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ALBERTA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT PAGING COMPANY
with Marty & Mark
N
ow that I have more time to touch
base with my legion of pals, I’m constantly amazed at what I learn about this city and the province… and how much work is being done behind the scenes, seldom getting its due recognition. One such experience, this past month, was when I enjoyed a tour through the Alberta Research Council in Edmonton Research Park. Hidden behind South Edmonton Common, this amazing complex houses some of the brightest minds in Alberta and Canada. It’s a stunningly beautiful building, and the place was a total beehive of activity, in several different areas. In actuality, the Alberta Research Council operates in five different locations—all working in harmony, under the direction of President and CEO John McDougall. My tour was organized by former CTV Edmonton news director Steve Hogle who’s now VP of communications and heads up media liaison for the ARC. He explained: “When you walk through our facilities here in Edmonton or in Vegreville, Calgary or Devon, you’re blown away by the people and their projects. They’re working in areas ranging from life sciences to energy, increasing efficiencies for using ll our natural John McDouga of the ARC O resources. We’re also President & CE leaving big green footprints around the world by pioneering technologies such as carbon capture and storage and the reclamation of industrial sites.” The ARC is a non-profit corporation owned by the Government of Alberta, and employing more than 600 highly trained and specialized staff, with an annual operating budget of $93 million. Most of that budget money stems from work with industry. I asked Steve to fill me in on the ARC’s mandate. “Our employees take some of the toughest challenges facing industry and then develop and deploy innovative technology to solve the problems. The work is driven by the needs in the market so we can deliver value to Albertans… be it in the form of new jobs or
healthier businesses, or a combination of the two. We want companies to become more competitive on a global scale but the goal is always Alberta-based. We help to build businesses so Albertans can enjoy a prosperous, sustainable standard of living for generations to come.” In laymen’s terms, this group of scientists is working on hundreds of on-going projects in order to maximize the land we live on here in Alberta. They are constantly inventing and improving. They’re recycling and developing new concepts. They’re working on the land, including developing new uses for the products that our land provides to us. Virtually every region of the province is involved: from the windmills down south near Pincher Creek to innovative oil and gas development in Northern Alberta. The ARC is studying it all—bitumen and heavy oil, carbon conversion; health and wellness; landscape management; industrial bioproducts; water resource
us some long term prosperity. Steve and I are working on a program to bring the good news stories from the Alberta Research Council forefront so more people can share in the pride of a remarkable organization that many of us know so little about. Edmontonians is doing its part with frequent coverage of Visionaries at home, across Canada and via social media, so I’m planning a long chat with publisher Sharon MacLean.
After my ARC tour, it was off for lunch with the returning publisher of the Edmonton Sun Gordon Norrie. He’s doing double duty again, looking after both Edmonton and Calgary Sun dailies. One of the nice guys in the business; a true family man and a biker all rolled into one. Welcome back, almost, Gord.
Last month, I also hooked up with the Sun’s Graham Hicks, broadcasters Rob Christie and Audie Lynds at the new Cactus Club in West Edmonton Mall for their monthly gathering. The Art of Conversation has become quite the talk of the town, no pun intended. As I’ve been away for most of the winter this was a giant catch up for me. It was my first A of C as my schedule just didn’t work over the past year or so due to my business commitments, but it was fun to attend #35 and touch base with some long time pals. It was great to see Newcap folks Pat Cardinal and “Gruff” Grishnowski; the legendary Abe Silverman; and the lovely Susan Hughes. Bernie Robitaille and Pete Kozial were there, as was media ladyabout-town Shauna McConnechy.
Finally, our 630 CHED “Santa’s Warehouse” project is well on its way. management—and sharing it with the world. The products that are developed are brought back into the Steve Ho business community, gle providing more than $20 million in royalties, licensing fees and product sales in the past six years alone. The fact that amazed me was that the Alberta Research Council has been active since 1921… back when Dr. Karl Clark’s hot water extraction process unlocked the oil sands, which ultimately helped to give
Under the able direction of Debbie Walker, we are busy finding $17 million to build a community centre to house Santa’s Anonymous. It’s a pleasure to be working with long time associate and former MLA Mark Norris. He’s one of several key Edmontonians working on this fabulous concept. More coverage in Edmontonians as things evolve. √ Marty Forbes is the recently retired VP and general manager of The Bear, EZRock and The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. Contact marty@edmontonians.com
EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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THAT WAS THE JULY THAT WAS “Baseball is Casey Stengel with his own language and gnarled form that looks like something that came out a tree house in the Black Forest.” ~ Jim Murray Sports 1990
H
appy Canada Day... I
just returned from a trip to the eastern seaboard of the USA. To sum up: Yankees lost at the new Yankee stadium to Washington… the Red Sox won at home. Yankees suck. The Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood show was fantastic. The rain Alberta needs is falling on the other side of the continent. An amazing part of the world. I mention this because of how reasonable the airfare from Edmonton is these days. Check it out. As I always do, I had my eye open for signs of Edmonton in new lands. All I could come up with was an Oilers hat in the NHL store, and I thought I saw former Calgary MLA/now Alberta government lobbyist Gary Marr in Washington, but it was only his shadow.
Air silliness… Am I the last frequent flyer to hear this? Announcements at Newark and on board back to E-Town made me laugh. One was something like this: “For those traveling with children or those that need a little extra time with boarding and those who are traveling with small pets, you may board first.” I have to get me a miniature schnauzer. The other was sort of like this: “Now that we are flying over U.S. airspace, no more than two people can gather together on board…” Thank God, I had a big plastic cup from the 2009 new Yankee stadium inaugural season in my carry on.
Tastes good… Congratulations to Events Edmonton on their 25th anniversary of A Taste of Edmonton Festival. The event runs in Churchill Square from July 17th to 26th. See you downtown.
Busy city… you still have time to catch The Works Art Festival. Then there’s package deals for Capital Ex, and the Indy. Don’t forget the Heritage Festival. Tickets for the Folk Festival are sold out.
Edmontonians on grass… A bit of a beef about downtown: With festival season in full swing here, hoards of good folks are going to make their way to the core over the summer. There was a time we could loll on lawns in Churchill Square. Thanks to Mayor Bill we can’t—okay, we can but it’s such a wee patch. Concrete Churchill aside, could the powers that be please get to work getting as much green space in the core as possible? Do we need so many dirt parking lots? Come on… living downtown would be a little more
attractive if we could get on the grass. I know, I know we have the River Valley. That aside, we do need more grass and trees in the core.
Tastes good continued… One of my favourite spots in town is the Mill Creek Café, located on Whyte Ave and 95th Street. I dropped by one day and found out that they offer a very special menu for dinner at least once a month. I have yet to partake, but will check it out. Call 780.439.5535 for details and reservations. Golf review… I have only one noncharity round under my belt this year. Sad but true. It was a 7:10 am tee-off at RedTail Landing. What a great time to hit the links. I have to say that RedTail is in fantastic shape. The staff is very courteous and the track is a pleasure to play. The charge is $70 for a crack-ofdawn start… more for later in the day. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. I shot a poor and sad 109. I think $70 and up to play golf is too much anywhere—but, at RedTail, it was somehow worth it. I mention this because I would like to hear from you. I am looking for Edmonton and area golf course reviews from you. Send them in… if I can, I’ll line up a round for a foursome (not including me) near the end of the season. One reviewer will be drawn. My e-mail is at the bottom of the column.
Speaking of golf… I attended and hosted the Edmonton Opera, the Edmonton Eskimos Alumni and the Junior Achievement annuals tourneys. All three were grand. If you weren’t there this year, try to tee-up for these causes next season if you can. There were many moments to talk about but one for sure stood out. I was auctioning off a 2009 Grey Cup package with tickets and all the trimmings. Glenn Cumyn of SFE Global in Vancouver wound up bidding $5000 for it. Glenn is an army brat whose father served for more than 40 years, and his immediate family currently has five members in the Forces. He has special plans for the package that are sure to make a few Edmonton based 3PPCLI members very happy. More details when they come available. Good on ya, Glenn. √ Mark Scholz, owner of MES Communications Inc. offers a variety of services including production, creative and entertainment. For more information or to suggest a story idea, email mscholz@edmontonians.com
“There may be those among you who’ve never heard of Bus [Leroy Fuller, founding father of Earls restaurant chain]. He’s the Montana cowboy who nearly got bounced by one of Frank Sinatra’s bodyguards in Vegas when he made some crack to a Sinatra groupie that she “could do better.” ~ Dick MacLean The Back Page 1991 “Introducing roaster Dave Semenko at the Fantasyland Hotel, Wildcats’ emcee Wes Montgomery revealed that “Semmy represented the Oilers at a civic luncheon and he actually kissed [Mayor] Jan Reimer with his eyes wide open.” ~ Don Fleming Sports 1992 “He was Edmonton’s wordsmith of free enterprise, celebrating the fact than an individual’s success created wealth for all of us.” ~ Kim Harrold Cover quote on the passing of publisher Dick MacLean—1931-1993 “We can thank Ottawa’s Liberals, Alberta’s Conservatives and BC’s New Democrats for turning the country into a fiscal hodge podge, the equivalent of Italy’s 19th Century papal states. And Ralph ain’t no garlanded pope, even if his new hair style resembles a barn owl nest.” ~ George Oak Opinion 1994 “Barb Deters and Sylvia Holcomb, who started Status Plus Public Relations five years ago, called it quits last month. This is not the last you will hear of the dynamic duo though. Barb, never one to sit idle, has already hung up a new shingle, Deters Public Relation Inc.” ~ Muggsy Forbes Funny Pompous &Unfair 1995
“Railtown, an exciting new housing development with a unique twist, is sure to 2004 breathe new life into Edmonton’s moribund downtown core… the redevelopment is one of the answers to the question that has long plagued city leaders: How do we attract people to the heart of the city once they’re finished the work day?” ~Railtown Renaissance 1999 “July 20: You can be late for work today because yet again the K-Days Parade will bugger up downtown Edmonton. Sleep in and thank the Goldrush.” ~ Eva Marie Clarke Calendar Cogitations 2000 “In an attempt to keep up with Canada’s right wing, the lefties of the land are demanding that they too open a rift in their party by electing a new leader and starting a new party.” ~ Shannon Haggerty The Backroom 2001 “Union leader Buzz Hargrove has promised if he doesn’t run for the leadership of the NDP, he’ll deliver thousands of union votes and dollars to the candidate of his choice. Now, that’s grassroots democracy. I’m not sure what parallel autocracy Buzz lives in…” ~ Rona Ambrose No Spin Zone 2002 “The recent financial woes of Canada’s national air carrier, Air Canada, have placed considerable doubt into the minds of travelers… “When asked which air carrier they preferred, over one-third (37%) of respondents mentioned the Calgary-based WestJet, while 27 percent mentioned Air Canada…” ~ Linda Banister Poll Station 2003
“When you sell $1 million worth of tickets the day after you 2006 “I’ve been going up to Newfieland North announce an event, you know you since the early ‘70s. I take a personal and have a winner. When the place is Edmonton and professional interest in this remarkable resource you’re the promoters—local, to be sure—you [the oilsands]. So I was once again amazed that send up a collective whoop.” many of Edmonton’s media moguls had never ~ Marg. Pullishy & Barb Deters City of Champions 2005 been to Syncrude or Suncor… It’s kind of sad that it took the presence of the PM to get them on the first Champ Car races there.” ~ Barb Deters Hot Flashes 1996 “Through his own transformation, his business, on Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s his book and through Edmontonians itself, trip to Fort McMurray Ohlhauser coaches those living in life’s fast lane to steer clear of the examination room by limiting “General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova into time in the boardroom.” the South American market without realizing that ~ Rick Lauber Doctoring up a new career 2007 “no va” means “it won’t go” in Spanish. The car on Dr. Larry Ohlhauser was renamed “Caribe”. joining Edmontonians Transformers ~ Bill Pidruchney Investment 1997 “Interesting that coverage in the other local “You can’t torture people; don’t ask them to media missed Bill Clinton’s remarks specific to deprive themselves and expect them to invest Alberta. Basically, he supports the continued their hard-earned cash in sustainable development of our oilsands and admitted that development or any other environmental his ‘environmentalist’ friends aren’t happy with responsibility if they can’t see how they will that stance.” benefit.” ~ Muggsy Forbes Vox Pop 2008 ~ John McLay Going Green 1998 on (former) President Bill Clinton’s speech in interview with Brian Scott, Communitas Edmonton
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Poll
CELEBRATING
20
STATION
YEARS
With Linda Banister
FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN
JULY 2009
Vol. XX
I
n the fall of 2008, countries around the world experienced an economic downturn, which continued to decline at an alarming rate through the first half of 2009. The current economic recession has not only impacted Canada’s neighbours and foreign counterparts, it has been felt by many Canadians including those living in Edmonton. This month’s Poll Station focused on Edmontonians’ perceptions of the current economic recession, their level of concern, and their opinions regarding the stimulus packages implemented by the provincial and federal governments to help boost the economy.
No. 7
SHARON MacLEAN Publisher and Advertising Director Telephone: 780.482.7000 Fax: 780.488.9317 e-mail: info@edmontonians.com edmontonians.com
INSIDE VOX POP Marty Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Mark Scholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
HAVE YOU BEEN FOLLOWING COVERAGE OF THE RECESSION?
ARE YOU AWARE OF GOVERNMENTS’ STIMULUS PACKAGES
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 POLL STATION Economic Impacts/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
MY E-SPACE Curtola/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 CIVIC BUZZ More Jasper Avenue/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
61% Percent
MEDIA MINUTE Who’s She?/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
CORPORATE ETHICS Where Is The Recession?/Somji . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 TRANSFORMERS Heather Friesen Part II with Steffany Hanlen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Tom Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Les Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Dr. Larry Ohlhauser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 LIVELY LIFESTYLES MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 VISIONARIES Goebel/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Boutillier/Gazin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Briefs/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Social Media 101/Schwabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 PHOTO FEATURE Rediscovering Jasper/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 BARB DETERS Editor
editor@edmontonians.com COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Cheryl Croucher Marty Forbes Bruce Hogle David Norwood Erin Rayner Mark Scholz Walter Schwabe Nizar J. Somji FEATURE WRITERS Barb Deters Greg Gazin Rick Lauber Peter Drake McHugh Marg. Pullishy PHOTOGRAPHERS Terry Bourque Barb Deters Quincy Deters Cheryl Groucher SPECIAL PROJECTS Edmontonians Transformers Tom Bradshaw Les Brost Steffany Hanlen Dr. Larry Ohlhauser GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc.
THIS MONTH’S COVER
24% 15% Indicated they were closely following the media coverage
Indicated they caught some of the media coverage
Indicated they were not following the media coverage
To begin the survey, respondents were asked if they had been following the media coverage of the current economic recession. Sixty-one percent indicated they were closely following the coverage, while 24 percent caught some coverage, and 15 percent were not following the story.
HAVE YOU BEEN AFFECTED AND HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU? Half (49 percent) of the respondents reported they had personally been affected by the current economic conditions. When asked to identify how they had been affected, employment issues such as job loss, reduced hours and lower income were mentioned by 41 percent of them, followed by a loss in investments (31 percent), a significant impact on retirement funds or pensions (14 percent), and increased cost of living (10 percent). When asked how concerned they were about the current economic downturn, 61 percent of respondent were highly concerned, while approximately one quarter (22 percent) were moderately concerned, and 16 percent were not at all concerned. Those that were concerned most frequently referred to the high unemployment rate and job security (61 percent), followed by financial concerns such as inflation and less household income (21 percent), and government mismanagement (15 percent). Respondents who were not concerned about the economic recession mentioned the current downturn had not affected them, or felt the situation is part of the natural economic cycle and the economy will eventually recover.
Next, respondents were asked if they were aware of the stimulus package that was implemented by the provincial government to help jumpstart the economy. Almost two-thirds (63 percent) were aware of the provincial stimulus plan, while 36 percent were not. Of those who were aware, over half (56 percent) felt these policies would help boost the economy, citing the creation of jobs and the government addressing the appropriate economic areas as reasons. Those who believed the stimulus package would not have an effect on the economy felt that the package was only a temporary solution, that there is lack of government planning, and that more help is needed. Respondents were then asked if there was anything else that the provincial government could do to address the current economic recession. Creation of jobs (11 percent) and an increased focus on Albertan’s needs such as financial support, incentives or rebates (seven percent) were suggested. Two-thirds of respondents were aware of the federal government’s stimulus plan implemented to jumpstart the Canadian economy. More than half (53 percent) of them felt that the federal package would boost the current economic downturn, most frequently stating it would increase the number of current jobs available. Respondents that mentioned the stimulus package would not help indicated that the federal plan was only a short term solution, and the package was too focused on business and not enough on Canadian citizens. When asked what else the federal government could do to address the recession, respondents suggested an increased focus on citizens (nine percent), more employment opportunities (seven percent), careful government spending (five percent), and a decrease in politicians’ salaries (five percent). √
Monthly Poll Station Online Question Visit www.edmontonians.com to register your opinion
Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll? Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail lbanister@edmontonians.com. 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. Visit www.banister.ab.ca.
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Randy Goebel President and CEO of iCORE Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th Street Edmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All stories Copyright ©Edmontonians Publications Mail Agreement No. 40023292 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th Street Edmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8 Email: info@edmontonians.com
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www.suddenlyslimmerdayspa.com EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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M
edia Minute with Bruce Hogle
Grizzly news simply cannot be ignored. Not when two 14-year old punks escaped from Bosco Home and allegedly murdered Barry Boenke, 68, and Susan Trudel, 50. The accused can’t be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The same holds true for the Hobbema teenager who received a seven-year sentence for gunning down rival gang member Andy Okeymow in 2006. Ditto for that Grade 7, 13-year-old girl from Medicine Hat who was found guilty, with her 24-year old boyfriend, of murdering Marc and Debra Richardson and their eight-year-old son. But, why would we protect and hide the name of that 32-year-old Edmonton foster mother who was sentenced to three years last month for the manslaughter death of a beautiful little three-year-old boy in her care? At one time, this former nurse looked after four foster children, along with two of her own. Money was the likely motivator for her making that decision. Her so-called caring attitude saw her callously reprimand
the three-year-old tot, clad only in a diaper, by placing him in an unheated garage overnight. No clothes, no blankets—just the diaper. A nanny, who picked him up the next morning, said the boy had bruises on his forehead. It’s no wonder the jury dismissed this woman’s contention that this trusting little
lives with his father, and she is allowed only supervised visits with her daughter. Which brings me back to my original point: Why are we refusing to name this cruel, uncaring woman? Some might say it’s to protect possible identification of the boy. Other than family and friends who already know, that’s pretty remote in that
Why do we keep protecting the guilty? guy was crying and squirming. And what did she do? She took him into the bathroom where, according to her testimony, he sprang from her arms and struck his head on the toilet bowl. Why wouldn’t this foster “mom” cuddle this innocent toddler and ease his woes or soothe him to sleep? That’s what parents and grandparents do. You don’t use harsh discipline and punishment on a child… you don’t treat a three-year-old worse than a dog. All of this explains why her son now
Chris Curtola
the little boy does not have the same surname as the foster mother. Further, he is now deceased so there’s no additional harm. Also, the boy’s biological father attended the sentencing (openly disagreeing with what he felt was an inadequate threeyear term)… and I’m sure he would welcome this killer now being publicly identified. In this case, the system protects the guilty party. She will, however, certainly be identified behind bars. That’s where she’ll get her comeuppance from female inmates
E
my
who treat female child killers in the same manner in which male inmates treat male rapists and molesters. Next month, we’ll compare the dreadful treatment that poor little boy suffered at the hands of this former registered nurse (who, I presume, has been banned by the profession) with that of a loving couple I know. They have seven children of their own… but still opened their hearts and their home to six more children from elsewhere within this global village.√ Whoops. In my May column, I inadvertently stated that Ottawa had granted Global, CTV and Quebecor millions in rescue funds. Such was not the case. While broadcasters are still seeking assistance from the feds or CRTC, nothing has been forthcoming as of yet. Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council. Contact bhogle@edmontonians.com
space
For Young Entreprenuers
Sizzling SERIAL
ENTREPRENEUR
T
here are a few ways that I get in touch with my love for this city: One is a sunset run through the River Valley… another is connecting with people who choose to live and do business here because they believe in this city. Chris Curtola, a serial entrepreneur, is definitely an enthusiastic supporter of Edmonton. Chris and I caught up over a glass of wine and discussed what he’s been doing since his 2005 designation as an Edmontonians Sizzling Twenty under 30. At the time, he was a 26-year old who had already collected a bevy of experiences including being a real estate investor, Toronto advertising executive, and part owner of a west-end hot spot called Dante’s Bistro.
In 2007 after burning the candle at both ends, Chris and his three Dante’s partners were considering a change in focus. “The restaurant industry is consuming,” Chris says. The nightclub needed a fresh look, which would require a substantial capital investment. The owners agreed selling the business was the right choice for them. Chris took some time to travel and visit family—including his father, music legend Bobby Curtola and his brother Mike in Vancouver. While Chris is still investing in real estate (Cena Developments Inc.), reconnecting with family has led to new ventures. One is Exclusive Signs, a Vancouver-based partnership project with Mike installing real estate signs. He’s also gone back to his family’s musical roots.
“Grow up in the music business and you grow up with music in your blood,” he says. Consequently, he and his dad have started a new entertainment company with Chris managing Bobby’s career. Business isn’t the only driving force in Chris’ life—leaving the restaurant industry has also allowed him to devote more time to Junior Chamber International. He has been a member for eight years but working 90 hours a week at Dante’s had limited his ability to participate. Now, he’s the executive vice-president. JCI’s mandate is to “empower young leaders to create positive change and be better”. It is a premiere young person’s organization that blends business-building through monthly networking meetings and training opportunities with social responsibility and community involvement. Although the group also provides hands-on volunteer support to charities, Chris points out that “typically, we donate between $10 000 and $30 000 (a year) to various organizations in the Edmonton area.”
By Erin Rayner
When asked what makes it different from other service clubs, Chris answers, “JCI is bigger than a service club or networking group—JayCee is a way of life.” Apparently it is a way of life that many others in the 18 to 40 age-range are interested in. Three years ago, JCI Edmonton had 40 members, now membership tops 120. Chris credits a strong and dedicated board, as well as strategic partnerships with local organizations to host events showcasing the personal and professional benefits of JCI. The next JCI event is Thursday, August 6th at 6:30pm at # 600, 9990 Jasper Avenue. For more information, visit jciedmonton.com. √ Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and Communications Inc. You can submit marketing materials for review; suggest young entrepreneurs to be profiled; nominate a Top Three; or ask a business developement question. Contact erayner@edmontonians.com
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C ivic Buzz with David Norwood
L
ast month’s column about
Jasper Avenue resulted in some informative and lively discussions. Everyone agreed that Jasper Avenue definitely needs to be “fixed,” but many also noted how far it has come in the last decade. For example, people have pointed out the number of restaurants that actually face Jasper, including the Hardware Grill, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Madison’s in the Union Bank Inn (itself a welcome presence), the Hat (with evocative reminiscences of the Silk Hat Restaurant whose space it now occupies), the Russian Tea Room, Boston Pizza, Kai, Mongolie Grill, Ricky’s All-Day Grill, Kyoto, Gabbana, Sicilian Pasta Kitchen, Joey Tomatoes’ Mediterranean Grill, Teddy’s, Normand’s, Famoso Neapolitan Pizzeria, Earl’s Tin Palace, and Taste of Ukraine. This list—only partial, I know—doesn’t include the various Starbuck’s, Tim Horton’s, clubs, lounges and pubs that add their value to Jasper as well. Then there are those establishments just off Jasper: the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald’s Harvest Room, the Westin’s Pradera Cafe, Sorrentino’s, LaRonde in the Crowne Plaza Chateau Lacombe, “100”, Lux, Tzin Wine and Tapas… Blue Plate Diner, Ric’s Grill and others in the Warehouse District… the cafes around Rice Howard Way… the cluster of excellent dining establishments between Jasper and 102nd Avenue on 124th and 125th Streets, and many more. In all, Jasper Avenue and its immediate vicinity offer at least 100 places to eat, drink, relax, dance and converse. What almost everyone agrees about is the look of Jasper Avenue, which really was the focus of last month’s column. It’s terribly
Remember the Beachcomber?
How about the Seven Seas? Tell me your stories. uninviting except for a few pockets of life place to be so many years ago… or perhaps here and there. But most also agree that it not that long ago. While it’s not strictly takes time to do it right, and we do want to Civic Buzz, I thought it would be fun to ask get it right this time. I’m particularly readers to offer their memories of favourite impressed with ProCura’s plans for the downtown restaurants, clubs or other Jasper Avenue and 109th Street precinct. establishments that resonated with them in Most imminent is redevelopment of the some way. Mayfair Hotel/Globe Lounge land, from I remember the restaurants that were 108th to 109th Street and south. mentioned to me: the Beachcomber, now ProCura plans to build two 15-storey occupied by the northeast corner of Scotia apartment towers, the Mayfair, which will Place (you had to cross a bridge over a contain 708 rental units, aimed at middlestream to get to the dining income residents. When complete, the area); the Purple Lantern, g towers will utterly certainly one of Edmonton’s nderin re ra u C Pro change the look original Chinese restaurants and feel of that (located around the corner portion of Jasper from the Beachcomber, Avenue, especially now the north side of in the context of Scotia Place); and the ProCura’s Seven Seas Restaurant, redevelopment of on Jasper between 105th the Professional and 106th Streets—the Building (which will place to go for a fine be named after a dining experience. And who can primary tenant, Intact forget the Steakloft, across from The Mac? Insurance) across the street, on the north In June, I mentioned Ciro’s Restaurant and side of Jasper Avenue. Both projects are the Lounge on the lower floor of the Strand work of Arndt Tkalcic Bengert Architects, Theatre building—very dark but classy. designers of the sleek, street-friendly Cecil I know there are many others, some even Place at 104th and Jasper, with Sobey’s older, others more recent, and I would Urban Fresh as its main-floor tenant. appreciate hearing from you about them – Today, Jasper Avenue is a far cry from just e-mail me at the address shown at the what it was even three years ago. Large bottom of the column. We’ll include your gaps remain to be filled, especially between comments and memories in an upcoming 106th and 108th Streets. But in a positive column. sense, much is happening on this crucial artery in Edmonton’s downtown core. Edmonton is fortunate to be home to a number of top-notch architectural, engineering and consulting firms. Other reactions to last month’s Edmonton-based Manasc Isaac Architects column included readers writing me to talk was recently named one of North America’s about restaurants that helped make top architecture, engineering, and downtown a lively—in relative terms—
construction (AEC) firms in the May issue of Building Design and Construction Magazine. The 11 unranked 2009 AEC Best Firm winners were selected for their innovative recruitment and retention practices, professional development, social and corporate responsibility, workplace environment, compensation/benefits, business practices and public perception of the firm. Manasc Isaac was singled out for its work in sustainable design, in-house commitments that reduce the firm’s environmental footprint and community participation. One unique employee program at Manasc Isaac is the Green Transportation Plan. Free bus passes or bonuses are provided to those who use public transit, walk or bike to work. An office Smart Car is used for site visits and errands around town to eliminate the need for staff members to bring their personal vehicles to work. To be named an AEC Best Firm is to be recognized as one of the best employers in North America. “It is an honour for our fantastic staff to be recognized with this award,” says Principal Vivian Manasc. “Our success as a firm is largely due to our ability to attract talented and enthusiastic team members. We are proud to be the only Canadian firm chosen as an AEC Best Firm this year.” The full article can be found at http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/CA665 7851.html. √ David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor. Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com
corporate ETHICS Where is the recession? By Nizar J. Somji
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was recently trying to coordinate logistics for a few out-of-town colleagues. Of course I expected that, given the global economic crisis, this would be easy and, compared to last year, cost effective. In booking tee times, I was shocked to learn that most golf courses were essentially booked and that the green fees had increased. Some of the better eating establishments had to squeeze us in as they were heavily booked, yet the menu items had shrunk in size and grown in cost. Every logistic from accommodations to meeting rooms to banquet facilities to food and entertainment—was difficult to book and, in almost all cases, prices had gone up. Thus begs the question, where is the recession? Politicians reading this may be patting themselves on the back for diligently creating and approving recovery packages, which appear at first glance to be working. Before anyone gets carried away, we must recognize that most of these packages have actually not been implemented yet (except perhaps for the Ontario auto industry) or had a chance to have an impact. Many municipalities and provinces are still negotiating the specifics of the recovery package, and, more critically, the constraints and expectations that will be imposed on those who choose to participate in these programs. Nonetheless, the fact that some form of support is on the way does improve confidence, even if it is for a
short period of time. A global economic crisis is clearly here. The capital markets are struggling, access to credit remains a challenge, unemployment is on the rise, and uncertainty is in our midst. The real challenge as one reads the newspapers, or views the evening or business news, is to understand the personal impact of the global economic crisis. The impact analysis presented by the media is either too broad or too regionally specific. Thus, there is a sense of contradiction between the analysis presented by the media and the situation one is faced with on the ground where they live. How has this happened? Companies, organizations and especially individual families have reacted well to the changing economic climate and adjusted much faster than in previous crises. How have they done that? • Once the bottom began to fall out, and, once denial was replaced with reality, the ability to anticipate within one’s individual situation (be it an organization or individual) was heightened. More than ever before, many reacted decisively, thus minimizing impact and enhancing the chances for survival and readiness for recovery. • The first step was to manage debt. This involved assessing the debt load, eliminating debt where possible by either doing away with things or
refinancing at different levels. If this was done very early in the game, the ability to survive (and even perhaps thrive) was greatly enhanced. • The second step was to manage costs. With the decline in the economy came the amazing opportunity to cut costs, find lower cost alternatives, take advantage of the “buyers” market and be very diligent in managing costs. • The third step was to manage cash flow and work with suppliers, vendors and clients to optimize cash flow allowing for long term sustainability. • The fourth step was to focus on revenue. Revenue is king—and companies, organizations and individuals worked on identifying new opportunities for existing products and developing new products (or packaging) for existing clients. There has been some carnage, and some companies have failed to survive in spite of their efforts. In almost all of these cases, their failure was a result of too high a debt load. Just a small decline in cash flow was enough to set off a death spiral. Those who are surviving and even thriving have put into place the basics outlined above: managing debt, costs, and cash flow and seeking new revenue streams. Now, many are looking at
becoming stronger, more agile… and getting ready for the recovery while others are taking advantage of the downturn to rebuild or retool. Specifically, there is excellent availability of good people and talent— talent that can make a dramatic change in one’s business. This talent was unreachable as recently as 12 months ago: either because they were already employed or too expensive to bring on board. That has dramatically changed. Having survived, many are looking at how they manage existing clients— understanding the clients’ challenges and needs, working with them in different ways to ensure that the business relationship emerges even stronger. There is a new level of cooperation. Businesses are working with their vendors in “partnership” mode to ensure mutual sustainable survival and a much brighter future for both on recovery. But perhaps the key ingredient is “hope”. Unlike past recessions, most people have kept hope alive—there will be a recovery and we will all survive this and become stronger, much more versatile and resilient. √ 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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Front row: Heather, Larry and Steffany Back row: Tom and Les
By Steffany Hanlen
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hen clarity, vision and action meet, it is transformational. They can also collide and sound
a wakeup call. For a coach that specializes in “visioning”, a client with no clear vision in a business is exciting—like a clean slate. I get to support someone to create their life and vision from a place of endless possibilities. Transformers Les, Tom, Larry, and I work together to enable our transformee to breakthrough issues like lack of clarity, conflict, self knowledge, knowing what they want, health and work/life balance concerns and whatever else shows up. Heather Friesen—2009 winner of Edmontonians Transformation contest— was no exception. In one sense, she seemed ready to take her business to the next level. In reality, her journey with us became more of an inner exploration and awareness exercise. My job was to determine where Heather was in business, relative to where she wanted to be. She identified sales and marketing Sublime Body as her biggest hurdle to getting her unique skills and message out to the public. Since there are several Pilates studios and massage therapists in Edmonton, I asked her to articulate what was unique to her. Heather began to see her former health issues with scoliosis—and how she had overcome them—as very inspirational. Having healed her postural issues with Pilates and other hard work, she also became an expert in massage and has an understanding of anatomy. There is no one in her industry that we were able to find with that particular story and skill set. Her first exercise was to write a news release to gain exposure in the local media. After her photo and cover story appeared in the February issue of Edmontonians,
healerhealthyself Heather faced a flurry of attention and was featured on TV and in the Edmonton Journal. Next, the plan was to capitalize on that media exposure. Her phone rang off the hook and things were looking up. We needed to create a plan to manage and direct that exposure and convert it into sales. Or so I thought. The visioning exercise I chose for Heather was to have her state her financial goals for the next three, six and 12 months. We discussed what she realistically could earn selling her time as a massage therapist and Pilates instructor hourly, and what her hard and soft costs were against that. Simple math. She was given an opportunity to meet with one of the most successful women in our city. Laurie Phipps-Campbell, Presidents Club award winning sales person at Xerox, generously gave Heather five hours of her time. This money exercise proved to be an eyeopening experience about what was really going on at Sublime Body. Here is my synopsis of Heather Friesen’s
transformation experience. Heather fully committed to each exercise she was given. She updated the Transformer team almost weekly with her progress. We watched her grow as a person mentally and emotionally. Her health blossomed. We smiled to ourselves as we watched her become a media darling. We offered her our contacts, data bases, expertise and our time. This was going well. From what I understand, after all this digging, planning and visioning, Heather woke up one day and realized that she is more than just her business... and that she was in way over her head. She had over committed to studio space, taken on more clients, run out of time each day, and was unable to duplicate herself with qualified staff. Without this deep, truthful look at her business, there may not have been this dramatic of an experience. Heather grew as a person, gained a true picture of her financial situation and put herself back on her to-do list. She grew up.
Telling the truth about what she really wants out of her life and business was what this was all about. She wants a balanced life. This transformation helped Heather get to the realization that having a fantasy is not the same as having a business. Working 24-7 to gain her family’s approval or always putting others first wouldn’t make her a good business person. Good thing this wakeup call happened now, not in 10 years. Heather is taking some time to review her life and to make corrections. At the time of printing, business phone calls and e-mails to Sublime Body were not being answered. This may be a case of the healer who’s left to heal herself. √ Steffany Hanlen is a personal performance coach who conducts The Champion Seminars. Contact: shanlen@edmontonians.com Continued on page 10
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lifestyles LIVELY
Tweet Retreat with Linda Bodo
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cappella ensembles harmonize at daybreak just outside my bedroom window with unsolicited wake-up calls. By breakfast time, the aria is a full blown concerto as feathered migrants seeking temporary room and board congregate. My admission to this performance is relatively ‘cheep’. Feeders, suet, bird houses and a fresh water supply provide the musicians with well deserved compensation. One could say these winged whistlers got a sweet summer retreat for a song. To celebrate the 5th Anniversary of Lively Lifestyles, I decided to reward my feathered friends who have entertained and inspired me while I toiled over my columns. Since the majority of my projects involve wood, it was relatively easy to tie into the traditional fifth anniversary theme. Water can be scarcer than food in some environments—especially in this unseasonably dry period—and birds spend a great deal of time searching for fresh supplies. Adding a water feature to your backyard increases bird traffic and attracts species that don’t normally visit feeders. The ideal birdbath should contain no more than three inches of water at its deepest point. A shallow-edged vessel will ensure easy access and an ample lip guarantees a comfortable perch for preening and drying off. Running or dripping water will instantly bring the crowds (they love the sound) and replenish any evaporated or splashed water. You can purchase commercial bird baths outfitted with a drip feature or hose attachment that create a fine mist, or you can opt to create your own with a garden hose outfitted with a valve or tie into an existing nearby drip system. Fill the
basin often; clean it weekly with a blast of water from your hose and forego algaecontrolling chemicals which can be harmful. Place the bath away from feeders where seed hulls or droppings can pollute the water. Position the water feature where you and the birds can enjoy it, preferably in light shade rather than full sun or dense shadow. Offer security from predators by placing your water feature under a tree where branches offer a safe haven in case of danger. This tweet retreat offers a spa-like destination for birds with an organic twist. Recycle, repurpose and reuse materials for under $30 to create a sanctuary guaranteed to please the most discerning songsters. I foraged through the trees in our yard for gnarled and kinked branches to envelope the basin and offer plenty of resting spots for zealous bathers.
MATERIALS 5 gallon plastic pail 2 – 24” x 24” coconut liners
Shallow bowl or large terra cotta plant saucer Several boughs and branches, 1” – 2” in diameter 10’ – 2” x 4” pressure treated or cedar planks 1 ½”, 2 ½” and 3” deck screws Stones/rocks (optional)
TOOLS Jigsaw/handsaw/chopsaw Drill, ¼” and 1/16” drill bits Pruners Measure tape Marker Heavy-duty stapler, 3/8” staples
outside pail and fold excess inside. Cut with scissor to fit. Affix with stapler. Screw two 1 1/2” screws through liner and pail into each 2 x 4. • Place bowl or saucer on pail and begin attaching branches to outside of pail with 2 1/2” and 3” screws, penetrating the 2 x 4s. Leave some branches longer than the pail height to cup the bowl and create perches. Trim branches with pruners. • Place in desired location and fill with rock or stone if bowl is deeper than 3”. Fill with water and enjoy. If possible, place bath near an irrigation system and tie into it so bath automatically fills when the drip assembly is on. √
STEP-BY-STEPS • Remove handle from pail and drill several 1/4”-holes in bottom for drainage. • Cut 2” x 4” planks into lengths 1/4” shorter than inside height of pail. Attach to pail by screwing 1 ½” screws through plastic from the outside. • Line up coconut liners with bottom of
Linda Bodo is author of Enjoy Life Outside. Visit www.absolutebodo.com for upcoming appearances and project demonstrations; view other DIY projects; or order her book. Contact: lbodo@edmontonians.com Go to edmontonians.com and visit the Lively Lifestyles blog.
lifestyles LIVELY
Got questions or comments on recipes or projects? Visit our blog: livelylifestyles.wordpress.com EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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“WOOD”
MENU
Magic
you believe it?
with Chef John Berry
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appy 5th anniversary, Lively Lifestyles. It seems like yesterday that we were turning out our first copy. Five years of exploring new trends and ideas, investigating cuisines, and discovering new recipes. Since this is our fifth, wood is the theme. Linda Bodo, Barb Deters and I were quite impressed with a new product that hit the shelves just in time for summer: Seasoned skewers and wood wraps. They add a new dimension to grilling in your backyard. The concept is quite simple. Take a flat, wooden skewer and infuse it with different flavours. Under the Compliments Sensations banner, Sobey’s has developed these aromatic items—citrus rosemary and Thai coconut lime skewers—that simply take the kabob to a whole new height. We soaked the skewers in white wine while we prepped the food. I alternated tiger prawns, cantaloupe chunks and lemon pieces on the Thai skewers, and sprinkled a little Cajun spice over everything. I love rosemary, especially with my chicken, so the citrus rosemary skewers were perfect for the second
batch. I cubed a chicken breast, and combined it with yellow pepper, purple onion wedges, white mushrooms and chunks of zucchini. The completed skewers need to rest in the refrigerator so the flavours in the wood can permeate the foods: the shrimp for at least 15 to 20 minutes; meats like chicken and beef take up to an hour. Before grilling, you can brush each one with a little olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. A lot of us have tried cedar planked salmon on the grill. Now Sensations allows us to get terrific cedar and maple flavours in small, convenient packages. These wood wraps (six per pack) are paper-thin and aromatic. After soaking in water, wine, or juice at least 20 minutes, they can be wrapped around salmon, chicken, pork or vegetables and secured with string that’s provided in the package. You place the wraps over a preheated grill set on medium and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your food. And herein lies the only shortcoming of this new product: They are 5 1/2” wide and almost 7 inches long. Note to
In an uncharacteristic move, our creative trio chose to follow the Sensations recipes on the packages. We were intrigued by the Maple & Peppercorn Salmon Wrap John & Linda because the main ingredient of the marinade was maple syrup (Barb really would have liked to add a shot of Appleton’s rum). We also made the Cedar Wrapped Veggie & Goat Cheese Bundles— an incredible vegetable side dish. The entire meal was delightful. But, when the jury was in, it was a unanimous decision on the best. The Thai coconut lime skewers with the tiger prawns took it hands down. The infusion of flavour was amazing. Our next favourite was the glazed salmon in the maple wrap. All-in-all, a great way to enjoy a summer meal and toast our 5th anniversary. √
manufacturer: they’re wonderful for small portions, but a John Berry-size
Comments? Go to Edmontonians.com and visit the Lively Lifestyles Blog. piece of salmon, is just too big to wrap. So, a big appetite will need two wraps.
Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com
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newvoiceemerges
Continued from page 7
By Tom Bradshaw
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ow we say it is more important than what we say. Heather Friesen’s voice was clear and concise. She was obviously intelligent—but I could not take her seriously. She had experienced answering the phone and having potential clients ask to speak to her mother. Like many women, she chose to use the little girl voice. It makes men and women take notice; however, it establishes a relationship where Heather is subservient. While it may be beneficial at times, clients are looking for an expert. Experts are aged with deep voices that carry years of experience and instill confidence. Heather has knowledge and maturity well beyond her age but the little girl voice was sabotaging her credibility. Potential clients might wonder if she is capable of delivering. It was easy to perceive Heather as someone with a lot of potential but perhaps not ready for the reality of business, especially during a recession. For this transformation, I teamed with
By Les Brost
connection not only brought the voice down, it allowed her more opportunity to think before speaking. When someone chooses his or her words carefully, we are more apt to listen. Humming also helped to draw the voice out of the nasal passages Heather Friesen and balance it across the full range of resonators. This balance makes the voice much more pleasant and full and helps to establish credibility for the listener. The speaking voice and the effect it has on others are amazing. President Barack Obama has quickly become the great orator of our time and has the ability to instill
confidence and gather followers, largely through the command of his voice. Heather is a work in progress but has made great strides. There is a new voice emerging for this gifted professional— one that is deeper and exudes greater honesty and sincerity… that holds significantly more power… but which can be difficult for the speaker to assimilate. It isn’t an easy transition for some. When a voice changes, so can a personality. After being the little girl so long, Heather must now become the woman she truly is. While she is starting to live with this new voice, she doesn’t completely own it. She will. And, as her voice grows, so will her confidence and success. √ Tom Bradshaw is the head of the Academy of Voice & Speech. Contact: tbradshaw@edmontonians.com
reconcilingcompetinginterests
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ransformation is a word that can have very different interpretations. To some folks, it means instant and effortless change—a semi-magical overnight makeover. Transformation could also be the change promoted by the charlatans filling our in-boxes with claims to cure everything from impotence to psoriasis. That’s not what happens when Edmontonians’ Transformers go to work. It happens when the Transformee’s energy, commitment and passion for change engage our skills and experience. The degree of success increases in direct proportion to the efforts of our client. Our latest client, Heather Friesen, is a very bright and coachable person. She gave us the kind of perseverance and focus that, earlier in her life, enabled her to escape the crippling grip of scoliosis. Yet, as the time grew near for her final interview, I wondered about the outcome. While Heather was working with us, Edmonton’s economy was absorbing the full impact of the global economic meltdown. In troubled times, people may choose to cut back on discretionary spending such as going to wellness studios. Would Heather be able to focus on personal and business growth while navigating the stormy business seas? Heather’s transformation had marked a “first” for fellow Transformer Tom Bradshaw and me. As an experienced,
By Dr. Larry Ohlhauser
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Les Brost. Through Edmontonians Transformers, Les and I have discovered how combining our training can exponentially influence clients. Heather needed to start using the voice that comes from her speaking centre. This is where a mature woman’s voice lives. It is also where suppressed emotions can exist. Having Les available to guide her through those emotions was incredibly valuable. As a Pilates instructor, Heather has very good breath control… but the breath was not connected to the voice. Making the
hen we first met, Heather Friesen’s biggest health problems were poor sleep, increased stress levels, and no capacity for leisure. “I have no life outside of my work,” she told me. To kick off her journey to achieving work-life balance, I asked her to develop goals and articulate her action plan. Her goals were: 1. Spend more
perceptive speech coach, Tom had observed firsthand how correcting voice and breath control can trigger powerful emotions, and he suggested that we pair up to work with Heather. His instincts were spot-on. As we collaborated, I was able to respond to the emotions triggered by his coaching in the context of conflict management training. The “Heather” who began the transformation process was a woman often perceived as being younger than her years. That perceived immaturity made it easy for others to marginalize her as a businesswoman. So what did I observe at the final interview? I saw a young woman exhibiting an enhanced degree of poise and “centredness” with a quiet strength inspiring confidence in others. Her voice was noticeably lower in pitch. Heather has added important new skills to her conflict management toolbox. Power listening—listening with all of our receptors and attention—is a key skill. At the first interview, Heather only occasionally made eye contact and appeared quite detached from the conversation. She now makes and keeps eye contact when talking with others, and keeps herself centred on the messages sent by the other person. I asked Heather to identify her key learnings about conflict management, and her responses were very interesting. “I learned the importance of honesty in managing conflict. Being open and honest
makes it simpler to manage myself in difficult situations. Improving my listening skills—really listening to what others are saying without pre-judging or framing a response—has also been a huge breakthrough.” She paused for a moment of reflection. “I also learned that my lack of self-confidence played a huge role in the conflicts that I have experienced. I used to defer to others, and now I’m learning to listen to my inner voice and follow my instincts.” There was another pause, and her eyes locked on mine. “I’ve also learned that I’m not my business. I’m not my studio. I am me—my personality, skills and experience. That is who I really am.” That’s when I knew that Heather really gets it. Many of us live in a state of perpetual conflict—both with ourselves and the world around us. We want all the toys and we want quiet time and reflection. We want to be the unique individuals we know we are… yet we continue to define ourselves by what we do and/or what we possess. Why is that? It’s because our own inner conflict tears at us. Are we our business or our profession or our role in life? Or are we the person we are when no one is looking? Which is it? Who are we? Can we reconcile the competing interests and values within ourselves? When we answer those questions, we have gone a long way to resolving the
inner conflict driving or feeding the other discord in our lives. Achieving clarity on our own identity and purpose gives us the confidence to listen deeply to others. By letting others know that they have been truly heard, we create an environment where they can be more receptive to our messages. I call it the “Golden Circle of Conflict Management”. What did Heather gain from her experience with us? “I was able to get a new perspective and outlook on myself… which is what I really needed to help me further into this journey of self discovery.” Yes, Heather Friesen “gets it”. She has begun to transform herself. She is still a young person, and her personal and business lives are just beginning. There are stormy times in a life cycle. To reach the pinnacle of her potential, she must stay on the path of integrity, selfknowledge and personal accountability. If she can do that, the sky’s the limit. √ Les Brost is head of Souther Star Communications. Contact: lbrost@edmontonians.com
worklifebalance
quality time with her family. 2. Practice yoga daily. 3. Create and follow a to-do list. What are the results after a few months? When we last spoke, Heather was still putting in 12-hour days at her Sublime Body studio, but making sure that once a week she spends time with her family. Talking, taking their advice and generally just unwinding has provided
her with a calmness, a clear head and a sense of regaining control over her life. Daily yoga exercises have given her time for herself. The to-do list has allowed her to keep on top of all her daily tasks—yes, even to make sure to shop for food. Heather understands that stressors are part of life… particularly for a young entrepreneur. All indications were that she is now well established on her
journey to achieving the work-life balance she desires. √ Dr. Larry Ohlhauser, MD, is the author of The Healthy CEO and president of Ohlhauser & Associaties. Contact: laohlhauser@edmontonians.com EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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Informatics— The next wave of diversification in Alberta— on a flood of insecurity Randy Goebel
By Cheryl Croucher
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or many of us, the computer is not much more than a glorified typewriter and automated post box, a source of irritation on bad days, and a passport to wider horizons on better ones. It’s on the other end of the spectrum where you’ll find Dr. Randy Goebel. For him, the computer marks the doorway to a whole new dimension, one where terms like informatics, machine learning and artificial intelligence roll ever so glibly of the tongues of the initiates. A professor of computing science at the University of Alberta, Goebel is also a principle investigator with the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learning. And, as if that isn’t enough, he’s the president and CEO of iCORE, the Informatics Circle of Research Excellence. According to Wikipedia, informatics is defined as “the science of information, the practice of information processing, and the engineering of information systems.” That sounds simple enough until you read the rest of the paragraph. What’s this about structure, algorithms, and the interactions of natural and artificial systems? Welcome to the digital age and the world of Randy Goebel.
“My background is in what people will call formal artificial intelligence,” he says. “Formal in the sense of the use of mathematics and logic to represent information for machines and to reason about it so machines can draw inferences and use them to support decision making. That has naturally evolved to work in a variety of things. These days, it’s mostly applied to machine learning which is really just managing large volumes of data, finding structure in the data and drawing inferences from that data.” When asked what he considers the highlights or the most important accomplishments of his scientific career, Goebel is quick to celebrate his students. “I’ve had an incredible number of great graduate students, nearly 60 of them now. All of them have managed to do better than I can at any of the things that they’ve concentrated on, so they themselves have done an enormous amount of work. Most of them are senior researchers and professors around the world doing great jobs.” And then there’s that little thing called “abductive reasoning”. You might think of it as creative guessing. Goebel explains, “Ten or 15 years ago, I was at the centre of the development of what’s called abductive reasoning which has become, if you like, the
architecture for doing a variety of things, partly in machine learning, partly in, for example, automated diagnosis. So, all those underlying techniques have been used in a broad variety of applications, everything from stock market analysis to data mining, from large data sets of your favourite grocery store to understanding biology.” It is the discovery of these kinds of platform, foundation or enabling technologies that has jettisoned our society into the age of information. For those of us who remember banging away on the keyboard of an IBM Selectric, it’s only two decades, barely a generation, since the introduction of desktop computers. “I think the biggest change is that we can store almost everything we know,” reflects Goebel. “And the neat thing about that is we don’t have to remember everything. So when somebody has an idea about something, there is immediately a repository that is accessible and that you can either confirm or deny or find evidence in support or find contradictions to the things that you are theorizing about. I think that by itself has probably changed the face of research and the face of culture and society more than anything else. “ Continued on page 14
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Taking the Boots By Greg Gazin
to biofilms
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trength in numbers as a protection from invading forces is a good thing when referring to people. This same principle when applied to bacteria and micro-organism communities can have life-threatening repercussions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated: “over 80 percent of all human infections are caused by biofilm organisms.” Biofilms are organized communities of micro-organisms that exist in virtually every natural environment, and are responsible for difficult-to-treat complications like cystic fibrosis (CF) lung infections… catheter, dialysis and implant device infections… and chronic middle ear infections. “It’s true,” says Ken Boutilier, the 53-year old president and CEO of Edmonton’s Innovotech Inc. “What applies to people also applies to micro-organisms.” Micro-organisms refer to bacteria, fungi and other species. Boutilier explains how they exist in two states: freefloating and biofilms, a community that appears mushroomlike when viewed under a scanning electron microscope. “There had always been a huge misconception that all bacteria are free-floating and that’s how the science evolved.” He stresses that all of our science, technology, products, antibiotics and even diagnostic tools, like a throat swab, deal with free-floating organisms. The reality is that all regulatory approval from organizations like the FDA in the
BRIEFS
U.S. and Health Canada for antibiotics and disinfectants is based on free-floating organisms.” The predominate feature of an organism in a biofilm is that it becomes resistant to antibiotics and disinfectants due, in part, to being exposed to sub-lethal doses which cause them to adapt. An article in American Science (Vol:93 Nov 2005) called this a “defense mechanism”. It further illustrates that biofilms are not limited to humans. They can be found in a variety of places—in the stomach of a cow, on various parts of a plant, on contact lenses, and even as the slippery substance on rocks. Boutilier reiterates the 80percent statistic and stresses that we don’t have the tools to deal with it. He recalls having once concluded, “All current microbiology may have to be
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espite what your teacher told you in school, fidgeting at your desk is not a bad thing. The body’s need to fidget is the principle behind the development of a new medical device called “smart underwear”. Designed for people with spinal injuries who are confined to wheelchairs, the high tech garment stimulates muscle movement to prevent debilitating pressure ulcers. Dr. Martin FergusonPell belongs to a team of Dr. Martin researchers working on the Ferguson-Pell project at the University of Alberta. As he explains it, “What the underwear will contain is principally stimulating electrodes to get the muscles to contract, and then secondarily will be sensors which will look at the manage pressure sores status of the tissues and inform the stimulator Dr. Ferguson-Pell is a professor and when it needs to be active. So, as we dean of the Faculty of Rehabilitation find that the period of time that the Medicine. He says smart underwear is oxygen has been depleted from the just one invention under development tissue becomes too long through by the Smart Neural Prostheses Team measurements made with sensors in the underwear, then the underwear will which is supported by the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical create an electrical stimulation to the Research. √ muscles, which then allows those ~ Cheryl Croucher tissues to be re-nourished.”
SMART PANTS
reinvented to meet the needs of biofilm microbiology.” It was this assertion that constantly resonated with him… that led his group to develop tools to diagnose and treat biofilm infections. “And we’re one of the few commercial entities doing that.” Among the products Innovotech has created is the bioFILM PA™ diagnostic—the world’s first biofilm susceptibility test. It’s used to provide guidance for selecting antibiotics for the afore-mentioned infections. It’s been approved by Health Canada and is being marketed heavily, especially to the CF community. “We chose the CF because CF is a genetic lung disease and because it is the most recognized biofilm infection in health care. And, Ken Boutilier these lung President and CEO of Innovotech infections typically Photo by Terry Bourque kill people,” says
Spin Dried TAILINGS Jim Lorentz
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ailings in oil sands parlance refers to the material leftover at the tail end of production… after the oil has been separated from the sand. At Syncrude, this collection of sand, clay and water is pumped down a pipeline into artificial ponds. Over time, the particles of sand and clay settle to the bottom of these tailings ponds, and the water is recycled back into the plant for reuse in the oil sand separation process. According to technology development officer Jim Lorentz, Syncrude is piloting a new system to speed up that process. It uses centrifugal force, drying the tailings much like the spin dry cycle removes water from your laundry.
“We’re trying to dry those solids using mechanical energy and increase basically what gravity has to offer,” he says. “The machines we’re talking about are commercially available. We’re talking about a metre diameter by about three metres to four metres long, and multiples of them in parallel. We’re talking about improving the gravitational force from one gravitational force to 200 plus gravitational forces. So that should reduce the settling time by about 200 times.” As Lorentz explains, the spin-dried material or “cake” would be left to dry for a season. Then is could be used in wet or dry landscape reclamation. √ ~ Cheryl Croucher EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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Boutilier, making reference to the fact it is a disease that often affects children. He laments the reality that Innovotech is too small a company to educate the entire world on biofilms. Stan Yakatan, a consultant/advisor and chairman of Katan Associates and a veteran in the life science and biotechnology fields, is impressed. “Innovotech is addressing perhaps the greatest unmet need in biotechnology that I have seen in my 30 years in the field.” To be sure, Innovotech’s break-through findings in microbiology are scientifically significant. Somewhat amusing to Boutilier is the story of how the company got started… how successful this humble 20-person company has become in such a short period of time—atypical in the health sciences industry. Boutilier was looking for a new opportunity, a senior position in management where he could make a difference. He approached Gerry Tertzakian, who is now the past chair of Innovotech, Raylo Chemicals and Cytovax. The holder of a PhD in organic chemistry has more than three decades of experience creating, managing, and financing knowledge based companies. Tertzakian suggested a start-up. Entrepreneurship was the last thing Boutilier had on his mind and, while almost gasping for air at the thought, he listened. He recalls, “Gerry said he was going to round up a few cronies and throw in some money. He told me, ‘You can run the company and we can be your board.’ “I had no illusions of being a president or CEO.” Having discussed it with his wife Loretta-Jane, and accepting the lack of security on such a journey, Boutilier decided that he’d prefer to take the risk rather than always face the nagging doubt of ‘what if?’. At the time, biofilms were not even on the radar screen. After evaluating a few opportunities, other technologies that they could acquire, what was to become Innovotech happened by shear chance—at 35,000 feet. “On a flight from Edmonton to Calgary—maybe Calgary to Edmonton—one of our board members, Kerry Brown, sat next to our now research director, Dr. Merle Olson.
Jan Noskiye
Merle told his story: technology looking for management and money. Kerry told his story: management and money looking for technology.” It turned out that Dr. Olson, Howard Ceri and a group of other researchers at the University of Calgary had an interest in biofilms, and formed the Biofilm Research Group (BRG). It became recognized as a centre for the testing of antimicrobials, biocides and device coatings, and for developing animal models to study biofilm disease. The rest, as they say, is history. Boutilier chuckles. “It might have been more elegant if I had portrayed it as a systematic search.” Innovotech amalgamated the technology from MBEC, formerly the Calgary Biofilm Device, and the BRG in 2004 into a product development company. What was unique about Innovotech was its business approach—unlike others in the biotech sector, categorized as being high reward because it is high risk. “Biotechnology is littered with carcasses of companies that failed,” says Boutilier. “It’s the expectation that, within 10 years and a 100-million dollars later, there’s a marginal expectation of producing something that may have potential.” Many companies never get to the point of having revenue or positive cash-flow, relying purely on investment. While liking the sounds of high rewards, board members knew they were far too experienced business-wise to accept that type of risk. That’s why one of their investment criteria was for companies to have current or near term revenue. That’s why the BRG was a good fit. “We saw a four-year time frame and a couple of million dollars instead.” This way they would have a huge risk reduction. They could generate revenue internally with their contract research business as a risk mitigator rather than go to the public markets to raise cash. Investor dollars could then go into R&D for new products and to develop more of their own IP. “We hit a home-run with the investor world.” There was also another huge benefit of the contract
F I R S T On the
graduates in Aboriginal Land STEWARDSHIP
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here’s no doubt about it. Industrial development impacts the environment and native communities. But a new training program developed by the Alberta Research Council could change that. It is called the Aboriginal Land Stewardship Program and the first two graduates are Jan Noskiye of the Bigstone Cree Nation at Wabasca, and Ike Solway of the Siksika Nation near Calgary. They’ve spent two years learning skills in land planning and how to work with industry and government. According to Noskiye, this training will help in bringing aboriginal concerns to the table. “I’m going to use these skills when it comes to negotiating with companies regarding the land. This is a very unique program because it was community based. In the past, there was never anybody in the Nation that would actually document and collect this kind of data that Ike and I will be doing. This is a major plus for our communities because now we have somebody out there documenting these sites for our future generations to see and to keep protected from industrial activity.” Now that they have graduated from the ARC program, Noskiye will become an environmental technician with the Bigstone Cree Nation, while Solway will return to his position in the Siksika Nation land management service. ~ Cheryl Croucher
research business. They were not just working with medical devices. Innovotech was also working with paint companies, cosmetic companies, and even a mining company—all of which had biofilm problems which Boutelier knew they could solve. “This contract research business allows us to have a window on the world of biofilm problems and a nurturing ground for new product development.” Given Innovotech’s Calgary roots, the company was hoping to acquire a suitable microbiology laboratory in that city. “We were looking for a wet lab space for roughly one year… and couldn’t find one.” At the same time, space was being redeveloped in Edmonton Research Park, and representatives from the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation approached Innovotech. Boutilier knew it was the best option available, and faced the realization that he would need to relocate 12 people and disrupt their lives. The move took place December 2007. And things are going well. Boutilier points out that the economic meltdown of the last 18 months has virtually left their share price unaffected while even blue-chip stocks have plummeted. “The stock price is currently at $0.85. We closed 2007 at $0.87 and 2008 at $0.84.” Innovotech trades on the Toronto Venture Exchange. On a final note, in early June, Innovotech announced that the pest management regulatory agency of Health Canada granted the company a research authorization for largescale field trials for the 2009 season to test its novel seed treatment, AgressTM. The product was developed in response to events in the world and to protect seeds from biofilms during the critical germination and emergence stage. √ Greg Gazin, “The Gadget Guy”, is a serial entrepreneur, freelance technology columnist, small business speaker, an avid Podcaster and producer of Toastcaster.com. Greg can be reached at 780.424.1881, gadgetgreg.com or greg@gadgetguy.ca
HORIZON
JULY July to September DaVinci: The Genius An Inspirational Exhibition Telus World of Science 11211 – 142 Street www.edmontonscience.com July 1 25th Anniversary Birthday Bash Telus World of Science 1984 Admission Prices, includes FREE IMAX 25 Rockets Launched at 2 pm 11211 – 142 Street www.edmontonscience.com
River Ridge Golf and Country Club 18251 - 9 Avenue Registration deadline July 10 www.bioalberta.com/events.asp
OCTOBER Banff Venture Forum Canada’s Premier Venture Capital Showcase Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Registration Now open until maximum filled www.banffventureforum.com
July 21 Business Link Networking Event 2:30 to 4 pm #100, 10237 – 104 Street www.canadabusiness.ca/alberta/events July 27 3rd Annual Innovation Golf Open 2009 Play Golf and Network with Members of Edmonton’s Technology and Research Community
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“white” nextMEDIA 2009 welcomed the world with snow on June 5th. Despite the “crispy fresh” start to this year’s event, the underdressed delegates—many from L.A. and some from as far away as Germany and Brazil— were still able to enjoy themselves. The Internet and social web dominated this year’s nextMEDIA event. Monitors with Tweetdeck rolled along tracking the Twitter discussion and hashtag #nextMEDIA throughout the venue, keeping conference-goers up-to-date on the most recent chatter in and around the event. This hashtag evolved into #banff09, representing nextMEDIA’s big brother: the Banff World Television Festival. Discussion over the weekend covered the social web from several angles, including monetization models, culture and demographics, and search metrics. Talk regularly fell to differentiating between the hype of social media and its more productive uses. Another well-discussed element of the social web was our involvement in the event. Judging by the current viewer-minute totals for the with Walter Schwabe fusedlogicTV channel, many of you know we were doing our best to broadcast live via the Events like nextMEDIA are now highly dependent on strong Internet connectivity. Conference organizers run the Internet from that majestic castle in the mountains, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. Most castles aren’t known risk of a ruined event for no reason other than failing to fulfill the expectation of Internet access. for their blazing fast Internet connectivity, and this one was Spotty connections aside, the fusedlogic team was still no exception. The single (slow) connection shared between able to get some great interviews broadcast live and the entire hotel complex was regularly too slow to even recorded for those interested in embedding them on their allow us to check our email; something that turned into a own websites. By the second day, the great staff at Achilles common point of contention among attendees. Media, organizers of nextMEDIA, were able to obtain a That’s right folks, one of Canada’s premier tourist better connection and pipe it out to the rest of us. With that destinations is essentially an Internet “dead zone” when taken care of, the event “streamed” on seamlessly. compared to other Alberta locales. Is this even relevant or a fair criticism? Actually, it highlights a problem somewhat rampant through many Donning our own event-organizer hat recently, well-used venues. Infrastructure is lagging behind fusedlogic held its first Twitter for Breakfast at the World requirements in many cases, and is further held up by Trade Centre in Edmonton. It gave a group of people who owners and managers who think things are “good enough.” knew little-to-nothing about Twitter a primer course in how
Social media
it can be used for far more than one would expect. If your event is dependent on connectivity, we recommend you don’t take anything for granted. That’s why our process includes working with the location staff, in this case, the WTC to ensure Internet connectivity would meet our requirements. Experience has shown that in many corporate settings, firewalls, security protocols limiting access, are present. However, by going in ahead of time to double check connectivity, we were able to address these concerns. In fact, the WTC was generous enough to provide a technician after-hours to help make sure we were set up properly. For Keith Persaud and his staff at Edmonton’s World Trade Centre, high-end technology requirements have become commonplace. “I think technologies like the Blackberry have influenced this. Audio/visual is much more than a podium and microphone these days,” he says. Mobile devices, 3G and Wi-Fi are enabling the sharing of user-generated content far easier than ever before. Access to the social web is of paramount importance for an ever-increasing amount of creative citizens. They want to generate or consume information—how, when and where they want it. These shifting behaviours, in turn, are influencing business models. The WTC recognizes this trend as significant and is undergoing a technology restructuring at its downtown location. Built on a fiber-optic backbone, the building will be able to provide lightning fast connections, wireless access, and a host of other features. Clearly, it’s an organization that “gets it.” We’re looking forward to holding or attending events once this new infrastructure is in place; Persaud suggests that will happen by the end of August or sooner. √
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Continued from page 11 So building upon our 21st Century obsession of turning every bit of information into a byte, Goebel gives us some insight into informatics, the science of information. “The computer scientist works at a level of detail where the world is only information… There’s no biologist, no physicist, no clinical practitioner, no sociologist who will tell you that their theory about what they do isn’t based on information. The joy of being a computer scientist is that we can look at the world uniformly in terms of information, information gathering, capacity to store and process that information. And we can be, if you like, the people who can investigate new hypotheses more quickly because of the accelerated hypotheses managers we have as machines.” If you wonder where this is leading us, this mining and managing of data has already taken us to a level where information can be broken down into the merest whiff of life at the atomic scale, and reconstituted into a virtual world. “In fact, today, one of the reasons that drug discovery and deployment will come down is because we actually have machinery that can do virtual clinical trials.” Goebel adds, “We have sufficient computing power to take drugs, which are largely complex proteins, put them in environments where we want them to act, which is largely models of the environments they go into—your body— and we can do the triage and say, no this won’t work, these might work. We can focus that and manage hypotheses in this way.”
Working at this elevated level of discovery and technology development underscores Goebel’s activities with iCORE. Its formation dates back to 1999, a result of the Premier’s Council on ICT which looked at how Alberta could build capacity for high quality informatics to support scientific research and economic development. Led first by Dr. Brian Unger of the University of Calgary, Goebel became iCORE’s second president and CEO in 2005. He describes it as a scientific research recruiting agency. “iCORE has become a fire starter or catalyst for recruiting and building capacity in strategic areas to be able to ensure that we have world class support for those strategic areas that we want to do research in, currently in health and health related things, for example, health processes, health informatics all the way to genomics, panomics—all of the ‘omics’ in support of health.” Other strategic areas for provincial economic development include the bioindustries of agriculture and forestry, along with energy and the environment. “To do all those things,” Goebel stresses, “you need a very strong basis of modern computing to be able to make progress because you can’t compete in the world without that.” The iCORE model is based on facilitation. The agency supports research chairs at Alberta universities. Many involve industrial partners, such as the NSERC/iCORE/Syncrude/ Matrikon Industrial Research Chair in Intelligent Sensing Systems held by Dr. Hong Zhang.
Walter Schwabe is the Chief Evolution Officer of fusedlogic inc., a social media strategy firm and Alberta company since 2000. You can learn more at www.fusedlogic.com
Over the past decade, iCORE has supported 33 research chairs, with 28 currently active. The excellent level of support has allowed iCORE to recruit world class scientists to Alberta, including Dr. Stuart Kauffman who came from Santa Fe to take up the iCORE Chair in Biocomplexity and Informatics. Goebel has no trouble listing the accomplishments of iCORE’s scientific superstars. There’s Dr. Norman Beaulieu at the University of Alberta who is one of the world’s leading theoreticians in wireless communication. Developments from his lab to run the WiFi 80211 protocol that you can connect at cyber spots around town will be in every chip in the world, says Goebel. Dr. Ross Mitchell at the University of Calgary has used machine learning to undertake the world’s first virtual biopsy of cancerous brains, using imaging to determine the presence of genetic markers for certain treatments. “It turns out that this image analysis technique is even more accurate than the actually physical biopsy,” Goebel remarks. Physicist Dr. Robert Wolkow is an iCORE chair who works at the nanoscale. Among his many accomplishments is developing a technique to create the world’s sharpest tip out of a single atom. Useful in probing microscopes, Goebel says Wolkow’s discovery led to a partnership between Wolkow, the National Institute for Nanotechnology and Hitachi.
iCORE’s success has been lauded around the world. But is its future secure? The new Innovation Framework legislation introduced by Minister Doug Horner this spring has opened the door to change, but exactly how that will fall out for iCORE is uncertain. “I can say with confidence iCORE will continue to exist. I can also say with relative confidence that iCORE’s governance structure will change, but how is not clear.” Goebel speculates that how iCORE recruits and places people may be broadly applied to the other strategic areas laid out by the new legislation, that is, health, bio-industries, energy and environment. As for the name, Goebel points out, “The iCORE brand is very well known around the whole world, so it would be a shame to lose that branding.” In the meantime, while the details of change are being defined, Goebel and his iCORE scientists continue their amazing research. √ www.icore.ca To hear Cheryl’s conversation with Dr. Randy Goebel, visit www.innovationanthology.com Cheryl Croucher hosts Innovation Anthology which is broadcast on CKUA Radio at 7:58 am and 4:58 pm Tuesdays and Thursday. Or download the podcasts at www.innovationanthologyy.com EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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The view from Pine Bungalows
Re- discovering By Barb Deters
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JASPER
he mother black bear and her four cubs trotting along the roadside as we approached the gates at Jasper National Park were a living advertisement for the Park’s theme—Wonderful by Nature. It was a fitting start to a great June weekend, filled with the ample evidence of why this is a World Heritage Site. I happily accepted the invitation from Jasper Tourism & Commerce to enjoy a family excursion to explore the majesty and adventures in the area. It would be a chance for me to re-visit the summer vacation destination of my youth—decades ago in the last century—and to share the experience with daughter Quincey and granddaughter Spencer. We were among a group of 40 media types and their families—a good tour-bus load—from Edmonton and Calgary who were given options: Step back into the Ice Age/Columbia Icefield tour or Discover the wildside/all things Maligne tour, followed by whitewater rafting or the Jasper Tramway flight. We opted for the Maligne/Tramway tour at the urging of Quincey, who visits Jasper every couple of months since she took up photography in earnest—she’s enrolled in numerous classes and purchased top of the line equipment. Digital cameras afford us all the luxury of clicking away like a herd of turtles, and she certainly does just that. The toughest part is selecting the best shots from among
thousands… particularly since I’ve decided to showcase the park in its all-season glory. The town of Jasper, for the most part, retains its quaint appeal with magnificent stonework on residential, community and commercial buildings—and friendly ‘hellos’ are common on the streets. Its base population is only about 6,000 people, but when the lodges, hotels, motels, B&Bs and campsites are full, the number tops 26,000. Even with the economic turndown, reservations are definitely a r ce en Sp & rb must. Dining out Quincey, Ba offers another adventure—a variety of dishes prepared with wild game may appeal to tourists from afar, but Spencer was less than enthusiastic about the Pyramid Lake Resort’s spring rolls with rabbit and elk. We were treated to a Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge barbecue at the Stanley Thompson Cabin, highlighted for us by the Saskatoon Berry Bread Pudding—which one diner wanted “to just lie in”. Before we left for home, we stopped at the Bear Paws Bakery and spent a lot of money on breads and treats—a must every time. Certainly one of the highlights for me was a return to the Pine Bungalows on the banks of the Athabasca River where we stayed and played when I was a
Photos by Quincey Deters
youngster. The cabins with the fireplaces are as I remember them. Second-generation owner Mike Wasuita oversees more than 70 individual cabins, most with kitchens, and recently built a modern conference centre with 25 rooms and meeting/wedding facilities. A wonderful place to stay—no phones, no televisions. Tranquil. Many thanks to Helen and her team at Jasper Tourism & Commerce… the terrific, knowledgeable guides who love what they do, where they do it… and the facilities that fed us and gave us a place to lay our heads. All in all, a great weekend… made better by being with my girls. √ Continued on next page
Connaught Drive
The season’s first Malign Cruise EDMONTONIANS JULY 2009
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Medicine Lake in Fall
Icewalk at Maligne Canyon
Sheep
Maligne Canyon
Patricia Lake
galows
Pine Bun
Mike Wasuita owner of Pine Bungalow s
Pyramid Lake
Postcard perfect Maligne Lake
Jasper Tram-leaving
re verywhe Elk are e
Jasper Truly wonderful~by nature
Photos by Quincey Deters
Jasper Park Lodge
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