Edmontonians Jan07

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ALBERTA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT PAGING COMPANY

pompous & unfair FUNNY

Thinking diamonds?

Think Canadian

By Muggsy Forbes

F

inally, the Journal has taken up

the cudgel against Shaw Cable’s attempt at bait and switch. Folks are lining up at Shaw’s stores to buy digital boxes and add more useless channels to their bills.

I’ve golfed with JR Shaw, chairman of the board, at the annual Shaw golf tournaments. His son, Jim Junior, now the president (and no longer called Junior) also played in the same tourneys. They probably get their digital converters at a discount.

According to the Journal article, Shaw had its reasons for moving the Golf Channel to digital only access. The ploy is working. After the cable monopoly made the switch in September, fans rushed out to buy the boxes for about $200 each… supporting my original premise that it was a “money grab.” The Christmas special was a real deal at $98.

Not even I hold the Shaw family personally responsible. All I know is that it’s made viewing golf a lot less convenient.

Gay Derk has watched a generation of men pass through the doors of Derk’s Menswear, the familyowned business that she runs with husband, Darrell and two sons, Sterling and Landon. “About 65 to 70 percent of our customers are under the age of 25,” says Gay who celebrates 30 years in the business this year.

“They’re more interested in making the world a better place than the previous Me Generation… and they’re doing it,” says the retailer. “They’re concerned about world peace, they go on help missions to Africa, they’re getting married earlier and want to have kids… and they’re into health. Just look at all the yoga studios opening up.”

Something of a quantum thinker, Gay’s passion for the company is shared equally by her desire to reach a wider audience for her thoughts on Connections to Source—think God—a book she’s writing that’s about 90 percent complete. Those who have heard her speak in public would applaud the plans of this fashion firebrand.

Now, what about trends for men in 2007? It’s all about the silhouette of the body. Says Gay: “Clothes are close and tight. Pants are not pleated and the lapels are real narrow; denims are tight, too.” Darrel will be off shopping to New York on January 21st, just hours after hosting their highly successful Bridal Fantasy that draws eight to 10,000 people to Northlands each year.

A reminder that the 32nd Annual Johann Strauss Ball takes place Saturday, February 3rd, at the Westin Hotel Edmonton. This is one of Edmonton’s most elegant black-tie affairs—an enchanting evening of Viennese charm that starts with a champagne

reception, followed by the Polonaise. This is a traditional court dance presented by the debutantes and their cavaliers—very good looking young ladies are escorted by good looking young men. The ball raises money to support deserving young Alberta musicians in their endeavours. Tickets are $200. Contact Brenda Dahl 780-467-8984. E-mail info@johannstrauss.ca or visit www.johannstrauss.ca

elderly lady was struggling to put her carry-on in the overhead bin when it started to go sort of backwards.

John leapt up and took the very heavy bag into his right arm. He felt some pain and, by the time he got to Toronto, he knew that something was wrong. It turned out the ligaments tore at the bottom of the arm, meaning that each one was pulled down and detached.

Very painful. Now the athlete is doing one armed exercises.

I always wait around for Dr. Ollie while she’s getting her hair upgraded by Alex Peck of Textures for Hair. Alex has cut my hair, such as it is, since puberty—hers, not mine. We met 18 years ago during one of my many single periods. I dated her mother Laurie Peck, who started her own agency for booking some of the best podium speakers in Canada. She has been living in Nanaimo for a number years, and still has a small stable of speakers.

Back to her daughter: I predict that Alex will be one of our great Canadian artists someday. She is just finishing her fine arts program at the University of Alberta. While she’s never shown her work anywhere of any significance, she sells most everything she paints. She’s in demand for commissioned portraits… but she tells me she’s in her flower period at present. I have to admit that I’m biased, but she is good.

Now if I can line up a meeting with my old buddy Doug Udell of Udell Gallery for one of his shows, the world could fall at her feet.

Dr. Ollie and I have a hard fast rule: We date every Friday night, come hell or high water. It’s usually a movie, dinner and getting caught up. A few weeks ago, we went to Blood Diamond, starring Leonardo diCaprio.

Very bloody; I’d be surprised if you bought a diamond for any special occasion. As we walked out of theatre, we ran into friends who were kind enough to invite us for coffee.

We joined Don Sr. and Marion Wheaton, Justice Doug Matheson and his wife Peg, and Max and Stephanie Ward. It seems that when they go to a movie together, Tim Horton’s is the place for coffee... something about the Timbits.

Both Ollie and I felt like the kids because most of the men are in their mid-eighties. Afterward, in retrospect, I wondered why all of these men are so successful. I came to the conclusion that they are successful couples. Their wives are their partners—which makes home life conducive for doing business. In the Wheaton’s case, Marion has done a heck of job of raising general managers for their dealerships.

John Stanton of the Running Room has given up helping little old ladies on airplanes. A few months ago, on a flight from Vancouver to Toronto, an

The restaurant, 4th and Vine, offers interesting Sunday fare—in addition to very good food, there’s movies and all-you-can-eat-popcorn. We saw Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, and Who Killed the Electric Car—both about corrupt corporations that will harm the population to protect profits. Everyone who sees the Gore movie will have a very different attitude toward global warming.

Congratulations to our new premier, Ed Stelmach. As a writer, I’m going to miss Ralph Klein.

There weren’t many months that went by without him saying something interesting. I hope Ralph and his wife enjoy their retirement. They both may have to learn to drive, carry their own luggage and buy their own groceries. It can be done.. but it hurts.

By the way, Doug Zmurchok knows something about diamonds. He’s a wholesaler in Western Canada— “one of the few guys on the road with credentials.” Doug took final exams in 2001 from the Gemological Institute of America in California and passed with 100 percent; “…a tough thing to do at my age.” This guy knows cut and colour.

“The industry was 100 percent nervous about Blood Diamond,” he says. “I heard about it a year ago,” but notes that things have improved since the atrocities recounted in the movie in 1992.

“A true diamond shouldn’t leave the country,” says the veteran of 15 years. “Diamonds in Canada should be pulled from the ground, cut in Canada, and then sold anywhere in the world. Each piece of the rock is identified and monitored; otherwise too much speculation enters the picture.”

Ever dealt with the dark side of diamonds? “I have been contacted to buy rough diamonds.” There’s a long pause in answer to “Who?” “People…but we’re not interested.” ✔ Additional reporting by Edmontonians staff.

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

EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007

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CELEBRATING

18

With Linda Banister

FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN

Vol. XVIII

JANUARY 2007

Poll

STATION

YEARS

No. 1

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

INSIDE FUNNY, POMPOUS AND UNFAIR Diamonds/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 POLL STATION Volunteering/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 CORPORATE ETHICS 2006 events/Somji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 THE TRANSFORMERS What is leadership?/Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 The Stelmach factor/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Agents of change/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Values are signposts/Hanlen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Conflict is inevitable/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Gift of the gab/Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 The bunnies within/Williamsen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 MAKING MONEY The arms race/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 EDMONTONIAN IN EXILE Public places/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 BIZINTEL Science & Tech/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 LIVELY LIFESTYLES Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 BARB DETERS Editor

editor@edmontonians.com COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Tom Bradshaw Les Brost Cheryl Croucher Janet Edmondson Muggsy Forbes Steffany Hanlen Ron Hiebert Bruce Hogle Cheryl Lockhart Greg Michetti David Norwood Erin Rayner Nizar J. Somji Colin Williamsen FEATURE WRITERS Barb Deters Don Hill Peter Drake McHugh Michael O’Toole Marg. Pullishy PHOTOGRAPHERS Terry Bourque Fred Katz

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dmonton has a great reputation for the capacity of its volunteer community.

Whether in short, discrete commitments or through ongoing efforts, the success of many events and organizations is due, in part, to the legions of volunteers. Recent literature however, suggests that volunteer levels are declining. In this month’s Poll Station we asked people about their volunteer activities.

HAVE YOU VOLUNTEERED IN THE PAST YEAR... PAST FIVE YEARS?

HOW WELL ORGANIZED ARE ORGANIZATIONS?

To begin, we explained that volunteering includes doing things on behalf of an organization or group without being paid. This can include any unpaid help provided to schools, religious organizations, sports activities, or community groups. We then asked respondents if they had volunteered in any way in the past year. Fifty-seven percent of respondents said they had volunteered in the previous year, and 76 percent said they had volunteered in the past five years.

Considering those respondents who had not volunteered in the previous year, 23 percent said they planned to volunteer in the next year.

Respondents who had no plans to volunteer were then asked for a reason. The most prevalent reason was lack of time (64 percent).

Eighty-eight percent of respondents who had volunteered in the previous five years said the volunteer managers at those organizations were sufficiently knowledgeable to effectively do their jobs. The remaining 12 percent spoke about the need for increased training for the volunteer managers.

Less than half (46 percent) of the volunteers we spoke with said there is a reasonable number of volunteers available for organizations and events.

However, only 27 percent said organizations have sufficient funds to manage the volunteers. Fiftyseven percent indicated there were adequate physical facilities for their volunteers. An equal proportion—57 percent—believed that the organizations they have volunteered with had sufficient policies and procedures regarding volunteers.

WITH WHAT TYPE OF ORGANIZATION(S) DO YOU VOLUNTEER? Those respondents who had volunteered in the previous five years were then asked to indicate the type of organization they volunteered with. Over one-quarter (27 percent) said they volunteered for a social services organization. A similar proportion, 25 percent, volunteered for organizations in the health sector, and 23 percent in the religious sector. Interestingly, women were more likely to volunteer for a health organization than men—30 percent versus 16 percent. Sixteen percent volunteered for a sports organization. Not surprisingly, 26 percent of men volunteered for a sports organization compared with nine percent of women. Finally, only eight percent volunteered for a cultural organization.

Again, respondents that had volunteered at some point in the previous five years were asked how many organizations had they volunteered with. While 38 percent had volunteered with a single organization, 26 percent had volunteered with four or more organizations. Thirty-four percent of respondents had volunteered with two or three organizations.

HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS ATTRACT MORE VOLUNTEERS? Finally, all respondents were asked to suggest strategies that organizations could use to get more volunteers. While 45 percent were unsure what could be done, 33 percent felt the provision of detailed information about the volunteer opportunity would be helpful. This information could include the required or expected time commitment and hours as well as the responsibilities of the position. Eleven percent felt a targeted recruitment process would help organizations get more volunteers.

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.

GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

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corporate ETHICS

Events of 2006 shape directions in 2007

By Nizar J. Somji

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t was a tumultuous end to 2006. So to set the stage for 2007, I wanted to share my assessment of the various events and how they will impact where we are going in the New Year.

POLITICALLY SPEAKING In Alberta, we saw an end to an amazing era and a surprising start to the next one. While Ed Stelmach’s victory in the provincial PC leadership race was a surprise to many, it was not that different from when Ralph Klein surprised Nancy Betkowski during the last leadership race. Of course, Ralph went on to lead Alberta for an amazing 14 years of growth. Federally, the year ended with another unexpected result with Stéphane Dion claiming victory in the Liberal leadership race, and once again a Quebec federalist is at the helm of the Liberal party. The result disappointed many Westerners, who felt a Bob Rae victory for the Liberal party would ensure new support for the Conservative party in Ontario.

From a federal perspective, the Dion victory does not solve anything. While there may be some movement in Quebec, it will not likely result in a majority government, and an election is clearly imminent in 2007.

While both victories were unexpected, the key for Alberta remains the ability for the government to make key decisions to ensure that our current prosperity leads to sustainable long term growth and opportunity for all Albertans. Over the past two years, many of these decisions have been delayed in anticipation of new leadership. These must now become a priority.

BUSINESS As 2006 drew to a close, we witnessed the abrupt end to the major push to convert cash flow-positive companies into income trusts. Many argue that this was a necessary move as the government was losing tax dollars and was likely to lose many more if the trend continued. Unfortunately, businesses abused a model which made sense for resource-based companies, enabling them to attract investment for continued research and exploration. But as non-resource businesses, especially retail organizations, switched to this model, the government response was inevitable.

The impact of this decision was dramatic in the short term, but will likely find middle ground quickly.

The real challenge remains the future of “flow through” shares, used extensively by oil and gas companies to fund exploration. In other parts of the country (especially British Columbia), they are also used by the film industry to fund various production and marketing costs while a film awaits commercial release and the resulting revenue. This model has grown recently and, with the fall of the income trusts, this growth is likely to continue. While the government has so far stayed away from these, any change to this may create a more dramatic reaction than what we saw with income trusts.

During the leadership debate, much discussion centred on how Alberta can enable local creativity and economic diversification, and create an environment where companies can remain and grow in the province. One key area is for the provincial government to match SRED— Scientific Research and Experimental Development— credits offered by the federal government. Alberta is one of only two provinces that does not offer matching credits today. This, in my mind, remains a priority.

However, some early stage companies, especially in the biotechnology arena, have opposed this model. SRED credits benefit those organizations that make money and are willing to invest that money for continued growth and development.

This is clearly the direction that makes sense.

Without provincial R&D credits, Alberta will continue to be an incubator of technology companies, only to see them leave for a better overall environment once they achieve commercial success.

PRESSING ISSUES The most pressing issue in Alberta remains access to people. While this has been a hot topic of conversation, very little has been done to take control of this issue.

Not enough is being done to help local companies, especially the smaller companies, to bring short term foreign workers, both unskilled and skilled, to keep overall costs down. There has to be renewed leadership within the provincial government to facilitate this— decisively and urgently.

Enrolment in university technology programs,

particularly in computer sciences, coupled with growing global demand will make competition for people resources a key driver in the technology sector.

Over the past few years, we recognized that the trend away from training in the trades had a detrimental effect on our booming economy. In the future, if a balance is not struck and the swing of the pendulum checked, we will be faced with the reverse problem. In the meantime, companies need to manage growing salary costs and provide additional incentives while facing stabilizing or softening margins.

2007 IN ANTICIPATION In Alberta, we have seen unprecedented growth, especially in the real estate markets. Fortunately, we are seeing costs begin to stabilize, which is key for sustainable, long term growth. It is my hope that the human resource issue will be tackled effectively to help sustain the development. Downtown Edmonton, with the anticipated arrival of the university campus as well as other development projects underway, will continue its renewal to bring us in line with other major centres around the country.

The Alberta (and the Edmonton) Advantage—lower cost of living, a weaker dollar and lower salaries—has declined over the past three years and completely disappeared in 2006. So in 2007, we must start defining and building a new Advantage… one that is not based on the lowest cost but on delivering the highest value.

As we transition from the era of “King Ralph” and usher in the era of “Steady Eddie”, my overall expectation is that 2007 will be a steady year. We will have a bit of a breather from the hectic pace of the past two years. However, we will not see the major decline that traditionally follows strong growth years.

To you and yours, the very best of 2007. Thank you for your continued readership and comments. ✔

Nizar J. Somji is president and CEO of Jaffer Inc., a management/ investment consulting firm; and chairman of the board of Matrikon Inc., a company he founded in 1988.

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Photo by Terry Bourque

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my space For Young Entreprenuers TOP THREE

Here’s my favourite TOP THREE for the month—be they associations, books, events or websites.

Networking, if done right, can be the strength behind a new businesses’ referral strategy. Here are three that come with great ups.

Canadian Association of Family Entreprise—CAFÉ: A great support and business building opportunity for family businesses. Information on the 23-year old nationwide organization can be found at www.cafenational.org West End Business Association: I hear business

Jennifer Murphy

By Erin Rayner

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or small and medium sized businesses— affectionately known as SMEs—marketing is about building sustainable, profitable relationships. It’s also about educating the community on new products, services and options that affect their quality of life.

SMEs have an advantage that big businesses envy and spend millions of dollars trying to inspire or simulate.

They are embedded deep within and trusted by their communities and can therefore access and educate them.

This column will speak with up and coming or new businesses as they start projecting their voices into the community. Our first profile is of a new company in the health and wellness world: Heat 4 Health brings the infrared warmth of the sunny beaches to Edmontonians without the hassle of airport security or the risks associated with UV. President Jennifer Murphy began the pursuit of entrepreneurship a year ago by leaving her corporate job in search of a franchise that served her belief in natural healing. Infrared heat was the way for her.

A WORD ON INFRARED Infrared heat differs from UV ray heat of tanning salons by offering the heat of the sun and the vitamin D we northerners miss, without changing the pigment in the skin. As Jen said, “UV is the ray that tans and infrared is the heat that grows vegetables.”

Heat 4 Health, operating since May 2006, has two locations, one on 109th Street near the University of Alberta and the other in West Edmonton Mall; both are in already established tanning salons.

When Jen and I met, we reviewed a specific print marketing piece she has been distributing in and around Whyte Avenue. The piece is a very bright, eye pleasing, full colour card extolling the health virtues of infrared heat.

Then Jen pointed out to me that the card is actually worth $5 off all packages at Heat 4 Health. A discount on a regular price can serve as an incentive to try a new service.

However, Jen had to tell me the promotional piece was a $5-coupon, I had not made the connection. And I had no idea what the $5 was “off”—$5 off $10 is considerably more attractive than $5 off $100.

Many businesses make the mistake of not looking at their marketing from the viewpoint of the consumer. As a business owner, all of the information is pertinent and it becomes hard to distinguish what is most important to the consumer. As a consumer, we only need key information to become interested enough to ask for more. Once, we become intrigued, the information from the business means more to us. We’re more likely to use the product or service because we’ve requested more info.

Based only on this one piece, I made some general recommendations to further Heat 4 Health’s quest to spread the word on infrared heat therapy: work with one key message.

Aside from a visually interesting design, the piece needs to be easy to read and understood by someone who does not have the business owner’s understanding of the product/service.

What is the purpose of this initiative? To inform? To inspire? To get traffic through the door? To sell memberships? Be clear in your own mind and then answer question #1. How do I accomplish this with one key thought?

Remember, effective, expressive marketing begins with a clear message whether it is to educate the community or drive traffic through the door – or both. ✔ Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and Communications Inc.

owners raving about the effect this vibrant west Edmonton association has on their referral business and their bottom line. For more information visit www.weba.org Leduc Nisku Economic Development Association: The drive out to Nisku in the heart of Capital Region’s influential international region at 6:00 am is definitely worth it! It is the only organization I’ve seen to have at least 150 people attend monthly breakfasts that start at 6:45 am. For more information visit www.internationalregion.com

Dear Erin Like many businesses in Edmonton and Alberta these days, I am having a hard time recruiting and retaining the right people. It was hard before, but lately our turn- over has become unbearable and will soon have a deep impact on our capacity to serve our customers. Can you offer any suggestions?

LL Dear Labour of Love Based on your e-mail, I would assume you are either in the hospitality industry or in the construction industry… although the current labour shortage affects more than these two industries. I would ask you a few questions: Have you ever conducted an exit interview?

We spend considerable time and resources to hire the right people but, when they decide it’s time to leave, it’s important to ask why. In this hot market, it could be money or other benefits… or it could be dissention within the ranks of your company.

Do you conduct annual or bi-annual employee satisfaction surveys? These are questionnaires that are anonymously answered by staff in each department and compiled by a third party. This process enables staff to offer feedback and insight into why they stay or are considering leaving, and what motivates them to recommend the company to others as a good place to work.

I believe in simplicity when it comes to marketing and communicating with an audience— be it staff, customers or suppliers—and sometimes the easiest way to find out why people do what they do is to ask. Don’t ever underestimate the power of asking the questions and implementing the answers.

You can submit marketing materials for review; suggest young entrepreneurs to be profiled; nominate a Top Three; or ask a business developement question. Please email erayner@edmontonians.com

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What exactly is leadership?

Eric Newell

By Don Hill

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t’s a question put to over 50 leaders in a series of conversations for a new CKUA Radio Network series about leading in the 21st Century.

“I heard it described on the weekend,” said Terry Wickham, the producer of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, “as walking behind the herd of sheep. People don’t even know it, but that is what’s guiding them.”

Elizabeth May, with a nod to tradition, tells a great yarn about leadership.

“Those are my people and I’m their leader,” the new federal leader of the Green Party said. “So I must catch up with them.”

There’s another story going around, no doubt you’ve heard it. What’s happened to the leadership in our country?

Where are all the leaders? Well… where are they?

Look around: That’s right—you are the leader. The leader is you.

Preston Manning put it well after the opening of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy when he declared that Albertans are in a unique position to demonstrate leadership in the country.

We have “complained about not having influence in Confederation for a long time,” Manning said. “But now the province has tremendous financial and political assets.

The question is: How are you going to use it?”

Before we start telling the rest of the country what to do, we better closely examine what is going on in our own backyard in Edmonton, and especially in our neighbourhoods.

What sets Edmonton apart from the other major metropolitan city in the province is self-evident to anyone who lives here. We enjoy a vibrant culture—world-class by some accounts—and are noted for our strong sense of community. It is no accident of growth. Over the decades, myriad dedicated people built our neighbourhoods with care and attention, and a vision that binds our city together to this day.

The past 18 months, however, have put extraordinary pressure on the distinctive communities we enjoy within our city. The explosion of economic growth—likely to be

Michael Percy

Preston Manning

Henry Mintzberg

sustained much longer than the last boom—has come at a price. Edmonton is changing very, very rapidly… to the point where nobody seems to be in charge long enough to chart a direction for the kind of community we have had in mind, let alone want to plan for.

“Leaders have to be able to develop a shared vision,” Eric Newell said in his pleasantly appointed office, surrounded by reminders of the city’s past. Now chancellor of the University of Alberta, the former CEO of Syncrude was once in a key economic driver’s seat, steering the province through a major boom and a bust. Newell knows that a carefully expressed vision “engages people… motivates people to be better than something they currently are.”

The Alberta Advantage has worked too well. We’re swamped with development. Perhaps it’s time for another “shared vision” for our city and the province—not so much about what we don’t want, but rather what we can design for ourselves.

Harold Nelson is the founder of the Advance Design Institute, an international organization based in Seattle. He’s also the co-author of The Design Way, a book that challenges the basic assumption that leadership and leading are mostly about problem solving.

“Design is a big deal,” Nelson said, pointing out that most leaders think their primary job is to resolve troublesome issues brought to their attention. The real problem, he argues, is that leaders create the conditions to only discuss problems. “People have a difficult time actually stating what they desire. And it’s very easy for them to say what they don’t like, what they don’t want.”

What would happen if opinion polls, for instance, were framed with questions about what we want in Edmonton— what we desire as Nelson put it—rather than what we object to?

It is certain true leaders need to engage us with a dynamic sense of themselves. But “charismatic leadership is vastly overrated and fundamentally destructive,” warned Michael Percy, the Dean of the School of Business at the University of Alberta.

A public policy economist by training, Percy is a veteran of provincial politics. He’s also been inside the minds of leaders at the federal level—politicians who have left their mark on the country. While a populist leader with a smart sense of what works at street level can captivate headlines with sheer charisma, Percy points out that in the long run, “very little will survive, in terms of successors and independent action behind the charismatic leader.”

Henry Mintzberg, the Cleghorn Chair of Management Studies at McGill University in Montreal agrees. Recognized worldwide as one of the leading commentators on management, and with many highly-regarded books on the subject to his credit, he admittedly is weary about the hype around leadership.

“It’s not this great one riding in on the white horse,” Mintzberg said during a hasty meal between sessions counseling a visitor, an advisor to the Bush Administration, and later, a roomful of high-profile business leaders.

“Despite all this hype about leadership, we’re not getting it.

And maybe we’re looking in the wrong place. Maybe we should be looking for community-ship… looking for people who will take things in their own hands, and take care of it.”

Community-ship challenges each and every Edmontonian to take responsibility as leaders.

Leadership comes in many flavours. Whether you’re managing in the middle, running a small business or a large multinational—perhaps you’re a volunteer at the local community league or a coach—I will be talking about contemporary leadership, best practices, and leading in the 21st Century on Inspiring Leadership, a series of radio documentaries beginning January 20th at 8 AM on the CKUA Radio Network. ✔ Don Hill, pictured above left, is a ‘thought leader’ with Leadership Development at the Banff Centre. He is also an award-winning writer and broadcaster with a large footprint on the internet. For more details visit: http://ckua.com or http://appropriate-entertainment.com

The Stelmach Factor

By Barb Deters

Government of Alberta Photo

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d Stelmach landed one of the most important positions in Alberta.

The interview process was long and arduous. That Steady Eddie even made it to the shortlist surprised many… that he got the nod from the majority of people on the selection committee shocked the perceived favourites and stunned the media.

As premier, Stelmach is the new president of Executive Council which essentially comprises the senior management team—his vice-presidents—of the equivalent of the biggest business in the province. And make no mistake about it, government is big business.

Stelmach vaulted into the seat of power amid much debate, heated discussion and hand-wringing angst. His every move is analyzed and dissected. His cabinet minister appointments have generated outrage and concern. The pundits worry that previously unknown backbenchers lack the wherewithal to run this province as it should be… to understand the complexities of big cities… to manage economic growth and unprecedented revenues.

Stelmach didn’t really have a transition plan developed before he moved into the east wing of the Legislature Building. Yet, to his credit, he has reorganized the power structure and downsized government ministries as he sees fit. He has made some surprise appointments. And he has set the priorities for each government department. He has challenged his caucus to get on board a new band wagon.

What kind of a leader will Ed Stelmach be? Honestly, only time will tell.

What is clear is that Ed Stelmach is his own man. ✔

Premier Ed Stelmach

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Photos by Terry Bourque

Williamsen, Bradshaw, Brost and Hanlen

presented by Northlands

By Barb Deters

I

ndulge us for a moment. Edmonton is the selfdescribed City of Champions—largely from the perspective of our thrilling sports teams. Last month, we won a national award that we all know belongs here: Cultural Capital of Canada. There’s our international reputation for staging events: We can do these in our collective sleep. And don’t get us started on the plethora of world-class medical and academic leaders who buy a one-way ticket to be near their peers in our fair city.

Now take these precepts and apply them to our business leadership. Yes, we have many fine, home-grown family enterprises. Edmonton is full of savvy entrepreneurs—but we can’t seem to sell the message that Alberta’s capital city is irresistible when it comes to finding investment capital, retaining promising young influencers, and recruiting corporate headquarters. Our small business start ups need attention, too.

So, maybe we don’t want to position ourselves as multinational Neanderthals. We like our identity as independent thinkers with a sense of soul. But think again about the notion of creating a much wider circle for our Champions of Business in Greater Edmonton. It requires a firm belief that our leaders—and leaders in training— belong in the winners’ circle.

We liked the idea so much that we’re doing something about it. The strategy was ambitious, yet simple: Recruit a team of executive coaches—recognized for their expertise—to inspire, motivate, and help change, if necessary, through Edmontonians in print, on-line, and in person.

We’ve called them The Transformers. They are here to help grow your business and stay healthy doing it.

Meet The Transformers and then check out what they have to say to and about Premier Ed Stelmach.

Tom Bradshaw Since graduating from York University’s exclusive MFA (Acting) program in 1992, Tom has worked as an actor, director, voice and speech coach. He spent three years in government, developing and delivering Performing Arts

programming. Encouraged by Dr. Walter Kaasa, Tom completed his Licentiate in Voice & Speech Education from Trinity College London, UK., in 2001. In 2002 Tom took over the voice and speech academy started by Dr. Kaasa in 1982 and became the official representative for Trinity/Guild Hall, the International Certification Board for the Communication and Performing Arts.

Today Tom works with a growing number of Western Canadian based companies, business leaders and professional speakers helping them to shape and deliver their messages, while remaining active in performance.

Tom holds membership in two international organizations VASTA, (Voice and Speech Teachers Association) USA, and STSD, (Society of Teachers of Speech and Drama) UK.

Les Brost Les is a third generation owner/operator of a large successful family ranch in southeastern Alberta. His practical approach to problem solving grew out of his early years as a rancher.

Les spent 15 years as an elected public school trustee and was given an honorary life membership of the Alberta School Boards Association. His experience in the public arena gives him great insight into the demands and challenges of an elected official. Similarly, three decades as a volunteer provide him first hand knowledge of organizational dynamics.

In 2002, Les was selected by Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and the Alberta Agriculture and Food Council to lead the Agrivantage Team and facilitate the agricultural industry to a new level of success.

Les is a trainer, facilitator and mediator with clients in the private sector, government, associations and organizations. His leadership role in corporate and nonprofit boardrooms gives him a unique perspective on problem solving and building organizational effectiveness.

Steffany Hanlen Steffany is an Olympic and world class performance

coach. She graduated from the U of A in physical education with specialties in athletic training and conditioning in 1986. For 16 years she was an NHL skating coach with the Edmonton Oilers and St. Louis Blues, and has worked with players on every NHL team.

With her training in neuro-linguistic programming and six years of working as a performance excellence coach for corporate clients, Steffany turned her focus to creative entrepreneurs, successful inventors, world class athletes, and performers of all types.

During the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turino, Italy, Steffany became the first ever performance coach to be accreditied by the COC and allowed to accompany athletes. She joined the Canadian champion ice dancers Marie France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauson in their bid for a medal.

Steffany is committed to bringing out the inner champion she believes everyone possesses.

Colin Williamsen Colin, president of The Wellness Coaches, Inc., combines his passion for health and wellness with East-West philosophies that embrace the mind and body.

His core business value is that healthy people lead healthy corporations. Clients include individuals and business leaders who want leading-edge intellectual capital on energy, strength, focus, and physical movement.

Think… Executive Muscle™.

With 13 years experience as a mind-body movement coach for executives, Colin has spent more than 25 years researching and formulating innovative wellness solutions. He trained in financial accounting before following his dream of using a holistic model for achieving optimum mind-body health. His revolutionary strategies for total health and wellness begin from the inside-out… considered to be unique in North America.

Colin holds two nationally recognized fitness certifications, and is a certified neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) coach and member of Toastmasters International. ✔

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Photo by Terry Bourque

Use your values like signposts

By Steffany Hanlen

C

Steffany Hanlen

8

ongratulations Mr. Stelmach. You have entered the winners’ circle… been selected “Best in Show” in the PC leadership competition. So, now what? What is your vision for the future of this province and its people?

Vision is the trademark of champions. Champions aspire to win and have achieved personal or professional goals, within a certain time frame. They are better than others at a time and place or, in your case, received more votes than your nearest competitor.

Your win is the end result of a lifetime of hard work, study, rigorous training and years paying your dues. A similarity between world-class sports and big-time politics is that competition and opposition are needed to really win big, to grow and do your best. The difference is that there is a slight bit (emphasis on slight) more politics in politics.

To hold a vision way beyond what you want for yourself takes what I call “The Champion’s Paradox”. In order for you to win, someone had to lose. This is the conflict that faces every champion—you know it well. And, you know that each time you make a decision or declaration that at least 50 percent of the population will be upset, feel left out or take offence. If you are aware of this off the top, it won’t come as such a big shock when the boo birds come out, which they will.

If your vision for your life is aligned with the vision you hold for the province, it becomes more motivating to you and your team than merely mouthing a few tired and over-used branding terms. If you envisage how Alberta can play and win at a national and global level, we may finally be able keep the ‘Battle of Alberta’ on the ice or football field. Wouldn’t it be great to channel the energy now spent on one-upmanship between north and south to becoming as great as we can be.

By embracing the big picture, you just might find that everyone in our fraternal twin cities and rural areas will buy in.

People can support a vision that connects and engages strengths to make us a major player if they can see what is in it for them.

People love winners. People galvanize and dedicate themselves to winners whose vision they share. Choose your values very carefully; they define who you are and they become what you present to the world to be judged. Your performance, like an athlete’s, will have very obvious and tangible results. Decisions are a required element of your program.

Each decision moves your vision closer to becoming a reality. Use your values like signposts to guide you and get you

back on track when you get lost. Your vision is your ultimate destination—the grand view of what you want for yourself and the people of this province. Work backward from there and you will find your to-do list. It will become very obvious what needs to happen.

You have a good start toward the vision based on your values of integrity, honesty and teamwork. Let’s take a quick look at those words.

Integrity is not morality. In politics, as in life, these words mistakenly get interchanged. Integrity is being true to your values in all situations; it is based on who you are being when no one is looking. Morality is up for discussion, integrity is not.

Honesty, Mr. Premier, is truth. But, depending on the situation, you can be honest without necessarily telling the truth— the whole truth and nothing but. Be careful with this one as it opens you up to take shots from all sides. You always have to remember what you have said in order to be consistent.

It is easier just to tell the whole truth, than try to figure out the least damaging spin later.

The role of the opposition—and, apparently, the media—is to point out your inconsistencies. They will keep you on track with what you say.

Teamwork is tougher to define: In some sports, we are taught that there is no ‘I’ in team. In your case, this could not be further from the truth. You need to be crystal clear with the who you are (your values), in the what you do (your position).

You have to have a very strong ‘I’ to be a leader of any team.

These words— integrity, honesty and teamwork—inspired people to vote for who you were being, not what you said or how your said it.

The PCs voted for something beyond your personality or your decision not to point out the weaknesses and flaws of the other candidates. You took the high road and, in this case, “the good guy won.” It also means that you will also be under scrutiny when it is perceived that you are not focusing on those values.

Creating a vision for your leadership is important. Creating a vision for your life is crucial.

As we say in Alberta: Stick to your guns… stay true to your values… share your vision. Remember that you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Walk the talk—everything you say and do will be tested. ✔ Steffany Hanlen is a personal performance coach who conducts “The Champion Seminars.”

Contact shanlen@edmontonians.com

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Photo by Terry Bourque

Conflict is inevitable F

By Les Brost

or you, Ed Stelmach, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you have embarked on a new and exciting journey as the Premier of Alberta. The bad news is that you have won the toughest conflict-management job in the province.

You possess outstanding interpersonal skills and are perveived to be an honourable and trustworthy man. That’s good news. The bad news is that you will need all thoses skills... you will need to draw deeply from that pool of public trust and goodwill you have created to effectively manage the conflicts that come with the premiership.

Your experience in municipal and provincial politics, and in real life—as a farmer, father and husband—has taught you that conflict is inevitable. But, is it really necessary?

Shouldn’t there be a collective sigh of relief when everyone—caucus, staff or family—is “on the same page”?

The answer is “yes”... and “no”.

Yes, you are right to feel relieved if you all share the same values. The “no” comes when the focus shifts from values to action, and when differing ideas emerge on developing action strategies.

It all starts with your values. You are now the leader of your party, and it is essential that the members of your team understand your personal values. They, too, have to be “on the same page.”

What are your values? Take a quiet moment to sit down with a piece of paper and list the core values that guide Ed Stelmach, Premier of Alberta, farmer, family man and human being. Review and prioritize them. Which are the “rocks” that you hold to most fiercely? Which are further down the list and open to compromise?

Now share that list with Mrs. Stelmach. Ask for her perception of the values assessment that you have just completed. Is this what she sees? Use her observations to fine-tune the list.

Next, discuss your core values—minus the prioritization—in separate meetings with your cabinet and caucus.

Both groups must clearly understand and support the values that you bring to the Premier’s Office. Use the discussions to develop a common understanding that will guide your government. Talk about the potential consequences for individuals whose actions are inconsistent with those values. This is tough work—but crucial for success in turning values into action. Creating this dynamic is where conflict becomes a necessity.

Conflict at this level is to progress as yeast is to wine. If you have 20 people around the table all saying exactly the same thing, you have 19 people too many at the meeting.

Having everyone “on the same page” in this stage often means that no one is reading the rest of the book. Take the advice of Mao Zedong and “Let a hundred flowers bloom.”

How will you harness the different opinions of your team in cabinet and caucus? This is where your interpersonal skills will serve you well. Your key tool will be your excellent listening skills. Ensure that everyone is heard and respected—particularly the dissenting voice. That dissenting voice has value and must be understood. Use probing questions to find answers to important questions: What is driving the dissent? Are core values or interests actually being threatened?

Using that information, think about these key questions: How can the competing interests be reconciled? How might you resolve the situation? Are you prepared to sacrifice time to reach agreement? At what point do you use your power as premier to end disagreement?

For a premier, managing conflict in government can be a full-time job. The good news is that you can delegate your power to manage discord. The bad news is that you will be held accountable for the actions of those exercising power on your behalf. One of the key issues in the PC leadership race was the unhappiness of many party members with the operating style of those who exercised power on behalf of Premier Klein. Make your values and standards crystalclear to those acting on your behalf, and hold them directly

Les Brost accountable for their actions. Let them know that you expect them to resolve conflict by listening to understand, to always treat others with respect, and to go the extra mile to find common ground.

Yes, you are setting out on a unique journey. Along the way, you will find bad roads and hard traveling. Your critics will savage your mistakes, and the spinmasters and fartcatchers will slather on the smarm. The gritty reality of politics will make it hard for you to stay centred on your core values. That’s the bad news.

The best news is that Albertans are ready for a new style of leadership... for a leader who listens and who respects those who “read from the different pages.” We are not looking for another “king”, or someone who is “one of the boys”. We are looking for a steady, honest leader who will bring out the best this province has to offer. That sounds a lot like you, Ed Stelmach. Happy trails and enjoy your journey! ✔ Les Brost is head of Southern Star Communications.

Contact: lbrost@edmontonians.com

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D

uring the recent Tory leadership race, I had an opportunity to see some of the inner workings of the political process while providing some basic advice in effective speech communication. In early October, I attended an all-candidates forum hosted by the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, observing the contenders in action as they tried to drum up support at its convention.

I wasn’t there to judge the candidates on their political platforms, but to assess their abilities as speakers and communicators and their impact on the audience. One of the characteristics of leaders is their ability to move others through oratory. Let’s call it, “the gift of gab.” With the results still leaving many Albertans scratching their heads, my notes from that night gathered some interesting insights.

First the set-up. Each candidate—at that time, there were nine—had five minutes to impress members of the AUMA. At the end of the evening, here’s how I had ranked the speakers’ abilities to positively impact the audience: Dinning, Stelmach, McPherson, Hancock, Oberg, Morton, Norris, Doerksen, and Delong.

These are my comments on the performance of three who squared off in the final round:

Gift of the gab

By Tom Bradshaw

By Colin Williamsen

T

oday’s executives are dealing with higher levels of stress than ever before, thanks in large part to the current booming business climate in which they spend their days. They are under a lot of pressure and have to respond quickly to lightning-like change to position their businesses to maximize current and future prosperity.

As the new premier of Alberta, Ed Stelmach faces similar challenges—albeit the stakes are considerably higher... the scrutiny of his performance more public... the scope more daunting.

Successful executives realize that time is

★★★ Jim Dinning—is an accomplished and wellrehearsed speaker. His speaking style encompasses a wide variety in pace and tone. This makes it very easy for the listener to focus on the speaker and the statements he makes. He also uses volume very effectively to build a sense of urgency and momentum.

While Mr. Dinning’s speech was well done, it should be stated that he said very little and made no substantial guarantees. Overall, he was very well accepted by the audience and came off as strong “leadership material.”

Mr. Dinning also remained focused during the entire evening. While others had the podium, he observed them and, in many cases, drew focus from the speaker.

★ Ted Morton—did a good job at speaking on the needs of the audience. He also displayed a good sense of humour. However, his strong nasality made it difficult for the audience to maintain focus. He also resorted to a number of stock statements, stating the obvious. Mr. Morton did, however, connect well with the audience.

All great leaders are accomplished orators. Ronald Reagan became known as a great communicator for his ability to sway the populace. The approval rating of George W. Bush continues to decline and his inability to express himself is the fodder of late night talk show hosts.

Will Premier Stelmach become the next great communicator? Well, he has certainly made a lot of people stop and start listening. ✔ Tom Bradshaw is the head of the Academy of Voice & Speech. Contact: tbradshaw@edmontonians.com

The bunnies within... not the key issue—it is having adequate energy to maintain a competitve advantage.

Where does energy come from? From a cellular perspective, at birth you are given one mitochondria (pronounced mit-o-con-drea) per cell which is where 90 percent of your cellular energy is produced in the form of ATP—Adenosine Triphosphate. Think of each mitochondria as an Energizer Bunny—the powerhouse of each and ever cell in your entire body.

The fascinating aspect of our cells—all 75 to 100 trillion of them—is that they can replicate and maintain up to 1,000 mitochondria per cell...that’s 1,000 energiner bunnies throughout our life. The way to create more energy, or increase the amount of powerhouses in each of our cells, is to increase their workload by forcing them to do more work than they are normally used to. This can be achieved by incresing the amount of intensity and duration of any type of physical movement that you are currently perfoming in your life. Try pilates, yoga, all types of cardiovascular conditioning, or resistance/weight bearing activities.

You can also increase the amount of oxygen or cellular repiration by doing deep diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing) which increases the amount of oxygen by 700 percent in each of our cells as

Colin Williamsen

Photos by Terry Bourque

★★ Ed Stelmach—began his presentation rather quickly, but he soon slowed to a very reasonable pace.

This drew the audience in and allowed them to focus on the finer points of his address. He also paused after making key points, giving the audience time to evaluate and agree with much of what was being said.

I would be surprised if Mr. Stelmach has not previously received some training in speaking. He does have a slight tendency toward nasality which can reduce his positive appeal somewhat. He should also consider a moderation of volume or pace when delivering a list to build enthusiasm. I would also caution him against leaning too much on the podium as this can make him look unstable and unsure.

Overall, Mr. Stelmach made his points successfully and was able to get a great deal of the audience on his side.

compared to shallow breathing. Imagine a balloon in your stomach: As you inhale throug your nose, you inflate the balloon; as you exhale through your mouth, you deflate it.

Another key factor in producing and maintaining a high level of cellular energy is proper hydration which plays a vital role in the production of your body’s electrical energy. Minerals from a well-balanced nutritional plan and electrolyte supplements when required can provide the electrical sparks, while water creates the perfect environment to conduct the electrical energy throughout the entire body.

Optimal water intake varies widely, and your requirements can be far different one day to the next as well as each season to the next. It is recommended that your minimum daily intake be at least 11.5 cups: That’s 5.5 for the kidneys, two for the lungs, two for skin, 1.5 for the breath, and .5 for the intestines. Your daily intake will be decreased if you eat water rich fruits, vegetables and sprouted foods. Daily needs will be increased by physical activity, eating more meat, eggs or salty foods, as well as a fever, heat or excessive conditions, including dry, hot or windy climates. The most important principle is to listen to your own body, and drink when you’re thirsty.

When water is used to re-hydrate or cool the body, it is best taken 30 minutes prior to or 60 minutes after meals. If large amounts are taken with meals, the digestive enzymes and secretions are diluted, resulting in the nutrients from the food not being effectively extracted. If you drink water with meals, it needs to be a few ounces of warm water in the form of soup or herbal tea at the end of the meal.

Too much water can cause sensations of coldness, and can also weaken digestion and the energy of the whole body. This is supported by Chinese healing traditions which state an excess of water depletes the “digestive fire” of the spleen and pancreas, and hinders the ability of your kidneys and adrenals to provide warmth and energy.

In her presentations, I have heard mental performance coach Steffany Hanlen say, “Champions have no comfort zone.” Take that to heart, Premier Stelmach. Maintaining your energy levels is probably more important now than at any other time in your life. You will need to fuel your internal powerhouses to keep going… and going… and going. ✔ Colin Williamsen is the president of The Wellness Coaches Inc. Contact: cwilliamsen@edmontonians.com

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money MAKING

By Ron Hiebert

The Arms Race There’s money to be made, but...

H

will to solve its own internal problems without outside intervention, let alone tackle anyone else’s. China has so much domestic corruption that it maintains a policy of not dealing in other country’s internal affairs for fear of bringing attention back on itself.

enry Kissinger, America’s Secretary of State during the Nixon era, predicted that the world was going to become a much more dangerous place in the future. In the 1970s and 80s, the U.S. was locked in an arms race with the Soviet Union. That was scary enough, as each side had sufficient weapons of mass destruction to vaporize every human on the face of the Earth 100 times over, but at least in the Cold War world you knew who your enemy was. In that neat little bi-polar world, most countries stacked up pretty neatly as either pro-western or pro-communist. The superpowers talked tough but they played by, what we would consider today, gentlemen’s rules. They only conducted their skirmishes with one another in far away Third World countries, they knew how many weapons each side had pointing at one another and, if things got out of hand, they had hotlines installed so they could call each other and defuse things.

A NEW ARMS RACE

THE WORLD IS BECOMING A COMPLICATED PLACE Kissinger said that we would move from a bi-polar world, where only two superpowers called the shots and everybody played by their rules, to a multi-polar one. In this new age, the balance of global power, and thus the threats that would have to be dealt with, would be split among many, many players. He predicted that in a multi-polar world, it would be much more difficult to maintain peace because of all of the conflicting agendas.

In that kind of world, neither the U.S. nor Russia would wield a big enough hammer to stop conflicts.

Today, we have pretty much reached that point. Russia is virtually bankrupt and doesn’t have the ability to project its political power much beyond its borders.

Uncle Sam’s resources are stretched to the breaking point in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even if they weren’t, the American voter is in no mood to get sucked into another military conflict. In the political vacuum that has ensued, countries like Iran, North Korea and Sudan have been left virtually unchecked to pursue their own agendas.

The only two powers besides the U.S. that could exert some influence on the world stage are Europe and China. Europe is a toothless tiger that has never had the

Edmontonian IN EXILE

By Janet Edmondson Janet and Owen Edmondson moved to Calgary in July.

Janet can be contacted at jedmondson@edmontonians.com

The global commodities boom is largely responsible for pushing the world into becoming multi-polar. Countries and political groups that were aggressive in the past typically didn’t have the financial resources to back up their rhetoric. Sixty-dollar-a-barrel oil, $14-a-pound nickel and $3-a-pound copper have given some of the world’s most morally bankrupt regimes a financial lifeline. Now they have the military muscle to not only put down armed rebellion in their own countries but to spread their style of government and philosophies beyond their borders.

According to figures released by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, global military spending has grown by 25 percent since 2001. Total military expenditures exceeded $1 trillion last year. This works out to 2.5 percent of the world’s gross national product or $173 per person.

The arms race is predicted to accelerate even more rapidly over the next few years unless global diplomacy has an unexpected triumph. North Korea’s surprise underground test of a nuclear device is causing Japan, South Korea and even Taiwan to re-examine their nuclear options. With China, Russia, and now North Korea posing a nuclear threat to the region, you can bet that none of the neighbouring democracies will allow themselves to be bullied.

Central Asia, India, Pakistan and Israel have serious nuclear capabilities. Iran is well on its way to joining that club and is scaring others into considering development of their own deterrents. When the president of Iran talks about spreading jihad, countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia know he is not just aiming his threats at western powers.

Developing nuclear weapons is hideously expensive, but so is outfitting a modern army. Gone are the days where you give a soldier a backpack, a Kalashnikov and a few rounds of ammunition before sending him out to fight. High tech weapons, electronic surveillance systems, vaccines for biological and chemical weapons,

M

y father enjoyed a 40-year career with Alberta Government Telephones, first in Calgary and later in Edmonton. Years ago, he told me that every human bodily function has been performed, with alarming regularity, in phone booths. If Dad were alive today, he’d have trouble finding a phone booth in either city. He would, however, approve of Calgary’s attempts to limit the amount of revolting behaviour perpetrated in other public places.

Calgary’s city council recently enacted a Public Behaviour bylaw that they hope will “regulate problematic social behaviours that may have a negative impact on the enjoyment of public places”. These target behaviours range from the juvenile—standing or putting your feet on a table, bench, planter or sculpture—to the downright disgusting— spitting, urinating or defecating in public.

modern planes, ships and vehicles make supplying the modern soldier a very costly affair.

Terrorism has also changed the composition of defense spending. Before 9/11, homeland security was basically a customs official at the border checking your passport and making sure that you paid duty on goods bought outside the country. Today, security at borders, ports, power plants, nuclear reactors, manufacturing facilities, and water treatment plants has been beefed up considerably.

INVESTORS CAN PROFIT The arms race is back and unfortunately a great deal of money is going to be made supplying the huge global demand for all things military. Whether an investor wishes to participate is a personal issue, but for those who want to profit from this trend there are some amazing opportunities. In traditional providers of military hardware like planes, ships and tanks, you have companies like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics among the big global players. Electronics and high tech should also be big winners. Names to watch include BAE Systems, Raytheon and CAE. Even security firms like Canada’s Garda World Security should profit as a result of more political pressure to beef up domestic safety. The Department of Homeland Security in the U.S. is asking for $58.3 billion dollars to fund its 2007 budget, and approximately $20 billion of that is going to new initiatives to secure its borders.

When global military spending broke $1 trillion last year, it became one of the world’s largest businesses.

With tensions increasing globally, there is very little reason to think that it isn’t about to get much, much bigger. ✔

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

Loitering, fighting, and possession of a visible weapon will also be punished, with fines for all these nasty acts ranging from $50 to $300.

Edmonton’s Public Places bylaw is a tad feeble. Our fair city’s biggest concerns seem to be to regulate littering, throwing rocks or snowballs, fighting, or depositing dangerous substances in public places—although they might nail public spewers with that one. We tend to overlook the really gross actions of our fellow Edmontonians, and limit public censure to folks who don’t pick up after their pets.

I’ve been walking a lot more since I moved to Calgary and, while I have yet to see a difference in the hygiene of the sidewalks, it’s encouraging to think that somewhere on the streets of this metropolis, a public spitter is being handed a ticket.

Spit does not have to happen. ✔

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BizINTEL

S cience &Tech with Cheryl Croucher

When I popped by the Alberta

Research Council just before Christmas to interview John McDougall, I couldn’t help but notice the big grin on his face. So we talked about that for a moment—two events gave rise to the extra bright sparkle in his eyes.

John McDougall

One was his recent presentation at the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Club of Edmonton. “I haven’t been so excited about a talk in a very long time,” John confided.

Titled Hindsight—The Key to Effective Foresight, it was an opportunity for John to review Alberta’s history and give some insights into where he sees us heading in the future. And who better to speak to this than the president and CEO of ARC…

B izIT 101 with Greg Michetti

TORONTO – It’s cartoony, clear and cool. And it is finally ready.

At the end of November, Microsoft officially launched its new operating system called Windows Vista, to the business community. All flavours of Vista, such as the Home version, will be widely available by the end of this month.

The official launch itself was different. It is a rare occurrence for corporations to, as Microsoft Corporation did, simultaneously release a new operating system and a new version of Office. It is extremely rare if the company ships a new version of a key plank in its backend platform as well. Still, that was precisely what happened as the Redmond giant announced Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 and Office 2007 at the same time as Windows Vista.

Naturally, Microsoft wants us to buy all three and is pitching a softer “people-ready” angle that focuses on simplifying how users work together; improved search functions, stronger security and better managed content.

Windows Vista—in versions such as Enterprise; Ultimate; Home, Home Premium, and Business—has plenty of new features in addition to the slick 12

John finished his talk with a glimpse at where we could be in 2050. He foresees Alberta’s population hitting five million, further stressing basic services. It will be a time when wastewater and solid waste production will double… when demand for electricity will triple, and nuclear reactors will be built to tap uranium supplies in the northeast. What are we doing now to prepare for the social, economic and technological challenges?

What are we doing now to avert potential disasters?

That leads to the second reason for that extra big grin on John’s face: Innoventures Canada, or I-CAN. During the past year, he has worked hard to bring together a consortium of research organizations from across the country. The founding members include the Alberta Research Council, Saskatchewan Research Council, Manitoba Industrial Technology Centre, and The Centre for Industrial Research in Quebec. John is president and founding chair of this new federally incorporated company.

Under the umbrella of I-CAN, says John, “It basically gives us one seamless national brand and the capability to help people commercialize technology.”

Like many others, he is concerned about the vacuum that exists between research and full commercialization, that middle space where Canada is so weak. “We’re basically exporting value-added opportunities in science and technology elsewhere. We’re exporting ‘technology logs,’ to use a forestry analogy, rather than putting value into them and making sure Canada gains the benefit of all that activity.”

So now, when innovators and companies go looking for someone to help them with the development and commercialization of new products and technologies, they can go to I-CAN and gain the synergistic expertise that comes from all the member organizations.

One of the first I-CAN projects, to be announced later this month, is a huge endeavour to harness carbon dioxide and put it to work. While I am sworn to secrecy until then about what it entails, I can tell you it catapults into stardom the

looking, modern new interface. Despite the colourful looks, it really is much more functional.

For example, the operating system optimizes file transfers by analyzing network availability, and adjusts data transfers to receive more or less data for faster transfers over networks. The Windows Imaging (WIM) format—a hardware-agnostic image file format— gives companies a ghost-like format to allow multiple images to be stored in one file. This means administrators can now set up new computers on the network in a hurry. Windows Vista personal firewall and Windows Service Hardening are other new tools that prevent critical Windows services from being used for abnormal activity.

New search capabilities help users find emails, applications, configuration settings or documents anywhere on their computers or attached network drives much faster than the simple Explorer search. Vista ships with a premade search folder, called Recently Changed, which displays recently modified files.

Ever have a hardware crash in XP? Sure you have. Now Vista’s new DDM (Windows Display Driver Model) runs outside of kernel mode; meaning incorrect display driver failures aren’t as likely to bring down the entire system.

The system also ships with built-in spyware detection software (Windows Defender) and a new firewall that filters outgoing traffic and incoming traffic. In

addition, it has built-in support for speech recognition and handles user/ administrative rights far better than XP, where junior systems administrators simply handed out system administrator rights to all users.

I also liked the Vista diagnostic called Reliability and Performance Monitor. It displays a summary of the load on a machine’s processor, memory, disk and networking systems, and lets you drill down for more details.

For mobile users, Vista also now includes a new control dialog, called the Mobility Center, which collects configuration options related to Tablet PC or notebook PC use, such as battery, Wi-Fi radio and file synchronization controls into one area. With this, users can configure wireless connections, set brightness controls, and specify powersaving options, all from one location.

The Sync Center provides a single place to control data synchronization: between PCs and servers and/or devices. A new collaboration feature called Windows Meeting Space enables peer-to-peer virtual meetings among as many as 10 users, on or off the corporate network.

Windows Vista comes in 32-bit and 64-bit versions. For the 32-bit release, you will need an x86 processors of 800MHz or better. The 64-bit version (which can also run the 32-but version) can run on Advanced Micro Devices’ Athlon 64 and Opteron and Intel’s EM64T processors.

and great-grandson of fur trader John A. McDougall, a man who played a pivotal role in the settling and development of the west and Edmonton, in particular.

Here are two points worth highlighting from his talk because they so clearly demonstrate what underlies John’s vision for innovation.

• The future sustainability of Alberta and Canada is tightly linked to the ability of its companies to develop and deploy technology. Technology helps companies remain globally competitive. It mitigates the environmental and social impacts of industrial development. It enables companies to grow, to generate exports and to provide well-paying meaningful jobs. And this generates the wealth that supports a high quality of life.

• The ARC is Canada’s oldest, largest and most successful research and technology organization (RTO) and plays a unique role in Alberta’s innovation system. We focus on being the best in Canada in developing and demonstrating leading edge technology for deployment through companies and other organizations. We do this in the public interest by effectively combining a businesslike approach with our social and environmental agenda.

lowliest of organisms to solve one of the biggest environmental problems our world faces.

This plays very well into John’s vision for 2050, when the commercialization of R&D we invest in today lays the foundation for the new bio-economy—the engine of our future sustainability. John McDougall’s future paradigm hinges on the implementation of four concepts: Agriplex, Zero Emissions City, Integrated CO2 Biology, and Fibre Refinery.

Essentially, we take another look at what we are doing on the land… use all the parts from our crops and forests to produce materials, chemicals, and fuels… and look at carbon dioxide as a resource, not a waste product.

I-CAN. Can do.

Another example of pooling resources to create something bigger than the sum of its parts is the new Ingenuity Enterprise program.

Announced just before Christmas with an official launch scheduled for sometime in February, the program is a collaboration between Alberta Ingenuity, TEC Edmonton and University Technologies International in Calgary.

Alberta Ingenuity is contributing $3.2 million over the next three years.

According to Dr. Peter Hackett,

Dr. Peter Hackett

By the way, testing of Vista and related applications was extensive as beta users of Windows, Office and Exchange Server 2007 downloaded more than five million beta versions of the three products.

So. Should you rush out and get a copy of Vista once it is available? Sure, but you probably won’t. My guess is most people won’t buy Vista until they get a new PC. At the same time, they will pick up a copy of Microsoft Office 2007 Basic (Word, Outlook and Excel) with OEMs probably included on the machine for at least a 90 day version.

Most system administrators won’t deploy Vista until Vista Service Pack 1 is released; sometime in the second half of 2007, or about the same time as Microsoft’s Longhorn Server is slated to ship.

Before you do anything, check out the various Vista-related websites and make sure your personal computer can actually handle the upgrade; especially relating to a good graphics/video card.

Visit the home page at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/ default.aspx ✔ Gregory B. Michetti of the Alberta-based systems integration firm Michetti Information Solutions, Inc. can be reached via www.michetti.com EDMONTONIANS JANUARY 2007

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Ingenuity’s president and CEO, this will strengthen the efforts of TEC Edmonton and UTI to cultivate student entrepreneurs at the U of A and U of C. The funding will support five programs which will be delivered by TEC Edmonton, UTI, and a cornucopia of partners: the U of A School of Business and Centre for Entrepreneurship and Family Enterprise, THECIS, and the U of C Haskayne School of Business, among others.

These include executive-in-residence programs; a student entrepreneur development program which matches MBA students with mentors and internships to capitalize on technology-based opportunities; a student technology business plan program; enterprise outreach activities; and graduate innovation studies focused on the technology commercialization process.

As so many have noted, it’s not enough to come up with good ideas. Canada has to work harder to get those innovations into the marketplace to help grow our economic wealth. So researchers have to also start thinking about business along with their science.

For Paul Cataford, president and CEO of UTI, the objective is to give birth to and nurture many more new start-up companies. “In order to grow our innovation system to the point of self-sustainability, we need to develop out management base and build stronger linkages to the research base. The creation of Ingenuity Enterprise will help us get there much sooner.”

As Dr. David Cox, president and CEO of TEC Edmonton, states, “This funding allows us to coordinate Alberta-wide services from the two major hubs to help university and college students and other regional innovators capitalize on entrepreneurial talent and a wealth of regional opportunities.” ✔ 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 Contact: ccroucher@edmontonians.com

C ivic Buzz with David Norwood

By the time this column appears, Alberta’s new Premier Ed Stelmach will have settled into the job; we’ll have a new cabinet, and we’ll likely know where 2007 will take us, provincially at least.

But as this is being written, there are more than a few doubts, particularly amongst Calgarians, about where Stelmach and his government will take them.

For most of us north of Red Deer, his election as PC leader and premier brought about an audible sigh of relief, eliminating the threat of a sharp swing to the right at the hands of an ex-University of Calgary professor who called Edmonton the “capital of northern Alberta,” and the man who really did personify corporate Calgary, Jim Dinning.

What surprised many of us amateur political observers, in discussions following Stelmach’s victory, was the outrageous sense of selfentitlement that emanated from the Calgary business community. Edmonton Journal columnist Graham Thompson perhaps captured it best when he wrote about the first media conference that Stelmach held after being elected: Their angst was reflected in one Calgary newspaper’s headline on Monday morning: “Just say ‘no’ to Calgary — Conservatives vote anything-but-cowtown.”

With that in mind, one Calgary reporter asked Stelmach: “Will things change for Calgary?”

The question baffled Stelmach who responded with his own: “In which way?”

“In the government’s emphasis,” said the reporter. Stelmach still looked puzzled and then responded with a line that drew laughs from the room and stopped the reporter cold: “Was there an emphasis on Calgary?”

How was the reporter supposed to answer? If he answered “yes,” he’d be saying Calgary unfairly had too much political power under Calgarian Ralph Klein — an admission that maybe it is time for a rebalancing act.

If the reporter said “no,” he’d be undermining his own original question.

It was a clever comeback for Stelmach, a flash of the wit and intelligence that his supporters say is there if you just take the time to look.

How many years could we in Edmonton have said

M

edia Minute with Bruce Hogle

Print and electronic media across the province have once again heralded the birth of New Year’s babies in their respective communities. Proud and happy parents are ecstatic in the knowledge that their offspring, plus all others born in this incredible province and land, or those who come here from abroad, can truly become whatever they desire.

A case in point is Giuliano Zaccardelli, 58, who came to Canada from his native Italy when he was only seven, and rose through the ranks to become Commissioner of the RCMP. But Zaccardelli blew his 30-year career out the window when he resigned last month. The reason: confusing and contradictory statements given to the parliamentary committee on public safety, regarding the force’s tragic mishandling of Canadian Maher Arar—erroneously labeled a terrorist and deported to Syria where he was imprisoned and tortured.

Compare that utter stupidity to Ed Stelmach of Andrew, 55, grandson of a Ukrainian homesteader, who is heading into his first full year as Alberta’s 13th Premier, and whose remarkable lifestyle is one we should all try to emulate. Let me tell you why: Edward Michael Stelmach never learned to speak English until he started Grade 1 in Andrew.

He sold Fuller brushes while attending high school, dug wells in the summer, and worked at Woodward’s while studying law at the U of A. But he gave up his aspirations to become a lawyer when his older brother died. Ed returned to help his father on the farm.

Ed and Marie bought that farm, raised four children and, at a time when cattle and hog prices were abysmal, went into mammoth debt as interest rates hit 24 percent.

that after an election, but just bit our tongues instead? The fact is that Peter Lougheed started the trend, but Ralph Klein perfected it: creating two capitals in Alberta, and Klein’s preferred one was Calgary. He made it possible for business and government to do business with the Alberta government without ever having to come to the Capital. Premier Stelmach can be expected to do much more government business in Edmonton. It’s not so much payback time as it is a “repatriation” of the province’s capital to Edmonton, where it belongs. It’s a welcome change.

Speaking of Calgary, those of us who listen to CBC Radio—and there are more than a few of us—will have noted that CBC Radio One in Calgary can now be heard on both AM and the much clearer FM frequencies. Earlier, the Corp. announced that Radio One in both Edmonton and Calgary would be made available on the FM band as well as the existing AM one before the end of 2006. Well, that happened in Calgary in late November, accompanied by annoying (to me at least) province-wide promos with the tag-line “Completely Calgary” (which tends to reinforce the notion that CBC really does stand for “Calgary Broadcasting Corporation”). But nothing was forthcoming about Edmonton’s Radio One FM availability. Not to blame the CBC people locally; they are controlled in these matters by powers beyond our city boundaries, in both Calgary and Toronto. So I recently e-mailed CBC Edmonton asking when we might also get the Radio One upgrade. I received a prompt reply from the CBC Edmonton communications department telling me that the launch is scheduled for early March 2007.

Better late than never, but always, it seems, behind Calgary.

If Premier Stelmach and his government need to justify increases in funding for the arts, they need look no further than a new study published by the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC) and the Edmonton Arts Council (EAC). The study, the third produced jointly by EEDC and EAC, demonstrates the evergrowing impact arts and culture organizations have on the regional economy, not to mention quality of life. The study surveyed 126 cultural organizations in the metro Edmonton region, an amazing number in itself, which provided information on their

Ever cognizant of community commitment, Ed served as Reeve of Lamont County for five years, and on the school, hospital and health boards. He became an MLA in 1993, and Premier Ralph Klein immediately saw greatness in the then 42-year-old.

That’s why Ed was appointed chairman of the Alberta Agriculture Research Institute, Treasury Board member, Government Whip, Agenda and Priorities Committee member; and then, Cabinet Minister for Agriculture, Infrastructure, Transportation, and International & Intergovernmental Affairs.

Was there any other leadership candidate who came close to matching those qualifications? None whatsoever! Is it any wonder, then, that Ralph Klein admitted he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Ed Stelmach was elected party leader and premier. And why Ralph voted for Ed, along with 77,576 other Albertans, including former Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski, Cabinet Minister Iris Evans, businessmen John Chomiak, Barry Gogal and Harry Hole, among others.

By the way, I almost forgot to mention Premier Stelmach’s other attribute: thick skin. He’s already forgotten the barbs from columnists, editorial writers and open line hosts who said he didn’t have a hope in hell… was too dull… had no charisma or imagination. The same holds true for those 38 Conservative MLAs who badly scraped their knees jumping off the Dinning and Morton band wagons… to climb aboard the one for Steady Eddie.

As for the future, the general public has already forgotten about ex-RCMP Commissioner Guiliano Zaccardelli. Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach, on the other hand, will be well thought of for many years to come. ✔ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council.

Contact bhogle@edmontonians.com

operations and attendance during the 2005 season.

Among other things, survey found that these organizations spent $44.7 million on goods and services. Combined with regional visitor expenditures of $79.1 million, these groups contributed an estimated $123.7 million to the Greater Edmonton GDP in 2005.

Thanks in large part to an increase in annual funding from the City of Edmonton, via the Edmonton Arts Council, from $1,653,000 in 1999 to $2,766,000 in 2005, arts and cultural organizations in Edmonton increased from 100 to 126; combined attendance at their events grew from 2.7 million to 3.9 million; and City of Edmonton tax revenue increased from just under $5 million to $6.34 million.

Aside from the return on investment that the City’s wise support provides, the survey offers proof that metro Edmonton is in fact a significant home for the arts and culture in Canada. A balanced and vibrant city, in both good and bad economic times, includes a thriving arts sector, one that brings together the arts, business, government and educational institutions in a healthy, supportive milieu. We’re fortunate to be in that situation here.

A copy of the full study is available at www.edmontonarts.ab.ca/economicimpactarts05.pdf

A few quick words on Connect2Edmonton— C2E—where many of the discussion topics focus on what people want to see in Edmonton, realizable or not, demonstrating that indeed many people care deeply about this city. One contributor recently posted some renderings of what the downtown skyline might look like if new towers were built. While almost literally a flight of fancy, they’re impressive and do show the transformation brought about by architecturally significant structures. There isn’t room to show them here, but they’re definitely worth a look… under the Forum topic Buildings and Architecture; subject: Top 5 lots downtown to Redevelop/Build on: www.connect2edmonton.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1525

To all Edmontonians readers, best wishes for a healthy, prosperous and vibrant 2007 in an equally prosperous and vibrant Edmonton. ✔ David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor. Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com

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lifestyles LIVELY

Beating the Blah, Blah, Blahs GRANT MACEWAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE www.macewan.ca Dance So you want to dance with the stars, twinkle toes? GMC offers everything from Belly Dancing to Hip Hop. If those don’t get you tapping, sign up for ballroom dancing and foxtrot, tango or rumba your way to creative expression.

almighty hammer.

Forge a new hobby with this class and create a distinctive raised diner for Rover.

with Linda Bodo

I

t’s January. Holiday ornaments have been dutifully packed and stored. You have recovered from the New Year’s festivities… breaking a couple of resolutions on the way.

The winter season stretches eternally before you. The weather is stormy, cold and just plain miserable. The days are short. You wake in darkness and come home in darkness. It is a dismal time of the year. I refer to it as the January Blah, Blah, Blahs.

Instead of sitting around home, waiting for January to come to an end, consider taking some evening courses that will create a diversion from the cold and snow outside and enhance your home and lifestyle inside. I have done some creative investigating and sourced a few unique courses that are offered in the Capital Region.

METRO CONTINUING EDUCATION www.metrocontinuingeducation.ca Blacksmithing 1 & 2 Get ready to get your hands dirty at a bona-fide forge as you pound your way through learning the fundamental skills common to blacksmithing. Use you new found talent to craft a custom door knocker and be the talk of the block.

Welding Strap on the goggles and lace up your steel-toed boots and register for a welding course. Learn the basic skills as well as theory and safety issues. Practice brazing and cutting, and torch up a unique candle sconce.

Wrought Iron Try your hand at forging steel to manipulate metal with heat and the

NAIT www.nait.ca Wood Working for Women One of the first hurdles a new woodworker must get past is the fear of messing up a project… one of the best ways to tackle that apprehension is to sign up for a wood working course specifically geared toward women. With your new found passion for fine wine, how about a wine rack?

Furniture Refinishing You’ve noticed a few more scratches and water rings on the coffee table since the New Year’s bash. No worries. Enroll in a furniture refinishing course that will restore your furniture to its original panache.

UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA www.ualberta.ca Feng Shui Design We could all use a little more harmony in our lives. Shui your way to the yin and yang of placement, energy, form and materials in this creative approach to well being in both interior and exterior applications.

A FEW MONTHS LATER… The balanced arrangement in the living room has affixed a permanent smile on your soul. The candles in your handcrafted sconces have been lit, and you have taken a bottle from the wine rack… leaving it to breathe on the refinished coffee table. The new door knocker raps loudly.

A few friends have arrived for an impromptu soiree. Rover looks up from his splashy buffet and dashes to the front door to greet the guests. The clear, repetitive beat of tango music wafts from the living room and you can’t wait to trip the light fantastic with your partner. In retrospect, you have to admit January was quite bearable. ✔ Contact Linda Bodo at lbodo@edmontonians.com or visit absolutebodo.com.

Slimming Secret!

Lose 4 to 20 inches in an hour!

A hot new detoxifying body wrap!

Why it works?

The wrap detoxifies the body.

The body can get overloaded with toxins because it cannot keep up with the filtration process. The more toxins in the body, the more lymphatic fluid increases to protect cells.

You force out toxins. Once the toxins are gone, the lymphatic fluid decreases and you lose inches. It is not water loss—rather, an exchange of minerals for toxins.

That’s a Wrap!

Call Linda Perras at Suddenly Slimmer Day Spa

780.459.3444 pedicures. manicures. facials. aroma therapy message

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lifestyles MoreLIVELY Don Litven, his son Chris and Brenda Olsen mix it up at Suede Lounge.

MENU

Magic with Chef John Berry

O

k. So it’s January. Christmas is over. You’re bored. You’ve run out of gas. Can’t seem to find anything to do. You’re looking for something to motivate you. How about sharpening your cooking or mixology skills?

Look no further: Edmonton has a pantry full of excellent evening and weekend courses through NAIT and Metro Continuing Education.

Before you think these are just your average, ho-hum we-watch-but-can’t-participate-or-tasteclasses, check this out. The Tour of… being offered by NAIT is an incredible series involving lectures, hands-on participation and, of course, tasting. It’s absolutely the full meal deal.

The Tour of Mexico is a 12-hour course running from January 29th to February 5th. No prerequisites. You’ll be taught in class, allowed to hone your skills at the cutting board and taste as you learn. Cost is $245 plus a $5.70 tech fee.

Upcoming courses include a Tour of the Mediterranean covering Northern and Southern Italy and Greece; Tour of Asia featuring Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian cuisines; and a Tour of Western Europe focusing on Portugal, Spain and France.

If you are looking for something a little more intense, how about Culinary Boot Camp at NAIT? They don’t call it boot camp for nothing.

Five days of classes start at 6am and run until 8pm. The $1,950 course includes a chef’s jacket, hat, necktie and apron, and dinners at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Sorrentino’s, Jack’s Grill and Hardware Grill. Food and wine pairings are taught, a tour of the NAIT campus is included, a walk-through the downtown market—all culminating in an exam and graduation celebration.

These courses are very popular. The demand is high.

Why? Abraham Wornovitzky, the marketing and business planner for the School of Professional Continuing EducationHospitality & CTC at NAIT, believes this is a trend not a fad, thanks to Foodtv.

The boom in ya Tan l” Gir eek. epicureans erb “Birthday nd Va nk Chef Ha is also a e’s ed Su d an sign of the times. In the 1950s, the women did all the cooking. Now it’s “cool” if a man cooks.

“We have people from every walk of life… from moms and dads who want to improve their skills to doctors and lawyers who want to take it to the next level.” This is not only a chance to learn, but sets you in a social situation as well.

Chef John Setterland at Suede Lounge says he knows only too well the desire of his patrons to “go into the

kitchen.” So Suede is offering a one night cooking/ mixology class through Metro College called “Cook with the Chef.” The course is run from 7:00 to 9:30 pm, and costs in the neighborhood of $85-$90. (Date TBA) The class size is an intimate 12-14 people who will be split into two groups. The first group will head to the kitchen and learn the fine art of Tapas. The second group will go behind the bar to learn how to mix martinis. Halfway through the course the groups switch venues.

The Chef says people are better educated in the kitchen today, and everything they have in restaurants, the public can now buy in stores. “Why pay $40 for a steak dinner, when you can make it at home for less than half the cost.”

The “social” aspect to cooking is stressed as well.

“The idea is to have fun. Plus you get to sip on martinis to boot, all done in a sexy atmosphere.”

In case you think these marts are old school, think again. New, innovative martinis are made with such ingredients as Chai Tea. Sounds like a sure winner to me. ✔ If you want more information about these and other programs, contact: Abraham Wornovitzky 378-5064 abrahamw@nait.ca: visit www.nait.ca/part-time www.metrocontinuingeducation.com Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com

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ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES & CORPORATE FINANCE

with Stephen W. Kent, CA (780) 448-9099

Carpe Diem all year long Carpe Diem, is usually translated as “seize the day�. Anyone living in our booming province today is well poised to follow this advice. I enjoy listening to clients talk about how they got started in and have grown their businesses. Most began with a dream, started small, took a chance, made some sacrifices and worked hard to get to where they are today.

One owner began her business as a result of a divorce and termination of her employment when her employer closed shop. Instead of panicking and taking the first job that came along, she decided to take control of her life and determine what it was she wanted to do with it. Armed with a modest divorce settlement, she decided to become a partner in a manufacturing business in which she could own at least 50 percent. Given her financial situation, she went looking for a business with revenues in the $1.5 million range. After a couple of weeks research, she came up with a list of 20 businesses that fit her criteria and manufactured a product that interested her. She approached each one, offering to buy-in and run the office and manage the financial aspects of the business.

She did not find immediate success but in the interim she had an opportunity to find some potential partners that she felt she would enjoy working with and could help. She went back to one of the companies that had initially shown little interest in her offer and found that their circumstances had changed. She ended up buying half the company. Her partner handled the marketing and the production and she did everything else. After 10 years, they now own their facility, have a diversified product range and a very profitable company and she is happy and fulfilled.

Another owner of a large trucking company was reminiscing how he got started. Originally he was a driver and had a delivery in a small Northern town.

Driving through town a number of people flagged him down and asked if he could make a delivery for them as the town had no local trucking company. He quit his job, moved to the small town, lived in a trailer which served as his office and bought his first truck with $400 down. He has never regretted his decision and today he is the owner of a thriving multi-million dollar trucking operation.

By all accounts 2007 is going to start off at a frenetic pace and will continue for some time yet. If you think you are entrepreneurial there is no better time to give it a go. Please e-mail stephen.w.kent@ca.pwc.com or call 780.441.6793 to explore your options.

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