FineLifestyles Saskatoon Summer 2010 by Fine

Spring 2010

Bema Autosport BMW

Bema Autosport BMW Saskatoon Auto Mall 607 Brand Court 1 306 955 0900 Toll Free: 1 866 695 4269 4(BMW) www.bmwsaskatoon.ca

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Feature Story Up Close and Personal with Vaughn Wyant & Lori Leach . . . . . . . . . . 10

Style

Fun with Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Experience Downtown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 EXPERT ADVICE: Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 DOWNTOWN FEATURE Carver’s Steak House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Windows and The Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 6TwelveLounge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 EXPERT ADVICE: Selecting Shirts & Ties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Behind every great pianist is a piano technician. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

The New You Stonebridge Medical & Cosmetic Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Monasa Salon & Spa. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Wheels Bema Autosport BMW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 NASCAR hits Saskatoon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Maaco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Sports, Recreation & Travel Hong Kong. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 EXPERT ADVICE: Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Riders hit the road to redemption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 EXPERT ADVICE: Warrior Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Polo: Horse-and-rider teamwork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Cirque de Soleil’s Alegria. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Future Developments at Dakota Dunes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Arts, Entertainment & Dining 60

The Willows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Bingo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Paddock Wood Brewery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Arts, Entertainment & Dining cont’d Entertainment Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Peppers Kitchen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Wine Kitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Willetts on Wine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Health & Wellness Latest Fitness Crazes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 EXPERT ADVICE: Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Sandhills Stable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 Oshun House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 EXPERT ADVICE: Healthy Pet Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 EXPERT ADVICE: Pet Health: Ticks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Kick Obesity in the Butt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 EXPERT ADVICE: Choosing Footwear. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Senior Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

House, Home & Properties Corman Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 RE/MAX Larry Stewart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 EXPERT ADVICE: Mortgages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Amazing selection in granite at amazing prices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Inexpensive and exciting “refresh” reno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Non-toxic kitchens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Pegasus Homes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Sell your home: online and privately . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Model Hardwood Floors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Landscaping from the underground up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 EXPERT ADVICE: Drainage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Cranberry Creek Estates: A new prairie haven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 EXPERT ADVICE: Buying & Selling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

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Business SABEX: Celebrate Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Polar Refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 CISV Saskatoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 EXPERT ADVICE: Cash flow is king. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165 Up close & personal with Elwood Flynn and family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Building portfolios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Invest in some peace of mind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

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Summer 2010 V O L U M E

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I S S U E

Publishers Randy Liberet Wayne UnRuh

Editor Edward Willett ewillett@sasktel.net

Logo Design Melissa Taylor meltaylor.meltmedia@gmail.com

Graphic Design

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Melissa Taylor meltaylor.meltmedia@gmail.com

A note from

Vaughn Wyant & Lori Leach

Cover Photography Lisa Landrie Photography www.shutterbugphoto.ca

Photography Lisa Landrie www.shutterbugphoto.ca Catherine Popiel Cindy Moleski Melissa Taylor Gina’s Portraits Karyn Kimberley

Contributing Writers Linda Epstein Ian Goodwillie Tobie Hainstock Jennifer Jacoby-Smith Sheena Koops Jackie Kripki G.H. Lewmer

Derryl Murphy Rod Pedersen Sherry Reid Fiji Robinson Lissa Robinson Penny McKinlay Karin Melberg Schwier

Jenn Sharp Alexandra Walld Doris Wang Edward Willett Margaret Anne Willett Darryl Yasinowski

Office Manager Tracy Shaw 306.539.8779 Tracy@FineLifestyles.ca

We’re simply honoured (and greatly humbled) to be part of this edition of Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon magazine. Saskatoon is a vibrant , beautiful and friendly city that we are proud to call home and the people, individuals and businesses featured in the following pages will demonstrate how truly dynamic our community has become. From our frenetic business lives through our relaxed leisure time, we pause to appreciate all that our city and province have to offer. We hope that you do too. –Vaughn Wyant & Lori Leach

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Advertising Consultants Allia Janzen Koback Allia@FineLifestyles.ca Brooks Yacyshyn Brooks@FineLifestyles.ca Colleen Jacobucci Colleen@FineLifestyles.ca Peter Kahenya Peter@FineLifestyles.ca Natasha Solvason Natasha@FineLifestyles.ca

Publishers Randy Liberet: 306.540.3320; Randy@FineLifestylesRegina.com Wayne UnRuh: 306.541.3365; Wayne@FineLifestylesRegina.com 3440 Balsam Grove Regina, SK S4V 2S4

Website www.finelifestyles.ca Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon is published four times a year by Fine Lifestyles Regina, Ltd. We reserve the right to edit any materials chosen for publication including photographs. We reserve the right to reject or accept any article, photograph, image or advertisement. All contents of Fine Lifestyles Regina, Ltd., are copyrighted 2009/2010 with all rights reserved, except for original articles submitted to Fine Lifestyles Regina, where copyright resides with the author. No other part of this publication may be reproduced without the written permission of Fine Lifestyles Regina or its writers. The name Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon, its logo and material cannot be reproduced without the written consent of the publishers. The views and opinions expressed in the expert advice columns herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Fine Lifestyles of Regina or the company’s they represent. The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act upon such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the

A note from

the editor

Summertime and the living is easy...especially with a new issue of Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon in your hot (well, hopefully hot, if summer weather has finally really arrived) little hands. What’ve we got for you this time? Not only a guide to all the best that Saskatoon has to offer in shopping, dining and more, but stories that run the gamut from the screaming engines of NASCAR to the dazzling acrobatics of the Cirque du Soleil. We’ve got a photo feature on May’s SABEX Awards honouring the city’s best businesses, a look at the hottest fashion trends in the city’s boutiques, and advice on how to turn your backyard from a scraggly patch of grass into an outdoor room you can enjoy all summer long. Rod Pedersen, Voice of the Riders, is on hand with his preview of the upcoming season. Can the Green and White shake the ghost of the 13th man from last year’s Grey Cup? (With two wins as I write this, I’d say, “So far, so good!”). Neither football nor NASCAR your sport? Then maybe you’re cut out for polo—we’ve got a feature on that, too. You’ll already have seen Vaughn Wyant and Lori Leach on our cover; delve inside for an upclose-and-personal interview with this dynamic couple. And then surf on over to the Business section for yet another big interview, with long-time Saskatoon men’s clothier (and jazz aficionado) Elwood Flynn. And I also highly recommend our regular wine column, “The Willetts on Wine” (I’d better, or my wife will kill me), which this issue focuses on Canadian wines and the differences between East and West. It’s all here, and a whole lot more. What could be better than Saskatoon in the summer? Saskatoon in the summer with a new issue of Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon, of course! Edward Willett

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“You have to give back” For Vaughn Wyant and Lori Leach, making Saskatoon the best it can be is a point of pride BY EDWARD WILLETT

aughn Wyant was born in Chicago and grew up in Saskatoon; his significant other, Lori Leach, was born and raised in the small town of Dinsmore; but despite their different backgrounds, they share the same work ethic (and the same zest for life). It’s an ethic that has seen both of them build their own businesses from the ground up, and together forge Vaughn Wyant Automotive Group into one of Saskatchewan’s flagship companies. Vaughn’s father, Dr. Gordon M. Wyant, was a physician interning in Chicago 10

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when Vaughn was born. Originally from Germany, he practiced medicine in Chicago after the Second World War, then moved to Saskatoon with his wife, Annie, and three children in 1954. He became a professor at the University of Saskatchewan and was the first Chief of Anaesthesia at the newly opened University Hospital (now the Royal University Hospital). Vaughn’s two younger brothers were born in Saskatoon. Vaughn attended Grosvenor Park School and then Evan Hardy Collegiate. “I left high school after a less than brilliant ac-

ademic career … but I passed,” he says. He went to Great Britain to work and travel for a year. “I started out as a labourer for a welding company,” he says. “I spent most of my time working in high-rise steel construction in London.”

“The street-smart guy” He returned to Saskatchewan to attend university, but only for a year; then it was back to London. “When I went back the second time I really tried to figure out a career path,” he notes. “Dad was an in-

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ternationally renowned doctor, Order of Canada, military man, respected to the highest degree possible, really quite intimidating. I had two older brothers who were very academic, very intelligent. I was the ‘street-smart’ guy. I had to go back and figure out a career path of success, in the shadow of two pretty dominant brothers academically and, of course, my amazing father.” He answered an ad to sell cars in north London, and found it “to be one of the easiest things I’ve ever done...I’m reasonably gifted at talking to people and selling to people. I love selling stuff. That’s been the genesis of my career.” He returned to Canada but stayed in the automotive industry, progressing from sales to management at a dealership in Vancouver. In 1980 he purchased a small Ford dealership in Carstairs, Alta. “It was a gas station more than anything else,” he says. “I did everything from pumping gas to writing service work orders and reports. I worked seven days a week.” Over the next 3 1/2 years he slowly hired

staff and successfully grew the business, acquiring more dealerships along the way. “Our growth has never been premeditated,” he says. “In Carstairs I bought a second dealership, in Beiseker, because they were a Mercury dealership and I was a Ford dealership. There were lots of Ford/Mercury combinations in Canada because Mercury Grand Marquis at the time were all the cars farmers wanted to buy. I bought it, then Ford had to give me the Mercury side in Carstairs.” The results of that expansion, he says, were not “a crowning achievement,” but he still considers the experiment worthwhile. “It showed me early on that you can’t touch everything and it turns to gold. It requires a lot of analysis of the individual market to really realize whether there’s any potential.”

Home to Saskatoon In 1983 Vaughn had the opportunity to return to Saskatoon as owner of Jubilee Ford, the dealership that remains the

foundation of his business. He has received numerous industry awards, including, in 2008, the esteemed Laureate Award from the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, judged by the Richard Ivy School of Business. That, he says, was really about Jubilee Ford. But although Jubilee Ford is the foundation of the business, Vaughn Wyant Automotive Group is much more than a Ford dealership today. In the ’90s Vaughn purchased Golden Ears Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Maple Ridge, B.C. (now Maple Ridge Hyundai), and the Jaguar and Volvo franchises for Saskatchewan. In the past few years he has added Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz and Audi to the mix in Saskatoon, as well as Volvo, Hyundai and Subaru dealerships in B.C. The newest addition: Porsche of Saskatchewan. Already on sale in a temporary show room, these super-premium German automobiles will get their own dealership in Saskatoon in 2011. Vaughn has other business interests, too,

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guy, she couldn’t keep her hands off me,” is how Vaughn describes it.) Eventually he decided he wanted to bring someone in-house to do his advertising work for Jubilee Ford, and Lori took on the challenge. “So his significant other also became in-house person for advertising and marketing,” she says.

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Kinetic founded

of course. Among other things, he’s Chairman of the Board and a partner in Great Western Brewing Company. He’s also Chairman of the Board of a privately owned insurance company headquartered in Bermuda. “That’s been a success story unlike almost anything else that we’ve done,” he notes. “Rather than giving [our insurance needs] to a third party, we own our own insurance company!”

When Vaughn met Lori “I came from a different background,” says Lori Leach. “I was born in Dinsmore, Sask., grew up on a farm, went to a rural school. I love that I had the very unique experiences of growing up in rural Saskatchewan! The lessons and values learned have served me well in life. “I did pretty well in school and at grad-

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uation had two distinct career possibilities: one in art and design, and the other in kinesiology or physical education. I was accepted to both the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary and the University of Saskatchewan here in Saskatoon, so I was very quickly at a crossroads.” She chose to stay in Saskatoon, graduating with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. “I worked in my discipline for a time but was drawn back to my other great love—art and design.” She got her on-the-job education working on for McKay Goettler and Associates, now MGM Communications, for five years. It was there, in the late 1980s, that she met Vaughn, who was one of the firm’s major clients. (“She saw this sharp

As his “dealership empire” grew, Lori notes, so did the level of her work. “Life got busier as a one-person operation, so in 2000 I incorporated my own design firm, called Kinetic.” Kinetic now employs six people. “We do all of the advertising and marketing and media planning for the Vaughn Wyant Automotive Group, but also graphic design, advertising, marketing and web development for a varied list of clients. We extended our reach, and it’s very exciting,” Lori says. “The automotive industry is a major player for Kinetic, but it’s great to expand our scope and offer opportunities for my employees to become an important part of the business. My life is not only running my own firm but, with Vaughn and his much larger business and social activities, trying to balance our personal and business lives.” “Lori’s story is one of equal success,” Vaughn makes clear. “She’s a real entrepreneur in her own right.”

But what do they do for fun? It’s pretty obvious Vaughn and Lori spend a lot of time working. But when they aren’t? “We have a cottage in northern Saskatchewan where we spend a great deal of our leisure time. It provides me with that release in doing mechanical and manual labour, which I love,” Vaughn says. “We love to golf, but we don’t enjoy enough of it,” he continues. “We like to golf and relax, because the rest of our life is complete pandemonium—completely out of control. We’re both Type A personalities.”

Family life Vaughn, who is divorced, has three children. Philip, 28, is the oldest. “He’s our lead financial guy (CA), and works as an understudy to our Chief Financial Officer,” Vaughn says. “He’s being groomed to take over as CFO.” Michael, 27, studied automotive marketing and finance at Georgian College in Ontario and graduated from Northwood University in Michigan with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and is general sales manager for all the Vaughn Wyant dealerships in Saskatchewan.

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Although they enjoy many great restaurants in Saskatoon, Vaughn notes that since he travels so much he’s constantly eating out. “One of my great loves is, ‘You mean I can be home tonight? Eat snacks and actually watch TV?’ My favourite restaurant is at home, a glass of wine…no need to be anywhere else.” Lori agrees. “Some of our favourite time is just the two of us at home or time spent with close friends. We like to get together, share times with lots of laughter…at our home or at our cottage in northern Saskatchewan. Those are the moments we truly treasure.” They both enjoy concerts, the Jazz Festival, etc. but Lori notes, “Occasionally we miss out because of Vaughn’s hectic travel schedule. It can be difficult to capture Vaughn!” They’re tremendous sports fans. They have Rider season tickets and trying to attend games as often as possible. One game they always make (which, alas, doesn’t always involve the Riders) is the Grey Cup. “Wherever located, Grey Cup games are a family holiday for us,” Vaughn says. Although Vaughn likes to see a few sights when he’s travelling, generally his business travel is all about meetings, “just trying to get in and get out,” as he puts it. “I’m going to Toronto tomorrow on business, then a meeting in Saskatoon Friday, then Indiana on Saturday and back home on Sunday,” he describes by way of example.

“My daughter, Melissa, is 24 and just married to a young man who works for me,” Vaughn says. “She’s a hair stylist, trained at Vidal Sassoon in London, and a makeup artist.” She operates Salon Twist. Lori and Vaughn both love animals, especially dogs. “We have one now, a black-and-white English Springer Spaniel named Wally. We had two dogs for a long, long time, but they eventually get old, like people,” Vaughn says. “A dog is a big part of the family,” Lori says, and adds, “Wally keeps us grounded. It’s calming. If you have a bad day, he can make you feel a lot better off. The love and adoration are unconditional.”

Giving back to the community Vaughn and Lori are involved in many Saskatoon charities. In fact, says Vaughn, “There aren’t too many causes we’re not involved with, in some shape or form.” Among those: the Sherbrooke Community Centre, the United Way, the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Saskatchewan, the Saskatoon City Hospital Foundation, the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, the Royal University Hospital Foundation, the University of Saskatchewan and many more. Vaughn has also served as president of the Saskatoon Club, the Riverside Golf Club and the Saskatchewan Motor Dealers’ Association.

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“The fact of the matter is that we’re a small community and I believe it’s a corporate responsibility to pay your dues,” he says. “I just don’t think you can take out of a community. You have to give back, you have to show responsibility to your employee group, your colleagues and your families. You need to leave your community better than it was when you got there. It’s a point of pride.” Vaughn takes pride in running businesses that are good to their employees. “We have very little staff turnover and I think this can be traced to the kind of organization we are: people whom employees want to work for, who think about their communities and have a social conscience. I think these are everyone’s responsibility. “My Dad was a Holocaust survivor, my mom came from very humble beginnings in rural England—very basic English village farmers,” Vaughn continues. “It’s not atypical of many people who live in this part of the world. They have a work ethic that is inherent…it’s just there. It’s not something you acquire.” He laughs. “It’s like my stunning good looks. I just came by them honestly. I was born with that…. and my humility, too!” Lori echoes that thought (well, about the work ethic, anyway). “Coming from a rural background, a work ethic is understood. It’s just something you have. You undertake projects wholeheartedly, 150 percent, without second thought, for the reasons Vaughn mentioned: to make our community and province a better place to live. We’re very proud of this place we call home. “When we travel, then return to Saskatoon, it reinforces how lucky we are to have what we have, the type of community, the friends and colleagues, the environment we are so fortunate to share. There are lots of beautiful places in the world, but we think Saskatoon is without a doubt the best.” fls

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feature story

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Fun with fashion Summer is the time to experiment with colour and style BY JENN SHARP

sk people in Saskatoon their favourite season and most will say summer. It’s the time to eat on patios, barbecue, dance under the stars and hit the beach. It’s also the season of weddings, parties and family gatherings. Finding appropriate clothing for the different events of summer can be challenging, but it’s also the best time of year to experiment with colour and change up your style. Dresses are always the focus of every season at Tonic in downtown Saskatoon, but never more so than during the fun summer fashion season. Roxanne Woodley opened the store in 2001 and says ladies of all ages continually request dresses for special occasions. The best part about Tonic is you likely won’t have to worry about seeing your special

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dress on anyone else. Woodley says they only order one of each size from each of the 15 companies they work with, but get a few shipments each week so there’s always something new in store. She says to watch for more muted colours this summer in shades like magenta and navy. These versatile pieces can be worn into the fall. Bright and bold are, of course, also in for summer, so look for jade green or bright blue and orange. Flower patterns are the essence of summer and are big this year, as are throwbacks to nautical and ’50s glamour styles. “The sophisticated cuts like a sweetheart neckline and fitted waist” lend well to a ’50s pin-up look, says Woodley. Her bestselling items for summer are belts, and they’re a great way to change your look completely or to add punch to your

wardrobe. “Belts come in lots of trendy colours,” which allows for experimentation, says Woodley. She adds that regardless of age, leggings are still in style and can be used to make a short dress or long shirt more modest or as a way to modernize your wardrobe. Tonic offers leggings in all colours, including denim and thicker, textured styles. Another great place for ladies’ fashions in Saskatoon is the Broadway district, home to Sandbox in the City. Juanita Schindel, along with her sister Colleen Tait, opened the second location of the store nearly four years ago after their first store became successful in Waskesiu. Sandbox specializes in jeans, dresses, suits, accessories and jewellery. Schindel’s top picks for summer include the casual, fun and trendy fit of boyfriend

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style

Summer fashion trends for men: • slim-fitting suits and shorter jackets; • slim ties; • textured suit jackets which can be broken up and worn with jeans; • vests as a separate item to wear with jeans; • turquoise, deep hot pink and French blue are the hot colours; • simple and clean skate shoes for casual looks; • dressier shoe for slim jeans and pants.

• hints of nautical styles and ’50s pin-ups (tiny stripes and polka dots or sweetheart necklines and fitted waists); • military-inspired dresses—think epaulettes and double pockets; • bright, flower patterns; • boyfriend jeans; • long, loose vests; • magenta, navy, mustard yellow, electric blue and jade green are the trendy summer colours; • wedges and strappy sandals; • both neutral and fluorescent colours are hot in footwear.

jeans: “They’re relaxed and comfortable and look good on most bodies.” Look for long and loose fitting cotton vests to wear over T-shirts and leggings or jeans. She recommends bright patterns over solids and says to experiment with “what looks good on you—summer is a great time to experiment with colour.” One of the most important things you can put on is something people will never see but will make you feel secure and confident. Schindel swears by the Yummy Tummy line of tank tops they carry in the store because they “smooth out that bump in the middle of the stomach.” The top of the garment looks like a regular tank top

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Summer fashion trends for women:

while the middle smoothes and the bottom tucks into jeans and “stays put!” She says women often wear tops that are too short for them and that Sandbox offers a wide array of different-coloured tanks that can be worn underneath your regular shirts. They will help “elongate your top half and won’t cut you in half...they can help open up a blouse or sweater.” All-important in completing summer fashion statements are the shoes. Schindel says to pay close attention to where your hem lines fall. Women need a longer pair of pants that can be worn with heels and a shorter pair for flats. “You can’t have one

pair for everything!” she laughs. Trena Mierau of Fixation Shoes couldn’t agree more and says her store offers a startlingly wide variety in footwear options. Fixation opened in November 2008 and stocks unique and higher-end labels. Mierau says that cork-look wedges are big for summer this year and are nice for weddings or outdoor events because “the heels won’t go through the grass.” Strappy elements for sandals are always popular and this year neutrals are all the rage. “They elongate the legs...the lighter the better—black shoes make feet look heavy in summer.” Bright colours like

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orange and fluorescents are also great choices. While Mierau says men’s footwear choices don’t change as much as women’s, she still encourages men to come down to Fixation and try on the new styles. “Guys generally don’t like shopping too much. They need to find a place they feel comfortable buying shoes!” Fixation carries dressier men’s lines like Steve Madden and some with crazy patterns and colours as well. Skate shoes have long been a popular choice in Saskatoon for men, and Mierau agrees, saying, “They’re casual and simple and give guys the look they really like—streamlined but comfy.” Barry Flynn, owner of Ultimo Euromoda since 1989, is all about breaking men out of a fashion rut and helping them look their best for work and play. Flynn has always had an eye for fashion and stocks lines that are exclusive to Saskatoon and much of Canada. Ultimo is one of only eight dealers in Canada to stock the exclusive Italian Belstaff line of outerwear, worn by the likes of Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt and George Clooney. During the 2007 Juno Awards in Saskatoon, Ultimo Euromoda was the exclusive supplier to the stars and was open 24 hours for private appointments. Flynn says the top-selling items during the Junos were Belstaff and the line remains one of his best. He’s also proud to carry Dirk Dikkemberg, a line from the former professional Belgian soccer player. Dikkemberg T-shirts were in the swag bags handed out to soccer stars at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Flynn says the T-shirts in the line are “very interesting and have fantastic detail.” Ultimo also carries a wide variety of suits at price points that won’t break the bank, especially if you’re looking for a single-occasion use, such as a wedding or graduation. Flynn says to look for slim-fitting summer suits in textures that allow for versatility. A textured jacket can be worn with a dressy jean and open-collared shirt for a more casual look, opposed to a smooth and shiny jacket that can only be worn as part of a suit. Vests are also a great option to pair with denim. Look for accent colours in shades of turquoise, deep hot pink or French blue in everything from linen shirts to ties and socks. Ties are also becoming much slimmer to match the smaller lapels and shoulders of jackets. For casual looks, Flynn says to expect metal preppy to catch on this summer and carry into fall. Think of Ralph Lauren Polo shirts but with a metal medallion instead of the embroidered pony. “The shift is towards a cleaner look...there’s a drop-off in overdone, graphic T-shirts.” Flynn says the biggest mistake many men make is wearing clothes that are too big. “Try something on and size it down until you can’t flex your body—then go one size up,” he recommends. “Guys get lost in clothing in a hurry, especially if they’re less than six feet... our job is to fit clothes to a man’s body.” And why should men and women care so much about their appearance? Simple, says Flynn: “When you look good, you do good; and success will follow.” fls

| Spring 2010

style: downtown feature

Experience downtown Shopping, dining, festivals and more— it’s all downtown this summer BY FiJi RoBiNSoN “Saskatoon Shines” this summer—and no matter what your interests, there is lots to see and do. Start with the shopping. Second Avenue and 21st Street are alive and thriving with the very best in fashion, one-of-a-kind shops, and friendly services, while Midtown Plaza’s 130 stores and amenities means you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for. The Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, located at the corner of 19th Street and Avenue B, is the place to be on Wednesdays and Saturdays to purchase local farm-fresh produce, handicrafts and homemade baking. Because the members of this cooperative market “make it—bake it—grow it—sell it,” you’re assured of the highest-quality products. Speaking of great grub, Saskatoon’s multicultural population has given rise to wonderful restaurants featuring foods from around the world. Whether you’re looking for haute cuisine, ethnic specialties or the best in burger joints, there is something for everyone’s taste buds in downtown Saskatoon. Incredible taste treats are also to be found at the A Taste of Saskatchewan food festival July 20 to 25, one of Saskatoon’s most highly anticipated annual events. Located in Kiwanis Park, between the Delta Bessborough Hotel and the Vimy Memorial Bandshell, A Taste of Saskatchewan is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year with more than 30 of Saskatoon’s finest restaurants serving up their house favourites. Be there to catch Saskatchewan’s premier bands and performers as they entertain throughout the festival.

PHOT OGRAPHY BY MEL ISSA TAY L OR

Picnics, parades and classic cars The family will love Kinsman Park for great picnics, ball games and leisurely strolls. The park’s old-fashioned merry-go-round and CN/CP train have been family favourites for years, while younger children will love the Kinsmen Play Village’s creative playground, foam forest and shallow leisure pool with a tot-sized water slide. Supervision at the Play Village is provided from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week through the summer and, best of all, admission is free! Whether you’re a kid or just young at heart, you’ll want to take in the Exhibition Parade on August 10. It is the kick-off to Saskatoon’s Exhibition and features marching bands, colourful floats, vintage automobiles, clowns, jugglers and horseback riders as it winds its way through downtown Saskatoon. This year’s Rock 102 Cruise Weekend will present more than 900 classic cars, trucks and motorcycles

Spring 2010

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style: downtown feature on display throughout downtown Saskatoon, August 21 through August 23 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The event is expected to span more than 10 city blocks between First and Third Avenues. Visitors will be sure to enjoy the numerous bands scheduled to perform throughout the show and are invited to take in The Partnership and Hub City Optimist Club Pancake Breakfast on August 3. Saskatoon has been busy keeping history alive and visitors will be impressed to learn of the restoration and redevelopment of some of Saskatoon’s historic downtown buildings, including the King George Hotel, the Fairbanks-Morse Warehouse and the Rumley Lofts, now or soon-to-be downtown residential accommodations.

Beautiful art, beautiful scenery For art lovers, the Mendel Art Gallery is Saskatoon’s premier destination for contemporary and historical art. Its permanent collection includes more than 5,000 local, regional, and national works of art. In addition, visitors can browse the Gallery Shop, relax in the Civic Conservatory, or enjoy tasty treats and terrific coffee at the Museo Café. Admission is free. “Meewasin,” the Cree word for beautiful, says it all when it comes to the South Saskatchewan River Valley. Whether you’re enjoying an ice cream cone at Rivers Landing, strolling along the valley’s pathways or enjoying the view from a horse-drawn carriage, it’s all “meewasin.” A visit to the Meewasin Valley Centre, located at the foot

LISA LANDRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

of the Victoria/Traffic Bridge, offers hands-on exhibits, tourist information, a gift shop, walking tours and special events, all dedicated to conserving the natural and cultural heritage resources of Saskatoon and surrounding area. And, of course, no trip to Saskatoon would be complete without a cruise on the river aboard the Meewasin Queen or the Shearwater River Cruise flagship, the Saskatoon Princess. Both passenger vessels afford the perfect one-hour excursion for family and friends. Four trips are made daily from the wharf behind the Mendel Gallery in the afternoon and evening at 1:30, 3, 4:30 and 7 p.m. between May 15 and September 6 (Labour Day). Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking advantage of some of the best in retail shopping, wining and dining at one of the many excellent restaurants, or simply taking the time to relax and enjoy the history and scenery, downtown Saskatoon is yours to enjoy! fls

Janie Rose Personal shopper & Fashion wardrobe consultant

style

306.261.6814 janierose@sasktel.net

FASHION

y name is Janie Rose, and I’m a Personal Shopper and Fashion Wardrobe Consultant based in Saskatoon.

have fallen totally in love with them. Tahitian pearls can be silver, charcoal, or a multitude of colours, with the dominant colour being green, and shine like petrol. These pearls can truly be your wardrobe’s best friend, because they pick up on whatever colour you are wearing. A string of Tahitian pearls can simply be worn with a shirt and jeans, or when you’re dressed up for a gala event. Either way, the look is classic beauty. Tahitian-pearl necklaces and bracelets are also available for men. My favorite has a pearl in the centre and is strung on a thin braided leather rope, which gives it a sexy surfer look.

I studied Fashion Marketing, Design and Personal Shopping/Fashion Consulting at Istituto Marangoni in both the Milan and London locations. I returned home to Saskatoon, where I worked in and managed some of Saskatoon’s trendiest boutiques. Now, having seven years of education and experience combined, I have begun my own venture. The one thing I love most about what I do is to help others feel the best they can, now. Here is some expert advice to help make your decision-making a little easier and give you some ideas for your current wardrobe.

Plaid for men. I know that plaid has been going strong for the past few seasons, but I still really dig it, especially for men. My favorite design duo, Dean and Dan Caten of DSquared, did a lot of plaid detailing for their S/S ’10 collection. The inspiration was the great outdoors, which was clearly taken from their homeland of Canada. I like the idea of layering a plaid shirt under a cardi or hoodie, over a tee, on a tie or as a dress shirt under a

Loafers. I really love my metallic-gold Michael Kors loafers this season. Metallic flats are a must in a woman’s wardrobe because they are easy to wear and go with everything— and, even better, in a cute loafer style! There are also super-nice men’s styles by Frye available. The men’s loafers are black or brown leather, with modern updates on the detailing. These shoes will give you that casually cool look while hitting up all the sweet summer festivities around Saskatoon. (Note: to be worn sans socks!) Tahitian pearls. I feel as though lately I am often coming across Tahitian pearls, and I

| Spring 2010

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Navy. I’m really feeling the colour navy right now, and it’s all over the latest runway shows. Navy is a primary colour that works on all skin tones and is a great substitute for black. Actually, according to Vogue, “Navy is the new black.” This is good news for people with fair, soft and warm complexions, because black is not in your primary palette. (Of course you can still wear black; however, it is best worn away from the face and with softer colours which complement your colouring.) And, contrary to popular belief, navy is stylish worn with black! Look for navy in shoes, bags, ties and scarves, as it is also a great colour for accessorizing.

blazer for a more formal look. A bolder and bigger plaid is especially good for those with a smaller upper body, because it will help make you look broader. A smaller print or a dark plaid will help balance a larger upper body and camouflage any extra in the midsection. If you’re already following the rules, keep up the good work! Short printed skirts. A really cute summer look this season is a short circle skirt in a print, anything from floral to bold graphics. The great thing is that you can wear these skirts high- or low-waisted, depending on what best suits your body type. Since the skirts are above the knee, be conscious of the length—keep it longer than where your fingertips end with arms straight. The printed skirts look great with a plain-coloured top tucked in, and a solid light summer blazer. If you have any questions or would like more information about my services, please feel free to contact me via email at janierose@sasktel.net, or by phone at 261-6814. fls

PHOT OGRAPHY BY GINA’ S PORT RAIT S

Carver’s Steakhouse A classic seafood-and-steak house with a contemporary twist BY LISSA ROBINSON

arver’s Steakhouse in the Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel is a contemporary incarnation of a classic seafood-and-steak house. Awardwinning Executive Chef Robin Andreas and Sommelier Jayce Tomyn indulge their guests with an intimate ambience, handcrafted cuisine and an unparalleled wine list. Enhanced by impeccable service, Carver’s offers more than one compelling reason to return. Steak is the predominant fare. Ask anyone who has been to Carver’s and they’ll tell you there is nothing in Saskatoon that compares with it—it’s the best steak in the city. There are also seafood favorites and original takes on some classic dishes like veal, chicken and lamb. From Filet Mignon to Roasted Prime Rib, the Canadian AAA Sterling Silver beef is minimally aged 28 days, and grilled to perfection. But don’t start there! The appetizer and salad offerings are lush indulgences. You won’t want to miss the Prawn and Scallop Tournedos and Carpaccio Beef, and the fresh Malpeque Oysters and P.E.I. Mussels, flown in on ice. Other not-to-miss highlights include the traditional tableside preparation of dishes

like Caesar salad and Steak Diane, as well as spectacular dessert creations. Carver’s friendly servers will skillfully work their wooden spoons and bowls, dishing out great Caesar salads that are as fresh as they are delicious. To accompany your course, select a glass or bottle of wine from an extensive list crafted for a myriad of food-wine experiences. And if you don’t know what to order, our sommelier will happily guide you to a choice. You might also be intrigued to learn that Carver’s serves all of its wines in Riedel Crystal, which enhances their flavour. The nuances of a complex red wine might unfold and beguile in the appropriate glass, but turn harsh and closed in another. Tomyn’s knowledge of wine is exceptional, and equally impressive is the immense pleasure he takes in assembling a wine list that will accommodate a diversity of tastes, food pairings and budgets. All the major world varietals are represented, and an offering of vintage wines you won’t find anywhere else. One of Carver’s best-kept secrets is that it is licensed to off-sell these gems right from its cellar. Carver’s wants to be your first choice for

your “just because” occasion place. The menu, selection and prices have made it possible to choose Carver’s for more than just the special times. Staff members are dedicated to making the most of the moment, whether it’s for work or pleasure. They want you to rediscover the experience Carver’s has to offer! Carver’s is excited to unveil Hampton’s, the new private room for groups, able to accommodate up to 24 people. This room is perfect for corporate dinner parties, cocktail receptions and small meetings. Pairing great wine with great food is a passion at Carver’s. Indulge your taste buds for all occasions! Carver’s Steakhouse is open Monday to Sunday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations are recommended. Call 652-6770 and ask for Extension 3317 to make your reservation. fls Carver’s Steakhouse Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel 612 Spadina Cres. E. 652-6770

style: downtown feature

A spectacular view, fresh food and exceptional staff BY LISSA ROBINSON

his sun-drenched modern eatery on the main level of the Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel serves a mix of freshly prepared dishes and is the perfect place for any meal—morning, noon and night. Boasting an impressive menu of dishes created by award-winning Executive Chef Robin Andreas, both Windows and The Express offer a tantalizing array of specialties for breakfast, lunch and dinner that are international, fresh and seasonally inspired. Inside, the restaurant presents a modern, light-hearted

atmosphere with warm wood finishes and a spectacular view of the river. Like many people working and living downtown, Windows and The Express have been a daily part of my coffee and lunch ritual for years. Along with serving a great selection of Starbucks beverages, the Express and Windows staff are exceptional in their ability to make you feel at home by greeting you by name, and, of course, with their waves, hellos and friendly smiles. One of those familiar faces is Manager Janay Pryznyk, who has been a part of the Sheraton Cavalier team for 12 years now and is passionate about its focus on family, offering fresh foods and ensuring staff treat visitors like guests in their own home. The Windows breakfast menu offers a fun and delicious mix of cold and warm dishes like Scrambled Croissant, Breakfast Banana Split or your own omelet creation. Or enjoy Saskatoon’s best downtown weekend buffet, without the downtown prices, where the choices are endless! For lunch and dinner, you can choose from a selection of fresh salads or starters like Caesar salad (topped with grilled trout), Ale-Steamed Mussels and a warm Pita and Dip Trio. Other items include delectable sandwiches like the Roasted Vegetable Panini or Prime Rib Melt, and hearty entrées like Penne Chicken Milano and a Beef Tenderloin Brochette.

PHOT OGRAPHY BY GINA’ S PORT RAIT S

Windows and The Express

If you are looking for a healthy breakfast or lunch on the go, then Express is definitely a must. The service is quick and includes items like a Scrambled Croissant, Banana-Berry Parfait or made-toorder sandwiches like a Pastrami and Swiss on Rye. Whether you ‘re looking for a romantic atmosphere, a quiet spot for a business meeting or a casual family meal out, Windows will hit the right note. The prices are refreshingly moderate, and it’s a great value for families with its selection of kids’ meals, all listed on a fun menu with colouring and puzzles. No matter what time of day, dining is guaranteed to be a pleasure. And oh, what a view! Windows is open Monday to Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. fls Windows and The Express Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel 612 Spadina Cres. E. 652-6770

PHOT OGRAPHY BY GINA’ S PORT RAIT S

6TwelveLounge Experience true cocktail culture at Saskatoon’s best cocktail lounge BY LISSA ROBINSON

oted the best lounge by Planet S readers in 2010, this intimate and upbeat lounge is a must-go destination. With its impressive roster of cocktails, rich tapas-style dishes and servers with a keen knowledge and passion for food and drink, 6Twelve Lounge is sure to leave you wanting more. Its unique cocktail menu features Bar Chef and Manager Steve Nydell’s own creations—based on contemporary classics, but with a creative twist. Pick your potion and watch as the bartender passionately measures, stirs, and serves up the perfect cocktail. Tucked in behind Carver’s at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel, 6TwelveLounge is a rare and hidden gem. The bar is stocked with a myriad of fresh ingredients—from the freshly muddled berries and fruits used in its new Summer Menu to the fresh stock of cucumber, mint and blackberries used in its Original Mojitos. One look behind the bar reveals the level of detail and care that is given to each and every creation. Watching Steve create cocktails was the perfect way to pass the time as I sat and sipped my drinks. I was particularly impressed to see that 6Twelve has a unique

selection of house-infused spirits. I was looking forward to trying the baconand-pepper-infused vodka Caesar. It is a meal in itself, served with a skewer of smoked Gouda, olive, cherry tomato and beef jerky. This drink is rightfully named the Crazy Mary, and has a true cult following. Another one of my favorites is the Beetnik, a refreshing and earthy mix of lemon- , apple- and beet-infused vodka balanced perfectly and shaken into a martini. Another that you should try is the Lola Blue. It isn’t possible to go beyond perfection, but this drink makes a valiant attempt, with just the right balance of tart lemon and a sweet blueberry-infused Amaretto. If all of this doesn’t already have you planning your next evening out, then consider the fact that 6Twelve proudly shares its dinner menu with Carver’s Steakhouse. Executive Chef Robin Andreas serves up his amazing dishes of aged Sterling Silver steaks, and specialties like Saskatchewan Steelhead Trout (served over a green coconut curry, with seared butternut squash and parisienne potatoes) or Tea-Smoked Duck Breast

(with a yam potato cake, roasted Napa cabbage and sun-dried cherry-plum wine reduction). The menu also offers some lighter fare, with an impressive array of tapas-style plates which includes a Saskatoon Roll and Pickerel Dumplings (smoked steelhead trout and avocado wrapped in nori with fresh pickerel dumplings served in a ponzu sauce) or the Braised Bison Short Ribs (apple cider-braised bison short ribs over roasted Granny Smith apples and barbecue sauce) amongst many others, all of which promise to keep you in a warm glow as you enjoy another cocktail. The food is as delectable as the menu describes, and the cocktails are truly out of this world. The only trouble might be choosing what to try next. Whether you want to be seduced with the magic of the green fairy with the traditional absinthe service or just enjoy sipping one of 6Twelve’s refreshing seasonal creations, you will be hooked and certain to return several times this summer. When the leaves fall, and with every season, you are invited to see what creations 6Twelve comes up with next. fls 6TwelveLounge Sheraton Cavalier Saskatoon Hotel 612 Spadina Cres. E. 652-6770 www.6twelvelounge.ca Also on Facebook

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Rodger Jeffrey & Dennis Carson

style

The Dresser Fashions For Men

EXPERT ADVICE

306-222-3095

SELECTING SHIRTS & TIES

nvesting in quality shirts and ties is essential because they are an integral part of your wardrobe. Possessing a variety of shirts makes it easier to get the most from your suits. Because of their frequent wear, we recommend a minimum of five shirts per suit.

you the flexibility and diversity you should be seeking from your wardrobe. A simple change in the colour or pattern of your shirt accentuates different colours in the tie and creates a whole new look. By purchasing shirts and ties that can work together with your suits, you are able to create an endless variety of looks for maximum, long-term wear. A manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tie is his way of introducing himself. The tie should be the first thing one sees, followed by the shirt and, finally, the suit. One should have a minimum of one tie per shirt. As we approach the wedding season, it is important that the groom is as unique and show-stopping as the bride. Traditionally, a groom and his attendants have been dressed to match. Alternatively, dressing to pair rather than to match creates diversity and distinctiveness. We encourage grooms to select ties that have the same pattern in different colours or, conversely, to choose different patterns in the same colour. Your shirts should always be laundered after every wear, regardless of the length of time worn, because natural body oils accumulate on the shirt, especially at the collar and cuff. Because of this, shirts cannot

There are three key features to consider when selecting a shirt: fabric, fit and colour. Your choice of fabric is essential. You want to choose a shirt made of all-natural cotton rather than a synthetic blend so that it is breathable. For ultimate comfort, this is especially important when pairing the shirt with a breathable suit so that body heat isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trapped within the shirt. When choosing fabrics, a higher thread count depicts incomparable quality and is breathable and softer to the touch. There is also a greater sheen to the shirt. Despite the conceived advantages of anti-wrinkle fabrics, an authentic quality shirt should and will have a natural wrinkle to it.

Colour is another significant element when selecting your shirts. In the spring and summer, light and airy shades are fresh and less heavy-looking, while deeper, stronger colours gain more popularity in winter. A range of colours, such as blues, mauves and pinks, for example, will give

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The majority of people are choosing shirts that are too large for them, causing them to look heavier than they are. When wearing a fitted suit, it is important to pair it with a fitted shirt. This will create a smooth, clean line and allow for more fluid movement. In addition, a fitted shirt has less fabric, which means it is less likey to wrinkle. During the day, your shirts can be a bit more relaxed and flexible. Your shirt should be more fitted and refined for evening wear. Having additional shirts at the office allows you to change into a fresh shirt and tie for the evening, taking the corporate edge off of your work wear.

simply be refreshed. Shirts can be dry cleaned or laundered at home. If laundered at home, shirts should be hung to dry and steamed out. When purchasing shirts and ties, it is important to consider how the colours and fabrics are chosen by the store and how often the collection is updated. You want to be particular with your choices in order to remain consistent with the quality of your look. Italian-made shirts such as Giordano Firenze and Valentino are trademarks of quality. A store with an exclusive selection ensures that you are not purchasing garments which have been reproduced. While pairing shirts and ties can be intimidating, we encourage you to follow your instincts and allow your personality to come through. With proper care and consideration, a quality assortment of shirts and ties can prepare you for any occasion and keep you looking your best for years to come. For more information on what The Dresser can do for you, be sure to visit our website at www.thedresser.ca. fls

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Billy Joel, Liberace, Angela Hewitt... Behind every great pianist is a piano technician

e has tuned concert pianos for Billy Joel, Liberace, Angela Hewitt and many more of the most famous artists in classical and pop music. Yet few outside of the industry have heard of Roger Jolly, piano technician. He's comfortable with the anonymity of the job. “As a top-flight concert technician,” he says, “you park your ego at the door and are content with being faceless, stage left. You are there to serve the pianist and the music.” Though he has taken some short factory courses and had a few mentors, Jolly is largely self-taught. He says his skill as a tuner is the ability to read between the lines and read bodies on the piano bench. “It's amazing how much I pick up from body language. If a pianist shakes their hands, my alarm bells

| Spring 2010

go off. What? Is the touch heavy? Is it light? Is he tired? Did the flight get to him or is the piano getting to him? I'm not afraid to ask the question and I don't take the answer personally.” Jolly has worked with so many famous pianists that he says it's difficult to find one for his wish list. When pressed, he admits he'd like to partner again with Canadian pianist Angela Chang, who did all the Beethoven concertos with the Regina Symphony a few years ago, a mammoth undertaking. “That was a fun gig because she worked so hard that she pushed my buttons and made me work hard. I've kind of seen her grow up to be a great international star, and I always think she's kind of special.” “But,” he adds matter-of-factly, “other than that, a gig is a gig.”

What is a piano technician? In its simplest form, a piano is a collection of keys connected to felt-covered hammers. When a key is pressed, its hammer strikes a corresponding steel string. When the hammer rebounds, the vibration of the steel string is transmitted through a sounding board that transfers the acoustic energy to the air to be heard as sound. Before a piano player takes the stage, their instrument will have just spent up to two hours being carefully tuned. The piano technician must understand the

“

The more you raise the standards, the healthier business becomes.

”

construction of the instrument, with its roughly 2,000 moving and vibrating parts, and have an excellent ear for pitch and tune. Concert A or Middle A serves as the standard for musical pitch. It is notoriously difficult for most people to distinguish—or even to measure electronically—because it is actually, in layman's terms, a combination of several frequencies. Jolly says many of the top concert technicians—including him—do not play the piano. He says that is a benefit. “I tend to be very analytical. Note by note. Approach the piano one note at a time, one finger at a time. It's a very patient sort of one-on-one test. If you go through the piano 88 times to make sure everything is exact, you end up with very few complaints from the pianist.” For their essential, but largely anonymous, work, piano technicians might receive thanks from the artist or a credit on the back of a record jacket. The real reward, says Jolly, is being involved in the field of music. “Human beings are tied to music whether they want to admit it or not. It's possibly the world's first recreational activity, you know, primitive man taking a piece of stick and banging it on a log rhythmically. They were certainly doing that before they laid out a soccer pitch.”

The rise to the top Thirty-five years ago, Roger Jolly was a trained engineer tired of sitting in an office, and dreaming of a more peopleoriented career. As a singer, he naturally gravitated toward the music business. While watching piano technicians at work, he felt he could do a better job. “Being trained as a singer, you learn very quickly about tone and about projection, and that's what I work with on a piano.” In May 1980 Roger and his wife Marie opened their first Yamaha Piano Centre store in Saskatoon. In competition with nine other stores, the Jollys worked tirelessly to make inroads in sales and servicing, and show the teaching and technical communities that they were

operating at the highest level of technical service. Once word got out, says Jolly, business took off, and the couple opened a second store in Regina. Over the past three decades, Jolly has been salesman, technician, rebuilder and designer, and earned world renown. His reputation makes him an in-demand speaker at prestigious institutions, universities, and major international conferences and workshops, where he lectures and gives master classes. He has even developed a new way of making bass strings that can generate more power out of the bottom end of the piano. They are euphemistically referred to in the industry as “Jolly Loops”, and have received international attention. “To the point,” exclaims Jolly, “that a Czechoslovakian company has copied the idea, as well as a major American company, and a Korean company that I do regular consultancy work for.”

High standards As technical design consultant for the world's largest piano manufacturer, Samick Music Corporation, Jolly was given free reign to upgrade the design and manufacturing of the company's Knabe grand pianos. The case and belly work is done in Samick's factory in Asia, which uses computer-driven equipment for superior quality. Production is then completed, by skilled hand, in Tennessee. Jolly established a three-year training program at the factory in Tennessee. There, apprentices can learn how to tune a piano to a level normally found only in the most expensive pianos out of Europe. At home in Saskatchewan, Jolly trains technicians to the same high level. He says that piano technicians traditionally don't share knowledge in a small market. Using the Regina and Saskatoon stores for training workshops has helped break that paradigm and raised standards across the province. “The more you raise the standards, the healthier business becomes.”

Jolly also praises his in-house assistant, Shaun Everett. “After 15 years I should stop referring to him as my apprentice,” admits Jolly, “but I'm not going to! Shaun is one of the best technicians in the province. He has to be or I wouldn't put up with him that long.”

Sharing the gift of music For all the international attention, the Jollys still reside in Saskatoon, and Roger talks mostly about his work here at home. He is the contract technician for the Music Department of the University of Saskatchewan, and spends a great deal of time assisting clients in Regina, Saskatoon and across the province. Since 1995, Roger and Marie have contributed scholarship money and donated pianos and keyboards to the Heart of the City Piano Program, through which piano teachers volunteer to give free lessons to at-risk youth. The program originated at an inner-city school and is now found in many Canadian communities. “You see a 14-yearold girl suddenly start to get serious about music lessons instead of working the streets—the program has proven itself, in no uncertain terms. A lot of kids have their lives turned around.” Jolly jokes that he's a typical type-A personality, and a workaholic. He watches the calendar carefully because with so many engagements, there is bound to be the occasional double booking. After being invited to be feature speaker at a convention in Italy this July, he was forced to reschedule some other commitments because, he says, “there's no way I'm going to turn down that Rome gig!” It’s just one more international locale to add to the resume; Jolly has already lectured and given master classes across Canada, and in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, the United States, Czech Republic and Korea. “Yeah,” he laughs, “it's an interesting sort of existence.” fls

Spring 2010

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you

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

the new

High-tech, one-stop New medical and cosmetic centre offers a wide array of services

ime wreaks havoc with us all. Skin sags and wrinkles and discolours and hair recedes (or starts growing where it isn’t wanted). You can stand by idly and let it happen, or you can fight back with the latest technology that helps you look and feel your best. At Stonebridge Medical and Cosmetic Centre, you’ll find a high-tech, one-stop medical practice that provides only the best and most up-to-date technology and services to its patients in the fields of both family and cosmetic medicine. The clinic’s two physicians, Dr. Aasim Malik and Dr. Muqadas Batool, both family physicians who have also trained in cosmetic medicine, are currently accepting new patients. Both finished their Residency training at the University of Saskatchewan; Dr. Batool is a particularly welcome addition to Saskatoon, which continues to suffer from a chronic shortage of female doctors. The centre employs two fully trained and experienced CLXTs for lab and X-ray fa-

| Spring 2010

BY FLS STAFF cilities, along with welcoming and welltrained reception staff.

Family medicine Stonebridge Medical and Cosmetic Centre offers far more than “just” cosmetic medicine, of course. It’s also a full-service family medicine clinic, offering annual medical check-ups, chronic disease management, prenatal care, pap smears, well-baby checkups and more, as well as addressing everyday health concerns on a walk-in basis. “Our family practice is enhanced by conveniences such as an on-site lab (for blood work) and digital X-ray and ECG machines that provide immediate results,” Dr. Malik explains. “These services are open to everyone who needs them and are not confined to patients of this medical clinic. The diagnostic results are sent to the patients’ respective physicians.” The doctors are able to do a wide range of office procedures, such as skin biopsy for diagnosis of skin cancer, removing a sus-

picious-looking mole, skin-tag removal by electrocautery, wart removal by liquid-nitrogen therapy, and more. The centre offers urgent care for minor emergencies, such as suturing of lacerations, removal of foreign bodies and casting of broken bones. And while it currently sends all prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy of the patient’s choice, the centre also has an onsite pharmacist/diabetic educator for patient education and convenience. The clinic employs a team philosophy that utilizes the expertise and opinion of both doctors. As part of their patient-doctor philosophy, the doctors are open to hearing their patients’ concerns and thoughts on therapy. As Dr. Malik explains, “We like to work with them to determine the best mode of treatment, whether it’s through Western or alternative medicine. Our practice is patient-centered—we think it’s important for our patients to be involved in and educated about their health and well-being.”

The clinic is also about comfort. “We wanted our younger patients to feel comfortable when coming to see their doctor, so we created a kids’ corner for them,” explains Dr. Batool. “We also offer services in Urdu, Hindi, Saraiki and Punjabi, which can be reassuring to some of our patients.”

Cosmetics All of the doctors (Batool, Malik & Ahmad) are members of The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) that promotes the field of antiaging medicine and trains and certifies physicians in this specialty. Both Dr. Batool and Dr. Malik are members of the American Society of Laser Medicine and Surgery, and it’s that expertise they apply to the cosmetic side of the Centre. If you’re concerned about aging skin, come in for a free consultation with the doctors. They’ll help you determine the best course of therapy...and they have several to choose from. That individualized approach is important, because everyone’s skin ages in different ways and at different rates. Some people gain wrinkles or crow’s feet. Others develop sun spots or lax skin. Stonebridge Medical and Cosmetic Centre can help with all of these problems, using either a three-tiered set of skin-rejuvenation treatments from Cutera, a leader in skin therapy, or the injectable line of products, Juvéderm and BOTOX Cosmetics, from Allergan, a pharmaceutical company that specializes in innovative products for the eye-care, skin-care and other specialty markets. “The Cutera technology has been tested and used in Europe, Canada and the U.S. for a variety of treatments,” Dr. Malik explains. “As for the Allergan treatments, more than three million of them are performed in North America every year.” As Dr. Batool points out, “As an alternative to more invasive procedures, the results of these treatments are excellent and the costs are quite reasonable.”

The Cutera Limelight Facial treatments, for instance, take less than an hour, and can address problems on the skin surface, such as redness, freckles, tiny veins, melasma, sun spots and other sun damage, and improve skin tone and surface imperfections, too. Three to five treatments are enough in most cases (although some individuals may need a few more, depending on sun damage). Don’t let fears of discomfort put you off, either. The treatments are delivered through a series of light pulses to the skin’s surface that feel like a brief and mild pinching sensation. After treatment, the brown spots, diffuse redness and tiny veins begin to fade. The final results can be seen in two to four weeks. The Cutera Laser Genesis treatment can also soften fine lines or wrinkles (we all have some of those!), by heating the upper dermis in order to stimulate collagen re-growth.

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Cutera light and laser treatments

“Collagen is one of the important components of skin that is responsible for strength and elasticity, and as we get older our collagen renewal slows down,” explains Dr. Batool. “Different frequencies of laser and light therapy are used to stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, which adds volume to the skin, making it more youthful.” And that’s not all! Some patients have found the treatment helps to diminish recent scars. It can also be used to gently treat and reduce facial redness, such as rosacea, which is often inherited. This procedure feels like a series of warm pulses along the skin. There are few side effects with the exception of a slight redness that disappears within a few hours. For optimal results, four to six treatments are standard. Perhaps your problem is loose, sagging skin. (Remember, as we age, gravity is not our friend!) The Cutera Titan technology utilizes light energy to stimulate collagen growth to tighten skin in areas where it is lax. The Titan uses a safe, infrared light to heat tissue that is well below the skin’s surface and works with the skin’s collagen in two ways: it causes the collagen already there to contract, which immediately tightens the skin, and also stimulates the growth of new collagen over the next three to six months, which continues the skin-tightening process. The Titan technology provides a very uniform distribution of the light energy used to stimulate the dermis, and since the epidermis is not affected by the treatment, it is safe for any skin type. “The common areas of treatment with the Titan are the jaw line, under the chin, the abdomen and upper arms,” Dr. Malik outlines. “The number of treatments needed depends on the individual, but a single treatment can produce very good results in some patients.”

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Juvéderm and BOTOX Cosmetic Lasers are a great way to fight back against the ravages of time, but there are also other therapies to choose from that might be more appropriate for you. The Allergan products Juvéderm and BOTOX Cosmetic offer another option for smoothing wrinkles and lines and firming up sagging facial skin. Juvéderm is a soft injectable gel filler that uses hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring sugar in the body, to reduce lines and wrinkles. When it combines with the skin’s water, hyaluronic acid restores lost volume to the area being treated. The gel has been proven to be safe and effective for all skin tones. “The use of Juvéderm can enhance and define the lips, cheeks, and jaw line,” Dr. Batool explains. It’s not a long-drawn-out procedure, either, so don’t let a lack of time deter you. The actual procedure takes between 15 to 60 minutes, but despite the short time commitment involved, the results are immediate, natural looking, and best of all, long-lasting: up to a year, Dr. Batool says. For those concerned about pain, the treatment can be made more comfortable through a product formula that uses a localized pain reducer.

Everyone has heard of BOTOX, the facial rejuvenator of choice of the celebrity crowd. Now you can take advantage of this popular option at Stonebridge Medical and Cosmetic Centre yourself. BOTOX Cosmetic targets “dynamic” wrinkles, the ones caused by repeated muscular contractions such as frowning, squinting and laughing. And no, it’s not botulism toxin. It’s actually a purified protein derived from botulism. Injected into muscle, it relaxes it, giving the face a refreshed look. “BOTOX Cosmetic has been licensed in Canada since 1990 as an effective treatment for a number of medical conditions, including facial spasms, excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) and migraines,” says Dr. Batool. “But it’s the product’s cosmetic application that is so popular in North America.” Once again, there’s no need to be concerned about a long drawn-out procedure, either. Administrating BOTOX Cosmetic is quick and simple and requires no down time. A tiny amount is injected into the muscle with a very fine needle. No local anesthetic is necessary, and the procedure only takes 10 to 15 minutes. For the deep wrinkles, lines, volume loss and folds that are also part of an aging face, the clinic offers the Soft Lift Facial Rejuvenation treatment that combines Juvéderm dermal filler with BOTOX Cosmetic. The Soft Lift procedure smoothes wrinkles and lines and restores lost fullness. It takes only one treatment to gain an overall refreshed look. When you look in the mirror and see a face beginning to wrinkle and sag, it affects your whole outlook on life. “I must be getting old,” you think, and pretty soon you’re acting like, it, too. But when you like what you see in the mirror, you feel better about yourself...and enjoy life that much more. Come in for your free consultation and find out how your skin can benefit from the therapies available at Stonebridge Medical and Cosmetic Centre!

Of course, it’s not just changes in our skin that concern us as we grow older. Hair loss is also a concern for both men and women. Losing hair can make us look and feel older than we really are...and since, as the old adage goes, you’re only as old as you feel, don’t you owe it to yourself to feel as young as possible? At Stonebridge, the doctors have exciting treatments to help with hair loss, including a low-level laser therapy that stimulates the hair follicle, which leads to the regeneration of new and healthier cells in the hair root. In turn, this leads to improvement in hair quality, hair thickness and hair growth. And once again, the treatment is neither time-consuming nor painful. (Are you beginning to detect a theme here?) The hair-rejuvenation treatment requires just 30 minutes of laser therapy per visit. The clinic uses the Sunetics Model “G” laser that is able to give the scalp 100-percent coverage. There are more frequent sessions in the first three months of treatment. “It is non-surgical, has no side effects, and is

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Hair rejuvenation

absolutely painless,” Dr. Malik says. “Our clients have been quite satisfied with the results.”

Laser therapy for hair removal It’s ironic, but sadly true, that although we sometimes wish we had more hair, there are part of our bodies where we wish we had less. There’s a laser for that, too! Hair removal by laser therapy has been in use since 1997 and has become extremely popular due of its speed and effectiveness. It is a procedure that selectively targets and damages the melanin in the hair follicle that gives the hair its color. Dr Malik says, “Laser hair removal is being preferred by both men and women by virtue of its minimum discomfort and permanent results. In our experience, quite a significant number of men are getting laser hair removal on their chest and abdomen, nape of neck, upper and lower back and shoulder area. It has very good results for the treatment of ingrown hair on the neck and chin.”

Vein therapy Unsightly veins can plague anyone. There’s a laser procedure to help with those, too. Called the Cutera CoolGlide, it produces outstanding results on everything from tiny spider veins to reticular veins to the small facial veins known as “telangiectasia.” The Cutera CoolGlide system delivers pulses of light energy which cause the blood within the vein to coagulate. This eventually destroys the vessel, which is reabsorbed by the body. The blood flow then becomes redirected to the veins located deeper below the skin’s surface. Often just one or two treatments are sufficient (though it varies from individual to individual) and the procedure is usually almost pain-free. A topical anesthetic can minimize the slight stinging sensation of the energy pulses. Port-wine stains and other vascular lesions can also be treated with the CoolGlide Vein Therapy, Dr. Batool notes. “For the treatment of varicose veins, we offer sclerotherapy treatment after thorough investigations with Doppler Ultrasonography.”

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A great location “Our offices are easily accessible from any part of the city via Circle Drive, and being on the south end of the Stonebridge Shopping Centre means our patients have easy access to the many new stores and services that have moved into the area,” Dr. Malik says with a smile. “We are happy at this location and feel privileged to be able to offer the people of Saskatoon such a wide array of services and state-of-the-art technology under one roof.” fls

Obagi Medical skin-care systems The clinic also carries a line of skin-care systems from Obagi Medical for common and visible skin disorders in adult skin, such as acne, sun damage, patchy skin discoloration, rosacea, fine lines and wrinkles. Obagi Medical products are prescriptionstrength formulations that are only available through physicians such as dermatologists and plastic surgeons, and medical clinics such as the Stonebridge Medical and Cosmetic Centre.

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Spa-licious! Pamper yourself and your vehicle at side-by-side spa and auto spiffer BY FiJi RoBiNSoN

asimah Yonan and Maher Jajjo, owners of Monasa Salon, Spa and Therapy Studio and Williams Auto Spiffer, came to Canada in December 1995 from Turkey, where they had fled to avoid the war in Iraq. The couple worked hard to overcome the challenges they faced as immigrants: learning a new language, starting new jobs and trying to support their family. They were successful in a cleaning business venture, Williams Cleaning, and then decided to open their own salon and spa. The name Monasa combines the names of their two daughters and was the one chosen by their clients from three possible names. The salon and spa opened on May 1. Basimah and Maher have made it a priority to give back to the community and are involved in a number of charities—the Children’s Wish Foundation, the Terry Fox Foundation and the Heart and Stroke Foundation, to name just a few. Most recently they began sending hair clippings to the Matter of Trust Foundation’s Natural Surplus program, which uses the hair to

create mats that are soaking up the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Look and feel your best The professionals at Monasa Salon, Spa and Therapy Studio are here to help you look and feel your best through their unique spa offerings, their boutique of fashions and their salon services. The Monasa staff are all well-trained and certified in the many products they represent. They regularly attend professional development training sessions to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest technologies. The Monasa fashion boutique is a unique experience that has everything from stunning one-of-a-kind dresses and True Religion designer jeans to exclusive jewelry, shoes and purses. Their spa and salon services are customized to your needs, making the experience exclusively yours. Monasa is proud to offer the Sormé cosmetic line of natural mineral makeup. Sormé’s products contain natural emol-

lients to help prevent dryness and natural light reflectors that aid in diminishing fine lines and wrinkles. Oil-free, fragrance-free and talc-free, Sormé cosmetics are suitable for sensitive skin and have the added benefits of sun protection against UVB and UVA rays. To keep your hands and feet looking their best, Monasa offers classic and French manicures and pedicures, which include a warm soak, callous removal, cuticle work and nail shaping, and finishes with a relaxing massage that extends to your elbows or knees. But Monasa offers even more fun with their signature spa offerings, the Chocolate Mango or Vanilla Peach Smoothie manicure and pedicure. All of these delicious treatments begin with a soak in warm water that has been infused with chocolate/mango or vanilla/peach essences. It continues with an exfoliating treatment in either flavour, as well as a delectable massage. It is then completed with an application of nail polish from a wide variety of colours that is painted to perfection!

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Nail enhancement services include gel nail sets and application, as well as nail repair. Monasa’s other salon services include ear piercing, eyelash and eyebrow tinting, haircuts, hair styling and colouring. The salon offers a full range of body-waxing services, ranging from bikini to Brazilian to facial treatments. It is also excited to offer Threading, an ancient method commonly practiced in Eastern countries that is becoming very popular here in the West. Threading removes the entire hair follicle, is very sanitary, and is great for people who are prone to breakouts, since no chemical is applied to the skin.

Monasa uses the advanced science of Redken hair products to give you beautiful hair. Redken uses a formula of highly specialized ingredients to help transform your hair’s texture and look. Your Monasa stylist can help you get the results you’re looking for and include products to add volume, straighten, smooth, greater shine, more definition, movement, curls or waves. Using Redken chemistry, Monasa stylists can help to correct the chemical and mechanical distress your hair may be showing. Chemical distress is caused by the overuse of chemical services such as hair colour, bleaching, perming, or straightening. Mechanical distress is caused from the normal wear and tear of blow drying, curling, flat ironing and everyday brushing. Monasa can customize a protein treatment for your specific needs with its two-step in-salon program that delivers specialized ingredients to compensate for components that are missing due to chemical or mechanical distress. Whether your hair is sensitized, unruly, dry or colour-treated, a customized treatment of proteins, natural oils and other nourishing ingredients will supply it with a concentrated dose of what it needs most. Redken’s latest product, Time Reset, helps reverse years of damage It uses a combination of age-fighting formulas fortified with Redken’s powerful Vital 5 Complex that combats the five signs of aging hair to give your hair increased manageability, density and shine. Also new to Redken is its Blonde Glam Collection. Redken joined forces with one of today’s hottest celebrity colourists, Tracey Cunningham, to create this exclusive line of lighteners, hair-colour and haircare products designed to give you the coolest, sexiest blonde hair colour. Redken for Men is a line of grooming solutions for the hair and scalp. Its many styling solutions range from pomade to paste and gel. Redken’s colour camouflage is a great way for men to cover gray in 10 minutes for a natural salt-and-pepper look.

Face and body therapies from Dermologica Monasa is proud to use Dermologica skin and body therapy treatments. Dermologica, considered one of the best skin-care lines available, uses a philosophy

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Redken

much like that of a fitness trainer. The individual goals and concerns of each client are discussed and treatments customized so that ultimately the focus is on skin health and getting great results. All facial treatments begin with a Dermalogica double cleansing, followed by an exfoliating treatment suited to your specific needs. A face, neck and shoulders massage is next, after which you can chose from a number of revitalizing masques. Finally, a moisturizer suited to your specific needs is applied to hydrate, protect and help restore your skin to its natural balance. As a special treat, all facial treatments include a hair wash and style after the service or a paraffin wax treatment during the treatment. Truly understanding your skin is the first step towards a lifetime of healthy skin. Using Dermalogica’s unique Face Mapping® skin analysis, a Monasa skin therapist will decode your skin zone by zone to determine a results-oriented regimen. Dermalogica therapies available at Monasa include the Multivitamin Age Smart, Medibac, Chormawhite TRx, Environment Control Treatment and Intensive Moisture treatments. Dermalogica was recently recognized by the U.K. Beauty Awards for two of its newest products: C-12 Concentrate, a high-potency treatment that brightens, minimizes discolouration and improves skin clarity, and the Invigorating Shave Gel for men, a multi-use, oil-free shaving aid that infuses skin with antioxidants, helps delay the signs of ageing and gives a “barber-close” shave.

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Customized massage therapies Dermologica has numerous body therapy treatments that will leave you with a sense of total well-being. All massages are performed by a Registered Massage Therapist and a receipt for insurance purposes will be supplied upon request. Aside from their Relaxation and Hot Stone Massages, Monasa offers a variety of treatments guaranteed to make you feel terrific, including Hydro-Active Mineral Salt Scrub, Body Foliation, Nourishing Enzymatic Sea Mud, Mud Massage, Power Recovery, Deep Thermal, Ultimate Stress-Relief Back Treatment Paraffin Wax Back Treatment therapies. For women concerned about cellulite, Monasa is the only salon in town to offer the Hartur Huso cellulite treatment. Using a precise electronic micro-massage, this procedure breaks down the hardened toxin deposits and effectively disperses them with a specialized manual massage that releases the waste products into the lymphatic system. One course of 10 treatments is generally all clients need to look and feel their very best. The Universal Contour Wrap is scientifically proven to help you lose at least six inches in just two hours with its unique clay formula and special wrapping techniques, leaving you to look your very best for any special occasion.

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you

the new

Spa packages You’ll love the complimentary fruit spritzer and decadent chocolates that are part of Monasa’s many spa combinations. A candlelit room helps you to relax and let the tensions of the day slip away. Choose from any of the following Monasa spa packages: • Monasa’s Express includes a mini manicure, the Chocolate Mango pedicure and your choice of any Microzone treatment. • Get a classic manicure and pedicure, and a halfhour massage with pure essential oils, with Monasa’s Sweet and Simple Experience. • The Complete Relaxation Experience is a one-hour relaxation massage infused with pure essential oils. • Monasa’s Fresh Start is any two Microzone treatments, an eyebrow waxing, a cut, colour and style, a makeup lesson and application, and your favourite colour applied to your finger and toe nails. • The Monasa Refresher includes a body exfoliation, a personalized facial, a classic manicure and a pedicure, along with a hair wash and style and makeup retouch. • You’ll feel Beyond Perfect after experiencing Monasa’s treatment of the same name. This package includes your choice of Monasa’s signature spa manicure and pedicure, a personalized facial and a one-hour relaxation massage. • With the Deluxe Escape you’ll experience the Hydro-Active Mineral Salt Scrub, a 15-minute soak in Monasa’s hydrotherapy tub, a personalized facial, your choice of Monasa’s signature spa manicure and pedicure, as well as a hair wash and style. Enjoy a light lunch and beverages, also provided. • And finally, you won’t forget your Monasa’s Day To Remember, which includes your choice of a Monasa signature spa manicure and pedicure, the Hydro Active Salt Scrub, a 30-minute soak in their hydrotherapy tub, a one-hour relaxation massage, a personalized facial, the Body Therapy Hydro Pack Treatment, a hair wash and style and a makeup retouch. A light lunch tops off your experience.

Let Monasa bring you and a special person together with a variety of spa packages performed side-byside in a candlelit room. The packages include complimentary fruit spritzers and decadent chocolates. Indulge yourselves in one of the many packages Monasa offers, which include the Just The Two of You, De-stress Together, Relaxation for Two and Couples Indulgence packages.

Wedding packages Monasa offers wedding packages designed to make that special day all the more wonderful. Special packages are available for the bride, bridesmaids and mother of the bride. But don’t forget, Monasa has packages to make the day special for the groom and his groomsmen too!

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Spa packages for the two of you

Gift certificates Monasa encourages you to indulge someone you care about with one of its gift certificates. Great as a present or a token of thanks, Monasa gift certificates are available in any amount and never expire.

Pamper your vehicle, too

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIN A’S PORTRAIT S

While you’re in luxuriating in the services offered by Monasa Salon, Spa and Therapy Studio, you could be taking advantage of Williams Auto Spiffer, located in the same building as Monasa. Choose from a simple wash or the a la carte menu of detailing services that look after your vehicle with meticulous attention. You can drop your car off before work and look forward to a wonderfully clean vehicle at the end of your work day. Williams also offers a shuttle service that gets you to work and back. Detailing is a great way to preserve your vehicle, and the Auto Spiffer services can provide an extremely thorough cleaning, polishing and waxing of your vehicle, both inside and out. Exterior detailing cleans, polishes and protects the paint, chrome trim, windows, wheels and tires of your car or truck. Initial cleaning removes all foreign surface particles from exterior surfaces and in particular helps to clean contamination and dirt from within the vehicle’s clearcoat that cannot be removed with weekly washing. Polishing removes a fine layer of the clearcoat in order to remove fine scratches and swirls from a paint surface that have resulted from improper washing or drying techniques. Protecting involves the application of a protective material of waxes and sealants to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the vehicle’s surface, such as water, bug splatter, tar and dirt. William’s Auto Spiffing will also clean your car interior with a vacuuming, a steaming and cleaning of the upholstery, and the shining-up of any nonporous surfaces, such as the dashboard. Auto spa clients who haven’t tried Monasa’s services are eligible for a 10-percent discount, while Monasa clients can look forward to a 10- to 20percent discount on their auto detailing. Come in for a visit and see what kind of spa experience awaits you! fls

Monasa Salon & Spa Basimah Yone n, Owner www.monasalonandspa.com

W illiams Auto Spif fer Mahar Jajjo, Owner 1100 Central Ave.

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BMW Saskatoon, Customers and Mayor help celebrate dazzling 21 year BMW anniversary party including the Canadian unveiling of all new 5 Series!

pparently BMW are not the only people on the planet that think the new 5 Series is phenomenal. Bloomberg news is reporting that the all new redesigned 5 is sold out in all markets and future customers may be looking at a 3 to 4 month wait for one. The 2011 5 recently went on sale in the United States and Canada but has been launched across the EU since March with the vast majority of automotive journalists raving about it. “The 5-Series is at the core of the BMW brand and we knew it was going to be a very strong vehicle for us,” Ian Robertson, BMW’s Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing, said in an earlier interview at an industry conference in Bilbao, Spain. Co-founder of Bema Autosport BMW, Leslie Fenyes, beams with joy when he speaks about the cars magical unveiling at a gala event held at the uniquely designed dealership location. The event was such an overwhelming success with over 300 people including business lead-

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ers from across Saskatoon and surrounding area who arrived to witness the reveal and enjoy the offerings of wine, Hors d’oeuvres, a Jazz quartet, multiple large video screens including a 9 screen video wall, all in a unique club lounge atmosphere. Among those who attended was Mayor Don Atchison who came to share the celebration of this 21st year anniversary of Bema and be a part of the exclusive debut of BMW’s newest launch. Atchison and Fenyes shared their excitement for Saskatoon’s growing economy and its evolution into a vital, diverse, creative, sustainable, and prosperous city. The goal of any thriving and forward-thinking city is to bring together all of the elements that will nurture a fast growing market and an ever-increasing population who live in a flourishing community with a desirable selection of quality urban services and products. Bema Autosport BMW is one of those desirable amenities well-known for its long-standing stability, excellent service and offerings of premium-

brand automobiles. Stability! After all it’s been 21 years and then some of providing BMW and Joy! Here is an excerpt from Fenyes’ words that night: “I am Leslie Fenyes. On behalf of everyone at Bema Autosport BMW we are delighted that you could join us today. We are excited to present to you the new 2011 BMW 5 Series; a true Exhibition of Beauty. Sherwood Sharfe could not be here tonite. However he would be proud and humbled to be here with all of you as I am, to celebrate the 21 year Anniversary of providing JOY to Saskatchewan thru BMW. When I was involved in reigniting this brand back in 1989, most of my peers could not understand why I would want to be affiliated with a high end product, especially in a place like Saskatchewan. Well as we all know just a few things have changed here since 1989. We are all blessed to be a part of one of the most vibrant growth economies in North America.

Combine this reality with a brand such as BMW and life is good! Since those days past, BMW is no longer one of the only premium brand offerings in the market place. I was there when “other” new premium brands entered this limited segment. I was there when BMW was hard pressed to sell 3500 units nationally with only one other premium segment to compete with. Well today, BMW (in an environment of multiple premium, competitive brands) enjoys sales of more then 25,000 units nationally. In fact BMW ( I am proud to say) is the single largest selling premium brand in Canada year upon year upon year. BMW is also the world’s largest luxurycar maker. So we have all come a long away together. You as consumers here in Saskatchewan, have also evolved. You are no longer shy about driving a premium brand such as BMW in this province. Each and every one of you have worked very hard to be driving a BMW. You have earned it, and it is time to reward yourselves. And you have. This is the story of BMW. This is the story of JOY! Now lets get back to the main event tonite. The number “5” became an unparalleled symbol of performance and stylish elegance when BMW presented it as their new luxury sports sedan for the first time in 1972. The BMW 5 Series has long been an icon in the automotive world, not only for its supe-

rior driving dynamics, but also for its advanced technology, supreme comfort and safety. Soon you will see that the new BMW 5 Series features attractive exterior enhancements, a further refined interior, innovations in drive technology, superior safety systems, and even stronger driving dynamics than ever before. The new BMW 5 Series is a great reward for the discerning driver. BMW EfficientDynamics technologies are featured in appropriate combinations, including features such as Brake Energy Regeneration, Electric Power Steering, and active cooling air flaps. Lightweight materials are used intelligently to balance the vehicle and lower its overall weight. Ultimately, this

means lower fuel consumption for all 5 Series models; up to a 15% reduction compared to the previous generation. Another highlight of the new BMW 5 Series is Park Assistant, a new technology that can automatically detect suitable parking spaces and take over all steering functions to safely park the vehicle. The new 5 Series will be the first BMW to offer this feature. Continuing the tradition of BMW’s highly dynamic silhouette and as a mark of outstanding design, the BMW 5 Series Sedan will be presented with the coveted Red Dot Award this coming July. The Red Dot Award is one of the most important awards in the world of product design, and as we are here today to celebrate the aesthetic brilliance of the new 5 Series Sedan, it seems very appropriate that it is being recognized in this category. Stylish and modern, the BMW 5 Series is an expression of beauty on four wheels. The exterior emphasizes iconic BMW design elements, with a long bonnet and coupe-like roofline. The charismatic front, assured elegance of the side, and natural sportiness of the rear are certain to distinguish the new 5 Series from any angle. It is no surprise that the BMW 5 Series has secured a firm position in the premium market segment as an incomparably desirable car for the individualist seeking to express their sense of dynamism, exclusivity, and innovation. And now for the best news of all. The new BMW 5 Series has been positioned as a leader in its segment, and will start at just $62,300 for the 535i and $73,300 for the 550i. Now Ladies and Gentlemen, the moment you have all been waiting for… The Canadian retail premiere of our 2011 BMW 5 Series...” Bema Autosport BMW Saskatoon Auto Mall 607 Brand Court 955 0900 www.bmwsaskatoon.ca

What customers are saying about Bema Autosport BMW “I have been a customer of Bema Autosport BMW since 1999. In that time I have purchased five BMW vehicles. Once I drove a BMW, a bond developed very quickly and became stronger with every road trip I made or errand I ran. Even driving long distances for family reunions became less of a chore. Probably the number one attribute that I appreciate in BMWs is safety. Although it’s a wonderful sensation to go from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye, it is even better to be able to go from 100 to 0 in a heartbeat when it’s necessary. I have found that nothing can ruin ownership of a great car quicker than a stressful buying experience. The sales team at Bema have always gone the extra miles to make sure my buying experience is both enjoyable and knowledgeable. As well, the service I have received over the years has been second to none . I have never had to go back a second time for the same problem. In contrast, I have experienced major frustration at numerous return trips for untended complaints at other dealerships and these common occurrences make my dealings with Bema especially enjoyable. It’s been fun to buy my cars at Bema and it’s been reassuring to service my cars at Bema.” -Jerry Lupul Business owner

Since 1992, my wife and I have owned several beemers purchased from BEMA Autosport. We have just purchased our most recent beemer. This is particularly the consequence of the superb assistance we have received over the years, especially following the efforts of Glen and Dave in the service department. -Larry Stewart, Professor, U of S

the BMW experience truly came alive for me while dealing with the staff at BEMA Autosport. The joy I experience while driving my BMW continually grows through the exceptional service I have received from BEMA. -Gabriella UnRuh Business Owner

My wife and I have been BMW owners for over 25 years. We love the styling and as an architect I appreciate the detailing and the quality that the BMW marque has come to be recognized for. Our latest purchase from BEMA was a very pleasurable experience and we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of our newest BMW, the M3. We have opted for the European pickup and BEMA’s assistance in this has been great. BEMA recently provided our local architectural association with the use of a wonderful new 550GT as a VIP car for a national event that we hosted. All who were treated to transportation in this fine car were thrilled to say the least. Our most recent experiences with BEMA’s service department have been very good so we are confident that should our newest car require service, we will be in good hands. -Bob Burnyeat, MSAA, LEED AP Principal Architect

"My wife, Brenda, and I purchased our first BMW from Bema Autosport BMW in 2005 and have really enjoyed the vehicle. When it was time for a second, we returned to Bema; Leslie Fenyes and salesperson Harry Dickinson and all the staff have always made us feel truly welcome and have been very helpful in finding the right vehicle for our family. The service department at Bema Autosport BMW has always been responsive to our needs and we've made good use of the Bema Express service when traveling. The vehicles are a joy to drive and Bema Autosport BMW helps make them a joy to own!" -Dr. Ayoub Dangor, Anesthesiologist

Initially, I was looking for a car that would provide comfort and style; as well as a reliable dealer standing by their product. Then our grandson arrived and safety became the priority. I was pleased to find all my requirements satisfied by BMW and Bema Autosport BMW. -Kay Young Business Owner

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Bema Autosport BMW

Bema Autosport BMW Saskatoon Auto Mall 607 Brand Court 1 306 955 0900 Toll Free: 1 866 695 4269 4(BMW) www.bmwsaskatoon.ca

CIN DY MOL E SKI PHOT OGRAPHY

Velocity Prairie Thunder It’s “a full day of fun and an adrenaline rush like no other” when NASCAR hits Saskatoon BY LiNdA EPSTEiN

he roar of the engines, the smell of the fuel, the singular look of the stock cars, and the heart-pumping sensations of anticipation, excitement and fun. A day of entertainment. Race after race after race. This is NASCAR. And it’s coming to Saskatoon’s Auto Clearing Motor Speedway on August 4, 2010. Yes, NASCAR…and, yes, Saskatoon. We just happen to have Canada’s premier racing facility right in our own backyard. Stock-car racing is one of the most-viewed professional sports internationally, and NASCAR has been its sanctioning body for some 60 years. In 2006 NASCAR came to Canada with the NASCAR-Canadian Tire Series (NCATS). And, in 2009, Saskatoon became one of only three venues in Western Canada to host a NASCAR event

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(Edmonton and Vernon, B.C., are the other two). The partnership of NASCAR, Canadian Tire and The Sports Network (TSN) couldn’t have come at a better time for The Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association (SSCRA). The Club has been operating as a non-profit, member-based organization since 1954. Despite moving three times, it has provided ongoing motor sport entertainment for enthusiasts and onlookers. The strong, passionate membership base envisioned a permanent home for their sport and ultimately purchased land between Highways 11 and 12 to accomplish their dream. In 2006, they unveiled Auto Clearing Motor Speedway, a state-of-theart racing oval.

If you build it, they will come A new dream emerged…Not only would a NASCAR race in Saskatoon launch and create the revenue needed to support the new facility, it would cement the racing oval, Saskatchewan, and Saskatoon as capable of hosting world-class events. A proposal was made to NASCAR, and an invitation to view the facility offered. But the NASCAR organization demurred. They were unsure of a proposal that relied heavily upon volunteer involvement. They didn’t know Saskatchewan! Ever tenacious, SSCRA submitted bids for two years, until NASCAR agreed. (NASCAR research had shown that 23 to 28 percent of Saskatchewan citizens are NASCAR fans; non-scientific local polling

CINDY MOL E SKI PHOT OGRAPHY

bore out those numbers). On February 3, 2009, SSCRA representatives and Martensville Mayor Giles Saulnier met with three provincial ministers, including Christine Tell. At the meeting, Tell said, “If you can deliver a NASCAR event to our province, we will help you in any way we can…What do you need? We want to help!” One month later, Bayer CropScience had become the title sponsor, with the advantage that it was a high-profile agriculture-based company represented across the province and could deliver the message to rural customers. SSCRA was also able to bring several partners on board to provide in-kind funding and to purchase VIP packages in the corporate chalets and corporate-corner tent. And so, armed with a major sponsor, partners, money from the Government of Saskatchewan to provide amenities such as 15 corporate chalets and additional bleachers, and with the help of Tourism Saskatoon, the 2009 NASCAR event was announced. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” say SSCRA sponsors.

Velocity Prairie Thunder a hit The event was known as Velocity Prairie Thunder, and the results exceeded expectations. The event quickly sold out despite a decision not to go through a ticket outlet, but through the website. A comprehensive marketing campaign that included billboards, brochures, media stories and word-of-mouth created a sell-out crowd. For the 5,000 fans and the SSCRA volunteers, it was a full program of racing and entertainment to be remembered. Saskatoon’s Auto Clearing Motor Speedway has since become recognized as one of the best racing ovals in Canada. So impressed were NASCAR’s organizers and Bayer CropScience that they quickly signed on for another year, as did most of the other sponsors. The Saskatchewan government and Tourism Saskatoon continue to play a pivotal role in the 2010 event. And again, the event will be broadcast on TSN. Now, the SSCRA is poised to make the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series an annual event, filled with even more fun and more entertainment. “We are building something that the city, the province and the surrounding areas can take pride in,” comments Bottom Line Marketing Management’s Herm Hordal, who manages the event. Not only will there be a full and exciting program on August 4, but SSCRA is also creating a special event on the evening prior to the main event (August 3), sponsored by Loraas Disposal Services Inc., in partnership with the Meewasin Valley Authority and River Landing. It will be an opportunity to meet the drivers and see some of the cars at the amphitheatre at River Landing. There will also be a barbecue, beer gardens and entertainment to kick off the two days. A Tire and Pit Crew Challenge sponsored by Bayer Crop Science

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wheels will be held at River Landing on August 3 from 7 p.m. to about 9 p.m. to showcase and test the skills of the 20-plus teams…a contest that will be a special treat for stockcar racing fans and “newbies” alike. Organizers are expecting approximately 5,000 people to buy tickets through their website. The general price remains an inexpensive $40, with corporate chalets available for those who wish. Last year, about 70 percent of the people who attended had never been to the Speedway track. About 140 volunteers (the “people power” for which our city is legendary) are needed to make the event run smoothly, and the SSCRA (380 members strong) also saw a 25-percent increase in new volunteers last year. The SSCRA wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing happened again this year. The resultant increase in attendance at other races held at the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway is noticeable. There are about 20 races held throughout the May to September season. “It is great exposure for our sport and our track.”

But NASCAR and stock car racing in Saskatoon isn’t just about the races. To hear those in the know, stock-car racing is addictive. Not only is it a day of entertainment, but drivers and crews not in the event mingle with the fans. And as they mingle, you learn more about the sport’s intricacies and about the personalities. This, in turn, entices you to come out more often. “It’s like all sports. There are good guys and bad guys. There are stars.” Some fans even build their holidays around the stock-car racing schedule. And Velocity Prairie Thunder, the SSCRA’s NASCAR races, is a full-service event—a chance for on-site entertainment, interactive displays, camaraderie and an outing for family and friends. It is as much an opportunity for social networking as for sport. Enjoy the food and the NASCAR souvenirs as well. There are a few tailgate parties before the event, but you may want to be at the autograph sessions instead. After the race, everyone is invited to join in the social. All part of the experience, say organizers. “It’s a full day of fun,” says Competition Director Cliff Pompu. “The time just flies by, and you are still pumped when you go home…an adrenaline rush like none other.” For more information, check the website at www.autoclearingmotorspeedway.ca. fls

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CIN DY MOL ESKI PHOT OGRAPHY

People, entertainment and adrenaline

Keeping you on the road with quick service and expert workmanship BY ToBiE HAiNSToCK

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

egardless if they are luxury cars, delivery vans, SUVs or compacts, our vehicles are like a lifeline for us, assisting in the fulfillment of the commitments and obligations of our busy lives. When something happens to our vehicles, it throws a wrench into our lives. It’s a big deal when we have to book the car into the shop for a few days for repairs. We have to make other arrangements for getting around, which could mean relying on someone else to pick us up or take us to run errands, or perhaps using a rental that we are not used to driving. We just want to deal with things quickly so that we can get on with our lives as before. We want no hassle, quick service and expert workmanship. That’s where Jason Clark and Russell Neufeld of MAACO Collision Repair and Auto Painting can step in. Being family men themselves, Clark and Neufeld understand the demands of work and family living and have made it a priority to ensure quick and professional service. “We are about one-third of the cost of our

competitors and we offer a free courtesy car with any repair over $500,” states Clark.

Cosmollision MAACO offers a wide variety of services to its clients, carrying out of all kinds of repairs, for everything from scratches to major collision damage. With their “Cosmollision” (cosmetic and collision repair) service, Clark, Neufeld and their staff ensure not only that the vehicle is fixed but that it looks immaculate. “Our Seamless Quality Repairs are done in a way that, after the job is finished, you can’t tell it was ever in an accident,” says Clark. The vehicle is restored to factory condition, maintaining its OEM specs, safety, structural integrity and resale value. “We use factory and nationally recognized practices that are second to none,” continues Clark. These practices are backed by a warranty that is honoured by 500 MAACO shops across the country. “If a customer’s got a problem, we just fix it. There’s no wheeling and dealing going

on,” states Clark. “Customer service is always number one.” Clark also notes that, with the implementation of their colour-matching system and the use of top quality Sherwin Williams paint, the likelihood that a customer will have any issues with the job is very slim. Clark goes on to say that they offer fullbody paint jobs as well, with environmentally friendly Sherwin-Williams products. Whether you’re preparing to sell your vehicle, freshening up your current one or restoring your classic “baby,” MAACO is one of the few body shops in Saskatoon that will paint your entire vehicle. Depending on your needs and your budget, Clark, Neufeld and their staff offers paint services starting as low as a few hundred dollars. Not sure what kind of paint job your vehicle will need? Clark will be more than happy to look at your vehicle and talk to you about your options.

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wheels

Glass expert Need your windshield replaced or repaired? Doug Giordano has more than 10 years of experience doing glass work and has just recently joined the team at MAACO. “Doug’s our glass expert,” says Clark. “He joined us in April and we’re glad to have him on board.”

Truck liners If you own a pickup truck and want to keep the bed looking like new, consider MAACO’s Scorpion Bonded Truck Bed Protection. This bed liner comes in a variety of colours to match your truck and provides protection from wear and tear on your vehicle. Because the Scorpion Bed Liner is sprayed on, it becomes a permanent part of the vehicle, which means it won’t crack, warp or collect dirt like the drop-in liners.

Fleet services and lease-backs Clark, Neufeld and their crew also provide a number of services to a variety of businesses. With services such as fleet painting, branding, unbranding, box liners and glass, the MAACO team will keep your company’s vehicles and image looking great. Before you return your leased vehicle, business or personal, MAACO team will comb through it and make any repairs for less than the dealership charges, saving you money.

The personal touch

For more information about the variety of products and services that MAACO has to offer, call 653-5655 or stop in for an estimate at 659 51st St. E., across from Paradise Pools. fls MAACO 659 51s t St. E. 563-5655

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Whether your vehicle is for work, pleasure, or anything in-between, Clark and Neufeld take a personal interest and will make sure you are more than satisfied with the results. “Basically, every car that leaves here has been touched by either Russell or myself,” says Clark. Everyone on the team at MAACO knows that getting along without a vehicle is a major hindrance to your schedule, and they want to get you back on the road as quickly and as painlessly as possible. They offer the services and guarantees of a national brand along with the personal touch that makes them stand out above the rest.

Surprise, surprise A reunion of Saskatchewan schoolmates in Hong Kong reveals a city full of surprises BY SHEENA KooPS

f you’re looking for a holiday destination that is something to brag about, Hong Kong has it all: urban and rural; ancient and state-of-the-art; ocean and mountains; architecture and parks; history and commerce; flowers and fashion and food, food, food. You can enjoy streets devoted to one category, like tropical fish or electronics, and have your picture taken with a waxy Jackie

Chan on the way up to the peak. You can hike into isolated bays; swing across valleys to the giant Buddha; follow the path of wisdom; walk in the treetops; visit monkeys in the wild, and even tour Noah’s Ark. A trip to Hong Kong can be as full of surprises as you are. Indeed, every world traveller should be able to say, “When I was in Hong Kong...”

A barbecue and class reunion—in Hong Kong? I flew into Hong Kong overnight on Cathay Pacific from Vancouver. Noris—a Hong Kong native I met in Saskatchewan, graduating with me from Western Christian College—and her friend, Amy, were waiting. I was giddy as we entered Villa Cuisine, anticipating shrimp dumplings and

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Gu Zheng (an ancient Chinese plucked zither); inspired, we hiked into the hills to visit gravesides, as many locals were doing during the Festival of Ching Ming. Waking up with no jet lag on Easter Sunday, day two, we went to church, followed by lunch at Tsui Wah Restaurant, and I fell in love with Hong Kong milk tea. In the afternoon we had our first reunion, laughing about our school days on the prairies. My education continued with geography and history at the Hong Kong Historical Museum. I had to order another milk tea at the Australia Dairy Company, a must for every visitor if only to watch the efficiency of the all-male employees. A late trip to crowded Temple Street started my souvenir collection with silk scarves and classic chopsticks.

Table tennis and a home visit thousand-layer cake ordered in dim sum fashion, served in bamboo trays. Luggage still in tow, we took the train to Ma On Shan. After I had gasped at my 21st-story view of Tolo Harbour and the islands beyond, framed by high-rise apartments on either side, my kind hosts suggested I take a nap. I woke refreshed; day one was only beginning. Noris’s brother drove us to their sister’s in Cheung Po Village (right within the northern park of Hong Kong) for a typical Hong Kong barbecue. We ate fresh squid, chicken wings and fish balls roasted over an open fire with a stick. Noris’s nieces performed on the violin and

After beginning day three in Sai Kung (where Noris works) and eating cocktail and pineapple buns, we took a taxi to Sai Wan and hiked past the reservoir to the ocean. We dined in a traditional Oriental restaurant overlooking the bay. After hiking out, we walked around the pier and fish market, then shopped Fa Yuen Street and Fish Street. We visited PSS Table Tennis

Club, where the athletes were surprised this Canadian could keep the ball on the table, but when we played a game, I lost 11-3 and 11-2. My thoughtful friends cheered me up at Hong Kong’s Professional Teachers’ Union store where I found gifts for my high school students: pencils with Chinese proverbs. On day four we toured Central Hong Kong Park and the Botanical Gardens; the netted ceiling of the Zoological Gardens revealed skyscrapers while we strolled treetop boardwalks, birds flying past at eye level. We saved our legs riding the Central Mid-level Escalator, past small shops into neighbourhoods high on the island, but the highlight of day four was meeting people. We visited the Wongs in their 34th floor apartment; now in their 80s, they grew up on fishing boats, literally living on the water. They explained how difficult their young lives had been and how blessed they are now. We then met the Chungs at a sports club. Mr. Chung and I played table tennis on one table, while his daughter, Joan, the Wongs’ daughter, Elsa, and Noris and Amy played on the other. Afterwards we laughed and ate hot pot for nearly three hours at the Tao Heung Seafood Restaurant.

Noah’s Ark and Buddhist temples

The Sha Tin Heritage Museum, picturesque along the Shing Mun River, featured the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall and Chao Shao-an Gallery of Chinese Art. After lunch of roast barbecue pork, roast goose and HK coffee at Tai Hing Restaurant, it was shopping time. Although I was exhausted, Nan Lin Park offered rejuvenation with perfectly tended trees, shrubs and grasses, plus stately fossilized rocks, foot paths, Buddhist temples, giant fish ponds and a waterfall splashing

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHE E N A KOOPS

On day five I was surprised with the serious environmental and spiritual themes of the interpretive displays at the full-scale Noah’s Ark. The Yu Wah Shopping Mall, on the other hand, was a testament to man’s commercial visions, with an elevator rocketing into thin space. The service was great at the Chinese department store where I bought more souvenirs: chopsticks, paintings, table tennis equipment and Chinese jackets for my youngest daughter, nephew and niece. After dining on Watami Japanese food we strolled past Tsim Sha Tsui, the former Marine Police Headquarters, taking in the romantic cityscape on an evening stroll along the pier.

sports, recreation & travel over a restaurant. Rolling fog played among skyscrapers in the near distance. A foot massage, shopping in Jusco Japanese Supermarket, and Itacho Sushi for supper ended day six perfectly.

Wisdom Path and wild monkeys On day seven we took the Ngong Ping cable car across the ocean and mountains on Lantau Island, walking past the giant Buddha, hiking, instead, the Wisdom Path, a majestic totem-like monument of planks containing the entire Heart Sutra text, a favourite of Confucians, Taoists, and Buddhists. We then took a bus to Tai O Fishing Village and met Uncle Choi of “Glutinous Dumpling” fame, then strolled along stilt houses in the “Venice of Hong Kong.” We bused to Mui Wo and took the

Ferry to Central where we were able to catch the Peak Tram for the evening laser show and night scenery. My eighth and final day in Hong Kong began at the Kowloon Reservoir where signs said: DO NOT FEED THE MONKEYS; however, a carload of tourists, snack bags crumpling, drew monkeys from the hills. We left on foot, nervous but safe, and caught a bus to Ho Man Tin Indoor Playground to meet 10 classmates, their partners and children; we laughed, ate, and played table tennis. Our reunion was over too soon, with promises to meet either in Canada or Hong Kong. For my last supper, we chose dim sum, then rushed back to the apartment for packing and catching the air bus for the airport. I couldn’t believe it was all over.

Surprise, surprise Noris had told me there were quiet places in Hong Kong, and I’d thought, “Yeah, right.” But what surprised me was the peaceful parks at unexpected turns; the hiking available on major transportation routes; not meeting millions of people all at once; running into Elsa and Joan on the train. And the way the mist and fog changes the view, the reasonable prices, the lack of congestion...surprise, surprise, Hong Kong surprised me! Come to think of it, the only things that didn’t surprise me were the warmth of old friends and my delight in the new, and nobody will be surprised when they hear me saying, “On my second trip to Hong Kong…” fls

Barbara Crowe

Ixtapa Travel 114 - 3501 8th St. E. 664-3233 www.ixtapatravel.ca

leisure

TRAVEL

any of life’s most cherished memories are of the memorable experiences we share with loved ones and friends while travelling, admiring and absorbing the landscape, cuisine and culture of other countries.

through Ixtapa Travel, the group itself decides on destinations, dates and other arrangements. The agency provides the venue, consultants and hosts if necessary. The result is a social group of friends venturing out as travel partners to destinations they choose.

Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a partner with whom we can travel: there are singles, divorcees, widows and those whose partners can’t or choose not to travel. Some people simply prefer not to travel with family. And yet not all of us are comfortable with packing a bag and heading on a trip by ourselves.

Today, travel to places like Bali, Bosnia and Botswana is as common as trips to Acapulco, Arizona and Alberta were 40 years ago. Tourism is a key element, even the numberone element, of many countries’ economies. In Mexico, for example, the tourism industry employs tens of thousands of people and brings in billions of dollars every year. This success has not gone unnoticed by other Central American countries, which are working hard to build their own tourism industries.

Travel groups such as “Women with Passports,” offered by Ixtapa Travel in Saskatoon, are ideal vehicles for those who want to travel, but not by themsevles. Many travel groups are agency-driven: agencies select destinations, then package and market them to singles. But “Women with Passports” is unique: it’s a social-networking travel group for women. While it is facilitated

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Many of us have been to Mexico and Costa Rica or Jamaica and Cuba. But Panama, Honduras and Guatemala are emerging southern travel destinations, with their own unique and growing tourism industries. Some have had the opportunity to travel to the

U.K., Germany, France or Italy. So much of our North American culture and heritage comes from these beautiful countries that it’s no surprise so many of our European vacations have been focused on them. But there is so much more to see in Europe! If you like history, architecture and culture, Turkey is an absolute must, boasting thousands of years of history, cultural and religious architecture such as the Blue Mosque or Saint Sophia, Roman aqueducts and cisterns, cave dwellings of early Christians and Hittites, and more! You can go hot-air ballooning at dawn over Cappadocia, one of the best places in the world for ballooning, or rent a gullet (a sailboat for eight to 12 people) with family and friends, and sail on the Mediterranean for a week. The world holds enough destinations for a lifetime of travel: the Pacific Rim, Scandinavia, Africa and South America...

Hadn’t you better get started?

Riders hit the road to redemption BY Rod PEdERSEN, Voice of the RideRs “We will never forget it, but we must get over it.” – Roughrider head coach Ken Miller. He is a man of few words, but that statement by Ken Miller perfectly sums up the mindset of the Saskatchewan Roughriders as they turn the page from the bitter end of the 2009 Grey Cup game to the 2010 Canadian Football League season. As just about everybody in Saskatchewan knows, the Roughriders let a 27-11 lead in the fourth quarter of the CFL championship game last November get away from them and a “too many men” penalty on the final play of the contest cost them their fourth Grey Cup title. The penalty gave Montreal kicker Damon Duval a second chance at a game-winning field goal, and his 33-yarder with no time left capped an unbelievable 28-27 comeback victory for the Alouettes. The outcome stunned the nation. The Roughriders have been endlessly needled over the off-season about that gaffe, but as they prepared for the start of a new campaign they had to shed themselves of that emotional baggage. “It comes up all the time,” admitted Rider

quarterback Darian Durant. “That’s gotta be one of the craziest ways a Grey Cup has ever ended and I’m pretty sure it’s a game that won’t be forgotten for a long time. It’s something we’re gonna hear everywhere we go.” Many pundits across the CFL have pegged the Riders as the favourites in the West Division to get back to the Grey Cup in Edmonton this November, but everyone knows it’s going to be a long road to get there. “I think everybody sort of forgot it over the winter but now the curiosity is to see how the team will respond to it,” reported TSN CFL Insider David Naylor. “It’s an immense challenge for that coaching staff because no one’s ever lost a championship game in that fashion. That’s a massive letdown. “They let something get away that they worked so hard for for six months. The humour part of poking fun at them has faded away but there’s a real curiosity to see if the ghosts of the 13th man don’t follow them into 2010.” Some of the Roughriders have elected to stress the positives from that game, and

only strive to get better and right the wrong in the new campaign. “We played really well in that game,” revealed Rider slotback Chris Getzlaf. “To go down like that leaves a bitter taste but that’s in the past now. We need to move forward. We have a great team and have a great chance to get there again.” This past off-season signaled quite an exodus in Riderville. Three of the club’s coaches fled to the rival Winnipeg Blue Bombers (offensive coordinator Paul Lapolice, running backs coach Jamie Barresi and special teams coordinator Kavis Reed) and were replaced by Doug Berry, Bob Dyce and Jim Daley respectively. Also among the departures were four starters on defense: rush ends Stevie Baggs and John Chick, middle linebacker Rey Williams (all to the NFL) and defensive halfback Eddie Davis (retirement). Sixtime all-star Barrin Simpson was signed to replace Williams while the club will go with unproven returnees to try and fill the void left by the others. Brendan Taman replaced Eric Tillman in late-January as the General Manager of the Roughriders and the Saskatoon product

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was the undisputed winner on the freeagent market, signing a handful of prized players, such as kick returner Dominique Dorsey, offensive tackle Dan Goodspeed and Simpson. Taman also made a splash on the day of the Canadian College Draft in May, trading up to acquire the numberone pick, with which the club selected allstar linebacker Shomari Williams from Queens University. Offensively the nucleus of the group remains intact, with 2009 team MVP Darian Durant returning for his second season as the unchallenged starting quarterback. The North Carolina product started all 18 games plus playoffs last year and grew a tremendous amount as a person along the way. He was able to find a way to deal with the pressures of being the quarterback in Saskatchewan better than anyone has since perhaps the great Ron Lancaster. “I can’t go out and please this person or that person,” Durant advised. “I need to take care of my teammates and my coaches. If I play within myself and not worry what’s going on in the outside world, then we’ll be successful. I’m confident in my skills and in what I can do. We will be successful.” If there are any question marks regarding the 2010 Roughriders, it’s on defense where fans are nervous Chick and Baggs can’t adequately be replaced. The two combined for 22 quarterback sacks and were named first team all-stars in the process. Through training camp, the club settled on rookie Brent Hawkins and veteran Luc Mullinder as the primary replacements. “I don’t have any questions about what we’re going to be able to do,” asserted defensive coordinator Gary Etcheverry. “We have some great players here. I’m excited about the 2010 season and how it’ll shake out.” The Rider Nation seems excited too, as a record 25,000 season tickets have been purchased heading into the new year. The Riders posted a franchise-record profit of $3.14 million in 2009 and a CFL-record $7.14 million in merchandise sales. Ticket sales remain strong: the Labour Day Classic against Winnipeg sold out in 16 minutes while the July 17 home game against Edmonton also sold out before this season even started. Just when you thought Rider Pride could not get any stronger, it continues to reach new levels. The fans, as always, have done their job. Now, as always, the rest is up to the players. fls Rod Pedersen is the Voice of the Roughriders on 620 CKRM Radio.

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PHOT OS COURTE SY OF SASKAT CHE WAN ROUGHRIDERS

sports, recreation & leisure

Lower costs, fewer emissions New hydrogen-on-demand technology reduces fuel use by 20 percent BY dERRYL MURPHY

hile constantly rising gas prices have not stopped people in Saskatchewan from driving, the increased costs have made them more conscious about that driving, and so any opportunity for them to cut down on their driving costs must be greeted with hope and optimism. Enter Richard Clatney and Bill Crichton and Gas4less-Saskatoon. Gas4less-Saskatoon has brought to Saskatchewan a simple hydrogen-on-demand generator that is easily mounted under the hood of any vehicle, from the smallest car to the largest semi or recreational vehicle, as well as in generators and personal watercraft.

Twenty-percent fuel savings The Mark Series of generators offers a guarantee of 20-percent fuel savings over

a six-month period, and sometimes achieves even more over a longer period of time. And of course fuel savings goes hand-in-hand with a reduction in emissions, because youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re using less fuel to get the same result. Couple all of that with more torque and an improvement in acceleration, in addition to other less visible benefits, and it almost sounds too good to be true. Price and simplicity are the selling features. At the moment there are four models available, from the Mini Mark up to the Mark VIII, and the smallest of these takes up an area not much larger than a five-dollar bill, with a bit more space needed for the reservoirs. Retail price, including installation, for the Mark IV is less than $800, and the largest unit will come in under $3,000. For a long-haul trucker, doing the math on such an investment should be pretty easy: for every $10,000 spent in fuel, the

addition of the Mark VIII could save $2,000 or more, which means that any Mark Series unit will pay for itself very quickly. So how exactly does it work? In addition to the unit itself, Gas4less-Saskatoon installs reservoirs for distilled water and for sodium hydroxide. When combined and sent through the generator, the sodium hydroxide allows an improved electrical current to flow through the water. The electricity breaks down the water into its two component elements, oxygen and hydrogen, and the hydrogen that comes out of this process flows up through a tube and into the engine. Once there, the hydrogen mixes with the oxygen that is already coming in from the air around us. That oxygen enters the combustion chamber and is burned to allow the engine to operate. The addition of hydrogen enriches the air that the engine burns, and therefore allows for a more efSpring 2010

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ficient and complete burn in the combustion chamber. The system was developed by a former NASA aerospace master technician named Ed Grimm, and is designed to work with all diesel and gasoline engines. When Richard and Bill saw it they realized that this was something that would be an excellent fit for Saskatchewan. With high fuel prices and plenty of industrial and recreational use, to say nothing of all the private vehicles on the roads, many of them traveling the long distances between rural and urban communities, it seemed an ideal time to introduce an exciting and innovative new product that could save the consumer money, with the added benefit of being better for the environment. And Richard, with his management background, and Bill, with his mechanical background, were the ideal team to bring it to Saskatchewan.

Smoother diesel operation For business, Richard currently drives a one-ton 7.3-litre Ford diesel. He and Bill have installed the Mark VI model generator, which Richard says means the truck makes a much less â&#x20AC;&#x153;clunkyâ&#x20AC;? diesel sound and operates much more smoothly. Other improvements he has noticed include more torque and better acceleration, especially at the beginning, when most engines tend to be a little slower off the mark. The addition of the hydrogen allows for a more controlled explosion in the combustion chamber, says Richard, and it is also much more consistent. And that guaranteed 20-percent improvement in fuel savings? Richard notes that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actually averaging a bit better than that right now, a significant improvement for a large truck that is driven long distances every day. Mark units need to be installed by qualified technicians, and Richard and Bill are now in the process of getting together a network of service stations in the province for both installation and service. After installation, electrolytes for the generators will need to be topped up, but Richard says that the schedule for this service will be the same as that for chang64

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ing your oil: taking your vehicle in for an oil change and fluid top-up will be a simple, inexpensive task. For more details on this gas saving technology, go to www.gas4less.net/about.html. To have your own unit installed and start saving money on fuel and reducing your environmental impact, call Richard and Bill at 717-6088. fls Gas4Less-Saskatoon 717-6088 www.gas4less-saskatoon.com

Troy Ostapiw Owner, Warrior Fitness 581-2679 crazymonkeycanada@gmail.com www.crazymonkeygym.com/canada

fitness

WARRIOR FITNESS

arriors must be prepared to face life’s challenges, whether in business, relationships or martial arts and meditation.

week should do it). This, compared to the physical and mental benefits of Warrior Fitness experience, certainly leaves many of my students satisfied with my methods.

fight through pain and adversity. At Warrior Fitness, one learns to work through discomfort and pain, because life is a series of confrontations to overcome.

Through Warrior Fitness, Crazy Monkey Defense, I teach my students strength and flexibility of body, spirit and mind, so they might better meet and thrive through everyday confrontation.

Through the skills, strength and spiritual centeredness one attains in Warrior Fitness, daily unavoidable stress is met with calm and clarity. One can resolve conflicts with confidence.

In many ways, my training methods are a metaphor for the “real world.” With the right skill set and attitude, one can see conflicts as opportunities for personal growth, rather than unfortunate burdens.

I challenge students to build the momentum necessary to tackle what hurdles they will meet while in the boardroom, driving through rush-hour traffic, standing in line at the airport or wherever else the mundane-to-extreme frustrations might ambush them. Creating a routine of success in handling conflict and building confidence in the face of adversity is important to my training methods. As Sun Tzu said in The Art of War, “You have to believe in yourself.” Simple self-imposed challenges are indeed useful in preparation and anticipation of larger problems. One week, perhaps you could decide to forfeit an evening of television in favour of a brisk walk. The next week, perhaps you could forgo that morning coffee and instead practice 20 minutes of meditation. A fitness regimen I’ve perfected over a lifetime of athletic pursuits, martial-arts training and a career in law enforcement, Warrior Fitness is a proven-successful program, helping anyone develop physical strength, while meeting and exceeding personal limitations. Incorporating martial arts, yoga and kettlebell weight training, I work largely one-on-one with students through rigorous workout sessions that build muscle, endurance and balance. What many students find appealing about my classes, given the time restraints of a fastpaced modern and urban existence, is the relative short time commitment required in actual gym training (two to three hours a

In business as in life, the ability to compete is imperative, and I certainly stress the need to develop a competitive nature in my students. However, the goal at Warrior Fitness is not to compete against other students, but rather for one to compete against oneself. I consider my role that of a life coach, rather than merely a martial-arts instructor. As such, my interest is not so much in teaching students how to beat each other on the sparing mat. This style of training can only take one so far in life, as the real battles we face come from within ourselves (and how we react to the world) and not through other people. On a strictly physical level, my training techniques are proven to build muscle and reduce fat both quickly and effectively. I also emphasis the importance of nutritious diet when striving for optimal health. Warrior Fitness is based on the best of practices from all over the world. I have travelled Asia extensively, learning and incorporating elements from many martial arts. My program also uses yogic meditation in helping students achieve healthy body and mind. For over a decade I worked in law enforcement and I have taught police tactics and offered security consultation. In law enforcement, both physical strength and mental control are necessary when dealing with life-or-death situations. My training methods build on that necessary skill. However, one does not need to be a police officer to benefit from the expertise and philosophy I both teach and live by. I think we are all warriors. As such, we must all be prepared to

On top of everything else, Warrior Fitness is a fun way to get in shape. Training methods emphasis small classes rather than large groups, allowing for recreational sporting interactions. Aside from one-on-one sessions, there are duo-personal training options and more social classes of up to six students. My program is part of Crazy Monkey Defense, which emphasizes self-preservation and practical application through natural instinct and simple techniques, while at the same time creating a playful atmosphere for practitioners. I encourage anyone interested in self-improvement through physical, mental and spiritual health to check out my website at www.crazymonkeygym.com/canada. One can contact me at 581-2679, or via email at crazymonkeycanada@gmail.com. Finally, I challenge anyone reading this column to strive for personal growth. Improve yourself in small healthy ways everyday, so that you might be a stronger warrior, better able to face the world with calm, clarity and confidence. fls

Horse-and-rider teamwork After more than two millennia, polo is still a popular sport... and you can play it in Saskatoon BY JENN SHARP

layed in more than 75 countries worldwide, first played more than 2,000 years ago, polo is a fast-paced game of skill involving teamwork between horse and rider...and you can enjoy it right here in Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Polo Club was founded in 1993 and is Saskatchewan’s only team. The club is based at Willow Ridge stables, south of Saskatoon on Lorne Avenue. Sifton Field is regulation size and has hosted numerous games and tournaments throughout the years. The field is named for club founder Michael Sifton, who along with Bob Crowe and the late Dr. Jim Underhill were instrumental in bringing the game to the city. Current club member and polo enthusiast Vikram Misra, professor of veterinary microbiology at the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says polo is a “fabulous sport. You just need to develop your skill levels and

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hand/eye coordination.” He says most people that are new to polo find hitting the three-inch ball the most difficult aspect. “It frustrates people,” he admits, but he promises the skill comes with time.

Open to newcomers The Saskatoon Polo Club is open to newcomers and holds regular practises throughout the season, which runs from May to September. The team travels to Manitoba and Alberta for games and tournaments and hosts them at Sifton Field as well. The inclusive sport does not separate men from women players and everyone plays with a handicap, resulting in teams made up of people that may have vastly different skill levels. Misra says the sport is popular with women and is for people who “love horses, speed and have a competitive nature.” Polo shares many similarities with other

ball games: the objective is to score on the other team by getting the ball through goal posts placed at each end of the field. The large polo field is about the same size as nine football fields; therefore at least two polo ponies (horses) are required for serious competitors, as it is against the rules to ride a horse in consecutive chukkers. A game consists of four chukkers, which last for about seven minutes each. During those seven minutes, however, the horse is running full speed, while stopping and turning frequently. Each team has four mounted players per side plus two umpires on horseback and a referee on the sidelines to handle disputes. The rules are designed to prevent collisions between horse-and-rider teams, but players are allowed to check each other using their horses (similar to a body check in hockey). Misra says beginner horses are often reluctant to get close enough to check another horse, but once they get used to the game

it takes little persuasion from the player to encourage the horses. Polo doesn’t have goalkeepers, but there are numerous penalties, whose severity depend on how dangerous a play was made. Misra says the main rule to follow is called the line of the ball. An imaginary line is drawn from where the ball comes from to where it is going, and once you establish yourself on this line, people cannot obstruct you. However, other players can push you off of this line, and that’s where the physical nature of polo comes into play. Players are also allowed to hook one another’s mallet in an attempt to stop the ball from being hit. Players must play right-handed.

A social occasion Polo games have long been synonymous with social occasions and still attract a large number of spectators dressed in their finest. During half-time of a match, spectators are invited out on the field to participate in the polo tradition called “divot stamping.” It was developed to help replace the mounds of dirt (divots) that are torn up by the horse’s hooves and allows spectators to walk about and socialize. The game can, of course, get very competitive, and once a horse knows how to play, he or she has the ability to smoothly carry the player to the ball and can account for up to 75 percent of the player’s skill and net worth to the team. Finding a horse suitable for polo in the Saskatoon area is not difficult if you are willing to train the right horse. The polo club also has numerous contacts and can help you purchase a fully trained polo pony. The word pony is used out of tradition: full-size horses are used in polo and range in height from 14.2 to 16 hands high at the withers (one hand equals 10.16 cm) and weigh between 900 to 1,100 pounds. However, you don’t need a horse to try out polo in Saskatoon. The club has numerous mounts they will lend to beginners for their first year until they understand the basics of riding and of the game. Misra recommends anyone who is interested contact Ricardo at Willow Ridge Stables at 373-4317, or check out the website at www.willowridgestables.com/clubs/polo, for more information on getting involved in this fabulous sport.

sports, recreation & leisure

The history of polo One of the world’s oldest team sports, polo’s origin is not definitively known. It was probably first played on a barren Asiatic campground by nomadic warriors more than 2,000 years ago. The first ever recorded match of polo was in 600 BCE, when the Turkomans beat the Persians in a public match. The Persians and Mogul conquerors of India spread the game across the world. Polo was valuable for training cavalry and by the time the Middle Ages reached its height, polo was played everywhere from Constantinople to Japan. Tamerlane, who lived from 1336 to 1405, conquered more land and people than anyone in history except Alexander the Great, and was the last of the nomadic warriors. Polo was known in the east as the Game of Kings and Tamerlane’s polo grounds can still be seen in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Samarkand was the capital of Tamerlane’s empire because of its central position on the Silk Road dividing China from the West in the 14th century. The Calcutta Polo Club, the world’s first, was established in 1862 by two British soldiers. The first set of formal British rules was drawn up in 1874; many are still in use today. Noted American publisher James Gordon Bennett introduced polo to New York City in 1876. Polo quickly caught on, and over the next 10 years major clubs sprang up all over the eastern States. The game also changed in the United States and became a fast-paced sport, differing from the slower game played in England at the time. By the 1930s, polo was in the midst of a Golden Age and crowds of 30,000 regularly attended international matches. In 1900 polo was introduced at the Summer Olympics in Paris, but it was removed by 1936. The game is now played in countries all over the world. For more than 30 years, the Argentineans have dominated the sport. The highest levels of polo are played in Argentina, England and the United States. An explosive growth in players and good horses is sure to change the heroes of the sport in the near future.

The rules of polo seem complicated to an outsider or for someone just beginning the sport. The basics, however, are easy to grasp and the rest will come with experience and time. There is no need to memorize and put into practise the entire rule book when you are just starting out. The most important thing is to become comfortable with the flow of the game and with your mount. The first skill you should work on is learning to hit the ball with the mallet: it’s harder than it looks! fls

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PHOTOS BY J UDY W OOD

Polo rules

“It’s one of the most critically acclaimed shows from Cirque du Soleil, so for those who haven’t seen a Cirque show before Alegría is a good one to be introduced to. You have the artists on stage performing a high-intensity show and you’ll see the most incredible acrobatics you’ve ever seen,” says Geneviève Laurendeau, publicist with the show. When Alegría was created in 1994, the casting department from Montréal set out to find the very best talent in the world. Today the show boasts 55 artists hailing from 18 different countries, including two Canadians—one from Ontario and one from Quebec—and a few former Olympians. Laurendeau says even though some of the performers get trained for other Cirque shows or new ones come to the show as the years go by, she still works with the best artists, singers, dancers and acrobats in the world.

PHOT OS COURT E SY CIRQUE DU SOL E IL

It starts with an idea

Cirque du Soleil’s Alegría will make you believe anything is possible BY ALEXANDRA WALLD

he mission of Cirque du Soleil is to make audiences around the world believe that anything is possible. As its performers soar through the air, performing acrobatics in mid-leap, twist their bodies into unbelievable poses and dance to music while juggling fire-laden batons, it’s obviously a case of “mission accomplished.” With acts like Synchro Trapeze, Aerial High Bar and The Flying Man, Cirque’s 2 1/2hour show Alegría, which dances its way to the Credit Union Centre August 4 to 8, will be no exception.

Given the job of creating a new show for Cirque du Soleil, Laurendeau says the show’s creators reflected on the changes that communications—mainly the Internet—were making throughout the world. That idea led them to consider how communications could change future generations or create a power struggle between the stubbornness of the old ways and the urge to evolve with the new ones. “One of the things we explore in Alegría is contrast; ugly and evil, good and bad, change and static. The Nostalgic Old Birds represent the aristocracies and then we have the youth, which is represented by angels trying to change the way things work,” says Sheryl-Lynne Valensky, who worked as a stage manager on other Cirque shows like Saltimbanco and Corteo before becoming Alegría’s assistant artistic director. “Throughout the show you see these two groups of characters and how they interact and work together to find common ground. You can apply that idea to any culture—it’s a universal theme—and I Spring 2010

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arts, entertainment & dining think that’s one of the reasons Alegría has lasted so long.” After 15 years of touring most of the world and performing in front of more than 10 million people, Alegría’s final big-top show closed in Dubai last April. Only two months later, the show reopened in Nova Scotia, commencing the production’s arena-ready North American tour. “Alegría’s pretty much been everywhere with the big-top, so the great thing about doing arenas is that we get to go places we haven’t been to before,” says Valensky. “We can now bring the show to communities that wouldn’t get to see it otherwise and because the audience doesn’t have to travel two or three hours to see our show, it’s added to the intimacy of the experience.”

One of the show’s biggest goals is inviting the audience to come along for the journey of Alegría—from the show’s impressionistic colouring and lighting to the set’s imposing and powerful shapes, which represent the stability of the establishment, to the amazing acrobatics being performed on stage. Two singers, who play each other’s alter egos, and a six-piece band with scores from jazz and pop to tango and klezmer music work with the performers on stage to heighten the experience for viewers. If the Fire-Knife Dance, an act featuring tribal, ritualistic dancing to Congo drums while throwing flame-engulfed batons, doesn’t impress you, perhaps the Russian Bars act will. In it, artists fly through the air, performing spectacular somersaults and mid-air twists, only to land on a four-inch-wide bar that is perched on the catchers’ sturdy shoulders. In the Synchronized Trapeze act artists defy gravity on trapeze swings in perfect harmony and in the Aerial High Bar act performers soar to and from catchers on three high bars more than 40 feet in the

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PHOTOS COURT E SY CIRQUE DU SOL E IL

A journey for the audience

air. The Flying Man combines bungee jumping with the power of gymnastics while the Power Track highlights a group of performers who simultaneously execute gymnastics and tumbling displays on a trampoline that magically appears from beneath the stage. If that’s not enough, Alegría also includes acts that have performers balancing on canes of various heights, executing acrobatics within a large Cyr wheel and bringing the Mongolian art of contortion and manipulation to life right before your eyes.

A simple message When a Cirque du Soleil show comes together, everything is created at the same time, not one piece after the other, because all aspects of the show rely on one another: the premise, the show’s acts, its set, costumes, even its colour palette. The only thing that came last in the two-year-long creative process for Alegría was its title. A Spanish word, the show’s namesake means “elation, joy or jubilation.” The word embodies the message that Franco Dragone, the show’s director, and Gilles Ste-Croix, director of creation, wanted to send to the audience. “The message for Alegría is really simple; we want to stimulate the imagination and we want people to believe that anything is possible—that’s what we want them to take away from show. Hearing them talk about how inspired they get afterwards validates everything I do; it’s where I get my inspiration,” says Valensky. “We feature what the human body can do, so if you’re not wowed by the contortion or high bar acts, we aren’t doing our job.” With Alegría, Valensky says the cast and crew are constantly looking at innovation and how they can help the show evolve to be the best it can be creatively. Doing a show for 10 weeks in a row can become a routine, but at Cirque they do their best to make the last show as good and energetic as the first one.

Storytelling through costumes Characters of the Old Order, represented by the unpredictable and unreliable guide Fleur and the Nostalgic Old Birds, are dressed in flamboyant, aristocratic costumes that would have been found in European palaces. They interact with characters of the New Order—the Angels and the sensual, youthful Nymphs—who try to help the old generation find common ground for the future. The New Order wears lighter, more agile costumes that represent their ability to change. Inspired by the rich colours of Michel Crête’s set designs, all of Alegría’s costumes, designed by Dominique Lemieux, were custom-made at Cirque’s costume workshop in Montréal. It employs nearly 400 full-time artisans, who will make thousands of intricately-designed costumes this year, 500 of which are for Alegría alone. The costumes work with Debra Brown’s choreography and René Dupéré’s music to create an atmosphere unique to Alegría and its audience. “You learn so much from Cirque; it creates such an open environment,” says Velansky. “The artists have taught me so much—creatively, artistically and personally. I treasure every minute because you can learn so much and have such a broader perspective of the world as a result.” On its North American tour, Alegría’s crew works 10 weeks on and two weeks off, with eight performances and just one day off each week. Wednesday to Saturday, Alegría takes to the stage at 7:30 p.m., has 3:30 p.m. matinees on Friday and Saturday, and closes after its 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. shows on Sunday. Tickets range from $56.75 to $106.75 for adults, $47.75 to $87.75 for children (two to12) and $49.25 to $86.75 for family four-packs. Discounts are available for students, seniors and military with identification. fls

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Paving the way for future development Whitecap Resort next outgrowth of world-class Dakota Dunes Casino and Golf Links BY JENN SHARP

ix years ago a golf course opened on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation land south of Saskatoon. The Dakota Dunes Golf Links would soon become the province’s premier golf destination and host the Canadian Tour. A world-class gaming, entertainment and dining facility opened shortly after and plans are now in place to develop a resort and destination complex, which is sure to be unrivalled in the rest of Saskatchewan. The Whitecap community is just 26 kilometres (about 20 minutes) south of Saskatoon on the Chief Whitecap Trail (Highway 219). Dakota Dunes Casino offers more than 600 slot machines, 15 table games and great live entertainment in its 600-seat show lounge, which includes a gourmet restaurant and buffet. The development of the Dakota Dunes Hotel is the next exciting phase of this four-season attraction.

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Whitecap development and tourism Dakota people have occupied areas of Saskatchewan for centuries. Chief Whitecap (Wapahaska) led his people to the Saskatchewan area from Minnesota in the early 1860s, hunting and camping in a territory that reached west to the Cypress Hills and north to the North Saskatchewan River. Wapahaska was accustomed to spending much of the year with his people along the Saskatchewan River. In 1878, the current Whitecap community was established. Four years later, Chief Whitecap would show John Lake a suitable spot along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River for the establishment of Lake’s temperance colony and what is known today as Saskatoon. Whitecap Dakota First Nation is undertaking a tourism-development strategy on

its reserve lands and in partnership with the surrounding area. The master plan for the Dakota Dunes Resort includes more than $100 million of investment in a golf course, casino and hotel and residential, retail, camping and recreational attractions. The next phase of the Whitecap Development, the hotel and resort complex, is slated to begin construction in the fall of 2010. The 161-room hotel will feature a full-service restaurant and lounge, as well as meeting and convention space, a pool and waterslide and a spa sure to be a tourist destination attraction for the province. Spa treatments will be incorporated with traditional Dakota culture and history. Darrell Balkwill, CEO for the Whitecap Development Corporation, says the goal is to “make the development unique for this province.” The next phase of the development will be residential space at the resort, including condos, town homes and lots. Balkwill also

expects to include retail and service outlets, along with cultural-interpretation amenities and outdoor recreation activities in the resort development. Working with the gorgeous river landscape is a priority for Balkwill and he says all developments will take this factor into consideration. Feasibility studies are currently underway and construction is expected to begin next summer on a high-technology business park. Balkwill says 40 acres of land has been set aside for those businesses in the aerospace and national defence sector that have ties to the Whitecap Dakota First Nation.

Infrastructure upgrades Whitecap has also undertaken an $11-million investment in infrastructure upgrades to support the commercial developments. Upgrades on the reserve include natural gas, power, telecommunications, Internet, water, sewer and road construction. The Saskatchewan government, in an indication of its belief in the success of the development, is undertaking a $24-million upgrade to the highway that runs from Saskatoon through the reserve lands. A regional tourism marketing strategy has

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been formulated based on the development of a tourism corridor from Saskatoon through Whitecap to Lake Diefenbaker. In order to enhance marketing efforts of the Dakota Dunes Resort and its individual businesses, partnerships have been established with all the tourism players along the corridor. The corridor has been renamed the Chief Whitecap Trail, while a branding awareness campaign will increase awareness of this exciting new development. The vibrant and multicultural city of Saskatoon is located at the northern end of the newly established Chief Whitecap Trail tourism corridor. As Saskatchewan’s largest city it provides convenient amenities in a natural, inviting setting. Highway 219, which leads south of Saskatoon and passes by the Dakota Dunes Casino and Golf Links, is a route similar to the original Whitecap Trail, followed by Chief Wapahaska and his people. At the southern end of Chief Whitecap Trail is Lake Diefenbaker, with more than 800 kilometres of shoreline. The lake is quickly becoming a premier destination for relaxation and fun. Lake Diefenbaker boasts three full-service marinas, numerous golf courses, campgrounds, accommodations and dining options.

Water-sports enthusiasts can enjoy swimming, sailing, water skiing and jet skiing. Fishing is also excellent at Lake Diefenbaker, where the world-record rainbow trout was caught in 2007 and 2009. The Whitecap Trail offers visitors a glimpse into history and unique attractions, such as Outlook’s Sky Trail, Canada’s longest pedestrian bridge. Highway 219 is being upgraded to make travel more comfortable and planning is underway for further tourism attractions.

Dakota Dunes Golf Links Six golf seasons have passed since Dakota Dunes Golf Links first opened for play in 2004. The course has slowly matured in its six-year existence, and now offers some of the finest golf conditions anywhere. Dakota Dunes General Manager McLaren Taylor says “the facility offers a truly special experience in an ‘old-world land-links’ style.” Dakota Dunes has collected some impressive awards and is Saskatchewan’s topranked golf course. SCORE golf magazine recently rated it the number-one public course in the Saskatchewan/Manitoba region, with a distinction for best conditions. Golf Digest rated Dakota Dunes number 17

overall in Canada in a recent ranking of courses around the globe. Dakota Dunes Golf Links is a spacious course stretching throughout natural sand dune formations and indigenous prairie grasses, which surround the edges. The five tee decks on course, which range from 4,600 to 6,700 metres, remove the threat of being overpowered by today’s technology. Undulating fairways with large greens will welcome shots of every shape. This natural masterpiece is Saskatchewan’s only complete Cooke-Carleton-designed golf property. Renowned golf course architect Graham Cooke says, “Without exception, this is one of the most exciting pieces of raw property we have ever stepped foot on to create a design.” Principle designer Wayne Carleton says, “There

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could not be a more natural site for a golf course than this one.”

Canadian Tour returns The Canadian Tour’s Dakota Dunes Casino Open returned for a third year in 2010. The event was formerly known as the Saskatchewan Open. A recent commitment to extend sponsorship has confirmed this event on the Canadian Tour’s schedule through the 2013 season. Like many of the Tour’s events across Canada, the prize purse has been significantly increased. The 2010 Dakota Dunes Casino Open was contested for a total purse of $250,000 and the event was a great success. The additional prize money attracted more of the world’s top golfers, and helped to increase the earning potential for those trying to make a living on the Canadian Tour. Last year Andreas Gonzales from Las Vegas won the tournament with a final round 63. Gonzales chipped in on the 18th hole for an eagle to win by one stroke over Hugo Leon of Chile. According to Taylor, the quality of play during the tournament has been very impressive. “We knew the Canadian Tour players would be able to handle the course,

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and we expected a low score would be posted. But when two players shot 62 in the first year, we knew these players were really good. The gap between a Canadian Tour player and the PGA Tour is really very small.” Visit www.dakotadunescasinoopen.com for the 2010 results and information on next year’s event. Public play is welcome seven days a week at Dakota Dunes Golf Links. Green fees range from $40 to $60 walking and $60 to $80 riding. Tee-time reservations are recommended and bookings can be made for any future date by calling 664-4653.

Dakota Dunes Casino Whether it’s traditional table games, the thrill of the slots, a delectable dinner, or a night out to enjoy quality performances, the Dakota Dunes Casino offers excitement for everyone. “Dakota Dunes Casino offers a unique atmosphere and experience that is not found anywhere else in the area,” says Marketing Manager John Howden. “The casino is an all-encompassing experience with worldclass cuisine and entertainment, which complement our many slot machines and table games.”

Saskatoon Tribal Council and Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) has invested $61 million in the casino and entertainment facility, which opened in August 2007. Drawing 1.4 million visitors each year, the facility’s unique theme and gaming experience made it a finalist for best casino design at the 2008 National Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. The 80,000-square-foot facility offers plenty of excitement, with more than 600 slot machines, 14 live table games, a buffet restaurant with menu service, a deli, a lounge and two live-performance stages. Convention, banquet and conference facilities are also available and are capable of hosting up to 450 people for your next event. Six spacious rooms, along with several meeting rooms, are perfect for both large and small groups. The casino is located on a hill overlooking the South Saskatchewan River valley basin and provides excellent views, along with unsurpassed five-star service and dining.

“Hospitality and service unsurpassed” The knowledgeable staff at the Dakota Dunes Casino provides friendly and courteous service, in keeping with traditional First Nations hospitality, things that How-

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Dakota Dunes Casino offers a unique atmosphere and experience that is not found anywhere else in the area. The casino is an all-encompassing experience with worldclass cuisine and entertainment, which complement our many slot machines and table games. -John Howden, Marketing Manager.

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den says make the facility stand out. “Our hospitality and service is unsurpassed and brings customers back again and again.” The facility continually strives to exceed guests’ expectations. Howden explains that “we value the feedback we receive and use that to ensure a positive customer experience.” A free shuttle service is offered to patrons from a variety of locations in Saskatoon and has certainly bolstered attendance, while a taxi service has been added to assist people with disabilities. “The staff and management at Dakota Dunes believe that by excelling in customer service and listening to our clients, we will continue to be one of the top entertainment facilities in Saskatchewan,” says Howden. If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about possible bookings and date availability, please do not hesitate to contact the Dakota Dunes Casino staff. For more information, go to the website, www.dakotadunescasino.com or give us a call at 667-6400.

A first-choice employer The Dakota Dunes continues to deliver on a corporate mandate to create First Nations employment and generate revenue for its beneficiaries. The facility prides itself on being a first-choice employer. The casino employs more than 500 people in about 70 positions and provides a comprehensive benefits package to all staff.

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Dakota Dunes Casino is an active member of the community through investment opportunities and sponsorship. The organization also encourages staff to get involved through volunteer activities. “We recognize this leads to a more positive relationship with the community and, in the long run, will help our business become more successful,” says Howden. In addition to the Community Development Corporation, which distributes 25 percent of Dakota Dunes net revenues to the local community and surrounding area of Saskatoon, “our management and staff support community involvement and leadership in a variety of charities and organizations,” says Howden. As a 100-percent non-profit gaming operator, revenues are distributed among beneficiaries, which include Saskatchewan’s First Nations communities, the provincial treasury and community development corporations located across the province. “This contribution to our stakeholders allows for the advancement and betterment of communities through the various programs that each organization supports,” he says. Howden attributes the success of Dakota Dunes to a strong corporate vision, talented leaders and dedicated employees. He explains that Dakota Dunes’s guiding principle, witaskewin, relates to “living together on the land” and sharing resources. “It’s what inspires us to do well and give back to our communities.”

Cultural events Modern pow wows help First Nations people and their friends celebrate life through song and dance and are an exciting display of culture and talent. A dancing competition offers significant prize money. Dakota Dunes co-hosts these annual pow wow celebrations with the Whitecap Dakota First Nations community. This year’s pow wow will take place August 10 to 12 and will host dancers, singers, and drummers from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the United States. fls

Up-coming promotions, events and entertainment Every Sunday: Texas Hold ’Em Poker Tournaments Every Monday: Super Seniors Day July 16 & 30: Slots of Reel Cash Slot Tournaments July 20: Monthly Blackjack Tournament July 30-August 1: Canadian-Native Fastpitch tournament August 10: Players Club Birthday Party August 10-12: Dakota Dunes Pow Wow

Fantastic views, fine cuisine The Willows offers more than just golf for those seeking an out-of-city experience BY JENN SHARP

PHOTOS BY KARYN KIMBE RLE Y

hile The Willows Golf and Country Club is famous for its spectacular 36-hole, semi-private golf course, there is much more waiting for those who wish to escape the city and experience nature at its best while dining on splendid Italian cuisine. In 2011 The Willows will celebrate 20 years of business in Saskatoon. Located just minutes south of the city on Cartwright Street, the facility can be found amidst rolling hills and grasslands which have been painstakingly manicured to provide one of the best dining views in Saskatoon. The 36-hole golf course provides a myriad of natural obstacles, including lakes, streams, bunkers, an island green and numerous planted trees. One doesn’t have to get out on the golf course to experience the splendour of The Willows, however. Whether you’re enjoying a cold drink on the patio, a burger in the lounge or a perfectly prepared risotto in the dining room, the scenery is guaranteed to relax and soothe your senses. The Willows launched an all-new menu in November with a focus on Italian cuisine and has tweaked it for the summer season. Guy Beatty, general manager of the facility, says Chef Curtis’s Italian heritage influenced the menu choices. “His family roots stem from the Veneto region in Northern

Italy and he learned a lot from his heritage there. He designed many of our new dishes himself... his inspiration is everyday Italian food prepared simply with local ingredients whenever possible,” explains Beatty.

Classic Italian dining...with a twist Both the lunch and dinner menus offer a smattering of classic Italian dishes that have been re-styled for the discerning diner. “We like to think of it as classic Italian dining with a modern twist,” says Beatty. A separate lunch menu for the lounge offers a diverse selection of standbys, such as burgers and steak sandwiches, and is the perfect spot to relax after your golf game. The knowledgeable dining room staff is well equipped to help you select that perfect bottle of Chianti to go with your meal. An extensive wine list, including an ample selection of reds from Italy, is the perfect complement to an evening of dining at The Willows. Every Tuesday the dining room offers Tastes of Tuscany nights, where diners can enjoy the chef ’s choice of a three-course Italian dinner for $30. An affordable optional wine pairing is always available for these special nights, as is the regular evening

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arts, entertainment & dining menu. Sunday brunch is another weekly Willows tradition, and if you’ve never experienced it, there’s no better time than the present to start. Whether you’re new to the sport of golf or an accomplished player, the course at The Willows offers challenges for everyone and great areas for beginners to learn and develop their game. Four different nine-hole courses of varying difficulty are set in the dunes and rolling hills that makes The Willows stand out among golf circuits. The course offers scenic lakes, water hazards, challenging silica bunkers and two beautiful signature holes, the Island Green and Xena Peninsula Green, which are both surrounded by water.

Unmatched golf expertise A core group of dedicated people has been running the Pro Shop at The Willows for years and their knowledge and expertise of the course and golf in general is unmatched elsewhere in Saskatoon. Brennen Gee is the head professional and manages the pro shop as well as organizing tournaments and lessons. Two assistant pros, Davidson Matyczuk and Keith Palenchuk, offer group, individual and play-along lessons. Play-alongs give golfers the chance to have their game critiqued by an expert and pick up tips on etiquette or to learn the rules of the game first-hand. The broad range of clothing, accessories and equipment lines carried in the Pro Shop makes this the most complete shop in Saskatchewan. Fashions and accessories from Ashworth, AUR, Sun Ice, Adidas, Callaway, Loft8**, FootJoy and more are all available. Equipment lines include Callaway, Titleist, Cobra, TaylorMade and Adams. The Willows also carry a durable and stylish luggage line from Ogio. The Willows has become one of Saskatoon’s premier destinations for weddings and banquet-style events. The facility has four indoor banquet rooms; all feature natural light and panoramic views of the golf course. Hosting a special event at The Willows is always the right choice, thanks to professional staff, excellent food and the beautiful setting. The Willows updates its catering and wedding food packages throughout the year and can accommodate up to 200 people.

The Red Barn Another option for a casual, outdoor affair is the Red Barn. Events here are held on the lawn and make use of the barbecue and fire pits, with the classic barn as a great backdrop for pictures. The Red Barn is unique to The Willows and is a perfect place to host corporate team-building nights, staff parties, rehearsal dinners or outdoor weddings. The Red Barn can also be used during tournaments held at The Willows. From a small family business to a large corporation, The Willows can organize a golf tournament and has a full staff dedicated to this task. “It’s just one of those things that we do really well,” says Beatty, and explains the Willows is more than equipped to handle multiple tournaments, pointing out it has hosted some of the largest, highest-profile tournaments in Saskatchewan. For additional information, check out www.willowsgolf.com. The Willows... More than just golf... All year round!

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Bingo! Fun and fundraising combine for more than 150 Saskatchewan charities BY G.H. LEWMER

an you name the game that friends and family from ages 13 to 90 can play that encourages and rewards laughter, shouting and screaming? If you guessed Bingo you're 100-percent correct, and chances are, if you were playing Bingo right now, odds are you might get lucky! Bingo is a great and fun way for friends and family of all ages to celebrate their time together. For communities and nonprofit organizations, it's also a wonderful way to raise funds for important projects. Over the years, the 150 charities and 150 staff members who make up the Saskatchewan-based Amalgamated Charities Inc. have helped communities and non-profit organizations raise fun and funds through Bingo. With the assistance of its dedicated staff and network of committed volunteers, Amalgamated Charities has helped communities throughout Saskatchewan raise millions of dollars through its Bingo and Break-Open ticket sales programs. As more than150 nonprofit organizations have discovered, if fundraising is your goal, Amalgamated Charities is the organization to call to get the job done!

Helping charities raise funds What is Amalgamated Charities, you may ask? It is a non-profit organization incorporated in 2002 whose primary goal is working to help its charitable and nonprofit members (shareholders as approved by the ACI regulator, The Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Association) raise as many funds as possible to help them reach their goals. Funds are raised through the six Bingo Halls owned and operated by Amalgamated Charities throughout the Province. These halls are located in Saskatoon (Club West), Moose Jaw (Leisure Time), Regina (Centennial, Fantasyland and Bingo Palace) and Swift Current (Junction Square) respectively. As everyone who has ever shouted out its name in victory knows, Bingo is an inexpensive, time-honored and fun-filled form of entertainment for the whole family. At each fundraising event a portion of Bingo and Break-Open ticket proceeds go to the charity sponsoring the event. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an effortless and efficient way to fund-raise, made easy with the assistance of the experienced Amalgamated Charities staff. The non-profit group spon-

soring the event works under the direction of the professional staff and is able to host anywhere from one to 52 sessions per year to raise funds. In 2009, Amalgamated Charities helped its supporting members raise more than $2 million.

Volunteer board Every organization that partners with Amalgamated Charities discovers there are approximately 150 full and part-time staff members working between Bingo operations and concessions to assist. Within ACI there are more than 150 members who meet annually to elect the board of directors. This board comprises up to 18 members who are geographically dispersed throughout the province. This board is composed of volunteers who are everyday members of the community. Interim General Manager Roberta Peakman says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am proud to be part of an organization whose focus is our community. The members who volunteer are doing so to help achieve their charitiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; goals. ACI is not just about our patrons and the game of Bingo, but also about our shareholders

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and helping them achieve their dreams!” As with any successful organization, the ACI Board is committed to maximizing its potential. According to Chairperson Gary Gehring, “During the past eight years, ACI has been trying new methods to increase shareholder revenues and to position itself as a viable, continuing option for these non-profit groups. Through the concerted efforts of many volunteers and a core group of staff we are confident ACI will continue to play a vital role in our communities and support the many organizations that touch every one of us in our day-to-day activities.”

This diverse and far-reaching assistance is truly remarkable. Here’s how the Canadian Progress Club (CPC) Saskatoon Meewasin puts it: “One of the main ways our club raises funds to help our charities is through working Bingos at Club West. CPC Saskatoon Meewasin has been a member of ACI since inception. With our focus being on children and others in need, funds we raise through Bingos are designated to the following charities: Care and Share (support for programs and students at Inner City and Perimeter Community Schools); Saskatoon Crisis Nursery (provides a safe place for children from babies to 12 years of age during a family crisis); Westmount Community School (funds donated help provide programs that students may not be able to participate in otherwise); Saskatoon Special Olympics (gives persons with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to develop personally through sport and interaction with others) and Hope Cancer Help Centre (provides emotional and monetary support to assist families with a member undergoing cancer treatments of any kind). Other organizations, such as Army Cadets, are also a perfect fit to the services offered by ACI. A member of the parents’ committee of 328 Army Medics says, “We fundraise at the Bingo for our cadets. The money raised goes for training exercises, meals at training exercises and equipment needed (sleeping bags, compasses, etc.) as well as recreational activities like trips to other cities to meet other corps and partake in other learning activities.” For further information, and to help your non-profit group take its first steps to realize its fiscal goals and financial independence, give the Amalgamated Offices a call at (306) 543-5566 or visit www.saskbingo.com. Odds are you might get lucky!

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PHOTOS BY CAT HERIN E POPIEL

Diverse and far-reaching

“A hobby gone crazy” Striving to change the way people think about beer BY dERRYL MURPHY

t’s not often that a business as successful as Paddock Wood Brewery is started because the federal government tells you that your hobby has grown too big to be allowed anymore, but that is pretty much what happened to Steve Cavan, who once upon a time brewed his own beers because he couldn’t get what he wanted in the liquor stores. In a series of events that Steve calls a “hobby gone crazy,” Steve, who with graduate degrees in philosophy and ancient Greek poetry was teaching at the University of Saskatchewan until 2006, researched how to make the types of beer he couldn’t buy, beers from all around the world. But he found the best way to feed his hobby was to set up Paddock Wood as a business, since that was pretty much the only way to get material from suppliers. That soon snowballed into making kits for other people, and by 2005 he was running Canada’s largest mail-order beer supply store. Such rapid growth soon led to Pad-

dock Wood actually brewing the beer. Starting in 2000 Steve was no longer operating out of his house, and three years later the company was doing triple shifts to keep up with demand.

First Sask. microbrewery As Saskatchewan’s first and only true microbrewery—distinct from a brew pub, which also has food on the menu, and a smaller capacity—Paddock Wood was set up because Steve wants “to change the way people think about beer.” He mentions that the American light standard is the dominant taste that beer drinkers (and non-drinkers) are used to, and he also says that most people who say they don’t like beer “haven’t seen what beer could be.” As an example of the sort of reaction he says that Paddock Wood regularly gets, early on Steve gave some of his well-loved Black Cat lager—first launched provincially in the fall of 2006—to a friend who

didn’t like dark beers. Her reaction, according to Steve, was something along the lines of “Wow! I didn’t know beer could taste like that!” Steve notes that Black Cat is like a Pilsner, but with a slight coffee flavour in the background and an interesting Coca Cola-like colour. Different than most beers already, but Steve also notes that just the fact that it is a black lager makes it very rare in Canada. Steve believes that, as a beverage, beer is more versatile than wine. He can match any beer with just about any type of food, and says that the same can’t be said about wine. Matching beers with different types of foods is not necessarily what comes to mind when drinking the more conventional types of beer, but as a microbrewery, Paddock Wood’s beers have many different flavours. Assorted malts and hops are used to bring out these varying tastes, and it’s precisely that variety that can make beer so easy to pair with any food.

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Like a sports car, a good microbrewery can easily change directions. Originally, Paddock Wood’s capacity was all of 300 litres, which meant that batches were small and styles and flavours could easily be changed. They’ve since expanded to a 1,200-litre capacity, but that is still small compared to large or even mid-sized breweries. The company’s modest size, coupled with Steve’s incredible knowledge of brewing, means that not only can Paddock Wood easily change production from one style of beer to another, they can also produce custom batches of beers very quickly. An example: Blackfriars Ale, based on a 17th-century formulation that Paddock Wood is brewing for this year’s Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan festival. People who enjoy fine beers will know that companies willing to not only research recipes for 17th-century brews, but to then devote the resources to recreating them, are very rare indeed, and when a company such as Paddock Wood not only does so but does so with consistent excellence, then such a company deserves their attention and their custom. Steve notes that Paddock Wood is always looking for styles of beer that push the limits and that are creative. And when he develops one that does everything it was meant to do and its popularity proves its worth, he’ll stick with it. An example of this is Paddock Wood’s Loki, a double IPA (India Pale Ale). It’s a beer with almost nine-percent alcohol content and several different flavours of hops. When Paddock Wood first made Loki, Steve thought it would just be a one-off, but it has proven to be very popular, and so the brewery is still producing it. Another beer that Paddock Wood Brewery is famous for is Czech Mate, a classic Czech-style Pilsner, which was mentioned in the Globe & Mail last fall as one of Canada’s top 10 beers. It might seem a little less exotic than many of Paddock Wood’s other beers, but once again it shows Steve’s rigorous attention to detail and love of what beer can be when done properly. He has ensured that this beer is made with yeast from a 300-year-old culture that originated in the Czech Republic, and he also uses a reverse-osmosis procedure to make sure that the water that goes into the beer is as close as possible to the water from the Pilsen region of the Czech Republic.

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Quick and nimble

arts, entertainment & dining

Happily filling a niche

Paddock Wood Bre w er y B1, 116 - 103rd S t. E . 477-5632 paddockw ood@paddockw ood.com w ww.paddockw ood.com

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At the moment, Paddock Wood has seven full-time staff, including Steve. Each batch they brew gives about 3,000 bottles, a number which is equalled in a little less than 10 minutes by another famous Saskatoon brewery. Steve is fully aware that he’s selling to a niche, and he’s happy with that. As noted, Paddock Wood’s small size makes the company responsive and able to change things up, bringing new and exciting flavours of beer to people who crave something different, something that tastes like more than the bland beers we’re used to. That niche is growing at a healthy pace: Steve says about four percent of North American adults consume beers in this category, but that number is increasing by 14 percent or more every year. And Saskatchewan has actually pulled ahead of that number, with growth in our province coming in at an amazing 20 percent last year. Just before our interview, Steve found out that Paddock Wood is getting a general listing in Ontario with the liquor control board, a first for a Western Canadian microbrewery. Because of that, he’s hoping to be able to expand this fall, and even before he moves to a new location with larger production facilities he may need to take on more staff to ensure he can keep up with the hefty increase in demand that availability in Canada’s largest province is sure to bring. Growth is not just limited to Canada, though. Although he refuses to consider expansion into or selling to the United States—insurance and other issues are too onerous to make it worthwhile, says Steve—he has been discussing sales to Europe. That’s big news indeed: that on a continent famous for its wide variety of beers there would be a potential market for the products of a brewmaster in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Not bad for a “hobby gone crazy”!

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PHOT OS BY GIN A’ S PORT RAIT S

A rising interest in fine food

Fueling culinary aspirations Eye-popping kitchenware and gadgets galore to help you unleash your inner chef BY LiSSA RoBiNSoN

ou know the feeling. It’s the sense of wonder and adventure that happens when you discover a really special store.

Located in both The Mall at Lawson Heights and The Centre Mall, Peppers Kitchen is sure to fuel your culinary aspirations. This vibrant and unique store was purchased by owner Bonita Reilly in 1997, and then renovated in 2000 to become a specialty store featuring lifestyle-inspired, high-end kitchen and housewares. The newest location in The Centre Mall opened in 2008. 90

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Peppers Kitchen is a must-stop destination for both budding and seasoned chefs. Thanks to the popularity of foodinspired television programs, networks and celebrity chefs, the art and science of cooking and cookware is reaching every corner of daily life. A devoted researcher, owner Bonita Reilly believes in the importance of customers making educated purchases and having hands-on experience with the products she promotes. Her staff members are courteous and knowledgeable and genuinely want to help people make purchases that will enhance their dining experiences. “At Peppers there is no pressure to buy. I want customers to feel comfortable asking questions and to experience the store at their own leisure and pace,” Reilly says. When customers come into Peppers, the staff is prepared to answer questions and provide a hands-on approach. An important factor when choosing cookware is how it feels in the hands and the weight of it. The upsurge of interest in fine food has happily coincided with the birth and growth of Reilly’s specialty store. There are advantages to quality cookware. Not all soup pots are created equal. The pot you get for $100 will most likely last a lifetime, but that $25 pot you buy at the big box store might not live up to your culinary expectations.

The home-cooking and cookware resurgence Despite the time crunch of modern life, home-cooked meals are still served. In fact, home cooking has seen a recent resurgence, and home chefs are looking for the right tools for the job. Whether the emphasis is on performance or decorative appeal, amateur chefs want professional-quality products. Reilly carries a wide selection of world-class brands in her store and emphasizes that speciality store doesn’t always mean expensive. From baking to grilling, roasting to decorating, grinding to serving, Peppers focuses on making the process of cooking more en-

joyable by offering the latest in kitchen gadgets and wares. Le Creuset, manufactured in France, has been prized for its handcrafted and signature cast-iron/porcelain design and aluminum core since the 1920s. Ideal for the long slow cooking of cassoulets and other long-baking stews, its popularity makes sense when you consider its design, tightfitting lids and availability in vibrant colours like Flame Orange and Cherry Red. Cuisinox Elite is another superior line suitable for all cooking surfaces: induction, electric, halogen, radiant, ceramic, gas and oven. Cuisinox is a Tri-Ply stainless-steel cookware with an aluminum core for heat conductivity that is meticulously handcrafted to ensure even cooking and safety in the kitchen with its “stay-cool handles”and material that is bispenol A-free. It even comes with a 25-year guarantee.

Other innovative choices Other innovative and environmentally friendly cookware includes ScanPan and GreenPan, both of which use state-of-theart technology like pressure-cast aluminum and Thermolon to produce beautifully crafted non-stick pots and pans that are high-heat resistant and do not release toxic fumes. Emile Henry is an oven-safe bake ware and serve ware manufactured in France of Burgundy clay that yields amazing results when roasting, broiling and baking. It’s lovely to cook in, beautiful enough to take to the table and easy to clean. Its newest product line, Emile Henry Flame, can be used with any kind of heat and easily cleaned in the dishwasher. Its tagines, traditionally used in North African cuisine, allow steam to circulate above and around the contents, infusing dishes with flavour and tenderness. And happily, the culinary adventures at Peppers Kitchen do not end there. The store carries an impressive selection of knives and accessories, including brands like Wusthof, Global and JA Henckel. It also provides customers with a professional knife-sharpening service, with proceeds going to local charities like the Saskatoon Food Bank and Arthritis Society. Other culinary tools include an extensive line of

bake ware, salt and pepper mills, Riedel wine glasses, grills, fondue pots and a wall of gadgets galore. Discovering something both novel and useful for the kitchen is inspiring, and Peppers offers this in spades from A to Z. Apple corers, butter warmers, corn holders, decorating sets, egg slicers, fruit knives, Good Grips products, hot sauces, ice buckets, jar openers, kiwi knives, lemon squeezers, mango splitters …you get the picture. Gadgets are fun! Peppers Kitchen reminds us of the age-old importance of great food, fun in the kitchen and the value of high-quality cookware and products. Visit the store, snoop around and let your own cooking be adventurous and inspired.

Peppers Kitchen The Mall at Lawson Heights 242-3226 The Centre Mall 664-3226

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Winemaking through the ages

inemaking and the growing of grapes have evolved over the years. More and more North Americans are adopting the European attitude towards wine and are becoming more discriminating in their choices of wine. We do not know who the first winemakers were, but we do know the Egyptians knew how to make wine early in their civilization. It was discovered that people drinking fermented juices did not get sick as often as those who drank impure water. Even today in many Latin countries people still drink wine instead of water. However, back to the present. For our Holiday Wines this year Wine Kitz is offering blends of Chilean wines… the red a blend of Carmenere and Merlot and the white a blend of Riesling and Semillon…combinations too exciting to miss, especially when it comes to serving a fabulous wine with your Christmas dinner. For that after-dinner dessert wine we have available for ordering an Orange Chocolate Port…a mouth-watering addition to any meal. The Limited Releases for Wine Cellar 2011 are carefully selected and blended by Wine Kitz. If you are a winemaker looking for something different to “tickle” the palate, these wines are meant for you. Available in January will be a French Syrah/Grenache, in February a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and in March a Spanish Tempranilla (Rioja). Come into Wine Kitz on Eighth Street and reserve the wines of your choice. “Wines of the Month” allow our customers to try a featured red or white wine at a discount. It is a great way for you to familiarize yourself with these and not be overwhelmed. You can become a wine expert! At Wine Kitz on Eighth Street it’s all about the product and friendly customer service.

Make two kits and receive 50% of f of your second U-Vin f ee. To find out more about making your own wine, visit Wine Kitz Varsity Common, 1526 Eighth St. E., (306) 653-9463

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The Willetts on Wine East is east, and west is west...but which has the best wine? BY MARGARET ANNE & EDWARD WILLETT

t’s Canada Day as we write this, and we’re feeling patriotic. Today’s Rider game is even a classic East-versusWest match tailor-made to resonate with the Canadian psyche. This is a wine column, not a sports column, but that East-versus-West dynamic can be found in the world of Canadian wines, as well...and here in Saskatchewan, we’re right in the middle of it. Grapes and wine make an early appearance in Canadian history. What we call Newfoundland Leif Ericsson named Vinland way back in 1001 A.D., after the grapes reportedly discovered by his foster father, a German (and therefore very familiar with viticulture), who wandered away from camp one day and returned, delighted, with the fruit in hand. Half a millennium later, on his second visit to New France in 1535, Jacques Cartier found wild grapes growing in abundance on a large island in the St. Lawrence, first named Île de Bascuz (after Bacchus, the god of wine), later renamed Île d’Orléans. Five kilometres east of Quebec City, the island was home to one of the first French settlements. A couple of centuries later, retired German soldier Johann Schiller, who had wine-making experience in the Rhine valley, started growing and fermenting early American hybrids in what is now Mississauga. Today he is the acknowledged father of the Canadian wine industry and the famous Niagara Peninsula wine region. The Okanagan didn’t get into the act for another half a century. In the 1860s, the Oblate Fathers began growing grapes at

their mission just south of Kelowna. The farmers that came later, though, were mostly interested in fruit orchards; there wasn’t a commercial grape-growing venture in the region until 1907 (in Salmon Arm) and the first commercial winery, Calona, didn’t open until the 1930s. Both the Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan are at the same range of latitude as the Old World’s major wineproducing regions. Ontario spans an area that is the same as Southern France’s Languedoc, Spain’s Rioja and Italy’s Chianti Classico regions. The mitigating effect of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie allows for the growing of wine-quality grapes, reflecting light to shore and storing summer’s heat as the land cools during the winter months. In contrast, in British Columbia there is much lower humidity, producing desert extremes of heat and cold day by day; there are also more hours of sunlight than in southern Ontario, a plus for ripening grapes. (Although most of the wine available to us in Saskatchewan comes from the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys, wines are also produced in the Fraser Valley, on Vancouver Island and in the newest designated area, the Gulf Islands.) B.C.’s wine industry, somewhat younger than Ontario’s, originally used more French hybrid grapes as opposed to native North American varieties (although this has now dramatically changed). When you look for Canadian wines in Saskatchewan’s SLGA stores, you’ll notice that the Ontario selection is rather thin. The shelves are full of the

inexpensive large-bottle wines and the easy-to-reach-for insert-name-of-yourfavourite-golf-or-TV-star brands, but look past those and the flashy ice wines and you’ll find that the Niagara wineries that led the estate winery revitalisation of Canada’s industry, Inniskillin, Pelee Island and Henry of Pelham, are mostly/only represented by their entrylevel wines, which really isn’t fair to these great producers—or the public! In the new private stores we do see the well-established Cave Springs, known for its Riesling and Chardonnay (and its famous restaurant, On the Twenty). An exciting alternative choice is Tawse, a family-owned winery that’s a relative newcomer on the Niagara scene, founded in 2001. Give their Misek Vineyard and Echos Rieslings a try. Look to the west, though, and the selection expands. From B.C. you can find not only entry-level wines (such as the very good entry-levelpriced Pinot Noir from Ganton and Larson’s Prospect Winery, which we have served on a number of occasions) but more midand premium-priced wines. So which way should you turn for Canadian wine— east, or west? What to drink and taste? Our answer is always, simply, “Whatever is good!” But that’s not very helpful, so... In broad terms, we’d say go west for reds and east for whites, but both Niagara Spring 2010

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and the Okanagan are cool-climate viticulture areas which produce wines with high acidity and natural aging potential. Niagara generally produces lighter, fruiter wines, and the Okanagan, benefitting from greater extremes in temperature, offers full-bodied, highly flavoured wines with good acidity, comparable to the wines of the Rhine. “East is east, and west is west, and never the twain shall meet,” Rudyard Kipling famously wrote, but in the case of Canadian wines, he was wrong. They meet in Saskatchewan. So take your pick! With the everincreasing quantity and quality of wines available here in the true North, strong and free, you really can’t go wrong. Margaret Anne and Edward Willett drink wine, buy wine, taste wine, write about wine, conduct wine tastings, belong to three different wine clubs, and have more corkscrews than they can count. Like to see your wine recommendation in a future Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon? Contact the Willetts on Wine at ewillett@sasktel.net.

Our readers recommend... Derryl Murphy

2008 Cono Sur Organic Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere I’m primarily a single malt fan, but I do have a growing collection of wines in my cellar. Instead of one of those more expensive wines, though, it makes sense to single out a less costly bottle that I’ve enjoyed several times recently. The 2008 Cono Sur is a Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmanere blend from Chile, from organically grown grapes, and is surprisingly subtle without the overload on tannins I find many cheap wines hold. Do seek it out. Derryl Murphy writes science fiction and fantasy in Saskatoon. His next novel, out in 2011 from ChiZine Publications, will be Napier’s Bones.

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From dance fitness to hot yoga There’s more than one way to get fit in the Bridge City BY JENN SHARP

ummer is upon us, the time of year when everyone is excited about getting outdoors and getting active. Saskatoon has always been a great city for enjoying the beautiful outdoors, along our riverbank and many parks and trails. But if you’re looking for new and different ways to become physically active, options are cropping up across the city.

Dance fitness For example, you might want to give dance fitness classes a try. Dance fitness started as a trend and has become increasingly popular as people discover the strengthening and toning benefits that come from a dance-infused workout. And you don’t have to be a lithe ballerina to enjoy these classes.

Club Mynx opened its doors in the fall of 2008 after president and CEO Dawn Wotherspoon realized “there was a need for fun, group fitness classes for women,” in the city. Club Mynx was the first to bring pole-dancing fitness classes to the province, and although Wotherspoon says there are a lot of stereotypes and misconceptions about the classes, they are a great form of “strength training and focus on the upper body and core areas.” Club Mynx currently offers five class levels with each class restricted to 12 participants. Club Mynx also offers a huge variety of dance fitness and more traditional toning classes for which a membership can be purchased. Their most popular class is Zumba, a Latin dance and cardio class that “makes you sweat—it’s a great workout,” says Wotherspoon. She believes its popu-

larity is due to the “fun factor; which is what our philosophy is built on at Club Mynx.” The feedback Wotherspoon has received since opening her doors two years ago has been “very positive. Women appreciate the atmosphere...we try to make it feel like you’re not under a spotlight when you’re dancing.”

Nia and BellyFit On the other side of the dance fitness spectrum are classes such as Nia and BellyFit. Dr. Laura Lee McFadden opened Oshun House in Saskatoon about a year ago as a place where women (and men) could gain spiritual, physical and aesthetic health and well being. The studio and medspa is located in a former convent used

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by the Sisters of Sion in the 1950s, and even after extensive renovations the spiritual aspect has been maintained in the modern atmosphere. The dance studio offers Nia, BellyFit, salsa dance and yoga classes. Nia combines concepts and movements from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts for mind, body and spirit conditioning. McFadden explains the class is focused on “movement, flexibility, spirituality and community. It’s very freeing but you have to let go.” Everyone from athletes to beginners can reap the benefits of the unique and challenging regimen. Classes include elements that incorporate spiritual wellbeing with cardio and muscular strengthening. BellyFit comes from world dance and music inspirations as well as yoga and Pilates, making it a true fusion class. During the first half of class, participants learn Bolly Wood, Bhangra, Belly Dance and African dance moves. The music ranges from high-energy tribal

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beats to culturally rich and relaxing melodies. McFadden feels the class is “sensual and gives you a good workout,” and hopes it will make people love dance fitness. During the second half of class, participants can enjoy the sculpting, toning and tightening effects of Pilates, combined with a relaxing, yoga-infused stretching session. Each class ends with a final meditation and deep-breathing exercise, called the closing mudra, a gesture to focus the mind and get in touch with the body.

Hot yoga Yoga has long been a popular option for people looking for a focused way to tone and strengthen their bodies while expanding their minds. If you’d like to step it up a notch and really test your inner yogi, then give hot yoga a try. Saskatoon’s first studio solely devoted (and built) for hot yoga opened last September and owner Dallas

Kruszelnicki says the benefits are “limitless if you are willing to take your practise to the next level.” Hot Yoga on 20th offers Bikram yoga classes, which are taught in a heated room. Two different forms of heat are used in the studio and a state-of-the-art ventilation system ensures that fresh air flows through the classes. The large and spacious studio is equipped with mirrors and sustainable cork floors. Kruszelnicki says he decided to rent on 20th Street because he wanted to help develop the area. “The cheap rental rates and ton of space are crying out for business. With the development happening at River Landing the potential for the area is here. It just needs business owners willing to invest.” Kruszelnicki, who has learned and taught everywhere from Beverly Hills to China, owned a successful studio in England until he sold it in order to move closer to family in Saskatoon. He began practising yoga to

health & wellness

Club Mynx w ww.clubmynx.com Oshun House ww w.os hunhous e.com Hot Yoga on 20th w ww.hotyogaon20th.com

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rehabilitate a body ravaged by injuries and scoliosis and has never looked back. “You don’t have to live with suffering,” he says. “Yoga changed my life and I wanted to share the good news with others.” He says the benefits of a hot yoga practise include a full workout that helps with body detoxification. “You’ll sleep better, have better posture and energy and your digestive system will be stimulated.” He also points to the effect regular yoga practise can have on the body’s weight distribution: “Stretching liquefies fat and balances it; making the body systems work more efficiently.” The classes are open to beginners and Kruszelnicki recommends participants come hydrated but with an empty stomach. “Water will help flush out the toxins you squeezed out of the liver and kidneys during yoga practise.”

Orthopaedic Surgery Plastic Surgery LAP-BAND® Dentistry

It’s about You, and How We can Help 530 University Park Drive, regina, sk s4v 2Z3

P:(306) 545.8181

F: (306) 545.8182 inFo@omnisUrgery.ca

www.omnisUrgery.ca

Gerard Marcoux BC HIS, CHAPA Practitioner/Owner

health and wellness

Satisfaction Hearing Systems Ltd. Phone: (306) 979-4543

HEARING thorough audiometric hearing evaluation determines the type, degree and configuration of hearing loss present.

the brain. Conductive, mixed and retrocochlear hearing loss are always referred to medical care.

Type

Degree

Hearing loss is classified by the type of auditory damage:

The degree of hearing loss is determined by the quietest intensity you can hear at each test-signal frequency. The thresholds of hearing provide the degrees of loss that are described as normal, mild, moderate, moderate-severe, severe or profound.

• Conductive hearing loss is associated with damage, abnormality or obstruction in either the outer and/or middle ear that impedes the transmission of sound. It is most often medically treated. • Sensorineural hearing loss is damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. Cochlea/inner-ear damage or dysfunction cannot be treated medically. Instead, it is assisted with hearing instruments.

Configuration

• Mixed hearing loss is the combination of conductive and sensorineural. It is treated with a combination of medical care and hearing instruments.

The type, degree and configuration of your hearing loss plays the key role in the hearing instrument a practitioner will select for you. Each fitting is customized for your individual hearing-loss needs and budget.

• Retrocochlear hearing loss involves the auditory nerve, brain stem or auditory cortex of

The configuration of these thresholds can vary: flat, sloping, rising, precipitous, notched and cookie bite are the terms used to describe them.

Noise-induced hearing loss Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) occurs from exposure to excessive sound levels that damage the sensitive structures of the cochlea/inner ear. This loss is permanent! Use of proper hearing protection can prevent NIHL. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has guidelines that express the maximum time you can be exposed to different sound levels on a daily basis. Sound levels are given in decibels (dB), and are based on a time-weighted average: 85 dB – eight hours 88 dB – four hours 91 dB – two hours 94 dB – one hour 97 db – 30 minutes 100 dB – 15 minutes 103 dB – 7.5 minutes 106 dB – 3.75 minutes Now here are some common environmental sounds and their approximate loudness in decibels: Normal breathing – 10 dB Conversation – 40-60 dB City traffic – 80 dB Vacuum cleaner – 85 dB Rock concert – 105 dB Motorcycle – 115 dB Chainsaw – 125 dB Balloon pop – 157 dB Exposure above 115 dB poses a serious health risk!

Sandhills Stable has been teaching people to ride for 25 years BY JENN SHARP

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or spurs, to think like a horse, and it involves working together as a team.” Bonnie feels that developing a relationship with a horse and learning how to ride is a wonderful experience for young and old alike and also provides people, particularly women and girls, with confidence. “The feeling of developing a relationship with a horse and being able to put it through its paces is very empowering.” Working with animals also teaches children empathy, patience and the ability to “think about something other than themselves. The horse comes first... effort and discipline now will equal reward down the road—something that is missing from a society based on instant gratification,” says Bonnie.

have access to160 acres of land along the river, which is only a mile away. The DeWitts offer lesson programs for all skill levels and for ages five and up. Bonnie says 50- and 60-year-old riders are not uncommon around the barn. They welcome adults who have never ridden and would love to try it or who rode in the past and are looking for a way to get back in the saddle. The majority of people at Sandhills do not own their own horses, but use the calm and quiet quarter horses of the DeWitts. After 25 years of business, Bonnie says they understand what works when it comes to educating people about horses. Safety plays a huge factor in all lessons and ground work with horses, especially for beginners. Bonnie explains that beginners ride with a ground helper for at least four weeks until they become comfortable.

“Think like a horse” The coaches and trainers at Sandhills are firm believers in proactive horsemanship in order to develop a trusting partnership with a horse: “It takes a brain, not whips

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oes the image of galloping into the sunset conjure up old memories or ignite lost dreams and passions? Horses are for the young and young-at-heart and a family-owned business in the Saskatoon area offers the chance to make those dreams a reality in a relaxed atmosphere that promises to destress even the most frazzled city dweller. Sandhills Stables, which is celebrating its 25th year, is a family-owned-and-operated horse facility located 10 minutes south of Saskatoon. Roger and Bonnie DeWitt, along with their daughters, Karletta and Tyrelle, share a deep love for horses and the country lifestyle. “Our passion is to pass along that love to other people,” says Bonnie. In 1985, she and her husband, Roger, bought what would become Sandhills Stable. In the coming years they began offering horsemanship programs, trail rides and lesson packages, and their daughters were “born into the business.” The Western-style riding facility, which boasts a large heated indoor riding arena complete with mezzanine and groundlevel viewing areas, is situated on 80 acres of rolling grasslands. The DeWitts also

health & wellness

Riding programs

Sandhills Stables 14 km south on Highway 219 477-3508 www.sandhillsstable.com

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Sandhills offers a variety of riding programs geared to riders of all ages and experience levels. They include: Boots and Saddle Club. This is a 29-week course that runs from September to May each year and is for all ages. The club operates on weekdays after school. Lessons, depending on the rider’s skill level, may last up to two hours. There is also an adults-only class that runs later in the evenings. Everything from the horse to saddle and bridle is supplied by Sandhills, making this an affordable option for those who would like to ride throughout the winter in the heated, indoor arena. During lessons, students are taught how to ride and how to work with the horse on the ground. Additional areas covered include grooming a horse and saddling skills, as well as general horsemanship lessons which teach riders how to think like a horse—an all-important step toward developing a positive, working relationship with your horse. Horse Course. Offered on Saturdays for three-, six- or nineweek sessions, these classes are the perfect opportunity to try riding if you’re unsure about making a longer commitment. Classes are offered for different levels and age groups throughout the day. Horsemanship 101. These are lessons that focus on basic horsemanship and riding skills for beginners. Children aged five to seven also have an instructor with them at all times, until the instructor feels the child is comfortable riding on his or her own. Rodeo class. This class is offered for advanced Boots and Saddle Club members who would like to take their riding skills to the next level and enter competitions. Classes are taught in barrel racing, pole bending, goat tying and calf roping. Instructor Glen Hamilton is a professional calf roper and Charlie (Karletta) DeWitt teaches barrel racing and pole bending. While the skills needed to participate in these classes do not come overnight, they give youth and adults a great incentive to work towards in their lessons. Performance Class. As a rider’s skill increases, he or she may wish to continue to ride in performance classes. Lessons in reining or cow-work events are available for the Western-style rider to advance beyond basic ring work. Adult-only riding classes are offered for all skill levels and offer accessible and affordable ways to experience the joy of horses. Please contact Sandhills Stables for more information.

Where science meets spirit The only spa of its kind in Saskatoon offers serenity, rejuvenation and health BY LiSSA RoBiNSoN

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ith more and more people looking to spas for health, wellness, anti-aging and relaxation, spa-going has been described as a new cultural trend. But, in fact, spagoing has been practiced for thousands of years—from the Mesopotamians, Egyptians and Minoans to the Greeks and Romans and later the Ottomans, Japanese and Western Europeans. Its newest iteration is the “medspa,” which offers everything from the luxury of massage to the latest innovations in aesthetic medicine. Oshun House offers women and men a unique blend of modern therapies and technologies with pampering treatments carefully designed to renew your spirit and revitalize your soul from the inside out. All of this takes place in a lovely, warm, relaxing setting with soothing music and the sweet scents of

aromatherapy. Oshun House, named after the Yorubin Goddess of beauty and love, is the only spa of its kind in Saskatoon. Under the direction of Dr. Laura Lee McFadden, the medspa opened its doors in 2008 with a family of doctors, nurses, therapists, aestheticians and instructors who work together to provide health, harmony and beauty to their clients. Dr. McFadden was born in Saskatchewan and has been practicing family medicine across Canada since 1995. As the President of Oshun Venture, she is committed to promoting both the spirit and the science of living and aging well. Along with her degrees in biology and medicine, she has training in non-surgical cosmetic procedures and 15 years of experience in women’s health.

The services at Oshun House are based on the concept that true health comes with the balance of body, mind and spirit and the belief that our face and skin are evidence of us living well. As such, the spa offers a comprehensive approach to skincare and healthcare with traditional, alternative therapies and treatments that complement modern technologies and methods. The facility is an oasis for serenity and rejuvenation with its lovely décor and architectural features and a combination of women’s clinic, spa treatments, wellness therapies and fitness activities designed to guide one towards a healthy lifestyle. Oshun House allows clients to explore medical skincare options in a private setting, with the goal of reflecting outside the best of what they feel inside. The medspa uses a non-surgical approach to improving skin health, utilizing innovative and advanced skincare techniques and medical-grade products that ensure the ultimate in beauty and skin health. Whether you want smoother skin or a healthier way of life, Oshun House offers an array of solutions that will transform you into the beautiful, youthful, confident person you want to be. If you have never had an opportunity to experience the luxury, ease and professionalism of a medspa, then Oshun House is definitely worth exploring. This is what you can expect at Oshun House: • A relaxing and soothing atmosphere that includes all the pampering and services you would expect from a day spa; • The opportunity to explore medical skincare options in a private setting; • A complimentary consultation, which includes a skin analysis with the Beau Visage Skin 3-D imaging system; • Licensed aestheticians or healthcare personnel to help with your individual skin- and body-care needs; • A selection of treatments and services based on your own unique needs and transformational wishes; • A variety of skincare products and creams available for take home use, as well as comprehensive preventative skincare programs based on individual needs.

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Body, mind and spirit

Something for everyone Not only can The Medspa at Oshun House provide a day of pampering, it can also help you achieve many different aesthetic goals that will greatly contribute to your overall health and wellbeing. The spa offers a little something for everyone with its range of services that sit both below and above the $100 mark. Therapies include treatment for acne, scarring and sun damage, Botox, dermal fillers, a wide array of laser treatments, massage therapy and aesthetician services. Other treatments include hair rejuvenation, laser hair removal, chemical peels and lip enhancement. There is also a superb selection of custom spa packages and products.

Soft Lift This treatment combines the use of BotoxTM Cosmetic and JuverdermTM for smooth, natural-looking results with no down time, in just one treatment session. Soft Lift smooths deep wrinkles and fine lines, restores lost fullness and enhances facial contours. The overall effect is a balanced, refreshed look that is totally you. Top up your weekend, business trip or vacation with this special treat. Everyone will notice, but no one will know! Arrive home from your time away looking relaxed and youthful. Spring 2010

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Nutra Luxe MD is the first and only preservative- and chemical-free anti-aging skincare line that includes products like Beauty Lash. Oshun House’s superb skin care line, DCL, provides physicians with the highest quality and most innovative and effective non-prescription skin formulations using pharmaceutical-grade ingredients.

Yoga Studio Awaken your body, calm your mind and nourish your soul in a beautiful retreat-like setting, offering intimately sized fitness classes such as yoga, Nia and Belly Fit, as well as Life Bliss Meditation, where you are the focus. Receive expert guidance from qualified and experienced teachers who have a passion for their movement art. All classes are beginner level and adapted for more advanced students.

Message therapy, reflexology and more At Oshun House you can look forward to being welcomed in person at a quality facility where you can leave your stress at the door, be pampered in a luxurious setting and emerge refreshed, relaxed and ready to face the world. The spa offers women and men a unique blend of therapies and aesthetic treatments, including therapeutic deep tissue and relaxation massages, pedicures, manicures, facials, nail art, reflexology and body wraps.

The Women’s Clinic

Spa packages Choose from a variety of spa packages tailored to individual pampering needs, as a gift or as a special treat for yourself. Spa packages can include services such as pedicures, manicures, massage, facials or body treatments. There are also custom packages focused on rejuvenating your skin. For example, the Sun-Worshipper Package includes a diamond skin microdermabrasion facial and very popular and effective laser genesis treatment, followed by a wonderfully relaxing 30-minute massage.

Skincare and makeup Exclusive to Oshun House is the popular Jane Iredale Skin Care Makeup line (complimentary colour matching with a trained makeup artist). Jane Iredale is the first company to provide a full line of makeup based on natural minerals. They use no fillers, all the products are non-comedogenic (don’t clog pores) and oil-free and they do not test on animals. 106

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With the slogan, “Women caring for women and their health,” the Women’s Clinic is a medical clinic focused on women’s healthcare. No referrals are needed and new patients are welcome. Everyone is welcome at Oshun House, a tranquil retreat where science meets spirit. No matter your gender, size or background, you will feel accepted, safe and nurtured within the welcoming environment at Oshun House. To find a full listing of Oshun House’s services, classes and products, visit the Oshun House website at www.oshunhouse.com or contact the spa to book a complimentary consultation.

Oshun House 912 Idylwyld Dr. N. The Medspa: 343-1799 The Studio: 292-7534 The Women’s Clinic: 343-1730 www.oshunhouse.com

1022A 8 Street East Saskatoon, SK (306) 382-0007

Trevor Hancheroff BA BC-HIS Owner/Dispenser

www.altohearing.com Kirsten Libke Office Manager

Mike & Rochelle Heebner Pet Planet (306) 956-2245 www.petplanet.ca

pet health

HEALTHY PET FOOD

It’s a question we ask every day at Pet Planet, because eating well is essential to your pet’s health. Comparable to human junk foods, grocerybrand pet foods and treats are full of sugar, fat, dyes, artificial flavours and chemicals. They also contain non-digestible fillers such as animal digest, by-products and sawdust that provide absolutely no nutritional value for your pet, only creating a lot of big poo in the back yard for you to clean up. Your pets can sustain life on this diet for a long time, just like we humans could live off a fast-food diet for a long time, but their quality of life could be better, with more balanced energy and therefore fewer behavioural problems, healthier skin and coat, better oral hygiene, less-frequent bathroom breaks and, most importantly, fewer vet bills. When it comes to pet food, you get what you pay for. Cheap grocery brands are focused on reducing the costs of production of their foods and therefore may compromise the quality of the ingredients that are used. Ironically, cheaper foods are actually more expensive to feed because more of that food must be fed for a dog or cat to get the nutritional benefit. A high-quality food uses no fillers, no chemical preservatives, no dyes and no by-products; it is highly digestible and costs the same as or less than the cheap grocery/department-store brands. Persuasive and expensive advertising campaigns are designed to convince pet guardians that grocery brand foods are “premium.” The package may show pictures of meat and vegetables, but as 2007’s pet-food recall tragically illustrated, what’s inside the bag can be a completely different story. As the pet-food industry became big business, so did the marketing campaigns of some products. The focus was not on the

quality of the pet food, but on the mass appeal of the product through colour, smell, and marketing gimmicks. These commercial pet food companies focused then, and still do today, on appealing to the consumer through clever advertising, not necessarily substance, knowledge and quality of product.

Like children, your pets rely on you to make safe and healthy choices for them. If your pet is currently living on a “junk-food” grocerybrand diet, it’s time to visit Pet Planet to learn about the healthier and safer choices you can make for your best friend. You will truly be surprised at what you learn about pet food.

The pet-food industry is a large and confusing one. At Pet Planet, we carefully research the quality of every food we stock on our shelves. No matter how well-advertised or how profitable it may be, at Pet Planet we will never carry a food that we would not feed our own pets.

Because if your pets could talk, they would tell you, “I don’t do grocery!”

We believe nutrition plays a very large role in any pet’s fundamental health. Our customers are concerned about the health and welfare of their beloved pets, and have in recent years begun to question the quality of the foods they are feeding. The rate of auto-immune diseases in our family pets is on the rise. “Sensitivities” and “allergies” are all too common a theme in our store. The average life span of a dog or cat today is lower than history tells us it should be. More and more of our customers are simply tired of costly veterinary bills for immune-related illness, food sensitivities, and recommended “special” diets. Because of this growing nutritional awareness, the trend is towards a more holistic or natural approach to preventing disease and building the immune system through proper diet. “Inbreeding and excessive genetic manipulation has reduced our animals’ ability to properly digest and assimilate food, leaving our companions very susceptible to illness. Repeated vaccinations, chemical baths, dips and sprays, flea/tick potions, medications, environmental chemicals and pollution and, most importantly, poor-quality ingredients, artificial colours, preservatives and by-products found in poor- quality pet foods and treats eventually inhibit proper digestive function.” - Lisa S. Newman, N.D., Ph.D.

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as anyone ever taken the time to explain the differences among pet foods to you?

Dr. Wole Adeniran Stonebridge Veterinary Hospital

(306) 244-2815

pet health

stonebridgevets@sasktel.net

TICKS couple of weeks back Toffee, female German Shepherd, was presented in our clinic with red raised areas on her skin around her chest, the base of her ears, her armpits and her groin. A few days earlier, the owner had pulled some ticks off her, and a closer look showed that some of those red raised areas contained the ticks’ broken-off mouth parts.

This is just one of the many types of possible skin reactions pets may show when bugs like ticks, flies, mosquitoes, lice, fleas and mange feed on them. These bugs are very active during these warm seasons.

Ticks Ticks feed on the blood of animals (and humans). Appalling to look at when engorged (filled with blood), they ordinarily look like little spiders. When engorged, depending on what type of tick they are, they may be brown or black, and that’s when most people notice them on their pets. Many owners mistake them for “lumps.” Ticks have three stages of development: egg, larva, nymph and adult. Some may have all developmental stages on one animal, some may feed on two different animals (e.g., larva and nymph stages feeding on rodents, adults on dogs), and some on three (e.g. dogs, rodents and birds). Adult hard (Ixodid) ticks can live for months or years off the host animal. Usually females die after laying their eggs, anywhere from a thousand to more than 10,000, depending on how much blood they were able to get. The female tick is the one most easily seen when engorged. These hard ticks secrete a substance like hard glue or cement to attach their mouths to their hosts, which is why they may be difficult to remove without breaking their mouths within the animal. They are slow feeders. When done feeding

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they secrete enzymes that digest the hard substance so they can detach to lay their eggs Soft (Agasid) ticks do not secrete hard substances, and feed rapidly. Ticks are found more on dogs than cats, attaching mostly to the head, neck and ears and between the toes, where they cannot be easily scratched off. They can also be found on livestock, wild animals, birds and humans.

Health problems Ticks can cause skin reddening, swelling, irritation and in some cases allergic reactions from saliva and other substances secreted while feeding. They can even cause a shortage of blood in dogs and cats with severe infestations. Skin wounds from the bite may be complicated by a secondary bacterial infection (which can result in an abscess). Fly worms may develop in the wounds, too (myasis). If removal is attempted, the broken-off mouth parts may also cause severe skin reactions. The female hard tick may cause paralysis, especially in young animals (due to toxic secretions that act on nerves). They can also transmit diseases, e.g., tick fevers, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, etc. A June 2006 report on Lyme disease on the Saskatoon Health Region’s website says ticks positive for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease have not been seen here, but they have been found in Southern Ontario, Nova Scotia and B.C. Fewer than 50 cases of Lyme disease per year in humans were confirmed, and were all linked to travel outside Canada to where Lyme disease was common (it affects about 20,000 people every year south of the border).

Prevention and treating Tick nymphs don’t like heat, so during the day they usually hide at the base of vegetation or in crevices to prevent dehydration, coming to the surface or to the top of plants in the cool hours of early morning or evening. To avoid them, avoid the places they’re likely to be (e.g., dog parks, sidewalks with grasses or other vegetation, farms) during the cool hours of the day. If pets must visit those places, it’s important they are on tick-prevention programs. Ticks can move from one pet to another at play if a pet has just gotten into a swarm of then and they’re not yet attached. If pets are infested with just a few ticks, they can be removed with tweezers. Gently pick up the tick where it is attached to the skin of the pet, along with a bit of the skin, being careful not to allow the mouth parts to break and remain in the skin. Some bleedings may occur; that’s OK. Just wipe the blood off with a soft clean cloth or gauze. After removing the ticks take the pet to the veterinarian for evaluation and possible antiinflammatory medications and antibiotics (if necessary). If the infestation is moderate to severe I strongly recommend that the pet be taken to the veterinarian immediately. There are easy-to-apply remedies (very effective spot-ons , pour-ons, baths, sprays, collars, etc.) for tick prevention and control. Your veterinarian will design a program based on the pet’s lifestyle and environment (e.g. multipet household, household with kids, etc.).

It is important to take precautions to prevent tick bites when outdoors in areas where Lyme disease may be common. Ticks removed from a puppy (left) and a tick feeding on the back of the same puppy (right).

Kick obesity in the butt Lose that weight, once and for all! BY ALEXANDRA WALLD

t’s summertime. It’s hot, it’s humid and to beat the heat, all you want to do is run around in your bathing suit. And you’d do it, too, if you could drop those extra pounds. You know, the ones that have been weighing you and your happiness down for the last five or 10 years, that extra weight that prevents you from feeling comfortable in your own skin. If you’ve struggled with obesity, Weight Loss Forever may have the permanent solution you’ve been searching for. Now that we have you thinking about that bathing suit... Based in Saskatoon, Weight Loss Forever is the only company of its kind in Canada–offering a comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach to the long-term treatment of obesity. They specialize in a procedure called the laparoscopic Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (VSG), but we`ll just call it the “Sleeve.”

The Sleeve is a 30-to-40 minute, permanent surgical procedure that induces weight loss by restricting food intake. The surgeon removes about 80 percent of the stomach, leaving it looking like a tube or sleeve. Your stomach continues to function normally, and because the sleeve eliminates the part of the stomach that produces the hormone grehlin–which stimulates hunger and instructs your body to store fat–you don’t feel hungry as often and tend not to crave sugary, fatty foods. Recovery time for most patients is about a week and they can lose 60 to 100 percent of their excess body weight within 24 months. The procedure, which is performed by about 15 surgeons worldwide, is currently the simplest, most effective weight-loss surgery available and its safety and success rate are making it the fastest-growing bariatric surgery in the world. Melanie Wildman, CEO of Weight Loss Forever, started the medical referral service after she got “Sleeved” in April of 2009. She lost 70 pounds in four months and had to let others know about the gift that changed her life. “It’s a struggle for a slim person who wants to lose 10 or 15 pounds. So, just imagine what it’s like to try and lose 100 pounds! I recognized a huge need for people to have the same opportunity I had, so I started Weight Loss Forever,” Wildman says. “Since then, over 100 people have had their lives changed through us.” “The changes are emotional–people are breaking their dependence on food–and it’s amazing to see the transformations. They start getting their hair done, their make-up is done and they’re dressing better. A patient came in just today with a bouquet of flowers and a thank-you card, because she just bought a new, expensive designer outfit and told us if was the first time in her life she felt pretty. You can’t put a price-tag on that!” Along with the Sleeve, Weight Loss Forever provides extensive pre-operative care and assessment, works with two clinical psychologists, follows dietary guidelines developed by nutritionists and offers support groups, clothing exchanges and ongoing post-operative support. All patients receive an in-depth information package and they are required to attend an information session on the risks and benefits of all the bariatric procedures, including the Lap-Band and the Gastric Bypass. Their clients are also paired up with patient facilitators, all of whom have had the surgery, and are able to support, answer questions and help guide them through their own life-changing journeys. As part of its mission, Weight Loss Forever is determined to educate the public on the issues surP H O TO S B Y D EB O R AH P EL LET TIERR I, C PA , D IV IN E IM A GE S , (W W W.D IV INE IMA G ES.C A )

rounding obesity. Obesity is the number-one killer in Canada, surpassing smoking as the leading preventable cause of death. It has been proven that diet and exercise have a 93to-100-percent failure rate for people who are clinically obese, meaning their BMI (Body Mass Index) is 30 or higher. In addition to the health risks, people suffering from obesity face discrimination each and every day, although research shows their adult weight is largely determined before they were even born. “A woman with a BMI of only 30 has double the risk of death over a woman who is in normal weight range. A person with a BMI of over 40 has a life expectancy more than 20 twenty years less, and if you have a BMI of 50 or greater, your life expectancy is in your 50s. In fact, research shows that your risk of death is 89 percent lower after the Sleeve surgery because of the health risks associated with obesity,” Wildman says. “Last year alone, 12 people died while on the waiting list for bariatric surgery. Their average age was only 46 and all of them died from obesity-related issues. In Saskatchewan, the waiting list is between six and seven years, so we work closely with several family doctors who refer their patients to our service.” Weight Loss Forever has financing options available, no money down, with payments as low as $145 per month and, with a doctor re-

ferral, the Sleeve is a tax deductible medical expense. To find out more, visit weightlossforever.ca, find Weight Loss Forever on Facebook, or give them a call: 665-8891 or toll-free (877) 306-8891.

Donna’s story At 72, Donna Garman is the oldest person to get the sleeve with Weight Loss Forever, after battling with excess weight for most of her life. With her family doctor’s blessing, the Saskatoon Senior had the procedure last fall. Donna had always been heavy. When she married and had kids, she continued putting on weight. She tried everything from amphetamines and diet pills to Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem to dieting and exercising with no luck. She would lose weight and gain it—and a few extra pounds—back. “I was depressed because I struggled with losing and gaining weight and I hit rockbottom as far as emotions go,” Donna says. “Both of my parents died of heart-related issues and I certainly thought long and hard about how I could avoid the same fate. With high blood pressure and cholesterol, achy shoulders and hips, I figured I’d be lucky to live 10 more years.” Six years ago, Donna reached her heaviest weight—244 pounds—and just two years

ago, she had both knees replaced due to the pain and deterioration caused by five years of osteoarthritis. Determined to lose weight for her knee’s sake, Donna got down to 204 pounds last June, but by August, had gained most of it back. A few weeks later, she found an ad for Weight Loss Forever. Thinking she had nothing to lose, she went to the information session. “Permanent was the key word. When I heard [Melanie’s] story, I felt in my heart of hearts that this was the answer I was seeking,” Donna says. “For the first time in a long time, I felt hopeful. I could finally stop the insanity of struggling with dieting, failure and feeling guilty.” Since being Sleeved, the 72-year-old has lost more than 70 pounds and is only a few pounds away from her goal weight. Her blood pressure and cholesterol levels are down, she’s off all her medications, she’s no longer in pain and can walk as fast and far and furious as most young people. “I feel like I’ve been given an extra 10 or 20 years to live and no one takes me for my 70s; they think I’m in my 50s. I get looks from guys saying, ‘Hey, good lookin’!’” Donna says, smiling. “I feel like a Cinderella story, I really do.”

Shawn’s story As a Registered Nurse and Head of the Renal and Chemotherapy Units at Victoria Hospi-

BEFORE

AFTER

Donna Garman Patient Facilitator with Weight Loss Forever Highest Weight: 244 lbs

Surgery Weight: 221 lbs Surgery Date: September 28, 2009

Weight Loss Since Surgery: 63 lbs donna@weightlossforever.ca

BEFORE

AFTER

Shawn Phaneuf R.N., Patient Facilitator with Weight Loss Forever

Highest Weight: 361 lbs Surgery Weight: 359 lbs Surgery Date: October 30, 2009

Weight Loss Since Surgery: 115 lbs shawn@weightlossforever.ca

tal in Prince Albert, Shawn Phaneuf is well informed about the health risks of obesity. He’d always been active, playing hockey and competing in bodybuilding, but once his son was born, a change in priorities led to a more relaxed lifestyle and his battle with weight gain grew bigger. For 10 years, Shawn lost and regained weight and in January of 2009, took time off work because of the health problems he encountered, including sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome and blood problems. Thinking he would use that time to diet and exercise his way back to health, Shawn became depressed when it showed no results. “I’d dropped close to 100 pounds four times that year and I figured I had to do something: either pay for surgery or pay for my funeral,” Shawn says. “After talking to a physician who lost a lot of weight, I researched bariatric surgery. I learned the Lap-Band was affordable and planned on bookBEFORE

Melanie Wildman CEO of Weight Loss Forever Highest Weight: 225 lbs

AFTER

Surgery Weight: 200 lbs Surgery Date: April 7, 2009 Weight Loss Since Surgery: 75 lbs

ing it, but then I saw an ad for Weight Loss Forever and its permanent solution. It took choice out of the equation for me.” Once Shawn found out how effective the Sleeve was, he decided it was the right solution for him and had the surgery on October 30. Since then, he’s dropped over 120 pounds—or 12 belt rings, as he describes it— and only needs as much food as can fit on a saucer. He’s lost a shoe size and has improved AFTER

665-8891 melanie@weightlossforever.ca

his life dramatically. He plays sports again, his health problems are gone and his relationship with his family is better. “I wanted to get the good parts of my life back because I used to lead a life of gluttony and it cost me mentally and physically,” Shawn says. “I was an emotional eater and now I don’t get that head hunger anymore. It’s been a lifestyle change and I love it.” “The kicker for me, and this happened a few months ago but still rings true, was when my daughter hugged me and said, ‘Daddy, I can get my arms around you now!’ It was one of the best moments in a long time,” Shawn says. “I look forward to attacking the day now, instead of it attacking me.”

Melanie’s story Before she got the Sleeve, Melanie Wildman constantly struggled with her weight. Moving from one diet to the next left her frustrated because she continually lost weight and gained it back within a few months. The short-lived victories took their toll, emotionally devastating the 36-year-old mother of three. “I felt like a failure. I was physically active with jujitsu and kickboxing, and in every other part of my life, I could set a goal and see results as I worked toward it, but with my weight, I never succeeded,” Melanie says. “I spent years dieting and knew it wasn’t working; I’d have to accept being heavy or find another way.” So Melanie put her brain in gear and researched weight loss procedures. She’d heard about the Lap-Band and decided to talk to her family—many of whom are doctors— about the surgery. It was her sister-in-law, Dr. Marla Lujan, who told her about the Sleeve program at Cornell University, where she is a professor of Nutritional Sciences. Because of her research in women and obesity, Lujan was familiar with the procedure’s successful results. Just like that, Melanie was ready for her Sleeve. “I was relieved and really excited that there was actually a solution! My family, especially my brother, Dr. Andrew Peppin (a radiologist), was very enthusiastic and supportive. He knew how hard I struggled and how difficult it was for me,” Melanie says.

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“My husband was concerned and at first he didn’t want me to have the surgery, but he loves it now. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done and he’s really proud of me and what I’m doing for other people.” The moral of story is, “Don’t listen to your husband,” Melanie says, laughing. “One part of the puzzle is the surgery and the other part is the support group,” Melanie says. “You meet people going on the same journey and it gives you a chance to deal with the emotional issues surrounding food. It changes your outlook on life. My whole life revolved around food and for the first time ever, it doesn’t control me. It’s freedom!”

Melanie has gone from a size 18 to a size 2, and she hasn’t looked back. Today, you will find a newly energized Melanie delivering information sessions on the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery, leading Weight Loss Forever support groups, running her company with a staff of 21 and growing, and trying to keep a healthy balance between work and family life. When she`s not hard at work, you will find her hanging out with her husband and three children, entertaining friends and – weather permitting – enjoying a round of golf.

hen purchasing footwear, first determine what you will be using the shoes/ boots for. Don’t try to put your entire lifestyle into one pair of shoes. After all, shoes suitable for dress wear and dancing aren’t going to be the best choice for fitness walking or running!

After initial and ongoing training in foot health and with the help of trained staff, we have proudly operated a very successful business on Broadway Avenue since August 1, 1980. Many factors have contributed to our success in business, beginning with our knowledge of how to recognize foot problems and our practice of working closely with podiatrists and other medical professionals to help people make the proper choice of shoes. Feet come in all sizes and various shapes, Arthritis, for example, will often cause misshapen toes, commonly referred to as “hammer toes.” Diabetics often lose sensation in their feet and may not feel a blister caused from an ill-fitting shoe until it is too late, often

business

CHOOSING FOOTWEAR resulting in amputation. These are just two examples from a long list of reasons why it is so important to purchase footwear from a trained shoe fitter, just as you would only trust your automobile to a licensed and trained mechanic. Stockings/socks also play an important role in foot care. We carry Sigvaris compression stockings, designed to help prevent tired, aching legs and swollen feet and ankles. We also carry a non-elastic sock designed mainly for the diabetic foot, and an organic sock that not only offers foot comfort and cushioning, but absorbs foot perspiration and helps to control foot odors. Foot Care Week is an annual event when we welcome podiatrists and other healthcare professionals to join us. Please watch for dates and times. Our store hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 Monday through Saturday. We’re open Thursday until 9.pm and closed on Sunday.

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NAMES Foster’s Shoes 818 Broadway Ave. 653-1155 hfr@sasktel.net

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health & wellness

Senior finances sional advisory firm. We pride ourselves on our client service. You can feel confident delegating to us the important matters of those most precious to you.

any people, as they grow older, require some form of assistance with their day-to-day living. The assistance may be provided through home care or it may require moving to a care home that offers services such as 24-hour supervision, meals, cleaning, laundry or assistance with medications. If the situation requires a move, many seniors may be unprepared not only for the change in physical location, daily activities and cohabitants, and the severing of emotional ties to their current residence, but also for the financial decisions, new financial obligations and budgeting required.

Carla Herman In Touch Seniors 270-0935

Upon consultations between the senior and his or her family and possibly medical advisors, it may be time to consider moving to a more suitable living space. Once the decision is reached to make this transition, the senior may need to sell his or her home, pass on some of the family heirlooms (because of downsizing), pay off any outstanding debts and invest the proceeds in a manner suitable to provide the income required to fund new living arrangements for the remainder of their lifetime. This may also be a time for gifting some financial assets and, with the assistance of legal counsel, a time to revisit wills, powers of attorney and health care directives (living wills). In Touch Seniors offers assistance to seniors and their families making these financial and lifestyle choices. We can help with evaluating the value of the seniorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current property, choosing a reputable realtor, hiring of movers and purchasing of any new furniture or supplies that may be required in the seniorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new home.

Many seniors have families who live outside of the city or who have their own families and businesses or jobs that do not allow them to spend the time required to implement a successful transition with the least amount of stress possible. In Touch Seniors is here to help in these situations. We are experienced Certified Senior Advisors and Certified Financial Planners who are caring and knowledgeable. We offer a fully tax-deductible, fee-only service. We do not make any product sales nor do we accept any referral fees. We are a totally independent and impartial profes-

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In addition, we can assist with creating a financial plan and budget, finding a quality care home with the desired services that fit the seniorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lifestyle and financial means, and creating asset-allocation strategies for investment and income streams. In Touch Seniors can also provide address-change services and any other financial advisory or administrative support that is required.

Where city meets country In Corman Park, there’s no longer a dividing line between country folk and city slickers BY PENNY MCKiNLEY

here used to be an invisible barrier separating people who lived in the city from people who lived in the country. But that’s no longer the case— particularly in Corman Park. With more 8,000 residents and measuring more than 800 square miles, Corman Park is the largest rural municipality in Saskatchewan. But it’s hard to tell where Corman Park begins and where it ends. It encircles the City of Saskatoon as well as the communities of Martensville, Warman, Dalmeny, Langham and Osler. The dividing line between rural and urban just doesn’t exist.

Rural/urban intersect “There are probably as many city people living in Corman Park as there are rural people in the city,” explains Glen Grismer, Director of Planning for the Rural Municipality of Corman Park. “Rural and urban are increasingly linked, and there is more of a continuum from the city to the countryside.”

Take a drive along Valley Road, and you are immediately aware of the regional integration. Market gardens and you-pick operations line the highway, and The Berry Barn is a perfect place to celebrate a family birthday or to hold a summer wedding. The Barn Playhouse, located 25 kilometres north of Saskatoon, is also a popular destination, with a community theatre, a banquet hall and a craft barn. There are also four golf courses in Corman Park. The North Saskatchewan River forms part of Corman Park’s northern boundary while the South Saskatchewan River runs through from the southwest to the northeast. Recreational areas, such as Beaver Creek and Cranberry Flats, provide natural settings for families to hike, canoe or hold a picnic.

Farming roots Corman Park has long been one of the most productive agricultural areas in Western Canada, with dairies to the north and southeast of Saskatoon and a mix of grain farming, market gardens, livestock, poul-

try and hog operations throughout the area. That’s a valuable resource for both city folk and country folk. Glen Grismer says that there is a growing interest in the whole idea of food shed and food security. “Farmers are looking at different ways of producing food and connecting with their markets,” he explains, “while many city dwellers are striving to eat locally.” This is self-evident at the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market, where local farmers are supplying the residents of Saskatoon with a wide variety of farm produce. There are peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes; artisan breads and baked goods; yogurt and ice cream; fish and meat. A weekly visit to the Market can replace a trip to the supermarket. And you’re supporting your rural neighbours!

Economic diversification Many farm families have started secondary businesses, ranging from professional offices and market gardens to abattoirs and

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auto repairs, in order to provide greater economic stability. The rural municipality also offers several industrial development areas that are designed to attract a variety of businesses. The RM is expanding the original Corman Industrial Park, and developers have established two new development areas north of Saskatoon. New subdivisions have been created at the Floral intersection and some individual businesses, such as Federated Cooperatives, Red Head Equipment and Flaman Industries, have moved into Corman Park. The municipality has laid the groundwork for a greater variety of businesses, and Grismer is excited to see how this develops over the next few years. “I hope to see some new ideas. More sustainable thinking is resulting in new activities. A solar facility has been approved south of Saskatoon and Floating Gardens, a hydroponic food producer, will be located near Osler.” There is also a possibility that the Fortune Minerals processing plant will locate in Corman Park near Langham. Corman Park is working hard to meet the rural/urban challenge. Their rural industrial areas are designed to accommodate businesses that require large parcels of land and fewer services. But they are also setting high standards so that they won’t look shabby to their urban neighbours. “We’re setting high standards for streets, drainage management, landscaping, signage and other features, and our goal is to attract businesses with equally high standards. We hope that people will recognize that these are rural industrial areas that are organized and functioning well,” says Grismer.

The Council of Corman Park has adopted a strong regional perspective, looking for ways in which to develop the municipality in partnership with the neighbouring municipalities. Saskatoon and Corman Park have worked together since the early ’70s to ensure a coordinated approach to planning and development. “The joint planning process allows both municipalities to project into the future what they think will be happening and to organize appropriately,” explains Grismer. Joint district bylaws, administered by Corman Park, provide the framework for longterm joint planning, enabling both municipalities to take full advantage of new developments. For example, a perimeter highway is still many years away, but the municipalities already know where it will be located so they can make plans for fu-

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Planning for the future

ture residential and industrial growth based on major intersections and access off major highways. Corman Park has recently initiated a similar joint planning process with the municipalities of Osler, Warman and Martensville. They hope to establish an area around each municipality as a joint planning area, working together to create new opportunities for regional growth and development.

Corman Park’s Council supports an ongoing agricultural focus, but there continues to be some interest in country residential development. The Council has challenged developers to come forward with new residential development ideas that will bring about more sustainable physical, social and cultural development. “There is a primary shift towards more sustainable development—not only efficiency in design and construction but also different types of communities,” says Grismer. “It will be interesting to see how sustainable development plays out in the traditional rural context.” One of Corman Park’s greatest strengths as it moves forward is its focus on openness and public participation. “We have a Council that’s very committed to openness and dialogue and to people contributing their ideas and reactions,” says Grismer. The RM has also started to work more closely with Wanuskewin Heritage Park in an effort to identify appropriate development opportunities for the surrounding

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Sustainable residential development

land. “Wanuskewin is a very special place. I see it as an opportunity for the land around it to be special as well,” explains Grismer. Corman Park blends farming and industry, rural and urban. It represents a new era of cooperation as it actively promotes inter-

municipal planning and joint decisionmaking with Saskatoon and the other urban municipalities within its boundaries. It’s a living link between the province’s historic past...and its increasingly bright future.

house, home & properties

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Above the Crowd!® For 35 years, RE/MAX has offered service and reliability to count on BY FiJi RoBiNSoN

he red, white and blue RE/MAX Realty Balloon, one of the most recognizable business logos in the world, stands for the innovation, freedom and leadership you’ll find at RE/MAX Saskatoon. With more than a decade of experience, and unmatched technology and services to support them, RE/MAX Saskatoon agents can give you all the perspective you need to buy or sell your home. “The RE/MAX philosophy has really paid off,” says Larry G. Stewart, FRI, broker/owner of the two Saskatoon RE/MAX offices. “We’ve been considered the number-one realtor in Saskatoon since 1989.” As well, Larry has established a network with offices in Prince Albert, Rosetown, Humboldt and Warman. With some 158 well-trained agents assisting him to serve the public, RE/MAX currently handles at least one-third of the city’s real estate business. It also offers a multitude of on-line resources to help you, whether you’re buying or selling a home.

The RE/MAX advantage In today’s competitive real estate market, where timing is everything, many good homes are bought and sold before they are even advertised. Some of the innovative programs created by RE/MAX to assist its agents in serving their clients include stateof-the-art technological tools and numerous websites. “Advanced support for our agents includes an in-house print shop and a courier service to ensure that time-sensitive materials for both buyers and sellers get to where they need to go on time,” Larry adds. “These kinds of resources have all been instituted to assist our agents in doing their job.” The RE/MAX Satellite Network, the centerpiece of RE/MAX technology, has also revolutionized the RE/MAX organization by disseminating training and professional education programming across its international network. Designation training courses, continuing education courses, technological training and presentations by

top industry educators and celebrity motivators are just a few of the ways in which RE/MAX assists its agents in staying ahead of the competition.

Buying a home Whether you’re looking for a house down the block or on the other side of the world, RE/MAX can help you buy or sell your home. Corporations regularly look to RE/MAX to assist employees who are moving because of its referral network of more than 110,000 sales associates in 5,653 offices in 57 countries.

“With more than three decades of experience, and unmatched technology and services to support them, RE/MAX Saskatoon agents can give you all the perspective you need to buy or sell your home.” Spring 2010

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Selling your home RE/MAX agents have the expertise and resources to help you sell your home quickly and successfully. “A good agent will help you to take a good look at the general condition and upkeep of your dwelling and suggest some simple ways you can make improvements or renovations that can strongly influence your home’s market value,” says Larry. “It’s also important to have your home in good showing condition before buyers start going through it. Your RE/MAX agent will help to ensure that you show prospective buyers just how great your property really is.” For home sellers who are concerned about getting caught with two mortgages should their home not sell immediately, RE/MAX is also the only realtor to offer a Guaranteed Sales Home Plan. The guaranteed plan will buy your home at the current real market value if it hasn’t sold after you’ve already moved or bought a new residence. RE/MAX also guarantees results by flexing substantial marketing muscle. It spends the highest dollar amount on average in marketing and dominates the real estate market with local, national and international advertising campaigns and Web presence. “We’re happy to help our clients determine what they are looking for in a property investment and to offer a free home evaluation of the properties they may be interested in,” says Larry. “We’re here to earn their business.” The RE/MAX Buyer’s Guide will help you determine the type of home best suited to your needs and provides a step-by-step plan to make the buying process less stressful. The on-line listing of Questions To Ask When Assessing Home Features is a thorough overview that can help you determine what kind of property you are really looking for. For homebuyers trying to stay ahead of the game, RE/MAX Saskatoon offers its New Listings Notification, an instant email notice to help you access the hottest homes for sale in the city. The RE/MAX Multiple Listing Service is fun to use, giving buyers the opportunity to see what is available to them, given their needs and desires. A virtual tour of each property, a mortgage calculator that helps to determine what monthly mortgage payment and maximum mortgage you can manage, a real estate glossary and an electronic system for scheduling a showing are just a few of the other ways in which RE/MAX can assist clients with the home-

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buying experience. “We preview all properties to ensure that clients see only homes that meet their individual needs and budget,” Larry says. “From arranging the mortgage to making the offer to closing the deal to moving in, RE/MAX has the information you need to help you make the right decision on the right house for the right reasons.”

Guide for first-timers The on-line First Time Home Buyer’s Guide is an invaluable resource for anyone looking to purchase their first home. It describes the benefits of home ownership and can help you determine if you’re ready to make the leap. For those consumers who are considering a condominium as an alternative to the single-family dwelling, RE/MAX offers a Condo Buyers Guide which introduces them to the concept of condominium living. “First-time homebuyers may want to take advantage of the federal government’s Home Buyers’ Plan,” Larry elaborates. “Under this plan, you can use up to $25,000 of your RRSP towards the purchase of a home and the money is tax-free as long as you pay it back within 15 years.”

Be assured with Tranquilli-T Whether you are buying or selling a property, certain unforeseen situations may occur that could delay and even cancel the transfer of title. RE/MAX offers its clients the Tranquilli-T program by Elite. An example of this insurance would be if you sold your home and it was unconditionally and just before possession the buyer passes away, normally this sale would collapse, but with this insurance the insurance takes over the ownership and completes the sale and relists the property with the same agent paying him or her another commission. This is not available with any other brokerage.

The bigger picture As part of their larger perspective, RE/MAX associates have distinguished themselves as stewards for the betterment of their communities who are concerned not only with contributing to their communities but also with the outcome of the contribution. In 1992, RE/MAX International adopted the Children’s Miracle Network as its official corporate charity. This international non-profit organization is dedicated to generating funds for state-of-the-art equip-

ment, awareness programs and medical care for the benefit of children served by its associated hospitals. The cornerstone of the RE/MAX commitment is the Miracle Home® Program, whereby a sales associate pledges a contribution derived from each transaction involving a RE/MAX Miracle Home®. “We’re proud to say that in 2009, Canadian RE/MAX agents contributed $3.5 million to Children’s Miracle Network,” Larry notes. “That translates into benefits for the more than 2.6 million Canadian children each year who are undergoing treatment for illnesses or injuries.”

The RE/MAX balloon fleet Just like the 120 RE/MAX hot-air balloons that can be found worldwide, RE/MAX agents are ready and able to help home owners in the United States, Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, Mexico, New Zealand and South America. The balloon, which is seven storys tall, clearly reflects the experience, productivity and knowledge you can count on from RE/MAX. Whether you’re buying or selling a home, you can count on RE/MAX Saskatoon’s realty professionals to help you soar to new heights!

Larry G. Stewart, FRI, CRES (306) 241-0355 (cell) lgstewart@remax.net

5 locations to serve you.

5 websites your listings will appear on: www.remaxsaskatoon.com www.remax.ca www.remax.com www.saskmls.ca www.point2agent.com

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Corey Klassen

Marla Slater

Business Development Manager,

Mortgage Expert 200-227 Primrose Drive Cell: 306-262-0858 mslater@domionlending.ca

Mortgage Expert 250-1820 8th St. E Cell: 306-612-BEST (2378) cklassen@domionlending.ca Fixed-rate vs. variable-rate mortgages

hen it comes to mortgage financing the typical choice has been interest rates based on a term of one to five years with a fixed interest rate. However, a growing trend is a term based on a variable interest rate (based on the floating rate of prime).

A fixed-term interest rate will also guarantee you a fixed payment over the term chosen. The longer the term, the higher the interest rate―still very attractive today with the broker preferred rates starting at four percent or even less, depending on the length of term you choose. This option will also let you determine where your mortgage will stand at the end of the term, based on the required payment you will make. For those on a fixed budget and a need for a guarantee that payments will not change over the term this is often the option taken and considered the “safer” way to go…but again, the longer the term you choose to have the rate fixed at, the higher the rate will be, and therefore this may not be the cheapest way go in the long run. We see a growing trend of sophisticated consumers opting for the variable-rate term mortgages, which offer an interest rate directly correlated to the floating prime lending rate. In fact, in most cases the broker preferred rate is far below the banker prime with discounts as much as prime minus 0.7 percent * more readily available to our clients. With prime at its low-now 2.5 percent* and the broker preferred rate always guaranteed to be below prime, the effective rate on this type of mortgage is very attractive. Sophisticated consumers are very aware that as the prime rate changes (or “fluctuates”), their interest rate changes along with their required payments. However, properly educated on the principals of vari-

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able rate mortgages, this very same consumer “combats” or “cushions” these potential fluctuations by already making a substantially higher payment over and above the minimum required payment (see bottom illustration). When you look at the comparison below, you can clearly see the payment based on the five-year fixed payment is much higher than the variable-rate payment, but what the smart consumer is exploiting by taking the variable rate is opting to force themselves to at least make the equivalent payment as if they took the five-year fixed rate. Why would they do that? Well, for one thing, they would have no choice but to make that payment should they take the five-year fixed rate anyway, right? With that in mind, while prime remains low they maintain an accelerated pay-down of the principle, potentially taking years and years off the amortization. Simultaneously, should prime fluctuate they are already accustomed to making the higher payment so they have “cushioned” themselves from potential fluctuations in prime. Some of the questions you have to ask yourself should be: “How soon and by how much do I think the prime rate is going to increase over the next five years?” “Can I afford the risk of the prime rate possibly creeping over three percent or four percent or even five percent?”―at which point your payments may become higher than they would have been if you had just taken a five-year fixed-term mortgage in the first place. Going back to our sophisticated consumer who knows how to take certain precautions, you must also ask yourself, “Do I you have the discipline and the necessary time to maintain a watchful eye over my mortgage, with the ability to react accordingly to changes in the market?” Again, always keep a professional involved!

financial

MORTGAGES

In direct contrast to the fixed-rate options, the variable-rate mortgage can often be considered the “riskier” way to go…but with risk can come reward, and the reward can come from prepaying your mortgage at an accelerated rate in order to pay far less interest when averaged over time. With the effective interest rate on the broker preferred variable-rate mortgages currently below two percent,* it is a very-much-desired option today. Compare this to your required payment based on a five-year fixed term at your bank, currently just under six percent*―that’s almost a four-percent difference, which could mean a huge variance in your payments, especially the interest cost year over year, if the prime rate continues to stay low. Here is a mortgage-rate comparison example that may help you make the right decision. In this comparison we have chosen a $250,000 mortgage amortized over 35 years and compared the payments to the current banker-posted five-year fixed rate of 5.79 percent*, the broker preferred fiveyear fixed rate of 4.09 percent*, and finally the broker preferred variable rate of prime minus 0.7 percent, which equals 1.8 percent*. Example: $250,000 mortgage amortized over 35 years Banker-posted five-year fixed, 5.79%* = $1,379.01 Broker preferred five-year fixed, 4.09%* = $1,115.29 Broker preferred variable, 1.8%* = $801.88 *Current rate at time of article submission, OAC. Can change anytime without notice.

Amazing selection in granite at amazing prices BY JACKiE KRiPKi

rom the pyramids of Egypt to the Washington Monument, granite adorns the grandest structures in the world. In architecture and interior design, granite has always been considered a luxurious choice and a solid investment. Common uses include countertops, backsplashes, flooring, wall panels, facing stone, paving stone, showers, fireplace surrounds and custom furniture such as conference and dining tables. “When someone comes into our showroom,” says Tracy Dinh, Sales Manager and Part Owner of Calsask Granite in Saskatoon, “we like to take them to the backyard to show them the full pieces.” There, clients stroll among rows of giant granite slabs. Each piece is one of a kind, with natural variations in colour and veining. There are creams with beige flecks, rich greens with yellow streaks, sparkling redoranges and blue-pearled ebonies. Dinh says virtually anything can be covered or enhanced with granite. “We do work in 500-square-foot condos and 4,000-squarefoot homes. It’s a fun process. We just love seeing the excitement on the clients’ faces.”

Millions of years to make

The natural beauty of granite

Granite is a hard rock that lies abundant under the sedimentary rock on every continent on Earth. Most dates to the Precambrian age, 4.6 billion to 570 million years ago. The name comes from the Latin word granum (“a grain”), in reference to its coarse-grained structure. Most granite is formed by magma deep below the surface of the earth. As it rises, the magma cools enough to form crystals and solidify. What results is one of the strongest and most durable rocks in nature, second in strength only to diamonds. Granite is the hardest natural material available for countertops, tougher even than stainless steel. That durability is one reason that granite has always made the grade as a building product. High heat resistance makes it perfect for the kitchen, where a hot pot can go straight from the stove onto the granite countertop. Cut directly on a scratch-resistant granite countertop and, as Dinh explains, “the worst that will happen is it will dull your knife.”

Raw granite can appear dull, dusty and unassuming. When polished, however, the stone is stunning. Granite is composed of three key minerals—quartz, alkali feldspar and plagioclase feldspar—and small bits of other minerals. The mineral composition determines colour and appearance. There are pieces in nearly every shade, from milky white to deep inky black. Dinh, who has a passion for design, is happy to offer advice on colour choice. Lighter shades are safer, as they will usually suit any colour of wall or cabinet. Patterned colours are easier to keep clean and better at hiding dirt. If a colour is not already in stock, Calsask will locate it. Last year, says Dinh, most people requested dark granite. This year, white is hot. A new trend in kitchens is to mix colours, choosing one for the countertop and another for the island. All granite is porous, and must be protected from water. Maintenance is as easy as rubbing on, then wiping off, a special solvent-based sealer. As a general rule, dark granite should be sealed every two years

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and white granite should be sealed once a year. With more frequent water exposure—for example, in a bathroom shower setting— sealant should be applied more often. “If water droplets pebble on the surface, the granite is sealed. If they absorb in, it’s time to reseal.”

Dare to be different Granite’s rich appearance has traditionally equated a high price tag. In recent years, though, the price has dropped enough to allow granite to be used in many more homes and businesses. Calsask Granite is working hard to make it even more affordable. In doing so, the company has helped to open up a world of possibilities for creative projects. Dinh says more clients are using granite in outdoor elements, such as fire pits and patio surrounds. Calsask is doing more work at cabins and cottages, and Dinh knows of at least one client who is installing granite as an art piece. Granite is reflective, and will take on the colour of anything it sits next to, including walls, cupboards and appliances. All colours, particularly the more adventurous ones, should be taken home and looked at in true light. “Sometimes,” Dinh admits, “you see one on the wall and don’t like it, but then you see it in a home and it looks gorgeous.”

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“All about service” Walking through Calsask Granite, customers can see the cutters and polishers at work. It’s just one benefit of shopping at a business where there is no outsourcing, and the craftspeople are accountable to the customer. “Our team wants to do a good job because it’s their business too. We’re like a small family.” Templates are drawn on-site by the same craftspeople that will cut, polish and install the stone. Dinh insists that the hands-on service is essential in creating a proper fit. “There’s not a single wall in Saskatoon and area that is straight. Cabinets have a standard size and depth, but there are always some that are off a little.” Granite is heavy. A 120-inch-by-72-inch slab of three-quarter-inch-thick granite weighs about 768 pounds. It must be installed onto a properly structured base, and the work should be done by experienced professionals. Calsask employs a small crew of talented artisans who work remarkably quickly. In just two days, they will finish three kitchens, from template to installation. “They are amazing,” says Dinh. “One of

our guys has been here 10 years. He can finish and polish a full kitchen in an hour.” Their speed equates to fast turnaround and savings for the customer. Dinh says people are usually shocked at how affordable Calsask can make their project. “One client was a little intimidated because she had received such high quotes from other stores. When I quoted half the amount, she started to cry. It turned out she had just inherited her mother’s home and wanted to make some improvements to pass along to her own children.” Situations like this make Dinh very happy to be in the business. “She gave me a big hug, and said ‘thanks for making my dream come true.’ I said, ‘I’m just getting you granite!’” Another client had received a $1,200 quote for arborite from another store. “We quoted $2,000 for the same amount of granite. On long-term resale alone, that little extra is more than worth it. Granite is a lifetime investment.”

Fast service

Calsask Granite 811 Circle Dr. E . 242-4847 w ww.calsas k.com

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Thousands of types of granite are quarried around the world. Most is culled, shipped to India to be cut and then sent to distributors who sell it off to stores and dealerships. Because shipping costs are very high, most stores wait to put in a large-quantity order. Customers often wait up to eight weeks or more for their order to arrive. Calsask Granite takes a different approach. The company routinely orders large amounts of granite from select sites in India, Brazil and Italy, usually one hundred slabs at a time. “Our inventory is always very large,” explains Dinh. “It is currently at 450 full pieces and more than 100 smaller pieces.” Large stock at the ready makes for very fast turnaround. “It was a big risk for us,” admits Dinh, “but it worked out well. We have half a million dollars in cost in our yard, ready to go.” If you’re planning to build or renovate, visit Calsask early to generate creative ideas. But if you’re desperate for granite in a hurry, don’t hesitate to call. “We will try to find a way to accommodate anyone’s needs. Come in anytime. I’ll send you home with a bunch of samples.”

A refreshing change An inexpensive and exciting “refresh” reno works best on good bones BY KARIN MELBERG SCHWIER

hen Vicky and Brian’s kids left home, the empty nesters sat back, had a good look at their 1985 four-level back-to-front split, and decided it was a little dated. “We love the house, but we were just tired of it,” Vicky says. Good structure, but it needed a good facial, fresh makeup and a new wardrobe. But where to start? Vicky, who had recently sold her consulting business, knew she hadn’t kept up with what’s new and fresh, so she sought the advice of interior designer Chantelle Butterfield of Funktional Space for a hand in updating her décor. “The fabulous thing about doing a ‘refresh’ renovation is that you aren’t tearing out walls, digging into plaster, ripping up floors and creating a huge disruption in your life,” says Chantelle, who is also a professional shopper. “A refresh can give you totally new look in your home just by having a plan about what you want to do, using some paint, and accessorizing.

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Start neutral, then jazz it up “The Chanel suit analogy is my favourite. Start with a classic in neutral colours and then jazz it up with colour, texture, new things that don’t cost a fortune.” In time, if you grow tired of an inexpensive throw pillow, vase or piece of art or simply want another change, items can be sold or donated. That classic bone structure that Vicky and Brian like about their Forest Grove home made their refresh “easy and a lot of fun,” says Chantelle, who focused on the bathroom, living and family rooms, two guest bedrooms and the master bedroom. The couple had no particular complaints about the house’s layout or function. It just needed a good shot in the arm. “I know it sounds unusual, but we worked with three colours in Vicky’s refresh,” says Chantelle. “Red, silver and chocolate—and there’s a reason! My most important bit of advice when you’re updating your décor is to take your inspiration from a central thing,

something you love and couldn’t bear to live without. Pull colour and texture from that and work your way out.” In Vicky’s case, the basis for all the decisions was a stunning red couch and a retro cabinet, along with her hand-blown glass collection. “I always try to work around those items,” Vicky says. “I have a few staples I would never part with. I just like to change it up with new colour and keep up to date.” When Vicky realized she hadn’t changed things up in quite awhile, she knew she needed help. Chantelle came highly recommended and the sense they would work well together was confirmed by a first consultation punctuated with lots of laughter. Vicky also realized that if she went it alone, she could easily spend much more of her time—not to mention gas money—trying to find things without a well-formulated plan for a cohesive look or a good understanding of what she was hoping to achieve. While “going shop-

house, home & properties ping” doesn’t seem like an onerous task, if you don’t have an “eye” for decorating, if you suffer from impulse purchasing, or if you simply don’t know where to go for what you need at good prices, the result is a décor and budget nightmare. Taking things back that look great in the store but don’t work at all when you get them home just means a greater investment of time and gas money and a growing level of frustration and disappointment.

“At first, Chantelle would put a room together with the pieces that I had. We’d talk about it and then we’d shop for extras,” Vicky explains. “She really wants you to get as much for your dollar as you can. She’d always explain why she was putting a certain grouping together, so that really helped me when I shopped on my own. I had a much better idea of how to shop and what I needed to look for and why.” “I’m a huge believer in shopping in your own house first,” Chantelle laughs. “Vicky had things in storage that we pulled out and I knew they’d fit right away. I always ask people what they love that we can repair, reuse or repurpose. Grandma’s teacup has been glued together 10 times and isn’t functional, but what if we break it again and make a collage that can be framed? Maybe you’ve got an old piece of pottery. Can we paint it in and fill it with some beautiful reeds and flowers to add texture? There are a million things you can do; not all of them mean new items from the store.” One of the hallmarks of a good designer is the education that happens for the homeowner. Chantelle says she always explains the pros and cons of various options to those for whom she’s working so they can make informed decisions. Just because she prefers one option over another doesn’t mean that’s what she advocates for with a client. “I never railroad a client into going with what I prefer. I think a responsible designer will try to understand the people: their lifestyle, whether they have kids, pets, where they spend their time,” says Chantelle. “It might sound silly, but when someone is trying to choose a tile colour for their kitchen, I’ve been known to bring their dog in, give him a good

PHOTOS BY GIN A’S PORT RAITS

Getting the most from your dollar

PHOT OS BY GINA’ S PORT RAIT S

pet and drop some hairs on the samples. Some colours scream ‘dirty!’ while others are more subtle. Of course you’re going to sweep your floors, but do you need to feel compelled to do it four times a day?”

Making home a sanctuary A home environment can be one of peaceful sanctuary or it can be like an unpredictable, unruly child with whom you’re never completely comfortable. Knowing how to bring order, symmetry and pleasure to the environment is something Vicky says is invaluable in a designer. “I just really love what Chantelle has done with my house. It really was a mat-

ter of making a plan, pinpointing the colours to pull throughout, selecting some darker shades for the walls and adding lots of fun pieces—the baubles, as Chantelle calls them,” says Vicky. “Our kids are raving about how fabulous and updated the house looks.”

Funktional rules: • Begin with your inspiration pieces. (The central things you will not part with, like the red couch or the glass ball from Wisconsin.) • Pick paint last. (You can do the actually painting first, but choose the colours after you get your other items organized. If you go with Split Pea Green on the

walls, you’re going to limit what goes well with it, including your own inspirational pieces.) • Pay attention to shapes and textures. (Repeat throughout your project area. Your eye likes repetition and your mind doesn’t sit well with chaos.) • Measure before you head out shopping. (Guessing always takes more time on the front end and it means trips to the “returns” desk.) • Have a rhyme and reason. (Don’t just go with whatever strikes your fancy at the store.) • Don’t just try and miss. (Have a plan before you shop, and that includes measurements and samples of your keeper pieces like a pillow or glass bowl.) • Reuse and repurpose the things you love. (Can you repair, paint, or use them in a different way?) •Keep the bones neutral and classic. (Funk up the rest, and it’s less expensive to change out later.) • Keep yourself grounded. (Don’t go crazy with what looks good in the store! Beware of fads, even more so than trends.) • Pay attention to the real you/family. (Make sure what you’re creating is livable and involves a level of maintenance you’re willing to provide) • Have fun! (Have fun!) Chantelle Butterfield Funktional Space 227-3008 www.funktionalspace.com

Ryan McClelland Rapid Roofing Solutions (306) 260-8492

properties

ROOFING Homeowners looking for high-performance shingles with an upscale look will usually choose architectural roofing. The multi-layer laminate is the most popular architectural shingle. Its shake-like styling and extraordinary protection make it a good choice for value and return on investment. Warranties range from 30 to 40 years up to lifetime.

While felt paper is the traditional underlayment, there are three major issues with it. First, it is susceptible to buckling due to heat, causing waves in the roof. Second, because it is not breathable it can actually cause damage to the roof and add heat to the underside of the shingle. Lastly, it tears easily.

The more traditional square-cut three-tab shingles are easily matched to many different home styles, providing curb appeal, longterm durability and proven performance in all kinds of weather. Warranties range from 25 to 30 years.

Synthetic roofing underlayment materials serve the same function as a secondary weather barrier as felt paper, but with better resistance to tearing, moisture and ultraviolet raysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fully breathable. Synthetics are typically polypropylene, polyester or fibreglass fabric.

Underlayment is mandatory with most shingles sold today. Underlayment reduces the risk of water infiltration due to wind-driven rain, missing windblown shingles and shingles that are torn or cracked due to natural aging.

Eave protection is best, starting with a metal drip edge that is nailed at the bottom of the roof edge to facilitate proper water drainage. This is one of the most crucial areas of a roof. Considerable damage can be caused to the eaves as a result of ice build-up during win-

ter freeze/thaw cycles. Ice-and-water shield is a special water-resistant material that protects your eaves and should be used in valleys as well. A properly ventilated attic will keep your roofdeck and insulation dry, dissipate heat buildup in the attic, minimize the potential for ice dams, and extend the life of your shingles. Finally, nailing is very important. With rapidfire air-nailers it is easy to place a nail crooked or toe-nailed, which will cause the shingle to not lay flat. Wind will get under and lift the shingle until it is weak enough to break or blow off. Nails should always be driven in straight and flush to the surface. Whether you are renovating or building new, you are assured top-quality work when choosing Rapid Roofing Solutions.

Enter the brave new world of non-toxic kitchens BY FiJi RoBiNSoN

o walk into the Mirage Woodworks showroom is to walk into the brave new world of non-toxic kitchens that are as safe as they are functional and attractive. It’s typical to think of organic foods or non-toxic cleaning products when considering the elements of a green kitchen—yet the kitchen cabinets and countertops that are an integral part of your kitchen could actually be polluting the air inside your home. The kitchens in the Mirage Woodworks showroom are made entirely from environmentally friendly products, including sustainably grown woods and grasses, ureaformaldehyde-free wood products, waterbased lacquer and even countertops made from recycled paper and petroleum-free resins. A.J. Itterman, owner of Mirage Woodworks, is familiar with the toxins found in residential cabinetry and their potential effects on health. He has worked in the woodworking industry for 16 years, seven of which were spent working in wood finishing. When A.J. started his business two years ago it was because he saw an opening in the market for non-toxic wood products. “After working in wood finishing, I was

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pretty familiar with the effects of a chemical-laden environment,” A.J. says from his office on Avenue C, north of Circle Drive. “I don’t want my staff, or our clients, to suffer from the consequences of ureaformaldehyde off-gassing on the respiratory system or the allergic reactions sometimes associated with volatile organic compounds (VOCs).” Mirage cabinets are custom-built and constructed on-site using the latest in technology to guarantee precision woodwork and craftsmanship. The technology also enables the company to offer a middle ground in terms of price and quality.

Cabinet boxes The box behind the cabinet door is the foundation of the kitchen. The majority of cabinet boxes built today are constructed using a particle board known as melamine which could be constantly off-gassing the urea-formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, used to glue the board together. “What we recommend using is Purebond, a maple plywood that uses a soy-based, formaldehyde-free adhesive,” A.J. explains. “It provides a finished interior cabinet that is every bit as beautiful as solid wood.”

As a low-cost alternative to maple plywood, Mirage also offers Newpro Blonde, a melamine product that is low in formaldehyde resin and VOCs and is made with 100-percent recycled materials.

Cabinet exteriors Even those homeowners who decide upon solid wood cabinets should be aware of the type of finish being used. The majority of clear finishes used to seal the wood on cabinet exteriors can emit high levels of VOCs into the air. While not acutely toxic, VOCs can have chronic effects ,such as compromising the immune systems of children. Mirage uses only water-based lacquers. “Other companies rarely talk about the finishes used on their products,” A.J. reveals. “Given the advances in technology, we find that water-based finishes have become comparable to, and actually provide a harder finish than, solvent-based finishes.” For homeowners who choose a plywood or melamine interior, Mirage offers a wide choice of high-quality veneers that give the cabinet exterior the look of solid wood. “We use Echo Wood and BirchLand veneers, which are engineered reconstituted products,” notes A.J. “With these veneers

we can provide customers with the look of wood, ranging from the most common to the most rare and exotic, without destroying the earth’s forests.”

Countertops While Mirage can offer customers the more standard options of granite and marble countertops, it is also a direct dealer for Paperstone, a manufacturer that makes countertops from recycled paper and a petroleum-free resin. These countertops offer a solid surface and come in a myriad of colours to suit any interior. Paperstone’s “Original” product is made from 100-percent post-consumer recycled cardboard, while its “Certified” product is made from 100-percent post-consumer office paper. Mirage Woodworks is also the exclusive Saskatchewan dealer for Silastial Glass, the innovative shattered-glass process developed by Jim Alexander from Sidney, B.C. His Shattered Glass countertops and Ice Glass back splashes combine strength and durability with a unique aesthetic.

For A.J. Itterman, Mirage Woodworks is all about function and quality first. He learned a lot about building quality products from his father, who built new homes. He’s happy to bring his ideas to a project or to help a customer bring his or her own ideas to life. A bit of a maverick, A.J. has managed to combine the respect for using the best products available with the desire to build kitchen cabinets that don’t place a strain on the environment or pollute indoor air. “Many people who come into our showroom are often surprised by the many alternatives we offer,” A.J. says with a smile. “And that’s good, because we like being on the cutting edge.”

Mirage Woodw orks 2236 Avenue C N. 343-9663 w ww.mirage woodw orks.com

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Function before style

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Not just a house, but a home BY ALEXANdRA WALLd

hen you make the decision to build the home of your dreams, it makes sense to find a company that can help you reach that goal. Pegasus Homes, a construction firm in Saskatoon, just may be the company to give you that home you’ve been dreaming about. Pegasus Homes will work with you to ensure your home is built with expertise and care, always keeping your dreams in mind. With more 20 years of experience in construction, Peter Bue, who worked for a different construction outfit at the time, recognized the need for a construction firm that paid close attention to the homeowner and his or her needs. That was when he decided to start Pegasus Homes. “We started about seven years ago, building new houses—custom houses—and our aim is to make every house a unique place,” says Bue. “The intention is to increase the quality of housing. If you’ve built a house according to code, you’ve built the worst house you could legally build; codes are the minimum standard. It’ll be accepted by realtors and contractors, everyone that needs to accept it, but it’s the least you can do when building a house; building codes are

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just a place to start. I’m looking to improve the standard of product because we want things done correctly and we want them done to the homeowner’s satisfaction.” To get a home built that both satisfies the homeowner and the requirements of the associations governing the industry, Pegasus Homes works with Energy Star, National Home Warranty, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association and the Saskatoon and Region Home Builders’ Association. Because Pegasus focuses on the quality of homes it is building, rather than the number of houses it can complete in a year, it consistently provides its clients with a more personal, individualized service.

Building homes and relationships “The first step when building a new home, of course, is contact,” says Bue. “A homebuyer describes what they want and you discuss budgets and tentative plans but around all of that is the introduction. Because you’re going to spend lots of time working together you have to get along; you have to make sure the builder and the homebuyer are compatible, so the first step is getting to know each other.”

“

Tell me what you want, and we’ll find a way to make it work.

”

After that, Pegasus moves on to making a description of what the homeowners want—including the neighbourhood they want to live in—and making a rough budget to see if it meets their requirements. From there, more design elements and floor plans are put together until the clients are satisfied and construction finally begins. With contact throughout the entire process, homeowners can be assured they will be up-to-date on the status of their home, from the initial drawings of the floor plans to the final home they move their family into. “Your project really can’t proceed until you start to look at it in a structured manner,” says Bue. “You can spend months looking at design, finish, colours and accessories, but you need to get your project moving—getting your design down on paper and making sure your ideas are compatible and buildable. The more you can do in the design stage—the more thinking you can do and the more careful you can be in your design—the less likelihood there is going to be something in the end that you’re not pleased with.”

Yet Bue says he is often surprised that homebuyers, especially those who already own their lot, don’t look around anymore. He compares shopping around for a new home to shopping around for a new television and says that people usually tend to look around more for their appliances than they do for their homes, which can leave homeowners with a construction firm they may not be happy with throughout the whole process. “One of the things that surprises me in house construction is how inflexible house builders can be. Other places have certain buyers that they insist on using and certain floor plans that they want you to use. They don’t like to modify plans and any changes become a hassle to them. What we try and do at Pegasus Homes is not just to build a house, but to build a home. Our number-one aim is to build a home that the owner will be happy with,” says Bue. “What I tend to live by when discussing options with a homeowner is this: you tell me what you want and we’ll find a way to make it work. You’re the one who is going to be living in this house for the next 20 years or so, and you should like it and be happy with what you’re going to wake up and see every day. You shouldn’t have to compromise. There are always budget constraints, but you should never be constrained by what a builder says you have to do.” Pegasus Homes 230-3004 pegas ushomes@s asktel.net ww w.pegasus homes.ca

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Shop around for homebuilders

PICTURED ABOVE: DALE & SUSANNE NEUFELD - OWNERS

Today’s way to sell your home: online and privately BY iAN GoodWiLLiE

n an active and growing real estate market, everyone should know they have choices. Since June of 1999, saskhouses.com, a locally owned and operated website, has helped thousands of Saskatchewan people sell their own homes and properties. When you sell your home with the help of saskhouses.com, you pay only an advertising fee—no commission. In the late 1990s, shortly after moving from Prince Albert to Saskatoon, the owners, Dale and Susanne Neufeld, had the idea of using the Internet to help private sellers market their properties in a way that would be easy and effective for both buyers and sellers.

Pictures, pictures, pictures When Dale and Susanne were house-hunting in Saskatoon, the MLS website only showed thumbnail pictures of the exterior of houses, and many listings didn’t even have that. And the only medium for advertising private sales was the newspaper. So shopping for houses meant driving to see

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every one of them in person. That’s why right from the beginning, the focus of saskhouses.com was on pictures. Susanne and Dale thought the Internet would be the perfect vehicle for showcasing homes with lots of pictures. When saskhouses.com was launched, digital cameras were a luxury, so Susanne would take pictures of customers’ houses, have the film developed, scan the pictures and add them to the website one by one. Now, with digital cameras so affordable, many customers take their own pictures. You can find as many as 31 pictures on saskhouses.com listings, so home buyers can take a complete tour of the home they are interested in, from the comfort of their own home or office.

A focus on service The service offered by saskhouses.com is simple in both theory and in practice. With its custom-designed online listing form, posting a listing is as easy as 1-2-3, and customers can either post their own listings

from home or have saskhouses.com post the listing for them. In the Saskatoon area, once a listing is posted, saskhouses.com delivers and installs a professional lawn sign with the customer’s phone number, and a “Getting Started” package, which includes all the information and documents needed to sell privately. And when a listing is marked “Sold,” saskhouses.com comes back to pick up the sign! For listings outside the Saskatoon area, the personalized signs and packages are delivered free of charge by bus or mail within one business day of the listing being posted. Additional features, such as highlight sheets, open-house signs and directional signs are also available for a small additional fee. Sellers can manage their own listings and make changes anytime they like at no extra charge. And if you don’t have a digital camera or the means to post your photos, saskhouses.com can assist you.

Easy and effective Buying or selling a home privately is not a complicated process. In fact, it is often a lot less complicated than using a real estate agent. When you sell privately, there are no contracts or listing agreements to sign and no commissions to negotiate, and you don’t have to leave your home every time a potential buyer wants to see it. As a buyer, you don’t have to wait for someone else to arrange a showing for you, and you actually get to meet the owners of the home you’re thinking of buying! With private sales, once the seller and buyer have reached an agreement on price and conditions, all they need to do is fill out and sign an offer-to-purchase form, which is provided by saskhouses.com, and take it to a lawyer, along with a deposit cheque from the buyer. From there, the lawyers for the seller and the buyer will make sure everything is done properly to ensure that the title is transferred to the buyer, and the money is transferred to the seller.

JULIE GILBERTSON - OFFICE MANAGER

Why saskhouse.com?

saskhouses.com 1527 Park Av e. 229-5518 or 978- 8744 Toll-fre e 1- 866- 929- 5518 saskhouses @shaw.ca

WALTER NEUFELD - SIGNS & SHIPPING

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

One question often asked is, “How does saskhouses.com differ from other websites?” First, saskhouses.com deals exclusively with property sales. And with thousands of visitors each day, saskhouses.com has built a reputation as the place to look when shopping for real estate in Saskatchewan. Second, saskhouses.com provides you with all of the tools and documents you need to sell your home or property privately. With saskhouses.com, you can talk directly with Dale and Susanne or Office Manager Julie Gilbertson, all of whom are friendly and helpful and have lots of experience guiding people through the process of marketing their home. And saskhouses.com regularly updates its technology and look to keep it fresh and cutting-edge. Thanks largely to the power of the Internet, home sellers and buyers have become increasingly savvy about real estate and the state of the local real estate market. Right now you can barely drive down a street without finding at least one for-sale sign— and more and more of those signs are for saskhouses.com, both in the city and throughout the province. The purpose of saskhouses.com has always been to give homeowners a choice. With the housing market on the rise and more homes hitting the market daily, the service saskhouses.com provides will continue to have an impact on the Saskatchewan real estate market.

going to live in it. Thanks to high-quality construction work and a friendly demeanor, their business and reputation have grown through word-of-mouth referrals by satisfied clients. “We don’t build the houses to just meet the minimum standards,” says Shawn Dodman. “We always go steps further with extra trim work and lighting and give more attention to detail to make sure the customer is satisfied.”

A family business

Treating customers like family This family-owned construction and renovation businesses builds every home like it’s their own BY doRiS WANG

here’s an age-old saying that “Home is where the heart is”—and DDD+ Construction Ltd. perfectly personifies it.

Established in the 1990s by the Dodman family, this small Saskatoon-based propertydevelopment, construction and renovation business has become well-respected and extremely successful. Whether it is a bi-level or a bungalow, the Dodman family understands that your home should be the happiest place on Earth, where you feel at ease away from the hectic world outside. They build every house as if their own family is 144

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DDD+ Construction Ltd. was established by Carman, Vickie, Shawn and Paul Dodman. The three D’s represent the Dodman brothers and their father— the shareholders in the company. The “+” stands for all the other contributors to the business. DDD+ Construction Ltd. has built homes in many areas, including acreages in Clavet and Hidden Ridge as well as Saskatoon. It has recently expanded to Warman, where it is building homes in the subdivision Carman developed, Deer Meadows. The company’s commitment to quality is clear in everything it does, from outstanding customer consultation and service provided by the most skilled on-staff trades people to its choice of the highest quality construction materials and New Home Warranty. At DDD+ Construction Ltd., every family member and employee is focused on meeting and exceeding customer expectations. Each Dodman family member has a role to play on-site. Shawn is the Project Manager and Paul is a Journeyman Electrician. “We are a close-knit family,” says Shawn. “We like working with our dad and learning from him.” Shawn and Paul’s young children cannot wait to be old enough to learn the trade.

A tradition continues Carman Dodman, the father of the family and owner of the business, applauds his children’s enthusiasm in construction and renovation. “I’m proud of all of them for learning carpentry at a time when many people have lost interest in

house, home & properties interact on a personal level and make them feel happy coming to work every day.” In Clavet and Warman, DDD+ Construction Ltd. has developed subdivisions which include lot surveys and infrastructures. It has built a variety of customhome styles: bungalows, bi-levels, and two-stories both with and without walkouts. Everyone has an image of their dream

the trade business. It’s always been my goal to pass down the skills of carpentry from generation to generation.” A third-generation carpenter from the small town of Chatham, Ont., Carman worked with his father and grandfather in construction. Prior to moving to Saskatchewan almost 20 years ago, he and his brother Dave operated Dodman Homes. After settling in Saskatoon they felt called to rekindle their interest in construction. As Shawn recalls, a friend of his father’s asked them to help with putting down a hardwood floor. Other friends noticed the Dodman’s skills in the various trades, and encouraged the family to pursue its passion and skills for building, which lead to further recommendations to other home construction and renovation jobs.

home. DDD+ Construction takes pride and pleasure in turning those dreams into reality. The Dodmans are experienced tradespeople who can handle any renovation or construction project to the satisfaction of their valued customers. DDD Construction Ltd 630 Wollaston Bay 955-3310

DDD+ Construction Ltd. offers affordable rates and labour costs. The owners and employees are also extremely dedicated to their customers. As a part of a new-home warranty, regular follow-ups are done after homeowners have moved in to ensure customer satisfaction. “We want to treat our customers like they were family,” says Shawn. Having three co-owners also means that at least one of them is available to look after business at all times. Phones and Blackberries are always turned on in order to answer customers’ concerns quickly and customers can be sure that their inputs are heard regarding the building of their home. DDD+ Construction Ltd. also has a Drafting Consultant to help customers meet all their unique needs, and an Interior Design Consultant to help with the finer details. The feeling of family not only extends to the Dodmans’ customers, but to their employees as well. According to Shawn, work is focused, yet fun. “Being a smaller business, we have time to teach and train the employees to the best of our ability,” he points out. “Also, we have control of the quality of our work. We are able to

PHOTOS BY CAT HERIN E POPIEL

Dedicated to customers

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Unique beauty Model hardwood floors offer distinction, durability, texture and richness BY ToBiE HAiNSToCK

f you’re planning to renovate your home or office, take some time to consider hardwood flooring. The look of a hardwood floor is undeniably distinctive. For those who love flooring with texture, durability and richness, there is simply no substitution for fine hardwood. Model Hardwood has a wide assortment of looks to fit the taste and needs of their customers. Established in 1997, Model Hardwood is a Canadian manufacturer located in Saint-Edouard-de-Lotbinière, Que. Over the years Model Hardwood has gained an enviable reputation for its impeccable quality and selection. Traditional, contemporary or trendsetting, whatever the decor, you’ll be able to find something to love within these exclusive and stunning collections. Your home will have a look that will make you proud to display at dinner parties or fam-

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ily functions. Brian Whitlaw, General Manager of Heartland Wood and Cork, distributor of Model Hardwood, explained that it was the distinctive look and broad selection of the Model Hardwood line that attracted him to become a supplier. To provide dealers with products of such quality and variety has proven again and again to be a wise decision. “Model Hardwood is very well known in most provinces in Canada,” says Whitlaw and adds that it is rapidly increasing in popularity. “We are getting a lot of repeat customers, people who are happy with the product and want to put more down in their homes or businesses,” Whitlaw continues. No matter which collection you choose from, the Model Hardwood line offers “quality, beauty, balance and choice.”

Model Classic If the classic wood look is what you’re looking for, the Model Classic selection offers 10 beautiful species, 12 stains, four gloss finishes and three grades for a total of more than 1,700 possible looks to choose from. Rich deep tones add elegance to any living or dining room. Lighter woods such as oak brighten kitchens, corridors, foyers and more. “If you’re looking for something unique, this is the line of flooring to look at,” states Whitlaw.

Unique Collection Looking for something a little more contemporary or modern? The Unique Collection by Model offers exciting new trends and colours which have been inspired by the creative designers of today.

A distinctive look for you Imagine your home with a look that is personal and exclusive to you. With the Model Hardwood collections, your home or business can reflect your own personal taste. “If you’re spending your money on hardwood, why would you want something everyone else has?” asks Whitlaw. “You are unique, and so is Model Hardwood.”

Choose from a wide selection of trendy, tasteful looks to suit your lifestyle and your personality.

E by Model As with so many of us today, the environment is a concern for the people of Model Hardwood. E by Model is a series of beautiful, top-quality designs that highlight the natural appearance and rich grain of this durable living material. Model Hardwood is aware of the human impact on the environment and has developed this environmentally friendly flooring series. The development of new milling techniques led to a three-percent decrease in raw materials used in the primary transformation. This means that, for every 100 trees processed, three additional trees were directed to the consumer rather than sent to waste. As a result, more flooring is produced with fewer trees. Also, according the Model Hardwood website, raw material is taken from within a radius of 200 kilometres of the processing plant. Less travel means less fossil fuel used and lower emissions of greenhouse gases. “The method used in cutting the log for this series gives a more unique look with added dimensional stability,” notes Whitlaw.

Model Engineered and Modelloc When you’re looking for flooring that is beautiful and extra-long-lasting for your

renovation project, you’ll find the Model Engineered and Modelloc collection meets some of the highest standards in the industry today. This attractive flooring is not only pleasing to the eye but is the most stable wood floor-covering product on the market. The Model Engineered and Modelloc flooring collection features an eight-ply configuration that is manufactured from the most popular hardwood species including oak, maple, ash, walnut, birch, Jatoba, Tiger Wood and more. According to the Model Hardwood website, all boards have a sawn face, not the conventional rotary-peeled veneer. This makes it impossible to distinguish an engineered floor from a solid hardwood floor once installed.

Model Extreme Finish The newest feature offered by the Model Hardwood family is the Model Extreme Finish. This product is rapidly becoming popular for those high-traffic areas that need to look top-notch for extended periods of time. The Model Extreme Finish allows for commercial installations with no exclusions. Tests have rated Model Extreme finish top in the industry for abrasion resistance and gloss maintenance. Durable and beautiful, this finish is ideal for restaurants, hotels, offices, clinics, museums, jewellery stores, theatres, stages, ballroom entrance halls and more. The Model Extreme Finish is available for all of the Model Collections.

Model Hardwood www.pgmodel.com First Choice Flooring 2301 Ave. C. N. Saskatoon Western Carpet One 610 Cynthia St. Saskatoon

Lansdcaping from the underground up Family trio builds great-looking yards the right way BY KARiN MELBERG SCHWiER

t’s been awhile since horticulturalist Luke Rempel literally rubbed shoulders with the likes of Jack Nicholson, Adam Sandler, Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone and the moneyed people behind them, like Steven Spielberg, on the spectacular links at the Riviera Golf and Country Club, but consistently maintaining the PGA course to the “only the best is good enough” standard set by club founder Frank Garbutt left a lasting impression on Luke. Today the owner of City Gardens Landscape Construction and Irrigation agrees that the most impressive landscaping isn’t just pretty to look at; it’s designed well and constructed to last. Saskatoon-born-and-raised Luke received an applied degree in horticulture from Olds College and put his turf management major to use at Saskatoon’s Riverside Golf and Country Club. Jumping at an opportunity to work at the fabled Riviera in Pacific Palisades, Calif., he spent a glorious tenure as the horticulturalist where daily star-sightings were commonplace. Back home again, after a stint bringing the Dakota Dunes links up to playing condition, Luke felt he wanted more of a challenge. He returned to the University of Saskatchewan for his Bachelor of Commerce. When a professor hired him to improve her large Nutana yard, the idea for a landscaping business sprouted. After graduation in 2007, Luke started City Gardens along with his semi-retired and avid-gardener father Len Rempel and cousin Paul Mitchell. Since then, the family trio has been steadily adding to its portfolio of projects.

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Passion has grown with business “My passion has really grown as I’ve watched the business grow,” says Luke over coffee at one of his favourite closeto-home haunts, the Fine Art Café in Nutana. “It’s not only the landscaping that gets me really excited; it’s the combination of the business end and putting your heart, knowledge, expertise and energy into a company as it grows. And working with Dad and my cousin is really great, too. My dad was in the construction business and knows a lot about landscaping. He’s got an amazing garden.” Much of the company’s growth has come from word-of-mouth referrals and from people who peek over the fence to admire the work Luke is doing in the neighbourhood. “New yards are my bread and butter,” Luke explains. “That work in new areas, new subdivisions, goes quite quickly and is usually problem-free. It’s a matter of establishing the drainage patterns, putting in proper sub-surface drainage systems, paving stones and retaining walls. You just have to do the job right, from underground to what you ultimately see on top. The basic drainage has to be done properly.” Older yards can be more of a challenge, he says, simply because a landscaper sometimes needs to work around or remove what’s already there. “You might be taking out old sod and old cracked concrete, hauling it away and dis-

posing of it. You’re working around mature trees and shrubs. You may be tackling drainage problems that are due to deteriorating materials or problems inherited from neighbours. We always turn whatever we are working with into a beautiful space as we incorporate all the design principles, the plant selection, the lighting, the hardscape.”

Hardscapes and softscapes

For non-horti speakers out there, “hardscape” refers to retaining walls, paving stones and wooden structures, literally the hard materials. “Softscape” includes the plants, grasses, soils, mulch and soft organic materials. The softscape can be gorgeous, but Luke emphasizes that unless the hardscape is well planned and installed correctly, it’s all built—sometimes literally!— on sand. Creating a personalized space out of a small or large lot, new or old, requires some planning. After six or seven months of winter and indoor living, people crave the outdoors and they want the privacy to enjoy their backyards. Whether for their own satisfaction or for resale value, homeowners know that curb appeal is also important. With some creative hard and soft landscaping, value is added to the home. Even with small lots, space problems disappear and the resulting private sanctuary provides the feeling of peaceful security. A current Albert Street project involves an extensive landscaping design that incorporates an outdoor room concept with a fireplace, wood boxes, a stone privacy wall with pillars and cedar arches. In older

neighbourhoods, Luke explains, many lots are quite narrow, but with proper planning, many obstacles can be overcome. “People’s lives are stressful, so when they come home from work, the idea that they can relax in their backyard environment with some privacy is really a great thing.”

Use of space is critical City Gardens can create that oasis; the use of the space is critical. Luke’s number-one piece of advice is to invest the money in having a design done before the first spade hits the dirt. Because City Gardens is still relatively small, he doesn’t have a designer on staff but has several he recommends with confidence. “If you’re planning a major landscape renovation project,” Luke says, “a good design is paramount. I can offer some suggestions, but if you’re planning to spend any kind of substantial money, a designer can make the project progress so much more smoothly. Work with the designer, give me those plans and I’ll build it.” A designer can provide a blueprint, and even if there are changes as the project develops, much like a home build, it gives the necessary starting point. “In fact, making changes on the fly is much easier with landscaping than it would be during house construction. But getting that concept design and drainage plan worked out at the beginning is really important.” People are putting more thought into their surrounding environment these days. It used to be that the big question was how to have a perfectly manicured lawn, free of dandelions and quack grass. A big addition to the back yard might have been a swing set or sandbox. Maybe there was a question about where to place the firepit. More recently, new deck styles became popular, and if you were fancy, you built a gazebo.

City Gardens services: • Rough grading for proper surface drainage; • Finish grading; • Sub-surface drainage; • Irrigation system installation; • Natural stone patios and pathways; • Shrub and flowerbed design and installation; • Mulch; • Paving stone and retaining walls; • Landscape lighting; • Water features; • Crushed rock and other decorative aggregates; • Sod installation; • Commercial landscaping.

Today, people are wondering about rainwater capture and xeriscaping with low-maintenance, hardy native species of grasses. While the “edible landscaping” beyond the traditional garden is still a relatively new niche concept, people are still getting interested in different uses for their property. The old square of green Kentucky bluegrass fades into a distant childhood memory as outdoor rooms and living spaces extend the livable areas of the home. Landscape construction is an exciting business to be in, Luke agrees. A large percentage of homeowners still have grass, but the trend is to move away from that traditional manicured lawn. “There are many new developments to support low maintenance, less weeding and low water consumption. I can really see trends toward hardy, native grass species that don’t require as much energy as we’ve spent traditionally. There are people who are engineering new ways of conserving water for use on your gardens and lawns, so we’ll be seeing some really interesting changes.” City Gardens will help homeowners in new areas and established ones to properly landscape to ensure everything from the drainage to the foliage is the right choice and works together to create a pleasing environment. “Beautiful landscapes involve so many decisions regarding design, plant selection, use of space, and quality of construction,” he says. “At City Gardens we have the knowledge and experience to do the job right, from the planning stages through to the final result.” Luke Rempe l City G arde ns Landscape Constr uction & Ir rigation (306) 280-6609

PHOTOS BY GIN A’S PORT RAITS

Exciting new options

nvironment Canada says Saskatoon has experienced the soggiest spring ever with more than 160 mm of rainfall in April and May alone. So I thought it would be appropriate to talk about drainage. It may not be the sexiest thing you do in a landscaping project, but it’s a bit like getting all dressed up for a party without showering first. Down the road, things just get worse and you’ll end up paying for it!

Everyone is anxious to make their property look great, but it’s well worth getting some expert advice on the front end to make sure drainage is well planned. At the end of the day, it’s far cheaper to establish proper drainage than it is to renovate your basement after a flood. This spring, for example, has a groundwater level so high that the ground is simply saturated. Everyone has a little crack or two in their foundation and water finds a way. But with some planning and expertise, most water problems can be avoided with a good drainage system that moves water around and away from your home.

Some common commonsense mistakes Clay is the key. Packed clay is the best material because it moves water. When a homeowner skips the clay in favour of crushed rock and topsoil, water simply soaks into the ground. To fix the problem, we now have to get in there and remove how many cubic metres of crushed rock and replace it with clay, pack it in and establish a positive drainage away from the house. My advice is forget the crushed rock. Get a good drainage system in to get the water moving around and away from your house. Deck don’ts. The first thing most people want to do when they’ve finished building a house is put on a deck. But after the deck is built, they put fabric and crushed rock under it. That’s an unnecessary expense, especially if the deck will be skirted. Often the soil around the foundation is still settling so you end up with pooling water under the

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DRAINAGE deck and leaks into the basement. What you need is that packed clay, sloped away from the foundation.

Homebuyers are much more educated and aware today than they were even three years ago about what gives value to a property. When you spend money on a landscape job, it will add value if done properly and you will avoid serious problems with potentially expensive fixes later on. Mike Holmes is bang on: do it right the first time.

Water runs downhill. You want water to move so your grade must carry it away from your house. If your property has dips or flat areas, we can install subsurface drainage–a mini-storm drain system for your yard–built out of catch basins and six-inch French drains with small weeping tiles buried 12 inches below the surface. This system is a reasonable solution to get water moving away from your house.

At City Gardens, we provide our customers with quality workmanship in a prompt, professional manner. Beautiful landscapes involve many decisions regarding design, plant selection, use of space and quality of construction. At City Gardens we have the knowledge and experience to do the job right, from the planning stages through to the final product.

High man on the totem pole. When new subdivisions go in, they’ve all been graded and checked by an engineer so the whole area drains properly back to front. When a do-it-yourselfer homeowner thinks he’ll avoid basement flooding by building up his property a foot higher than his neighbours’, he’s essentially creating a beaver dam. Everyone else gets the drainage backup from his property. All the final grade lines are marked on the power boxes in all the new neighbourhoods. When everyone follows that, there’s no problem. Elder issues. Older neighbourhoods have unique problems. Basements have settled over decades. If there were drainage patterns originally, they may be all out of whack now because people have renovated and landscaped; old houses have been torn down, new houses built. Subsurface systems or French drains can solve a lot of problems in older areas. The straight chute. Make sure your eavestroughs are adequate. There’s a lot of water that comes off a roof during a rain; you’ve got to be sure you have chutes or extensions working properly at the ends of your downspouts so the water doesn’t just drain straight down next to the foundation.

Do it right It’s worth the investment at the beginning of the project to get the drainage systems laid in properly. It’ll pay off in spades.

PHOT OS BY GIN A’ S PORT RAIT S

Luke Rempel City Gardens Landscape Construction & Irrigation (306) 280-6609

BY TRiLBY HENdERSoN

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A new prairie haven Make the most of your summer –or your whole year– at Cranberry Creek Estates BY iAN GoodWiLLiE

f you live in Saskatchewan year-round then you know to make the most out of your summers. And you know the best way to do that is by enjoying as much of the summer as possible at one of Saskatchewan’s beautiful lakes or provincial parks. But what is the best way to do that? Rather than clamoring for a spot at an already crowed campground or vying for space at a resort, more and more Saskatchewan residents are buying their own piece of heaven at one of the many developments popping up near our provincial lakes. Many of these developments are designed for year-round residents, allowing you to take advantage of your property whenever you want. Cranberry Creek Estates is one of those developments, located only five minutes’ drive away from picturesque Candle Lake. And with Phase 2 ready for further development, now is the time to take a closer look at a fantastic path to your lake-living dreams.

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The lake Candle Lake has developed slowly over the past 50 to 60 years into a half-dozen individual town sites, all connected to the business area and main town site while each keeping its own individuality, some with beaches, others a marina or large campsites. Located less than an hour northeast of Prince Albert, Candle Lake Provincial Park has carved out a niche as an all-season vacation destination in Western Canada. The focal point of the park is Candle Lake, a large, clean body of water featuring great fishing and access for all types of water sports. If hitting the water for summer fun does not interest you, beaches are in abundance as well. Of the seven kilometers of beaches that ring the lake, Minowukaw, Waskateena and Sandy Bay are rated among the top 10 inland beaches in Canada. A number of services now populate Candle Lake, including a variety of resorts, hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. In addition, there

are several stores, restaurants and attractions that add to the appeal of the park, many of which are now open year round.

The lifestyle There are retired people from the city or the farm and young families, all of whom want to escape from wherever they live in their everyday lives. That’s where the lake comes in. Whether they are permanent residents or weekenders, they all head for their favourite lake when it’s time to get away. Most lake resort areas offer a great variety of recreation and adventure that changes with each season. Seniors and young alike find a whole new world of animals, birds and vegetation that they seem to never find the time to appreciate in the normal, daily flow of life. Many of those fortunate enough to live at their chosen lake have bought or built homes at the mercy of property values inflated by the increase in demand in recent years. And as more people retire to the lake

land area, young families have filled permanent campsites to the max. With continued development at most lakes in the province making year-round lake living a more feasible concept, investing in a more permanent property becomes more than just a summer prospect.

The development Cranberry Creek Estates provides such an option just a short five-minute drive from the main beach and town site area of Candle Lake, offering a country residential lifestyle in a formerly homesteaded forest area. The Cranberry Creek Estates feature oneacre lots surrounding a beautiful three-hole golf course, which is owned and operated by the residents, and a trout pond nestled in amongst the fairways. The development is punctuated by safe, forested walking trails joining the Ashim Heritage Homestead and Torch Lake, an undisturbed, secluded fivemile-long lake offering great canoeing and kayaking. This subdivision is located in the Rural Municipality of Paddockwood. The building restrictions are more relaxed than what you might find in a densely populated resort village and the RM is offering excellent tax incentives that can save a homebuilder thousands of dollars. The RM was also influential in bringing several green-initiative measures to this development.

The advice Looking for a lake property? Make sure you choose wisely. From permanent campsites to lakefront or acreage lifestyle properties, prices are on the rise and the chance of stumbling across the â&#x20AC;&#x153;stealâ&#x20AC;? of an old, broken-down cottage are all but gone. But do shop around. Whether you are commuting to and from work, retired or vacationing, there is a lake property out there that fits your dream. And while you are shopping for that dream property, be sure and visit Cranberry Creek Estates, three miles south of the Candle Lake junction. The quick evolution of lifestyle properties such as Cranberry Creek Estates has been dramatic, because private lands near the lake have been all but developed and large acreage lots near the lake are becoming very much in demand. Phase 2 of this 65-lot subdivision is now ready for sale and more than worth the visit. Contact Del Henderson of Cranberry Creek Estates at (306) 960-6357 for more information.

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Ron Baliski Realty Inc. (RE/MAX)

real estate

BUYING & SELLING he home-buying and home-selling season is once again in full swing. There is a good selection of properties available for sale in both the new-home and resale categories. The pressure currently is in the $300,000 to $400,000 range, as there are more buyers presently looking in this price range.

In preparation for either selling or buying, helpful hints are always welcome and appreciated. In either situation, this will be one of the most important decisions you will be making.

Tips for selling your home We have the expertise and resources you need to help you sell your home quickly and successfully. It all begins long before you open your home to showings. You need to see your home like a prospective buyer. To do that, you need to look at both the inside and outside with a fresh perspective. There are some simple steps to help set the stage for a property that shows great to potential buyers:

• Show off storage space

2. Shop for mortage terms.

• Do quick fixes and TLC

3. Obtain professional inspections.

• Create atmosphere

4. Use a professional real estate agent.

• Create curb appeal for drive-by success! You want your home to have broad appeal to buyers in your target market. In preparing your house for selling, you need to take a step back and have the mindset that this is no longer your home, but your investment for your future. This can be a daunting and overwhelming task, whether you have lived in your home a few years or many.

6. Know the full cost of home buying. There are various guides available to assist you in the home buying process. Some of these publications are First Time Home Buyers Guide, Condo Buying Guide, Mortgage Calculator and Before Writing an Offer for a Home for Sale.

The intent of “tips for selling” is to help you save time, money and energy. Remember, most people want to move into their new home without having to make updates to it. From the moment they drive up to view your home, impressions count!

This process is one filled with anticipation, some searching and, of course, the excitement that comes with finding just the right home for you...whether it’s a condominium, town home, single-family home, new property or a property that is in need of work (let your creative self show through!).

Tips for buying a home There is a lot more to buying a home than first meets the eye, but if you take it step by step the real estate buying process can be enjoyable and exciting!

• Remove personal items

There are six mistakes home buyers make, but let’s turn that into these six “must-do” steps to ensure you are on the right track!

• Clean and clear surfaces

1. Get pre-qualified for a mortgage.

• Let go of clutter

5. Decide whether to sell first before buying or buy first before selling. This is a very delicate and personal decision that needs to be discussed in great detail.

• Follow a guide for home staging

Working with a real estate professional is a must in today’s marketplace. Let us do what we do best! Contact your realtor to discuss what realtors do, and to understand the Agency Relationship (Seller’s Agency, Buyer’s Agency and Limited Dual Agency). If you have any questions or want further detailed information on any of the topics mentioned, please feel free to contact your

• Create ease of movement

Clark Dziadyk (306) 227-2036 www.homesbycd.com clarkdziadyk@shaw.ca Ron Baliski

L ISA LAN DRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

(306) 221-0421 www.teambaliski.com ronbaliskirealty@sasktel.net Reagan Baliski (306) 290-7377 www.homesbyrb.com reagan.baliski@sasktel.net

Celebrate Success! A gala evening shines the spotlight on Saskatoon’s best businesses and businesspeople BY JENN SHARP

n May, Saskatoon business owners were treated to a beautiful award gala, celebrating business excellence, complete with a red carpet, media personalities and photographers. On May 18, TCU Place in downtown Saskatoon was the site of the Celebrate Success! Awards Gala, hosted by the Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce and the Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan Inc. The gala annual event, celebrating its 15th anniversary, honours Saskatoon businesses in 13 different categories. Also known as the Saskatoon Achievement and Business Excellence (SABEX) Awards, the event is a chance for small and large business owners alike to support and celebrate each other. Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon spent the evening talking to the nominees, enjoying the gourmet dinner prepared by the staff at TCU Place, and congratulating the winners after the ceremony.

Red-carpet arrival It all began on the red carpet, with dignitaries and nominees arriving in limousines. Colleen and Wally Mah, two of the owners of North Ridge Development Corporation, were the first to arrive and said they were very excited

to be nominated for Business of the Year: “There’s a lot of really great people in the category... it’s just an honour to be nominated and it’s lots of fun for everybody!” said Wally. Although North Ridge was beat out by the Travelodge Hotel for the award this year, the company has won several ABEX awards, sponsored by the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce, in previous years. It can be intimidating to walk up a red carpet to the flashing of cameras, but everyone smiled and posed. Some, like Silvia Martini and Shauna Morrison of Tourism Saskatoon and Sanj Singh of the W. Brett Wilson Centre for Entrepreneurial Excellence, outright played to the cameras with red-carpet-worthy smiles. The time quickly came to move indoors and upstairs to the champagne reception in TCU’s beautiful upper-level salon, where about 40 corporate tables had been purchased. A gourmet dinner of strawberry spinach salad and prime rib soon followed, complemented with a diverse wine selection supplied by Cava Secreta Wines and Spirits. Rylan Grant, CEO of Delta Point Wireless, a technology company with offices at Innovation Place, was not nominated but came to enjoy the festivities. He said the gala “high-

lights the hard work that everybody puts into all of their businesses. It’s certainly a labour of love for a lot of people and this event celebrates everybody’s success together.”

Jubilant winners The award for growth and expansion went to Dymark Industries, which was founded in 2002. The steel, metal and custom fabrication business has a long history in the welding industry. Perhaps the most jubilant award recipients of the evening, President Marc Paquette and employee Matthew Folk literally jumped out of their chairs when Dymark was announced as the winner. Later that night, Paquette talked about how happy he was to accept Dymark’s first SABEX award. Saskatoon mayor Don Atchison and his wife Mardele were making their rounds in the packed salon and stopped for a few moments to chat. The mayor said that “tonight is all about the businesses in our community that have been successful and recognizing them.” He said that in the past, Saskatoon has failed to recognize its outstanding business community but that “we’re moving into a new era where people are being recognized for their success.” Mayor Atchison is proud of Saskatoon for being the entrepreneurial capital of Canada and for being one of the most businessfriendly communities. And what’s good for business is good for the rest of the city, he says: “If you’re able to foster a good business climate, more and more businesses are able to come...with that we have more profits and in turn we can help more people in Saskatoon.”

Mayor Atchison encouraged everyone to sing the city’s praises because it is a “tremendous community to live in. We haven’t told the world before what a great place this is and now they’re discovering us,” on national and international levels “as the place to be.” The Honourable Ken Cheveldayoff, minister for trade and of enterprise, echoed Mayor Atchison’s statements in his opening remarks to the SABEX audience, saying small business equals big business in Saskatchewan and is “the backbone of our economy...we’re the top-ranked entrepreneurial city in Canada!” They were both right in more ways than one. On May 31, Macleans published a report on Canada’s smartest cities. Saskatoon is the most socially engaged city in the country, and follows only Victoria as being the smartest and most cultured. Mayor Atchison also noted he was pleased with the premiere issue of Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon–he and Mardele graced the cover and, he said, “she looked fabulous!”

Community involvement Standing with Don and Mardele Atchison were Scott Cherry of the Saskatoon Community Foundation and Doug Finnie from Leadership Saskatoon. The Saskatoon Community Foundation sponsors the Strategic Alliance Award, which acknowledges the importance of bringing together resources through partnerships involving businesses and charities. Cherry’s company is also sponsoring Leadership Saskatoon, which helped to make Everybody’s Playground in Erindale possible. The inclusive playground has wheelchair access and is the first of its kind in the city.

Nominees for the Community Involvement Award must have been hard to choose since Saskatoon is the most socially engaged city in Canada. Cliff Wieger of Wieger Financial and spokesman for Wieger’s Benefits was one of the nominees in the category and talked about the Care 4 Kidz charity his company established last year. A benefit concert with Carrie Catherine, a Saskatoon-based folk rock singer who is gaining national acclaim, raised money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation. “It was a great event,” said Wieger. “It brought the arts and the community together with the hospital. We hope to do something like it on a year-to-year basis...we’ll pick something that supports kids and build an event around it. If you build it, they will come!” Evan LeBlanc, CEO of Streetscape Homes, was excited to be nominated for the Environment and Sustainability Award. Each house Streetscape builds is Energy Star qualified. LeBlanc said they don’t give customers a choice in using old versus new technology, which makes the unique company a leader in its field. Alarm Tek Security Systems of Canada Inc. took home the award for New Business Venture, something Saskatoon franchise owner Jeff Barnhart describes as “nervewracking.” It was the first award for his three-year-old business, and he brought up his staff while accepting the award. “It’s been the best of times and the worst of times and we owe it to our commitment and faith to our customers, to our staff and to God.”

Double winner The big winner of the night was Display Systems International, which took home top honours for Customer Service and Small Business of the Year. They were also nominated in the Growth and Expansion category. President Dale Lemke thanked his employees and said they “do a fantastic job taking care of our customers...hats off to you guys.” The company manufactures and markets information display systems for television and Internet audiences. “We all need to brag about Saskatoon and Saskatchewan, about how good we have it here, and carry that torch,” added Lemke in his acceptance speech. In one of many highlights of the evening, MD Ambulance CEO Dave Dutchak accepted his induction in the SABEX Hall of Fame with a funny and thought-provoking speech, and told nominees “you are very important to this community. Enjoy tonight!” He was introduced by Master of Ceremonies and fellow MD Ambulance employee Troy Davies. Davies informed the audience that 290 years of combined experience was sitting at the four MD Ambulance tables, including the “Dutchak mafia from Blaine Lake... so if anyone goes into cardiac arrest, this is the night to do it!” University of Saskatchewan researcher John Giesy received the Innovation Place/U of S Industry Liaison Office Award for Innovation for a new chemical toxin screening test. Giesy, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Toxicology, studies how chemical toxins in the environment affect human health. The test, which is quick and cost-effective, screens for hormone disrupters that cause birth defects and other health problems. U of S researchers Markus Hecker and Xiaowei Zhang helped Giesy develop the test and accepted the award with him at the gala. Giesy immigrated to Canada from the United States to work at our “world-class university” and said he will become a Canadian citizen, adding “the brain drain is over and the brain game has begun.” Ayten Archer was the winner of the inaugural Community Leadership Award for her business strategy education and arts programming work at the U of S. She thanked her mom, who brought her to Saskatoon from Cairo, Egypt, “for a life of freedom and a place where I could live in a democratic society.” She thanked Saskatoon for being a community of inclusion and said “people will forget what you say but not what you do.”

Business of the Year The winner of the prestigious Business of the Year award went to the Travelodge Hotel and general manager Steve Johnson summed up the night perfectly when he accepted his award: “In the words of my two-year-old son; Whoa!” Scratch nightclub hosted the after-party, and guests were treated to mini-cupcakes from the Cupcake Conspiracy and an array of Middle-Eastern appetizers from Scratch’s menu. DJ Charly Hustle was on the decks into the wee hours, providing a dizzying selection of danceable tunes for the finely dressed crowd.

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An industry leader

dards, ensuring its employees are familiar with the newest technology developments while maintaining an in-depth knowledge of previous equipment models. Polar encourages continuous learning and supports the ever-improving abilities of its technicians through education and experience, which is why it can boast of having some of the top technicians in the industry. Polar Refrigeration has been locally owned and operated since 1952, with the Scrivener family successfully running the business since 1993. The company and its people make a point to concern themselves with the local and global environment and are very involved in the community, supporting many different charities and organizations, including TeleMiracle, NASHI, World Vision, Camp Easter Seal and Habitat for Humanity, among others. They also work closely with CISV Saskatoon, the local chapter of an international peace education organization. CISV Saskatoon nominated Polar Refrigeration for the Celebrate Success SABEX Strategic Alliance Award for 2010, and on May 18, 2010, Polar was announced the winner of this award. Polar has also received a BBB Saskatchewan Torch Award for demonstrating the use of ethics and integrity in business. Polar Refrigeration has an excellent track record, proving repeatedly to be an accomplished and reliable provider of refrigeration services and so much more. With Polar, you also get customized service agreements, detailed equipment work history, a one-full-year service workmanship guarantee, optional extended product warranty and design and build consulting. A small warehouse located in the company building also allows Polar to prepare and maintain smaller equipment on-site. Give Polar Refrigeration a call and one of its friendly and capable staff members will come to see you. Look for its red-and-white service trucks with a polar bear on the side! Providing excellent service with a smile is important to everyone at the company. Ethics and integrity are vital aspects of their day-to-day client relationships, ensuring that both trust and honesty are established right from the very beginning. Polar Refrigeration 402 - 21st S t. W. 652-3150 ser v ice@polarse r vices.ca www.polarse r vices.ca

Award-winning company is your go-to stop for refrigeration and HVAC needs BY SHERRY REid

Experienced, knowledgeable, dedicated Polar Refrigeration is committed to each and every job, whether it is fixing up an older system or installing a brand new one. Its technicians are greatly experienced, knowledgeable and dedicated to doing exceptional work. The company prides itself on keeping up with the latest industry stan-

PHOTOS BY GIN Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S PORT RAITS

s a leading refrigeration and HVAC service provider, Polar Refrigeration is your go-to company for refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation and heating, with equipment, supplies and excellent service. The company works with commercial, institutional and industrial clients throughout Saskatoon and area, providing new equipment and equipment upgrades, installation, servicing and maintenance. You name it, chances are Polar can do it, working with everything from roof-top units, heat pumps and air exchangers to air balancing, duct work, precise temperature chambers and almost every specialty refrigeration application.

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PHOT OS BY GINA’ S PORT RAIT S

Broadening minds and horizons CISV creates active global citizens through peace education, locally and internationally BY SHERRY REid

ISV (Children’s International Summer Villages ) is an organization focused on creating active global citizens through peace education. By building global friendships from local communities to international ones, CISV promotes awareness in the minds of today’s younger generation, helping them to understand and appreciate the similarities and differences of the lives of people from all walks of life. Through both local and international programs and camps, CISV encourages respect for cultural differences, common values and self-awareness.

Local and international programs The local programs include: Junior Branch, running a number of completely youth-led activities for anyone who wants to be involved from the age of 10 and up; Mosaic, helping people effectively develop community programs through an innovative framework; and Local Involvement, inviting people to take part coordinating programs or even hosting international delegations. International programs include: Village, a four-week international camp incorporating many different aspects of numerous cultures; International Summer Camp, encouraging young teens to take responsibility for leadership and program planning; Interchange, placing young people within different families to inspire a richer encounter; Seminar Camp, progressing participants to the level where they can

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develop their own themes and agendas, developing educated opinions about multicultural matters; and International Peoples Project, a way of learning while actively contributing to the community in projects like nature conservation. These programs develop cross-cultural knowledge and leadership. There are 12 CISV chapters across Canada, all with the same goal: establishing active global citizenship.

member of the local chapter, currently holding the position of International Trustee, representing CISV Canada internationally. Those who take part in CISV programs and camps are exposed to the realities of other cultures. Through this educational exposure, they build important life skills such as perspective sharing and leadership. As Scrivener phrases it, CISV programs aid and encourage “their personal growth in terms of things like how [our youth] view people in the world, and the value of people regardless of age, race, religion, and so on.” CISV Saskatoon is hosting an International Summer Camp for 36 15-year-olds from nine countries from July 23 to August 14. If you would like an invitation to Open Day to see one of CISV’s international programs in action, please email info@cisvsaskatoon.ca. CISV Saskatoon is hosting its third annual “building global friendship” charity golf tournament at The Willows on Sunday, September 19. If you are interested in participating as a golfer or sponsor, please email golf@cisvsaskatoon.ca. Community interest and support is welcomed. CISV has established a unique and inspiring way to take a place on the map and make it a reality, broadening people’s minds as well as their horizons. For more information on CISV, email info@cisvsaskatoon.ca or Google CISV.

Making the world smaller “CISV not only brings different cultures together, but makes the world smaller,” says Laura Scrivener, one of the owners of Polar Refrigeration. Scrivener is very actively involved in the organization as a

CISV educates and inspires action for a more just and peaceful world.

Marg Forbes & Peter Uchacz The Forbes Solution 213-2366 Ave C N

306-979-0294 www.forbessolution.com

business management

CASH FLOW IS KING

Why do good businesses fail? Is your business at risk?

materials, pay your people and deliver product without straining your cash resources.

bank and creates the opportunity to grow with a LOC suitable to your operational level.

You have a great concept, customers are calling, your business is thriving… but there’s barely enough cash to cover payroll and payables—and little left over for you, the beleaguered owner. As a busy entrepreneur, you are passionate about working in your business, but too often you put off doing your paperwork (a.k.a. “the books”). This scenario is all too common in small business, which unfortunately results in a variety of problems, including cash shortages.

The longer it takes to collect your receivables, the worse your cash position will become. It’s important to bill on time and follow up with late-paying clients. Timely and accurate bookkeeping will help you identify aged receivables. If you have overdue accounts, require payment before providing further product or service. You can’t afford to service late-paying customers and still provide the best possible service or product to paying customers.

Whether you operate as a sole proprietor or a corporation, you must ensure that whatever money comes in from the business goes into a business bank account first. As tempting as it may be, keep your fingers out of the cash drawer. It’s not your money until all the bills are paid. It is important to pay yourself, but it’s equally important to plan and track this expense to your company.

In fact, the number one reason small businesses fail is lack of cash. A successful business creates positive cash flow by managing the timing between receivables and payables.

While managing your own cash flow is important, remember your vendors have the same constraints you do. To separate yourself from the pack, establish good credit by ensuring you meet their required terms. This will demonstrate your strong business practices to the companies you want as suppliers. These are the companies you can count on for consistency and quality, which in turn gives you the ability to provide the same to your customer. A strong system for tracking payables gives you the information you need to pay your vendors on time and foster a good relationship. In doing so, you may be able to negotiate more profitable terms with your suppliers.

Receivables arise when you sell your product or service. In a perfect world, customers would pay at time of purchase. However, in today’s world, business runs on credit. Are your customers paying within the expected 30 days, or are they stretching it out to 90? An accurate aged accounts receivable report is a must to keep you informed of when money is coming in. Receivables collected sooner keeps the money in your business and avoids financing your customers’ operations. If you have extended 90 days’ credit, you need compensating factors to warrant the financing cost to your company (e.g., higher margins, higher volume, etc.) What do those 90-day accounts really cost you? Unless your business is to provide credit, you cannot finance your customer and survive. Bottom line: nice guys don’t finish the game. You have to collect. The number one way to avoid overdue accounts is prevention. For example, some companies run out of cash before their product or service is even delivered. If your business requires a cash outlay to provide a product or service, require a down-payment. This will give you the flexibility to purchase the raw

Timing is everything. A business Line of Credit (LOC) gives you the flexibility to bridge the gap between receivables and payables. This is particularly important to businesses affected by seasonality. Many entrepreneurs start by using their own personal accounts and credit cards, and miss the opportunity to establish a business relationship with their financial institution. They have no overdraft protection and no development of credit history. As the business grows and the need for cash increases, with no credit history the financial institution’s hands are tied. Having an established relationship and good credit history provides more security to the

As a business owner, you need more than accurate books at tax time. You need your accounting records to be key decision-making tools throughout the year. How you keep track of your books should be part of your initial business plan. Properly set-up books are easier to maintain and considerably more cost effective in the long run. Many businesses wait too long to organize their records, but the longer you wait, the greater your potential losses. Consulting a professional bookkeeping provider will save you time and money. At The Forbes Solution, we take the time to understand what your business is about and what drives you as the owner. We manage the details so you can manage your business. Remember: at The Forbes Solution, “we work with the business—not just the books.” NEXT ISSUE: Health & Welfare of the Proprietor

choice to make: sell his share, or buy out his partners. He chose the latter, and Elwood Flynn Ltd. was born.

L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

Born in Kindersley

Up close and personal with Elwood Flynn and family BY EDWARD WILLETT

very year, a lot of teenagers find part-time work in clothing stores. But it’s a rare teen who goes from part-time work in someone else’s store to owning his own—and a half-century career that will make him a legend in his own field. Yet that’s precisely the path followed by Elwood Flynn, owner of Elwood Flynn Men’s Wear, a Saskatoon institution. Elwood was a student at Nutana Collegiate in 1945 when he took a job at Mallin’s Menswear for $12 a week, serving customers when they were around, cleaning up when they weren’t. Hired at the height

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of the wartime manpower shortage, Elwood continued working for Jack Mallin through high school and beyond, eventually spending eight years at the store, “learning the business.” (He also got a raise: first to $14 a week, then to $15, plus $3.50 on Saturdays.) After eight years, he found it hard to leave Mallin’s, but an opportunity arose to join John McAskill (then an alderman, later to become mayor) in the Shirt and Hat Shop on Second Avenue. Not long after that Elwood and McAskill joined Ken Fenwick as partners in Kenwicks, located in the Senator Hotel. Then in 1956 Elwood had a

Elwood himself had been born many years earlier in Kindersley. His father was a mechanic. His mother taught him to recognize quality in fashion, art and people. And like many other boys, he came to love sports, a love that has continued throughout his life. Kindersely, he notes, was “an ideal community” for a boy interested in sports. He lived just a block from the swimming pool and the hockey rink, and the ball diamonds and school were just a few minutes away. In 1944, the Flynns moved to Saskatoon, and Elwood became a student at Nutana Collegiate. There he took art classes from George Swinton, who would later be famous as an expert on Inuit art. He also took an art class with Ernie Lindner during his high-school years...and made friendships that have lasted all his life. “I have a lot of good ties with Nutana Collegiate and my friends from there,” he says. Elwood met his future wife, Joan Reycraft, at the reception after the funeral of a mutual friend. Originally from Rosetown, she moved to Saskatoon to attend university, and worked at CKOM before marrying Elwood in 1955. It was shortly after that that Elwood bought out his partners in Kenwicks and started his own store. Originally the store was located in the same space as Kenwicks had been, in the Senator Hotel. The store was tiny, just 12 1/2 feet wide by 25 feet long. It didn’t even have a bathroom: the staff had to use one in the hotel. The store clearly needed more space. So did the hotel—it wanted to expand its beverage room. And so in 1957 Elwood made his first of several moves, into a former coffee shop on 23rd Street. He installed a fireplace and rustic beams. A dignified sign using old-English script announced the store’s presence in elegant fashion. Before long he and Joan launched a second store, a shoe store called The Town Cobbler, next door. It would continue for 39 years, and even expanded to Regina. Eventually Elwood, finding it too much to handle, sold out to his partners.

Into the Midtown When Saskatoon’s downtown mall, the Midtown Plaza, opened in 1970, Elwood decided to move his store there, into a

yards away from his original location in The Senator.

L ISA L ANDRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

A lot of changes

much larger space than he’d had in either the Senator Hotel or on 23rd Street. He quickly discovered there was a difference between a street-level store and one in a mall. The level of traffic was much heavier than he was used to...but that was hardly a bad thing. Flynn’s would remain in the mall for 17 1/2 years. Then in 1987 he moved again, to another new development, Bayside. He saw an opportunity for an establishment with more space, a more intimate atmosphere, and convenient parking. Joan saw a new opportunity, too, and opened a women’s clothing store (as a separate department within Elwood Flynn Ltd.) called Joan Flynn Apparel. It would remain in operation for the next 15 years. (In fact, notes Elwood, “Hardly a week

goes by people aren’t in our store asking, ‘Where can I shop now?’ or saying, ‘I’m still wearing something I bought at Joan Flynn’s.’”) “We were busy,” Elwood says, “but we travelled to shows and went on buying trips. It worked out well. And both having the same common interest, well, we understood if somebody had to come home late or go out of town on business.” Things changed yet again when The Bay closed at Bayside and instead moved into the old Eaton’s location. Traffic declined in the Bayside area, and Elwood decided it was time to relocate again. Today, Elwood Flynn Ltd. is at Third Avenue and 21st Street, in the Avenue Building. It’s brought Elwood’s career almost literally full-circle: his store today is just 75

You can’t stay in business for 50 years without noticing a lot of changes. Elwood started his career in men’s fashion in the 1940s, when clothing and furnishings were sold on strict quotas established by the Wartime Prices Control Board. At the time, he remembers, a good white shirt sold for less than $5—but it was almost impossible to buy one because of the quota system. Elwood compares the difficulty to that of obtaining Stanley Cup tickets today. In the 1950s, though, when he started Elwood Flynn’s Men’s Wear, business boomed. Elwood refers to it as “the Golden Age of Retailing.” Downtown Saskatoon had numerous men’s stores, all competitors, but owned by businessmen who were also all friends, and members of an association that would meet and discuss issues like Wednesday openings (a change that played havoc with Elwood’s regular golf game) and night shopping. The construction of the Midtown Plaza changed things again, with customers finding a lot to like about a climate-controlled shopping environment in a city where winters are long and cold and summers, though fleeting, can be scorching. That change resulted in a number of empty storefronts in downtown Saskatoon, but over time, those filled in with new businesses, and ultimately, the presence of the Midtown Plaza has helped to keep the downtown thriving, Elwood says. Still, he notes, “There are fewer independent merchants than there once were.” The economy has had its ups and downs, too, of course, and most recently, worldwide, it’s definitely hit a down. But Saskatchewan in general, and Saskatoon in particular, has weathered the economic storm better than most places, and Elwood is encouraged by some of the changes he’s seeing in downtown Saskatoon, from the development of River Landing to the increasing number of downtown living spaces, from lofts to condos. Along with changes in the city and in the store location, Elwood has noticed changes in his customers. He estimates that originally 75 percent of his business was with people he had done business with the year before. Then he moved to the Midtown Plaza. “When we went to Midtown Plaza we met a lot of new customers,” he says, and today, about half of his business is with new customers—customers he keeps careful track

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Two sons in business One of the other quality menswear stores in Saskatoon is run by one of Elwood’s two sons, Barry. His store, Ultimo Euromoda, is right next door to Elwood Flynn’s. “Barry’s doing extremely well,” Elwood says. “[Ultimo Euromoda] has got a certain niche in the market, and it’s definitely geared to a younger-thinking clientele. He gets a lot of professional people there, and he has some unique merchandise you can’t find anywhere else in the province. He’s given us a good run for the money.” But, Elwood adds, “He comes over and sells merchandise in our store, too, to certain customers. We have the Boss Black Label, which is suits and sports coats and blazers, overcoats and outer coats. He has people who want that. “It’s a cross-over, but it’s very friendly, compatible. We work well together.” The Flynns’ other son, Jeff, is president of Suncan Industries Ltd., which produces commercial decals for corporate use. “He concentrates on the beverage industry and has for a long time. Coca-Cola is his biggest customer. He also does it for all the different liquor companies, Corona Beer, many other types.”

Giving back to the community Business is important, of course, but there’s more to life than work, and Elwood and Joan Flynn have been an important part of Saskatoon’s cultural community for many years. “We’ve always had an interest in the

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L ISA L AN DRIE PHOT OGRAPHY

of with a mailing list gathered as people make major purchases. Customers today are much more fashionconscious than they once were, he adds. And the selection available to them is “unbelievable.” “It’s not difficult to find nice merchandise with material from various parts of the world,” he notes. And even though there are fewer independents than there once were, Elwood says, Saskatoon has some great men’s stores. “I think people who come here are surprised at the number of quality menswear stores in Saskatoon,” he says. “It’s often out-of-town people that seem to appreciate or be impressed by what we’re doing in our store. They’re used to shopping in Toronto or Vancouver or London or the States. They’re quite taken with Saskatoon, with the city itself, and with the quality of our store.”

Mendel Art Gallery,” Elwood says. Joan Flynn served as a director for many years, and the Flynns have helped out in fundraising in various ways: for example, with a fashion show. “We would tie it in with a gala event, they called it Magic of the Mendel. “I’m a Rotarian,” Elwood continues. “I haven’t been as active recently as I once was, but I’ve been a Rotarian for more than 30 years...We Rotarians quietly go about our journey, supporting needy projects around the world as well as many local community services.” In the latter category, “I support various events for good causes, giving auction prizes away and so forth. I always have an open mind when I get calls.” One cause he’s been involved with for years is Ronald McDonald House, which has an annual fashion-show fundraiser. “I’ve been there 15 years now, ever since it started. That’s something we’re proud of, too. “It’s good to give back to the city that’s been good to you.” Among the things Elwood enjoys most are sports. “I’m a sports addict,” Elwood says. “At one time I had four season tickets for the Roughriders. I stay on top of the Blades.” Although he doesn’t get to golf as

much as he once did, Elwood holds honorary golf memberships at both the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club and the Riverside Golf and Country Club. And for the past 35 years Elwood has sponsored the Mid-Central Amateur Golf Tournament at the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club on the July long weekend.

All that jazz And then there’s jazz. “There’s not a day going by that I don’t listen to a lot of music,” says Elwood. He’s travelled a lot on business, and at one time many of those trips were to New York City. “When I went there all the time I’d be working all day and listening to music all night,” he says. “I think I’m going to make a list of all the artists I’ve seen in various places. I’m just the luckiest guy in the world.” Some of those artists have become friends. Among those he’s seen: Duke Ellington (“many times”). Wynton Marsalis (“three or four times”). Guitarist Clark Terry. Joe Sealy. “I’ve been to the Montreal International Jazz Festival many times.” Not surprisingly, he’s also been very involved in the local jazz scene. “People talk to me, maybe they seek my opinion and I’ll

tell them what I think,” is how he puts it. His contributions were recognized this year with the Jim Hill Builder Award at the Saskatchewan Jazz Festival for being a builder of jazz in the city. “That’s quite an honour. I’m very proud of that.” New York is only one of the many places around the world to which Joan and Elwood have travelled over the years, for pleasure as well as for business. “When we were a little bit younger, we went to just about every place you can think of except Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We’ve had some wonderful trips. “We love cruises. We’ve been on four really outstanding cruises. We took one jazz cruise to Alaska at the time of our 50th wedding anniversary. We’ve been to the Far East. We’ve been to the Baltic Sea, the Nordic countries. “I’ve been to England many times, though only once to Ireland. We haven’t been to Spain. We’ve been to Russia, we love travelling.” In Canada, he says, “I like Montreal. And Vancouver is hard to beat.” He adds, “I get to Seattle because it’s easy from Vancouver, and they have a very good jazz club there called the Jazz Alley. First-class.”

In Saskatoon itself, Joan and Elwood eat out quite often, though perhaps not as often as they did when Joan was still working. Elwood is reluctant to mention restaurants by name, except for one: John’s Prime Rib. “They’re in their third generation now,” he says. “I’m a big fan.” He’s held several special events there, including his Elwood Flynn Ltd. 50th-anniversary event. “Saskatoon has some excellent restaurants,” Elwood says. “I think we’re very well blessed, very fortunate.” It’s not just in restaurants that Elwood and Joan Flynn think the city is blessed, though. “I think it’s got everything. I even like our climate...although I’d like to see winter about two months shorter. I think that would be perfect. But everything has its plusses and negatives.” Today, Saskatoon is a booming city of 225,000, a far cry from the sleepy prairie town of 90,000 in which Elwood began his career. “It’s become a city with a lot of amenities,” Elwood says. “We love Saskatoon. We have no plans of ever moving. “We’re very proud of being Saskatonians. The city has been good to us...and we like to support good causes, and good people.”

L ISA LAN DRIE PHOTOGRAPHY

There’s no place like home

BUILDING PORTFOLIOS

Managing For Higher Interest Rates BY DARRYL J. YASINOWSKI, CFA, CMT Sessional Lecturer, Finance; Paul J. Hill School of Business; University of Regina

ery recently, the Bank of Canada increased the overnight lending rate by 25 basis points (one-quarter of one percent) and for the first time since the financial market correction in 2007/2008, economists and professional money managers have been contemplating the possibility of interest rates rising. Whether or not you are an investor, business owner or homeowner, rising interest rates are likely to impact you directly. For most, the effect of rising interest rates will be negative. The following are some key principles which will help you manage for a possible rising-rate environment.

Not all rates are created equal... “nominal” vs. “real’” Although the terms “nominal rate” and “real rate” are often reserved for first-year finance students, most of us have experienced the distinction first hand. Nominal rates represent the stated rate of return on a specific investment or the financing rate on a particular loan contract. The “real rate” represents the nominal rate less the actual inflation rate for the same period. It is this rate (real rate) which reflects your actual rate of return if you are investing or your actual financing cost if you are borrowing money.

The Bank of Canada and the “overnight rate” The central overnight rate represents the rate at which the Bank of Canada lends money to other banks. Contrary to what many may think, the Bank of Canada does not use this rate to grow or contract the economy, but rather to manage towards a targeted inflation rate. In general, if the Bank of Canada has a concern that inflation may be increasing it will increase the overnight rate in an attempt to slow consumer and business spending.

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Conversely, if it believes the economy may experience a rate of inflation which is too low it will lower the overnight rate in an attempt to stimulate spending. Although not explicitly the bank’s goal, the effects of any changes to the overnight rate often result in a slowing or growing of the domestic economy.

Asset prices are inversely related to interest rates As asset prices are a function of the demand and supply of available money, and interest rates influence the demand and supply of money, asset prices are influenced by interest rates. As interest rates increase, the cost of borrowing becomes more expensive and demand for money declines, which in turn reduces the demand for assets. Conversely, as interest rates decline, the cost of borrowing money is reduced and demand increases, pushing asset prices higher. This principle holds true to all forms of assets, including real estate or financial assets such as bonds.

Longer the term, greater the impact The longer the term to maturity of your asset or loan obligation the greater will be the impact to the value of your asset or loan for any given change in interest rates. This fact exists due to the concept of “time value of money” (a concept which will be discussed at a later time) For example, long-term bonds will fall more in value (remember the third principle above) than short-term bonds given an equal change in market interest rates for each term to maturity.

Hedging against higher interest rates To protect against the possibility of rising interest rates an investor, business owner or homeowner can undertake a number of ac-

tions: convert variable rate loans to fixed, use derivative instruments, or short a bond (or bonds). In closing, with interest rates in Canada at some of the lowest levels we have seen in nearly 50 years, it’s probable interest rates will increase in the coming years. To protect against higher interest rates in the future an investor, business owner or homeowner has many options available. To properly structure your financial assets for rising interest rates contact your financial advisor. Darryl J. Yasinowski is a Vice President & Portfolio Manager with Mackie Research Capital Corporation and a Sessional Lecturer, Finance for the Paul J. Hill School of Business at the University of Regina. The opinions, estimates and projections herein are those of the author and may not reflect that of Mackie Research Capital Corporation nor the University of Regina. The information and opinions contained herein have been compiled and derived from sources believed to be reliable, but no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to their accuracy or completeness. Questions or comments related to this article can be directed to:

Darryl J. Yasinowski, CFA, CMT Vice President & Portfolio Manager Mackie Research Capital Corporation P: 306.566.7555 T: 866.471.7550 E: dyasinowski@mackieresearch.com www.darrylyasinowski.com

Invest in some peace of mind “The synergy of multi‐designations under one roof is your best investment!”

undeeWealth, is one of Canada’s leading independent wealth management companies. DundeeWealth offers comprehensive financial planning advice regarding taxes, investments, insurance*, estate planning, pension options, retirement, and general financial matters. “Kevin Hegedus and his team in Saskatoon, offer one of the best financial planning operations in Western Canada” says Mark Neale, Vice President for DundeeWealth in Western Canada. “Their operation is one of the premiere examples because of the level of service and the educational opportunities they offer.” Hegedus’ philosophy is grounded in patiently building and creating wealth for their clients. By investing in solid, proven companies that are able to create value consistently, they provide personalized integrated wealth management solutions on an individual basis. DundeeWealth’s conservative strategies create minimal risk for above average returns. The result is a portfolio that is not reliant on the market’s daily fluctuations, but is focused unwaveringly on its long-term goal of obtaining wealth.

Why Designations make a Difference The Hegedus team are an integrated office of professionals, with the highest credentials with respect to the three keys areas that matter the most surrounding your finances: 1) Planning – Certified Financial Planner (CFP®), 2) Investments – Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), 3) Taxation - Chartered Accountant (CA). Add to this their insurance expertise and you have a winning combination that is rare to find in the financial services industry.

Advice Driven vs. Product Driven DundeeWealth’s advanced analysis and planning advice is what drives the relationship with their clients. The products they use are merely the tools to reach their clients’ financial and retirement goals. Being truly independent allows DundeeWealth access to all products in both the investment and insurance arenas. DundeeWealth isn’t tied to presenting their

clients with one option that may or may not be the best for their situation. They search the marketplace and find what products are likely to provide the best results for each strategy.

It’s About Results Most advisors refer to their performance as superior. DundeeWealth actually means it. Having access to a multitude of products and unparalleled client service means nothing if they do not produce results. They construct lower risk and higher return portfolios that consistently outperform over 80% of money managers. DundeeWealth prides itself with knowing the managers and on having the infrastructure to be proactive and responsive. If an investment fails to meet our criteria they actively rebalance their accounts. They also incorporate innovative tax strategies to further enhance returns. We typically save our high income earning clients at least 20% in taxes each year, often much more.

*Insurance products provided through Dundee Insurance Agency Ltd.

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Service to be Proud of The DundeeWealth group believes that client service is an attitude, not a department. Having the unsurpassed client service is not something that they say lightly…just ask their clients and their team. Day after day, DundeeWealth’s people go above and beyond expectations. Their high energy and positive environment extends into the relationships that they have with their clients. They are also proud to have one of the highest staff-to-client ratios in the industry, providing unrivalled service levels.

The Importance of Education Hegedus team’s success has been founded on the belief that a knowledgeable investor is a more successful investor. Their on-going and multifaceted client education efforts help to ensure that their clients understand their strategies and what they are investing in. So many investors don’t know what they have or why they own it. DundeeWealth works diligently with their clients to ensure that they have an understanding – so that they can be confident–that they are in the right investments given their particular circumstances.

They Understand Business There is no substitute for experience - nor for the lessons you learn and the strength you gain by surviving in business, decade after decade. With over 20 years of business history behind the Hegedus team, they know what it’s like to be in business. They’re proudly independent and perfectly positioned to understand their clients’ goals and to help them realize them.

They Understand Agriculture Having grown up on the family farm, Hegedus’ advisors can relate to the unique challenges and opportunities that our farmers face. Agriculture is the heart of this province, which is why they developed the Cultivating Future Wealth campaign. The Campaign focuses on strategies that significantly reduce the taxes that their clients pay on the transfer or sale of their farm, eliminates taxes on the estate and equalizes the non-farming children, as well as plans for the most tax efficient streams of retirement income.

They Are Easy To Do Business With The Hegedus group knows that being flexible is important to their clients, and flexibility helps make the most of the opportunities they come across. This is why DundeeWealth *

Kevin Haakensen, BComm, CIM, FMA, FCSI, CFA Investment Advisor

Kevin Hegedus, CFP® Executive Director, Private Client Group; Senior Investment Advisor; Branch Manager

offers a wide range of solutions which their clients can choose to use on their own or to complement each other, helping them achieve their financial goals. With the office of Kevin Hegedus doing business is straightforward and easy – but they invite you to find out for yourself!

attained several financial designations including the Canadian Investment Manager designation (CIM), the Financial Management Advisor designation (FMA), and Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI). Kevin has also attained what is considered to be the most rigorous and coveted designation in the area of National and International finance and investment analysis, the Chartered Financial Analyst designation (CFA), ranked by The Economist as “the gold standard among investment analysis designations”.

............................................................................. Kevin Hegedus and his wealth management team have helped to build the portfolios of many of Saskatchewan’s investors since he entered the financial industry in 1991. Kevin has earned an outstanding reputation and has demonstrated a unique ability to go beyond mere client satisfaction. His in-depth knowledge of financial markets, tax minimization, and investment strategies for portfolio growth has established him as one of DundeeWealth’s most highly regarded advisors. In addition, his rural background and high percentage of farm clientele have helped to make him a foremost authority on financial planning for farm families. He is known for his ability to develop responsible investment solutions and he understands the importance of constantly upgrading his knowledge.

............................................................................. Kevin Haakensen is from the southwest corner of Saskatchewan. Kevin completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the U of S, attaining majors in Finance and Marketing with great distinction. His business skills have been honed over a 10 year period at a boutique firm offering unique planning and investment services to Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs, followed by a year as an investment analyst/manager of a Saskatchewan seed capital investment fund. Kevin has a passion for knowledge and has

DundeeWealth Inc., its subsidiaries, or its affiliates, including Dundee Securities Corporation, does not provide any income tax preparation service and does not supervise or review any income tax returns.

............................................................................. Mike Tornopolski, MPAcc, CA Retirement Planning Specialist Mike was born and raised in Winnipeg, MB and moved to Saskatoon in 2008 to complete his CA designation and Master of Professional Accounting program at the University of Saskatchewan. Prior to his move he completed his Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Manitoba in 2006. He articled with Deloitte & Touche, between the Winnipeg and Saskatoon offices, from 2006 to 2009. Mike has experience working in a variety of public practice fields: valuation and business advisory services, financial statement preparation, corporate and personal tax preparation* & planning. He enjoys utilizing his past experience, as well as his passion for personal financial planning, to assist clients in achieving their financial goals.

1016 8th St. E. Saskatoon, SK (306) 975-9500 www.kevinhegedus.com