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pompous & unfair FUNNY

Celebrating 80 years The Edmonton Flying Club — not me

By Muggsy Forbes

I

n my January column, I recounted a

rather bizarre, embarrassing incident at West Edmonton Mall. To review quickly, I was shopping with Dr. Ollie when I spotted a store of interest across the mall from where we were. As I headed toward it, I suddenly found myself having what I described as a “Metamucil moment”—flying through the air into a pond, in my overcoat no less. After reporting it to security, they reviewed their tapes and informed me that I wasn’t paying attention. Of course not! I was looking for a store ...not thinking that the mall is full of water hazards. I’m still upset.

My column generated a number of phone calls and emails from folks who had suffered the same fate. One guy fell in at Christmas, dumping an armful of gifts. Is there a class-action lawsuit here for some smart lawyer?

April was a culinary experience this year as we sampled different traditional meals. First, we celebrated Jewish Passover with Stan and Doris Smorden who served Matzo with lots of fruit and Matzo-Brie which we all enjoyed. Stan had invited our Ricky’s breakfast group Al Bryant, George Reid and, last but not least, Al Butt who finally got a job. He’s project managing a large plant in the Leduc area.

Two days later, I partook in Dr. Ollie’s family Ukrainian breakfast. My mother-in-law Helen Triska—aka Baba—prepared the food, which was blessed by a priest. It was a gathering of the clan: Brother-in-law Wally Triska with son Nickolas made it from Vancouver… and Angelene showed off 10month old Gideon. It put four generations of Triskas together for the first time.

My family joined us Easter Sunday at our condo—all 15 sat down for one of Dr. Ollie’s fabulous meals. How nice it was to have our very busy families together. I was especially pleased that my son Cam made the trip from Vancouver.

The Edmonton Flying Club is celebrating its 80th Anniversary this year—a long time for any business or organization to be around. The club has trained thousands of pilots over the decades, including through World War II. Many of the pilots who fly you to your vacation destinations probably got their basic and IFR training at the club. There was a time when I would go to the cockpit for a quick visit with a pilot I had met at the club. With the new security rules, that doesn’t happen anymore.

About 400 people belong to the Edmonton Flying Club which is run by a group of 50 sustaining members and an 11-member board of directors—of which I am

one. A couple of weeks ago, at the annual general meeting, we had our celebration. The cake was going to be cut with a seven-foot Samurai sword, but it was a bit too long, so we used a shorter one. It was fun. Pilot training is very popular at the present time for a couple of reasons: many of the pilots are facing retirement from major airlines, and the current economic boom means both business and personal aircraft are fashionable.

John Ough has had his ups and downs. A number of years ago he was involved in a horrendous car accident, not even sure he would walk again. Well he did, and now he gets around with more braces than the Low Level Bridge. He’s also been very involved with Employabilities as its president. The group trains people with disabilities to become employable in the business marketplace. He also runs a little business called First Class Card which gives subscribers a 2 for 1 discount on golf and entertainment, covering most Alberta courses, with some in Saskatchewan and British Columbia tossed in. For more information, call John at (780) 448-9676 or have a look at his web site, www.firstcards.com. If you’re a golfer, you’ll save the cost of the card in no time.

Someone with the city is working for their money. The Visitors Information Centre on Gateway Boulevard has been chosen as the platinum winner for the 2007 RV West Magazine Reader’s Choice Awards.

Readers were asked to e-mail the magazine and tell them who and what they liked best in the North America RVing world. That’s a big world. Over 1,400 nominations were received and the award was based on the top-10 votes overall in 13 categories. Edmonton was chosen the favourite Visitor Information Centre— quite an honour, congrats. The centre has been open 20 years and 1.6 million folks have dropped by.

My longtime friend George Reid owns Dial Travel at the south end of the High Level Bridge in the Garneau Theater building. The building has been sold by the folks who have owned it since it was built 61 years ago. George figures this could mean a hefty increase in rent which his travel business probably couldn’t afford. George hasn’t had a lease in many years—rent increased by mutual agreement. The good old days, no lawyers.

Anyway, George is moving to a building he owns on Whyte Avenue, upstairs at 10548 - 82 Avenue. The staff his customers have come to trust will be there. I can verify they’re good: we used them to go to Italy and there were no hitches in the arrangements. His business

has changed to telephone orders and the Internet so maybe the high profile isn’t needed as much any more.

You can book at www.dialvacations.com. Making changes as drastic as this at any age is stressful, but George is handling it very well—he’s 87 years old.

He’s much older than I am, just wanted to make that clear.

There’s a very good article by Lawrence Herzog about the Garneau building in his book It’s Our Heritage. It’s an important part of our history. I just hope the new owners don’t screw it up by putting another damn condo on the site.

Did you see it? Dr. Ollie and I debuted on CityTV a couple of weeks ago. We were the so-called celebrity chefs on the Your City show. It was short but well edited. It was fun to work together in the kitchen— though it looked like Dr. Ollie did most of the cooking and I got to make clever remarks and enjoy the fruit tart she prepared. I found it curious that I looked older than my Edmontonians photo. Thanks to producer Rhonda and camera guy Nate.

The Glenora Rotary Club had a fund raiser for Edzimkulu, A Society for Children of Aids. The club has taken the responsibility for providing money, medical, dental assistant and help in the person of members spending time working in the small South African village of Ndawana. I wish I had more room to do justice to the marvelous things the Glenora Rotary Club is doing there. Of the money raised, 97 percent goes to the Changing Lives program. Susan Green is chairing this and serves on many other committees, like Northlands to which she was recently appointed.

If you hurry, you can still get tickets for the 12th Annual Esquao Awards on Thursday, May 3rd.

The event is sponsored by the Institute for the Advancement of Aboriginal Women, founded by Muriel Stanley Venne. She describes the 21 honourees as the “angels among us.” Audrey Poitras, president of the Métis Nation of Alberta will be welcomed into the Circle of Honour. Other elders in the Circle include Dr. Colleen Klein, former Senator Thelma Chalifoux, Grand Chief Rose Laboucan, Honourable Ethel Blondin-Andrew and MLA Pearl Calahasen. Call Kim Ziervogel at 780-231-1873 or email kim@kimage.ca for tickets and other details. √ Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail mforbes@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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Earl, meet Oliver!

So much wine… so little time.

(Clockwise from lower left) The week-long tasting challenged the palates of Claudia Owen, Caroline Smart, Dustin Dockendorkf, George Piper, and guest wine writers Anthony Gismondi and David Schofield.

George Piper, Earls director of e wine experienc

By John Berry

A

quarter of a century ago, when Leroy “Bus” Fuller put his middle name to the first Earls restaurant in Edmonton, he introduced the public to casual dining in a relaxed atmosphere. Over the years, he has led the way in this genre of hospitality, creating four distinct restaurant concepts in 77 locations in Western Canada and the U.S. Known for its innovation and imagination in food and wine selection, Earls is embarking on yet another adventure—as you’d expect—in a big way.

Here’s the idea: Forge great relationships with your suppliers and, in turn, they become “family”. And family looks after family. It’s how the chain has always done business. Since Earls opened it doors, Bridgebrand, a national food supplier, has satisfied its culinary needs. It doesn’t stop here. Earls has always had the same steak supplier... and the same poultry supplier. But, in the wine arena, there have been few serious partnerships. Until now, that is.

George Piper, an Earls founder, has built a reputation as an innovator in wines. He is a walking encyclopedia of wine knowledge and has applied what he knows to Earls’ extensive and varied wine list. Now he’s going a step further by partnering with select vintners, domestically and internationally, to present the Earls Discovery series.

His initial focus was on Oliver, BC, the Wine Capital of Canada. He put out a few feelers to see if there were any wineries willing to partner for 10 years, supplying Earls, Joey’s and the Cactus Club with their products. Vincor—

owners of Inniskillin, Jackson-Triggs, Sumac Ridge and Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards— was first through the doors, willing to step up to the plate.

According to Piper, the idea is simple: The vintners have a great launching board to test their wines in small lots while at the same time allowing the restaurants to offer great tasting wines at a reasonable price. Winwin.

And what a launching board it is. The three chains combined serve about a million customers each month. That’s 12-million a year— wherever would you find a larger consumer test market for wine?

A 10-year deal is not something you enter into lightly.

Earls chose their vintners by doing a blind tasting—some 470 wines were tasted over the course of a week. They didn’t want to be influenced or swayed by knowing who produced the wine. Wines were picked solely on taste. Then they sat down and discussed partnering.

Photos by Nancy Hayward

Piper says we can look forward to some exceptional Zinfandels, Chenin Blanc and an exclusive Malbac, in small lots from Inniskillin. Earls is also partnering with the winery to plant more vines, vertically integrating its own vineyard, and developing wines that will carry its own labels.

Now the good news for the existing long term suppliers is that they will continue to be embraced as “family”. Currently, Earls offers 12 different Okanagan Valley wines. In fact Quails Gate, a 10-year supplier, is planting more vines to meet Earls Gewurztraminer needs.

What the consumer is left with is an expanded wine list that’s constantly evolving. And, for any wine lover, that’s an exciting and excellent concept.

Piper is on a mission to educate patrons. “What we want to do is to put wine on the lips of our customers. Wine is still intimidating to many people and we want to give them an opportunity to taste. Hopefully, they’ll discover a whole new world of taste and come back for more.”

This wine program certainly puts Earls in a whole different league in the culinary world and customers win too. Cheers to that. √

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CELEBRATING

18

Poll

YEARS

STATION

FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN

MAY 2007

Vol. XVIII

With Linda Banister

No. 5

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 80 Years Old? Not me/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 OKANAGAN FEATURES Earl, meet Oliver/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Wine capital/O’Toole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Osoyoos Indian Band/O’Toole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

S

pringtime always turns our attention to holidays, festivals, and outdoor activities. We asked Edmontonians about their plans for summer travel and their thoughts about summer activities and recreation in Edmonton.

ARE YOU PLANNING TO TRAVEL THIS SUMMER?

POLL STATION Summer vacations/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

THE TRANSFORMERS Seeking balance/Hanlen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Status-quo—not/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 First impressions/Bradshaw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Adrenaline & Serotonin/Williamsen . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Percentage

COVER STORY Musical score/McHugh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Magic happens/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

31%

29% 22%

19%

14%

LEADERSHIP Religion and politics/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 EDMONTONIAN IN EXILE Heart smart/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 BIZINTEL Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Chinese agriculture/Lockhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 MY E-SPACE Sassy sales tips/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 MAKING MONEY Learning from the best/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 CORPORATE ETHICS Organizations become political/Somji . . . . . . . . . .14 LIVELY LIFESTYLES Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

BARB DETERS

Said they plan to vacation in British Columbia

Said they plan to vacation in Alberta

Said they plan to vacation elsewhere in Canada

Said they plan to vacation in the USA

Said they plan to travel internationally

First, survey participants were asked if their summer plans included any travel. About two-thirds (65 percent) of respondents indicated that they had plans to travel for holiday purposes. The most common destination is British Columbia, with 31 percent of respondents traveling to this location. Twenty-nine percent planned on traveling within Alberta, while 14 percent indicated their plans included visiting other parts of Canada. Almost one-quarter of respondents (22 percent) plan to visit south of the border, with 19 percent traveling internationally.

Editor

COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Tom Bradshaw Les Brost Janet Edmondson Muggsy Forbes Steffany Hanlen Ron Hiebert Bruce Hogle Cheryl Lockhart Greg Michetti David Norwood Erin Rayner Nizar J. Somji Colin Williamsen FEATURE WRITERS Barb Deters Don Hill Rick Lauber Peter Drake McHugh Michael O’Toole Marg. Pullishy PHOTOGRAPHERS Terry Bourque Nancy Hayward Rocco Macri Russell Work

WHAT’S THE BEST VACATION SPOT IN ALBERTA?

21% Percentage

editor@edmontonians.com

17%

Said Jasper was the best spot to vacation

Said Banff was the best spot to vacation

11%

11%

Said the mountains were the best spot to vacation

Said Drumheller was the best spot to vacation

Next, respondents were asked to identify the most unique and fun vacation spot in Alberta. While many different locations were identified, the most commonly cited locales were Jasper (21 percent) and Banff (17 percent). A further 11 percent did not specify but simply mentioned the mountains. Drumheller was mentioned by 11 percent of respondents.

WHAT IS EDMONTON’S BEST SUMMER ACTIVITY? The focus shifted to Edmonton when survey participants were asked to name the best summer activity in the City. Perhaps not surprisingly in Edmonton, 42 percent cited the festivals. One-tenth thought golf was the best summer activity in Edmonton, while six percent said spending time in the City’s parks was at the top of their list. Four percent felt spending time in their own backyard was tops.

Edmonton has often been called the Festival City. Respondents were asked whether they had attended or planned to attend six of Edmonton’s prominent festivals. Almost two-thirds (60 percent) planned to attend Capital Ex & Ed Fest (formally Klondike Days).

More than half (54 percent) were going to take in A Taste of Edmonton, 49 percent the Heritage Festival, 47 percent The International Fringe Festival, and 45 percent the International Street Performers Festival. Only 15 percent planned on attending Edmonton’s Folk Music Festival. The most commonly mentioned idea for a new festival was a children’s festival, mentioned by two percent of respondents.

SHOULD MORE BE DONE TO ENHANCE THE RIVER? It is not uncommon during the summer for many Edmontonians to look to the North Saskatchewan River as a source of recreation.

Survey participants were asked whether more should be done to make the North Saskatchewan River a source of recreation. Fifty-eight percent agreed that more should be done. These people spoke about taking advantage of this beautiful natural asset in our midst. Others said that making enhancements would help show off the river valley and would be good for tourism.

Just over a quarter (26 percent) disagreed with the notion of doing more to make the river a source of recreation. Respondents spoke about keeping the river and valley as natural and untouched as possible, and about the dangers associated with the river, including health impacts. The possible expense of enhancing the river was seen as a major deterrent for a number of respondents. √ The Poll Station surveyed 100 City of Edmonton residents on the topic and, while the results of the research are not statistically reliable, they do provide a qualitative indication of what Edmontonians are thinking.

Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and the owner of Banister Research and Consulting Inc., a full service provider of market research and program evaluation services. Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll? Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail at lbanister@edmontonians.com.

Visit www.banister.ab.ca.

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

THIS MONTH’S COVER

George Blondheim at his dream studio Photo by Rocco Macri Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at 333, 10240 - 124 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5N 3W6. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

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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 MAY 2007

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The Wine Capital of Canada– Living up to the name

By Michael O’Toole

C

“

ommercially available toilet tissue is not soft to the touch!” complains Jon Zwickel, executive vice-president of Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. “We got samples and took them home and said to ourselves, ‘If you’re paying $300 a night in a four-star resort, would this be an issue?’”

Such are the vexed choices and after-hours research that necessarily confront anyone involved in the south Okanagan’s latest environmentally-friendly destination resort development. The Oliver Wine Village—first tauted in 2001, and soon to emerge from the complexities of due diligence et al—aims to provide a true haven for valueadded wine lovers and agro tourists that will rival the major wine experiences available in California, Australia and South Africa.

Andy Philip, project consultant with Cooperators Development Corporation, the principal real estate developer on the Wine Village project, explains the rationale: “It really stems from the town of Oliver itself and their desire to create something that helps to put them on the map and live up to that name: The Wine Capital of Canada.” As Philip points out, Oliver, despite its many great wineries, has so far lacked the premium accommodation and other amenities necessary to present the town as a true wine resort destination.

All that looks set to change by 2009, as the ambitious, multi-phase Wine Village concept starts to take tangible shape in what it is hoped will be a radical re-branding of the entire region.

In the town core, a premium hotel and spa are planned.

Wine enthusiasts will be able to visit a wine interpretive centre to learn in depth about the magic of the grape, while a culinary arts centre and new riverfront residential properties add a missing dimension to the nation’s wine capital.

“We’re calling this our jewel in the crown,” says Les Lawther, economic development officer at Oliver and District Community Economic Development Society (ODCEDS). “We are the Wine Capital of Canada,” he expounds. “Around Oliver is the rural area which holds about 19 wineries now, with another five or six in the permitting stage. So we’re also putting together an agricultural resort, which would be the first in North America.”

For city slickers among us, the term “agricultural resort” may induce a little nervousness. We are assured, though, that tiptoeing carefully between suspiciously bucolic-looking patties of dark matter is not what Lawther has in mind. Instead, tasting wine served by the winemaker, picking cherries from the tree, and sampling local wild boar paté are among the charms to be offered in the context of the region’s enchanting landscape.

Lawther even envisions a new legislative process and governance model whereby official agricultural resort areas would be given the same status as mountain resorts, such as Whistler, in terms of provincial recognition, promotion and benefits.

consultant charged with moving forward the Agricultural Resort concept and championing it in the corridors of power.

“What makes Oliver and area unique,” Irwin points out, “is it has not been undermined in terms of unchecked development. It’s in a relatively pristine state… the agricultural rural community and even the downtown area.

It’s going to be an opportunity to plan this and get it right before allowing development to occur. It’s hard to do that when communities have evolved ahead of the planning.

There are not too many places where you could step in and put together an agricultural resort plan and initiative without having to deal with some decisions that are already compromised.”

Lawther is resolute in his summing up. “In the face of the onslaught on agricultural land, we’re trying to get Wine Village Site across the message of let’s eat locally, do the best we can Photos by Russell Work with the whole greenhouse gas emission process, contribute to a community that’s going to do it right… that’s sustainable, but allows development to take place.

We don’t want to be Anywhere North America. We’re standing our ground against the homogenization that’s taking place.”

The Value Added Tourist is what the town needs, according to Lawther. The “VAT” is evidently your tourist who isn’t coming to stay in a camping ground and isn’t bringing an RV. “Value Added Tourists have deep pockets,” Lawther enthuses. “They’re high equity people. That way, the tour buses will not be coming in and it’ll be a more discreet tourist experience—wine tourism, agro-tourism, ecotourism, adventure tourism—but in keeping with this demographic that’s coming through.”

Coming through, also, will be a multitude of skiers as the nearby Mount Baldy resort progresses with its long-term expansion plans and new infrastructure g upgrades bring casual traffic within the aromatic Artists renderin footprint of the Oliver core.

“One of the main access roads to Mount Baldy is going to go right by the front door of the Wine Village,” says Brett Sweezy, president of Idahobased Winter Recreation, the parent company of Mount Baldy Ski Corporation. “So we’re going to be pushing 70 percent of our ski visitors through that core Oliver access road. Ten years from now, that could be 70 percent of a couple of hundredthousand annual visitors coming up to the mountain that currently aren’t going by there.”

In the meantime, Sweezy has his own logistics to keep Philip anticipates that Alberta buyers and visitors will be him occupied for the next 15 or so years as he phases in a major factor in the future of the Oliver Wine Village and the stages of Mount Baldy’s growth. its agricultural extension—and not just for the attractions “You can’t wake up one day and say, ‘I’m going to be that have typically drawn them to the region for decades. a resort destination,’” he chuckles, contemplating the “I’ve come from the beverage alcohol business,” Philip ambitious escapade that lies ahead. “I don’t hold to the explains, “and in my 15 years in that business, I’ve ‘if you build it they will come’ strategy. Every time I do watched the Alberta market evolve dramatically from an expansion, I know it’s going to take one or two years being a very domestic beer and core spirits driven market to really reach the visitors that I want to see there. So to being much more wine savvy.” instead of dropping $30 million at the resort and Bill Irwin, formerly an executive director for the BC building three lifts and two lodges, my preference is to government’s all season resort program, is now a do one lift and get that information out there and let people start talking about it… then in the following year, do another lift.”

In terms of property investment opportunities, Sweezy is not just targeting affluent buyers as he plans for a family-oriented resort experience.

“It’s not going to be about 6,000 to 10,000 square-foot homes that are costing $1.5 million. I see us having a significant amount of 1,600 squarefoot cabins and 2,000 square-foot homes that, just because of their size, become more affordable.”

Sweezy is also looking at putting a mountain top lodge into the resort three or four years from now. “We hope that will be a signature location for wineries and restaurants that are opening in the valley to work with us to use that facility to promote everything that’s happening in the south Okanagan.” √ Ed Romanowski, CEO of Bellstar, the hotel development partner in the project, could himself be regarded as a veteran of agro-tourism, having dabbled in the field through his Edmonton-based company Royal Tours in the 1980s.

“Agricultural tourism has always been a big part of what Canada is all about,” says Romanowski. “It just hasn’t been in the forefront. Clearly, viticulture (the study of grape growing) is more dominant in the domestic market.

It touches the average consumer more than, say, grain farming or cattle ranching in the sense that we’re enjoying a bottle of wine. I think the average consumer, from a tourism point of view, would have trouble embracing the cattle industry.”

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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here’s always a certain guilty trepidation about calling someone’s cell when you’re not even sure which international time zone the person is in at any given moment. Still, Clarence Louie, the charismatic Chief of the Osoyoos Indian Band has already had me scrambling, unsuccessfully, to reach the phone at 11.00pm in the middle of Much Vibe and lastminute tax return agonies. I suppose I should feel no remorse at disturbing him somewhere between the south Okanagan and Melbourne, Australia, where he’s due to address the Indigenous Economic Development Conference on the theme of embracing business opportunities.

As anyone familiar with the wine, development or tourism industries in the Okanagan Valley will know, Chief Louie is one of the main linchpins of high profile projects such as the Mt. Baldy ski resort expansion, Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort NK’Mip & Spa, and the nascent Oliver Wine Village and Agricultural Resort. All of these initiatives involve long-term business partnerships with the Osoyoos Indian Band and lease agreements for the use of its land.

Chief Louie, though, is himself at the head of a small business “empire” in the region. Through the Osoyoos Indian Band Development Corp (OIBDC), the Oliver-born, business-driven Chief presides over nine thriving enterprises, including Nk’Mip Vineyards, Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course, and Nk’Mip Cellars—North America’s only aboriginal-owned winery. With corporate revenues likely to exceed $13 million this year, he has a compelling story and is frequently asked to tell it, both at home and abroad.

“It takes money to do anything. Health, education… they all cost money,” Chief Louie declares from what might be an airport executive lounge. “The Osoyoos Indian Band hopes to create more jobs, make more money and be part of the growing economy in the south Okanagan.

We’re always a partner with the towns of Oliver and Osoyoos in anything to do with the grape and winery industries. It’s a win-win anytime there’s [a development] of quality that deals with attracting more tourists to our region.”

It’s an outlook which has won numerous local admirers for the 2006 Order of British Columbia recipient and his whole organization.

“They’re good neighbours,” explains Bill Irwin, former executive director for BC’s all-season resort program. “We have a very common economic approach to dealing with the opportunities and challenges that the area presents.”

The point is confirmed enthusiastically by Les Lawther, economic development officer at Oliver and District Community Economic Development Society (ODCEDS): “When we moved forward with the Oliver Agricultural Resort concept, the first signatory to that memorandum of understanding was Chief Louie.” Lawther also applauds the fact that the Osoyoos Indian Band provides hundreds of jobs at its various business enterprises and is, therefore, one of the region’s largest employers.

Brett Sweezy is president of Idaho-based Winter

& Resorts, developers of both the Spirit Ridge and the Oliver Wine Village projects, has extensive experience in negotiating and dealing with the OIBDC. It was Chief Louie who first approached the developer five years ago to explore a potential business link-up. “In fact,” Zwickel explains, “the OIBDC has now made an investment and is a joint venture partner with Bellstar in Spirit Ridge Resort, rather than just being our landlord and host.”

So is it true, as some reports have suggested, that the Osoyoos Indian Band drives a hard bargain, given that it’s holding the trump card of tens of thousands of acres of prime land? Bellstar’s founder and CEO, former Edmontonian Ed Romanowski, seems to nurse no resentment: “I ask the corollary question, which is: ‘Why should they be any less business driven than any other Chief Clarence Louie business organization?’ They should be prudent, they should apply appropriate due diligence, and they should endeavour to get the best deal. And I find the OIB to be excellent business people. Above all, you can trust them and they’ll stick to their word.”

Accolades for the popular Chief from the development community have become almost commonplace in the years since he was elected to his current position in 1985, when he was still in his mid-twenties. How, then, does he regard the experience of dealing with his civic and commercial partners?

“Well, we have a pretty good business relationship,” Chief Louie makes clear. “The only other thing is that, like most First Nations, we have unsettled land questions and jurisdictional issues outside of business, although they do affect business. In business negotiations, everybody tries to protect their side and advance their case.”

He freely accepts the necessity for give and take in the interest of common progress; caution, though, is not entirely absent from his tone. “When you’re dealing with First Nations, you’ve got this long, bad history of relations [with] provincial, federal and municipal governments,” he reflects.

As for his status as a role model with a powerful message of economic self-reliance, the graduate of the universities of Saskatchewan and Lethbridge is happy to let his impressive record speak for itself: Bellstar’s Ed Romanowski “You know, I guess the proof of that can be seen by the number of visits we get from First Nations across the country, and the amount of times I get asked to go out there and sell the Osoyoos Indian Band story. And now I’m off to Australia, as we speak, to tell the story.”

Chief Louie concedes, of course, that both his style and his pro-business policies—seen by some as a threat to cultural traditions—have attracted a certain degree of controversy over the years, not least from other First Nations groups. He insists, however, that economic selfsufficiency is an essential component of cultural survival.

“Everybody receives criticism. I don’t know a person that But when you follow Clarence on a podium, it’s harder. walks on water and has 100-percent approval. Of course, He’s out there and he’s such a positive ‘Why aren’t you in you take in reasonable, legitimate feedback and you discard my stores?... I’ve never seen you at any of my OIB the rest. You know what?” he quips, but perhaps with a businesses’ sort of speaker. He definitely takes a different serious subtext, “If Don Cherry can be criticised, anybody tack than somebody else would in front of an audience.” can be!” √ Jon Zwickel, executive vice-president of Bellstar Hotels Recreation which is currently expanding its Mount Baldy ski resort in the south Okanagan. The Osoyoos Indian Band has a 2.5 percent stake in the resort, in addition to being the landlord of 10,000 acres of territory required for the ongoing expansion project. Tough business negotiations aside, Sweezy has twice faced the somewhat dubious distinction of following Chief Louie on the speaking platform, including—as he good-naturedly recalls—an uncomfortable occasion at the Town of Osoyoos’ annual general meeting.

“Clarence came out and spoke. He’s a very vibrant speaker. I’m not trying to diminish my own qualities, but there’s no way that we compare. He has a different message to share and he can get away with that message. I think it’s good that somebody’s conveying the stuff that he’s saying.

Accolades almost commonplace for the man with a different message

By Michael O’Toole

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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M usical score Blondheim is back

By Peter Drake McHugh

F

or the eclectic George Blondheim, this is a homecoming. But, in Edmonton, there is no band… no pennants… and no one has yet cued the trumpeter. Nonetheless, it is a homecoming worth noting. He has returned home to do business—the business of music, the art of recording.

The ‘been-there, done-that’ musician/impresario/composer/producer/businessman has chosen to return to his roots after a lifetime of plying world routes looking for one more challenge in the impossibly difficult world of the composer. A musical gun for hire or a sensitive poet? Perhaps, a bit of both. Around the world, 30 million people hear his music each month. Some of them are even here in Edmonton. He is a man who had to leave home to have success follow him back.

At 50, George Blondheim is one of Canada’s most notable musicians. If you called him a musical genius, he would be mortified but his record speaks reams. He is recognized internationally as a film and television composer, conductor, arranger, music director and producer of pop/rock/country and jazz music. Centennial Celebrations, he was here…

Mark Messier fund-raiser, he scripted the musical celebration… Ralph Klein Tribute, he composed the original score… Heritage Hockey Classic, he was the music director.

TV Guide once gushed; “His résumé reads like a short novel having performed and written virtually all styles of music in Canada, the USA and around the world. His film and TV composing credits include a Genie and two Gemini’s for such films as Bye Bye Blues and The War between Us to such American blockbusters as The Jewel of the Nile and 91/2 Weeks, and the hit TV series DaVinci’s Inquest.”

He has worked with artists from Nana Mouskouri to Cheech and Chong… from Bob Hope to Chubby Checker… from David Foster to Marvin Hamlisch… from Don Felder of the Eagles to Mason Williams… the list goes on. If he drops his little black book, pick it up and auction it off on eBay. His series of concert recordings with symphony orchestras have led to other opportunities. His piano performances are described as “innovative, wildly energetic and surprise the listener with his sensitive maturity.”

He has conducted the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Toronto Festival Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Hamilton Symphony Orchestra, and others too numerous to mention. Over and above his own performances, Blondheim has arranged symphonic concerts with artists such as Tom Cochrane, Jann Arden, Spirit of the West and k.d. lang.

Over the years, he has lived and worked in Los Angles, Paris, Japan, the deep south of the USA, Toronto, and Vancouver where he still maintains a pied-a-terre. A recipient of the Queen’s Canada 125 Medal for his contribution through music to Canada and the world, Blondheim also was awarded the Alberta Centennial Gold Medal in 2005. He has been

spokesperson for and contributes his time and talent to charity fundraisers.

Blondheim has been hooked on orchestras since he saw Procol Harum perform Conquistador with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1971. It went on to be a worldwide hit. It was arguably the birth of symphonic rock.

The Edmonton of his boyhood was always winter but never quite Christmas. He longed to be gone… to step out from behind the wheat curtain… to explore the world of his musical dreams. It was not going well. The University of Alberta music program didn’t want him and, when Grant MacEwan College accepted him into its music program, he never did graduate—he remains its most internationally famous nongraduate... the subject of a lot of buzz around the world.

UNCONVENTIONAL AND UNIQUE He has bought his dream studio east of the city, near Sherwood Park. On the way out in his classic Mercedes 560 SEC—not quite a German staff car but with all the toots and whistles that came much later on other luxury cars—we glide the gently rolling parkland. “I like the fact that it Musician, impresario, survived,” Blondheim says of his luxury ride. composer, producer We arrive at a surplus, disused Canadian George Blondheim government weather station. The neighbors call it “the bunker.” In fact, it is a weather station with a Photo by Rocco Macri difference… with charming country views, and a state of the art studio, ready to shake up the music scene in Alberta.

It houses B&W Entertainment/Retrogram Recordings, and it is open for business, as a number of Edmonton musicians have already discovered.

For miles around the soft rush of the prairie wind keeps time with the dancing trees of the vast Alberta horizon. It is not the frenetic rush of Los Angeles tail-backed metal trapped

Magic happens

By Barb Deters

F

or a man who is so about music, George Blondheim is incredibly visual.

He can actually see the notes he writes. His mind takes him beyond the realm of sound to create a mosaic for the senses.

That Bernie Zolner is on the same wave-length is a godsend… and audiences are the beneficiaries of their collaborative genius. Magic happens.

Case in point: Symphonia Masonica. Never heard of it? You will. Commissioned by the Grand Lodge of the Alberta Freemasons to commemorate its provincial centenary in 2004, the symphony in three movements premiered at the Winspear Centre for Music. It was unlike anything patrons—and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra—had ever experienced.

This groundbreaking concert evoked emotions that swept through the audience like an electrical charge. Enhanced by massive video screens that projected inspiring images throughout the performance and an unrivalled light show that danced to the beat, the music filled the concert hall like never before. That’s what you get when you combine their talents with those of Don Metz of Aquila Productions.

In another departure from the norm, the entire audience—armed with complimentary recorders, slide whistles, harmonicas, drum skins and sticks—was invited to make its own music… to fully participate in its own symphonic presentation of Steelcraft & Coast Interactive. What a rush!

But wait there’s more. One patron put it this way: “James, George and Bernie became a triangle of excellence in that hall…” That reference would be to artist James Picard who stood elevated above the choir and in front of the Davis concert organ creating a massive painting. The finished piece, inspired by the music, was a

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in a sea of tar and cement, nor is it the easy chic and confidence of Vancouver or the apple blossom art of Japan, but it is home: These are the Canadian prairies on the threshold of Edmonton and, for an inquisitive hare staring at the floor to ceiling windows, there must never have been a more curious site. Could anything be more sublime? It is both unconventional and unique—much like its owner.

Four thousand square feet of dedicated music space on seven acres of solitude to work in film and TV and to write good music. At its centre is a well-used grand piano, surrounded by walls of electronics and acoustical marvels under 19-foot ceilings. Part home, part studio, all business. No recording session today, we have time to talk between phone calls and Blondheim checking his watch for his next appointment. The phone rings: a bass player in Calgary with studio experience.

Could he send a sample? “Absolutely,” says Blondheim. “Always good to know what talent is out there.”

There is never a discordant note. He is of both the analogue and digital worlds, as comfortable composing as playing. He does have concerns for the future of music. Pop tart “idol” productions are “…a poor, pale production of American tastes, desires and economics,” he opines.

Gradually, he relents. When asked about the effects (if any) of current fads like Canadian Idol et al ,without batting an eye he responds, “Canadian Idol is to music performance what pond hockey is to the NHL.” The man is a fan of every music genre. He will listen to Rap with the same concentration as a symphony orchestra. Jazz, country, heavy metal— all part of his vocabulary. An eclecticism he believes came naturally to him listening to radio in Edmonton. “In those days you would listen to one station and get a feeling for all types of music and that is missing today.” He recalls listening to CHED radio in the ’70s when he heard everything from Ray Stevens, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder to Charlie Rich all in the same top 40. “You were exposed to every type of music and that can only make you better… I learned to wear many musical hats.”

For his studio, he looked near Vancouver and in Quebec, but his long-time friend and business partner said something like, “You can take the boy out of the prairie but…” Blondheim admits, “He really made me think about my life. What do I want to do? Sure, I could be somewhere else but it is a world of circumstance: This property being available and my business partner opting for Edmonton, and my being from here coupled with this

wonderful studio popping up. It was a perfect storm of entrepreneurship and opportunity.”

He does not add that it is also a bit of an odd-couple scenario with business partner Bernie Zolner: He eschews the limelight whereas Blondheim has learned to handle the public exposure.

Both men are adamant that Edmonton has a sound of its own and music made here doesn’t have to sound like music from everywhere else. “When you are inspired by Olds, Leduc and the Rockies, your take on the world is different and that’s just fine,” Blondheim suggests. His mentors would be jazz musician turned senator Tommy Banks and high school music teacher turned politician Gene Zwozdesky. But his language literally sparkles with the many people who have made the local music scene possible, even viable.

The list is long and eclectic—a catalogue of talent that had to be sold to international audiences. Blondheim says that part of the business is still most difficult. But he and Zolner share the philosophy that the sound of Alberta music is unique—whether country, hip hop, symphonic or rock. “We don’t have to make country music like Nashville or Austin. We must do it our way… go with our own sound.

His early mentors— Tommy Banks and Gene Zwozdesky “Every musician here owes a huge debt to Ian Tyson. He’s proof that when you sing about what you know, the world will listen.

“Of course, you must have talent. You must have quality both of performance and technology, and you must be willing to sell yourself in the worldwide market. Being nearly good enough is not good enough and you will fail.”

Blondheim sees his business filling a gap. “We like to look for people who have the talent and perhaps need packaging. The bar for talent has been raised tremendously by worldwide competition. It’s up to the musician to raise his or her game. Music is the backdrop of life. More music is being heard today than ever before.”

He is shifting in his seat again. Another topic. “As well as talent and knowledge, some academic training is necessary… but nothing will tell you the truth like a lot of clapping or booing.”

He has three rules for up-and-coming talent. First: “Do it because you love it;” second: “Make certain that it is good;” and third: “If you haven’t done your homework, you are wasting your time.

“If you want to be a star, chances are you will fail… but, if you commit to be the very best musician/performer you can be, there is every possibility you will succeed.”

Blondheim truly believes that, “music is part of the quality of life and must be nurtured.

If not, you not only lose the music, but you risk losing the essence of culture.”

Studio time has been booked and a group is arriving from Vancouver. Time to leave.

Parting thoughts?

“I have friends in Europe and Los Angeles,” Blondheim concludes, “and they understand that Edmonton is ready to move onto the music map in a big way. Their quality of life is no better than mine. We have the talent… we have the production… we have the promotion... we have the technology. Now, we just have to put it together.

“I’m very happy to be home.” And he really means it. √

Creative trio: Bernie Zolner, George Blondheim and James Picard.

Photo by Vivienne Agius

u

a

symbolic representation of the Masonic culture.

But Blondheim is quick to point out that great works take time, something the professional community has to accept and embrace. He and Zolner are in the third re-write of Symphonia Masonica, and plan to re-record for release in the next year.

The publicity-shy Zolner wrote the introduction to the event in the Symphonia Masonica program. It is the embodiment of what fuels the collective passions of Zolner and Blondheim.

“There are certain occasions that bring to mind the nature and position of art within our community and its deep connection with the identity of our culture. Art lives on as a testimony and a legacy towards future generations… “…the people of Alberta are capable of contributing to the grand cultural legacy of the world.

“To achieve our equal position as contributors and not just consumers of the great legacy of human civilization, we must pause every so often to put aside our worries, our fears and the daily stress inflicted upon us by the modern world. We must stop and smell the flowers of art that spring from the inspiration that we, ourselves, give to our artists through simply living together and thus sharing our hopes, our triumphs and our tragedies.” √ EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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By Steffany Hanlen

J

ared and Krista Hope are a dynamic couple with a head start on many of the ‘Echo generation’. Both have a diverse sports background, come from solid families, and understand the power of coaching and mentorship. Krista is a certified massage therapist from small town Alberta and for many years ran her own business. She is now pregnant with their second child. Jared is a certified personal trainer and real estate investor with a strong portfolio. Together they are the parents of Kenzee Mae, a beautiful 2 ½ year old daughter.

They are now looking to transition their lives from one of hectic, self employed parents to a life of balanced partnership.

On the outside, it all looks pretty good… fit, attractive, successful…why would they need the Transformers?

If you had met Jared back in 1996 when I did, it was a different story. He was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs when he was 18.

Shortly after, he suffered a series of concussions that lead to his imminent retirement from the game that he loved and the life he knew. Hockey is often seen as just a game or purely entertainment, but it’s a serious business, a social structure and a way of life.

Despite coaches and support staff who try to prepare young athletes for ‘life after’, most athletes still believe ‘it’ will never end. It is money, exposure, perks and even the intense community network provided by teammates and anyone in or surrounding the industry.

When this very tight, insular world eventually ends—through injury or otherwise—it can

Transformers CREATING

CHAMPIONS

OF

BUSINESS

The Hopes: Jared, Krista and KenzeeMae Photo by Terry Bourque

take years or even decades to put the pieces of a life back together. Jared had it all (in some people’s minds) and it was taken away very quickly.

I was Jared’s skating coach when he played for the Edmonton Ice of the Western Hockey League in the 1990s. Back then, he was as cocky and brash as any player I had ever worked with. Granted, he was talented and his team had high hopes for him but his confidence bordered on arrogance. Maybe that’s why we hit it off. I have a tendency to work well with highly motivated people who already believe they are the best. He definitely fit into that category.

When he was forced to retire from hockey, we lost touch. When I would run into him occasionally, I observed, from a distance, that his soft skills—call them communication or people skills—were not all that honed.

Zoom ahead to 2001. Jared had met the lovely Krista Kjhemus playing co-ed volley ball. He thought she was cute… she thought he was a bit of a dud.

Soon, for personal reasons, Jared would spend 18 months and $30,000 to attempt to re-enter the world of Pro Hockey. He actually earned a tryout with the Hamilton Bulldogs, made the team then turned around gave the jersey back, got on a plane, came back to Edmonton, asked Krista to marry him and put the hockey dream in the past.

Complete. Done. He quit: This time on his terms.

So where are they now and why this Transformers’ experience?

Visit www.edmontonians.com for Steffany’s advice to the couple. √ Steffany Hanlen is a personal performance coach who conducts “The Champion Seminars.” Contact shanlen@edmontonians.com

By Tom Bradshaw

By Les Brost

I

By Colin Williamsen

K

admit I was a bit skeptical about the Hopes as potential Transformees when Steffany first introduced them. Did they simply see this as an interesting experience that would give them profile and exposure in Edmontonians magazine or were they ready to work?

Those reservations were gone—completely gone—after our second meeting. Jared and Krista are prime candidates for the Transformers’ process.

What changed my view? Krista and Jared recognize their need for change. They sense there are chunks of their lives that are not as good as they can be… that “things” are getting in the way of greater business and personal success.

Recognition is the first step in effective conflict management. While important, it doesn’t get you anywhere if you choose not to take action. Too many folks opt for the status quo, failing to recognize that in business—and in life—you either move forward or you go backward.

It takes courage to admit that your communication skills and your degree of selfknowledge need an upgrade. That courage is what makes Krista and Jared so special. They know that they have set out on a challenging path, confronting head-on the powerful inner voices driving the insecurity and fear presently getting in their way.

The Hopes will also learn about the “couples communication trap”. The “trap” is the assumption that effective communication automatically happens when couples live together, share parenting, and have a good sexual relationship.

That’s a good start, but it’s not enough. In Jared and Krista’s complex world, the competition for time and energy is fierce. All too often their need for honest, effective and intimate communication is sacrificed to work, family and social obligations.

They will learn to “pay their relationship first” when it comes to time and energy, and to schedule time for meetings with each other—just like they do for business or family obligations.

The Hopes have chosen to move beyond their status quo. Good things happen when ability and commitment meet opportunity.

That’s why I look forward to being part of the transformation of Jared and Krista Hope. √

rista is calm as a subtle ocean breeze…

Jared is like a tsunami awaiting its next target—the epitome of polar opposites.

Thank goodness their Eastern mindbody types are relatively similar, even though their hormones are at the opposite ends of the spectrum: Krista’s is serotonin—the calming hormone that helps us remain on an even keel and drops us into a deep sleep; Jared’s is adrenaline—the ramping hormone that keeps us moving at supersonic speed when necessary. These hormones have a direct connection to the Hopes’ inherent genetic mind-body types. As we peer further into the microscope of genetic uniqueness, we will determine how this influences the couple’s ability to engage and connect with each other on a much deeper level.

For Krista, her primary mind-body type influence is Wind—she is a doer which is quite evident when you see how well she juggles everything: taking care of their new home and their daughter, while managing Jared’s travel schedule and the accounting for his real estate investment portfolio. Moreover, she is currently in her last trimester, expecting their second child. Her secondary mind-body type influence is Fire, the element that pertains to being a leader. Krista is a Wind-Fire type… a doer and a leader.

Jared is making the transition from being a personal fitness trainer to pursuing his passion in real estate investment—prompted, in part, by his growing family.

Jared also displays wisdom far beyond his 29 years, displaying a wealth of business savvy.

For Jared, his primary mind-body type influence is Fire—he also is a leader. He makes things happen by taking the necessary action to produce the results he desires in his life. His secondary mind-body type influence is Wind, the element that pertains to being a doer. Jared is a Fire-Wind type… a leader and a doer—the exact opposite of Krista.

Understanding each other’s genetic uniqueness— inherent mind-body type characteristics—will assist both Krista and Jared to be able to engage and connect with each other on a deeper level, as well as live their lives with more mindfulness and at a higher level of awareness.

Visit www.edmontonians.com for Colin’s specific recommendations. √

Les Brost is head of Southern Star Communications.

Contact: lbrost@edmontonians.com

Colin Williamsen is the president of The Wellness Coaches Inc. Contact: cwilliamsen@edmontonians.com

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t’s amazing how a first impression can affect a business relationship. Jared does a lot of work on the phone where that first impression is created solely on the sound of his voice—an expressive baritone that carries a great deal of confidence. However, some drawbacks are keeping him from attaining the true potential of his dynamic voice. Jared speaks in a short clipped style with excessive pace—fast, short and abrupt.

The wonderfully rich tone is trapped in the lower register that may sound manlier but can be perceived as dark or sinister.

Then there are Jared’s word and sound choices. He is a self-proclaimed user of “The F-Bomb”—something Krista hopes to keep out of two-year-old Kenzee’s vocabulary. Because of the sounds used—fricative… open vowel… plosive—in this particular four letter word, it can be a great stress reliever. In business, it is just not acceptable. We still live in a society that looks at users of profanity as unable to express themselves in a more articulate way. In laymen’s terms, it can make a college graduate sound like a high school drop out. Adding to this are Jared’s contractions of words ending in “ing”. While f@#king nothing will diminish you, f@#kin’ nothin’ will exclude you from all but the simplest of conversations.

Eliminating these negative traits will improve not only that first impression but allow Jared to express himself in a way that will be appealing to a wider audience.

Spend anytime with Krista and you will discover that she is a very bright, intelligent, caring human being.

Unfortunately, like Jared, Krista can be perceived as less than she is, but for very different reasons. Krista has developed a habit of using verbalized pauses—the ums and ers that indicate that the brain has turned off but the mouth is still running.

Krista also has some breathing issues that make her come off as soft-spoken. This is not a negative trait unless people have trouble hearing you which may be interpreted as a lack of confidence. In Krista’s case, that just is not the reality. Of course, this could have something to do with her pregnancy—it’s hard to breathe when someone is pushing on your diaphragm! I will incorporate breathing work that will help improve her volume to increase her credibility. While this breath work will be of great benefit to both their voices, it will do wonders for Krista during the natural childbirth process.

I plan to instruct both of them utilizing Sounds of Executive Standard North American English. √ Tom Bradshaw is the head of the Academy of Voice & Speech.

Contact: tbradshaw@edmontonians.com EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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What happens when you mix religion and politics?

By Don Hill

I

have a story to tell you, a modern day

parable.

In the grim days following 9/11, media intelligence about the extremists responsible for the terror was pretty spotty. At the time, I was national host of CBC Radio One’s religion show. The very thought that there might be a radical branch of Islam was news to my network colleagues in Toronto.

In the scramble to get a grip on President Bush’s question, “Why do they hate us?” I interviewed an acknowledged expert on Islam, Bernard Lewis. He was in New York.

As our conversation unfolded, a profile emerged about the hijackers and their objectives. Dr. Lewis’ depiction of the fanatics’ intentions sounded oddly familiar.

“Are we fighting with the bikers of Islam?” I asked.

Dead silence.

“That’s one way of putting it,” he said, after a raspy chuckle. “Yes, I suppose you’re right.”

What I learned right then and there is belief matters. And to not understand what others believe – what other cultures hold to be true and proper – creates the conditions for confusion at best, and in the extreme, catastrophe.

Religion matters, too. It matters a great deal. The Latin root of the word says as much: religion means ‘to bind community.’

Religion and politics have always been in close collaboration, especially here in western Canada. Prairie political movements—both the CCF (Cooperative Commonwealth Federation), the parent of today’s NDP, and Social Credit, the political dynasty that lasted for over 30 years in Alberta—were built with religious principles and, in particular, the workings of the ‘social gospel’.

There were two distinctive streams that flowed out of the social gospel movement of the early 20th century. The course charted by Tommy Douglas, a Baptist minister, the CCF premier of Saskatchewan and the father of universal healthcare in Canada is well-known to this day. Reverend Douglas’ government embodied the social gospel principle of “I am my brother’s keeper.”

Reverend William Aberhart, the Social Credit premier of Alberta during the Depression years of the 1930s marked the second tributary of the social gospel. “Bible Bill” Aberhart and his successor Premier Ernest C. Manning, the father of Preston Manning, regarded themselves as stewards of the people. They believed the primary role of government was to uphold social and community values through prudent management of the province’s finances and resources.

So what has the social gospel got to do with our presentday politics? Lots.

There is evidence that a third stream of the social gospel is now in play.

A couple of years back, I had Preston Manning on my province-wide radio phone-in show. I was intrigued by his response to a question about the environment, following an otherwise unremarkable speech he made in Red Deer.

“I don’t think Albertans are getting the governance that they deserve,” he said. And, when I prompted him to further explain (because he did leave things hanging a bit),

Edmontonian IN EXILE

By Janet Edmondson in Calgary jedmondson@edmontonians.com

The expression “damned if you do and damned if you don’t,” is the basis for a Zen Buddhist koan, a riddle, which must be solved before moving on to another challenge.

“If you answer my question incorrectly,” a Zen master instructs, “I will hit you with a stick.” And “if you answer it correctly, I will hit you with a stick.”

What’s the answer?

Hint #1: the koan is really a question about your leadership.

You can’t dodge it.

Remaining silent— “dynamic inaction,” as one clever fellow Tommy Douglas put it—is promptly rewarded with a sharp and instructive Manning volunteered that, given the history of rapid-fire thump. Think of this political movements in the West, the ‘environment’ might puzzle as you might well be the rallying point for a new style of leadership and a when business new political party “that has yet to reveal its name,” he said. shifts ground and Manning also hinted that whatever the party might call the future of your itself, there was a very good enterprise demands probability ‘it’ would be the next an immediate, yet political dynasty in the province. purposeful I sense the environment may response; do well be the third tributary, the nothing and you newest stream of the social s get whacked. gospel, alongside social and Richard Dawkin Hint #2: Zen community concerns longkoans are counterintuitive to conventional associated with the movement. ways of thinking.

When I hosted the religion show on CBC Radio BELIEF AND CULTURE One, my perspective was constantly upended by Religion—as a way of extraordinary ideas. I was challenged to set aside my knowing—is very often the basis personal worldview as the baseline of all things good for how people govern and proper. To understand wisdom traditions, I learned themselves around the world. To Preston Manning to empathize with the ontology I was investigating, ignore religion, to push it to the Preston Manning even if it meant surrendering to it for the moment; I margins of society does not had to suspend my beliefs about how things ought to be. make it go away. Like a river that goes underground, Hint #3: Imagine I am now holding the stick. And I’m religion tends to resurface no matter what you do to block telling you—yes, you—if you answer my question its progress. incorrectly or correctly, you will get hit with it.

I strongly disagree with Richard Dawkins, the scientist The answer is right in front of you… right now. and avowed atheist who recently declared in his best-selling Take the stick. √ book The God Delusion that religion is akin to a mental virus, a malignant disease that ought to be eradicated.

Several years ago, Dr. Dawkins visited the Behavioural Don Hill is a ‘thought leader’ at the Leadership Lab and Neuroscience Laboratory at Laurentian University, where I Leadership Development at the Banff Centre. He is also an am an adjunct researcher. After exchanging pleasantries, I award-winning writer and broadcaster with a large enquired if Dr. Dawkins had investigated meditation, for footprint on the Internet. Listen to his radio series Inspiring instance, the type associated with major religions such as Leadership, a 20-part documentary on contemporary Buddhism which, to my way of thinking, is more a ‘science leadership and the challenge of leading in the 21st Century of mind’ than religion. every Saturday morning at 8 AM on the CKUA Radio He frowned.

Network.

There is a lot to be learned from contemplative For more details visit: www.ckua.com and practices—especially if you are in a leadership role. www.appropriate-entertainment.com

O

ur family is familiar with the tragedies of heart disease. My father-in-law had his last heart attack at 52, leaving his wife to finish raising four teenaged sons. One of those sons had his first heart attack in his twenties, and died at the age of 47. Another son recently had angioplasty. An infant nephew died during heart surgery; a niece had three cardiac surgeries before she was two. One of our own children was misdiagnosed by a young GP with a major, four-site heart defect, leading to a week of anguish, until the pediatric cardiologist reassured us that it was an innocent murmur.

So I was happy to be seated next to the Right Honourable Don Mazankowski at a dinner last month to learn firsthand a bit about the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, which will open in Edmonton in October. The former deputy prime minister was a delightful dinner companion… enthusiastic about this world class facility which will focus on all services from disease prevention to the most complex patient

care… and humble about his part in its creation. He told me he tried for two years to convince the “powers that be” to name it after someone “more worthy of the honour”. They correctly ignored him.

I told Mr. Mazankowski a bit of our family history.

He was confident that each of those people would have lived longer and healthier lives had such a facility existed. Not only will the institute provide acute care for children and adults, but it will also allow research and technology advances to be immediately applied to those who would benefit.

There will be a congenital heart disease program providing lifelong care to children born with heart disease. The institute will also house the Alberta Cardiovascular and Stroke Research Centre— ABACUS. There will be major focus on prevention of heart disease through education.

Whether we live in Edmonton or Calgary, it is reassuring to know that we will have this outstanding institution available to make the lives of our family, and yours, better. √

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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BizINTEL

M edia Minute with Bruce Hogle

AM and FM depending on my mood and what’s available.

It was on one of those occasions a few weeks ago, I picked up CHED Sports Director Bryan Hall on his afternoon show. I was somewhat

American teams are visiting.

I couldn’t disagree more. Who will ever forget the Oilers’ fight for the Stanley Cup last year, and the response from our fans in singing O Canada with love, passion and gusto.

Radio is big business in Edmonton what with 23 stations—more than any other Canadian city on a per capita basis. The three Standard stations (The Bear, EZ Rock and CFRN) are now all part of Montreal-based Astral Media which controls 81 AM/FM stations, the most in Canada. Second is Calgary-controlled Corus (CHED, CISN, CHQT, Joe FM) with 50 commercial stations.

CHED has long dominated the AM ratings with its news/talk format, but CBC, CFRN 1260 and CKUA provide excellent alternatives. As far as music is concerned, Edmonton FM and AM stations, including French, Aboriginal and multi-cultural, provide an incredible range from which to select.

That’s why I’m constantly channelroaming in my car, flicking between

C ivic Buzz with David Norwood

Edmonton’s condo market continues to explode. Activity isn’t confined to any one area of the city, although the most high-profile projects underway or proposed are in the downtown core. It’s almost impossible to maintain an up-to-date list of what’s going where or when, but I thought it would be helpful to highlight a few of the downtown and near-downtown condominium projects.

The Icon, Towers I and II: Construction of the sold-out, 30storey Tower I of this high-profile project on 104th Street just north of Jasper Avenue is well underway, and the 35-storey Icon II is expected to commence in May or June. Developed

by Langham Properties, it has helped set a new level of design for Edmonton condos and will be a welcome—and prominent—addition to the downtown skyline.

The Aurora: This $325 million project will redefine a now derelict area, populated largely by empty lots and a few industrial buildings, immediately north of downtown. The first phase, a joint project of Carma Developers and Urban Landmarks Master Builder, will comprise a 23storey, 187-unit condo tower and a 58 unit four-floor townhouse structure.

So named by the developers because the design will represent the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, it will eventually include six towers, ranging from 17 to 28 stories, and five townhouse buildings from three to five stories.

City Council has already re-zoned the land to allow for the development, removing a 15-storey height limit to allow taller, slimmer towers, with more green space and pedestrianfriendly spaces. Overall, the Aurora is part of a major city plan to rejuvenate 12

Oh O Canada shocked when I heard him proclaim that he saw no need to play national anthems at sporting events. That, of course, would include Canada’s incredibly beautiful national anthem not being played at home games for the Oilers and Eskimos… nor the U.S. national anthem in Canadian NHL cities when

Bryan Hall

So much so that Paul Lorieau stopped singing and simply held his microphone out so television viewers could see and hear our fans proudly rendering O Canada with the emotion it deserves. That phenomenal television footage got world-wide attention.

I’ll never forget being in Don Ho’s

the downtown core, has begun construction on a 12-floor building virtually identical to the completed Alta Vista North. Its 14-storey River Vista on 97th Avenue, near the government centre, is nearing completion.

Q on 105th: A city development permit has been issued for this striking 22-storey condominium tower on the southwest corner of 105th Street and 104th Avenue, The Uptown directly across from the eastern wing of Grant MacEwan College. Designed

by Brinsmead Ziola Kennedy architects (who also did the Icon, Omega, and Aurora condos, among other structures) and from the same partners who recently developed the 18-storey Parliament on 109th Street, the Q promises to transform the area, replacing a vacant lot with a welcome addition to the warehouse district skyline.

Founders Ridge: This 25storey tower with townhouses at its base will occupy the northeast corner of 105th Street and 98th Avenue. This BCM Developments’ project will significantly (and positively) alter the streetscape of the hill, removed architecturally from some of replacing a number of old, admittedly derelict, houses. Hopefully, it will True North’s earlier projects, like launch in the very near future. BCM Grand Central Manor. The developer is also telling us to watch for its 22+has also assumed responsibility for storey Jasper East development, Viva City, a 14-storey condo also Corner 1 Towers, on Jasper Avenue under construction, just below the lip at 95th Street. No word on when that of the river valley on 104th Street, will become a more tangible project. north of 98th Avenue.

Illuminada II: Now under The Venetian: Another relatively construction at Jasper and 118th upscale project from Abbey Lane Street, this 12-floor, 46-suite condo is Homes, developers of the exclusive directly west of Illuminada I, One River Park in Old Strathcona, identical in height but different in this six-floor, 145-suite condo is on appearance. Offering walls of the former site of the Sidetrack Cafe windows and private balconies, the on 112th Street. new tower will be clad in stucco and Alta Vista South: Christenson glass. WAM Development Group is Developments, a company I credit also constructing another condo with spearheading the renaissance of

the entire area north of the downtown core, from 97th to 116th Streets. If all approvals are obtained, construction of the first phase could start this fall.

The Uptown: This latest project from True North Properties bills itself as a “low-density” highrise, containing just 54 suites on 15 floors, on 117th Street south of Jasper. With significant amounts of glass and an interesting exterior treatment, it is far

Honolulu nightclub during the height of the Vietnamese War. It was packed with 2,000 noisy U.S. military on leave, drinking up a storm. Gail and I were present with other Alberta newsmen and their spouses. Ho asked if there were any Canadians present and we all stood up.

Accompanied by his 25-piece band, he proceeded to sing all verses of O Canada to a hushed audience, illustrating the incredible esteem he had for Canada and Canadians.

Former Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor Dr. Linda Haverstock felt so strongly about the singing of O Canada when she held office that she advocated legislation to have it sung in all their schools at least once a week. Some Edmonton and Alberta schools already do that. Too many don’t.

As for the Edmonton Oilers and Edmonton Eskimos, I wish both of them greater success in their respective next seasons. But I trust the singing of O Canada will remain a tradition at all home games for both teams—as well as all other amateur and professional events for that matter—with or without the approval of good, but misguided, friend Bryan Hall. √ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council.

Contact bhogle@edmontonians.com

southwest of its Illuminadas, on Victoria Promenade overlooking the river valley, above Victoria Golf Course. Little has been said of this building, but rumour is that it will be between six and eight stories high, is ultra-luxurious and has sold out privately without the necessity of marketing. As well, look for Illuminada III, also on Jasper, in the future.

Other condos are under or about to commence construction in the downtown core: the 12-storey Serenity from Urban Landmarks on Jasper Avenue at 117th Street; Panache on Twelfth, a four-floor structure across the street from the Venetian; Maxx; Zen; and Neo midrise condos, all from BCM Developments along 105th Avenue; and Gates on 117th by Tessco, Inc. also on 105th.

We’re keeping our fingers crossed the owners of the historic, firedamaged Arlington—a complete eyesore on 100th Avenue and 106th Street—will proceed with its new 20storey tower. There are some minor design quibbles but, done right, this could be one of the best residential infill projects the downtown has seen in a long time. Also look for Bellamy Hill Tower, a striking 32-storey tower from Edmonton-based Trans America Group. Immediately south of Edmonton House, the tower would add considerable interest to the city’s skyline.

These are just samples from the downtown core, but many infill and redevelopment projects are in the works throughout the city, from Century Park to Strathearn to 142nd Street. All in all, they signal a major transformation of Edmonton’s urban fabric. √ David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor.

Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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B iz IT 101

get very timely, detailed replies by simply Googling the question.

Now, Google is moving into another area once dominated by print. This time, it is telephone directory assistance and Yellow Pages that are under siege. In early April, Google Inc began experimenting with the use of speech recognition on telephones where callers can ask for location information. U.S. callers dial 1-800-GOOG-411 and can test a free voice-activated service called Google Voice Local Search

with Greg Michetti

Who doesn’t like Google?

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Denial, Delhi and Dell (http://labs.google.com/goog411/) A practical use? Simply call them and ask for the all the Chinese food delivery places in your area. A few seconds later you get a list; most likely via a text message on your cell phone.

Somewhere in all of this will be advertisements of some kind.

It doesn’t stop here. You librarians better start dusting off your résumés, too. Read up (sorry!) on Google’s plans for the Library of Congress and you

EDMO NTO R N E

almost risk-free for Red Engineering.

“We invoice the Canadian firm and get paid in Canadian dollars.

Except for the international travel, it is really no different than working with our Canadian clients,” reports Darin Richards, coowner of Red Associates Engineering.

In a similar fashion, it was contracted by Calgarybased EnCana to annually inspect and maintain its cranes in Ecuador. When EnCana sold to a Chinese consortium led by the China National Petroleum Company, Red Engineering’s contract was retained.

Much of the work remains the same but the cheques (always in American dollars) now come from China rather than Calgary. However, working in the sometimes politically unstable nation can be quite a bit different than working in Cuba, where Canadians are viewed very favourably.

“We have to take out kidnap insurance on our staff there,” Richards says. “While our people are very well protected and in no real danger, there have been some problems in the past for other Canadian workers in the oil industry, though they were working deep in the jungle.

Employee safety and well-being is of utmost importance for us and our staff would not be there if we felt there was any real danger.”

In today’s environment where it can be very difficult to retain employees, Richards and his business partner Barry Besuyen have found that the international exposure is a draw for some engineers. They appreciate the chance to work and interact with foreign colleagues.

As I can attest, traveling to foreign destinations for business is never as glamorous as it sounds, but it is a welcome change from regular routines for employees, and traveling to a warm weather destination is a treat when the temperature drops below zero. √

IN

US

INE

SS

GRE

A

Easy. The newspaper, magazine and book publishing business, that’s who.

In case you didn’t notice, more traditional print publishing is going the “Way of the Web,” meaning less emphasis on the “touchable” style of yesterday and more on electronic “push” delivery via regular e-mail with links back to the main website.

While most established publishers agree with this, their standard reply is: “Sure this will happen, but not soon.”

Yeah right. Talk about classic denial.

I’ve got news for them—it is happening… right now. Look for 2007 and 2008 to be huge transition years for the publishing business as advertisers continue to move more to the web for revenues.

A good analogy can be found in the computer book publishing sector.

Remember all those big, fat $89 “howto-do-this-in-Excel” glossy publications we used to purchase? They’re not around anymore because, if you need the answer to a technical problem, you

TE

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AT I O N A L

Downgrading

RISK

By Cheryl Lockhart

T

raveling to Cuba in

mid-winter is not about water sports and getting a tan. Red Associates Engineering is one of many Canadian companies doing business in the Caribbean nation.

An embargo on Cuba has prohibited American businesses from trading or conducting business with Cuban interests for many years. As the Cuban government and other businesses on the island looked elsewhere for goods and services, eyes turned naturally north toward Canada, generating significant opportunities for firms in this country. This is precisely how Red Engineering got its start in Cuba.

Following a crane accident at one of its Cuban mining sites, Sherritt International contacted an American dealer to inspect the damage. Due to the embargo, it was unable to go down on its own and referred Sherritt to Red Engineering. One thing led to another and now, two or three times a year, Red Engineering personnel travel to Cuba, usually for two weeks at a stretch, to inspect all of Sherritt’s equipment at its oil and gas and mining sites. They also work with local staff to educate them on crane safety and maintenance.

Working internationally in this way is

will see what I mean. No wonder many magazine publishers call Google the new Evil Empire because next to them, Microsoft looks like Ghandi.

Speaking of India, with a major Dell Inc. technical support centre here in Edmonton and another big one in Ottawa, why do I have to talk to somebody in Bangalore, India to help me solve problems?

Ditto for the very questionable tech support at Lexmark and especially Edmonton-based, Intuit, which also

B

Cheryl Lockhart owns International Strategies Ltd., specializing in export-related planning and marketing. E-mail: clockhart@edmontonians.com

have their phone support in Asia. Now personally, I don’t care where the phone support is. I just want to talk to somebody (on a good quality phone line) who can speak English, understand my question and doesn’t interrupt me before I explain the problem in full. Is this really asking too much?

Memo to tech companies: For telephone help, have two levels of technical support; one on North America and one somewhere else. You

can even charge for the North American service and people will pay for it. Or, take a page from Hewlett-Packard’s On-line Chat service where a customer service rep is always available to yak with you about your problems.

Finally, there are several reasons why the uptake on Microsoft’s Vista and Office 2007 has been so slow. First, most people, either at home or in business, won’t buy Vista until they need a new computer and, second, they are a bit confused by the various SKUs or offerings from Microsoft—Ultimate?

Professional? Business? Home? Last but not least, the technical vendor community itself is not fully behind it yet. They haven’t taken enough time to learn the new operating system.

Of all the Microsoft operating systems released in the past 15 years, the migration/acceptance/adoption of Vista has been the slowest yet. The fastest adoption was in the mid-1990s when Windows 95 was first released. √ Gregory B. Michetti of the Alberta-based systems integration firm Michetti Information Solutions, Inc. can be reached via www.michetti.com

E

my space For Young Entreprenuers

By Erin Rayner

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thing he has in spades is vision. Young by ith all the emphasis on many standards, he has one of the clearest global warming and visions I have yet to encounter. As with any environmentally safe career, business opportunity or life in initiatives, sun protection general, the only thing set in stone is that is of growing interest. Anyone with kids nothing is set in stone, and yet without a remembers the slip-slop-slap campaign in strong vision a company is rudderless and recent years encouraging us to cover lacks momentum. ourselves from the harmful effects of the From a marketing standpoint, Mainstream sun.

Screens frequents all home and renovation This month’s young entrepreneur was related trade-shows in the Edmonton area as “the kid with the lemonade stand.” His well as relying heavily on word-of-mouth, business acumen started with lemonade stands, then snow shoveling and grew into a and what I call targeted community marketing. When the retractable screen company installs a screen, it company when he was lets other homeowners in the in high school. Working direct area know. Landon only in the summers in believes in the power of the beginning with his endorsement marketing… father and uncle, that people trust those who Landon Croome used have had the “experience” to go door-to-door on with the product. This will his roller blades increase through delivering flyers Mainstream’s involvement promoting the sleek, with Costco. space saving retractable With this new exposure, a screens. That was seven new office/warehouse space years ago. Now he is the and a season that is fast sole owner of the soon approaching, Landon also to be re-branded Mainstream Screens.

Landon Croome feels that it is time to rebrand. The company name The Edmonton-based grew from his father’s company specializes in retractable and sun reflecting screens for the plumbing business and served as a stepping stone for the young entrepreneur. The screen home. Landon says installing Mainstream’s sun protection screens on your windows will company can now carry its own weight, but needs to identify itself as a separate entity… keep out the heat and still allow air flow possibly with a new name, new promotional through, so there is no reason for an air material and an updated web presence. conditioner in the Alberta climate.

For Erin’s Top Three, and her business Now 24 and a recent graduate from Grant Q&A visit www.edmontonians.com √ MacEwan’s accelerated general management studies program, Landon has a well established market, a booming housing Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and economy, and a new contract to sell his Communications Inc. You products through local Costco locations. can submit marketing The impending growth is almost palatable. materials for review; When I asked Landon what he “needed” suggest young to be an entrepreneur and to face this kind entrepreneurs to be of growth, without hesitation he said “patience… tons of patience because it’s not profiled; nominate a Top Three; or ask a business developement question. like a 9-to-5 job where there are problems and other people take care of it.” The second Contact erayner@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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13

money MAKING

Learning from the best

By Ron Hiebert

T

hese days, anyone who is really accomplished seems to be cashing in on that skill by writing a book. This is especially true in the field of finance and investing. Every year, I write an article on what I consider to be the best financial reads of the year. Surprisingly enough, I get more feedback on this column than any other. So here is my list of favourites from the past 12 months.

The Only Three Questions That Count by Ken Fisher.

Fisher isn’t a wannabe. He runs a global money management firm that has over $30 billion in assets, is ranked 297 on the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans, and is one of a very small group of investors who outperforms the market year after year. He is consistently ranked first as the most accurate market forecaster in America.

This book really makes you think outside of the box. He tears down conventional market myths on which many of our investment decisions are based, and shows how to do the research necessary to find out things that others don’t know. If I had to pick one title off this list as a must-read, this one would be it. It actually teaches you how to think strategically.

More Than You Know–Finding Financial Wisdom in Unconventional Places by Michael J. Mauboussin. The commonality of all the books on this list is that their authors are not wed to convention. They think outside the box and that is what has made them so successful. That comes from not only writing about investing, but actually using the strategies and investing real money in them to prove that they work. Mauboussin is one of those guys. His financial credentials include being the chief investment strategist at Legg Mason as well as being an adjunct professor at the prestigious Columbia Business School.

This book looks at such diverse areas as horse racing, human psychology, sports, casino gambling and biology.

Mauboussin believes that many of the best strategies on investing come from outside the field of finance. This is a great book, but definitely not a light read.

The Little Book of Value Investing by Christopher H. Browne. The biggest complaint that newbies to the investment world have is that most of the how-to books on investing are so complicated that it takes a PhD in finance

corporate ETHICS

By Nizar J. Somji

O

The more that you read, The more things you will know.

The more that you learn, The more places you’ll go. ~ Dr. Seuss with one of the best long-term performance track records.

Poor Charlie’s Almanack by Charles T. Munger. Warren Buffett is the person that most people associate with the incredible investment track record at Berkshire Hathaway.

Very few know that the business is co-managed with his partner, Charlie Munger. He may be less well known, but is every bit Buffet’s equal.

The Almanack is a collection of his best quotes, talks and ideas. It focuses on making you a better investor by building decision models that really help to drill down to the essence of why an investment is or isn’t worth owning.

Real Estate Investing in Canada by Don R. Campbell.

There are very few books on the market for the average investor that approach buying real estate in a systematic way. Campbell teaches you how to know when markets are overvalued… how to approach bankers and arrange financing, negotiate with the vendor, recognize and sell when the real estate market is fully priced… and how to

analyze a property for its profit and cash flow potential. The book is written by a Canadian author who is 100 percent focused on the real estate markets in this country, not those south of the border.

The Investment Zoo—Taming the Bulls and the Bears

by Stephen A. Jarislowsky. Very few stock market gurus call Canada their home. He is not only one of the best, but he is one of ours. The firm he founded half a century ago, Jarislowsky Fraser, manages $49 billion dollars worth of money for Canadian institutions and individuals. His investment philosophy and ethics are based on honesty, integrity and hard work. He explains how to use these principles to make financial decisions from a Canadian perspective. Nice guys don’t have to finish last in business: Jarislowsky is living proof.

And for those who have already made their fortunes, this book should serve as inspiration on how to make the world a better place. Leaving Microsoft to Change the World by John Wood. The author had a career that was on the fast track at Microsoft. That all changed when he took a vacation to go trekking in Nepal. While visiting a mountain village, he was appalled at the lack of books in the local school library. He promised the people that he would find a way to bring books to this isolated community, and do what he could to break the cycle of poverty by promoting basic literacy. This turned out to be a life-changing event for him.

In the year 2000, Wood started Room to Read. Since then this non-profit organization has donated 1.2 million books to schools and libraries in underprivileged countries, established 2,600 libraries, opened 200 schools and sent 1,700 girls to school with scholarships. Changing the world is usually just a cliché—this guy is actually doing it.

These are great books. Enjoy! √ Ron Hiebert, a Director, Investment Executive with ScotiaMcLeod, teaches investment classes at Grant MacEwan College. The author of Wealth Building can be heard on CFCW radio (790 AM) Sundays from 8 to 9 a.m. on his show, Making Money. Contact him at rhiebert@edmontonians.com

When organizations become political

ften as I meet individuals, especially those involved with larger companies or in community or faith-based organizations, I hear the comment “things have become too political”… or “I do not want to be involved [or to participate] because of the politics.” Even worse, these individuals become unwilling to do what is right for the organization for fear of repercussion.

Interestingly, there are two basic reasons why so many organizations become political: Selectively sharing information within the organization. The people who have the information share different portions of this information with different people, all in turn using it as a basis of power and control.

Lacking the courage to make difficult choices or to resolve key issues, particularly at the risk of hurting someone’s feelings. Instead, individuals camouflage and sugar-coat information in the name of political correctness, leading to misinterpretation and assumptions that end up creating confusion and helping no one.

Over time, I have found that “political” organizations end up essentially dysfunctional as their people spend more time speculating on and sharing “privileged” information (or rumours) while their leaders spend more time finding ways to manage and control the information.

With cheap enabling technology, it has become far easier for information to travel and be accessible. This adds significant complexity to those organizations attempting to tightly control the information, who they share it with and how it is used as a basis for managing their organizations.

The solution to this is simple: Develop an organization that includes “candor” as one of its key management principles. In Winning, author Jack Welch discusses this in the chapter titled The Biggest Dirty Little Secret in Business. He suggests that “lack of candor blocks smart ideas, fast action, and good people contributing all the stuff they’ve got. It’s a killer.” In his analysis, Welch found that

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to understand them, or they are written by people that have a staff of analysts that will do the huge amounts of calculation grunt work for them. This is the clearest, easiest to understand book on investing I have ever read. It explains how to uncover value stocks trading at 66 cents on the dollar, and then how to screen them using his 16-point checklist. He also gives invaluable information on how to avoid fads and apply techniques that greatly lower your risk of losing money. Browne is a managing director at Tweedy Browne Co., the oldest value-investing firm on Wall Street

less than 20 percent of his audience received honest, straight-between-the-eyes feedback that tells them exactly what they have to do to improve and where they stand in the organization.

If candor enables smart ideas and fast action, why don’t organizations promote it and make it part of their culture?

One of the definitions of politics—“to deal with people in an opportunistic, manipulative, or devious way, as for job advancement”—provides a powerful explanation as to why individuals in leadership lack the desire or foresight to include candor in their culture.

A related challenge that plagues most organizations is the reluctance of individual members to speak their minds. It goes back to their upbringing, when their parents protected them by censoring information that was deemed as inappropriate for a child, regularly reminding them “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

With this reluctance to speak one’s mind, it is often easier to let things slide… to ignore or work around hard issues without truly addressing them… to make decisions only when forced. This unwillingness to face hard issues often manifests itself in organizations at various phases of re-organization, going from one model to another and back again—all the while losing opportunities and not making the meaningful cultural changes necessary to truly move forward.

In community-based organizations where leaders are either appointed or elected, the lack of candor can result in declining commitment and increasing apathy, especially in younger members. The cynicism generated from selective sharing of information does little to promote community building. Unfortunately, many leaders see it as a means to retain their power and control, which further exacerbates the situation.

The solution to all this is simple and it has to start at the top. Organizations have to:

Share all information broadly, fairly and honestly. straight up with no camouflage or additives. If senior leadership engage in candor, it will flow right down the organization.

Engage the organization. Whether as an employee or a member of a specific community organization, people deserve to be engaged, to be able to contribute and make a difference.

Base individual relationships on candor between an employee and their supervisor or peers, and within individual groups.

Get rid of the task force approach to defining the vision or strategy. Leaders need to have the courage to define the vision and enable the task force to work collectively on the execution.

Simplify the decision making process. Eliminate unnecessary processes that are aimed at retaining control.

Reward based on results, not process or control.

Individual behaviours are determined by the incentive process, and designing an incentive package that rewards candor and penalizes control will go a long way.

It takes courage to speak your mind and deal with hard issues with candor and openness. But when an issue is handled with honest, straight-forward and candid dialogue, it is amazing how easy it becomes… how quickly and effectively you can move the strategy forward and achieve the desired result.

I’m sure the question in your mind is, “How does an individual who has been promoted (or appointed) to their highest level of incompetence survive at that position?” Well, someone needs to candidly deal with them. √ Nizar J. Somji is the founder and CFO of Matrikon Inc., an international company which specializes in integrated industrial intelligence solutions.

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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AFTER

BEFORE

lifestyles LIVELY

sink ync

with Linda Bodo

A

S

s I told you a BEFORE couple of months ago in my column, it all started four years ago with my obsession for a stone kitchen sink. After months of wrestling with obstacles and setbacks, the limestone basin was finally installed, proving to be worth every bit of the struggle. It has become the heart and soul of the kitchen and the triumphant result inspired me to give the rest of the kitchen a facelift.

At first, I thought just replacing the countertops and backsplash would bring the balance of the kitchen in sync with the sink. Brazilian granite had been selected for the arched sink backsplash, so additional stone was ordered for the tops. Eventually, the plan was to renovate the entire kitchen but, in order to keep costs manageable, I decided to get the ‘Cuisine of my dreams’ in stages.

The following week, when the stone supplier templated the counter tops, he informed me that it was not as simple as tearing out the old tops and replacing them. Stone weighs considerably more than Corian or Arborite so the existing cabinet’s old bones would require beefing up to accommodate the additional load.

Maybe this piece-meal philosophy of revamping the kitchen wasn’t such a good idea after all.

While cabinet shopping I had an epiphany. With all the mess of tearing out the old cabinets, I might as well rip out the 1970s sunshine ceiling and update it. We had lived under the glare of an airport landing strip long enough; task lighting; low voltage pot lights and under cabinet lighting would create a softer atmosphere. One realization led to another. We spend most of our time in the family room and kitchen—why not make it the hub of the house by combining the two?

Now I was on a roll. The galley shaped kitchen had always felt long and narrow; removing the wall between the family room and kitchen would integrate the two and create a wider kitchen with the addition of a raised bar area that would extend into the family room.

Why not take the chill off winter evenings with a fireplace? Dinner guests usually congregated in the kitchen—a larger gas cook top and warming oven would accommodate periodic Sous-chefs who helped with meal preparations. And, the pièce de résistance, an epicurean luxury: the Pot Filler tap right at the stove to fill pots, woks and kettles without sloshing them across the room from the sink. Wow, this new kitchen would surely be the ‘Cuisine of my Dreams’. But, getting there was another story…

In the ensuing seven months I spent a great deal of time wondering if I really needed the kitchen of a master chef. Initially, I thought escaping the tyranny of the kitchen

grunge. I started to fray around the edges. The days had become a blur of phone calls, early morning starts, last minute decisions and Pledge Dust Mitts.

Month six. The cabinets arrived and the bare room began to resemble a kitchen again. I was able to put away the pots, pans and plates that had flowed into the rest of the house. The new cook-top required amplified ducting vented straight from the range to the roof—putting the flue right through the center of an upstairs bedroom. Ouch. After the four-burner masterpiece—complete with grill and griddle—was installed, I buffed the fingerprints off the stainless surface and jubilantly placed a large pasta pot under the pot filler, eager to prepare our first home cooked meal in months. Problem: The natural gas hadn’t been hooked up. A week later, it finally fired up… for one glorious day before it conked out and a repair tech had to re-adjust the ignition device. The Venetian glass pendant lights for the bar area arrived in pieces, and I was informed those shades were no longer available.

Double ouch.

Month seven: Cabinets installed… stove working… new lighting… toasty fireplace warming the cockles of my heart. The kitchen was about to come together in one final, thrilling pinnacle—the granite counters were to be installed. At first, the counter guys would be an hour late, then three. I killed time by hanging a few paintings until the installers arrived to lay down the polished Citrus Lapidus. I noticed one of the seams didn’t butt up. “No problem, Ma’am. We’ll just grind the stone to even out the two sides. Oh, don’t worry… there won’t be much mess.”

By the time the crew left, the room was fogged-in and the paintings wore a mask of fine granite powder. Through clenched teeth, I swore unrelentingly as I wiped, washed and waxed yet one more time. Exhausted, I fell into bed that night dreaming of sautéed onions, freshly baked olive bread and sizzling Angus steaks. Without a kitchen this long, I felt deprived and disoriented, not to mention sick of takeout.

Truth be told; the final result was worth every tear and broken nail. The kitchen is absolutely gorgeous— indeed, it is the ‘Cuisine of my Dreams’. It’s been four months since the last tradesperson left the premises… Hmmm… the master bedroom could do with a bit of remodeling. How quickly we forget. √

AFTER

somewhat appealing. My husband pooh-poohed the idea of eating out every night. “You’ll be sick of it in a week or two.” The obsession lasted four days before I started devising ways of preparing meals in the microwave. The temporary lack of running water in the kitchen forced us to wash dishes in the bathroom sink. Soaps and toiletries were gradually replaced by stacked plates and dish detergent. The living and dining rooms became mini-storage units for boxes and containers filled with everything but the kitchen sink.

Month five. Working from home had become challenging. The dogs and I were relegated to the confines of the den where I lined the bottom of the closed door with towels to escape the fine dust settling in on every horizontal surface in the house. At least once a day, the dogs would escape their imprisonment, but I could always locate them by the trail of footprints in the dark hardwood floors. Exhausted, the vacuum cleaner finally blew up and was immediately replaced with an industrial strength shop vac that could suck the rivets off a 747. Weekends were spent washing and dusting until I could no longer write my name in the

Go to www.edmontonians.com for Absolute Tips and more information.

Contact Linda Bodo at lbodo@edmontonians.com or visit absolutebodo.com.

EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES & CORPORATE FINANCE with Stephen W. Kent, CA (780) 441-6793

Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered A variation of this saying is pigs get fed, hogs get slaughtered. We see many examples of this in our work. For instance when a business is experiencing growth and the owner is starting to reap the rewards of hard work, risk-taking and entrepreneurial skill, the owner may decide to sell at a price based on financial results which have been stimulated by an overheated economy and record highs.

If he doesn’t get the price he feels he deserves he may not consider offers that value his business on what the purchaser considers to be sustainable numbers and continue in his business. If the market softens as it has in Alberta over the last six months, chances are his results will drop significantly and buyers may get nervous about the entire marketplace. This will be reflected in the price they are prepared to pay for the business as multiples start to slip.

The hog also appears in cases where a business is being purchased by entrepreneurs who can operate the company but don’t have the necessary cash to buy it independently. There are many potential partners who are willing to provide the equity to close the deal in exchange for partial ownership and a say in the business. If the entrepreneurs are unwilling to share ownership, the deal cannot close. The entrepreneurs end up with 100% of nothing rather than a significant ownership position of a properly financed operation.

In another case we were asked to evaluate a business that an owner was contemplating selling. We determined a probable selling price using traditional methods and our understanding of the local marketplace. At the same time, a competitor from out of country also offered its services and suggested a value for the business that was significantly higher than what the market was currently paying. They also required a large deposit upfront before they would begin work on the transaction. They won the assignment based on their promise to deliver an extraordinary purchase price. A year later no offers have been received on an overpriced business; the owner is frustrated at the lack of activity and is out his hefty deposit.

Part of our role is to manage the pricing expectations of both the buyer and the seller. If you would like some no nonsense advice about your business please contact me for a confidential discussion or e-mail me at stephen.w.kent@ca.pwc.com.

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EDMONTONIANS MAY 2007

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Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________