BIE January 2015 by Business in Edmonton Magazine

January 2015 $3.50 businessinedmonton.com

JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES With a view to create environmentally-focused industry solutions, Clearflow has become a game changer.

Event Horizon Edmonton may be a ways off from being a tourism destination, but its star is fast ascending as a big event destination.

Doing Well By Doing Good Not Your Fatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oilfield It takes new staff with new savvy

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Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time

TITLE

JANUARY 2015 | VOL. 04 #01

Features

Regulars

View our elect ronic issue of this mon th’s mag azin e onlin e at www .busi nessi nedm onto n.com

Each and every month

The start of the new year leaves Edmonton poised on the brink of another 12 months of success, innovation and progression - from the boardroom to the field.

Cover

ECONOMIC FACTORS Josh Bilyk

JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

OFF THE TOP Fresh News Across all Sectors.

With a view to create environmentally-focused industry solutions, Clearflow has become a game changer.

61 E DMONTON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

Company Profiles 47 C PI CONSTRUCTION

CELEBRATES 20 YEARS BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Quality people, quality results, a great construction experience.

J OSTAR INTERIORS LTD.: MASTERS OF GREAT DESIGN

CORRECTION NOTICE

Please note that Business in Edmonton’s November 2014 issue contained an error in the article How to Build a City. The renderings of the Colours Art and Frame building were created and submitted by FUSE Architecture + Design, not DIALOG. DIALOG’s rendering of the Royal Alberta Museum was erroneously omitted. Business in Edmonton regrets any inconvenience this has caused and regrets the error.

BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Celebrations are planned for Jostar Interior Ltd.’s 40th anniversary.

EDMONTON’S NEW ROYAL ALBERTA MUSEUM OPENING IN 2017. RENDERING CREATED AND SUBMITTED BY DIALOG.

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

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OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

Supporting the visions of entrepreneurs one story at a time

Features

PUBLISHER BUSINESS IN EDMONTON INC.

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Brent Trimming

brent@businessinedmonton.com

continued

The start of the new year leaves Edmonton poised on the brink of another 12 months of success, innovation and progression - from the boardroom to the field.

EDITOR Nerissa McNaughton

NOT YOUR FATHER’S OILFIELD

COPY EDITOR

BY JOHN HARDY

Nikki Mullett

It takes new staff with new savvy

ART DIRECTOR Jessi Evetts

jessi@businessinedmonton.com

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNERS Cher Compton

Aaron Jackson

ADMINISTRATION Nancy Bielecki info@businessinedmonton.com

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bilyk

THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS Nerissa McNaughton Ben Freeland John Hardy Simon O’Byrne Duane Plantinga

ADVERTISING SALES Jane Geng Evelyn Dehner Renee Neil

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25 PRIVATE SCHOOLS WITH DIRECTORY | BY DUANE PLANTINGA 31 TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE?

| BY JOHN HARDY

How and why we save is dependent on many factors, but the experts agree, saving is important.

37 BENEFICIAL BENEFITS

| BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

Employers recognize the value of healthy employees.

41 F RACTION HEROES

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44 E VENT HORIZON

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Edmonton may be a ways off from being a tourism destination, but its star is fast ascending as a big event destination.

57 EDMONTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | BY SIMON O’BYRNE

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

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ECONOMIC FACTORS JOSH BILYK

EDMONTON TAXI INDUSTRY IN NEED OF REFORM BY AEG PRESIDENT JOSH BILYK

t’s a frosty Edmonton night in January and you’ve just waited 4-6 hours for a cab to get home safely from your New Year’s Eve party (that is if you were lucky enough to get a cab). Did you know there are there options out there to improve cab service? Ever hear of Uber? Wherever Uber goes in Canada, controversy follows. In Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and now Edmonton, the California-based, ride-sharing and taxi service has raised hackles of traditional taxi companies and twisted municipal politicians into knots. Uber is ride sharing mobile app, which lets you summon a car, track its location with GPS and avoid waiting a lifetime on hold with a dispatcher, and then waiting equally as long for the cab to show up – if it actually does. Uber claims its services are available in over 50 countries around the world. It’s not the only company offering such a service – it has competitors such as Lyft, Hailo and Sidecar. Uber comes in a number of varieties. It offers traditional taxi services, premium “black” cars (private on-demand drivers with high-end sedans), and the controversial ridesharing service called “Uber X,” which allows any vehicle owner with a clean driving record and insurance to provide driving services. Whenever Uber, or services like it, are introduced into a new market, they are greeted with disdain from the established taxi industry, but enthusiastic cheers from consumers who want good, reliable service at a fair price. The bottom line is, the taxi system in Alberta is broken in virtually every community in the province. The waits

The system is broken because politicians, at the behest of the taxi industry, have tightly controlled the supply of taxi licenses and imposed regulations that limit competition and innovation.

are too long, the rides are too expensive and the service is poor. Taxis are an important part of our overall transportation infrastructure – along with air, rail and transit. Taxis make the first impression on new visitors and investors to our province. The system is broken because politicians, at the behest of the taxi industry, have tightly controlled the supply of taxi licenses and imposed regulations that limit competition and innovation. As columnist Paula Simons recently pointed out in the Edmonton Journal, the number of taxi licenses in Edmonton hasn’t kept pace with population growth. In 1995, when Edmonton was struggling and had only 616,000 citizens, there were 0.19 taxis on the road for every 100 people. In 2014, with a population of 878,000, there are 0.15 taxi licenses for every one hundred people. The number of available taxi licenses per person in Edmonton has dropped by 21 per cent, so the abysmal taxi service in Edmonton is no mystery. That’s why Alberta Enterprise Group has spoken out in favour of allowing Uber and others to freely compete in the Edmonton marketplace, but that’s

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

going to take some flexibility on behalf of our local politicians. First, the number of taxis licenses available in Edmonton has to increase dramatically. For starters, more than 275 new licenses need to be issued just to get the city to where it was in 1995. Second, the $75 dollar minimum fare for limousine rides (which includes SUVs and upscale vehicles) needs to be scrapped. Eliminating the minimum fare alone would dramatically increase the number of available taxis practically overnight, and would allow Uber and others a toe-hold in the market. This conversation is only getting started and in 2015, it’s likely to get heated. Our advice to local politicians is to avoid getting taken in by overheated rhetoric and put consumers first. Empower users and drivers, and let’s show the world Edmonton embraces change, entrepreneurship and new technology. If not, we may as well go back to using the horse and buggy system to service our cab-seeking riders – because that’s where we are currently at. BIE Alberta Enterprise Group is a member-based, non-profit business advocacy organization. AEG members employ more than 150,000 Canadians in all sectors of the economy.

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ABOVE: RENDERING OF EXPANSION AS VIEWED FROM 108 STREET AND 103 AVENUE. RENDERING CREDIT: DIALOG. BELOW: NORQUEST PRESIDENT AND CEO DR. JODI L. ABBOTT, DR. SAROJ SINGHMAR, DR. PREM SINGHMAR AND NORQUEST BOARD CHAIR LYNN FAULDER.

EDUCATION

NORQUEST EXPANSION

Edmonton’s post-secondary institutions are abuzz with activity. Construction is well underway at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), where the much-anticipated $294 million Centre for Applied Technologies is on target to open for the start of the 2016-2017 academic year. Last summer, construction began on MacEwan University’s new $153 million Centre for Arts and Culture, scheduled to open in the fall of 2017. Not to be outdone, NorQuest College has big expansion plans of its own, with a $190 million downtown development project underway. On November 19, NorQuest unveiled Maximizing Opportunities – The NorQuest Campaign, its most ambitious fundraising initiative to date, with the aim of raising $20 million by 2017 for its expansion goals. The centerpiece of the college’s Downtown Campus De-

velopment Plan is a glittering new academic building, which officially received the name Singhmar Centre for Learning at the campaign kickoff. The name honours two of the Edmonton region’s leading philanthropists, Drs. Prem and Saroj Singhmar, whose crucial $2.5 million donation to the college was instru-

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

mental in launching NorQuest’s bold expansion plans. Planned as a LEED Silver 22,500 square metre four-storey building, the Singhmar Centre for Learning will feature labs, a daycare, a new library, food services, a student activity space and an Aboriginal ceremonial room – a key offering for a college

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

with an 11 per cent Aboriginal student body. But the Maximizing Opportunities campaign is about more than physical expansion. A full quarter of the $20 million is earmarked for increasing student access to the college through scholarships, bursaries, and increased funding for the college’s workforce-relevant programs. Through improved access and an expanded downtown campus, NorQuest aims to double its student population to 20,000 by 2025. “Maximizing Opportunities gives community partners the opportunity to step forward and make a profound difference in the lives of our students and the communities where they live, work, and raise their families,” asserts Dr. Jodi L. Abbott, NorQuest College president and CEO. “This generous gift from one of the community’s most prominent and influential families will leave a lasting legacy for students, our city, and our province.” The project also represents yet another major investment in Edmonton’s revitalized downtown core. This connection was further strengthened in early 2014 with the inauguration at NorQuest of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation Hospitality Institute, a hospitality training program closely tied to the forthcoming workforce needs of the new downtown arena district. With 60 per cent of its student body born outside Canada, NorQuest College is among the city’s most international and multicultural institutions. It is, therefore, fitting that the patrons of the college’s future centerpiece are a pair of prominent doctors who relocated to Canada from India in 1985 and have since established themselves as successful hotel and commercial property developers. A number of other speakers at the campaign launch recounted similar stories and praised NorQuest for its invaluable role in helping new Canadians build lives in Edmonton. “I wish there had been a college like NorQuest when I first arrived,” commented Reza Nasseri, honorary campaign chair and CEO of the Landmark Group of Builders, who came to

Edmonton from Iran in the early 1960s. “Back then there was very little support for newcomers. Today, thankfully, Edmonton has a welcoming and inclusive place for new Canadians to pursue their dreams. NorQuest removes barriers and gives students confidence, hope, and the skills to succeed.” With the looming specter of labour shortages in Alberta, NorQuest’s upgauge could scarcely be coming at a more opportune time. Congratulations NorQuest, and bonne chance! BIE SAFETY

NCSG CRANE & HEAVY HAUL SERVICES ACQUIRES H&H CRANE SERVICE

Edmonton’s NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Services’ American subsidiary (NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Services, Inc.) recently acquired Great Falls, Montana-based H&H Crane Service (H&H). Founded in 1987 by Tom Harant, H&H is the leading supplier of fully operated and maintained crane services in Great Falls, Montana. This strategic acquisition takes advantage of the fact that Montana is experiencing substantial economic growth and is the location of a number of proposed wind farms, proposed refinery expansions, and home to the western portion of the Bakken oil shale. “H&H has a proud 27-year history of providing fully operated and maintained crane and lifting solutions to its many customers in the Great Falls region, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Tom Harant and the rest of the H&H team going forward,” says Ted Redmond, president of NCSG. “We will continue to provide crane services to the Great Falls market and plan to grow our crane and heavy haul fleet in this market to meet the needs of current customers and the proposed projects in the region.” H&H’s strict safety standards are in keeping with NCSG’s mandate that ensure safety is the top priority in all projects and workplace practices. “NCSG is committed to the protection of our employees, contractors,

TED REDMOND, PRESIDENT OF NCSG

customers and the general public with respect to health, safety and [the] environment,” says a statement on the NCSG website. “Safety first is our number one core value, and it is non-negotiable for NCSG employees.” H&H’s polices include hiring operators licensed and certified by the state of Montana with select operators holding NCCO certification, the use industry-standard hand signals and safety walkthroughs on site to promptly address and identify potential issues. “I will continue to run the business and NCSG|H&H Crane will continue to provide our long-term customers with fully operated and maintained crane and lifting services,” informs Harant. “We will enhance these services with additional equipment from NCSG’s crane and heavy haul operations. With access to NCSG’s team of 700 employees and fleet of over 290 cranes, 235 lines of hydraulic platform trailers, 300 conventional trailers and specialized rigging services such as jack-and-slide and hydraulic gantries, NCSG|H&H Crane will be able to take on larger projects and maintenance jobs, and meet even more of our customers’ rigging, lifting and heavy haul needs.” This marks NCSG’s 10th acquisition in eight years, enabling a compounded annual growth rate of approximately 25 per cent. As one of the largest

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

OFF THE TOP

NEWS FROM THE MONTH

crane and heavy haul companies in North America, NCSG provides rigging, lifting and heavy haul services throughout the North American north/south energy corridor. With the current acquisition, NCSG now has branches in America’s Soda Springs, Idaho; Great Falls, Billings and Sidney in Montana; Williston and Dickinson in North Dakota; and Odessa, Texas. Canadian branches include, Prince Rupert, Terrace/Kitimat, Fort St John and Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia; along with Calgary, Drayton Valley, Leduc/Nisku, Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Wabasca and Bonnyville in Alberta; and Regina in Saskatchewan. BIE

PETER GARRETT

GOVERNMENT

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BOOST TO EDMONTON AND CALGARY TECHNOLOGY INCUBATORS ENABLES NEW INITIATIVES

Funding from the Canadian government and fund matching by provincial partners has seen a $6 million boost for technology incubators TEC Edmonton and Innovate Calgary. The funding has enabled the incubators to launch two major entrepreneur-focused initiatives. TEC Edmonton offers industry expertise along with resources and networking. With over 20 professionals on the incubator’s business development team, a 12-person technology transfer team and an entrepreneurial development team, TEC has assisted with and launched many innovations since its 2006 inception. Innovate Calgary is the technology-transfer and business-incubation centre for the University of Calgary. Shareholders also include the Calgary Chamber and the City of Calgary. Innovate Calgary grew from the realization that a fresh approach to commercialization was required for emerging entrepreneurs and startup

CHRIS LUMB

investors. In 2013, Backbone Magazine hailed Innovate Calgary as one of the best 10 incubators and accelerators. The incubator has evaluated over 1,700 discoveries secured more than 680 patents. “Last year, the Canadian government, through the National Research Council’s new Canada Accelerator and Incubator Program (CAIP) program, asked high-performing business accelerators across the country for proposals to encourage the growth of innovative startup companies,” says TEC Edmonton’s CEO, Chris Lumb. “We are thrilled that CAIP has chosen to support TEC Edmonton and Innovate Calgary’s joint submission to assist startup companies and entrepreneurs with growth potential in Alberta.” Provincial support includes Alberta Health, Alberta Innovation and

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Advanced Education, Alberta Health Services, Alberta Innovates Health Solutions and Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, whom are matching the first two years of CAIP’s funding with a view to extend support through the remaining three years. “We are delighted to work with our federal government to advance the development of a collaborative health SME strategy in Alberta,” says Dr. Cy Frank, AIHS president and CEO, speaking on behalf of the provincial partnership. Edmonton’s TEC health accelerator will focus on emerging healthcare technology companies while Innovate Calgary’s Kinetica Ventures will accelerate promising new technology companies from Alberta’s energy sector. Kinetica will also focus on confirming industry needs, assisting emerging companies with navigating the innovation landscape and help entrepreneurs with finding capital and networking. “New technology can help address some of the energy industry’s leading challenges,” says Peter Garrett, president of Innovate Calgary. “Existing provincial organizations such as CCEMC, AITF and AI-EES focus on technology development and now, with the CAIP funding support we can create an energy tech accelerator focused on building businesses based on new technology, complementing the work of these organizations to help increase the long-term economic prosperity of Alberta through adoption of transformative energy technologies.” “In addition to the 75 companies that TEC supports each year, this funding will enable TEC Edmonton to increase this by another 50 highpotential health tech companies,” says Lumb. “With this support we are able to launch Canada’s first full-service energy tech accelerator, projected to assist more than 80 companies over the next five years,” concludes Garrett. To learn more about TEC Edmonton and Innovate Calgary, visit www. tecedmonton.com and www.innovatecalgary.com. BIE

OIL & GAS

NOT YOUR FATHER’S OILFIELD

Not Your Father’s Oilfield It takes new staff with new savvy BY JOHN HARDY

dmonton has a labour crunch? Apparently, yes. When it comes to industry-altering technology, the equipment, the contemporary skills and qualifications, the job postings and the careers in the oil and gas industry, as well as the new courses and retraining programs in the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology’s (NAIT) curriculum, it is positively not your father’s oil field, and one result is that the industry is dealing with a labour crunch.

From the board rooms, the heavy equipment operators, the IT wizards and the modern roughnecks on the rigs to the analysts and traders and all rungs and job descriptions in between, there’s consensus that the phenomenal technology of horizontal drilling and the countless other new ways of doing things has forever redefined every aspect of oil field services. “The industry has shifted toward the brain and away from the brawn,” says respected oil and gas services

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www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

OIL & GAS

NOT YOUR FATHER’S OILFIELD

“When I was a field supervisor, there was and old DOS system computer on my desk and the keypad was used mostly as a pencil holder. Being on the computer was considered wasting time. And that was just 15 years ago!” ~ Mark Salkeld

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

executive and affable Don Battenfelder, president of Canadian Operations of NCS Multistage, the independent technology and services company and world leader in coiled tubing-deployed frac-isolation technology, which is commonly used to develop unconventional oil and gas resources. “The industry has definitely gone from ‘just getting it done’ to getting it done more efficiently and cheaper. Horizontal drilling has been the game-changer at the top of the list of a new and exciting world of oil and gas technologies; technologies that continue to redefine our industry and tremendously enhance production and make the industry far more cost efficient.” Mark Salkeld, president and CEO of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC) proudly explains that he has been in various functions of the oil and gas industry for more than 30 years, and has never seen this accelerated pace of change. “When I was a field supervisor, there was and old DOS system computer on my desk and the keypad

OIL & GAS

NOT YOUR FATHER’S OILFIELD

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Don Battenfelder, president of Canadian Operations of NCS Multistage

“The industry has shifted toward the brain and away from the brawn,” ~ Don Bettenfelder was used mostly as a pencil holder. Being on the computer was considered wasting time,” he recalls with a grin. “And that was just 15 years ago!” Change is also a key constant when it comes to the curriculum and the novacancy courses at Edmonton’s NAIT. “The biggest shift is the amount of oil patch technology and the tremendous roles it plays in most aspects of mechanical operations,” explains Bruce Reinders, chair of the Petroleum Engineering Technology program at NAIT. He emphasizes that the oil and gas industry is dealing with massive changes, in the oil fields and virtually every level of the business. Companies are investing heavily in

Mark Salkeld, president and CEO of the Petroleum Services Association of Canada (PSAC)

new technology and equipment. Training, skills and qualifications continue to be essentials and the industry relies on training facilities, like NAIT, to graduate skilled and job-ready workers. “Just one of many technologydriven operations that need skilled and trained oilfield workers is horizontal drilling,” he cites, as an example. “It’s not uncommon that, as they are drilling a well in the northeast basin, data is captured in real time, monitored by workers at the site and the information is instantly transmitted to the engineers in the Edmonton office, who immediately look at the facts and make adjustments and decisions.” “There isn’t enough on-the-job experience which could ever qualify even a seasoned oil patch worker to perform that kind of work.” Reinders also refers to the popular rig technician program and other ‘new’ NAIT courses, to underscore how the Edmonton facility is making a significant impact with the industry’s growing labour crunch.

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www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

OIL & GAS

NOT YOUR FATHER’S OILFIELD

“An enormous turnover of oil and gas workers has begun. It’s not a crisis just yet, but it’s serious. In the next 10 years, about 45,000 boomers will be retired. When normal attrition is factored in with the requirements of new technologies, we project that the industry will need to hire 20,000 40,000 skilled workers in the next 10 years.” ~ Carla Campbell-Ott

When it comes to production and problem of recruitment. It is the hard core economics of the oil and looking to NAIT and other skills gas business, analysts sing a simiand training sources, scouring lar tune that, thanks to technology, for a new generation of oilfield rig counts are continuing to rise. Alworkers with new skills, new though prices may fluctuate (such as qualifications and a new attitude. this past October’s slump) drilling ac“It has become a huge HR probtivity keeps increasing. The logic is, lem for the whole industry,” warns while oil prices may still be the linchCarla Campbell-Ott, executive dipin, technology-enabled factors like rector of the Petroleum Human pad drilling, hydraulic fracturing and Resources Council (a Division of increased stages per well keep boostEnform). “It wasn’t that long ago ing recoveries and lower costs per unit that the oil patch labour force was of oil and gas produced. anyone with a pulse, but the indusAs with some other traditionally try has never had to deal with the Carla Campbell-Ott, executive director of the Petroleum thriving and successful industries, the kinds of staffing numbers that are Human Resources Council (a Division of Enform) impact of technology has triggered being caused by the combination a boon in production, in business, a of new technologies and attrition. drastic re-tooling and changes in the “An enormous turnover of oil way things are done. and gas workers has begun. It’s not a crisis just yet, but it’s But technology has also created an urgent, unexpected serious. In the next 10 years, about 45,000 boomers will and time-sensitive dilemma. be retired. When normal attrition is factored in with the The traditional stereotypes and the tough-job reputation requirements of new technologies, we project that the inof the oil patch workplace, the new technology skills predustry will need to hire 20,000 - 40,000 skilled workers in requisites, a scramble to retrain and upgrade qualifications the next 10 years,” Campbell-Ott warns. and the generational cycle of boomer-age workers retiring, “When today’s boomers started out in the business,” are coming together to cause a perfect storm: an oil patch Battenfelder recalls, “there was hardly any technololabour crunch that some industry experts warn is already a gy involved. If there was technology, it was early and significant problem. primitive. It was brute horsepower and a lot of slugWhile oil and gas continues as the chronic risk-manging. Today, oil fields are about maximum recovery. It’s agement and problem-solving driven business it has a much different business and a very demanding and always been, the industry is dealing with the urgent specific career at every level.

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

OIL & GAS

NOT YOUR FATHER’S OILFIELD

Bruce Reinders, chair of the Petroleum Engineering Technology Program at NAIT in Edmonton

The oil and gas industry warns that nearly half of the current oilfield workforce will be at retirement age within the next five years or so. The industry’s primary concern is a skilled labour force that must be ready to take over. NAIT and others offering post-secondary training have a bittersweet dilemma. Despite most oil and gas related programs and courses being solidly booked, NAIT admits that, even with packed classrooms and high enrollment, they can’t graduate nearly enough petroleum engineering technology students to supply the industry’s demand. The sometimes Hollywood cliché of the cigar-chomping, hard hatted, heavy booted, and oil-splattered roughneck may never be completely extinct. Circumstances, new and re-defined careers, and especially the new ways of doing things in the oil patch, may be altering the picture to spark an entirely different staffing problem. Industry insiders, who are understandably preoccupied with the current recruitment concerns, are cautioning about the probable consequence of creating a generation of book-smart workers whom may lack patch-smarts. The focus and rationale at NAIT is refreshing. “Let’s face it,” Reinders says, “everything that happens in the industry happens below ground. Whether it’s fracking or coiled tubing. It’s all new technology, and the contemporary oil patch worker has to completely understand what’s going on. That’s one of the aspects of the labour crunch. Updated skills and qualifications. But finding the right people has always been a problem in the oilfield servicing industry. Aside from skill sets,” he notes from experience, “a lot of people, especially student age, don’t want the clichéd rough, isolated lifestyle or dealing with the 24/7/365 demands of the oil industry.” BIE

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COVER

JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES

JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES With a view to create environmentally-focused industry solutions, Clearflow has become a game changer. BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

COVER

JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES

CLEARFLOW WASTE WATER TREATMENT MICRO SYSTEMS IN INDIA

learflow Enviro Systems Group Inc. focuses on environmental solutions through soil stabilization, dust control and water treatment processes. Although the company itself is quite young – it was established in 2005 – the company is powered by decades of experience, knowledge and practical application. Owned and managed by Jerry Hanna, CEO, Clearflow represents a return to Hanna’s original career path. “I have done a number of things in my life,” says Hanna. “This is a return to my roots. It was a way for me to go back to where I started. My parents were in construction and my early career included work on storm water systems and soil erosion.” Like any company in the environmental business, Clearflow faces some unique challenges. Green and sustainable practices are mandatory, and desired, at every level of industry. Therefore, distinguishing oneself as a quality provider of environmental systems among the competition could be problematic; but not for Clearflow. “We were somewhat ahead of the curve when we started the company,” says Hanna with pride. “Regulatory requirements had not caught up. The science [of what we do] is new.” He goes on to say that one of Clearflow’s challenges

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

is to show clients and regulators that there are alternatives. Clearflow’s products are so ground-breaking, they are doing things their clients didn’t know were possible! For example, most water treatments that remove solids require a power source, but for clients in remote areas consistent power is a problem. Clearflow created passive, power-free ways to treat water. This enables safer water in remote locations with far less energy waste. That’s not all. When it comes to dust, Clearflow really knows how to clear the air. Hanna explains. “We do dust control for various sites. When you have 200,000-plus kilograms of machinery going over your service road, you are taking the particles on the surfaces and you are crushing them. You wind up with particles that get into the water and, due to size, they are extremely difficult to get out. Now that there are water quality standards, you have to start managing those ultrafine sediments as well. “If you are getting high plumes of dust off your surface and you are using water to hose down the road, you just get more and more surface material into your receiving water. If you are using water to control the dust, the ground will saturate after about two litres per square metre.

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JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES

BEING HONORED FOR BEING NOMINATED FOR A MANNING AWARD FOR HAVING ONE OF THE TOP 50 INNOVATIONS IN CANADA

“Managing dust is a very critical issue. It’s a real health and a safety concern. If you don’t control the dust, it gets into the lungs. If you use calcium chloride or magnesium chloride, it corrodes the vehicles driving over them. Our products dramatically reduce all these issues.” Clearflow’s dust control products, such as DH56 Liquid Dust Control, the new DH90 liquid for longer-term stabilization and Dust Lynx Powder, stabilize dust, are environmentally friendly and greatly reduce water use compared to “water only” applications (can be up to 95 per cent less water than their competitors). “This also reduces plumes of dust that reduce visibility,” says Hanna, and he’s absolutely right. Nobody wants to be on a mining, logging, or service road with huge vehicles thundering by obscured by the dust. Another, and a very substantial, point: Clearflow’s dust control systems are not only cost effective and provide and excellent return on investment, they do not kill vegetation. This is critical as most service roads are in forested areas that are full of wildlife that rely on the vegetation and water sources. With Clearflow, the plant life is safe, the people on the roads are safer, and the water remains largely contaminate-free. Everybody wins. It’s not just Clearflow touting their own horn about their dust control and other environment-saving products and systems. A recent third-party, multi-year scientific research study completed by the University of Alberta and the University of Guelph (and sponsored by the National

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

Research Council of Canada) that pitted Clearflow’s Water Lynx product against other products in the same industry, returned results that blew away the competition. The Water Lynx product was deemed 1,000 times safer than the current products in use. That’s not 1,000 milligrams per litre. That’s 1,000 times safer overall. Safer for humans, safer for fish and aquatic life, safer for the environment; and Hanna couldn’t be more pleased. As recently as 2013, Clearflow built water treatment systems for India’s sewage and industrial water. Some remote areas of India do not have access to water treatment plants, which seriously compromises their water quality. Clearflow created wastewater treatment microsystems that do not require a big infrastructure setup. This system cleans and releases water in a matter of hours. Clearflow has a patent pending for this lifesaving wastewater recycling technology, and also received an award presented by India’s famous holy man, Baba Jaswant Singh Ji. “We’ve made a change. We really have made change in the industry. We’ve made change around the world in aspects of water treatment from a health standpoint. People are looking at water quality for all types of water. It’s a global issue. We’ve been successful in showing industry and regulators better ways to manage water,” says Hanna of what he considers one of the greatest rewards of his career. For Hanna and the Clearflow team, making a difference doesn’t start and stop with product development. They are

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JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES

Working in partnership with two other firms, Clearflow aims to permanently change – and improve – storm water management and quality.

willing to get their hands dirty to make things work. Dirty, in the good sense of the word. “If you have a pond or river that is dirty, we go the source and find the issue,” says Hanna of their hands-on approach. “We ask, how do we do this environmentally, for stability and maximum efficiency of the product while being cost effective? Then we create solutions that answer the needs for the regulator, client and environment all at once.” Once those solutions are determined, are they shipped out of country to be manufactured elsewhere? No they are not. Clearflow has their own facility and is pleased to be headquartered in Sherwood Park, Alberta. Every successful company has a moment when the hard work, dedication and late nights are validated. For Clearflow, this moment came in 2013 when a major contract landed them in the big leagues. “Our first ‘aha!’ moment,” says Hanna, “was when we were shortlisted against BASF and Nalco.” BASF is one of the largest chemical companies in the world and Nalco has been doing business in Canada for nearly 70 years. All three companies were asked to submit their data and products for the project. The products were tested by an independent third party. “We won!” exclaims Hanna. “Our product proved better in all aspects, including environmental (with no toxicity to fish). Here is a small company in Sherwood Park beating two of the largest companies in the world! That made the difference for us. After that we were looked at as the goto people. Engineers contacted us, huge clients contacted us. We moved to larger facility and increased our manufacturing capacity. It has been a real whirlwind these last 18 months. This is the beginning. After many years of hard work, it’s nice to make this start.” Among their many notable products, Clearflow is work-

ing towards another “aha!” moment. “We have developed new technology for storm pond design,” beams Hanna. “This technology is another game changer.” Working in partnership with two other firms, Clearflow aims to permanently change – and improve – storm water management and quality. Not only is the design more effective, it mimics natural landscaping. Part of the design involves floating islands. These small island mounds combine technology and natural processes to create passive water treatment. “The phytoremediation generated from the vegetation removes a number of excess nutrients, total suspended solids, and metals from the water column. Additionally, the platform itself generates a biofilm that also removes a number of contaminants from the water column. The floating islands are robust in nature and are capable of remaining insitu over the winter months. Vegetation can be chosen to meet a specific need.” So far, early reaction to the new storm pond systems has been very positive within the industry. “It doesn’t just have to be used for storm ponds,” says Hanna with excitement. “We can use this technology for industrial ponds, which is a huge plus.” Clearflow is currently building, for Christensen Developments, the first-of-its-kind water recycle/reuse system in Edmonton where storm and grey water will be reused on site for toilets and irrigation. This reduces potable water usage by up to 30 per cent, or approximately 32 gallons per person per day. For Clearflow, however, changing the rules of the industry isn’t limited to what they can create in their labs. True sustainability is when the next generation continues to carry the torch, and that is why they provide educational services in the form of presentations to industry groups and lectures for university students. www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

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JERRY HANNA AND CLEARFLOW ENVIRO SYSTEMS GROUP INC. CHANGE THE RULES

It’s not just the students Hanna considers “brilliant.” The Clearflow team deserves, and receives, much praise. It’s a team that Hanna has built and maintains very strategically.

“We are trying to get the students to be aware of what can be done differently,” says Hanna who is a strong supporter of Dr. Greg Goss, director of the University of Alberta Water Initiative and Dr. M. Anne Naeth, director of the Land Reclamation International Graduate School and the associate chair of Land Reclamation and Agriculture in the Department of Renewable Resources at the University of Alberta. “Don’t always look inside the box and inside the textbook when you have an outside-of-the-box textbook. We try to get students to visit actual sites. We train them on how patterns and things move once you start changing surfaces, and how do deal with situations when things don’t go your way, so you don’t cause further harm. These young people are brilliant. We are not a big enough ego to say we know it all. Sometimes the students have ideas on how to change the industry too. It’s nice to see participation in end goal.” It’s not just the students Hanna considers “brilliant.” The Clearflow team deserves, and receives, much praise. It’s a team that Hanna has built and maintains very strategically. “My team is absolutely brilliant. We have a very strong cultural background within our team. When we interview, we try to bring in the spouse. If a person has a bad day, they go home and talk about it. If the spouse doesn’t understand what we do, it makes for a bad night. So, we ask the partner what they want to see in us as a company. We get to know our staff, their families and their kids. “We have knights-of-the-round-table meetings where everyone has equal say. We ask how management’s goals affect everyone from an operational standpoint. Every person from every group says their piece. This way we come out with the best results from each section of our company for the client. “We really try to eliminate the ivory tower concept. We never want to stifle creativity. We need the staff’s input to stay ahead of the curve. With multiple brains working on something, we come up with the best ideas ever.” Then, Hanna laughs. “One of the questions we ask in the interview is, ‘do you like having fun?’.” You would be forgiven if you thought that being a game changer, building a winning team, and outstripping the competition was all Hanna has time for, but you would be wrong. Intent on making the world a better place in all aspects, Hanna spends a fair amount of time supporting

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

charitable causes. Each year he and his wife do the Terry Fox Run and the CIBC Run for the Cure. Hanna also hosts an annual charity concert in support of organizations such as Kids Help Phone and Make-A-Wish Foundation. “You have to give back,” smiles Hanna. “That’s what my dad taught me at a very young age. We try to give back more than we get. We try to be very involved in the community.” In addition, Hanna sits on multiple community boards, such as the Strathcona County Chamber Environment Committee and the Economic Development Advisory Committee, as well as mentoring students from the University of Alberta Environmental Sciences program and mentoring small business owners in Strathcona County. Undoubtedly, Clearflow is on the right track. In 2014 Clearflow was listed as one of Alberta Venture’s 25 Most Innovative Organizations. The company has also been awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Environmental Technology and Innovation award from The Alberta Science and Technology Leadership Foundation, was a finalist in 2014 for the Manning Award, won a Business Leaders of Tomorrow award in 2013, the Environmental Protection Award in 2010, and the Innovative Technologies Award SPCC in 2009. Currently, Clearflow has patents in Israel, Mexico, the United States and Canada, with more pending. They have won several prestigious awards and completely changed the way environmental solutions are formed and implemented. What’s driving this motivation? Hanna cites something he learned from his father. “The standby rule that my dad lived by: never give up.” When Hanna’s father was 39, his doctor told him to go home and enjoy the few weeks he had left to live. Hanna Sr. had other plans and stretched those few weeks into 23 years. Hanna Sr. kept a poster behind his desk that said ‘never give up’. “I follow that,” says Hanna. As for the future of Clearflow, the young company has plenty of plans to keep raising the bar for environmental safety and sustainably. “We are making a change and it’s working,” concludes Hanna. “We are working with major universities, we are working overseas and we are working with leading industry movers and shakers. The regulators are catching up and realizing the solutions we provide are for global issues. We are not just ahead of the curve. We are leaders.” BIE

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

ALBERTA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS TITLE

ALBERTA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS: Serving Students, Parents and Communities BY DUANE PLANTINGA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF AISCA

arents are naturally concerned about how well their children do at school and about the quality of their educational experience. The typical 13 years of schooling is a highly formative experience and convincing parents of the value of a specific school may prove to be challenging in a highly mobile society characterized by fast-paced technological change, increased social challenges and greater demands for each generation to be educated in more complex ways than the last. This article explores independent (private) schools as one option in Alberta’s education landscape.

fessional certificates as their public school counterparts. Teaching standards are subject to provincial regulation managed by Alberta Education’s Teacher Certification Branch. Teachers are evaluated externally by competent individuals appointed by the registrar in order to qualify for permanent professional teaching certificates. Their teaching practice is governed by provincial legislation governing teacher professional development under the teacher growth and supervision requirements.

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ENROLMENTS

All community-based private ECS (kindergarten) operators and all independent schools operate as not-for-profit agencies under the Societies Act of Alberta. They must report accordingly to Alberta Education using the same accountability pillars as do public schools but with additional requirements for monitoring, external reporting and teacher evaluation. While many misconceptions and the odd negative situation have distorted public perceptions at times about independent schools, the standards of accountability generally parallel those required of public schools. Those requirements are available on the Alberta Education website or at www.aisca.ab.ca.

In a 2013/14 provincial system of 657,811 students, 28,076 (approximately four per cent) attended independent (private) schools. Another 5,062 (approximately one per cent) attended community-based private ECS sites (kindergartens) where about 70 per cent of the students have special needs. Some international, First Nations and non-resident students are also educated in independent schools. As an aggregated group the population of students is approximately five per cent of the education system as a whole. The Calgary area is home to approximately 40 of more than 100 independent school authorities.

BOARD STRUCTURES The most distinctive feature of independent schools is that they are generally single-site operations under the supervision of a small board. Each independent school board operates with a specific vision and mission that may vary according to the type of education programming offered by the school. Boards may be elected or appointed and teachers are hired directly. Since different governance models are practiced, and most management is site-based, independent schools do not have large centralized offices and tend not to get bogged down in bureaucracy. Decisions can be made more expeditiously and effectively. The schools acquire additional services as required by contracting and collaborating with other local agencies. There may be various support committees to assist in managing all the services and facilities. If a school is not responsive and parents and students are not satisfied with the education services, it will likely fail as parents leave.

TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS AND VOLUNTEER EXPECTATIONS Teachers in independent schools hold the same pro-

ACCOUNTABILITY OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL ECONOMIC CONSIDERATIONS Education is never “free” and always comes with a cost that someone must cover. Alberta’s investment in education as a whole is currently projected to be approximately $15,000 per public student. Independent schools do not receive 70 per cent public funding of all public education expenditures as media and some stakeholders tend to state. That is only part of the picture and provides a distorted view. The 70 per cent is part of a few core grants provided and it is approximately 40 per cent of the $15,000 public expenditure per public school student. Tuition fees and fundraising must fill the gap. What government provides is one side of the coin; what the schools charges and raises is the other side. Typically then, in terms of its return on per-student investment, Alberta taxpayers and the province benefit from about 60 cents on the dollar savings to the public purse. The amount saved was approximately $140 million a few years back. From a fair public policy perspective, the primary function of education in independent schools, as in www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

PRIVATE SCHOOLS TITLE

all schools, is not merely a “private” service to a specific student. Regardless of where education is provided, a child benefits as does society as a whole. Any student being schooled under the required conditions established by government standards should receive at least partial funding and critics need to be fair in acknowledging that a level of adverse discrimination is part of the picture. By Alberta law no tax dollars may be directed to independent schools. All sorts of non-profit groups receive grants and provide services to portions of the public but some view all services as sole responsibilities of governments that must then resource them. Qualifying special needs students may qualify for additional grants. Some specialized schools, termed Designated Special Education Private Schools, may only admit students requiring specialized supports but their non-special education funding is like that of the other independent schools. No independent school receives funding for capital expenses so a modern facility with specialized theatres or playing fields is not built at taxpayer expense. Independent schools charge tuitions in order to pay for the remaining costs of operating the school. Tuition fees will vary considerably depending on capital investments, teacher/student ratios, extracurricular program activities and other program enhancements. Parents need to judge the fees in context as they vary for each school. By comparison, public schools must charge international students between $11,000 to $15,000 in tuition and possibly additional fees for any extras, in order for the province to not subsidize non-residents.

CURRENT ENVIRONMENT For more than 100 years Alberta has been well-served with a pluralistic system of education. Some feel that competing educational systems should be amalgamated to reduce social fragmentation. That is not in keeping with the heritage and values of Albertans who invited conscien-

tious objectors, minority groups and people from multiple backgrounds to settle here without requiring them to extinguish their foundational identities. Often one criticism of independent schools is that they do not allow everyone to attend. At the same time public schools select students based on geographic location, specific program types, needs of the student, and sometimes gender. The fact is, not every student can enrol in any school. All sorts of limitations apply. The system as a whole fulfils the mandate to educate all. No single school is able to. A universal education system that is genuinely inclusive must allow some parental choice. Alberta’s aggregated, pluralistic educational system is in fact very inclusive, and independent schools play a key role in complementing the provincial system. Arguments opposing independent schools are nothing new. Opponents fail to consider the significant contributions independent schools make to society and ignore the fact that the primary beneficiaries are children. Research like the Cardus Education Survey provides sound evidence of positive outcomes. Contrary to popular misconception, at the end of the day all students in both public and independent schools are provided a government-approved education through a curriculum that meets Alberta’s expectations. From the perspective of parents, the primary concern is how well their child is doing at school. They want to know that their child is in good hands, and that the school has the best interest of their child at heart. They need assurance that the situation at school is working, often in the context of a specific teacher and group of students. Parents want a clear idea of what a particular school is about and what it is trying to do. In a child’s 13 years of education, each day counts. To find out more about schools that are members of the Association of Independent Schools and Colleges (AISCA), visit www.aisca.ab.ca. AISCA represents approximately 90 per cent of Alberta’s publicly accredited independent schools.

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January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

PRIVATE SCHOOLS DIRECTORY

Aurora Learning Foundation

Edmonton Islamic Academy

Headway School Society of Alberta

Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 Unit 1, 6104-82 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6B 0E7 Phone: (780) 464-4010 Fax: (780) 464-4070 Email: admin@auroralearningfoundation.com

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 14525 - 127 Street Edmonton, AB T6V 0B3 Phone: (780) 454-4573 Fax: (780) 454-3498 Email: eia@islamicschool.ca

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 10435-76 Street NW Edmonton, AB T6A 3B1 Phone: (780) 461-7683 Fax: (780) 485-0507 Email: headman@telus.net

Columbus Academy

Edmonton Khalsa School

Hillcrest Christian School

Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 6770 129 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5C 1V7 Phone: (780) 440-0708 Fax: (780) 440-0760 Email: Abh_admin@boscohomes.ca

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 4504 Millwoods Road South Edmonton, AB T6L 6Y8 Phone: (780) 450-8753 Fax: (780) 461-6927 Email: edkhalsa@telus.net

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 10306 - 102 Street Grande Prairie, AB T8V 2W3 Phone: (780) 539-9161 Fax: (780) 532-6932 Email: dpaetkau@hcsgp.ca

Coralwood Adventist Academy

Edmonton Menorah Academy

Inner City High School

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10-12 12218-135 St Nw Edmonton, AB T5L 1X1 Phone: (780) 454-2173 Fax: (780) 455-6946 Email: office@coralwood.org

Preschool, ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 10735 McQueen Road Edmonton, AB T5N 3L1 Phone: (780) 451-1848 Fax: (780) 451-2254 Email: office@menorahacademy.org

Grades 10 - 12 P.O. Box 11506 Edmonton, AB T5J 3K7 Phone: (780) 424-9425 Fax: (780) 426-3386 Email: joe@innercity.ca

Covenant Canadian Reformed School

Edmonton Vietnamese Language School Centre

Ivan Franko Ukrainian School

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 P.O. Box 67 Neerlandia, AB T0G 1R0 Phone: (780) 674-4774 Fax: (780) 401-3295 Email: ccrs.office@gmail.com

Grades 10 - 12 10427-32 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6J 4J1 Phone: (780) 444-2398 Email: vankdu@shaw.ca

Grades 10 - 12 17711-89 Street Edmonton, AB T5Z 0A7 Phone: (780) 476-7529 Email: lsukhy@hotmail.com

Dante Alighieri Italian School

Elves Child Development Centre

Kneehill Christian School

K, Grades 1 - 12 c/o Archbishop O’Leary High 8760 - 132 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5E 0X8 Phone: (780) 474-1787 Email: aristidem@shaw.ca

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 Elves Special Needs Society 10825 - 142 Street Edmonton, AB T5N 3Y7 Phone: (780) 454-5310 Fax: (780) 454-5889 Email: info@elves-society.com

Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 P.O. Box 370 Linden, AB T0M 1J0 Phone: (403) 546-3781 Fax: (403) 546-3181

Devon Christian School

Gabriela Mistral Latin American School

Preschool, ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 205 Miquelon Avenue West Devon, AB T9G 0L8 Phone: (780) 987-4157 Fax: (780) 987-3323 Email: dcs@devonchristianschool.ca

Pre K, K, Grades 1 – 9, Adults 9359 - 67A Street Edmonton, AB T6B 1R7 Email: gabrielamistraledmonton@gmail.com

K, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 P.O. Box 8397 Cold Lake, AB T9M 1N2 Phone: (780) 639-2077 Fax: (780) 639-4151 Email: lca@hlvc.org

German Language School Society of Edmonton

Living Truth Christian School

Edmonton Academy For students with learning disabilities Grades 3 – 12 10231 - 120 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 2A4 Phone: (780) 482-5449 Fax: (780) 482-0902 Email: lizrich@telusplanet.net Website: www.edmontonacademy.com

Edmonton Bible Heritage Christian School Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 35-55517 Rge. Rd 240 N.W. Sturgeon County, AB T0A 0K5 Phone: (780) 454-3672 Fax: (780) 488-3672

Preschool, K-6, Grades 7 – 12, Grades 10 - 12 c/o Rio Terrace School 7608-154 Street Edmonton, AB T5R 1R7 Phone: (780) 435-7540

Harvest Baptist Academy ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 26404 Highway 16, West Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3H5 Phone: (780) 960-0235 Fax: (780) 960-9235 Email: bdcoldwell@gmail.com

Lakeland Christian Academy

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10-12 Box 89, Mirror, AB T0B 3C0 Phone: (403) 788-2444 Fax: (403) 788-2445 Email: ltcs@abchristianschools.ca www.abchristianschools.ca Offers Home Education Program Offers Home Education Blended Program

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

individuality the engine for accelerated education

www.progressiveacademy.ca 780-455-8344

age. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explor

elping our children gain competence with the tools they need in the information age provides them with the confidence to share their natural talents and become valued members of our communities. Literacy is the spark. With literacy and technology, there are no limits to learning. With literacy, expression can flow, collaboration radiates, and the future is bright. Our early literacy program is one of the hallmarks of Progressive Academy. In a warm, rich environment, students as young as three learn that reading is key to their everything.

For a child who can read well, the world is open. At Progressive Academy, education is not restrained by time, but accelerated by students’ demonstrations of competence. Building on their own successes, our students take on increasing responsibility for their own learning: by Grade 4 we often see competencies far exceeding strict grade level; by Junior High, students are expected to also demonstrate their skills through internship experiences, which help them cultivate their interests and gain a better understanding of the real world awaiting them. In ultimately marrying their interests in learning with what they need to be learning, the students’ own hunger for answers puts them in gear, and propels them—their intentions and ambitions fuel their progress. Students at Progressive Academy learn to recognize and leap barriers in their pursuit of knowledge, and eagerly tackle the most difficult problems to find the answers they need. Creativity and innovation abound, producing competence, not just in passing tests, but in researching topics and presenting results, in collaboration and in leadership. That competence is the key to learning for the future.

Education is not restrained by time, but accelerated by students’ demonstrations of competence. Our students dive wholeheartedly into learning the sounds of the English language through songs and games, then abruptly, voraciously take up reading everything around them. On the way home from school, street signs suddenly mean something, parents can no longer spell secrets and just like that, young learners are empowered to start their own searches using computers.

Preschool, Full Day Kindergarten, Elementary, Junior High.

outstanding students. outstanding results.

re. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. explore. engage. create. e

PRIVATE SCHOOLS DIRECTORY

Living Waters Christian Academy

Polish Sienkiewicz School in Edmonton

Tempo School

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 5 Grove Drive W. Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3X8 Phone: (780) 962-3331 Fax: (780) 962-3958 Email: kpenner@lwca.ab.ca MAC Islamic School Accredited 11342 127th Street Edmonton, AB T5M 0T8

Accredited Heritage Language School Grades K - 12 P.O.Box 78076 RPO Callingwood Edmonton, AB T5T 6A1 Phone: 780-454-0205 and 780-439-5916 Fax: 780-439-5916 Email: sfurtak@shaw.ca www.pshs.ca

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 5603 - 148 Street, Edmonton, AB T6H 4T7 Phone: (780) 434-1190 Fax: (780) 430-6209 Email: admin@temposchool.org Website: www.temposchool.org

Maskwachees Cultural School

Progressive Academy

Grades 10 - 12 P.O. Box 960 Hobbema, AB T0C 1N0 Phone: (780) 585-3925 Fax: (780) 585-2080 Email: Email: gbaptiste@mccedu.ca

Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 13212 - 106 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5N 1A3 Phone: (780) 455-8344 Fax: (780) 455-1425 Email: info@progressiveacademy.ca

Meadows Baptist Academy

Rimbey Christian School

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 2215 - 17 Street Edmonton, AB T6T 1J1 Phone: (780) 440-1195 Fax: (780) 490-4410 Email: bhunter@meadowlandsbaptist.com

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 P.O. Box 90 Rimbey, AB T0C 2J0 Phone: (403) 843-4790 Fax: (403) 843-3904 Email: office@rimbeychristianschool.com

Morinville Christian School

Russian Education Centre

Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 10515 100 Avenue Morinville, AB T8R 1A2 Phone: (780) 939-2987 Fax: (780) 939-6646 Email: mcfs@telus.net

Grades 10 - 12 7119-12 Avenue Edmonton, AB T6K 3H6 Email: oprokhorova@hotmail.com

Norwood Chinese School K - 12 11124-130 St C/O Westmount School Edmonton, AB T5M 0J2 Phone: (780) 908-6406 Email: info@norwoodca.net

Parkland Immanuel Christian School ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 21304 - 35 Avenue N.W. Edmonton, AB T6M 2P6 Phone: (780) 444-6443 Fax: (780) 444-6448

Peace Hills Adventist School

Slave Lake Koinonia Christian K, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 P.O. Box 1548 Slave Lake, AB T0G 2A0 Phone: (780) 849-5400 Fax: (780) 849-5460 Email: admin@slkcs.com

Solomon College Grades 10 - 12 Suite 228, 10621 - 100 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5J 0B3 Phone: (780) 431-1515 Fax: (780) 431-1644 Email: info@solomoncollege.ca

SML Christian Academy

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 R.R. 3, Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 1X1 Phone: (780) 352-8555 Fax: 780-352-8540 Email: peacehillsschool@gmail.com

ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9 5014 - 53 Avenue Stony Plain, AB T7Z 1R8 Phone: (780) 963-2715 Fax: (780) 963-7324 Email: info@smlacademy.ca

Phoenix Academy

SCcyber E-Learning Community

Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 6770 129 Avenue Edmonton, AB T5C 1V7 Phone: (780) 440-0708 Fax: (780) 440-0760 Email: Abh_admin@boscohomes.ca

Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 200, B102 – 5212 48 St. Red Deer, AB T4N 7C3 Phone: (403) 872-0487 Email: administration@sccyber.net Website: www.sccyber.net

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

The Chinese Cultural Promotion Society Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 P.O.Box 32, Main Post Office Edmonton, AB T5G 2G9 Phone: (780) 485-9718 Email: ccps.clc@gmail.com

Thomas More Academy Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 6770 129 Avenue, Edmonton, AB T5C 1V7 Phone: (780) 430-6969 Fax: (780) 431-9627 Email: Abh_admin@boscohomes.ca

Victory Christian School ECS, Grades 1- 6, Grades 7- 9, Grades 10 - 12 PO Box 4647 STN South, Edmonton, AB T6E 5G5 Phone: (780) 988-5433 Fax: (780) 988-6323 Email: tracy.tower@victorychristianschool.ca

Waldorf Independent School of Edmonton ECS, Grades 1- 5 7114 98 St, Edmonton, AB T6E 3M1 Email: info@thewise.ca

ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLING The Banff Hockey Academy Grades 7 – 12 College bound hockey athletes Box 2242 Banff, Alberta T1L 1B9 Phone: 1-888-423-6369 Fax: (403) 760-0868 Email: registrar@banffhockey.ab.ca www.banffhockey.ab.ca

BANKING, FINANCING & RRSP

TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE?

To Save Or Not To Save? How and why we save is dependent on many factors, but the experts agree, saving is important. BY JOHN HARDY

“T

here’s a special mentality about savings in Alberta. Most people are doing well, working, maybe even getting overtime and putting money away,” says Dave Mowat, president and CEO of Edmonton-headquartered ATB Financial. “The figures show that Albertans tend to save, on average, $9,600 a year.” Investments, savings, TFSAs and registered savings plans (RRSP) are financial facts – and options – of Canadian life. They are also unpredictable and personal realities of Canadian life. Most people consider money matters private and keep their financial details to themselves. Legitimate and aspiring experts try to track, project, forecast and guesstimate about personal finances, but they rarely give guarantees. The best they can do is project and trend. Depending on who you talk to, which trends you track and which numbers you crunch, the 2015 popularity of Canadian and, specifically, Albertan savings, particularly the venerable RRSPs or the newbie TFSAs, is either hotter than ever, ticking upward, stable or in a multi-factored slump. Some say you can find reams of charts and graphs which confusingly suggest all of the above. The unique Canadian Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) has been a well-known and appealing savings option for Canadians for nearly 60 years. They were introduced in the late ’50s as a tax sheltered way to encourage Canadian employees and self-employed people to tuck away savings and investments assets, and defer the income tax rate to a later time in their lives when their tax rate will not be as high. RRSP moneys must comply with the predictable volumes of restrictions, regulations and limits, about

maximum contributions, timing, allowed assets and the eventual conversion to a Registered Retirement Income Fund (RRIF) at age 71, and other rules spelled out in the Canadian Income Tax Act. RRSP-approved assets include savings accounts, guaranteed investment certificates (GICs), bonds, mortgage loans, mutual funds, income trusts and corporate shares.

Some financial advisors suggest that a segment of average Canadians may not have even heard of TFSAs – an account that provides tax savings because stashing cash, mutual funds, certain stocks, bonds and GICs into a TFSA is not taxed, even when withdrawn. Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSA) are newer, having just been introduced in January, 2009, and they haven’t had nearly the traction of exposure (or hard sell) of RRSPs. Some financial advisors suggest that a segment of average Canadians may not have even heard of TFSAs – an account that provides tax savings because stashing cash, mutual funds, certain stocks, bonds and GICs into a TFSA is not taxed, even when withdrawn. According to last year’s numbers, more than 53 per cent of Canadians still haven’t opened a TFSA. The yearly limit for a TFSA contribution is $5,500. www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

BANKING, FINANCING & RRSP TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE?

“Paying down debt, like loans or a mortgage, is the first priority, especially when interest rates are low. Paying off credit card debt is much, much smarter than absolutely anything you’ll get in the market. It’s forced discipline to lock money into an RRSP and TFSAs are also good, but the trick is not to just dip into savings for a nice vacation, a new car or fancy renovations.” ~ Dave Mowat

Beware: unlike RRSP contributions, TFSAs are not deductible for income tax purposes. Many financial planners try to simplify the basic pros and cons of tax sheltering and tax savings with RRSPs and TSFAs. Discussions of the tax benefits of RRSPs typically gloss over who they really favour. It is suggested that RRSPs are the biggest advantage for Canadians in high tax brackets because those Canadians will likely be in Dave Mowat a lower tax bracket when they retire. So, they will pay less tax over their lifetime, pending surprise government tax hikes. Lower tax bracket RRSP holders are mathematically much less likely to retire to lower tax brackets and have a reduction in a lifetime tax hit. In some situations, some find themselves in a slightly higher tax bracket, so for them, a TFSA is the better option. Early each year, crunching the RRSP and TFSA numbers is a tell-tale indicator, not so much about the Canadian economy as much as the perception and the mood of the average Canadian about the Canadian economy. “When it comes to money and savings, we like to look at the world as a rational place – and it may not be,” Mowat suggests. “But I think the tax deductibility of RRSPs and the tax aspects of TFSAs do boost people’s attitude to-

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

ward saving more. Perhaps this is a particularly confusing time because there are so many options. “Paying down debt, like loans or a mortgage, is the first priority, especially when interest rates are low. Paying off credit card debt is much, much smarter than absolutely anything you’ll get in the market. It’s forced discipline to lock money into an RRSP and TFSAs are also good, but the trick is not to just dip into savings for a nice vacation, a new car or fancy renovations.” The latest savings (RRSP) statistics are not available yet, but Mowat’s expertise allows for a better-than-average hunch. “People seem to save later and later. Maybe it’s the catch-22 that they are working longer because they haven’t saved enough.” The actual tally and final 2014 RRSP numbers won’t be crunched until after the March 2, 2015, deadline; but, despite the usual marketing blitz and traditional deadline push from investment firms, banks and the free-balloonscookies-and-coffee at local branches, analysts agree with Edmonton’s Mowat: don’t expect a March 1 or 2 last-minute RRSP frenzy. Based on last year’s statistics and trends, fewer Canadians are planning to put money into an RRSP because their

BANKING, FINANCING & RRSP

TO SAVE OR NOT TO SAVE?

money is tight, they can’t afford it and they have other expenses like car payments, high credit card balances and other bills they are trying to manage. According to the major credit agency, TransUnion, the average consumer’s 2014 total non-mortgage debt is at an estimated all-time high of $28,853. “It may not be a huge revelation, but younger demographics are a harder sell about the merits of saving money,” explains Chris Turchansky, Edmonton’s Chris Turchansky managing director of ATB Investment Management. “We try to encourage people to get into the habit early, even if it’s $10 – $15 a month. However, human nature what it is, they’re simply not ready, from a normal happiness and enjoyment point of view. “Around age 40, people start to embrace the value of families, careers and saving for the future,” he points out. “Somehow it feels more tangible. Even though retirement is 20-plus years away, savings makes sense. A few years ago, “Freedom 55” was a catchy marketing tool to save, but people couldn’t or didn’t want to. Today,” Chris Turchansky smiles, “it’s more like Freedom 65 or 75.” There has been a steady drop about RRSP appeal. A major survey found that barely 31 per cent of Canadians contributed to an RRSP in 2013, down from 39 per cent

from the year before. Last year’s BMO Financial RRSP Report traced the downturn in RRSP popularity and some reasons why Canadians did not make a contribution to an RRSP. • Not having enough money to make a contribution (37 per cent) • Having other expenses which take precedence (33 per cent) • Prioritizing other investments (11 per cent) Whether it’s RRSPs, TFSAs with cash or mutual funds from ATB’s Compass Portfolio Series (one program and six funds) within the RRSPs, Edmonton’s Dave Mowat is positive and optimistic about the wisdom and the value of savings being an ongoing and important factor in Albertan’s lives. “The popularity of savings will continue. The popularity of mutual funds will continue. The Alberta economy is strong. Savings rates will continue to rise and, even with fluctuating oil prices, people are doing well. They will save a larger percentage of their income because they are interested in accumulating money and getting average or better returns instead of ‘amazing miracles’.” BIE www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

URBANOMICS THE EDMONTON PLAN

THE EDMO The $5.2 billion

BY JOHN HARDY

rbanomics is a hot topic! Urbanomics is the key for making Edmonton a great place to do business, live, raise children and enjoy quality of life. Urbanomics is about collaboration, negotiation, give and take. Urbanomics is about finding harmony and the delicate balance between the impartial science of urban planning and the practical economics of strategizing, building and maintaining the economic viability of a vibrant city. Business in Edmonton is committed to all aspects of Edmonton business, including the sometimes tricky and contentious focus of urbanomics – whatever it takes to make sure Edmonton continues its growth as a great city. Each month in 2015, Business in Edmonton will feature a fair, balanced, informative and relevant look at the urbanomics of Edmonton. We will deal with the issues. We will speak with the various sides: including City of Edmonton senior planner Duncan Fraser, developers, community leaders and all the key professionals who make it happen. Urbanomics will also review the documented statistics from the Queen’s University School of Urban and Regional Planning, that about 88 per cent of the 23 million people who live in one of Canada’s 33 major cities opt to live in the suburbs, and we will dig to find out why.

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

“Edmonton, like other major cities, must create urban vibrancy,” says Edmonton-based urban planning expert Simon O’Byrne, vice president, urban planning with Stantec. “Urban vibrancy doesn’t just mean an exciting downtown where people come to work. It must be a balance of a complete community where people live, go to school, work, go shopping and enjoy their life. “The issue in most major Canadian cities, like Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, is what use of land will the city approve? Of course we must use the land efficiently and consider vital aspects like sustainability, the environment and public transit, but ultimately the Canadian dream is still home ownership,” he says. “The past five to 10 years has been a major shift and a considerable problem for Canadian cities,” says Glenn Miller, vice president of education and research with the respected Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), an organization focused on shaping the growth of cities and tackling some of the most pressing challenges, including planning for rapid urbanization, adapting to demographic shifts, sustainable economic development, community and private sector engagement in city building.

URBANOMICS

THE EDMONTON PLAN

NTON PLAN infrastructure “There is one glaring priority. We must have a better fit between public policy and the realistic needs of the marketplace. The job of the urban planner is to be impartial, but not to sit on the sidelines,” Miller urges. “Planners are trained to think about good planning, but the time for aspirational planning is over. The plans were long on vision but short on practicalities on how to achieve it. The profession is moving as quickly as possible to make the plans realistic.” Edmonton has two overlapping urbanomics master plans. The Municipal Development Plan (MDP), The Way We Grow, is the City’s strategic growth and development plan. It’s the way Edmonton shapes the city’s urban form and manages the development and implementation of more detailed plans. Edmonton’s MDP is closely integrated with the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to achieve more coordinated decision making. “Edmonton’s economy is solid and we’re going on all cylinders,” says the upbeat and Edmonton-boosting Greg Steele, president of the Realtors Association of Edmonton. “There are cranes everywhere, 15 or 16 just in the downtown area. The biggest driving force of Edmonton’s economy is the $5.2 billion of infrastructure that’s under way, the expanding LRT lines and that we will soon have

100 kilometres of ring road. There are lots of jobs and Edmonton hasn’t really slowed down in more than five years.” From Oliver to the west, Queen Mary Park to the northwest, Central McDougall to the north, McCauley to the northeast, Boyle Street in Jasper-east, Riverdale to the east and southeast, and Rossdale to the south, Edmonton’s City Vision 2040 spells out the core facts and targets that Edmonton is a recreation city, an arts city and a good city to do business. Edmonton is Canada’s “Gateway to the North,” a staging point for the massive oil sands projects in northern Alberta, diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories and a Canadian capital city of many cultures, educational opportunities and all political and social orientations. The push is on for planners, the City, businesses, the private sector and community groups to move beyond theory and collaborate to determine what is practical and what is realistic. “Affordability is a huge issue in most major cities and sometimes the issues may create a catch-22. Regardless,” Miller cautions, “the current generation will ultimately determine where will be in 2050, so it’s a good time to quote Albert Einstein: ‘Yesterday’s solutions don’t solve tomorrow’s problems’.” BIE www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS AND REJUVENATION

BENEFICIAL BENEFITS

AZURIDGE ESTATE HOTEL’S FIVE-STAR AMMOLITE BLUE SKY WELLNESS RETREAT

Beneficial Benefits Employers recognize the value of healthy employees. BY NERISSA MCNAUGHTON

hese days it is a well-known fact that a healthy employee is a productive employee; therefore, many companies strive to ensure the health and happiness of their staff. While this was typically achieved with robust benefit packages and increasing vacation time, times – and the needs of employees – have changed. Benefits, in particular, do far more than protect employee’s physical health. They provide affordable access to healthcare services, which is a vital part of overall wellbeing. “It’s a very competitive market out there right now for any one hiring, and employees are starting to see, more than ever, the value in good benefits,” explains Aaron Best, senior vice president of Quikcard. Headquartered in Alberta, Quikcard offers innovative benefit solutions to thousands of businesses in Canada. “A salary can only go so far, but good benefits will provide the employee with peace of mind from something as simple as a toothache being covered or that their family will be taken care of if something unfortunate were to happen that hindered their earning ability.”

If you run a small business and think benefits are an unnecessary expense, the true cost is the health of your staff and your ability to retain them. “My best advice for small or emerging companies is to not be scared of offering employee benefits,” cautions Best. “There are lots of affordable options that will give you and your employees great coverage and peace of mind. Talk to your employees and find out what coverage is important to them. Don’t feel as if you have to settle for ‘package a’ or ‘package b’. There are plenty of benefits brokers who will tailor a package just for you.” In the past, homeopathic remedies were not readily covered by benefits, but as more and more people look to alternative treatment methods, benefits have adapted to reflect this change. However, not all services are allowed and those that are must be tightly regulated for the protection of both the practitioner and the patient. Best explains, “What is and is not covered is actually set out by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The CRA website is pretty clear on what services and medical equipment can be covered as deductible expenses. It’s important www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS AND REJUVENATION BENEFICIAL BENEFITS

AZURIDGE ESTATE HOTEL’S FIVE-STAR AMMOLITE BLUE SKY WELLNESS RETREAT

to know that your administrator carefully checks the credentials of the providers. They should be making sure they are properly licensed by the appropriate regulatory body and are in good standing with their respective professional associations.” Knowing you have access to affordable medical care has a tremendous impact on wellbeing, but sometimes that just isn’t enough. When the stress of daily life gets overwhelming, employees need to step back and regroup. Employers are helping with this too. Vacations are great to spend time with the family or plan a little getaway, but too often employees can’t afford a nice vacation or they have to use up their vacation hours to cover children’s mid-week offschool days or other obligations. Enter the rise of the business retreat. Meetings and development sessions are moving out of the boardroom and into locations where employees can rest, relax and recharge while simultaneously developing skills they can apply on the job. While this sounds like you have to jet to Mexico or the Caribbean or partake in Yoga on a sunny beach, the fact is, solutions of this nature are much closer to home than you may think. January 2015 marked the launch of Azuridge Estate Hotel’s five-star Ammolite Blue Sky wellness retreat. The Estate is located in Alberta’s foothills, and has suites over-

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

DANIELLE BRAGGE, CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER OF THE HEADHUNTERS

looking stunning forests whose leaves change with the seasons. The fresh country air and aura of peacefulness found on your private balcony come at no extra charge.

CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS AND REJUVENATION

BENEFICIAL BENEFITS

The inaugural wellness course is comprised of five weekends where guests experience workshops providing health-enriching strategies for daily life. Each weekend retreat includes organic cuisine and 24-hour butler service in the luxury hotel setting. The courses include inward-focused topics such as A Ticket to Change, Inspiring Possibilities, and The Daring Way. The inaugural wellness course is comprised of five weekends where guests experience workshops providing health-enriching strategies for daily life. Each weekend retreat includes organic cuisine and 24-hour butler service in the luxury hotel setting. The courses include inwardfocused topics such as A Ticket to Change, Inspiring Possibilities, and The Daring Way. “Taking time to retreat and reflect is important to literally recharge your metaphorical battery,” says Azuridge’s general manager, Clarence McLeod. “This is vital if one is to achieve the balance that nurtures our well-being of mind, body and soul. Recharging allows you to be the best you can be. This self-realization enhances creativity, intensifies patience, promotes confidence and allows you to transition from ordinary to extraordinary in the career arena.” McLeod was, at first, skeptical of aspects of this program. After all, some of the methods are far removed from conventional wellness techniques. However, after meeting the retreat’s leaders and exploring the mind/ body wellness connection, McLeod soon realized, “this ideology was well suited to nature’s masterpiece that surrounds the unique Azuridge Estate in the foothills of Alberta. The tranquil surrounding of nature makes this location an ideal place to reconnect to one’s soul.” There is no doubt about it. Corporate wellness has come a long way from the standard medical/vision/ dental benefits and two weeks of vacation per year. Physical and mental health awareness is on the rise, and the direct impact of employees be-

ing fit in body and mind is quickly becoming a top priority among Canadian employers, and for a very good reason – it all affects the bottom line. In the end, businesses exist to make money. This money drives our economy. Anything that hinders the company’s ability to turn a profit is scrutinized and corrected. Increasingly, this scrutiny brings our waist size, our stress levels and our personal needs under our employer’s microscopes. “When someone leaves an organization, it does more than create the

need to rehire. It creates a vacuum and affects everyone around them,” says Danielle Bragge, co-founder and managing partner of The HeadHunters. “By the time the employee has been recruited, hired and trained, the employer’s cost can range from anywhere from one-and-a half to three times the position’s annual pay.” In 2014 Bragge was named as one of the Top 100 Women in Business in Alberta and was a finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year (Prairies region). Heading up a firm that scours

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

CORPORATE HEALTH, WELLNESS AND REJUVENATION BENEFICIAL BENEFITS

The “health is wealth” notion is gaining traction and corporations are on board to help employees be their healthiest self. three prominent Canada’s cities for top talent and being in constant contact with job seekers and the employers that hire them has given Bragge a unique insight into the work force’s health and wellness needs. “The face of the workforce as we know it is changing,” says Bragge. “In particular, the Generation Ys are leading the way for change as they become the fastest growing segment of the employee population. Their needs at work are very different to those of their predecessors. Employees today are looking for companies that offer flexible hours, health benefits and training. This is becoming more important than the almighty dollar.” She continues, “A recent U.S. and Canadian survey (Gallup’s employee study) showed that only 29 per cent of employees are actively engaged in their jobs. By adding additional perks, employee morale increases, which increases the overall wellbeing of the employee and the corporate culture, ultimately reducing turnover. “Flexibility in the workforce, balance in life and benefits are the three biggest candidate requirements. Money and

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

training still remain at the top of the list, but are no longer as important. Employers are starting to promote employee health spending accounts and wellness programs as employees want benefit solutions that acknowledge their individualism. The employers that promote gym memberships or worksite fitness and reimbursement towards self-development are considered progressive employers and are attracting the top talent. “Most of our workforce is plugged in around the clock, which often creates additional stress and increases employer expectations. Add to the commute, student loans, debt, poor leadership and balancing home and work, and you see it is critical that employers consider the health and wellness of their employees if they want to engage their workforce, keep morale high and increase productivity.” The “health is wealth” notion is gaining traction and corporations are on board to help employees be their healthiest self. By offering a variety of benefits, and by employees graciously accepting them, the Canadian workforce will be stronger and healthier than ever before. BIE

RECREATION INVESTMENTS

FRACTION HEROES

Fraction Heroes

With sunny economic skies predicted to persist for the foreseeable future, many Albertans are looking for a piece of Eden. For a growing number, fractional ownership is their ticket. BY BEN FREELAND

emember that drawing you drew as an eight-year-old of your future life? It probably had an opulent mansion front and centre, or possibly a castle or a holiday house in the Caribbean, with some exotic high-performance (and possibly flight-worthy) sports car parked outside. Most of us reach a point where we conclude that such aspirations are well out of reach and settle for something more mundane. In actual fact, however, some of these aspirations may be less out of reach than one would generally assume, provided you’re willing to follow Sesame Street’s sage advice and cooperate. The term fractional ownership has gained considerable currency since it first entered popular parlance in the ’90s. Fractional ownership is defined as an arrangement wherein several unrelated parties share in, and mitigate the risk of, ownership of a high-value tangible asset. The term first gained popularity in the aviation world, where companies sought to reduce transportation costs by purchasing shares in business jets (as opposed to buying an entire aircraft), allowing their executives allotted flight time. Since the late

’90s, fractional ownership has revolutionized general aviation, and made private aviation available to a wider range of customers. The phenomenon is now worldwide; the Brazilian city of São Paulo now leads the world in fractional helicopter ownership, allowing middle-class citizens to avoid the city’s notorious gridlock by way of a commuting option once exclusive to the rich. Over the past decade, the fractional ownership model has expanded to include real estate and private residence clubs. The phenomenon began in the United States in Rocky Mountain resort towns like Vail and Aspen and has since grown into a multibillion dollar industry. In Canada, fractional ownership has become increasingly synonymous with scenic getaways like the Okanagan Valley, Vancouver Island and the Muskokas in Ontario. The concept is also popular in snowbird escape locations like Arizona, Palm Springs, Hawaii, Mexico and Central America. However, the global financial crisis of 2008 dealt a severe blow to the industry, while saddling it with a reputation of poor regulation and lack of transparency that has been tough for the industry to shake off. www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

RECREATION INVESTMENTS FRACTION HEROES

DAVID BURDEN

“With fractional ownership you get all the benefits of a luxury home and club for a much smaller investment.” ~ David Burden While fractional ownership has seen an uptick in recent years as economic conditions have improved, confusion still remains between this ownership model and the older timeshare model. Stephen Petasky, owner and founder of The Luxus Group, a company that specializes in selling shares in Canadian and overseas destinations to the Edmonton market, contends that the fractional model has numerous advantages over a timeshare. “In a timeshare you don’t actually own any brick and mortar,” he explains. “That’s the main difference between the two models. Not only does fractional ownership give you something you can actually monetize, it also effectively makes you a club member, according you all the higher-end services that come with this.” While a fractional ownership arrangement is not without risk, Petasky asserts that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. “You can certainly lose money on a fractional ownership, but the risk is far lower than with whole ownership. The shares we sell range between one-fourth to one-thirteenth of a property, which puts it on the low-tomedium end of the risk spectrum. At

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

the same time, it’s a bona fide real estate holding that’s easily resalable, which a timeshare is not.” He adds that most of the negative perceptions of the industry apply more to timeshares than to fractional ownership. “I can’t speak for the industry as a whole, but in the timeshare business you hear a lot about questionable valuations and aggressive sales tactics. Our industry has come a long way in the last decade and is much better regulated than it used to be.” For customers looking for a piece of paradise, developers are offering fractional ownerships in just about any type of property imaginable. One of the world’s biggest players in this market is Timbers Resorts. Established in 1999, the Carbondale, Colorado-based company sells brick-and-mortar shares in properties around the globe. Timbers CEO David Burden characterizes it as a lifestyle investment accessible for people outside the ranks of the uber-rich. “With fractional ownership you get all the benefits of a luxury home and club for a much smaller investment,” says Burden. “The drawback, of course, is that you don’t own the whole thing, so you cannot furnish it yourself or come

RECREATION INVESTMENTS

FRACTION HEROES

“You can certainly lose money on a fractional ownership, but the risk is far lower than with whole ownership.” ~ Stephen Petasky every week through the high seasons. But it’s still a great tangible investment, and for the right property there’s a healthy after-market should you decide to sell it down the road.” Timbers’ holdings run the gamut geographically and price-wise, ranging from ski lodges in Colorado going for $350,000 for a one-eighth share to villas in Tuscany valued at 850,000 euros ($1.2 million CA) for a mere one-twelfth foothold. While the company has opted to concentrate on certain geographical areas, Burden notes he is exploring new locations, including urban properties in New York, London and San Francisco. “It’s all about identifying the right property in the right location,” he explains. “Our philosophy has been to stick with the most sought after destinations in the world and find the best pieces of real estate within that destination that we can find.” While Burden and others assert that fractional ownership is a less-risky venture than a timeshare or full ownership, all agree that such a purchase is not without risk and urge potential customers to do their own research. “I’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly on these things,” asserts RE/MAX realtor Mi-

chele Weselake. “It’s really like any other investment: do your homework, and if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Petasky concurs with this assessment. “Not all markets are the same when it comes to regulation in communicating valuations,” he explains. “There have even been cases where there have been properties advertised as fractional ownership that have actually been entirely timeshares, giving clients no real equity. In the past a lot of people have gotten hurt by over-valuations and inflated commission fees, and this is still a potential pitfall.” Petasky echoes Weselake’s advice on doing one’s homework, adding that the allure of many of these properties and locations has a tendency to cloud people’s judgment. “People get very emotionally involved and have a tendency to get drawn in without doing their due diligence. Suffice it to say, if you see shares in a lakeside property someplace going for just $100,000, you should definitely be suspicious. But there are great developers and great deals out there to be found. You just need to shop around and ask a lot of questions.” BIE www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

EVENT PLANNING & CATERING EVENT HORIZON

Event

HORIZON

Edmonton may be a ways off from being a tourism destination, but its star is fast ascending as a big event destination. BY BEN FREELAND

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

EVENT PLANNING & CATERING EVENT HORIZON

he idea that the words “Edmonton tourism” are anything other than an oxymoron has been tough to dispel. “Sure we love our city,” many Edmontonians will tell you, “but . . .” generally followed by references to other cities (most likely Calgary) that have more in the way of tangible tourism capital. Even as the Alberta capital has been undergoing something of an urban renaissance over the past decade, the notion of Edmonton being “a nice place to live but not a place you’d visit” remains stubbornly persistent. But how, in actual fact, does Edmonton stack up globally? In economic terms, Edmonton is ranked as a “Gamma” world city, putting it in the same bracket as Phoenix, Leeds, Lyon, Guadalajara and other important mid-sized cities. The city’s economic stature continues to grow, as does the allure of its cultural scene. While Edmonton may not be as blessed as its southern rival in terms of access to national parks and other regional attractions, Edmonton continues to wow visitors by being its own national park in the form of North America’s largest urban park system. In fact 6.7 million people visited Edmonton in 2012, suggesting that Edmontonians are indeed out of touch with their city’s real-life appeal. This, of course, begs the question of what all these people are doing here. For one, it would appear that much of this visitor traffic is driving Edmonton’s burgeoning conference, trade show and special event scene. While exact numbers on conferences and other major events in the city are hard to come by, Edmonton’s event planners appear to be run off their feet like never before, indicating that the city is slowly becoming a powerhouse for conferences, economic summits and other high-profile events. It’s no secret that Edmonton has a great knack for hosting events. Edmonton’s original agricultural exhibition, the original predecessor to K-Days, predates even its incorporation as a town in 1892. The century that followed saw Edmonton emerge as one of Canada’s premiere festival cities (a status it still retains) and its successful hosting of the 1978 Commonwealth Games, the 1983 Summer Universiade and the 2001 World Championships in Athletics put the city on the international sporting map. Edmonton continues to vie for big-ticket events. Next year the city will be one of six hosts for the 2015 Women’s World Cup of soccer, and the city is currently competing with Durban, South Africa for hosting rights for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. On a less grandiose scale, Edmonton continues to be awash with important economic gatherings. Chief among the city’s big events late this year is Productivity Alberta’s 2014 Productivity Summit. Set for late November, this first-of-a-kind event in Canada is expected to showcase Alberta’s economic high achievers to an international audience. In May of next year the city will host the 2015 Western Health Summit, a major health care conference drawing together professionals and industry leaders from across North America. Next June, Edmonton’s recent urban design breakthroughs will be highlighted as the city hosts the 2015 Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Annual Conference and Trade Show.

CHRIS BUERGER

For Chris Buerger, veteran Edmonton event planner and president of LHAS Corp., things could scarcely be better. With 25 years in the event management business, Buerger has seen her share of ups and downs, but asserts that she’s never been busier than she is now. “Business is simply insane right now,” she exclaims. “Fall is always nuts with all the association work that comes in but this year, more than ever, there really hasn’t been a slow time.” Buerger explains that her industry, which used to be highly cyclical, has in recent years ratcheted up to basically unrelenting work. “In the past you would be busy one year and less busy the next, as provincial events tended to flip between Edmonton and Calgary and national events between east and west, but we’re not seeing that anymore,” she explains. “In the past few years I and other event planners here have been full-tilt busy every year.” Buerger adds that the demand for high-quality provincial, national and international conferences and other events remains undiminished in the era of digital communication, even with Skype, teleconferencing and other www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

EVENT PLANNING & CATERING EVENT HORIZON

MICHAEL SIEGER

technologies offering cheaper and easier-to-organize alternatives to face-to-face meetings. “A decade ago people were saying that teleconferencing was going to take a big bite out of events, but we really haven’t seen this,” she says. “These technologies have certainly enhanced business communications, but there’s a general consensus that there’s no substitute for face-to-face. People are concerned with optics, and delivering a high-quality event goes a long way in terms of driving your brand and creating business opportunities.” While hosting successful events is nothing new to Edmonton, the city’s national and international profile has risen considerably in recent years thanks to a downtown renaissance, a raft of airport expansion and other major infrastructure projects. According to Michael Sieger, director of sales and marketing for Edmonton Tourism, our city, while still a relative unknown on the international stage, is starting to gain some welcome notoriety. “We’ve got a lot going for us here,” says Sieger. “We have world-class venues like the Shaw Conference Centre and Northlands. We have a track record for exceeding expectations and our downtown is a far more exciting place to be than it was a decade ago. Our new marketing slogan, Edmonton Original, reflects this – it’s all about repositioning us as cool and original in all that we do.” Sieger adds that Edmonton’s enviable amount of urban green space, as well as its vibrant cultural scene, is a mas-

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

sive selling point in terms of landing major events. “Our river valley is totally unique; no other city has that,” he contends. “People love to work a jog into their conference schedule, especially with all that sitting down, and we’ve got the perfect setting for that. We’ve also got a culinary scene that continues to grow and a fantastic arts scene, which together with all the festivals we have here gives us a lot to offer.” That said, he asserts that more needs to be done. “We definitely need more hotel product in this city,” he states. “I’d also really like to see a free LRT zone in the downtown core like Calgary has, especially now that our downtown is so improved. Do we really want to be charging delegates to use the LRT when they could be out there exploring and creating Edmonton stories to tell?” Shortcomings aside, Sieger and Buerger assert that Edmonton is a dream city for event planners, both in terms of the volume of business and the ease of doing business. “There’s something about our character here that seems to make us cut out for this business,” Buerger contends. “I’ve been doing this work in cities across Canada, but nowhere else have I seen people rally around a common cause like people do here. Suppliers, retailers, restaurateurs, taxi companies – everybody comes together for events with none of the factionalism that you see elsewhere,” Sieger concurs. “We’re really second-to-none at pulling off great events. We just need to stay the course and work to get the word out to the world.” BIE

CPI Construction Celebrates 20 Years

Quality people, quality results, a great construction experience.

By Nerissa McNaughton

PI Construction Ltd. is proud to turn your visions into reality by providing outstanding construction experiences. Building in the commercial warehouse, industrial, suburban office, commercial retail, tenant improvement, and restoration markets, CPI guides clients through the pre-construction, construction and post construction phases of their projects. CPI’s work includes a number of Ford dealerships (Sherwoord, Waterloo, and Koch Ford), the Orion Silent Aire Facility, the Agrium Prill tower restoration, the Canadian Welding Bureau’s new training facility and the new Spruce Grove maintenance facility, among many other notable projects. As the company turns 20 this year, Business in Edmonton sat down with Stan Colville, president; Jayson Barclay, vice president and COO; Carl Semashkewich, vice president; and Sean Lazarowich, vice president preconstruction services; to discuss CPI’s past, present and future. Colville, who returned to school at the age of 25 after discovering a passion for construction, decided he wanted to be a project manager and own his own company during his time at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. In 1995, Colville formed the beginning of CPI Construction, which was part of a larger subsidiary company. In 2006 it became CPI Construction Ltd. with the current partners. At every stage in the journey, clients and stakeholders have been more than impressed with the quality of work and customer service provided by CPI.

CPI Construction Ltd.

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2 0 th A n n I v e r s A r Y

Stan Colville, Jayson Barclay, Sean Lazarowich and Carl Semashkewich

“First and foremost, no matter what project type we are pursuing, we want to provide our clients a great construction service,” says Lazarowich. “We are very service orientated. We keep everything open and clear, a belief that serves our clients in many ways, includ-

ing tackling problems head on, talking openly to our clients, being honest and forthright and having integrity,” agrees Barclay. For CPI, understanding their clients’ business is the top priority. “A common word in today’s market is collaboration,” Lazarowich confirms. “It’s the only way we work. It’s best to be at

20 Years is a true statement that CPI Construction Ltd. is an exemplary leader in the construction industry. Priority Mechanical Ltd. congratulates CPI Construction Ltd. on their continued success. We are proud to be part of their team. 9259 -35 Avenue Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5Y1 Phone: 780-435-3636 • Fax: 780-450-3550 www.prioritymechanical.com CPI Construction Ltd.

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C a n a d a ’ s

B i g g e r

G r e e n e r

D e m o l i t i o n

C o m p a n y

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2 0 th A n n I v e r s A r Y the table to discuss a project in the early design stages.” Barclay adds, “We add the most value when we build the relationship first, only then can we build their building confidently.” An example of this collaborative approach is seen in the Ford dealership projects. Sherwood Ford was, at that time in CPI’s history, a very large, highly visible project for the young company. The client was extremely happy with the results, as was Ford’s head office. Ford had set a mandate for most of the locations across the country to renovate and refresh the showrooms and offices. Following Sherwood Ford, CPI was awarded the upgrades for the Waterloo Ford and Koch Ford Lincoln buildings. “Because of a long-standing relationship with the owner, they trusted us,” smiles Semashkewich. “There were controls set out for the dealerships. Once they had an architect that had a handle on those controls, they saw the advantage in working with us.” Although CPI took on many more notable projects over the two decades, the company has never been afraid to push into new, advanced territory. For CPI, keeping ahead of the curve goes hand in hand with outstanding customer service. “Our staff keeps us on the edge of technology,” Lazarowich confirms. “The new generation entering the construction work force in the field and office is driven by technology and by having that technology available. Technology has been a big investment for CPI.” CPI has great blend of seasoned veterans and highly talented new-generation staff. To date, CPI’s largest project is the new Spruce Grove maintenance facility. An impressive 80,000 square feet, this building will ensure the city of Spruce Grove has enough space, now and in the foreseeable future, to carry out its operations. This building was built to LEED Silver requirements. Strong industry relationships that are full of respect, especially towards their subtrades and workers, have been the key

in CPI being able to sustain labour and resources for projects during the Alberta boom – a boom that means prosperity and opportunities, but at the cost of labour and resources. “It is usually difficult to get good people and retain them to build the business, but with the strong core workforce we’ve built, CPI isn’t seeing that challenge. Respect for our workers has turned back into loyalty for CPI,” says Colville. “We are in a heated economy, which is very good for business,” explains Semashkewich, “but you have to be very selective with what you go after and what you take on.” CPI will not take on a project unless it can be delivered above the owners expectations. This goes to the engrained culture that CPI has built on strong customer relationships. As Barclay points out, “We surround ourselves with industry people that are likeminded, and that goes a long way in standing behind your project across the board. Everyone is working towards a common goal.” Lazarowich explains further, “We have a strong relationship with subtrades and suppliers, so despite the challenges in the industry, they turn to us because they know and trust us. They know that we plan accordingly and are selective on who we work with. We don’t overcommit and we don’t underperform.” In addition to having a reputation for delivering high-quality projects on time and on budget, the CPI team also excels because they have passion for what they do. “Our staff is fully engaged and looks forward to meeting the clients and providing that great construction experience. Construction isn’t a simple process. It’s not as well defined as some people think and there are always challenges. We try to eliminate the client’s risk well in advance and provide them with a great product at the end of the day,” says Lazarowich. “To be able to say we have been part of Edmonton’s growth

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AltaPro Congratulates CPI Construction on 20 years of “Achieving exceptional results with your team and customers”

We are honored to be recognized as finalists for the "2014 Contractor of the Year” Trade under 15 M. We wish to thank our People who through their expertise have earned this recognition. People is our greatest asset and success is only possible with you. We also wish to thank our valued clients and contractors who have given us the opportunity to provide electrical services. Thank you for your trust and confidence in our dynamic team! CPI Construction Ltd.

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We are recognized leaders in the advancement of insulated panel technology, serving the Architectual, Commercial, Industrial & Cold Storage industries with energy efficient and cost effective insulated metal wall & roof panels.

and that something we’ve built will be standing for 30 – 40 years is something we can be proud of — being part of that growth — that, to me, is very rewarding,” smiles Colville. Edmonton’s landscape is rapidly changing thanks to a robust economy and the influx of businesses attracted to our progressive city, not to mention the many revitalization projects in progress. CPI is proud to be such a vital part of this city’s development, for the last 20 years and for many years to come. “I would like to thank all the people that are working for CPI,” concludes Colville of those that helped CPI on the path to success, “in addition to our repeat clients and core clients that we work with on a continual basis.”

Congratulations to CPI Construction on their 20 Year Anniversary!

17229 103 Ave NW Edmonton, AB T5S 1J4 (780) 436-2174 www.cpiconstruction.ca

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CPI Construction Ltd.

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SEEING THEM PAINT A BRIGHTER FUTURE WILL BE A WORK OF ART.

The Be Brave Ranch by Ray LaBonte and Family offers children who have been sexually abused and their families a place to heal, and increases childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chances of growing into healthy adults. Offering more than 200 hours of multiple therapies from art, music and play therapy to counseling and peer support, our program can, and will, help them laugh, play and be kids again. If your child has been sexually abused, please contact Little Warriors at littlewarriors.ca/BeBraveRanch.

*The Be Brave Ranch is an evidence based program designed in collaboration with University of Alberta researchers and offers over 200 hours of treatment for the child and family.

From Concept... to Completion

Jostar Interiors Ltd.: Masters of Great Design

Celebrations are planned for Jostar Interior Ltd.’s 40th anniversary. Find out what has kept this company going strong for nearly four decades.

By Nerissa McNaughton

oanna Starko has always wanted to work in the design industry. “My love of fabrics, colours and textures began with my mother, who designed and sewed clothes for our family,” explains president Starko. “This love of the industry continued in home economics in school, through the home economics program at the University of Alberta where I received my bachelor of education degree teaching home economics in Calgary, and working in the industry.” With plenty of teaching experience behind her, Starko decided to focus on design and opened Jostar Interiors in 1975. “It was a huge learning curve,” smiles Starko. “I was well versed in providing creative designs and window coverings, but developing business procedures and accounting systems was a learning curve which I worked at over the years and developed systems that worked. [In 1975] I was young, ambitious with great passion, but I was naïve. I loved what I did, but I was not prepared for the hard work, long hours, and commitment

it took to build a business as a sole owner. As well as building the business, I was raising a family with the devoted support of my husband.” This, however, didn’t slow down the energetic Starko. She rose to the challenge and 40 years later, she and her professional team are pleased to offer a full range of services that include complete renovations, 3D drawings, space planning, painting, blinds, drapery, bedding, furniture, upholstery, area rugs, accessories, art, mirrors, flooring, storage solutions, fireplaces, wall coverings, holiday decorating, real estate staging and show home setup. “Clients are delighted, as we can oversee all their interior design needs,” says Starko. “Jostar Interiors is unique as it is a design company, a retail store, and a renovation company all under one roof.” Over the years Jostar Interiors has adorned many homes with fabulous décor and designed and renovated many kitchens, bathrooms and basements with amazing results. Builders

Jostar Interiors Ltd. | 40 Years | 1

From Concept... to Completion

and developers have benefited from her talent used to showcase their model and spec homes. Additionally, for several years Jostar Interiors appeared on Help TV as part of a panel of experts that responded to called-in questions from viewers. Jostar Interior’s clients enjoy the outstanding customer service in addition to the many available services – and those clients are fiercely loyal to the value they receive. “My first client in 1975 requested custom drapery in their home,” Starko explains. “I’m happy to say that over the years, we’ve worked on every home they have moved into and are now renovating their retirement condo. It’s clients like this that we are so grateful for.” It’s easy to see why the company so easily retains their clients. Jostar Interiors is solution-oriented. For example, when a client wanted a recreation room created in her home but was taxed with a low basement ceiling, Jostar Interiors did some research and learned they could excavate the basement under the exist-

Congratulations to Jostar Interiors on your 40th Anniversary!

ing home. The client now enjoys a complete basement and the desired recreation room. Jostar Interiors works with private clients, builders, developers and renovators. Starko’s expertise has taken her as far as Costa Rica to work on a luxury condominium complex. Jostar Interiors is currently involved in a large condo project at the Botanica in St. Albert, which sits on the site of the original

Congratulations Jostar Interiors on your 40 years and we wish you many more years yet to come.

We wish you many years of continued Success! Versatile Marble & Granite 7231-156 Avenue • 780.940.7867 Jostar Interiors Ltd. | 40 Years | 2

Zoran Arar: 780.721.0564

From Concept... to Completion nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Womination, a women’s business organization. Jostar Interiors ensures a beautiful world inside and out. Inside through outstanding design, and outside by supporting several non-profit organizations and mentoring emerging designers. The University of Alberta Hospital Foundation, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada – Edmonton and Capital Region Chapter, The Ride to Conquer Cancer, Win4Skin, the Movember Foundation, Santas Anonymous and numerous community hockey and dance groups have benefited from the generosity of Jostar Interiors. As well, Jostar Interiors continues to provide mentorship and intern programs, working with the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, the University of Alberta, and Lakeland College and Art Institute of Pittsburg for emerging design professionals.

Lois Hole Greenhouse location. “The project will be amazing,” confirms Starko. “The sales centre is completed and construction is now underway for the condo complex.” Jostar Interiors was chosen as the ideal designer to work on the design of the complex as well as to help preserve and showcase the essence of the land and the warm spirt of its history. It’s a challenge the company readily accepted – and exceeded expectations. Over the years, Jostar Interiors has been recognized numerous times for their outstanding work, including nine consecutive Consumer Choice Awards and two Top Choice Awards for Interior Designer of the Year. Starko is particularly proud of the Consumer Choice Awards, as it shows the appreciation of the people she works so hard for – her clients. Starko is currently

It’s a pleasure to work with a company that treats you like a friend. Congratulations on 40 Years!!

#70, 130 Broadway blvd. Sherwood park, AB 780-467-0082 • www.sherwoodflooringltd.ca

Who celebrates our partners?

We do.

Congratulations to Jostar Interiors Ltd. for 40 years of taking Albertans’ interior dream from Concept to Completion. atb.com/business ® ATB Financial is a trade name/registered trademark of Alberta Treasury Branches.

Jostar Interiors Ltd. | 40 Years | 3

From Concept... to Completion Starko’s four decades of work. “We are becoming a resource centre for many designers as they see the benefit of working with a design company that can support their work in so many ways,” smiles the designer. As Starko looks backs over four decades of growing the business, expanding the shop and the staff, meeting challenges head on and excelling in her craft, she is grateful for all those that have supported her vision along the way. “I would like to acknowledge the work of dedicated staff, love and support of my family and the skills of our trades and suppliers. I could not have done it alone.” From Concept.. to Completion

Starko is excited to be planning her company’s 40th anniversary celebrations. It’s a true milestone and a source of pride for the company. It’s not just the clients that have benefited from

M 3

TRIPLE M HOME

Maintenance and Renovations

17440 - 104th Street Edmonton, AB T5X 5W8 Ph: 780.718.3796 Fax: 780.406.1238 tesanom@telus.net

Congratulations on your th 40 Anniversary. We look forward to working with you and your great team for many more years to come.

the Kitchen you Live in 763 0 YE LLOW HE A D TRAI L ED MO N TO N , A B 8 7 7. F LO F O R M

F LO F O R M . C O M

Jostar Interiors Ltd. | 40 Years | 4

5538 Calgary Trail NW Edmonton, AB T6H 4K1 780-435-1727 • jostar@jostar.com http://www.jostar.com

WWW.EDMONTONCHAMBER.COM

POSITIVE CHANGES AHEAD BY SIMON O’BYRNE

SIMON O’BYRNE

ommerce is no different. The member businesses of the Edmonton Chamber pursue their goals and targets to great success. Within our strong economy there are many reasons to expect that businesses and the community can adapt and react successfully to changes in the regional, national and global markets. Once again, change is coming to the Edmonton Chamber. The organization is coming to the close of its 125th anniversary. This significant milestone has been a year of transition, led successfully by James Cumming, our outgoing president and CEO. Cumming did an outstanding job of leading the Edmonton Chamber team during his tenure and initiated several projects that will have positive, longterm impacts on our membership. These initiatives touch on the way the organization communicates with its members, crafts and advocates policies, and connects with the community at large. In 2014, the Edmonton Chamber experienced our membership coming together over key policy initiatives, including our call for better cooperation between regional governments. We remain expectant of good results from our regional leaders and look forward to being a part of the process as the Capital Region board moves forward in exploring new options for regional marketing and other areas of cooperation. During the coming year, there will be more change and a building upon the current strategic direction of the organization and its membership. This important work will be led by Janet Riopel, our incoming president and CEO. Riopel is an inspired choice to lead the Edmonton Chamber. After an extensive executive search, which attracted a strong field of candidates, Riopel clearly demonstrated her capacity for the challenges of leadership and deep connections to our business community. There are tremendous opportunities in Edmonton that have the potential to transform our city with sustainable improvements in quality of life and the resilience of our economy. There are substantial investments being made in higher education, better infrastructure, community building and other initiatives that help create the business

There are tremendous opportunities in Edmonton that have the potential to transform our city with sustainable improvements in quality of life and the resilience of our economy. There are substantial investments being made in higher education, better infrastructure, community building and other initiatives that help create the business environment. environment. Even more importantly, we are able to see entrepreneurs and business people rise to the challenge of growing businesses here in Edmonton and outward into the world. This growth is happening in a range of sectors and will continue to drive our economy. The Edmonton Chamber will be working with businesses as it tackles this new growth. We will continue to advocate for policy that improves the business environment and ensures that decision makers at all three levels of government clearly hear and understand the needs of the community. The Edmonton Chamber will also continue to serve as the place where businesses comes together – to connect and to create more opportunities for tomorrow. As board chair, I look forward to welcoming Jerri Cairns, the Edmonton Chamber’s incoming 2015 board chair; and again, I thank James Cumming for his excellent work leading the organization. I am confident that as change comes to the Edmonton Chamber that Janet Riopel is the right choice to lead the organization forward. www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce invites you to attend the 2015

CMY

FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015

Honouring Northern Lights Award of Distinction Winner

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January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

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Official Nomination Form

Go Online to www.businessinedmonton.com/leaders Submissions Directions: Please complete the application in its entirety. Send the form via email to leaders@businessinedmonton.com; fax to 587.520.5701; or mail to us at: Suite 1780, 10020 - 101 A Ave. NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 3G2

Eligibility: All nominees must own, be a partner, CEO, or President of a private or public company, and be a primary stakeholder responsible for the recent performance of the company. In addition, the nominee’s company must be Calgary-based and have been in existence for a minimum of three years. Judging Panel and Criteria: The independent panel of judges will consist of a selection of successful business leaders from the community. The judges will analyze an extensive list of criteria that will include finances, strategic direction, product or service innovation, company leadership (including personal integrity, values and key employee initiatives), community involvement and philanthropic activities. As part of the judging process one or more of the judges will tour the business and meet with the nominee.

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EEDC’S VISION FOR 2015 TO BE DELIVERED AT THE IMPACT LUNCHEON ON JANUARY 13, 2015

n January 13, 2015, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) will host the annual Impact Luncheon where our president and CEO, Brad Ferguson, will check in with the business community, review EEDC’s progress and outline the vision for the year ahead. The Edmonton region is positioned to compete on a global scale, but our success depends on acting with intention. It has never been more important to get it right. Ferguson says, “In fact, 2015 will be a year where we will all compare the Edmonton that once was, to the Edmonton that now is. Our Impact Luncheon will give insights into

the changes ahead, the priorities for EEDC and the importance of moving forward with one voice for the region.” The event is sold out; however, if you were unable to purchase tickets, we still welcome you to join us online as the Edmonton Journal will be live streaming the event. More details are available at http://www.eedc.ca/thinking/impact/.

THREE EDMONTON CHEFS ARE THE FIRST TO REPRESENT ALBERTA AT THE INTERNATIONAL CHEFS CONGRESS IN NEW YORK

hree of Edmonton’s top chefs, Shane Chartrand, chef at Sage in the River Cree Resort and Casino; David Omar, executive chef at Zinc; and Brad Smoliak, cofounder of Hardware Grill and owner of culinary studio KITCHEN, became the first Alberta chefs to participate at the International Chefs Congress in New York October 2628, 2014. Only five Canadian chefs have ever participated in this prestigious gathering of 2,000 international chefs, which shares the latest techniques, culinary concepts and opportunities to collaborate with some of the most innovative chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists and sommeliers in the industry today. The theme of this year’s conference was Cooking Honest: The Power of Authenticity in the Kitchen, which is something Chartrand, Omar and Smoliak know well. Together, they showcased Alberta cuisine and Edmonton’s culinary landscape at an interactive station designed to start conversations about our authentic experience. With a focus on Alberta beef, the three chefs brought their unique skills and experience to the table, combining Chartrand’s passion for mouth-watering authentic Aboriginal cuisine, Omar’s flair for presenting the familiar in innovative ways, and Smoliak’s philosophy of experiencing food as a way of life. The result was an experience unique to our culinary scene in Edmonton that piqued the interest of the international audience. Entertainment and hospitality manager at EEDC, Jimmy Shewchuk, explains why opportunities like this are vital

CHEF SHANE CHARTRAND, CHEF DAVID OMAR AND CHEF BRAD SMOLIAK AT THEIR STATION AT THE INTERNATIONAL CHEFS CONGRESS

www.businessinedmonton.com | Business In Edmonton Magazine | January 2015

EDMONTON.COM

to raising the profile of Edmonton’s restaurant and hospitality industry. “Edmonton has a thriving food scene that isn’t afraid to try new things and different concepts. By bringing our chefs to international events like the International Chefs

Congress, we’ll start to bring some attention to the great things happening in Edmonton, and our chefs will learn new techniques and make valuable connections that will help to elevate the kinds of experiences available locally.”

SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE LANDS HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (HAC) 2016 WESTERN CONFERENCE

he Helicopter Association of Canada’s (HAC) 2016 western conference will take place at the Shaw Conference Centre November 10-14, 2016, bringing in an estimated 700 attendees representing the Canadian helicopter industry to the first HAC meeting held in Edmonton. The conference represents an estimated economic impact of $350,000 for the Edmonton Region. Cliff Higuchi, vice president and general manager of the Shaw Conference Centre says, “Major national conventions like the Helicopter Association of Canada’s 2016 western conference help showcase Edmonton-style service and creativity, in this case landing a helicopter on the convention centre’s loading dock and then moving it inside as a feature part of the HAC’s event.” Edmonton Tourism and the Shaw Conference Centre work closely together in attracting meetings and

DATES FOR RED BULL CRASHED ICE ANNOUNCED: EVENT COMES TO EDMONTON MARCH 14, 2015

ark your calendars, the Red Bull Crashed Ice event is coming out west for the first time for 2015’s season finale on March 14, 2015! With the longest track of the season from the Shaw Conference Centre down into Edmonton’s magnificent River Valley, we are ready to impress, and that means the biggest winter street party around. If your business or organization would like to get involved in ramping up excitement for this or other major events, visit http://exploreedmonton.com/ Paint-The-Town for decor and activities that you can use to make your mark.

January 2015 | Business In Edmonton Magazine | www.businessinedmonton.com

conventions to Edmonton, and in ensuring memorable and unique experiences for clients and visitors. HAC and Edmonton Tourism initially explored an interest in Edmonton as a location for the upcoming conference, and representatives from HAC came to Edmonton for a tailored site visit at the Shaw Conference Centre and city experience. Shaw Conference Centre staff even got creative by incorporating a remote control helicopter ‘drone’ into the tour of the conference facility. “Attracting an exciting convention like this is a testament to Edmonton’s strong record of hosting, and make-it-happen spirit that ensures that, from the first conversation to the event itself, clients know they are going to have a great experience in Edmonton,” says Michael Sieger, sales and marketing director, Edmonton Tourism.

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Success has never tasted sweeter.

Jacqueline Jacek | Owner, JACEK Chocolate Couture | Fashion Lover | Cocoanista

Meet Jacqueline. Like 14 per cent of business owners that plan on making a real estate investment in the next two years*, she had a big-picture vision. When she outgrew the commercial kitchen in her basement, Jacqueline stayed the course—finding the right partner to expand her chocolaterie. ATB’s expert advisors understood—and believed in—Jacqueline’s vision and helped grow her business. Today, she’s in a commercial facility with two stores. And we couldn’t be happier to support her, one hand-crafted chocolate after another. Learn more about Jacqueline at atb.com/WeGrowAlberta

Who has the recipe for expanding your small business?

We do.

BUSINESS ACCOUNTS І CASH FLOW І FINANCING І KNOW-HOW *Findings from ATB Business telephone survey of 300 randomly selected Alberta Small & Medium-sized Enterprize owners/operators, published in ATB Business Beat, February 2014.™ Trademarks of Alberta Treasury Branches.