our third group: Jeremy Bracken, Jonathon Azzopardi, Kiera Royle, Lina-Marie Mastronardi, Lorraine Oloya, Kara Picco, Jada Malott, Jayce Carver, Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh, LWE Director; Marcus Deans, Katharen Bortolin and Awards Sponsor, Jhoan Baluyot, Caesars Windsor. 5. Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh, LWE Director posed with our final group of “40 Leaders Under 40”: Ryan Lemay, Dr. Vincent

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SHOTS

To see the bios of all “40 Leaders Under 40” recipients go to: BizXmagazine.com in the “Back Issues” section and view the March 2018 edition.

Georgie, Yvonne Pilon, Sarah Mushtaq, Sarah Morris, Zain Ismail, Sara Grace Donally, Award Sponsor, Dan Gemus of Dan Gemus Real Estate Team Ltd., Brokerage; Wes Langlois, Sarah Lewis and Sierra Parr. 6. Libro Credit Union, the largest credit union in southwestern Ontario with 31 branches in 25 communities was another valued sponsor of the evening. Their co-operative values, commitment to investing in the community and their passionate staff members such as — Carolyn Vsetula, Nika Laurin, Lori Atkinson, Audrey Pillon, Jeremy Kreskey and Helena Adzic — are the keys to their success. 7. Jennifer O’Neil, Elaine Genyn, Michael Slipchuk, Kathy Drouillard and Tanya Jazic attended the awards ceremony to reinforce the dedication their employer, Scotia Bank has to the local community. Through sponsorships, supporting events and programs that have a meaningful and measurable impact, Scotia Bank

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“40 Leaders Under 40” Awards Presented By Leadership Windsor/Essex continues

HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT March 28, 2018 at Caesars Windsor Augustus Ballroom, 377 Riverside Dr. East, Windsor Photos by Rod Denis. All people in photos listed from the left.

employees are pleased to donate, volunteer and attend as many events as possible that are happening in the region.

Andrea Payne, Michael Brooks, Eric Griggs, Christopher Baleck, Karen Stopford, Sarah MacDonald, Ana Kleer and Amir Rafih.

8. Events such as these are generously sponsored by many community organizations including TD Canada Trust which was represented by: Lisa Koscic,

9. The University of Windsor Alumni were also on hand to support the “40 Leaders Under 40.” Many university students go on to accomplish great things in the

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community, country and the world. Nicole Broderick, Beth Okley, Celso Oliveira, Patti Lauzon, Jean Wright, Bill Wright, Sue Williams, Diane Rawlings, Katherine Simon, Clara Howitt and Rob Janisse wanted to make sure all in attendance knew the important role the university plays in shaping our future leaders.

TAKE THE LEAD

Leading Young Entrepreneurs By Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh

lex Brown — the “digital nomad” — is a Canadian born entrepreneur who has built several companies near Los Angeles, California. He has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, INC., BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, Ad Age, Adweek and more as a thought leader. We were fortunate to have him as the keynote speaker at Leadership Windsor/ Essex’s “40 Leaders Under 40” Awards. Brown received a business degree at Laurentian University and when a job did not materialize he volunteered to gain experience. He followed his dad into construction opening his own stone work business and later joined a pharmaceutical company working on licensing deals. Although he gained a lot of experience working with CEOs and V.P.s, he wanted more. One of Brown’s first start-ups was a wearables’ product that taught him crowd funding, branding and marketing. He used this experience to launch “Cool Box” which finished with a $500k crowd funding campaign and an appearance by his co-founder Chris Stoikos on “Shark Tank,” resulting in a licensing partnership with Kevin Harrington. With the vast experience from this project they started up the Dollar Beard Co. earning $10 million in revenue their first year, garnishing 200 million video views and shipping 1.7 million boxes in two and a half years. Their success was the branding of a lifestyle, not just a product. Customers bought into the whole package — clean healthy living with cool “doing it my way” statement beards. This resulted in posts from

Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh, Director of Leadership Windsor/ Essex and Biz X “Take The Lead” Columnist poses with Alex Brown of The Beard Club at the “40 Leaders Under 40” Awards event in late March. Photo by Rod Denis.

influencers, Reddit and other viral press. This success was not without complications as growth skyrocketed so fast they couldn’t fill orders and demand crashed their website. The Beard Club (revised name) created a lasting brand affinity, a sort of “brotherhood of the beards” where customers felt like a part of a club, some even getting Beard Club logo tattoos. When growth stalled they improved company products examining staffing, marketing, delivery, videos and web content. They focused on getting to know their customers and identifying super fans and why they buy their products. Examining satisfaction and retention they built relationships by “adding value to the buying experience.” At the height of his success Brown dealt with the devastating loss of his father. “It was a defining moment in my life” he reveals, “my only thoughts were — how can I make him proud.” He realized money wasn’t fulfilling him and he wanted more purpose. Brown went back to writing, blogging and

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start-up support. He even developed a course to guide acquisition, brand identifying, marketing, product development, margins, up-selling, influencers, raising capital, defining your vision . . . Brown is now the Founder and CEO of Subscription Hacks, an educational and media platform teaching entrepreneurs how to build and grow an epic subscription e-commerce business. He is also a keynote speaker and writer, sharing insights on leadership, mentoring, marketing, and how to create true value for customers. His belief that “it’s important for business leaders to be vulnerable” is evident in his statement about “learning more from his failures than his successes.” This approach resonates with emerging entrepreneurs as they see his character and why he believes “being humble is a key trait of a great leader.” Two sections of his keynote stood out to me — “Never forget the power you have to change one person’s life” and the ending with his father’s favourite toast: “Remember yesterday, dream about tomorrow and live for today.” Despite his success Brown is one of the nicest, most unpretentious leaders I have met, genuinely humble and willing to help others. He said he was “truly inspired by our 40 Leaders.” My most memorable part of his two day visit, when said he said would love to be mentored by me, a humbling honour indeed. Sherrilynn Colley-Vegh is the Director of Leadership Windsor/Essex at United Way (LeadershipWindsor-Essex.org). She is a former Principal and Chief Communications Officer for the Catholic School Board with over 30 years of experience as an educator, administrator, and community leader. She’s also an entrepreneur, owning a number of successful businesses over the years, allowing her to sharpen her business management skills in areas such as marketing, sales and social media. If you know a leader in the community to profile here, please email: Sherrilynn@BizXmagazine.com.

portfolio corner

Dear Mom & Dad Part 5 By Steven Mayo

Dear mom and dad, I can’t afford you! Parents want to be generous with their children but there is a reality that I’m exposed to each year, either personally or through clients’ experiences. The reality is that people are living longer, and that cost of living is increasing. In my personal experience, my Dad lived to age 90, and my Mom to age 84. They both required retirement home and nursing home care. Thankfully their assets could support their needs and they were not dependent on their children financially for their care. In addition, when they became unable it was our responsibility to handle their finances and personal care decisions using Power of Attorney documents. Children do need to “step up “ when the time comes. When your parents need additional care, you can only hope the nest egg that has been

saved will last them 10+ years, from age 80 to 90+, depending on their circumstances, when expenses can be their highest. A real life example: $4,400/month Retirement Home; $500/month Enhanced Care in the Retirement Home and $1,200/ month Additional Home Care Services (approx. 12 hours/week). I’m sure you can do the math. To live in a nice retirement home costs money. To have the finances available requires planning over a long period of time. As a result, I remind my clients to consider these possibilities before they give money to their children in their early retirement years. Will the funds remaining be able to support them in an environment they are accustomed to, should they require more care for longer? The alternative is not appealing. It’s a shame we have to think this much.

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In the “old” days, people made it to ages 68, 72, or maybe 80, and then passed away after a brief illness. With the advances in medicine comes longer life expectancies, longer than we may have intended. Enjoy your family and plan for age 90+! This month’s article is in honour of my oldest client, Edyth, who just passed away at age 105, and her very caring and wonderful son Peter. In closing, consider this quote by the late Stephen Hawking: “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” Steven Mayo is a Vice President, 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.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

PROFILING LOCAL BUSINESSWOMEN Story And Photo By Rebecca Wright

VICTORIA RUBIO

The Best Things In Life Come With A Little Coaching

ictoria Rubio feels she was born to help people transform their lives for the better. “Growing up, I saw so many people with amazing potential surrender to living a life of pain because they felt obligated to,” says Rubio, Owner of Live Your Best Life With Victoria. She recalls listening to people talk about their dreams and aspirations and loved seeing how quickly they would fill with passion and excitement. “I wanted to find a way to help people remain in their happy place, and not just imagine it or dream about it,” she expresses. Rubio describes herself as a “life transformation coach and success strategist,” and loves being able to help people become the best version of themselves they ever imagined. Through her business, she’s able to guide clients to heal themselves mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually so they can fulfill their purpose and live out the rest of their lives in a state of perpetual happiness and prosperity. Live Your Best Life With Victoria (see her website: VictoriaRubio.com) provides a plethora of life-changing and success building services, including: one-on-one coaching services, group coaching, online courses, self-paced programs, motivational speaking, workshops, retreats, online community and resources. She also custom designs programs on specific topics for clients. Rubio began her home-based business in February 2018 and has local, national and international clients. She believes what separates her from other life coaches is the versatility and resilience her personal life experiences have brought her.

Victoria Rubio works remotely as a life coach, which has allowed her to take on clients from all over the world.

“Although I have many professional credentials that qualify me as an excellent coach, it is the tough life transitions that I have persevered through that have given me the understanding, patience, and empathetic approach I utilize and implement in my practice today,” states Rubio. Growing up in an alcoholic home, witnessing her mother deal with domestic abuse, dealing with mentally, emotionally, physically abusive partners and living in severe poverty are some of the challenges she’s overcome in her personal life — things that have made her stronger in the end, and more able to relate to the clients she helps. “I never allowed any situation to be impossible to overcome,” describes Rubio. “Instead, I utilized these situations as my

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motivation to change my mindset and became a successful, strong, secure, confident visionary, and inspiring businesswoman.” Rubio’s biggest passion is to bring restoration, healing, and happiness to people who are dealing with a stressful life transition. “I help women empower themselves and align with their deeper purpose to transform any situation — no matter how dire it may appear — to a positive, fulfilling, growthinducing one, that literally catapults them toward manifesting the love, life, and success they have only dreamed of,” she explains. The single mother of six feels women are looked at with more of a judgemental eye when they veer off into entrepreneurship because it is not the norm. “Juggling home and business can be challenging at time, but doing what I love and keeping my mind focused on my goals keeps me motivated,” says Rubio, who is also a social worker and has worked in the social service industry for more than 15 years as Program Coordinator for women, children and families for various organizations in the city. If you are committed to putting in the work and want positive change in your life but you don’t know how to go about it, Rubio vows to guide and support you until you do. “My coaching programs and services are designed to deliver life-changing results,” Rubio claims. “Anyone serious about experiencing love, peace, happiness, true and lasting abundance and success in their personal and professional life will absolutely benefit from my services.”

XX FILES

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber AWARDS Of Commerce 28th Annual SPOTLIGHT “Business Excellence Awards” Recipients The recipients of the 28th annual “Business Excellence Awards” (BEA) — presented by the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and Windsor Star — were announced at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts on April 11, 2018. These awards recognize professional individuals and companies who have set high standards and demonstrated outstanding achievements that have contributed to the prosperity and business development in Windsor and Essex County. To find out more on the BEAs and the Chamber see their website: WindsorEssexChamber.org.

“Mid-Size Company of the Year”: Baron Championship Rings with recipients Drina Baron-Zinyk (Owners) and Peter Kanis (right) and Award Sponsor RBC Royal Bank representative Irfran Daya, Regional V.P. , Windsor Kent County RBC.

“Believe Windsor Essex Award”: Michael Schlater (right), CEO, Domino’s Pizza of Canada pictured with Award Sponsor Windsor Family Credit Union (WFCU) representative, David Woodfull, V.P. Commercial Services.

PRESENTING THE 2018 BEA WINNERS

“New Business of the Year Award”: Wolfhead Distillery Inc. represented by Co-owners Larry Girard and Sue Manherz (right) with Award Sponsor EPICentre (represented by Wen Teoh, Venture Start Director) and the University of Windsor.

“Large Company of the Year”: Aphria represented by CEO Vic Neufeld (right) who is shown with Award Sponsor Jimmy Wong, Senior Relationship Manager of Business Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal.

“Small Company of the Year”: Forest Glade Tecumseh Veterinary Professional Corporation represented from left by: Ken MacKenzie, Shanna Perry and Theresa deGelder who pose with Award Sponsor Brian Parent, President and Managing Director of Families First.

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The “ATHENA Award” was given to Patricia Soulliere (left), President/CEO, Soulliere Financial photographed with Award Sponsor Lena DeMarco, Regional Director of Community Affairs for Bell.

“Innovation Award”: Inspire HUB Technologies Inc. represented by Founder Karolyn Hart who is shown with Award Sponsor Sean Collier, District Manager Windsor/Chatham for Union Gas.

“Tourism & Hospitality Award”: The Iron Kettle Bed and Breakfast. Sponsored by Caesars Windsor and OLG, their representative Gordon Orr (left), CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island congratulated Owners Ginette Tremblay and her husband, Benjamin Leblanc-Beaudoin.

Photos By Rod Denis “Pillars of our Community Award”: Transition to Betterness (T2B). Award Sponsor Motor City Community Credit Union CEO Charles Janisse (left), congratulated T2B team members: Linda Santos, Office Manager; Amber Hunter, Executive Director and Fo Abiad, Board Member.

“Young Professional of the Year”: Dr. Abby Jakob (right), Optometrist/Owner of EYES Optometry. Lori Atkinson, Regional Manager Essex/Kent Libro Credit Union was on site as the Award Sponsor and very honoured to congratulate Dr. Jakob in person.

Dreaming of Owning Your Perfect Home? At Libro, you can own your home and the place where you bank.

“Professional of the Year”: Dan Gemus, Owner/Broker of Record, Dan Gemus Real Estate Team Ltd. Brokerage pictured with Award Sponsor Rob Rumfeldt (left), District Vice President of TD Commercial Banking.

Libro customers are Owners and as an Owner you can trust we are as interested in your dreams as you are. Libro mortgage experts help you stay within your budget instead of pushing you to the limit. Yes, Libro actually wants you to pay off your mortgage as quickly as possible, which might be different than what you’ve experienced at other financial institutions. Libro Coaches care about you and what’s most important in your life. You get more savings, financial control and a way better sleep at night as a result! Choose ownership, choose Libro! Experience the Libro difference today.

“Entrepreneur of the Year”: Vince Schiller, Owner of Southwestern Manufacturing pictured with Award Sponsor Patti France, President of St. Clair College.

✓ A coach who cares

✓ Competitive rates

✓ Flexible mortgage and line of credit options

✓ Free chequing ✓ Profit shares

Visit libro.ca/ownmyhome or call 1-800-361-8222

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HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT SHOTS HOT The 6th Annual “Bridal Ball 2018”

April 7, 2018 at Ambassador Golf Club, 1025 Sprucewood Avenue, Windsor Photos by Rod Denis. All people in photos listed from the left.

1. The “Bridal Ball” is a fun filled social evening when guests can dress in their favourite new, old or vintage wedding attire. Each year all proceeds from the event are donated to a different local charity. For 2018 the charity of choice was the “Bob Probert Memorial Ride” in support of Cardiac Health Services in Windsor Essex. Pictured are: Dani Probert, wife of the late Detroit Red Wings

hockey player Bob Probert; Diane Farquhar, Client Service Manager at Ambassador Golf Club and Sarah Taylor, Store Director of It’s Your Day Bridal Boutique and Founder of the “Bridal Ball.” In its eighth year the Ride (a past Biz X Award winner) has raised over $750,000. The Ride take places this year on June 24 (get the latest details here: https://www.hdgh.org/probertride).

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2. This next photo is sure to get your mouth watering! Guests at the Ambassador Golf Club were treated to amazing hors d’oeuvres (pictured: flat breads, Tempura shrimp, mac n’ cheese fritters, loaded spuds and arancini) plus an incredible dinner prepared by: David Aziz, Alex Merryfield, Executive Chef Daniele Palanca, Samr Zuhair, Cina Garvey and Eric Shier.

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3. Proceeds from “Bridal Ball 2018” were over $8,000. Ninety five guests were in attendance including this happy group we caught by the dessert table: Peter Dale, Joanne Pignanelli, Laurie Gignac, Chelsea Rodrigues, Julie Turner, Andrea and Steve Bondy. 4. Once again, one of the main “Bridal Ball 2018” sponsors was the group from Dakkota Integrated Systems, LLC. Representing the company were: Dianne and Rick Schertzer, Carlo DeDomenicis, Tracie Berekoff, Susan DeDomenicis, Darrell Foschia, Barbara and Peter Preston, Maryann and Ken McRae, Linda Fick, Shawn and Kristen Byrne. 5. The one and only Diane Spencler-Glover, along with her dashing husband Jay Glover, from Designs by Diane were responsible for bringing the décor theme of the evening — “Black Ice” with a touch of diamonds — to

life. The room simply sparkled just like all events created by Designs by Diane do! The company is proudly celebrating 30 years of success. 6. Janet and Alan Arseneault, Owners of Chalet Studio Photography & Gardens, were the official event coverage photographers.

7. DJ Paul Tawil and DJ/Manager David Nader of DJ PJ Productions kept the crowd on their feet with plenty of dance tunes and a light show during the evening. 8. On hand to assist at the event was the sales team from “It’s Your Day” (event co-sponsor): Tina Jewhurst, Kylie Young, Melissa Brandner and Karen Egan. Find out more about future balls on the website: BridalBallWindsor.com.

THE CHARITY CHIX PRESENTS

AND

SHINOLA WATCH RAFFLE!

HOMETOWN DS! HERO AWAR

THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2018 St. Clair Centre for the Arts

201 Riverside Drive West, Windsor Doors open 6 p.m.

Dinner • Award Presentation • Music • Dancing • Silent Auction Attire: Semi Formal (Sports jerseys optional. No jeans please.)

Tickets $125 | Table of 10 - $1,000

SPORTS MEMORABIL IA AND MORE AUCTION!

Sponsorship opportunities available. Contact: kim@charitychix.ca or 519-253-0111

Proceeds to benefit Brain Injury Association of Windsor & Essex County and STAG BBIZIZ XX MMAAGGAAZZININEE •• MMAAYY 22001188

from the bookshelf

Springtime Reading By Marlene Markham-Gay

aeve Omstead Johnston is a Canadian girl who benefited from love, as well as the other necessities of life, from a father who was a postmaster and a mother who was a teacher. She writes: “The everyday example, the way they lived their lives with honesty, integrity, and respect for others, love of family and friends, gave me a path to follow. They provided me with the strength, selfconfidence and the light that burns deep within.” Turning 83 in June, Omstead Johnston is writing a trilogy about her life with the first book titled, “My Heart Remembers — A Memoir.” Well known for her writings, she does not disappoint her loyal readers with the stories of her youth, marriage and adventures raising seven children in Wheatley, Ontario. She was raised in Fort Erie and now resides in Leamington. Omstead Johnson writes with an imaginative choice of words that transports the reader on this journey we call life. “My Heart Remembers” highlights the depths of a life including sickness, heartache, determination and joy. Chapters in the book include “Falling in Love”; “Foods, Friends and Measles”; “The Gathering Place” and “Learning to Walk.” Omstead Johnston references her diaries and journal entries to retrace her thoughts as a young woman, her mother’s advice, and many wonderful times with her children. She includes the end of her 42 year marriage, her days on Pelee Island, the incredible sadness of the passing of her son and the joy of finding love a second time. “My Heart Remembers — A Memoir” is available at Pelee Island Community Arts on Pelee Island and at The Leamington Arts Centre, 72 Talbot Street West in Leamington. You can also find it online at: VolumesDirect.com. Next, we have a Christian book by local author and Life Skills Strategist, Kathleen Derbyshire. She resides in LaSalle with her husband Bill, their grown children and her

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mother, all of whom are a great inspiration to her. She designs and teaches workshops to provide the tools women need to change their lives. She has been helping women transform their worldly life skills into biblical life skills, so they can live in confidence, with hope for the future. Derbyshire has written “The White Picket Fence – Crown For Life Pursues Biblical Boundaries.” The Holy Bible has been her main resource for teaching for 12 years. She’s learned how to pursue the abundant life in the school of hard knocks. “The Holy Bible is indeed the Life Skills Encyclopedia we can all learn from,” writes Derbyshire. This book of fictional stories that intertwine with real life leads us through a process of discovery. It is very encouraging and inspirational. Establishing boundaries in our lives is very important, especially for women. Life is full of decisions that we must make. “Are we saying yes when we should be saying no?” asks Derbyshire. The author helps us to understand why this is a dilemma for many women. The reader will be asked to compose a list of personal boundaries. There is a week by week chart included in the book as well as other helpful weekly challenges to help you become what you want to be. This publication enables and inspires women to explore their feelings and relationship with God. It can be purchased by contacting Derbyshire via her website: TheLifeSkillsStrategist.com or by visiting The Sanctuary Gifts & Books of Faith Store, 6 Division Street North in Kingsville. If you would like a signed copy be sure to stop by this Kingsville shop on June 2 from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. to meet the author. Marlene Markham-Gay is the former host of CFTV’s “Storyteller.” She promotes local authors through the book corner at the Essex Railway Station, inviting them to display and sell books. Marlene is an avid reader and encourages her eight grandchildren to read.

THE WAY IT WAS

Faith On The Battlefield By Andrea Grimes

he ministry of chaplains has served our Canadian Armed Forces since Confederation. In the lull of battle, Padres often conducted services in the field bringing some measure of comfort to soldiers facing uncertainties associated with combat. “Reverend Major Mike Dalton joined the Canadian Chaplain Service in 1939 serving with the Essex Scottish until 1946. The Padre was a complex mix of a sociallyminded priest. As a Catholic Priest he knew all the rituals,” says Brian Dalton, nephew of the late Reverend Major Mike Dalton and Author of “The Padre’s War Diary.” In reviewing “The Padre’s War Diary,” Kathleen Marsman remarks, “The Padre heard confessions of the Catholic soldiers as part of his duties, often referring to this time as ‘Padre Hour’. The revelation of those inner thoughts brings a deep human dimension to the book.” An excerpt from Padre Dalton’s war diary of March 9, 1942 states, “Gave H.Q. Company Lucky Strikes American cigarettes. They are rare — so one each. I have now given to men of Brigade over 50,000 cigarettes ($1,117.50) in Canadian money. These cigarettes are from friends in Windsor and elsewhere.” Just five months later, the Essex Scottish Regiment landed on Dieppe. As a noncombatant officer, Dalton wasn’t permitted to join the Regiment. In his war diary of August 21, 1942 Dalton comments, “Lads say that they are glad I didn’t go. I couldn’t have done much good. In plan of United Nations, Dieppe maybe no tragedy, but blessing. I was Colonel for a day but forgot to collect a Colonel’s pay.”

Reverend Michael Dalton saying mass in Dover, England on April 23, 1944. Illustration courtesy of Brian Dalton.

What moved Dalton to invest five years researching his uncle’s recounts of daily life as a Padre? “My motivation was never to pay homage to only the Padre, but also to those thousands of young men and women who volunteered and lost their lives to WWII,” says Dalton. Reverend Dalton made a remarkable difference to the lives of many people during his military career as well as when he officiated as a Roman Catholic Priest. “I welcome word from anyone through by email address (rbdalton@bmts.com) whose life was touched by my Uncle,” says Dalton. Lt(N) Reverend Bruce Jackson, MDiv, BA, Chaplain/Counselor at the Village of Aspen Lake serves the Royal Canadian Navy Ship’s Company at HMCS HUNTER. According to Padre Jackson, “Chaplains are expected and required to bring life experience of providing spiritual support in a multicultural, multifaceted, multifaith environment. Conversations I have had with senior leadership have shared they will not deploy unless a Padre is on board.”

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As the Padre to the Windsor Regiment (R.C.A.C.) Reverend Dusan Tillinger, Reverend of the First Lutheran Church in Kingsville states, “I see my Padre’s position as a place where I can connect with soldiers and officers and accompany them as they go through many different life stages and situations.” Reverend Catherine Elsdon of the Bethel-Maidstone United Church serves as Padre to the Essex and Kent Scottish. “We can act as a compassionate listener, advocate or spiritual guide when soldiers face challenges in their military or civilian lives,” says Captain Elsdon. The military families of the 31 Service Battalion are served by Captain Graham Ware (Hon. Dipl., B.A., M. Div.), Pastor of the Centre Street Baptist Church in St. Thomas, Ontario. “The life of Canadian Forces members is one of frequent change and for many; faith can serve as a constant in the midst of changing situation, and a means to handle stress in a healthy way,” says Captain Ware. “Chaplains are present with troops, accessible to members and their families, to serve people of all faith backgrounds, providing spiritual and emotional support which is meant to provide peace of mind, and meet a part of the overall total well-being of our people.” A letter written by Padre Dalton May 12, 1941 to his nephew Maurice Dalton spoke to the legacy of democracy: “Little man, we who are prepared to die if necessary to defend these principles that you may have a fuller life, salute you from the front citadel of freedom. Cheers, Uncle Mike.”

OF THE MONTH By Dave Hall

Community Gaming and Entertainment Group . . . And Bingo Is The Game-O!

he Windsor region’s bingo Similar technology is industry may not be back available at Paradise Gaming to the level it hit 20 years Centre at 2340 Dougall Avenue ago but with new technology, and is expected to follow at changing demographics and both Classic Bingo IV at 1385 more amenities to draw in larger Walker Road and Classic Bingo crowds, the industry is growing III within two years, notes Rosa. once again. “I’ve been involved in the “It’s a slow climb but there’s industry for 30 years and these been a definite up-tick in business are the most exciting changes since we introduced changes to I’ve seen in that time,” notes modernize the industry locally,” Rosa. “The decline in business says Tony Rosa, President gave us an opportunity to do and Chief Executive Officer something radically different to of Community Gaming and attract a younger clientele and Entertainment Group which it’s working.” owns three Windsor bingo halls He adds, “We’re all competing Tony Rosa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Community Gaming and Entertainment for the same entertainment dollar and another in Tecumseh. Group, stands near a row of TAPTIX video gaming machines in “The Zone,” a newly-renovated In its heyday, Windsor’s licensed lounge at Breakaway Gaming Centre at 655 Crawford Avenue. Photo by Rod Denis. so we have to up our game.” bingo industry operated out of There are 108 organizations 14 halls across the city, 25 percent,” says Rosa. “We tried everything operating bingos at Classic IV, generating millions of dollars annually for to encourage our U.S. patrons to get 103 at Paradise, 92 at Breakaway and 43 at local charities and non-profit organizations. passports but without a passport office in Classic III currently generating between Rosa says that Classic Bingo III at Detroit at the time, it was a tough sell.” $4.4 million and $5 million annually for 13320 Desro Drive in Tecumseh once So the bingo industry looked inwards charities and non-profits. generated about $5 million annually for and steps were taken to reinvent itself, All must obtain bingo licenses through charities and was widely considered the explains Rosa. either the City of Windsor or the Town most profitable bingo hall in Ontario. The largest changes came at the of Tecumseh before they are allowed Then came no-smoking legislation, company’s Breakaway Gaming Centre to operate. first in Tecumseh and then across Ontario, at 655 Crawford Avenue which now allows In past years, volunteers worked most followed quickly by U.S. Homeland Security patrons to play bingo on video screens. of the bingos but now it is Rosa’s staff regulations requiring border-crossers to The newly-renovated centre includes “The who work the floor at the four bingo halls show passports to enter the U.S. in the wake Zone,” a newly-renovated licensed lounge. while volunteers promote their individual of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, which impacted “Under Criminal Code regulations, you organizations to patrons. the industry’s large American clientele base. can’t play a game through a video device or The local gaming group has roughly The popular Tecumseh hall went from computer unless you are the government,” 250 employees, all of whom must undergo running nine sessions a day seven days a says Rosa. “So, we partnered with Ontario extensive background checks. week to being open just four days a week, Lottery and Gaming Corporation which Breakaway is open from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. resulting in a massive drop off in revenues. allowed us to move into the 21st century by seven days a week, Paradise is open from Rosa mentions that while no-smoking offering video gaming at our Breakaway 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. seven days a week, Classic legislation prompted a slow decline in Gaming Centre.” III is open from 10 a.m. to midnight Friday, business, attendance dropped off a cliff as a Patrons can still use the old-fashioned Saturday and Sunday and Classic IV is open result of new passport rules. dabbers but most have embraced the new from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. seven days a week. “Our clientele prior to 9-11 was technology and business is slowly returning, To learn more visit their website: 65 percent American and now it’s about albeit incrementally. WE-Bingo.com.

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