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ALBERTA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT PAGING COMPANY

By Muggsy Forbes

C

Fanfare and farewell

ongratulations to Chico Felber

and Lorraine Mansbridge who just—dare I say, finally—got married after dating for about 12 years. I wouldn’t consider them an odd couple, but they do reinforce the old adage that opposites attract: Chico, the head of Albert’s Restaurants, is publicity shy… the lovely Lorraine, a Global TV diva, is more than comfortable in the spotlight.

“Each player gets 10 cards out of 40 to play,” says Gino Alessandrini. “No, they’re Italian cards, there’s only 40.” Gino is explaining the game of Scopone and compares it to Bridge; playing requires skill and good memory. It’s the game that his late, good friend of nearly 50 years, Frank Spinelli, is playing in perpetuity at the new Giovanni Caboto Park. The statue is of a life-sized Frank sitting at a card table with his huge hands holding the seven of aces; some would say that the number seven holds the key to the meaning of life.

Frank, founder of the Italian Centre Shop, also played with Giovanni Bincoletto, and Franco Rossi whose son, Adamo, now runs the new store on the south side. “We were card partners for 20 or 30 years,” recalls Gino. “I like to think Frank and I were a little bit better than the others.”

Ouch. Frank’s daughter, Teresa—who raised a lot of lira to refurbish the park—well remembers all of them screaming at each other during their daily pastime behind the store.

Gino readily agrees: “We nearly killed each other!” before recalling Frank’s wit, distinctive Naples’ humour, and big heart …something Judge Peter Caffaro, who delivered 32 years worth of legal counsel, knew about. “He was honourable and honest, “says the Judge. “The thing I learned from Frank was that you don’t have to put on airs to be successful.”

Frank Spinelli... forever

As many of my readers know, I have breakfast most days at Ricky’s Restaurant on 109th and Jasper, and many friends drop by. The same family has now opened another Ricky’s in the east food court at Edmonton City Centre. Cousins Shelina Goa and Ferzana Goa-Valain have the job of running it. It’s what I would call an urban café… very upscale. Ricky’s is a Western Canada franchise chain out of Vancouver, owned by the high energy Frank Dibendito, who was here for the opening, and the Hilderbrand family.

There are good funerals or bad funerals.

Good funerals reflect the personalities of the deceased and this one did. Jim Woronuik died years too soon at just 65.

At his funeral, we all shared several laughs during the stories about Jim and his off-the-wall sense of humour as well as his devious ability to play practical jokes on friends.

The guys with the great memories were garment marketer Pat Henning, and lawyer Sandy Stewart.

I’m still chuckling over the story about an annual golf trip Jim and three friends took to Jasper Park Lodge; one fellow drank a little too much. Jim, ever devious, placed a goodsized rock in the hung-over guy’s golf bag. As he walked the course the next day, he couldn’t figure out why he was getting so tired… exhausted, he swore off drinking. No one said a word. Months later he discovered the rock. Without hesitation, he phoned Jim to give him a very large piece of his mind. Jim couldn’t stop laughing. Pat said he was very put off because Jim had promised him his hair and it didn’t show up. Pat is very hair challenged.

Jim had received a transplant heart four years ago, but he told me he wasn’t able to get a warranty. Dr. Ollie and I extend our condolences to Rita and other family members.

We’re all going to miss him.

I thought the 2006 West Edmonton Mall

I had never been to a Gold Record Award

Grand Prix of Edmonton presented by The Brick at JAGflo Speedway was better than last year. (That name, by the way, is a prime example of sponsorship run amok.) The seats had much better sight lines and the Paddock was more like a fair. There were many places to sit and soak up a wee libation in the shade. It was also less crowded… and I’m told the empty seats—good ones, too—were noticeable on television. The event was simul-cast on Global and CBS— excellent international exposure for the city.

Just curious: What happened to Grand Prix founder, president and general manager Greg Macdonald?

presentation before, and this time there were two golds for Corb Lund. Thanks to Holger Peterson of Stony Plain Records, we got to meet him. Corb is very articulate, friendly and been around the business for a lot of years. He started as a rocker with a group called ‘the smalls’ before going country, always using Edmonton as his base.

Corb was too busy in April to collect his Juno so Holger did a double award night and gave Corb and his band their statues. While I’m not a country kind of guy, I do like Hair in My Eyes like a Highland Steer.

The real reason for the party was the 30th anniversary of Stony Plain Records. Holger started his recording company at the kitchen table in his Edmonton home. The first musician he signed was Walter Horton, one of the great harmonica blues players of all time. He went on to record many of the great blues artists, and roots music—which Holger describes as contemporary music with roots in the past. I don’t care what you call it, it’s great listening.

Now meet Corb’s parents, and you quickly figure that the country star comes by his genre naturally. Both DC—long ago shortened from Darwin Clark—and Patty are famous cow folk in southern Alberta where they have 40 Welsh

DDB Canada has just hired four new people

ES 350

for its Edmonton office. President Helene Leggatt accredits the hires to “…a number of new projects and strong organic growth from existing clients.” I’m not sure what “organic growth” is, but I assume it’s not a bad thing.

Marlene McNaughton joins the team as a senior account director. The creative department welcomes Dale Bochon as a senior writer, and Pradeep Rao as senior art director. Kim Uniat joins the public relations division as an account manager.

Photo by Rocco Marci

pompous & unfair FUNNY

Black cattle on 1,000 acres just north of Taber. “It just feels good to ride in wide open spaces,” says DC, legendary for steer wrestling and calf roping. Patty was inducted in the Calgary Stampede Pioneers of Rodeo Hall of Fame. That was a few years ago; now they like to talk about DC’s passion as a watercolourist and cowboy poet. Here are a few lines, compliments of poet DC. An old cowboy has died He’s no longer by my side He’s not here to take a ride An old cowboy has died He was the best friend that I had I’m lost now that’s he gone He raised me from a lad That old cowboy Was my dad. ~In memory of my dad, Clark.

The couple even joined Corb in Washington last month where they talked about farming and ranching during Alberta at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. In November, they will host a booth for the Canadian Finals Rodeo at Northlands.

Ben Kolbuc will throw a party to announce anything new at his Norden Autohaus Volkswagen/Porsche dealership. He’d probably celebrate the paving of the lot… or turning on a new sign. This time it was to show off a magnificent new Porsche model. The presentation was stunning—just a single car in the middle of the room.

Everyone was ooing and awing until late into the evening.

Then a guy showed up, polished all our hand prints off the shiny exterior. The new owner walked in: Under the wistful stares of a group of very envious people, Don Ghermezian calmly and quietly drove away. ✔ Additional reporting

by Edmontonians staff.

Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail mforbes@edmontonians.com

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www.lexusofedmonton.ca • 11204 – 170 Street • (780) 466-8300 EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2006

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Poll

CELEBRATING

17

STATION

YEARS

With Linda Banister

W

hile interest in fitness has been prevalent for decades, a more recent phenomenon is the concentration on a more holistic approach to overall wellness, encompassing aspects of physical, emotional and mental health. This month we asked Edmontonians about their thoughts regarding this trend.

FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN

AUGUST 2006

Vol. XVII

No. 8

SHARON MacLEAN Publisher and Advertising Director Telephone: 780.482.7000 Fax: 780.488.9317 e-mail: info@edmontonians.com edmontonians.com

INSIDE

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR LEVEL OF OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS?

POLL STATION Overall Wellness/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 BIZINTEL Science and Tech/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Percentage

FUNNY, POMPOUS AND UNFAIR Fanfare & farewell/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

34% 31% 13%

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS South Korea/Lockhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 FEATURES Sizzling Twenty under 30/Medynski . . . . . . . . .7-13 MAKING MONEY 4Gs Trap/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 LIVELY LIFESTYLES Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 BARB DETERS Editor

editor@edmontonians.com COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Cheryl Croucher Muggsy Forbes Ron Hiebert Bruce Hogle Cheryl Lockhart Greg Michetti David Norwood Nizar J. Somji FEATURE WRITERS Peter Drake McHugh Talea Medynski Michael O’Toole Marg. Pullishy Peter Roccia PHOTOGRAPHERS Terry Bourque Cheryl Croucher Barb Deters GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Considered themselves very healthy

Described themselves as somewhat healthy

Considered themselves unhealthy

We asked survey respondents to rate their overall level of health and wellness. Approximately onethird (31 percent) felt they were very healthy, while 34 percent described themselves as somewhat healthy. Thirteen percent described themselves as unhealthy.

Next, respondents were presented with specific aspects of health and wellness and asked to rate their level of success with each. An overwhelming majority—88 percent—said they were successful in maintaining a balance between work and home life. In fact, 40 percent said they were very successful while only four percent said they were unsuccessful.

More than three-quarters (80 percent) stated that they were successful in getting regular exercise, with 27 percent indicating they were very successful. Thirteen percent said they were unsuccessful getting regular exercise.

DO YOU EAT WELL AND GET ENOUGH SLEEP? People seem to be eating in a healthy manner and getting reasonable amounts of sleep. Eighty-seven percent of those questioned said they were successful in eating healthy foods, including 40 percent who were very successful. About threequarters (73 percent) indicated they were successful in getting an appropriate amount of sleep each night. In fact, almost one-third (29 percent) felt they were very successful, while 22 percent were somewhat or very unsuccessful.

DO YOU HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM? Approximately two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents were very successful in having a support system of friends and family. A further

27 percent were successful in having this support system, and only four percent were somewhat unsuccessful. Ninety-two percent of respondents were able to incorporate a reasonable amount of enjoyable activities into their daily lives.

Respondents were then asked to identify other aspects of personal well-being they considered important. Responses included money/financial security (eight percent), time for family (four percent), access to healthcare (three percent), and vacation time (three percent).

When asked how they improve their overall well-being, 45 percent have consulted self help resources such as books and tapes; 39 percent have used the buddy system, 31 percent have attended a group session or class, and 12 percent have used a personal coach.

HAVE YOU MADE AND KEPT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS REGARDING YOUR WELL-BEING? New Year’s resolutions regarding personal well being are common, with 60 percent of respondents having made such a resolution at some point in their lives. Of this total, only 17 percent said they were very successful in keeping their resolutions, while 54 percent indicated they have had some success. Of those who described some level of success in keeping their resolutions, over one-third (34 percent) have been able to keep them since they were made.

For those respondents not successful in keeping their resolutions, 49 percent described a lack of willpower as the source of their failure, 20 percent cited unrealistic goals, and 18 percent said they did not have time in their schedule.

Executive Welcome Personal marketing to select business customers

Call Jeanne Wright today Phone: 780.487.2001 E-mail: jeannew@telus.net

The Poll Station surveyed 100 City of Edmonton residents on the topic and, while the results of the research are not statistically reliable, they do provide a qualitative indication of what Edmontonians are thinking. ✔

Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and the owner of Banister Research and Consulting Inc., a full service provider of market research and program evaluation services.

Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll? Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail at lbanister@edmontonians.com.

Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

Jenny Adams graces the first in a series of ‘changed-up’ covers Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at 333, 10240 - 124 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5N 3W6. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

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ph: 780.454.2975 • fax: 780.482.2819

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EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2006

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BizINTEL

&Tech S cience with Cheryl Croucher

RTF is a pretty exciting place to be on any day of the week, but with two new hires at TEC Edmonton, the exuberance level has just rocketed into the stratosphere.

First there’s Dr. David Cox, the new CEO. He zooms off to meetings around the city in a zippy little red convertible. Then there’s Whitney Rockley, the new finance VP and financial executive-in-residence.

She bounds up the stairs, two at a time I’m sure, a smile as big as a crescent moon on her face.

Both have ambitious plans to make TEC Edmonton the centre of the technology commercialization universe. And both have the credentials to make it happen.

David came to TEC Edmonton in April from his position as president and CEO of Quest PharmaTech Inc. He’s got a PhD in microbiology from Leeds University in the UK. And he’s managed to sandwich into the intervening years, stints with the Alberta Research Council, Apotex Fermentation Inc., SYNSORB Biotech Inc, KS Avicenna Inc., some university teaching and administration duties, chairing a federal task force on biotechnology clusters, commercializing a $100-million drug, and building three pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities, to list a few of his involvements.

Whitney comes to TEC Edmonton with a wealth of experience in venture capital. At EPCOR, she was the director of corporate venture capital where she formed its fund to invest in strategic energy and water technology companies.

So just what is it that these two powerhouses have in store for TEC Edmonton?

“The purpose of TEC Edmonton is to capture more of the value of the innovation

B izIT 101 with Greg Michetti

The other day Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel discussed banning the use of Blackberry devices during city council meetings.

The following day, Scott McKeen, used his Edmonton Journal column to applaud Mandel and berate Blackberry owners, suggesting they were anti-social, selfish and out of touch with the rest of the world.

Both Mandel and McKeen seem to think that glancing at your Blackberry is downright rude when you’re in the presence of others.

Now first, let me clarify that I think Mayor Mandel is doing a terrific job for the city, and the Journal... well, one out of two isn’t bad. Anyway, I’ll bet a C-note right now that neither Mandel nor McKeen owns a Blackberry. I will also double that bet to say they do have cell phones.

Portable e-mail devices, like the Research in Motion Blackberry product, have emerged as one of the premier productivity boosters ever made, especially for those in the hi-tech business. The RIM website notes that five million units have been sold.

In most cases, the e-mail the user is thumbing out is an important one—the majority of other messages will be answered the conventional way: back at the user’s computer.

Let’s dig deeper

the university and encourage faculty, where appropriate, to contemplate the creation of new companies based around their research.

Secondly, if we can make a business, then we’ll lead them to the things they need— the human capital, management expertise, financial capital and physical facilities, as well as counseling, coaching and so forth.”

As David “cranks up the volume” on company creation, he points to a changing academic environment.

“Many universities around Dr. David Cox and the world—and I think Whitney Rockley increasingly this one—are developing what I call an enterprise culture where grad students come out of their time at the university imbued with a desire to go into commerce, to make a buck.

And I think that as that culture develops, then it’s just as agreeable to pursue an entrepreneurial career based on science as it is a career based on the pure pursuit of science.”

That’s where Whitney comes in. In her role as financial executive-inresidence, she will act as an advisor to the start-up and spin-off companies. company—be it anywhere in the world— “I’ll help them understand what venture that is interested in licensing the new capital models are about, help them underknowledge or technology. On the other stand venture valuations and capitalization hand, TEC Edmonton as a joint venture structures. I’ll go through their business between the University of Alberta and plans and tell them what rocks and what Edmonton Economic Development doesn’t. I’ll give them advice on how to Corporation, is much more aggressive. make their presentations and plans a little “Ours is more of an economic development, economic diversification mandate. So crisper.”

As if that wasn’t enough to fill her plate, what we’re doing is transformative,” says Whitney actually has an even bigger job to David, outlining his strategy and what he do: develop TEC Edmonton’s new SEED calls the value proposition that TEC fund to the tune of $20 to $40 million to Edmonton brings to the table.

“First of all, we want to reach deeper into support the spin-off companies in their very that goes on in our region for the benefit of our region,” says David.

“TEC Edmonton is unique in North America. It’s the only technology transfer organization which is a legal joint venture between a city and a university. As such, we’re uniquely positioned to do things that parallel organizations are not.”

The typical university technology transfer office would simply look for an established

However, there might be more to this Blackberry ban than meets the eye.

Edmonton likes to champion the fact we are technological leaders. Maybe.

But maybe not. We’ve heard how the city will eventually be a wired “hot spot”— we’ll be able to get Internet access via WiFi from Ellerslie Road to the Yellowhead, from 215th Street to the Park. So far, other than normal political posturing, I haven’t seen anything coming from the city outlining a plan of any kind. Are we really walking the walk?

Just how strong are Mandel’s technological beliefs? A mayor who tries to un-ring the technology bell by banning Blackberries doesn’t sound like he gets the bigger techno-picture.

Furthermore, a golden revenue opportunity could be missed. Charging citizens for use of a new wireless system—say, $25 per year—is an easy way of drumming up some dough. Anybody remember Edmonton Telephones? By the way, visitors to the city would log in for a nominal fee. And, um… it will be $35 for Sherwood Park and St. Albert folk. Sorry.

like sending a secret e-note without anybody knowing. Consider this hypothetical sample: Councillor Phair: hey jane. how are you voting on this cat leash by-law?

Councillor Batty: i’m voting against it and you? btw did you have the tuna for lunch? mine was dry.

Councillor Phair: yo andy [Councillor Anderson], what’s your vote going to be?

And btw, did u no there’s some mustard on your upper lip?

So what if they take a five second glance away from an exciting, Michael-Phair-notax-hike-this-year speech to see if they’ve received an e-mail from a relative? Something tells me there wouldn’t be too much missed. Last time I checked, those city council meetings, which progress at glacier-like speed, provide for several readings before votes are cast.

By the way, I’ve actually seen city councillors pass handwritten notes back and forth to each other during a city council meeting. Generally, they read the note, make eye contact with each other, then look at a common person (eg: the mayor). Next, they look back at each other, simultaneously nod their heads and smile.

Mayor, McKeen dead wrong on Blackberries

Let’s dig even deeper However, there’s probably a bigger reason our mayor dislikes Blackberries. That is, city councillors can simply e-mail or “PIN” each other with an instant message; kind of

I’m BBerrying—So what?

Now comes the fun part. Let’s imagine

early stages.

“Most people in the industry know that typically venture capitalists steer away from the early stage stuff because it’s really high risk,” Whitney explains. “Certainly everyone recognizes there is an access to capital problem within the province, a lot of that in the early stage seed space. So the SEED fund will address that gap.”

As Whitney develops the fund, she’ll look for investment money from a variety of sources: post-secondary institutions, government agencies, all three levels of government, industry and wealthy individuals.

“We want to make sure the SEED fund is really well networked, not just in Alberta, but throughout North America and the world.”

Investors can expect a nice payback.

“That’s the whole premise of the SEED fund. You will have an exit with SEED. But because the companies are so early stage, it won’t be in three to five years. It will more likely be an eight to 10 year exit. You just have to be patient,” says Whitney.

This avoids the situation where the threeto-five-year investor exit becomes the driver instead of allowing the company to develop and reach its milestones more rationally.

“Investors must know that they can’t start squawking after a couple of years. They have to be working with the companies to make sure they are positioned properly for an exit over the long haul.”

Removing as much risk as possible for investors and early stage companies is a fundamental principle of the SEED fund and the way it will be administered.

Both Whitney and her boss David are looking forward to TEC Edmonton’s move downtown where the RTF—the Research Transition Facility—will relocate in the summer of 2007 to the Bay building.

Whitney refers to the incubator for her startups as an “entrepreneurial mall”.

David’s vision for 2010 sees TEC Edmonton as the “go-to” organization in the Greater Edmonton region for anyone who has the drive and desire to commercialize research.

“We anticipate an equity in our portfolio of companies to reach $100 million. We’ll have a lineup at the door of inventers. investors and licensees. Our SEED fund will be fully invested. That’s our vision.

That’s what drives us. That’s what anchors

Continued on page 5 Blackberries are banned from city council meetings, and let’s imagine somebody deliberately breaks the rule and gets caught.

What’s the punishment?

Kneel in the corner? Call Police Chief Mike Boyd? Five for fighting? Detention?

Can you imagine the international media attention that would be generated if a councillor actually got tossed? Woo hoo.

Personally, I love to see my councillors use a Blackberry. It shows me they are capable of a) multitasking, and b) getting the bigger picture.

Where Mandel and McKeen are dead wrong is what they perceive as rudeness is actually the way people communicate these days. It is becoming much more socially acceptable—so suck it up guys and get with the program. You will never win a fight against technology.

So, Mayor Mandel, for starters, float some concrete action on the WiFi front.

Next, get with the new tech millennium, get with thinking proactively and, above all, get a static IP. If you’re not sure what that is, e-mail me at gmichetti@rim.blackerry.net.

Even if I’m in a meeting, I’ll get right back to you. ✔ Gregory B. Michetti of the Alberta-based systems integration firm Michetti Information Solutions, Inc. can be reached via www.michetti.com EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2006

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Continued from page 4 us. That’s what we believe we can accomplish given the right circumstances.”

One of the people who pioneered the enterprise culture that David Cox promotes was the late Dr. Tony Noujaim. A professor of bionucleonics and radiopharmacy at the University of Alberta, in 1985 Tony’s lab founded Biomira, one of the first five companies created from U of A discoveries.

Tony was very Tony Noujaim generous with his time and advice. I first interviewed him about his role as a mentor to new companies.

He was instrumental in helping mobilizing both the U of A and the EEDC to join forces, and many of the TEC Edmonton programs, including the SEED fund, are the result of Tony’s suggestions. His presence will be greatly missed. ✔ Cheryl Croucher is an Edmonton broadcast journalist and host of Innovation Alberta. You can hear the program on CKUA Radio Tuesdays at 8pm or download it when you visit www.innovationalberta.com.

E-mail ccroucher@edmontonians.com

M edia Minute with Bruce Hogle

I was working for CFRN TV/Radio founder Dick Rice when he was approached in 1970 by J.R. Shaw to make a joint application to the CRTC for the then new media outlet called cablevision. The CRTC said no because it feared too much media control by Rice. So J.R. went ahead on his own, and Shaw Cablevision became an instant success, later launching the equally successful Corus radio network (CHED, CHQT and others).

Fast forward to 2006 and the release of the three-year study by the Senate Committee on the Media—coverage of which has largely been ignored by Canadian dailies.

Other than scant coverage on its initial release, there have been no follow-up stories, opinion page comments or columns by any Canadian daily on the 40 Senate recommendations or 10 suggestions. That’s very strange when you consider 1,500 Canadians being surveyed on such meaty matters as “trust in the news”—TV is well ahead of newspapers and radio, by the way—and “diversity within the newsroom”.

My concern about the public not being well served is not surprising.

Especially when you consider the refusal to comment on the 221-page report by spokesmen for CanWest

Edmonton has the second-lowest downtown vacancy rate in Canada

C ivic Buzz with David Norwood

This column is about civic buzz, and lately I’ve been wondering if, in fact, Edmonton isn’t missing out on certain aspects of the economic buzz that’s sweeping the province.

The most notable lack of buzz is the virtual absence of new office construction in the downtown core. I touched on this a couple of months back, after comments came out of the 2006 Edmonton Real Estate Forum that, rather than attempt any new downtown office buildings, developers would simply build in the suburbs, because rental rates are insufficient to generate a meaningful return on construction, and tenants would be unwilling to pay the higher rents that would bring about that return.

If this were the case, why does great demand for office space exist in other major—and much more expensive— markets, including Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto? Demand for new space in Calgary, for example, is so great that several new large towers are either under construction or in advanced planning stages, including a couple of up to 60 stories. Such space does not come cheap.

Edmonton market reports for the first quarter of 2006 from such national firms as Avison Young, Colliers International and J.J. Barnicke all point to significantly lower vacancy rates for all classes of office space in the downtown core. According to Avison Young, this city has the second-lowest downtown vacancy rate in Canada, at 5.6 percent;

Calgary is by far the lowest, at 0.7 percent; Vancouver is next to Edmonton at 6.2 percent, while rental rates continue to climb. The report notes that rental rates for Class AA space continue their “upward momentum with rent increasing approximately 20 percent since January, and over 50 percent in the last six months.”

Colliers International, meanwhile, states that “with the continued decline in vacancy, larger pockets of space are becoming scarce, and options for tenants are declining. Collier’s fourth quarter 2005 office survey reflected a 5.4 percent vacancy rate; Edmonton is now at 4.8 percent… a decrease of 0.6 percent.”

In apparent contrast to the Edmonton Real Estate Board’s prediction of tenants fleeing to the suburbs in the face of higher rents, Avison Young reports that the accounting firm of Meyers Norris Penny recently moved from its west-end location to spacious quarters— more than 17,000 square feet—in the Bell Tower downtown.

KPMG’s 2006 Competitive Alternatives, the company’s comparative guide to international business costs, covers 17 industry operations in 128 cities in nine industrialized nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States. The study, the most exhaustive ever undertaken by KPMG, shows that Singapore has the greatest cost advantage over the index country,

Global, which owns most Canadian daily newspapers and a flock of TV stations; Bell Globemedia which owns CTV, the Globe & Mail and just scooped up CHUM radio/TV stations, or Quebecor which owns 50 percent of the Quebec media market, and 100 percent of Sun newspapers and Bowes weeklies.

This abnormally high concentration of ownership explains why Senate Committee Chair Joan Fraser suggested a 35 percent media ownership threshold for Canada—something similar to the U.S.

…a 35 percent media ownership threshold would severely restrict cross ownership of multiple media outlets and Germany which severely restrict cross ownership of multiple media outlets. Such a restriction would better fulfill the public’s desire for greater diversity in ownership of the Canadian news media.

The booming Alberta economy has also attracted other outside interests to purchase radio stations here, as well as dailies and weeklies. But 50 percent of the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association 113-member newspapers— the USA (base=100), while Canada leads the G7 countries with respect to low business costs. And, while Edmonton does not have Canada’s lowest business costs—that honour goes to Sherbrooke, Quebec—it is the lowest in western North America at 93.3. Calgary is relatively close an 94.7 but, on a large scale, the 1.3 percent difference adds up—like in developing new office towers.

So what does all this mean? The time is ripe for the development of new office space in the downtown core. It is time for some far-sighted developers to consider building on speculation; that is, without the security of a major lead tenant. Or consider mixed-use highdensity developments comprising retail, commercial and residential space.

Christenson Developments took a big chance almost a decade ago with Railtown, and many said it would never work. But it did work and spawned amazing growth in downtown’s residential population. I’m sure there are many who will tell me why this cannot or should not be done. But I want the buzz back in downtown Edmonton.

Augmenting Edmonton’s lower vacancy rates and cost competitiveness is the ongoing strengthening of real estate prices in its residential market.

Demand is showing no sign of slowing, though some correctly caution that “we’ve been here before.” According to Statistics Canada, new house prices “continued to rise rapidly in May, with the strongest increases in Alberta.” The month-over-month growth for the five top cities shows just how much Edmonton and Calgary are outdistancing other areas: Calgary: 5.4 percent; Edmonton: 5.3 percent; Charlottetown: 1.3 percent; Winnipeg: 1.1 percent and Kitchener: 1.0 percent. Year over year, the difference is even more pronounced: Calgary: 41.3 percent; Edmonton: 24.4 percent; Winnipeg: 11.7 percent; Halifax: 6.8 percent; Regina and Saskatoon: 6.7 percent each.

In the somewhat perverse manner that reflects human nature, the greater the increase, the more people want to be part of the action. Edmonton seems to be no exception. On CTV’s Newsnet website, real estate lawyer

God bless them—remain fiercely independent… as does Edmontonians magazine.

While Ontario Press Council Chair Doris Anderson expressed dismay to the Senate Committee over the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald dropping their ombudsmen, I’d disagree. The Alberta Press Council has more than fulfilled that role in zealously protecting the rights of citizens, as well as upholding freedom of the press.

I would, however, encourage CanWest, which owns all of the dailies in Saskatchewan, to immediately follow the recommendation made by the Alberta Press Council—and endorsed by the Senate committee—to work with the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspaper Association in establishing a press council in that province. Ditto for the Irving family to immediately put funds into rejuvenation of the Atlantic Provinces Press Council.

Such moves will ensure the interests and concerns of all Canadians are well served by these watchdog organizations.

That’s as important to me, as are assurances, that the media of Canada does not ultimately come under complete and dangerous control of only a few select media barons. That would be utter disaster for this nation! ✔ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council.

Alan Silverstein was quoted as saying “It seems the country’s economic and political shift is certainly underway to the west…

Calgary and Edmonton seem the places to be.” Even a year ago, few would have predicted that average house prices in Edmonton would exceed $300,000. I expect that price will be reached by the fall of this year.

L-3 Communications Spar Aerospace is doing well filling the gap left when the Canadian government moved its C-130 Hercules maintenance contract to another provider in late 2005. An appropriately impressive ceremony at Spar’s City Centre Airport facility on July 11 marked the arrival of three Royal Norwegian Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft. The $47.5 million contract is for the maintenance and upgrade of five RNoAF C-130s.

Under the scope of the contract, Spar will replace the existing set of outer wings with wings refurbished from two Hercs it purchased in Chile, conduct heavy maintenance inspections, and perform any additional work required. Speakers at the event included Roar Tungland, Honourary Consul, Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway; Ken Epp, MP for Edmonton-Sherwood Park; David Hancock, MLA for EdmontonWhitemud; Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel; and Patrice M. Pelletier, president of Spar.

One final indication of Edmonton’s continuing growth: Later this year, FedEx will launch non-stop weekday flights between Edmonton and its Memphis hub using wide-body MD10 aircraft, replacing Boeing 727 aircraft feeding into Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. The new nonstops will also be fed by FedEx flights to Edmonton from Yellowknife and other points north. ✔

David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor.

Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com

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Canadians,” according to Dr. Choon-Ho Kim in Edmonton from Seoul, South Korea.

Representing KETI—the Korean Electronics Technology Institute—the tech ambassador spoke to about 30 industry and government representatives, plus another 12 in Calgary via video conference at a recent information session hosted by Alberta Economic Development, WiTec Alberta and The Business Link.

With all of the hype surrounding opportunities in China, it was refreshing to hear a different perspective from another Asian economic powerhouse.

Dr. Kim extolled the advances his country has made in the ICT sector in recent decades: the number one producer of computer displays, number three producer of semiconductors and number four manufacturer of electronics.

The result is a well-connected population with the largest number of broadband subscribers per 1,000 citizens—233 vs. 147 in Canada—and an 80 percent penetration rate of mobile phones. Keen on having the latest, soccer-fanatic men and women scooped up more than one million new generation phones that feature multimedia and audio anywhere, anytime so they wouldn’t miss a moment of World Cup action.

Dr. Kim was in Alberta looking for partners in new ICT sub-sectors, identified opportunities in network and systems integration, internet-related services, wireless services, ecommerce, IT security, digital content development and industry specific software. KETI is also diversifying and seeking partnerships with Canadian biotech and nanotech companies.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY John Sobota, CEO of Edmonton-based Eleven Engineering Inc. also talked about South Korea where he’s worked for the past two years. The NIH—not invented here—way of thinking means that in order to break-in, nonKoreans “need to be substantially better than their Korean competitors.”

Language is another issue. Because many South Koreans, even in business, have not embraced English, Eleven Engineering has recruited Korean-speaking employees.

Despite these difficulties, Sobota put Dr. Kim’s presentation into a more practical perspective, proving that even though Canadian companies can sometimes be slow to do business, they can be successful.

MAKING INROADS Another local company is making some progress with KETI. In 2002, TRLabs signed a memorandum of understanding to look into areas of collaboration and undertake exchange programs.

However, since both organizations are not-for-profits, Dr. David Antoniuk, in charge of business development, explained to me that getting the right combination of mutually collaborative technologies and funding is proving difficult. To overcome the first hurdle, TRLabs and KETI will come together this fall in Alberta to review mutually beneficial competencies in wireless broadband and home technologies. Okay, I’ll admit, I had to ask Antoniuk for further explanation of the term home technologies. It turns out we are closer than ever to linking all of our electronic

devices in the home and being able to control them from one central location, often outside the home. Not only that, but TRLabs is examining how those networks can communicate with your car, your cell phone, PDA—any electronic device.

TRLabs’ wireless technologies are highly respected in other areas of Asia as well.

Researchers and their industry partners are currently in phase one of the China railway train digital information system project, which “aims to develop and implement a prototype rail car system that will provide passengers with access to TV and videos, phone and Voice over IP service, train and train station Internet access, and value-added services as diverse as online games, trading, shopping, banking, and advanced purchasing.” China has the world’s third longest rail network with 5,000 railway stations and 2,700 passenger trains serving 1.6 billion passenger trips annually. If the prototype is successful and funding is obtained for a full roll-out, this could be a significant project for TRLabs and many of its Canadian partners.

SKILLS SHORTAGES REMAIN A BIG CHALLENGE The Conference Board of Canada didn’t have great news for struggling companies when they recently estimated that Alberta will face a shortfall of 332,000 workers by 2025. So what is being done to address this?

Well, on a municipal level, the city has launched a new website and referral campaign, both designed to promote Greater Edmonton to potential immigrants and migrants.

If you have friends or relatives thinking of moving to Canada, the Tell Somebody campaign encourages you to register them on www. tellsomebody.ca to receive an e-mail with a link to the Move to Edmonton website. As an added bonus, you could win an iPod Nano for your efforts!

The campaign is directed at the city’s varied ethnic communities, encouraging them to share their enthusiasm for living in Edmonton. But, it seems that Edmontonians aren’t the only ones enthused about the city. Karen Link, who heads-up the program, has found “… people signed up from the Philippines, Singapore and the Sultanate of Oman.

More to the point, out of the people who were told about Edmonton by their friends, about 70 percent were in Canada… although there were also people from India, China, Germany, France, Spain, London, Australia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Sweden and Chile.”

The corresponding movetoedmonton.com website is designed to educate immigrants about the benefits of settling here. Consider that only six percent of immigrants to Canada settle in Alberta—and only 27 percent coming to Alberta settle in Edmonton—and it’s obvious that some major PR is needed if newcomers are going to be one option for alleviating skills and labour shortages. For many, the understanding in their home countries is that in order to get ahead you must move to a city—the bigger the better.

So they choose Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal. While every Albertan—and even the odd Torontonian—knows that this is the fastest growing economic region in Canada, it isn’t common knowledge among foreigners. And don’t expect the immigration officers at Canada’s embassies and consulates to do it—it just isn’t their job. So, with limited knowledge of employment opportunities Canada, immigrants settle where their friends and family already are—yes, in the “big” three.

The goal of EEDC—the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation—is to increase immigration to the region by 10 percent in three years. To do so, people first need to know Edmonton exists… and then what it has to offer. My business takes me around the world and, believe me, most people I meet with have never heard of it.

Move to Edmonton is well designed and extremely informative. Link tells me that, in addition to those people being referred by the Tell Somebody initiative, the site is getting a lot of attention on its own: A lot of visitors have found the site through general web searching. Link is also encouraging regional employers, local immigrant service providers and immigrant community groups to add a Move to Edmonton link to their own sites. Not a bad idea for consultants, recruitment agencies and other economic development authorities to do the same.

The site is also a resource for local companies with a Hiring an Immigrant section. It lists nine different programs available for workers to come to Canada and, by prompting

you to choose one of four options, narrows down that list to the programs that are relevant. For example, someone who chooses “The position is primarily seasonal agricultural work” will have the low skilled workers pilot project, seasonal agricultural workers program and working holiday program to choose from.

THE NISKU EXPERIENCE The Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Authority also recognizes that the number one challenge facing members is staff shortages. For this reason, Pat Klak and her team have taken a more direct approach to recruiting foreign workers to alleviate the problem.

The fact is that few companies have the time or resources to undertake an international personnel search. So the Authority took job postings and applications in hand, and participated in the German portion of Euromission—the only EDA to do so. With the mandate to conduct initial interviews, Stefanie Shultz represented four of the Authority’s clients and found qualified and interested workers in the three cities that she visited. These welders, nurses, machinists, field supervisors and general labourers were ready to board a plane to Alberta on a moment’s notice. With unemployment rates of 20 percent in some regions, many older workers have all but given up on finding local jobs and felt their future lay in Canada. Others had always dreamed of emigrating and saw this as their best chance. Some were ready for a new adventure.

However, Schultz quickly realized that, despite their perfectly translated resumes, the large majority of these workers were simply unable to communicate in English at the level her clients required. So what to do? I know of companies that hire exclusively from one ethnic community and then rely on one manager or shop foreman with fluency in both languages to communicate with the staff. Other companies pay for English language training. These options become less viable when workers have to write equivalency exams for their professions/trades. As a result, to-date, only one company represented by Schultz has employed someone from Germany.

Further complicating the problem is the seven month back-log of applications for the provinces provincial nominee program and three month delay for the temporary foreign worker program. Contrast that with the Australians who were in Europe at the same time and granting landed immigrant status in three days.

“To dispel many of the myths and rumours floating around the business community about the difficulty in getting foreign workers to Canada, the Authority is planning a panel discussion this fall,” expalins Schultz. The PNP has been successful for some companies but others are put-off by the paperwork and red tape. For each company, it comes down to weighing the expenses involved in an international recruitment drive versus the opportunity cost of lost business.

PNWER SUMMIT BIGGEST EVER Some 570 delegates registered for the 16th Annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region conference held in Edmonton in mid-July. Coverage in the July issue of Edmontonians generated significant pre-publicity and local interest in the somewhat obscure organization. Accolades were forthcoming from PNWER executive and numerous participants. Few were as personal as that of Jeanne Bluechel whose husband, former Washington Senator Alan Bluechel, was co-founder with Jim Horsman, then deputy premier of Alberta. “I’ve been trying for years to explain to my children what their father helped create. I’ve got enough copies of Edmontonians to hand-out to everyone… finally, they’ll understand,” she beamed.

The summit was the largest ever gathering of government and private sector representatives from Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. There were more than 250 registrants from Alberta. The organization explores numerous areas of mutual benefit and collaborates on potential resolution to regional issues. ✔ Cheryl Lockhart is owns International Strategies Ltd., specializing in exportrelated planning and marketing.

E-mail: clockhart@edmontonians.com

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Jay Sparrow Lead singer Murder City Sparrows www.murdercitysparrows.com Imagine the rush: singing into the same microphone as Frank Sinatra, playing your guitar in the same room as Ray Charles’ piano, and recording an album at Willie Nelson’s studio in Texas. How cool is that?

Ask Jay Sparrow.

He’s the 25 year-old lead singer of the Murder City Sparrows, a four-person Edmonton band. Sparrow describes their

music style as a combination of punk, country and pop.

How did the band get its name? Sparrow was struck by the homicide rate in Washington, DC— 250 to 400 people are murdered each year, in a city half the size of Edmonton. The other part of the name—and his own—comes from Charles Bukowski’s printer, Black Sparrow Press.

Sparrow has no musical training and can’t read music—he plays by ear. He started playing when he was 14, and wrote the lyrics and music to his first album when he was 16 and 17.

The band has been around since 2002, but 2005 was its best year so far. Sparrow explained that they weren’t particularly thrilled with their first album, so they decided to hone their music style for a year before they released another album. They teamed up with Gordie Johnson, a former member of

Big Sugar, to make it happen. The new single, Burn in Water, is getting national air play, and they have a video on Much Music.

Accolades are coming their way. Sonic FM named Murder City Sparrows Band of the Month, and they were written up in the defunct DOSE Magazine as a group to watch in Western Canada.

The New Music West festival in Vancouver presented them with the Future Superstars Award.

The second single from their self-titled album will be released this summer. Murder City Sparrows will also be touring Eastern Canada, stopping at the North by Northwest Music Festival in Toronto. ✔

Photos by Terry Bourque

By Talea Medynski

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t had been a while since I’ve worked as a journalist, so I was a bit nervous when I embarked on an internship with Edmontonians to write its annual Sizzling Twenty under 30.

Four years ago, I had finished the journalism program at Grant MacEwan College with the feeling that I wasn’t ideally suited to the profession. Then two years ago, I returned to GMC for the professional writing program. Along the way, I decided that I wanted to finish my internship and finally receive my journalism diploma. In May, I received both my diplomas—a week after I re-entered the world of journalism… uncertain of whether I would remember all I had been taught four years previously.

It turns out, I had nothing to be worried about and I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Edmontonians. In fact, I am even considering working as a journalist after this experience. I had the honour of working with Barb Deters, who is a veteran of the journalism industry and as fine an editor as any writer could wish to work with. Working with photographer Terry Bourque added another dimension to my internship.

I also was blessed with the opportunity to meet and interview some truly inspiring people, especially since I myself am under 30 and beginning my career.

In this fifth year of the Sizzling Twenty under 30, I have found there to be a fine mix of business-savvy go-getters and humanitarians. I

have never heard the words “I love my job” more than in this experience. Those very words encompass what most people seek in their careers, and it is proof that if you love what you do, success will follow. Everyone I interviewed was so different, had so many different experiences, but they all have achieved so much in such a short time. These are busy people who make time for the things that are important to them.

Although only 20 could be chosen from among the nominees, I have no doubt that everyone I interviewed will be recognized for their accomplishments. Thank you all, for being gracious with your time… for sharing your experiences… and for inspiring me and others to work toward what matters to us.

It was challenging to condense the essence of these personalities into a mere 300 words and still do The Sizzlers justice.

However, I think the glimpse offered will demonstrate to everyone how dynamic and dedicated they are.

Take note, fellow readers: these are the people of my generation and they will surely change the world. ✔

Talea Medynski Journalist

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Derek and Cody Bruno Co-owners Cree Convenience & Peace Hills Pure Water Derek Bruno is a “big picture kind of guy” and Cody Bruno focuses on the details. Together the brothers have combined their talents to run two successful businesses on the Samson Cree Nation Reserve in Hobbema, Alberta.

The Brunos saw opportunity in their community. Samson was lacking quality customer service and clean drinking water. With well-developed business plans, the duo opened the Cree Convenience store and Peace Hills Pure Water in 2001.

When they first opened the store, there were occasions when Derek would sleep underneath the office desk, with Cody on top of the desk, “curled up like a cat.”

They dined on Kraft Dinner to save money. Their sacrifices paid off. Three months after opening, Cree Convenience met the profit projections of the third year, enabling them to start Peace Hills Pure Water. Most of Peace Hills’ revenue comes from the five gallon water bottles, but it also sells 600 ml water bottles, water coolers, softeners, water purifying products and filters.

In their first year at Cree Convenience, they achieved $1.2 million in sales. With steady growth and continued success, the Brunos won the Syncrude Aboriginal Youth Entrepreneur Award of Distinction in 2006.

They find that humour gets them through the rough patches. One day while they were working through some problems, their father gave them some advice from the Bible.

“No offense to this, but I couldn’t see a direct correlation from the Holy Bible to the concepts of employment insurance and modern accounting practices. Before he left, I jokingly developed the Holy Trinity of business which consisted of hard work, opportunity and luck,” recalls Cody.

“I credit much of our success to the dynamic partnership of Derek and myself,” says Cody. They trust each other, and always take something positive out of their mistakes.

“Forward motion is important in business.”

Besides running their businesses, the brothers lead busy lives. Twenty-eight year old Derek is the youngest ever chairman of the board of the Samson Cree Nation Holding Company. He’s also a trustee on the Samson Education Trust Fund and a councillor of the Samson Cree Nation.

Derek is adamant about his motivation: “What means the most to me is the community of Samson. This is what makes my life purposeful.”

He believes a lot of a community’s social problems can be solved by developing the

Karen Dackiw Fundraising consultant Ketchum Canada Inc. www.kciphilanthropy.com “Fundraising truly is a rollercoaster and you just need to enjoy the ride,” says Karen Dackiw, a professional fundraising consultant with Ketchum Canada Inc. KCI sends her to different organizations to help with their campaigns.

Currently, as the campaign director for the RCMP Heritage Centre in Regina, she is responsible for raising

Alice Louise Phipps

Owner Sea Grape Gifts www.seagrapegifts.com

“Wow, it smells nice in here.” That’s the first thing people say when they walk into Sea Grape Gifts.

Alice Louise Phipps named her Caribbean-themed store after an ornamental tropical plant that produces edible grapes. Sea Grape has everything from Haitian hand-made dolls to rum cake to coconut tea.

“It’s kind of a cultural exploration,” says Phipps.

Her parents come from the islands of Carriacou and St. Kitts, but Phipps was born and raised in Edmonton and attended French immersion schools. She always wanted her

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economics of a community. “A job helps with integrity… it will reach beyond just putting money in their pockets.”

Since Derek has become more involved in community politics, Cody, 24, has taken over the daily responsibilities of running both companies.

As well, both are pursuing an education.

Derek, who already has a First Nations management diploma and a Bachelor of Commerce degree, is in the process of receiving an MBA with a major in community studies through distance learning.

Cody is completing his fourth year of his Bachelor of Commerce degree on a parttime basis, driving to Edmonton three times a week during the Derek academic year.

“It is a challenge to attend school and maintain my businesses at the same time. Being organized and planning ahead are vital to making the entire system work,” explains Cody.

Their business

experience has led them into public speaking.

Derek spoke at the Aboriginal business summit about small businesses interacting with big businesses. Cody has spoken to students on topics ranging from business to self-awareness.

“Once you’re involved in your community,” says Derek, “it’s a positive cycle.” ✔

Cody

$10 million. Despite the challenge, she is excited about the chance to educate people about the RCMP’s long and illustrious history. For Dackiw, fundraising is about “impacting the community,” not just about raising money.

The 29 year-old Edmontonian started her career working for the United Way at Norwood school, in the Partners for Kids mentor program.

“Norwood was a rude awakening,” says Dackiw, having discovered it was in one of the most impoverished communities in Edmonton. She realized how fortunate she was when she was growing up, and how poverty impacts families. It was from this experience that she decided to become a fundraiser.

While Dackiw loves her job, it isn’t easy. Not many people like to ask for money, and people aren’t easily parted with their money. Good thing she’s tenacious.

“Fundraising is about linking donors with organizations in order to work collaboratively to improve the community and create lasting impact.”

When she was at Norwood, she made over 200 speeches about working with students and families living in poverty. In 2000, Dackiw was the United Way’s most requested speaker and named the speaker of the year.

“The best thing about my job is that I get to learn about all the good work being done.”

Each assignment has its ups and downs—that’s the nature of raising money for a cause.

“At the end, I can say it was hard… it was challenging… but it was worth it.” ✔

own business, and took action when Hurricane Ivan wreaked havoc on her grandmother’s home in Grenada in 2004.

Phipps decided a specialty store could help the affected island’s economies and spread the diverse Caribbean culture.

She opened Sea Grape Gifts in April 2005.

She wanted to jump in to running her business full time, but she was too practical.

Instead, the 27 year-old works full time at Intuit Canada, and opens Sea Grape from Thursday through Sunday.

“My whole family’s been really supportive,” she says, explaining that her dad works in the store Thursday and Friday while she is at Intuit.

Phipps has promoted Sea Grape Gifts by joining a couple of different African American organizations and by taking part in Black History Month, where she sold her products at the Taste of Africa and Caribbean event. She’s also involved with the Caribbean Women’s Network and in the upcoming Cariwest Festival.

At first, Phipps was concerned her business wasn’t growing quickly enough.

But, a successful entrepreneur friend, told her not to worry, and teased her that it would be a while before she could afford anything but macaroni and cheese. Certainly less hard to swallow when you can sip a soothing cup of cinnamon coffee. ✔

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Melanie Nakatsui Owner and director of Melanie Nakatsui Salon & Spa Owner of Melanie Nakatsui Management Corporation Publisher of Philippine Asian Chronicle At 27 years old, Melanie Nakatsui runs three businesses, is actively involved in her community, and has a young family.

Nakatsui was an entrepreneur at a young age. At 22, she created the Melanie Nakatsui Management Corporation, a one-woman operation that helps other companies start up and get organized. She also owns the Melanie Nakatsui Salon and Spa, and is the publisher for the Philippine Asian Chronicle. “[The paper] is more about bringing people together,” Nakatsui says, explaining she doesn’t run the paper just to make a profit. “It helps bridge a gap.”

Her biggest business is her salon, which she opened when she was 23.

“I’m not a hairdresser, but I love the industry. I love making people feel good

Matt Aubin Partner Pure Vision Inc. www.purevisioninc.com Matt Aubin’s dad is an entrepreneur, his mom is an artist. So it seems natural that he would partner in a business that combines common sense with creativity.

Aubin, 27, went to NAIT for marketing and photography, and has certificates in design. His wife, Stephanie, has a business degree from the University of Alberta. In 2002, they pooled their talents to form Pure Vision Inc., a design, marketing and photography company.

want. “It’s based on a customer’s needs.”

Aubin also loves to work with people.

“We view our customers as friends. I think our customers feel the same way.”

Aubin and Stephanie have both worked hard, with 12 to 14 hour days being common. And it has paid off. In the past year, business has doubled. And yet, Pure Vision doesn’t do any marketing itself.

“Mostly, it is word of mouth. It’s a good testament to us and our work habits. It’s the best kind of advertising,” beams Aubin. ✔

“I’ve always loved marketing, I’ve always loved design,” says Aubin. “I really feel passionate about this.”

The company is based in Sherwood Park and has a staff of five people.

Aubin is involved in every stage of projects and Stephanie is the business manager.

“I love what I do. I like being able to take things from conception to finished product.”

The talented crew produces work that has appeared in national magazines. But another reason for the company’s popularity is its customer relationships.

Aubin encourages clients to go with what will work best for them, not just what they

Gino Marghella Deli manager Italian Centre Shop www.ItalianCentre.ca If you become a regular customer at the deli counter at the Italian Centre Shop, Gino Marghella will soon know your name. His personality trait brings in business, and customers wait to be served by Marghella.

“I like it when I have 50 [customers] and I can make everyone happy,” says Marghella.

He started working at the Italian Centre Shop when he was 17 years old; now, at 24, he is manager of the deli counter. Despite his youth, he has become an exceptional manager because he makes the effort to get to know his customers and his co-workers.

When he first started working as a manager, he struggled to gain the respect of his co-workers, most of whom were older than he. That came by working alongside them, not just supervising them.

Lora Brovold Actress and producer Lora Brovold’s parents were set on her becoming a lawyer. She decided to become a theatre actor instead. Her parents protested at first, but then encouraged her.

“My dad always said to concentrate on dreams first,” says the soft-spoken thespian and producer.

It was decided that if she was going to be an actor, she was going to get a degree. Brovold moved from Ontario to Alberta to attend the University of Alberta’s drama program. She graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and she has been acting since, in both free and paid performances. She also produces plays, an experience that “is hard work but empowering.”

Brovold acknowledges acting is a tough market: Even though she has been acting since 2002, most directors want more experienced actors. As well, there aren’t many female roles, and

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about themselves.” Nakatsui runs the salon and spa, taking care of tasks such as payroll, inventory and supervisory duties. She credits the salon’s success to her stylists and staff.

“They’re the make or break of a business. Good staff helps with client retention—from the front desk to the stylists.”

Nakatsui has a huge drive to help others and volunteers for several charities, organizations and committees. She’s the president-elect of the Junior League of Edmonton, an organization that trains women in leadership skills and also emphasizes community involvement.

“It’s one of the more important community organizations.”

She’s also on the Mayor’s multicultural advisory counsel, is the chair of the proposed Mayor’s Multicultural Arts Evening, and is on the communications and community development committees. Through her position on the outreach committee, she is a strong promoter of the Lois Hole Hospital for Women.

Despite all her current success as an entrepreneur and volunteer, Nakatsui aspires to someday open a homeless shelter. ✔

“You can’t tell people to do something without being willing to do it yourself,” Marghella explains of his success.

His caring attitude toward his coworkers, and his own work ethic make for a productive environment.

He has shown increases in deli sales each year through his customer service, and helps with employee retention through his positive relationships.

“I’m a working manager, a people’s manager,” says Marghella.

He works long hours and rarely takes a vacation, readily admitting, “I couldn’t consider myself doing something else.”

Marghella is also finishing a business administration accounting program at NAIT, and got married in July.

“I like to be busy,” he laughs. ✔

some theatres in Edmonton don’t hold auditions.

At 27, this is the first year she hasn’t had to rely on a full-time job to support her acting. “It’s hard not to have a job, but it’s good because it gets your entrepreneurial brain in gear,” explains Brovold.

Success comes after four years of hard work; this year, she’s had major roles in Three Days of Rain and Hockey Stories for Boys. Her performance in Three Days of Rain earned her a nomination for an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award.

In March, Brovold signed with an agent who should open up more opportunities for her in film, television and radio. In the next year, she would like to produce a play and will begin her four year apprenticeship to become an equity actor, which may help her to get more acting jobs. ✔

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Rosemary Williams Project manager Bottom Line Productions www.bottomlinepro.com Rosemary Williams didn’t plan for a career as a project manager at a public relations firm. It just happened that her love of arts and promotions led her in the right direction.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree and a diploma in public relations, Williams ended up having the right combination of education needed for the position at Bottom Line Productions, an Edmonton company that promotes clients and events.

Williams, 28, has been there for two years and says, “I like being able to start from the planning stage [of a project] to the implementation of it.”

Her dedication flows over into her volunteer work, which is encouraged by her employer. “It’s a mandate at

Bottom Line to work for a bigger reason.”

Williams has volunteered for events such as the Junos, the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s CIBC Run for the Cure, and the Country Music Awards. She directs her efforts to public relations, marketing and communications activities because there are not many volunteers with that expertise. In 2005, she generated so much best media coverage for the CIBC Run for the Cure that she was recognized with the outstanding run volunteer award in the Prairies-NWT chapter.

Williams is finishing her Master of Arts in professional communication from the Royal Roads University by correspondence. She practices yoga and is also taking up golf. With so much going on in her life, something has to give. So, despite her love for volunteering, Williams has decided to take a two year hiatus.

“It’s too hard to balance it all.” ✔

Kori Chilibeck Owner and chief executive officer Earth Water International www.earthwater.ca When Kori Chilibeck was in Nepal, he saw an old man with no shoes or coat, laden with cases of Coca-Cola in a woven straw basket on his back. Chilibeck recalls thinking about the futility of the situation: Obviously, the man was working for such a pitifully small wage, he couldn’t even afford to consume the product he was carrying.

Upon his return to Edmonton, Chilibeck resolved to help. His idea was to purify Strathcona County water by reverse osmosis… bottle it… sell it… donate profits to help those in need.

He submitted a proposal to the United Nations in which he committed to creating a forprofit company that would donate 100 percent of its net profits to the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees. Chilibeck was diligent and determined: He phoned, e-mailed, and wrote the UN for three months before someone contacted him.

He was given 10 minutes to talk to a UN representative.

His persistence paid off. In October 2004, Earth Water International was launched—the only product authorized to display the UN logo. In the past 16 months, the company has been growing at a phenomenal rate, selling its bottled water in the United States and Canada. Chilibeck went to the Netherlands to set up a European Earth Water office. In June, he traveled to Southeast Asia to meet with potenial importers.

Earth Water is a partner in ninemillion.org, launched on World Refugee Day, June 20, 2006.

Nine million children are refugees, and the campaign helps those in refugee camps “through education and sport.” The ninemillion.org logo is now on Earth Water labels.

Chilibeck’s long-time friend, Atlantic series racecar driver Mike Forest recently added the Earth Water label to his Champ car.

Although not a traditional business, the 27 year-old says the company answers to its shareholders just like any other.

“Our shareholders are everyone in the world in the worst conditions.” ✔

Sarah Conant Co-owner, vice president and event coordinator VIP Concierge & Errand Service www.vipedmonton.net When Sarah Conant is at a wedding, she carries a kit filled with everything from Band Aids to smelling salts, a habit from her college days studying technical theatre production. She uses a similar kit now in her job as an event planner for VIP Event Consultants, a division of VIP Concierge & Errand Service.

Conant and her mom, Lisa, got the inspiration for their company during a trip to New York three years ago. Concierge companies are common there, but not in Edmonton. When VIP opened last

September, there was a great response.

“We do anything within the confines of being legal and ethical,” laughs Conant, who explains the cost are “very affordable” because they want single mothers to be able to access their services. She was raised by her mother, who knows the financial challenges of a single parent.

The 22 year-old launched the events consultant division, and plans everything from charity functions to fashion shows. Conant’s experience as a stage manager makes planning events easy by comparison. She’s also a personal shopper, either for or with clients.

But Conant doesn’t work only at building VIP. In addition to her job as its event coordinator and vice president, she is also an assistant manager at Reitman’s.

“Sometimes brides are concerned that I have another full-time job,” she admits. But, she obviously thrives on being busy.

Conant loves both of her jobs—she’s never bored.

And that’s important to her. ✔

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2006 Proof_

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Kent Greaves Accounting technician Veres Picton & Company www.verespicton.com “My dad and I joke all the time that we’re playing Monopoly, only with our lives,” says Kent Greaves.

He grew up in Stony Plain, and has already owned two businesses—a slate installation business and an accounting business. Like any Monopoly player knows, you win some… you lose some. And this keen entrepreneur is ready to get back into the game with a goal to make money and develop a skill set.

The 25 year-old, an accounting technician at Veres Picton & Company, holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and is finishing 14 months of course work to become a certified accountant.

“Accounting will teach me what I need to know about business,” Greaves explains. He recognizes that being an entrepreneur is risky, so he wants to make sure he has a solid plan before owning a business again.

Amanda Olivari & Laura Radbourne

Laura

Owners Cinnamon Baby Boutique www.cinnamonbabyboutique.com At Cinnamon Baby Boutique, you can buy couture for children. Owners Amanda Olivari and Laura Radbourne even sell the shirt that Brad and Angelina’s baby, Shiloh, is wearing in her alleged $4 million debut picture.

The boutique looks like an upper class child’s bedroom, painted with bright colours, filled with large white cabinets, and lit with boutique-style chandeliers. Since most of the clothing lines are exclusive in Western Canada, being a bit posh is appropriate.

Despite the exclusivity of their products, Olivari and Radbourne insist that wealthy parents are not their typical customers. In fact, an array of customers frequent Cinnamon Baby, from the parent who buys a barrette to the grandmother who splurges on a stroller. Prices range from the $20 t-shirt to the $500 designer diaper bag… you can buy everything from newborn to size 10 clothing to custom-designed furniture. They are even equipped to organize baby showers, and host yoga and pilates sessions.

“I do think our customer is someone who wants something unique,” says Radbourne.

Being unique in Edmonton is exactly what the partners wanted. Olivari wasn’t able to find exclusive children’s clothing for her two girls in Edmonton, so she shopped in Phoenix, Arizona. For Radbourne, Cinnamon Baby

Greaves wants to work in the “business of necessity”— people will always need to eat and have a place to live.

The plan is to invest in franchises like McDonald’s and Tim Horton’s, and to buy real estate such as apartments, houses and commercial buildings. In fact, he and his entrepreneur father have teamed up to buy two or three houses—one every six months—in need of TLC and renovate them for rental.

“Our first purchase will be this September.

Right now, we are finalizing the business plan and gathering the team.”

Greaves idea is to work hard now so that he can work less in the future. “My goal is to work two to three days a week while still making $100,000 a year.”

This ambitious young man also wants to sail around the world with his family.

“I’d start in Vancouver and head south and then head east.” ✔

combines two of her loves: children and fashion and she thought the boutique was a great idea.

The 26 year-olds were both raised in businesses: Olivari managed her grandparent’s Amanda store, Giovanni Yamaha Music School, for six years, and Radbourne worked at her grandparent’s Grande Prairie store, Ernie’s Sport Experts. They met in the marketing program at NAIT, where they soon became friends. After NAIT, Olivari married and had two children. Radbourne became a certified nail technician, and managed a restaurant and another clothing company, but none of those jobs were her passion. In early 2005, after two years of talking about opening a children’s store, Olivari called Radbourne and said she was ready.

Cinnamon Baby Boutique opened in August 2005, six months after the friends starting planning. It was named after a store called Cinnamon Girl that Olivari went to when she was honeymooning in Hawaii. She decided that if she every opened a store, the name would start with “cinnamon.”

They look forward to when they can hire people to work in the store. Right now, Radbourne works onsite most days and takes care of daily tasks such as accounting. Olivari does the purchasing from home so she can be with her girls, and works in the store twice a week. While extra help would be great, both admit that they have a close connection to their customers.

“We’ve really formed a lot of friendships,” says Olivari.

Radbourne says it’s been a lot of fun because they’ve met so many great families and customers.

“We get to watch people’s babies grow up,” says Olivari.

In the future, these friends and business partners would like to open a maternity store, and turn Cinnamon Baby into a franchise. ✔

Chris Bolivar President & Creative Director Optamedia www.optamedia.com “I’ve never actually worked for anyone,” admits this young entrepreneur.

Optamedia, an Edmonton communications company that specializes in branding, was born when Chris Bolivar was studying political science at the University of Alberta. There are only eight employees, but he considers his small company to be his competitive advantage.

“When you have ownership over projects, you have better results,” says Bolivar. The staff takes care of the creative aspects of the business, while he focuses on business development.

Since its conception, business has grown 200 to 300 percent per year, with clients such as Microsoft Canada, Isotechnika, and the Kidney Foundation of Canada.

“I don’t think the equation to business is difficult or profound. If you deliver the goods and treat your customers right, you’re going to do well.”

But the success also comes with a challenge. “The growth of the company is very difficult to manage.” He explains that it’s important to ensure that the resources match up with the growth.

Bolivar plans to expand Optamedia, first in western Canada, and then nationally. His goal is to be a leader in the national branding and design community in Canada.

“I have ideas everyday. The most difficult thing is choosing which ideas to pursue and which ones to drop.”

He also has a rich community life, and is on the fundraising committee for the CARITAS organization and volunteers for the Edmonton Junior Chamber of Commerce.

“We all want to make Edmonton a better place.” ✔ 12

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Barret Reykdal

has worked for Rentcash since 2001.

His father is the president and chief executive officer of Rentcash, but Reykdal started out as a store manager and worked his way up to chief operating officer within five and a half years. He thinks he has advanced so quickly because he produces good results and he works hard.

“It’s a fun, intriguing, good job.”

Reykdal’s day is filled communicating with people he supervises. He also travels to different store locations, and trains the regional managers. He’s not afraid to recognize employees for their achievements, and to provide feedback.

He is known for being a leader; he listens to and motivates people. But Reykdal downplays this claim, saying he surrounds himself with people who make him look good.

For the past three years, he has volunteered for the YESS 2 Success event in support of the Youth Emergency Shelter Society. He is one of the original founders, and got the company involved in his cause. Now, Rentcash is a huge sponsor, and Reykdal is a company representative by donating his time.

Reykdal helped organize the World’s Longest Hockey Game in 2004 to help raise money for YESS 2 Success as well as last year’s Race to Success, a go-cart race fundraising event.

“It’s a fantastic cause. When you hear the stories of the kids, you just want to help them.” ✔

COO and vice president operations Rentcash www.rentcash.ca Barret Reykdal loves people. He wants them to succeed, and this is reflected through work and volunteerism.

He is the chief operating officer and vice president of operations for Rentcash, a publicly traded company that operates under three banners: The Cash Store, InstaLoans, and Instarent. These companies deal in rentto-own services and short-term cash advances, and have 1700 employees across Canada and over 400 hundred stores. At 28, this Edmonton native

Robert Prybysh Co-owner Arrow Engineering Corporation When Robert Prybysh was a boy, he liked to play with Lego. Now, at 29, he still likes to build things.

The mechanical engineer is one of three partners in Arrow Engineering Inc. in Edmonton. Formed in March, it has eight employees.

“It’s absolutely amazing how much work has come to us in the last couple of months,” says Prybysh. If all goes well, plans to double the size of the company within a few years could be possible.

He attributes Arrow’s early success to the good relationship he and his partners have with the Edmonton community. They try to address the needs of the company, the client, and their employees. Prybysh explains that material and labour costs have increased dramatically, but they attempt to keep the costs competitive and fair for everyone.

“We try to make an effort to remember everybody.”

In his spare time, Prybysh likes to take part in sports such as running and

mountain climbing.

Some trips are more interesting than others, like his recent trip to Tanzania, where he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He says the trip was a disaster—their luggage, including their climbing gear, was lost so Prybysh and his friend had to rent gear and warm clothing. They made the ascent with a group of professional mountain climbers from Slovakia. Prybysh was fine, but everyone else got altitude sickness. The trip is definitely memorable.

Keeping in shape is part of his regimen: Prybysh does it so he can keep on working.

“Engineers never retire. They work until they die. I want to be able to work until the day I die.” ✔

money MAKING

Caught in the 4Gs growth trap

By Ron Hiebert

…Go early …Go big …Go fast …Go rich

A

nyone who buys stocks is always on the lookout for growth. Whether it is a country, an industry or an individual company, investors want to put their money where they think the profit potential will be the greatest. They just assume that the big money is made in the hot sectors by following the 4Gs: Go early. Go big. Go fast. Go rich.

Unfortunately, just identifying growth sectors and then investing heavily in them is not a complete strategy. At best, it is flawed and more likely to lead to the poor house than to great riches.

Compare two very divergent economies: China and Brazil. If an investor had to choose, most would intuitively pick China, the country that produced the best stock market returns during the past decade. Other than soccer, it is hard to think of many things that Brazil could best China at or, for that matter, even come close.

CHINA: AN EXPENSIVE LESSON In 1990, China started down the long road toward western style capitalism. In that year, the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock exchanges opened for business. This event generated huge excitement among domestic and foreign investors alike. Pent up capital among 1.6 billion of the world’s best savers finally had a place to go. Huge amounts of domestic money poured into their stock markets. People were literally desperate to buy equity in the world’s fastest growing economy. Police were called in a number of times to quell rioting among angry investors who thought that they might not be given a chance to participate.

To compound the problem, China also opened its doors to foreign investors. Everyone from the farmer in Camrose to the businessperson in Melbourne wanted in on the action as well. This caused the supply of money flowing into China’s small capital markets to far exceed the opportunities available. Stock prices were driven up to valuations that were considered insane by western standards. Yet in spite of the astronomical multiples to earnings and sales that the shares of these companies fetched, investors only focused on the fact that the Chinese economy was running like it had been hooked up to a nitrous bottle. Based on that fact alone, they assumed this was enough to make investing in China a lay up. They cared little about what that opportunity cost them.

Investors soon found out that they should have cared a lot more about the price they paid. According to research done

by Dr. Jeremy Siegel in his book The Future for Investors, a $1,000-investment in the broad Chinese stock market in 1992 would have shrunk to $320 by the end of 2003. This was a decline of 10 percent per year over the period, making Chinese markets the worst performing in the entire world, despite having its hottest economy. Even though Chinese GNP experienced 25 consecutive years of growth greater than nine percent, this still wasn’t enough to overcome the action of investors grossly overpaying for what they bought. Chinese stocks had to languish through a 13-year bear market from which it has only recently broken free. To pull Chinese stocks back to reasonable valuations has required a huge contraction in price and a decade of massive economic growth. For investors this has been a very expensive lesson.

…the Chinese economy was running like it had been hooked up to a nitrous bottle.

BRAZIL: A BIG SURPRIZE Brazil has to have one of the most dysfunctional economies on the planet. Over the same time period as China, the country has lurched uncontrollably from one economic crisis to another. Hyperinflation reached 1,000 percent per year in the early 1990s and peaked at 5,000 percent in 1994. There have been so many currency devaluations, debt crises, political scandals, flights of international capital, commodity shortages, interest rate spikes, and financial failures that economists have simply lost count of them all.

This is an economy where things get patched but never really fixed. Scandal and corruption cause one left leaning government after another to implode before accomplishing much legislatively. This is sad because Brazil truly has the DNA to be a true economic superpower if it could ever get its act together.

According to Siegel, between 1992 and 2003 the Brazilian economy grew at a tepid 1.8 percent per year.

Over this 11-year period, its total expansion was only 22 percent compared to 166 percent for China. With China experiencing almost eight times the cumulative growth rate, it would not seem unreasonable to expect stock market

returns in China to be of a similar magnitude above those that could be achieved from investing in Brazil. Yet the outcome is actually the inverse of what a rational investor would naturally expect.

Investing $1,000 in Brazil in 1992 would have grown to $4,781 in 2003. This represents an annual return of more than 15 percent per year. The performance differential between the Chinese and Brazilian markets over the identical time span is an incredible 25 percent per year. The absolute dollar gap is $5,101 on the original $1,000 investment made in each economy.

WHAT’S GOING ON? How can a vastly inferior economy absolutely spank a superior one so convincingly in the area of total return? The answer lies in valuation. The market at the best of times tends to be an imperfect weighing mechanism. It has a tendency to wildly overvalue good performance while dramatically undervaluing bad.

At the extremes like we’ve seen with China and Brazil, the market tends to take an economy that is doing 5 1/2 times better—if you compare China’s long term GNP growth of 9.5 percent per year to Brazil’s 1.8 percent—and values it like it is doing 20 times better. In the example of China, no matter how strong the economy got, there was no way that companies could perform at the level that investors were valuing them. They were priced beyond perfection, which gave them only one direction to go: down. Brazil had disappointed investors so many times that they literally hadn’t priced any growth at all into the equation—just disaster. When the economy in Brazil actually did grow, even modestly, the market had to readjust its overly negative expectations and, as a result, its stocks saw explosive growth.

Understanding value is the key to making money in the market. By learning not to overpay, investors can insulate themselves from big losses and often be pleasantly surprised on the upside. ✔ Ron Hiebert, a director at ScotiaMcLeod, teaches investment classes at Grant MacEwan College. The author of Wealth Building can be heard weekdays at 7:34 am, on CFCW radio (790 AM). Contact him at 780.497.3215 or rhiebert@edmontonians.com

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lifestyles LIVELY with Linda Bodo

MENU

Magic with Chef John Berry

Purple Haze L

I

first fell in love with lavande during a trip through the Provencial countryside. Rolling hills swathed in purple carpets scented the air with an intoxicating aroma that soothed the senses. The winding road we travelled was littered with lavender stands, purveying everything from lavender infused honey and jams to fuseau, the classic French wand used to scent drawers.

That memorable trip inspired me to cultivate the fragrant violet herb at home, which I grow in pots and winter indoors. If you prefer to leave the plant in the ground over the cold months, blanket with a thick layer of mulch and keep snow covered for insulation.

Lavender thrives in a sunny spot with well drained, sandy soil. Get into the habit of running your fingers over the foliage to release the aroma each time you pass by, it’s good for the soul.

Belonging to the same botanical family as mint, thyme, sage, basil and rosemary, lavender comes in over 200 varieties and 28 different species. The Greeks were the first to note its medicinal properties, using it in a tea-like infusion for chest complaints, as a laxative and an antidote to poison and snake bites. Taken with wine, it treated stomach ache, jaundice, and liver, renal and gall disorders.

Today, interest in lavender as an alternative remedy is reemerging, seen in its widespread use in aromatherapy. It may be helpful in gastro-intestinal disorders to reduce sugar and cholesterol levels; and it can help in skin-grafting surgery. Lately, lavender compound alcohol is being studied for its promising effects in cancer prevention.

To dry lavender, tie the flower spikes in loose bunches and hang upside down in a well ventilated place. When dry, rub the spikes until the flowers come away from stalks. Use lavender in bags to scent cupboards and drawers. When the scent fades, rub and squeeze the bag; the warmth of your hand will release more fragrant essential oils.

Create your own drawer liners. Use several sheets of uncoated wallpaper that have been cut to the size of drawers, and wipe with a drop a few drops of lavender oil.

Sprinkle with some dried lavender, and layer sheets on top of each other. Gently roll up and place in a large plastic bag.

Remove paper in two weeks and brush off excess blossoms.

Make lavender water to sweeten freshly-washed linens and towels before tucking them away in the linen closet.

Steep 1/4 cup of dried lavender blossoms in 4 cups of boiling water for 20 minutes. Strain and decant into spray bottle; atomize linens before storing. You can also add the scented water to your iron, as you would water, then press sheets or pillowcases to infuse them with a soothing, restinducing scent. It can also be used as an air-freshener.

“

Lavender bath bombs sooth the body and refresh the mind. Mix 1cup baking soda, 1/4 tsp borax, and 1 tsp powdered lavender flowers. Sift. Spray with witch hazel, mix, spray and repeat until mix is consistency of wet sand: It should retain its shape when clenched in your hand. Add 1/3 cup citric acid and 6 drops lavender essential oil. Mix well. Spray mold or container with Pam and pack firm with mixture. Set 5 minutes, then tap out of mold onto paper towel. Air dry 24 hours, store in dry, cool place.

Lavender body powder will help keep you cool. Mix 2/3 cup arrowroot powder, 2/3 cup cornstarch, 6 tbsp white clay (available at health food stores) and 4 tbsp powdered lavender. Store in sealed container.

Lavender wands or fuseau, were originally used to scent linen and other stored fabric and clothes. Frequently, they were utilized as markers to demarcate the dozens or halfdozens of linen pieces in a bride’s dowry chest. Use only fresh lavender and 2 yards of 1/4” ribbon. Place one end of ribbon against stalks, leaving 8” hanging free for final bow.

Bend the stalks back over the lavender heads and secure loosely in place just below flower heads. Turn bunch upside down and carefully bend stems over flower heads. Weave remaining ribbon in and out of cage of stalks to conceal lavender flowers within. When all ribbon is used, tie two ends of ribbon together in a bow.

Lavender can also be sourced at local farmers markets, organic food stores and gift shops. If you prefer to experience the joie de vivre of strolling through lavender fields without the cost of a plane ticket to Provence, here are some great alternatives closer to home: Lavender Harvest Farms 32506 HYW 97, Oliver, BC www.lavenderharvestfarms.com Okanagan Lavender 4380 Takla Road, Kelowna, BC www.herbsearch.com The Saltspring Lavender Company Salt Spring Island, BC www.saltspringlavender.com Claybank Farm Lavender Naramata, BC www.claybankfarmlavender.com Happy Valley Lavender 3505 Happy Valley Road, Victoria, BC www.happyvalleylavender.com Tuscan Farm Gardens Langley, BC www.tuscanfarmgardens.com ✔ Contact Linda Bodo at lbodo@edmontonians.com or visit absolutebodo.com.

”

avender has been used as an herb for over 2,500 years. Its fragrance is so strong, long lasting and pleasant that the ancient Egyptians used it in mummifying the dead.

The oil from the lavender plant has powerful antiseptic qualities that reportedly kill many common bacteria including typhoid, diphtheria and streptococcus.

Now, cooking with lavender—the best is English lavender—is gaining popularity. Since its fragrance is so powerful, a little bit goes a long way. This herb is widely available from Edmonton and area greenhouses, and the dried variety is available at farmers markets and specialty food stores.

Lavender has got to be one of the most versatile herbs you can find. It can be used in jellies, cookies, breads, rubs, marinades, teas and numerous other drinks and cocktails. I even tracked down a recipe for Herbs de Provence that includes the dried flowers.

The fresh flower of the lavender plant makes a great garnish… or you can add it directly in your recipe. It has a sweet, lemony flavour that gives many dishes an incredible boost. If you want to save the flowers for another occasion, simply freeze them in a plastic freezer bag, immediately after you harvest them.

It’s best to cut the lavender branches where they attach to the main trunk of the plant, and you can either strip the blossoms off the branch or use intact, the same way you use rosemary.

Here’s three different uses for lavender. And then I managed to talk Linda into sharing her recipe for Lavender Honey Duck. Undoubtedly, she prefers domestic duck, but I would personally prefer the wild variety.

Champagne Lavender Mint Tea Punch 6 tsp. dried mint 6 Tbsp. boiling water 1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms 1 litre ginger ale 1 cup Champagne Ice cubes with fresh mint leaf frozen in each 1. Brew the mint in the water in a teapot for 10 minutes. Add the lavender blossoms to the pot.

2. Allow tea to cool. Strain. Add ginger ale, Champagne and ice cubes. If serving in a punch bowl, float lavender buds and mint sprigs on top.

Serves six

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www.suddenlyslimmerdayspa.com 14

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2006

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Oil-Free Lavender Dressing 1 Tbsp. powdered fruit pectin 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 cloves diced garlic 3 Cherry tomatoes per plate

1/4 tsp. dried lavender 1/8 tsp. dry mustard 1 Tbsp. vinegar 1 Tbps. Chardonnay wine

Lavender Field in full bloom

1. Stir together pectin, lavender, sugar, dry mustard and pepper.

2. Stir in the wine, vinegar, garlic and 1/4 cup water. Cover and chill for 30 minutes Serve over garden greens. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. Serves four.

Herbs de Provence This is a great blend to use in any fish, meat or poultry dish.

2 Tbsp dried basil 1 tsp dried sage 4 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp dried mint 2 tsp dried marjoram 1 tsp dried lavender 2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp fennel seed 1 tsp dried rosemary

Bath Bombs

1. Combine all ingreients. Mix well and spoon into a tightly-lidded jar.

2. Store in dark, cool place for up to four months.

Fuseau

Linda Bodo’s Lavender Honey Duck 3 tsp. lavender blossoms 2 tsp. fresh savory 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. red wine

2 tsp. fresh thyme 12 peppercorns 8 Tbsp. lavender honey 1 duck

1. Grind all herbs and seasonings together in mortar.

2. Cut crosses into duck, rub with herb mix, then honey. Roast in the oven at 375 of until desired doneness is achieved.

3. Baste with drippings and more honey during cooking.

4. Make sauce with drippings, dash of wine, and 2-3 more lavender flowers diced or ground.

5. Slice duck and place on a platter and garnish with several lavender flowers.

Contact jberry@edmontonians.com

Linda in an Okanagan Lavender Field

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Jenny Adams ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES & CORPORATE FINANCE with Stephen W. Kent, CA (780) 448-9099

Sleeping with the enemy Buying your competition allows you to hold on to and strengthen what you’ve got, but the negotiations can be difficult and your approach may be perceived as sleeping with the enemy. Two different companies recently engaged us to assist them in purchasing one of their direct competitors.

One recognized the need for an independent third party to facilitate the potential transaction. Using an intermediary in these circumstances dramatically increases the likelihood of meaningful discussions, an honest exchange of information and ultimately a successful closing. It elevates the process from a fishing expedition to a credible business exchange. Initial discussions should take place at the highest management/ownership levels of the two organizations. Confidentiality agreements will have to be negotiated as in most cases the prospective vendor will want to limit who may have access to the information they provide. The vendor will also want to ensure that they won’t lose any of their employees, particularly from the management group, during and after the discussions. The purchaser also has to be willing to share information about their company with the vendor. This is an extremely important gesture of good faith and helps build trust in a situation where both parties may be feeling vulnerable. We suggest that meetings between the parties take place at a neutral location away from prying eyes. Buying the competition is not a quick process because it requires establishing a relationship of trust and trust takes time to build.

The other company that engaged us wanted to enter the Alberta marketplace by buying an established competitor. After identifying several potential target acquisitions for them, the company decided not to utilize our services and approached the identified targets directly. A month later, they met with us to discuss bringing us back into the process. They discovered that while most of the targets would entertain an initial meeting with them, once they got past pleasantries and the competitor discovered the nature of the discussions, they were not prepared to share any information. In fact, the only company that would talk to them was one that was being actively marketed.

Buying a competitor can provide you with numerous and significant benefits such as increased market share, better control of your local market place and thus higher margins, acquiring management or expertise, economies of scale, local relationships, greater efficiencies and cost rationalizations. If buying a competitor is part of your future strategy, call me at 780.448.9386 to discuss how we can help you achieve this goal. For more information about PricewaterhouseCoopers visit our website at www.pwc.com.

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Pictured on cover Marketing coordinator, Edmonton City Centre www.oxfordproperties.com “I like to take initiative. People say I’m a doer,” says Jenny Adams, a 24 year-old Spruce Grove native. The marketing coordinator for Oxford Properties Group helps promote Edmonton City Centre with year-round events.

She likes the variety of her job, joking that “I don’t have to find new ways to market coasters.”

She had an opportunity to promote the arts during the Edmonton International Film Festival last year. She and a co-worker did such a good job that they won the award for promotion of the arts at the Mayor’s Evening of the Arts in late May. Adams tends “to go with the flow.” This attitude got her a part in 2005’s The Bachelor, a television series where comely ladies vie for the affection of a gent searching for his true love.

She explains that being on the show wasn’t as glamorous

as most people thought, but the self-confidence she gained was valuable. One great thing from her stint on The Bachelor was her experience in front of the camera. Adams has appeared on Breakfast Television on Citytv to talk about the show, and has also promoted events for Edmonton City Centre on The Bounce radio station.

“I always end up getting thrown back into TV somehow or another,” says Adams. Ironically, she originally wanted a career in TV and broadcasting, but her math mark was too low to get into NAIT’s radio and television program. Now, because aspects of her job involve working with the media, she has decided to study public relations at Grant MacEwan College on a part-time basis.

Adams is a big believer in helping out her community.

One place she volunteers for is the Youth Emergency Shelter Society.

“Some stories are really sad. We live in this bubble,” says Adams, explaining that most of us are oblivious to the hardships that others face. “I think it’s really important to help.” ✔

More Sizzling Profiles See pages 7 - 13

Rishi Patel Owner Keeran Systems www.keeransystems.com “Unsurpassable” is a word that is starting to ring true for Rishi Patel.

When his father bought a computer in the late 1980s, Patel started to learn how they worked, and was only 17 when he started his one-man consulting business in 1999. Seven years later, the business has turned into a nine-person team. At 24, this born and raised Edmontonian is the owner of Keeran Systems, an IT security and infrastructure design firm where his role is to “steer our ship and build our client base.”

Keeran “helps companies measure and manage security risk through network design, system support, and hardware procurement.

“We come in there like a SWAT team to clean things up,” says Patel, adding that they’re not there to replace a company’s IT department, only enhance it.

One specialty is vulnerability assessment: the evaluation of a company’s computer security.

“I think vulnerability assessment is the new antivirus of the millennium,” explains Patel.

A new software and hardware, called KeeranGuard, has the company on the radar in the United States. The product assesses a client’s network, rates the security risk and impact, and provides a solution. It was developed in collaboration with an American firm. Patel says it’s nearly 100 percent effective, and 12 percent of Fortune 1000 companies use KeeranGuard. Not a bad start to his long-term strategy of expanding nationally and into the European market in the next five years.

Patel gives his thoughts on having a successful company: “The secret is managing your growth. The challenge is delivering the solution on time.” ✔

EDMONTONIANS AUGUST 2006

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