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VOL.XVII NO.6

JUNE 2006

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Edmonton’s Desert Queen Sandy McCallum

INSIDE

Pandemic/Banister • Hot job market/Medynski • Crass media/Hogle

pompous & unfair FUNNY

our dog Sylvie, a miniature Schnauzer almost 16 years old, inexplicably lost her mobility, Dr. Ollie and I were devastated to see her laying there helpless. We rushed her to the Animal Emergency Hospital South where Dr. Nathan Bosvik took over.

Sylvie didn’t respond to any stimulation tests and was paralyzed in the hind quarters. It didn’t look good.

We went home fully expecting we would have to give the word to put her down. Many tears were shed that night and the next morning. After working on Sylvie all night—x-rays, blood tests, two kinds of intravenous drips—Dr. Bosvik called in the morning to say little had changed.

I skipped work: Talking insurance wasn’t top of mind.

In the afternoon, I decided to spend some time with her, sort of say goodbye. Dr. Ollie was meeting me there. As I drove up to the clinic, I was flabbergasted to see Sylvie outside with one of the staff. She was walking… peeing… sniffing… definitely not dying. I wanted to say thanks to the doggy god for this miracle.

The vet thought it might have been a blood clot that went to her spine, and that drugs or luck broke it up. For word on Sylvie’s long term health, we had Dr. Greg Woodard, her regular vet at General Veterinary Hospital, check her over— everything looks pretty good for a dog her age.

A word about the Animal Emergency Hospital: marvelous. It’s the only one. Emergencies only, always open and as complete as any hospital clinic for people. It’s pricey, yes. But we saved our best friend. Whether Sylvie lives a few more months or a few more years, she brings such joy into our lives, it was worth every cent.

Our thanks to Doctors Bosvik, Jaret Bogdan and Charlene Stevens and the caring technicians at the emergency facility.

The Mandel Dancers

By Muggsy Forbes

F

lash: Phil Milroy, president and sole

shareholder of Westcorp Properties Inc., has just added the Inn on 7th, in the heart of the downtown, to his hotel collection. The new owner is fulfilling existing booking obligations before shutting down to gut the once-upon-a-time Holiday Inn. The transformation to a boutique hotel will take seven months to complete. Phil boasts, “It’s going to be the nicest spot in Alberta when it’s finished.” With his proven record in Old Strathcona with the Metterra and Varscona hotels, I don’t doubt that for a minute.

Edmonton's arts performers are irresistibly, forever cool. My personal favourite at the Mayor's Evening for the Arts that drew over 1200 has to be Tommy Banks.

He's but a few years younger than I, but the Senator is The Dog. Still, a gaggle of young girls voted for the Alberta Ballet's athletic and sexy interpretation of an Oscar Lopez standard as did Lynn Mandel dressed in her adorable, metallic grey balloon skirt-suit from Blu's.

The truth is the entire performance lineup was a worthy and diverse backup to all those who won awards May 29th at the Winspear. I only wish we had an opportunity to learn more about recipients in nine categories such as Cambridge Strategies' Ken Chapman and Satya Das who won for their innovative support of poet Kirsten Sikora. They discovered her a few years ago through the iHuman Youth Society for at-risk youth who turn their lives around through the arts; published her 43-page book in an effort to qualify for the appointment of Edmonton's first Poet Laureate. That assignment, of course, went to the hockeychallenged muse, Alice Major. The night ended with the audience dancing on stage, bobbing in their seats—like the forever young Barbara Poole—and communing in agreement with Souljah Fyah's lead singer as she recalled the words of her music teacher: "Societies that value the arts are the cities that thrive." Bravo.

I’ve always wondered why people humanize

©2004, 2005 Scott Kay, Inc. All Rights Reserved. All images and logos are trademarks of Scott Kay, Inc.

their pets. Now I know—they’re family members. When

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Early in the NHL playoffs, I spent an Oilers’ Game 4 with the Edmonton JCs. They combined a recruitment drive with the game and a free barbecue.

Needless to say, Molson House was crowded. Peter Hyndman was the point man. He grew up with my son Cam. Peter works for Deslaurier Financial Services Inc. and is the son of the very well known solicitor and former provincial treasurer Lou Hyndman. Because I was a member of the JCs many years ago, it became a night of nostalgia. One major change is that the organization now welcomes women as members. In the old days when it was called the Junior Chamber of Commence, a couple of mistakes were made: One, naming me Citizen of the Year in 1989; two, bestowing the same designation to Ross McBain.

and I’m still getting the benefits weeks later. Now that she’s so busy consulting on her own, she found the facial and massage restful and relaxing. Lunch was catered from Original Joe’s complete with a glass of wine—no wonder she was relaxed.

Avanti owner Suhail Khoury said, “We’re very busy now. So busy I now have a staff of 35. The interesting thing that has happened is that our cliental is now 25 percent men.” I wonder if they take sort of old men.

Sorrentino’s Garlic Stomp always attracts the wealthy and the near wealthy. If a bomb went off, it would wipe out most of the moneyed in Edmonton. Actually, when you can gather 600 people who love garlic, you smell more than the money in the room. This year Camelo and Stella Rago outdid themselves raised $200,000 to be split equally between two charities. Besides funding Sorrentino’s Compassion House, for the first time, The Lois Hole Hospital Foundation will also benefit.

I would rather not write obituaries but, when it’s a fellow you’ve had breakfast with for the better part of 20 years, I want to pay my respects. Ernie Cristall passed away a few weeks ago from cancer. He put up the good fight… but he was always a fighter—he loved to argue.

Ernie was older than most of us at the Ricky’s breakfast club and he felt it important to hand out his wisdom to the young whippersnappers at the table. Many a morning, he would say something outlandish and we were all off.

The Cristalls were one of the original Jewish families in Edmonton and had a long history of commercial success. In fact, they are immortalized with a sculpture on the 100th Avenue promenade overlooking the valley. Our condolences to Ernie’s wife Bunny, daughter Linda, son Brian who delivered a superb eulogy, and his four grandchildren. We’re going to miss that guy greatly.

Not even a shot of penicillin could have saved the ill-named newspaper, Dose. It’s been pulled off the streets… and we’re healthier for it.

What a shame. Edmonton’s enthusiasm and support for the Oilers’ bid for the Stanley Cup is being overshadowed by the silly and destructive behaviour of a few hoodlums on Whyte Avenue. I spoke with a long-time member of the Edmonton Police Service who related this story: One of our finest, dressed in plainclothes, spotted a bunch of kids throwing rocks at cars, buildings and even people. He sauntered over and casually asked if they had run out of rocks and he offered to take them to a lot of rocks in a flower bed at a nearby building just off Whyte.

The kids followed him and his ‘friends’ to the side street where all were arrested and quietly taken away.

Very effective… but it’s a little more difficult to lure an idiot down from the top of the Southpark Motors sign or out of a tree. Shutting Whyte Avenue to traffic probably isn’t a good idea. At least traffic—however slow moving— separates the masses and doesn’t give them as much room to be stupid. ✔ Additional reporting

by Edmontonians staff.

If you want to earn points with head of the household, send her to Avanti’s Spa for a day of pampering.

Dr. Ollie finally got around to using her birthday present

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

Scott Kay Vintage Platinum Collection EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006

Proof___2_______PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

Poll

CELEBRATING

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With Linda Banister

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ven the casual news viewer cannot help but have seen recent stories about bird flu (avian influenza) and its spread through Asia, into Europe and Africa.

Not long ago, SARS—Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome—assumed a prominent place in the headlines. While many people, including health professionals, are quite knowledgeable about these diseases and their prevalence, a large number of us rely on the mass media for insight. This month we asked Edmontonians for their thoughts regarding pandemics.

FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN

Vol. XVII

JUNE 2006

No. 6

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

INSIDE FUNNY, POMPOUS AND UNFAIR Mandel Dancers/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 POLL STATION Pandemics/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

HOW CONCERNED ARE YOU ABOUT A POTENTIAL PANDEMIC?

MAKING MONEY Economics gone crazy/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 SOCIAL SCENE Consular Ball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 JA Business Hall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Percentage

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS The whole enchilada/Wegmann-Sanchez . . . . . . . .4

BARB DETERS Editor

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

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Said they were very concerned regarding the possibility of a pandemic.

Said they were somewhat concerned regarding the possibility of a pandemic.

Said they were not concerned regarding the possibility of a pandemic.

First, survey participants were asked about their level of concern regarding the possibility of a pandemic developing in North America.

Approximately one-tenth (11 percent) of respondents were very concerned, and 43 percent were somewhat concerned. Almost half (46 percent) of respondents were not concerned about a pandemic developing in North America.

HAVE YOU PREPARED FOR A PANDEMIC? HOW? 84%

Percentage

LIVELY LIFESTYLES MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

43% 11%

FEATURES Pushing our limits/McHugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7-9 Job Seekers/Medynski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 BIZINTEL Science and Tech/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

46%

16% Said they had prepared themselves for a pandemic.

Said they had not prepared themselves for a pandemic.

When respondents were asked if they had taken any steps to prepare themselves and their families for a possible pandemic, only 16 percent said they had, while 84 percent admitted they had not taken any preparatory steps.

Those who had undertaken some preparations identified a number of steps. Over half (56 percent) of this group said they had stocked emergency supplies like food, water, blankets and generators. Thirty-eight percent said their preparation included keeping themselves informed, while 19 percent had

received immunizations/vaccines, and 19 percent practiced safety procedures/survival training.

WHAT SHOULD GOVERNMENTS BE DOING TO PREPARE? An overwhelming majority—92 percent—of survey participants felt it was very important (60 percent) or somewhat important (32 percent) that governments and government agencies be prepared for a possible pandemic.

When asked what governments and their agencies can do to prepare for a pandemic, respondents provided numerous responses.

Over one-quarter (28 percent) think governments and their agencies should stock medical supplies in a manner which allows quick access, and 20 percent indicated that additional research should be funded or undertaken.

HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW? Respondents were queried about their level of knowledge regarding pandemics. One-quarter felt they were very well informed, while more than half (56 percent) felt they were somewhat informed. One-fifth (19 percent) said they were not at all informed.

Finally, survey participants were asked to identify the additional information they needed to be better prepared for a possible pandemic. While 30 percent were unsure, 26 percent were interested in getting information about emergency procedures/preparedness plans. Twenty-four percent wanted more information of all kinds, while 20 percent wanted to know the probability of a pandemic occurring here.

“

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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.

If you have a question you would like included in the Edmontonians Poll, contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail at lbanister@edmontonians.com. For further information on the firm visit www.banister.ab.ca.

Sandy McCallum from River valley to barren deserts photo by Terry Bourque Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at 333, 10240 - 124 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5N 3W6. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

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 333, 10240 - 124 Street Edmonton, AB T5N 3W6 Email: info@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006 Proof____3_______________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

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Slusarczyk stressed the importance of record keeping, explaining that this seemed to be lacking in Veracruz: “They could have a hundred cows out in the pasture. There could be 20 out there that have never had a calf, and they wouldn’t have records to say which ones they were.”

After the event, Slusarczyk says, “We were treated like royalty,” with dance performances in honour of the visitors, who were then brought along to tour the entertainment stage, rodeo and grounds with the mayor of Las Choapas, Renato Tronco Gómez, and an armed guard, who accompanied them on the remainder of their stay.

As for future business possibilities to come out of the exchange, Mayor Tronco Gómez wants to set up a demonstration ranch in the area to showcase Alberta techniques for feeding, record-keeping and breeding.

The desire also exists for increasing imports of our beef which, according to Slusarczyk, do not offer competition to

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wo Edmonton-area cattle ranchers,

George Slusarczyk and John Buba, were invited to Mexico as expert guest speakers for The Second International Symposium of Tropical Area Livestock 2006. The conference was hosted by the powerful Grupo Ganaderia del Golfo—Livestock Association of the Gulf of Mexico—in Las Choapas, a leading agricultural region in the state of Veracruz. The purpose was to facilitate the exchange of ideas and explore future business possibilities between these two agricultural regions so far apart and separated by the U.S., the main trading partner of both groups.

The Alberta ranchers gave PowerPoint presentations illustrating their ranches, their animals, their machinery, and their techniques to an appreciative audience of several hundred Veracruzans. Slusarczyk spoke about techniques for feeding and recordkeeping, while Buba discussed breeding and artificial insemination.

Says an elated Slusarczyk, “We expected to go there and meet a dozen farmers. We pull into this place and there’s thousands of people there.” And it wasn’t like agricultural conferences in Alberta. “Here we would go to a town or city for this; there it was way out in the country.”

As to what the Veracruzans got from the presentation, Slusarczyk says, “They were impressed with the idea that if

REPORT FROM THE NEW “CHINA DESK” So, what are the City’s plans for big business Alberta rancher George Slusarczyk surrounded by his official armed escorts. local beef since the quality is different. Alberta beef could be sold to the high-end tourist restaurants in the state.

One Veracruzan rancher, who spoke after the presentation, sums it up—“We have these sorts of events all the time… with government people talking to government people, but this was different. For once, we had ranchers talking to ranchers, directly trading their techniques.”

EDMONTON’S INTERNATIONAL MBAs I’ve been wondering… how do Edmontonians

John Buba, the Mayor’s assistant, George Slusarczyk, and Mayor of Los Choapas, Veracruz, Renato Tronco Gomez. you make the crop into silage then it goes a lot further than dry hay… They were very interested in how we take feed tests from the silage and send them to a lab to see what they’re lacking, then add a mineral package tailored to go along with the feed.”

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to overpopulate with people from any one particular region.” And the benefit is not only to the international students. According to Olsen, the goal of such diversity is “both imbuing other students with an understanding of Canadian culture and Canadian students with a first-hand understanding of international business cultures through interaction with the international students.”

One example among the many successful graduates of this program is Sarah Stinson, currently working in The Hague, Netherlands, as technology officer for the Canadian Embassy, department of foreign affairs and international trade.

After graduating with a dual MBA from Alberta and École Supérieure de Commerce in Montpellier, France in 2001, Stinson landed a position with the International Trade Centre in Geneva, Switzerland, a joint agency of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the World Trade Organization. She then joined Foreign Affairs and International Trade in Ottawa as a trade commissioner working in the science and technology division, before being transferred to the Netherlands in 2004 for her current position.

Stinson credits the U of A MBA program with giving her the skills and training necessary to so successfully promote Canadian policy abroad and international interests here in Canada. “The double degree program opened doors and developed my European network to the extent that I was able to find work within the UN system. More specifically, the courses that were offered in the international business specialization were a strong introduction to the global business environment and enhancement to my knowledge of international trade and investment. These have formed, to a large extent, the foundation of the work that I am currently doing at the Canadian Embassy.”

get into international business, and how do business people from other countries get interested in Edmonton in the first place? The University of Alberta MBA program is, of course, one of our more important business incubators.

According to Craig O’Connor, director of MBA placement and recruitment, “Over 40 percent of our MBA students are international students.” They come from at least a dozen different countries and are attracted to the U of A’s programs in international business, natural resources and energy, technology and commercialization, sports and leisure management, and public management.

And the program benefits Edmonton’s business community in these times of skilled labour shortage, not only in the long run, but even short-term: “We have a lot of students looking for summer internships,” explains O’Connor. “This helps Edmonton companies tap an international perspective as students speak several languages and have an international experience.”

Dr. Joan White, executive director of the MBA programs, explains that many of these students come from France and Mexico because the U of A has a double degree program with a university in each of these countries: Grenoble in France and the Monterrey campus of ITESM in Mexico. She also stresses the importance of China, with faculty trips this year and next to learn about cultural differences in business practice. Many Chinese students coming to the U of A bring business to Edmonton. Says White, “Typically the students want to come here for a few years, then do something where they’re linking Canadian and Chinese business.”

But, Dr. Douglas Olsen, associate dean, points out that the faculty does not focus just on these three countries but rather tries to attract students from as many countries as possible: “It adds to the diversity so much. We don’t want

with China? I wrote in January about the visits back and forth between some of China’s larger cities and Edmonton.

Well, Dick Wong, director of China Initiatives for the Office of the Mayor, is now in charge of the China Desk, established to forward the business started between the two areas.

Wong is a self-termed “deal-maker” who has been working for 20 years doing business with Asia. According to Wong, these municipal interchanges are “still in the developmental phase… Just because the Chinese citizens and bureaucrats want to do something… now the politicians need to come around.” The main interest of the delegations is environmental technology, our expertise in solid and liquid waste and landfill management. Since these projects in China would be funded with public money, “The government people have to be certain that a facility—just like Gold Bar here in Edmonton—is what they want.”

And they are interested in “the whole area of government and policy development to support changes in environmental management.” So, for instance, once you put in the facility, how do you monitor how much water individuals or businesses use or how much garbage and sewage they produce, and how do you then charge them for it?

Following the delegation of 38 from Chongqing and the Edmonton delegation to China last fall, a new delegation of 16 officials came from Chongqing in mid-May to visit the U of A School of Business and our waste management facilities. Wong is expecting another delegation in June from Chengdu.

Wong stresses that tourism is another hot area. “The Canadian and Chinese governments are in the process of signing an agreement for each country to have the ‘approved destination status’ for tourism from the other country.” At present, no tours are offered from China to the Edmonton area, but he says this is about to change.

“We have to think outside the box. The Chinese tourist is very activity oriented: shopping, festivals, activities…”

Sounds to me like a perfect fit for Edmonton. ✔ Jessica Wegmann-Sanchez, Ph.D., is Director of Corporate Communications for BIDMEXICO International Inc., an Edmonton-based company specializing in foreign business development in Mexico.

E-mail: jsanchez@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006

Proof_ 2______PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

scene SOCIAL

2006 Consular Ball T

Photos Elegant Touches

he Consular Ball is always one of Edmonton’s most formal evenings… and the 26th annual, which attracted 260 patrons to the Crowne Plaza, was no exception. Sponsored by the Consular Corps, the black tie event supports scholarships for students enrolled in international studies at the University of Alberta. This year’s recipients were Aaron R Denham, Rebecca Vineberg, Lord Cephas MawaukoYevugah, and Chris Gallop.

Chair of this year’s ball was Gordon Reykdal, Honorary Consul for the Republic of Iceland.

Carrie and Gord Reykdal, Iceland Honorary Consul and chair of the 2006 ball

Lt.Gov. Norman Kwong with Arnaldo Minuti, Italian Consul, dean of the Edmonton Consular Corps Kay and Allan Bleiken, Netherlands Honorary Consul

Her Honour Mary Kwong and Gary Mar, Minister of Alberta Intergovernmental and International Affairs Conchita and Dr. Carlos Pechtel de Avila, Honorary Consul for Bolivia

Costa Rica Honorary Consul Curtis Sparrow and Iga Krol

John Szumlas, Honorary Consul for Poland, with Peggy

Dennis Laliberte, Honorary Consul to Thailand, and his wife Lisa appreciated the presence of the honour guards

ph: 780.454.2975 • fax: 780.482.2819

www.terrybourquephotography.ca • tbphoto@shaw.ca

EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006 Proof_ 2_____PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

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money MAKING

By Ron Hiebert

W

hy does the world’s economic engine continue to chug along so relentlessly? Global GNP growth this year is expected to be over four percent.

It has been years since the world has had anything close to a financial crisis. Yet, according to virtually every gold bug, economic conspiracist and conservative, the planet’s fiscal and monetary issues are like a large Tsunami that should have overwhelmed us years ago. Global commerce, like the Energizer Bunny, just keeps going and going and going, in spite of the problems—and there are some big ones.

For example, why hasn’t inflation engulfed the global economy like it did in the 1970s and 1980s, sending it into a recession? All the inflationary signs are there. Oil has surpassed $70 a barrel, G-7 money supplies are growing dramatically, basic commodity prices are at record highs. Yet inflation is running at 2.5 percent in Canada and Europe, and at 2.8 percent in the U.S. The most reliable early warning system of future inflation on the horizon is long-term interest rates and, currently, they are pointing to anything but higher inflation. Ten-year yields in Canada and the U.S. are now a little over four percent. If bond traders thought there was even a slight chance we would see higher inflation numbers, interest rates on long bonds would be at least two points higher than they are. At this point in the economic cycle, inflation should be on a rip, but it is almost nowhere to be found.

Why hasn’t the international real estate bubble collapsed? Demographic theorists predicted doomsday for the real estate market way back in the late ’80s. They said that baby boomers would get older and move into condos, leaving no market for the big houses they would leave behind. The generation following the boomers, being much smaller, was supposed to squeeze demand for real estate, sending prices into a death spiral. Contrary to those theories, we are in one of the greatest housing booms in history. The end—whenever that is—will have gone on at least 18 years longer than anyone had predicated.

Why hasn’t the $600-billion U.S. budget deficit sunk the American economy, the “engine of global growth”? Not only is Uncle Sam on an endless spending spree, but the citizenry seems no less addicted to retail therapy. America’s savings rate, as of last month, dropped below zero. Mr. & Ms. Average are now converting assets into cash so they can continue a never-ending pursuit of leisure and lifestyle. Americans now carry the highest level of debt as a percentage of take-home pay of any time in their history. Despite all this red ink, 2005 was one of the best years for retailers on record. How can both the government and its populace keep spending

Economics gone crazy We’re addicted to cheap trade fuelled

like drunken sailors? When will they run out of money?

America’s $600-billion budget deficit is matched by a trade deficit that is just as large. Even though exports have risen dramatically over the last decade, the Yank’s addiction to cheap foreign goods now totally overwhelms what it sells to others. On an average day, the United States imports $1.7 billion more than it sells to others. Why hasn’t this turned the mighty greenback into a third world peso? Even more bewildering is why do foreign nations continue to lend these spendthrifts money?

So many problems—yet the global economy continues to soldier on. How can this be?

A MUTUALLY SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP Symbiosis is where two species depend on each other for survival. Sharks need cleaner fish to swim among their rows of teeth and scour off the bacterial build up; the cleaner fish need the sharks to provide them with food. Countries too have a financially symbiotic relationship with one another. It is called globalization. No longer is it just the weight of what is happening internally that affects the economic outcome of a region, but the complex dynamics of global economic forces.

The western world is addicted to consumption. We provide the majority of the global demand for consumer goods. Without the western shopaholic, there would be no need for all those factories in southern China churning out endless amounts of products that only rich North Americans or Europeans would ever “ need”. Our spending addiction is aided by cheap goods imported from overseas. We wouldn’t be able to buy as many things if they were made by highly paid labourers in factories in western countries because they would be way more expensive. Low cost manufac-turing keeps interest rates and inflation down. This means that we can afford to buy more and thus China gets to make more.

The population in the Third World sees our affluence and, understandably, they want in on the action. A country’s inability to meet its population’s financial aspirations often leads to political unrest and even political revolution if left unanswered.

China is very concerned that if industrial growth should grind to a halt, the ensuing unrest could topple the government. It needs more factories continually creating more jobs to be able to employ the vast numbers of people moving from the farms into the cities. In a perverse way, it needs the West to keep the government in power. Only manufacturing will provide the high paying jobs necessary to employ the masses. Since Third World countries don’t have a solid domestic consumer base yet, they need the West to buy what they produce. They have a vested interest in keeping prices affordable so that

by global politics

we continue the vicious circle.

Where does the money come from to build all these new factories in the Third World, and finance the western world’s budget and trade deficits? The answer is the global surplus in savings. Citizens in countries like Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Korea routinely save as much as 40 percent of their take home pay, creating huge domestic capital surpluses.

Many of these same countries run massive trade surpluses, which form another large pool of capital that needs to be invested. Factories in China, for example, provide better returns on investment than investing in manufacturing in more developed economies. So some of this surplus money will naturally gravitate toward the higher profits offered in those markets. Capital is also looking for safety and the U.S., in spite of all its problems, provides it.

America’s capital markets, legal safeguards, political structure, and solid middle class make it the safest place in the world to invest. This stability is also protected by a powerful military that America is not reluctant to use should it feel threatened.

As consumers, we need cheap products and loans to finance them. Developing nations require consumer markets and safe places to put their billions. Savers, spenders, producers—all desperately need one another to keep the big economic wheel turning. Their savings provide the borrowed funds necessary to cover much of the Western World’s budget and trade deficits. Their factories and cheap labour keep inflation costs down and interest rates low. This allows us to borrow more money to buy bigger houses, the demand for which has helped push real estate prices into the stratosphere. These higher real estate values in turn allow us to take out bigger mortgages to finance even more consumerism. This gives the Second and Third World the economic growth necessary to subdue political unrest and thus guarantee the future of their political masters.

When will this merry-go-round stop? Typically, it will end when the financial pain associated with change is less than that of living with the status quo.

So far, the system might be a little tired and frayed around the edges, but it is still working well enough that all parties with their huge vested interests aren’t willing to rock the financial boat. In other words, this crazy economic system we have created could go on for a long time yet. ✔ Ron Hiebert, a director at ScotiaMcLeod, teaches investment classes at Grant MacEwan College.

The author of Wealth Building can be heard weekdays at 7:34 am, on CFCW radio (790 AM). Contact him at 780.497.3215 or rhiebert@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006

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story COVER

The strength within Women—young of age and heart—train for life’s rewards Photos by Terry Bourque

By P. Drake McHugh

O

ne common destination… many ways of getting there. Life is not a race. It can be a companionable wander that values the journey over the irrevocable and relentless destination. Here, for your reflection are four very different Edmonton women for whom the journey of life is an important one to be treasured, savoured and challenged head on. The test of life, it is said, is in the living and you can be an observer or a participant. Our heroines are dedicated to the proposal that a life worth living is worth challenging head on. From Edmonton, they have set out on an odyssey to conquer their worlds and to go where that journey leads. It is the business of life.

And in this corner…

It is a sport that resonates with the foul perfume of the schoolyard bully and devastating head injuries that can addle intelligence and shorten lives. But, for an increasingly large group of Edmontonians, the manly art of pugilism is neither of these things: only a sport that requires hours of training, miles of driving and flying to the next match and the appeal of one-onone competition where there are no ties and the end result is mostly pretty clear… if sometimes bloody.

Meet Edmonton’s latest contribution to the manly world of pugilistic endeavour: Jelina Mrdjenovich, 23 years old, five-foot, seven inches tall, 130 pounds and boxing’s female featherweight champion of the world.

This is a time when well-spoken, attractive young ladies should still be in school or setting out on a traditional career path—teaching is nice, nursing is noble. What in heaven’s name makes her tick and how, dear reader, can you stop your daughters from following in her footsteps?

It’s not as though she grew up hungry for recognition in what the Americans call a ghetto and Canadians refer to their kinder, gentler model as “a multi-cultural neighbourhood”.

She was raised on an Alberta ranch in Gainford and has a reputation for being able to handle herself in mixed company. Her Serbian father originally immigrated to the Northwest Territories.

The family owns the string of Chateau Nova Hotels—familiar to most travellers in the Territories and Alberta—and a successful development company.

Might be a sign that hard work and dedication to a dream are ingrained in the family. Two sisters are sports-minded and a brother plays rugby at a more EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006 Proof_

advanced level “just for fun”.

Mom’s in her corner and dad too is supportive when she’s doing well. It’s just that, um, er… do you really want your daughter boxing? Mrdjenovich came to the sport honestly when an injury prevented her from continuing in basketball (she had been one of the stars at the UofA). She decided to try sparring while she healed and has never looked back. Family friend Milan Ludovac, himself a deft hand at Tai Kwando and karate, stepped forward to coach her but she insists the idea was all hers.

“I’ve always been a hard worker. You might say driven,” she admits. “I think it must run in the family. I love boxing mentally, physically and emotionally. The end result is hugely rewarding. Females have always been treated differently in this sport,” she says, “but women’s boxing is beginning to take the world by storm.”

Just back from a victory in Yellowknife where she retained her title, Mrdjenovich will fight former Playboy cover girl Mia St. John at the Shaw Conference Centre on June 23rd for the lightweight crown.

Getting the title at another weight would be a great birthday present for Mrdjenovich who turns 24 the next day.

“I’m an athlete, and I enjoy doing what I do. I owe much of what I have been able to do because of the support system you find in Edmonton. A lot of the boxers I meet are jealous of the Edmonton fan support because they know you can go a lot further with that support and it isn’t every city you find it in. I’m very lucky because I have a wonderful following… knowledgeable and interested. I want to stay in Edmonton as long as I can.”

Her most fervent wish is that women’s boxing will be picked up by the Olympics but there is only feint hope for the next several years. Meantime, she takes occasional time off to cheer the Oilers, jogs in the morning and works out in the afternoons at the Cougar Gym. When she’s not preparing for a fight, Mrdjenovich is involved with the Chateau Nova Hotels.

Family? “Maybe,” she says noncommittally, “but for now I’m just thinking about the next fight. This is a commitment and I must stay focused. I’m pretty young… I have time to make those decisions later.”

Mrdjenovich, who packs a powerful knockout punch, says she doesn’t fear damage to herself and is most interested in the sport—not the money that someday might come from it. An increasing number of fans are beginning to recognize her name and, importantly, mothers are beginning to introduce their daughters to her. For a number of reasons and for various people, she has become a role model and, you can tell by her demeanour, she takes some quiet pride in that.

She recognizes she has not chosen a traditional path to what glory professional sport can provide but, for Edmonton’s Jelena Mrdjenovich, it is the right sport for her and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

April in Morocco— McCallum placed 30th overall Photo supplied

Run for your life

Mrdjenovich with her two world championship belts in the super featherweight class

She is an ultimate and extreme athlete, a hybrid; one engine or the other always running. She is Edmonton’s Desert Queen and the sands of time have taken this 43-year-old all over the world a number of times.

Sandy McCallum, Edmontonians’ cover this month, will run six desert marathons this year. They will give her pain and discomfort—perhaps injury—in a sleepless pursuit of her dream to live up to her own expectations.

For relaxation, McCallum is planning a world-record-breaking, two-year camel trek she calls her Sahara Odyssey. She will embark next March to cross the Sahara from the west coast of Africa to the Nile and back again—about 9,000 miles. But this year, her sights are set on breaking world records by competing in the Desert Grand Slam—six gruelling ultra-marathons that will test her mental and physical well-being.

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locations and coming to understand and appreciate a simple way of life whose time has mostly passed in Canada.

A motivational speaker, the former news anchor talks to children and adults about plans to direct their lives… a pro-active approach to life rather than letting happenstance or circumstance control lives.

“You want to be the healthiest person you can be,” McCallum explains, “and to do that, I’ve learned to be positive. Running empowers me in all facets of my life and it demands I set goals and exceed them.”

She trains locally with Brian and Donna Logue and, on her own, she cross trains in cycling, swimming, stair master and snowshoe climbing. Locally tested, McCallum was found to have a fitness score the same as most Edmonton Oilers. She may need it. In the series of races she is entering, she will be running 950 lonely desert miles this year. It should almost double the world record.

But McCallum’s greatest accomplishment is about getting her life together to live it well… to take joy in meeting goals each day.

Beach on D-Day. “I had a moment when I looked at those gravestones for so many teenagers and young men. It was an epiphany. I thought: All these young people went to war so that I would be able to do whatever I wanted—speak out or body build or do the things they did not have the opportunity to do. I was not being all that I could be. I decided to change my life.” And change she did.

“I decided to take control of my body,” Nye remembers.

“I got a tattoo”—she doesn’t say where… a lady would not tell and a gentleman would not ask—“and I began body building.”

Nye is quick to point out that while

Anchoring her life Television lies. Well, it is not so much that it lies as that it doesn’t quite tell the truth.

The people we welcome into our living rooms and feel we know are much like us and yet very different. J’Lyn Nye, the popular Global News late night anchor is such a person.

“How many size 16 news anchors do you know? Just because you’re not size 2 or 4 doesn’t mean you can’t be a good role model.”

Why do we feel we’ve known her forever and why do we trust her opinion anyway? At a time when personality worship is rampant, it is comforting to see someone who is not just a pretty face, but has charm, class and the ability to collect, edit and present news...who never aspired to have a stylish ‘Twiggy’ figure—the bane of health professionals everywhere. Nye is not your average news anchor. She is smart, personable and her own woman. It was not easy getting to this point in her life.

“I’m the girl the boys never danced with,” Nye offers candidly. “I was five-foot-ten inches tall and a big girl… and in a world of thin and petite, that brings baggage with it.”

She had figured her life was to unfold as it should until she visited Beny-Sur-Mere, a Canadian cemetery in France, home to fallen Canadians who stormed Juno

The two J’Lyn Nyes — neither is bitchy everybody thinks they understand body building, very few people do.

The ‘sport’ suffers from an image problem. Perhaps, the Arnold Schwarzenegger factor? “I’ve had people say, ‘Oh I couldn’t do that, I wouldn’t like to look like a man’… But I don’t look like a man and that’s not

Ph oto ss up pli ed

Continued from page 7 She is already the first woman in the Western Hemisphere to race the 1,000 miles through the hostile Sahara. In April, she finished at the base of the ancient pyramids after another 150-mile ultra marathon that saw her place first in her age group, the sixth woman across the line Sandy McCallum and 30th overall.

It may say something about the trauma faced in such exploits that Advil (for today’s tough pain) is a primary sponsor.

Edmonton River Valley Health, devoted to the prevention of sports injuries helps out too, as does Gord’s Running Store… but, in the end, she races alone against the desert.

Four of the races fall under the Racing the Planet banner: Competitors cross the Gobi in China, head for the Atacama in Chile, then on to the Sahara in Egypt and wrap up in The Last Desert in Antarctica. Racers carry their own gear and food supplies. Each competition leg lasts seven days and covers 240 kilometres/150 miles. Dehydration and sprains are common, so too are mental and physical exhaustion.

The Gobi is known as ‘the race of no return’. Salt lakes, mountain tops, narrow canyons, temperatures over 50º Celsius and altitudes rising to 10,000 feet are some of the challenges competitors face. Within days of this interview, McCallum left for China to face her third hardest challenge in life. She had previously conquered a drinking problem and had quit smoking.

She began her new life at 36 and has been running for her life ever since.

“People expect a superhero,” says the 117-pound, five-foot-six runner, “but I’m just an ordinary person who decided I did have the discipline to turn my life around. I also have the advantage of being able to work through pain and I excel in heat. It is pain, peace, wonder and joy. It is much like having a baby.”

She considers running to be “like going off to do a job.” She enjoys meeting villagers in far away, exotic

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what it’s all about. Sure you see competitors with massive definition of muscle but most body builders are in it to keep their shape and conditioning, and to enjoy the discipline and the health rewards. Competing is important, sometimes for self-esteem, but it is the journey not the destination that keeps most people actively involved. It is challenging you to have the discipline and the drive to reward yourself.

“I do quite a bit of motivational speaking and basically what I tell people is you’ll never be happy living someone else’s dream—not your boss’s, your

Body building: The process of developing the musculature of the body through specific types of diet and physical exercise, such as weightlifting, especially for competitive exhibition.

Often not considered a true sport because it does not involve athletic effort. kid’s or your husband’s. Set goals to make yourself happy. Never say ‘can’t’. Try it. And if you fail, fail forward. That is, take the lesson life has given you and go with it. Too many people talk themselves out of doing things. Don’t beat yourself up. There are enough people around who will do that for you.

“I get angry with people who say ‘Oh, I could never do that’ because I was one of those people, and I determined to be happier with myself. I lost 60 pounds body building over six months and, when I’m not competing, my weight fluctuates but I’ve got the height to carry more weight. I’ve learned to be comfortable in my own skin.

“When I look back now, I’m brutally honest with myself. I was more insecure than shy... I was Pigpen in Charlie Brown, always a black cloud over me. I’m back to about 180 pounds but now I’m muscle, and much lighter when I compete. I train at Hardcore Health and Fitness and I like Kinsmen (Field House) because the support system is so good. I will never be the ultimate

body builder. I’m just the wrong shape, but that doesn’t mean I can’t strive to be the best I can be. Some of my friends just don’t get it. I tell them, they don’t have to: This is about me and who I am. The first time I was on stage, there was such a rush. I didn’t have the muscle but I set a goal for me and I reached it.”

Strange things began to happen. “I’m nowhere near as bitchy as I used to be,” Nye laughs. “I don’t sweat the small things and I have more energy for my husband and friends. I’m honorary chair of the Edmonton Humane Society, and I have a full and rich life personally and in the community. I consider myself a work in progress.”

Some work… some progress.

tremendously. I trained with the treadmill and weight lifting. I started in January and, by June, I was performing in Red Deer. David Stride is my trainer and my hero. The sport is so full of people who support you… who want you to do well.

“I train three days a week, about an hour. I like the treadmill, and I’m not a swimmer but I do a lot of aqua exercise.

“It’s not the destination; it is definitely the journey.

It’s about how wonderful you can feel. I’m healthy, strong and mobile and I no longer fear getting sick or falling. I don’t have pain and I am focused. This really is preventative medicine.”

Dilke, the owner of Del’s Fashions on 9th for the past 26 years, often works out at Elite Muscle and Fitness which happens to be across the road from a cemetery. “It makes me work harder,” she laughs.

“I enjoy competing…

I think a lot of people believe it is good for the sport. I will never have huge muscles but I do look toned. And, you know, I believe my memory has improved.

“People sometimes ask me why I need body building… and why am I wasting my money, Del Dilke: training across but I feel we only have from a cemetary makes one body and, if it her work harder breaks down, it is not healthy. I’ve seen it in people much younger than me. I’m alive, alert and I don’t get tired. I get up in the morning and look They say that growing old is not for cowards and that forward to walking—just walking—for half an hour. it helps to have a sense of humour. The body loses its My memory is better now than it was years ago. My body is hugely strong. I am 150 pounds and five-foot, tone, the mind can go walkabout, making mental three inches tall. Do I want to look like a man? That callisthenics more difficult. But medical research shows that if you can stay active, you will live longer isn’t what this is about. It is about physical and mental health… I can’t tell you what a change it has and be healthier. made in my life.

Case in point: Meet Del Dilke, body builder “I believe in treating myself well. I have regular extraordinaire and 75 years young.

“Some people thought 74 was a bit old to take body massages and have my nails done. My late husband taught me a lot. He was a body builder. He died at 72 building,” she says without a trace of humour, “but I with a body that would put most 40-year olds to was having some weight problems, and it was shame. I just hope I can continue to body build until suggested I call the Alberta Body Building God takes me.” ✔ Association. Brian and Donna Logue helped me

Alive, alert and strong

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9

JA Business Hall of Fame

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There’s a secret buzzing all over Greater Edmonton that we can’t wait to tell you about… “ I was getting ready for the lake, but my suit was a little snug,” remembers Nadine Jolson. “A friend suggested the wrap.” The mineral soaked bandages “felt kind of like a corset,” says Nadine. But it was worth it.

“I rushed home to try on the swimsuit and it was loose. I could wear it and actually breathe.”

“You start by recording your before measurements,” says Linda Perras of Suddenly Slimmer. “We check jaw, neck, forearm, wrist, bust, waist, abdomen, hips, upper thighs, lower thighs, calves and ankles. Then comes the treatment itself.”

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n mid-May, as Oiler fever gripped the city, 600 members the community donned their finery to honour three of its leading citizens. Lyle Best, Don Oborowski and John Stanton were inducted in the Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame at its 26th Annual Gala Dinner and Induction ceremonies. The event was held in the recently opened River View Room at the Shaw Conference Centre.

Best, president and CEO of Quikcard Solutions Inc., is a leader in the “emerging field of social entrepreneurship.” Considered the go-toguy when you need to organize a spectacular event, raise funds or serve on an advisory board, Best is no stranger to recognition for his commitment to Edmonton. He serves on numerous corporate and not-for-profit boards and committees. Quikcard offers full health care and dental plans to more than 3500 under-25-person companies in Canada.

Don Oborowski, president and CEO of Waiward Steel Fabricators Ltd., is a strong supporter of education, with a focus on apprenticeship training. His long-time service includes membership on the Alberta Apprenticeship Board, NAIT board of governors, CAREERS-The Next Generation, and chair of the executive cabinet committee for the Health Research Innovation Facilities under construction at the The 2006 Business Hall of Fame laureates Don Oborowski, UofA Hospital. Oborowski is a generous donor to various Lyle Best and John Stanton charities.

Stanton, president of The Running Room, turned his personal passion into North America’s largest chain of specialty stores— now totaling 75—for runners and walkers. In so doing, he has contributed to the improved health of thousands—more than half-a-million people have taken part in training clinics alone.

Stanton’s company sponsors more than 400 runs/walks for charity annually. The proceeds from his Pink Ribbon Clothing Line go toward breast cancer research. ✔

Board Chair Ian McDonald waved the Oilers flag at the black tie gala—the game was telecast for enthusiasts, many of whom are season ticket holders and luxury box owners

Jay Ball, president of Junior Achievement with Janet Riopel of CAREERS-The Next Generation, and Neil Wilkinson, chair of the Capital Region Health Authority

Mayor Stephen Mandel went ‘boldly where no others would go’ and showed his Oiler spirit. Shown with Robert Fernandez of Johnson Controls and JA board member, and his wife Sybille.

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Advantage: Job-seekers The good, the bad, and the ugly

By Talea Medynski

I

ncentives. Rewards. Perks. Call them what you will.

Publicly frowned upon for government elected officials and upper echelon bureaucrats… yet revered in the private sector and bargained for by unions.

In the past, employees courted employers for jobs. But now, job-seekers are the ones being wooed. Alberta is back in economic boom mode with more than $130 billion of development underway and announced. Well and good, but finding enough skilled—and even unskilled—labour and professionals to fill the huge demand is a challenge… and the ripple affect is wideranging.

Essentially, 96 percent of Albertans are employed—considered by many to be near total employment. This employee shortage is causing employers to compete in order to hire and retain employees. The driving force, naturally, is the energy sector. Top dollars are being paid to get massive oilsands projects into production: Starting salaries of $70 to $80,000 for many jobs in the Fort McMurray region are not unusual.

It’s difficult for other sectors to attract workers, especially so in the non-energy related manufacturing, retail and service sectors. More often than not, companies are forced to stretch their limits with wages well beyond the regulated minimum, with benefits packages and bonuses. A quick perusal of the want ads in the dailies attests to the struggle to attract workers with phrases like “competitive salary… health benefits package that includes pension plan… onthe-job training… opportunities for personal and professional development… $3000 signing bonus… be part of a great company.”

While an employer may succeed in hiring employees, it can be difficult to keep them.

“There’s an awful lot of employee poaching,” says Dave Roberts, dean of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Technologies at NAIT. “A number of employers still participate in offering higher wages to scoop journeymen from other employers. This causes a big wage escalation.”

To prevent employees from leaving their jobs for a higher wage, companies in Alberta are offering a wide variety of incentives to employees.

Ross Bunnah, the branch manager of Adecco Staffing in Edmonton, says employers will ask him what they can do to attract employees. He suggests good incentives that benefit staff in their personal lives, not just in the workplace—as simple as monthly massages or gift certificates to restaurants. Employers can also make jobs easier by providing good computers, spacious cubicles/offices, up-to-date phone systems.

Pleasant working conditions and perks that include everything from on-site fitness facilities and day cares to club memberships and profit-sharing go a long way in retaining employees.

“Last year, a lot of employees were leaving companies for more money. Now, employees are being choosier, pickier toward jobs they’re going into,” says Bunnah.

Some retail and fast food companies that traditionally pay minimum or near minimum wages are getting creative to attract and retain employees.

At The Shoe Company, employees have the opportunity to earn medals based on performance, such as high sales and good customer service. The medals can be used to purchase products in the store—recent ads for local job fairs promoted “free shoes”. It also offers staff discounts and weekend trips for management. “We try to make our environment fun,” says Jeff McFater, district manager of The Shoe Company.

Starbucks is another company that offers incentives to its staff. “If we work part-time, we get full-time benefits and full health care coverage. You can also buy stocks in Starbucks. They’re called ‘bean’ stocks,” says Kristina Buttrey, a barista at Starbucks.

McDonald’s offers many incentives to employees but the

newest, started in January, is a scholarship program for high and junior high school students who work at its fast-food outlets.

According to recruitment manager Susan Centis, “It’s brand new to the Alberta market.” She explained that because of the booming provincial economy, McDonald’s needed to offer staff something more. For every hour worked, the company puts 25 cents into an account for the employee, up to a total of $500 a year. Up-dates are provided every four months so employees can see how much they have accumulated. The money is specifically intended to be used for post-secondary education, including trades training, or as bonus money if the employee chooses McDonald’s management as a career.

But Centis emphasized that the most important part of retaining employees is keeping your promises to them and treating them with respect.

During the Stanley Cup playoff series a company bought TV space to announce openings for power engineers. A delivery company seeks drivers—and offers a hiring bonus—with a radio ad. On-line sites like monster.com and working.com post hundreds of jobs and resumés.

Governments, institutions and most companies—large and small—point potential hires to the ‘job opportunities’ section on their websites.

Clearly, there is no shortage of inventiveness when it comes to getting the word out that people are needed at all levels of the job market.

These days, more companies are going to post-secondary institutions to talk to students before they graduate. In the last four months, there’s been an increase in companies asking to speak directly to students at NAIT. According to

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

Pat Quilley, career advisor, “It’s good because the employers get to talk to the students they want. They really need staff, and they know these students have the training they need.”

Quilley adds that NAIT will be more prepared to bring in company representatives to talk to the students. “It has changed our focus a bit. We were trying to attract employers, and now we are trying to accommodate them.

Next year, we’ll be putting on more career events, where employers have more of a chance to get on campus.”

It’s a scenario that is played out at virtually every postsecondary institution in the province, as employers scramble to fill their needs before students shop themselves around.

“It’s kind of crazy out there right now. Companies are desperate for good people.”

So says Tanya Shewchuk, a recruiter at Coape Staffing Network in Edmonton, who knows first-hand that competition among employers is happening with all industry sectors.

One approach is to go directly to potential employees.

Finning Canada is traveling to prospective employees with its Wanted Tour, a country-wide recruiting campaign, because it needs 5,000 skilled employees by 2010.

Greg McNeill, director of human resources, described the campaign as based on a military theme: The recruiters wear camouflage clothing, boots, and drive a Hummer. The tour is advertised in local papers and on radio stations a couple of weeks before the team arrives in the targeted community. Sometimes, onlocation radio broadcasts are used to hype the one-day blitz, inviting people to interviews at the local Finning office or a hotel.

“The strategy was to do something different. We wanted to create this image of a fun company. We wanted to get into people’s backyards instead of them coming to us,” says McNeill.

The employee shortage has also been a real boost to companies that rent and sell portable signs. Streets throughout the Capital Region are peppered with help wanted messages: “now hiring… training provided… benefits… opportunities for advancement… local routes… $13/hr to start…” A truck/RV wash has even mounted one of the portable signs in the back of a half-ton to advertise its jobs openings around town.

The prosperity Albertans are enjoying is evident: At stop lights, you’re surrounded by an Escalade, Explorer, Beamer and Benz… you notice a Lexus and a Land Rover in the on-coming lanes. More signs of the times. Housing prices are at an all time high and few stay on the market for longer than a couple of days... some are gone in hours. Builders can’t keep up with demand. Interest rates are exceptionally low, and credit is readily available. The Oilers made a remarkable run for Lord Stanley’s Cup, and bars were running out of beer.

Does it get any better? ✔

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BizINTEL Science&Tech One of my fondest memories is that of being a judge for the first Emerald Awards. The year was 1992, and the world was on fire with enthusiasm for environmental stewardship. Those were heady times with Brundtland, Rio, rainforests and recycling all top of mind.

For the previous four years, I had been reporting on environmental issues for CBC Radio and trouble always seemed to take precedence in the news.

But the Emeralds was something refreshingly different. Here was an opportunity to celebrate environmental successes.

There were a couple of celebrities on that first panel of judges. Even sitting, his cowboy hat on the table, oldtime naturalist and author Andy Russell loomed head and shoulders above the rest of us. Actress Tantoo Cardinal, pumped with the notoriety from her recent role in Dances with Wolves, had just stepped off a plane from Los Angeles, her box of nominations to review in tow.

We met in the boardroom on the 40th floor of PetroCanada’s tower in downtown Calgary. Throughout the day we’d argued over the dozens and dozens of nominations; in the end, exhausted by the process, exhilarated by the realization there were so many unsung heroes of the environment.

And now, we could give them the recognition they so richly deserved.

2006 marks the 15th Emerald Awards Ceremony for the Alberta Emerald Foundation for Environmental Excellence. This year’s event takes place at the Winspear in Edmonton on June 14th.

Executive Director Becky Vander Steen and her events committee have planned another stellar evening complete with live entertainment, video profiles of the finalists and, of course, fabulous food for the aprèsawards reception.

The 2006 judging panel has poured through 113 award nominations from across Alberta. Edmonton and area has always

BizIT 101 MOTOROLA— THE REAL PHONE SEX NEW YORK, NY – Just after the Java programmers and product engineers have added functionality—and just before the money guys start figuring out distribution channels, margin and EBIT—your typical mobile phone-in-the-making gets handed off to a crowd less keen on numbers.

That’s because the prototype is now passed on to the designers: that yellowpower-tie-loud-cuff-link group who often make or break the entire deal. In other words, this is where the marketing types see how “branding, packaging, positioning, style and colour” apply to the newest mobile phone model.

The smaller the mobile device, the more personal it becomes; meaning what’s right for me probably isn’t right for you. While techie end-users are concerned mostly with functionality, the vast majority of mobile telephone buyers, such as those between the ages of 13 and 23, are equally—if not more—concerned about making a fashion 12

giving talks to help raise public awareness about the value of conservation. Just last month, I made my first visit to Jones Pond, an idyllic lake hidden in the trees at Wagner Bog just west of the city. You can still see the blind Edgar built to photograph a rare species of gulls at the lake the 1950s.

Two of the three finalists in the large business category are Dow Chemical Canada Inc and a joint project between Petro-Canada and the City of Edmonton.

Dow has a long history of environmental leadership in Alberta. I remember attending the launch of its wetland reclamation project in the late 1980s. Petro-Canada has worked with the city’s Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant to recycle water for use in its refinery. The development of a special membrane for treatment eliminates the need to continually

withdraw water from the North Saskatchewan River, and the new process will enable future adaptations to process alternate feedstocks such as bitumen.

Among the finalists in the government institution category is Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties. It has constructed a new administration building at Nisku which incorporates leading edge green technologies and is highly energy efficient. As well, the green building is used to actively promote the value of environmental innovation.

Under the category of climate change, the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology is vying for an Emerald Award with its fuel cell applied research project. Involving an international partnership, NAIT has operated a 200 kW phosphoric acid fuel cell for 27 months, reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2294 tonnes. The institute now offers a course in fuel cell operations and maintenance and provides educational tours to students and the general public to raise awareness about fuel cell technology.

It will be interesting to see who walks away with the coveted Emerald Award trophies. As a four-time judge, I know how hard it is to choose between all the fine submissions because the way we look at it, when it comes to action on behalf of our environment, everyone is a winner.

At the ceremony I’ll also be looking forward to hooking up with Edmonton lawyer Ron Kruhlak. Ron and his firm McLennan Ross have been involved with the Emeralds since the Foundation’s inception in 1991.

“I got involved because I was aware of good things being done for the environment that weren’t attracting the attention or recognition that many of the negative aspects seemed to attract,” says Ron. “Despite the conflict in these areas between industry and government or environmental groups and industry, we’ve created a platform where the judging process is seen to be credible. Emerald Award recipients have benefited from the exposure and connections that follow which help take their projects to another level.”

statement. It’s not just about a phone; it’s about who they are and, hey, oneuppersonship runs rampant.

“It’s cool to drool,” says Jim Wicks, chief designer at Motorola at a recent media event here in the trendy, studio-loft area of the West Side of Manhattan.

Wicks, an individual with an impeccable track record—he designed Sony’s first handheld cell phone—possesses near rockstar status within the electronic gadget design community. As quarterback of the Motorola design team, it’s his job to make the product visually appealing for the masses, give it a sexy name and, at the same time, maintain low production costs and, oh yeah, keep all the oh-wow features, too.

Incidentally, you did know that RF performance (reception) is influenced by colour, didn’t you? And you did know that different Telco carriers have different definitions of what they call pink?

All joking aside, Wicks’ job is much more difficult than it appears because no matter how much research and development dough you throw at a problem, how the technology is packaged

for the consumer really counts.

Let’s take the PEBL, a smooth, ovallooking unit with a dual-hinge mechanism that lets you open and close it in a one-handed, beam-me-up-Scotty style that is guaranteed to raise pointy eyebrows at your next Star Wars retreat.

Complete with MPEG4 video capture and playback, picture caller-ID and Bluetooth wireless technology, it comes in a soft-touch finish of your choice of green, pink, blue and orange. Heck, it evens come in a cool, “slider-like” box reminiscent of a slider phone. Uh, see what I mean about packaging?

A Motorola technology, called SCREEN3, gives you zero-click access to news, sports, entertainment and other content directly from the PEBL home screen. This helps you get to the web without pushing a series of keys to launch a browser. The carriers will love this feature as much as you… mainly because it gets you to a chargeable sweet spot faster and easier than before.

Like the earlier RAZR model, a slim unit aimed to fit in the tightest of jeans, a feel-good phone like the PEBL didn’t

made a strong presence and this year is no exception.

Edgar and Jeanne Jones are among the three finalists for individual commitment.

Many people will recognize Edgar T. Jones as the man behind the lens who has photographed thousands of birds and other wildlife in Alberta. Over several decades, he and his wife have traveled North America

Jone’s Pond

Paul Hunt, chair of the Emerald Foundation’s board of governors and vicepresident of Climate Change Central, says, “Receiving an Emerald Award raises the bar for others to do better. This is done without regulations. It’s done voluntarily, for the public good, and often for the good of business. It really makes good business sense to care for the environment.”

Building on the success of the past 15 years, the Emerald Foundation will soon broaden its scope to include a range of programs and activities to highlight environment excellence throughout the year. To support this initiative, Paul and Ron have embarked on a fund development program with the goal of raising $5 million to establish a self-sustaining endowment.

More about that in the near future.

Paul Hunt

Tickets for the 2006 Emerald Awards Ceremony are available through the website or by phone at 1.800.219.8329. You can also check out the complete list of this and every year’s nominations at www. emeraldawards. com Alberta is home to one of the most celebrated water ecologists in the world, Dr. David Schindler. Last month I wrote about the latest publication by David and his

David Schindler Continued on page 13 just happen. In addition to the technical features, Motorola researchers study furniture design, home interior, automotive and consumer trends. They even have an annual colour and material forecasting workshops, which puts together trend and colour consultants, current paint suppliers, and Motorola’s CMF (colour/material/finish) product teams. They gather to share trend information and insights.

By the way, Motorola researchers found that we are more stressed than ever and are searching for simplicity.

We consumers will also be willing to pay for luxury and self-expression and, above all, we want fun products.

If this sounds familiar, relax: Jim Wicks already has the perfect model of phone just for you. ✔ Gregory B. Michetti of the Alberta-based systems integration firm Michetti Information Solutions, Inc. can be reached via www.michetti.com EDMONTONIANS JUNE 2006

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Media Minute with Bruce Hogle Members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery remain sullen and sulky over Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s new rules for the media. Such as journalists no longer being able to “scrum” ministers leaving the cabinet room; tighter controls on the PM’s itinerary or out of country guests; or the PM addressing the media behind a lectern, rather than at the National Press Gallery where he’d have to sit behind a table.

Despite the woe-is-me attitude by some journalists, CanWest News Service editorin-chief Gerry Nott bluntly states that if Harper wants to limit access to cabinet ministers and move microphones around, that’s his prerogative and journalists simply “need to do their jobs differently and work a little harder.” Chris Cobb of the Ottawa Citizen adds, quite rightly, that Canadians typically yawn with indifference when journalists whine about picayune matters.

Continued from page 12 colleague Dr. Bill Donahue documenting the water crisis across the prairie provinces.

Over the years, David has been honoured with many prestigious awards, including the Stockholm Water Prize and Canada’s highest scientific award, the Gerhardt Hertzberg Gold Medal.

In April, David and his wife Dr. Suzanne Bayley, a well known peatland specialist, traveled to Beverly Hills where he was presented with yet another award. This one, the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement, is America’s “premier award for environmental science, energy and medicine conferring great benefit upon mankind.” It also comes with a substantial monetary stipend. When I asked David what he would do with his $100,000, he thought he would put some toward a scholarship fund he has started and some toward a land trust he is building to conserve critical wildlife corridors. ✔ Cheryl Croucher is an Edmonton broadcast journalist and host of Innovation Alberta. You can hear the program on CKUA Radio Tuesdays at 8pm or download it when you visit www.innovationalberta.com.

E-mail ccroucher@edmontonians.com

Civic Buzz Roger Gibbins, President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation, recently wrote an insightful and thoughtprovoking article, Let’s Get Ready for the Big League. Noting that the censusmetropolitan areas of both Edmonton and Calgary have passed the one-million mark, Gibbins points out that while we are indeed now in the “big leagues” of

Roger Gibbins

That aside, of far greater concern for me, are the rights of citizens and the responsibilities of journalists when it comes to privacy in times of grief.

Juliana Melenko of Andrew has not read the Edmonton Journal or the Edmonton Sun since August 25, 2004—the day her nine-year-old granddaughter was dragged to death by a horse near that town.

She also no longer watches local television news on CFRN, CBC, Global or Citytv (which was then the A-Channel).

Juliana’s world changed forever after that fateful day almost two years ago. She remains angry and miffed by news crews who violated her grief and privacy by coming on her property. She phoned the Sun, Journal and all TV newsrooms to complain to the editors or news directors.

Only one television journalist returned her call and apologized.

While residents in Edmonton and other Canadian metropolises are accustomed to violence and tragedies as part of their daily news diet, it’s rare for smaller centres like Andrew, Taber, Mayerthorpe and

Whitecourt—all of which were inundated by big city media when tragic news hit those communities.

When it comes to complaints, the CRTC investigates those against the electronic media. The Alberta Press Council provides a Code of Practice for the print media. In dealing with privacy, the APC states (italics my own): “Publishing material or making inquiries about the private lives of individuals without their consent is not acceptable, unless they are in the public interest, overriding the right of privacy.” Dealing with grief, the Press Council says: “Newspapers, and journalists serving them, should in general avoid intruding into personal grief. Inquiries should be carried out with sympathy and discretion.”

Former Alberta Justice Minister Dave Hancock was much more emphatic on this subject, stating in a letter to Juliana Melenka after her tragedy: “It is a sad fact that not all editors and journalists agree on where the line should be drawn between your need for privacy and the

need to make others aware of the events taking place in your community. Each newsroom has its own standards of what is acceptable when seeking out a story.

Just as opinions can vary within a family or a community on the best way to do something, journalists disagree on the issue of privacy and how far to go in chasing details.”

Juliana, like me, defends freedom of the press. But that does not help her with the ongoing memory of the tragic loss of her granddaughter and what she perceives as a deliberate media invasion of her grief and privacy, and that of some members of her family. A belated call, or visit, by those media outlets that ignored Juliana at the time might finally help bring about the closure that this grandmother is seeking. Providing, of course, anyone cares. ✔

cities worldwide, we are “far from big players in this new and intensively competitive environment.” Citing data from an interesting website, www.citypopulation.de, he notes that 438 communities around the world share the one-million-plus distinction, including 69 in North America (six in Canada), 52 in China alone, and 43 in India.

“What,” Gibbins asks, “if we defy logic for the moment and consider the Calgary-Edmonton corridor to be a single urban region? Even with 73 percent of the provincial population, there are 170 larger urban regions around the globe.” In fact, he writes, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle and Phoenix each have metro populations greater than all of Alberta, while Tokyo’s population of 34 million is larger than all of Canada’s.

The point of all this, of course, is that despite our relatively new status as large urban agglomerations, both Edmonton and Calgary are in a very competitive field, and there is no room for complacency. And, in fact, Gibbins acknowledges that both cities are already thinking strategically. “Edmonton’s longterm infrastructure planning is being taken up as an international model, and the ImagineCalgary project takes the city’s planning horizon out 100 years.”

Equally important, he suggests that it’s time to develop a provincial strategy “that builds on the idea of Edmonton and Calgary in a complementary role, rather than one of long-standing rivalry.

Internal struggle to supplicate one another’s strengths will not be productive in the long run.” With this in mind, Calgary has “financial strengths and abundant sources of energy expertise.”

Both, he says, have been joined together in the University of Calgary’s new Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economy. With the resources available to it, the Institute “has the opportunity for truly global leadership.”

Similarly, Gibbins points out, “the alliance between the University of Alberta and the Capital Health [Authority] opens up the possibility for Edmonton to become the medical research capital of Canada and a research hub on the continent. If Calgary is the new Toronto, then Edmonton might be the new Boston.” In calling for a provincial strategy to build on the unique strengths of the two major urban centres to provide us with a competitive global edge, he warns that the “worst case would be simply to drift toward the future, for we know our international competitors are not drifting. It is time, then, to think of our urban centres as provincial assets similar to our natural resource endowment, and to apply the

same long-term strategic thinking.”

Gibbins is absolutely dead-on in his analysis. While I doubt that an overreaching provincial strategy has yet been developed, some signs point to a move in the right direction. I’m not as familiar with the University of Calgary’s new Institute, but it is apparent that the funding of major health research, teaching, and clinical facilities here suggests a recognition that Edmonton is rapidly becoming one of North America’s—and in fact the world’s— premiere health centres.

In this context, the many projects attached—literally and figuratively—to the University of Alberta and Capital Health’s University of Alberta Hospital site are indicators of just how important Edmonton has become as a medical centre. The $190 million Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, scheduled to open in 2007, will be one of North America’s major cardiac care, research and teaching facilities with capabilities second to none anywhere.

The west side of 114th Street, however, will soon be home to a complex even more impressive in scope than the Heart Institute. The Edmonton Clinic, previously known as the Health Sciences Ambulatory Learning Centre, is a massive, $577 million

spectrum of the university’s health sciences programs. U of A President Indira Samarsekera and Capital Health President and CEO Sheila Weatherill believe the integrated approach will become a model for academic health centres across North America. Moreover, it will augment the region’s ability to attract more top-level medical professionals, students, and others in related fields. It’s a winning strategy, one that makes Mayor Stephen Mandel happy too: It’s put Edmonton front-andcentre.

Edmonton Clinic rendering for preliminary site analysis

facility which will house diagnostic services and day clinics from the University of Alberta and Stollery Children’s Hospitals, providing onestop access for patients and freeing up much-needed space in the existing Mackenzie Health Sciences Centre for additional hospital beds. The Edmonton Clinic will also provide the U of A with the means to transform the province’s health services personnel to meet future needs.

The largest health-related building project in Western Canada, if not the entire country, and set to open in 2011, the Edmonton Clinic will total about 170,000 square metres in size—that’s 1.8 million square feet for old-timers. In addition to accommodating day clinics and increasing the number of available hospital beds, the clinic will create an interdisciplinary education environment for the 6,000 students in the full

Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council.

It was interesting to read the conclusions drawn from the 2006 Edmonton Real Estate Forum held last month—it seems we can’t win. Developers have shied away for years from building any new office space in the downtown core because lease rates were so low. Now, with the office vacancy rate the lowest it’s been in more than a decade and rents rising above $20 per square foot per year, real estate experts are saying that rather than pay a necessary $25 to $30 per square foot for new construction, tenants will move their offices to the suburbs. The one possibility, they note, is a new government building in the next year or so, and much of that depends on the fate of the Terrace Building and the Legislature Annex, both of which the Alberta government has indicated will be demolished.

So here we have a doubling of the downtown population in the past six years with more to come, an increasingly healthy entertainment sector with new restaurants, bistros and clubs, and a strengthening retail sector, but there will be limited commercial office space. I’m no expert but that doesn’t make sense to me. Cost isn’t always the sole factor in deciding whether or not to build, I’m told; and, in a healthy downtown, the location of offices is an asset and tenants are willing to pay. The trend toward downtown core renewal isn’t just an Edmonton phenomenon; there is a cachet in being in a trendy area. And the cost of land in the suburbs may be cheaper, but it’s not necessarily more desirable. More people like to walk to work and that’s an important psychological factor that can’t be ignored. There may be no new commercial office construction next year, but I’ll bet on something happening downtown sooner rather than later. ✔ David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor.

Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com

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lifestyles LIVELY

MenuMagic with Chef John Berry

B

ody building certainly requires a specialized diet. One that’s heavier in protein. The thing to remember is that everyone’s body is different, hence my requirements will vary from what you might need.

According to Brad Fehr, director of fitness at the Castledowns Y, there seems to be a misconception that the harder you train, the more protein you need.

“That’s not necessarily the case. Recent studies have shown that endurance runners and cyclists, in fact, need more protein than body builders.”

Bottom line? Consult with your trainer and nutritionist to ensure you are getting the proper nutrients required for your body type. It’s very important.

During weight training, you actually breakdown microscopic pieces of your muscle mass. To repair and rebuild muscles, weight lifters have to eat half an hour after training. This is because your body starts to repair what’s been lost and needs to absorb nutrients.

So what’s a body builder’s diet like? There are the usual suspects involved: fish, chicken, lean beef, power bars and raw vegetables.

Peter Yeung, a 47 year-old stay-at-home dad is into body building. He says tinned tuna is one of his mainstays. He tries to ingest one gram of protein per one pound of body weight per meal three times a day, compared to someone who is into competition and will eat small amounts every two hours.

A typical meal for Peter is a tin of tuna, garden salad and brown rice or a 4-6 oz. grilled New York steak, baked potato with sour cream, and chives, and a salad—his favourite is spinach—with a small amount of dressing.

One of the “new” meats being recommended by some trainers is a diet of lean buffalo. It has the lowest amount of fat and carbs per four-ounce serving of any commercially produced meat on the market. Simply prepare buffalo as you would beef—grilled, roasted, stewed.

Donna Logue and her husband, Brian, run Elite Body Building and Fitness. She says sugars and fats are a no-no.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t have enjoyable, tasty meals. Among her favourites are these pancakes, and the chicken meatballs. She was gracious to send along several recipes that Elite uses for clients. One thing is certain: These recipes that could be used by any weight-conscious readers.

PANCAKES 16 egg whites (2 small cartons) 500 ml cottage cheese 3 1/2 cups dry oatmeal (more or less depending how dry or moist you want the pancakes) 20 packages of the chemically altered Sugar Twin or Stevia, the natural sugar.

1 Tbsp vanilla 592 calories protein; 770 calories carbs; 1362 calories total To get a calorie for each, divide total number of pancakes by total calorie and then total into carb and protein calories.

For example: 20 pancakes = 68 calories per pancake 38

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Buffalo stew with roasted new potatoes and steamed beans 1/2 cup sliced celery 1 oz oatmeal Mrs. Dash 1/2 tsp Pepper 1 Tbsp lemon juice

calories of carbs and 30 calories of protein. Calculation for each pancake: 80 calories (40 protein + 40 carbs) For additional protein: Add 2 scoops whey powder, 234 calories

Boil California Mix until soft, mash. Drain tuna and mix 1 lb ground chicken breast ingredients together and press 1 tsp No Salt into casserole dish sprayed with 1/2 tsp garlic powder nonstick cooking spray. Bake sprinkle Mrs. Dash in oven at 350°F for e Pi ’s rd 2 oz. diced onion approximately 45 minutes.

Shephe 3 egg whites Casserole will be firm to touch.

1/3 cup oatmeal 8 servings. 146 calories per serving: 28 calories carbohydrates, 107 calories protein, 11 calories fat Mix ingredients together. Form into balls and fry in pan coated with Pam cooking spray.

SHEPHERD’S PIE Cook until firm, approximately 30 minutes.

1 lb ground eye of round Top with salsa.

1 1/ 2 cups unsalted tomato sauce Protein: 692 calories (69%); carbohydrates: 161 calories 2 tsp. chili powder (14%); and fat: 172 calories (17%). Total for full recipe: 1/ 2 tsp dried oregano 996 calories 1 tsp no fat beef bouillon 1 package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

CHICKEN MEATBALLS

SWEET SALSA

1 Red Pepper 1 Green Pepper 1 Tomato 1/2 cup Onion 1 cup Celery 1/3 cup white vinegar 6 packs Sugar Twin or Stevia Chop in food processor, add vinegar and Sugar Twin or Stevia to taste. May add more or less Sugar Twin or vinegar to desired taste.

83 calories carbohydrates for total recipe

TUNA CASSEROLE 6 – 4 oz cans of tuna 18 oz California Mix (frozen broccoli/cauliflower/carrot mixture) 3 egg whites 1/2 cup chopped onions

Topping 1 1/2 lbs potato 1/2 cup non fat sour cream 1/4 tsp No Salt 1/4 tsp pepper Peel and boil potatoes until soft. Drain water except for 2 Tbs. Add sour cream, No Salt, pepper and mash potatoes until smooth.

Cook beef in skillet. Wash and drain fat. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, oregano and beef bouillon. Continue to cook mixture. Coat casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, spoon beef into dish, add layer of vegetables and then potato mixture. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 35 minutes.

6 servings. 265 calories total: 20 calories carbohydrates, 218 calories protein, 27 calories fat ✔ Contact John at jberry@edmontonians.com

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with Linda Bodo

D

o you have a fear of longterm commitment to upholstery? Do you yearn for a fresh look in your home without spending a bundle? Are pets or children taking their toll on your favourite chair? The answer is simple: Slipcovers. And, the best part is, these chic shells are not shrouded in mystery. Unlike plumbing or wallpapering, they are easily installed without glue, screws or nails.

The first slipcovers were made from chintz fabric, discovered in India in the 1700s by a group of French decorators.

Faster than you can say “That’s a wrap!” society’s upper crust was clamouring for the covers to protect their expensive silk and brocade upholstery. By the 1950s, slipcovers had become all the rage in America. Slipcovers are to furniture what clothing is to the body. They camouflage, dress up, dress down, give character, and convey style. They transform, add color, and give seasonal lifts—you can switch warm winter colours for cheery summer florals or stripes. They protect against dirt and sunlight. They can be washed or dry cleaned. Tailored or loose fitting, these gems can even make an odd piece of furniture feel at home.

Okay, let’s get started. Take some fabric and a sewing machine, et voila.

Right? Wrong! After spending a considerable amount of time researching the art of slip-covering, here are the instructions I sourced: “Keep lengthwise parallel to straight of grain while converting back to original measurement to obtain actual fabric measurement…On right outside back fabric press 3” to wrong side on center back to mark center back line parallel to and 2” from fold… Shape intersection of seat and inside back to side edges after folding

The great cover up

each end of the skirt to the wrong side to make a facing.”

What?

There had to be an easier way. So after some tweaking and re-tweaking, here is what I came up with: Start by tossing aside your measuring tape. Using inexpensive fabric or old sheets, drape the furniture unit you want to slipcover. Pin to fit and cut away excess fabric.

Remove, de-pin, and copy fabric profile onto paper for a pattern. Sew prototype, place on unit, adjust with pins if necessary, and tailor to fit. Remember to transfer any changes to paper pattern piece. Cut pattern from desired fabric; sew together with right sides in; turn inside out; slip on furniture…

Et voila—done.

Sewing a slipcover is like fitting a garment; similar to people—all have different shapes and sizes. The good thing is furniture doesn’t lose or gain weight, so once a piece has been fitted, you can make

as many slipcovers as you want. Add variety with embellishments such as monograms, fringe, trim or tassels for a customized look.

Now, if this still sounds too complicated, consider covering only the bottom seat area of your chair; much like a fitted sheet.

Using the same technique outlined for a full cover, fit your fabric to the unit by pinning and cutting away excess fabric on corners only. This half-slip cover can be held in place with bedding garters or Velcro.

• •

• The rule-of-thumb is that if you can make a suit from a particular fabric, it will be suitable for slipcovers. Here are some fabric suggestions that work will: • Twill and Canvas Duck are both hard wearing fabrics that are great for family and children’s rooms. A 12oz density is best.

• Sateen and Polished Cottons are usually the fabrics of choice for prints. However,

•

I suggest staying with plain or simple prints to avoid challenges in matching pattern repeats.

Sheets with at least a 300-thread count wear well and are an inexpensive alternative for quick décor changes.

Linen is a classic fabric with durability, but has a tendency to wrinkle. Try sourcing a look-alike cotton/synthetic blend. Linens work in any décor, and provide an airy touch for spring and summer.

Damasks, Jacquards and Tapestries all produce attractive finished pieces.

However, these fabrics are more challenging to work with, and call for more experienced sewing skills.

Fun fur is a cozy alternative for the winter months. The only problem is you will never want to leave your seat. ✔

Contact lbodo@edmontonians.com or visit absolutebodo.com

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ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES & CORPORATE FINANCE

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

50/50– Not always equal Many companies begin with two associates deciding to go into business for themselves on a 50/50 basis.

The partners work side by side to nurture their venture, share the risks and reap the rewards equally.

Fast forward 20 years; the company is well established in its market and maintains a consistent financial performance and the two entrepreneurs are enjoying the benefits of owning a successful business. Their success has been noted and a larger competitor approaches the company with a view to taking it over.

One owner is delighted with the situation; the other hates it. Both lawyer-up and the gloves are off.

This very thing happened when we were engaged by an acquisition client to approach a synergistic competitor in a different geographic location. Our client was well financed and prepared to pay a premium to acquire the target company. The reluctant partner refused to talk to us or give permission for the willing partner to release any information. Eighteen months later and with no shareholder agreement in place, they are still fighting; we have never received any financial information and our client’s focus is now elsewhere. The window has closed.

Another case we encountered was a divestiture opportunity where the two owners were in a dispute because each wanted to buy the other out but neither was prepared to sign a non-compete agreement as the seller. Their solution was to shut down the company, sell all the assets through a reputable auctioneer, split the proceeds and both start-up again in direct competition with one another. Aside from the obvious costs, neither side received any value for the goodwill in the business they had so carefully grown over the years.

In a third situation, the two founders had the foresight when they first started the business to document an acceptable format for each party to buy the other out. Their process was fair and provided the buyer with very attractive financing terms at a value determined by a simple formula. One owner became ill and his wife promptly hired a lawyer in an attempt to “set aside” the agreement and start again. The situation deteriorated from there and the final solution may end in allowing the courts to take control of the situation and possibly appoint a receiver to liquidate the company.

Recognize that people change their goals over the years. The best time to sign a shareholders agreement is when you are starting your company, but it is never too late to get one drafted. If you would like to discuss you particular situation, please email me at skent@foundationgroup.ca or call me at 780.448.9386. For more information about Foundation Group visit our website at www.foundationgroup.ca.

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