Edmontonians Nov06 by Edmontonians Newsmagazine

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EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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pompous & unfair FUNNY

By Muggsy Forbes

City of champions? Think business

he high price of oil in Alberta has

done much to change the streetscape of Edmonton including frequent sightings of Lexus, Porsches, and Ford Lincolns, such as those parked outside JuneWarren Publishing last month. CEO Colin Eicher hosted a party for a couple hundred of his dearest at the new 25,000 square-foot shack to house the 100 employees working on the Canadian Oilfield Service & Supply Directory and six other oilfield titles. The publishing house that hard work and black gold bought is a showcase of fine taste. The water-wall in the foyer complements 10 original oil paintings by Bi Cheng, commissioned through Era Rowles. There’s one of Directory founders Joe and Ann Ramsay that hovers in the upstairs boardroom. Colin joined the Ramsay’s in 1983 to sell advertising and purchased the company a few years later. “I haven’t retired,” says Colin, on the horn from the Gold Coast of Australia a few weeks later. “I still attend monthly meetings when I’m there.” It’s a pleasant 25 degrees and he’s watched the sun rise from his condo balcony Down Under. At age 58, Colin has handed over operations to president Bill Whitelow so that he and Lila can spend more time going to the gym and walking on the beach. Among the business luminaries at the reception were Grant Lovig who presides over Company’s Coming, award-winning publisher Rob LeLacheur of Saint City News, yacht woman Claudia aka Sam Shaw’s wife, local print czar Tom Caston, and Harold Banister,. By the way, JuneWarren are the middle names of the company founders.

“That’s my girl,” whispered performance coach Steffany Hanlen from the sidelines. She watched intently as her friend and business associate, Olympic gold medalist skater Jamie Sale, delivered the winning performance last month at Dancing for the Kids, hosted by the Rotary Club of Edmonton Sunrise. Her clients, professional dancers Dominic Lacroix and Delphine Romaire, also performed that night in preparation for the renowned Grand Ball competition at Vancouver this month. Steffany has worked with players on every team in the NHL since 1990 and, in March, her Canadian champion ice dancers Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon took home silver. “Canadians have a reputation for being really nice and opening the doors for others to win,’ she says. “I’ve seen this attitude in every sport.” Clearly, “good enough” are words that do not make it in this gal’s lingo. Now Steffany is turning her considerable chutzpa in Olympic training to the world of business. “I attract champions—the top 10 of the top 10 percent,” in business, politics, philanthropy as well as sports. You think working in a state of constant busyness is a characteristic of a champion? Not. “That racing energy creates cortisol or stress hormones.” Cortisol leads to a “fat lock down” in the stomach area… and possible coronary disease. And don’t try to get by her with a “Big Fat Lie” about professional work habits or saying one thing and meaning another, which is rampant in middle management. “I bust mind

at half-time talks. He was given a Grey Cup team and it went to hell in a hand basket. If you’re the head of a large corporation and your gross numbers are down, chances are you’ll be replaced. Hockey clubs don’t tolerate a bad season for very long. My own impression was that the team played uninspired football. I gave up my seats a number of years ago—after the night I got hit (in the face) with two snowballs and had beer poured down my neck. But I still enjoy watching. I hope the team can get its act together. (The Eskimos are one of sports that bond a city together.)

You can tell that Edmonton businesses are doing

Jamie Sale

Photo by Gerry Thomas

sets,” says the gal who believes she will coach only world leaders in the coming years. Note: Mayor Mandel, let’s make the City of Champions about Business Champions and encourage our corporate leaders to sign up with Steffany.

I was lucky enough to hear Peter C. Newman speak on his latest book, The Mulroney Papers. His fight with Mr. Mulroney has now been settled out of court... No numbers were given but it was a load off his mind. Peter C has met most of the famous and near famous of the world and shared some of his experiences from his days of traipsing around the world. Unfortunately, I missed hearing Mel Hurtig because I was caught in the Southside traffic shuffle and didn’t make it to the TELUS Center at the university on time. I hope I can track him down in Vancouver soon and get a rundown on his book. 3-D bonding: Peter C, Mel and I were all going through divorces at the same time. I can say with certainly I wasn’t the third-party in either of their actions. Peter C. didn’t like driving when he came to Alberta on speaking engagements so I had the pleasure of chauffeuring him around. He claims that I tried to kill him—in fact, he mentioned it again the other day. Two things Peter liked to do while being driven was to write and listen to jazz. I had to make sure that I had ample jazz on board. About that time, Mel and I ended up in the same highrise condo. He was always writing, even in those days. Most nights, I’d get either a phone call or a knock on the door and there was Mel, slightly bedraggled, looking for a cigarette to get him through the night. I should have gotten a mention for my role in the book he was working on. Since our mutual divorces, Peter C and I have remarried. He married a PhD… I married a PhD. Both work in academia. And we both introduce our brides as “my last wife.”

It’s going to be interesting to see what happens to our Eskimos’ coach after breaking a 34-year tradition of making it to the finals. I’m sure Mr. M wasn’t the total problem, but it’s clear to me that he was no Knut Rockne

well: Bavaria BMW moved into its new $11-million dealership. It’s kinda isolated, but it’s like being in a palace in the Sahara Desert. Klaus Maier built a showroom befitting the very expensive autos he sells. You can tell it is a classy affair when Rob Christie wears a tux. I had a few laughs with Robert Modeste who owns Royal Delivery and has two BMWs; Ronda Weiss, the very attractive young lady who handles the financial and insurance matters for the dealership; my old friend Don Badger, a CA, and his buddy Rob Poole, a teacher with Harry Ainlay High School. The Beemer is a car that begs to be dissected by owners… You could hear talk about the class of the motors, what kind of tires (run flat, very expensive), the seats, and all manner of pieces and parts. It was quite a crowd and now you’ll find new GM David Minty on site. The food and drinks for 800 were handled by Century Grill Group.

Two very close friends were buried in the last couple of weeks. First, well-known pilot Joe McGoldrick who taught for the Edmonton Flying Club. I was among the many that got our licenses from him. He ended his flying days with PWA, then spent most of his retirement at the Aviation Museum showing school kids how airplanes fly. Joe was a terrific after-dinner speakers, regaling us with tales about flying characters in days gone by. Sadly, one day he walked behind the car parked on his inclined driveway when it popped out of gear or the hand brake failed, rolled back, and knocked him down, running over his head. After about four years of struggling with Alzheimer’s, he passed to the great airport in sky. Condolences to Joe’s wife and daughter Erin. Another friend was taken away too soon. Crystal Beach—isn’t that a great name?—and I were in a play called Tony & Tina’s Wedding for about six months at Northlands Park about four years ago. Crystal was only 43 years old when she suffered a massive stroke. She was more than attractive, a great dancer (we did a dance act together) with a terrific sense of humour. She leaves two children and two grandchildren. She, too, will be missed. ✔ Additional reporting by Edmontonians staff. Call Muggsy Forbes at 780.482.4545 or e-mail mforbes@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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Poll

CELEBRATING

STATION

YEARS

With Linda Banister

hen the economy is growing at a fast pace, consumer confidence seems unshakable. It is during these times that spending often increases. New clothing or household goods are purchased while the old things are discarded. Many of these items get donated to charitable organizations that operate thrift stores. In this month’s Poll Station, we asked people about donations to charitable or notfor-profit organizations. We also asked about purchases made at thrift stores.

FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN

Vol. XVII

NOVEMBER 2006 No. 11

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 City of champs/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 POLL STATION Thrift shoppers/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 COVER Best in Show/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5-8 iCARE/Deters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 LIVELY LIFESTYLES Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 CORPORATE ETHICS Wisdom—a developing art/Somji . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 EDMONTONIAN IN EXILE Public libraries/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 BIZINTEL Science & Tech/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 MAKING MONEY Tax purgatory/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS NAIT goes global/Lockhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

BARB DETERS Editor

editor@edmontonians.com COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Cheryl Croucher Janet Edmondson Muggsy Forbes Ron Hiebert Bruce Hogle Cheryl Lockhart Greg Michetti David Norwood Nizar J. Somji FEATURE WRITERS John Berry Linda Bodo Peter Drake McHugh Michael O’Toole Marg. Pullishy PHOTOGRAPHERS John Berry Terry Bourque Rocco Macri Barb Petryk

Your employees employees are Your are more more likely to to need likely need aa lawyer lawyer than aa dentist. dentist than

DO YOU EVER DONATE GOODS TO CHARITY THRIFT STORES?

DOES/WOULD THE CHARITY’S MISSION AFFECT YOUR DECISION TO THRIFT SHOP?

To start, we asked respondents if they had ever donated “gently used” clothing or household goods to a charity or not-for-profit organization. An overwhelming 96 percent of respondents said they had, with more than two-thirds (69 percent) of respondents donating items because they wanted to help the less fortunate. A further 10 percent said donating was more convenient than selling the items themselves. Other reasons for donating included not needing an item anymore (six percent) and not wanting to throw something away (five percent).

All survey participants were then asked if they would shop at a thrift store more often if they were aware of (and supported) the organization’s mission. Less than one-third (31 percent) said they would be more likely to shop there, while 53 percent said knowing the mission would not make a difference. Fourteen percent said they might shop more often at a thrift store if they knew and supported the organization’s mission. Forty-three percent of women would shop there if they knew and supported the organization’s mission compared with only 16 percent of men. Finally, all respondents were asked what could be done to encourage them to patronize a thrift store more frequently. Forty-two percent said nothing would encourage them to shop more frequently at a thrift store. However, nine percent said better locations and accessibility would encourage them. Other responses included knowing and supporting the uses for the store’s proceeds (nine percent), and the selection and quality of products (six percent). Four percent said they would shop more often at a thrift store if they became unemployed or lost a source of income. Twelve percent were unsure.

DO YOU EVER MAKE PURCHASES AT THRIFT STORES? WHY? WHY NOT? Survey participants were then asked if they had ever purchased clothing or household goods at one of the many thrift stores operated by a charity or not-for-profit organization. More than half (57 percent) of respondents had made a purchase, while 43 percent had not. Interestingly, about twothirds (64 percent) of women had purchased from a thrift store compared with 48 percent of men. Fifty-four percent of the respondents who have purchased at a thrift store indicated it was primarily because of price. Nineteen percent said selection was their primary reason, while seven percent said they shopped at a thrift store looking for costume items. Convenience (five percent) and helping a charity (four percent) were other common reasons for purchasing at a thrift store. Respondents who had not purchased from a thrift store were asked to indicate a reason. Their responses were varied, however, about onequarter (23 percent) said that they had no need to shop at a thrift store. Other reasons cited included: a preference and the ability to buy new clothes (16 percent), and a lack of time (nine percent). Seven percent said they never think of it. Sixteen percent were unsure why they had not purchased something at a thrift shop.

Show them you care…give them a Life Events Legal Plan and Identity Theft Shield. Learn how you can protect your employees and your bottom line. A unique benefit! Call 780.421.4121

Linda Rasmussen, Regional Vice President and Independent Associate with PPL Legal Care of Canada

www.planspecialist.com linda@planspecialist.com

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

Dr. Shoo Lee Scientific Director, iCARE Photo by Terry Bourque Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at 333, 10240 - 124 Street, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5N 3W6. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All stories Copyright ©Edmontonians Publications Mail Agreement No. 40023292 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department 333, 10240 - 124 Street Edmonton, AB T5N 3W6 Email: info@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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Who will take the Tory blue ribbon? By Les Brost

olitical leadership contests have a lot in common with big-time dog shows. Both are intensely competitive and burn up big chunks of time, energy and money for the folks involved. Success at dog shows and political leadership contests doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of the breed of the contestant, the pedigree, the skill of the handler, and the depth of the pockets involved. It’s leadership selection time for the Progressive Conservative party in Alberta, and the PC Big Dogs are competing to be Best in Show. The current champion—Canada’s longest reigning top dog—Ralph Klein is slowly making his way to the exit, and the crowd is busily appraising the contenders for the show trophy. It’s going to be a heck of a show. The first round of voting will happen on November 25th. If no competitor wins a simple majority on the first vote, a second, preferential ballot will be held on December 2nd. Who are the contenders? What breed are they? What are their pedigrees? What are their strengths and limitations? What are their show-ring styles? Edmontonians presents a comparison—somewhat irreverent, but without malice—of the temperaments of the declared candidates to the strong suits of various popular breeds of dogs. We leave it to the card-carrying Progressive Conservative members to determine who will assume the alpha position.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS Front-runner status has brought Dinning the attention of the other show dogs. It’s very hard to hold a lead in a long race when you start out ahead of the pack—unless you can build up an overwhelming lead in points. Particularly in front of rural groups, he tends to “play down” to his audience.

SHOW RING STYLE Dinning’s sense of focus keeps him square to the judges at all times. He is quick, upbeat and attentive to his handlers’ instructions in the show ring. They have worked hard to position him to be seen as a winner who has earned the right to wear the blue ribbon.

THE ODDS Dinning will not win a majority in the first round, and will move on to the second round of judging. In a three-dog field, it all depends on how the judges set up the competition. In a centre-left vs. hard right showdown, he wins in a walk.

The Show-Ring Lineup...

BREED OF COMPETITOR: AMERICAN ESKIMO DOG The American Eskimo Dogs—formerly known as German Spitz—are intelligent, alert and friendly, although slightly conservative. They are neither overly shy nor aggressive.

PEDIGREE BREED OF COMPETITOR: GOLDEN RETRIEVER Golden Retrievers are powerful, active dogs that are sound and well balanced. They can be an ideal sportsman’s companion, family pet, an excellent gundog, and guide or service dog. Golden Retrievers possess a personality that is eager, alert and self-confident.

PEDIGREE Jim Dinning was first elected to the Legislature in 1986. He served as Minister in the portfolios of Community and Occupational Health, Education, and Provincial Treasurer.

HIS HANDLERS Dinning’s “brain trust’ is a blue-ribbon panel of Alberta’s business and political heavyweights. Thirty-four of the 62 PC MLAs are wearing his colours. Chief handler Alan Hallman’s show ring strategy closely mirrors the image of the candidate: a smooth, professional campaign that only rarely wanders into “slick”. Its website— www.dinning.ca—is top-notch. The campaign’s biggest challenge will be to provide an error-free tour of the ring that gives little opportunity for the others to present an alternative.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS Dinning is poised and polished in the show ring. His track record and ability to focus on goals explains his current status as Top Dog-in-Waiting. His record and his ability to stay connected and relevant to the grassroots in the party have kept him in the front of the pack. EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Victor Doerksen began his political life in 1993 as MLA for Red Deer South. In 2001, he was appointed Minister of Innovation and Science.

HIS HANDLERS Doerksen’s team came into the race late, and have been playing catch-up. Led by Dwight Dibben, they are working hard to help their candidate catch the eye of judges. The website—www.voteforvictor.ca—is straightforward and user-friendly. The challenge for his handlers will be twofold: to overcome the late start and to carve out a niche for their candidate in a field that already has strong social conservative candidates.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS Doerksen has a strong record of involvement with the science and innovation file, which will play an important role in tomorrow’s Alberta. There is also evidence of support from Central Alberta judges who are weary of “big city” politicians.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS Doerksen is not the most charismatic of the contenders. His late entry into the race is not helpful, particularly as he was not originally perceived as a “top-tier” candidate.

THE ODDS A long shot. His candidacy now will raise his profile for future shows.

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BREED OF COMPETITOR: CHESAPEAKE BAY RETRIEVER

BREED OF COMPETITOR: BULLDOG

Chesapeake Bay Retrievers are responsive and industrious... devoted to their families and make excellent hunting and guard dogs. Generally considered a country dog rather than a city dog, but will adapt to urban living if given exercise and space.

Bulldogs are low to the ground, mastiff-type dogs with power. They are an ideal pet that loves the companionship of its entire family including children. While bulldogs are more than capable of taking care of themselves; they are not troublemakers but, as a last resort, will retaliate.

PEDIGREE Now in his third term as MLA for Edmonton-Whitemud, David Hancock has served as Minister of Advanced Education; Justice and Attorney General; and Intergovernmental and Aboriginal Affairs. He chaired the government’s Strategic Planning Committee.

HIS HANDLERS Hancock is a bit of a “policy wonk”, and so are his handlers. The campaign website— www. davehancockcrew. ca—is well organized and congruent with the personality of the candidate. The challenge facing the Hancock team, led by Brian Mulawka, is to mobilize his natural constituency—the people in Alberta’s education community, particularly young people.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS Hancock is an articulate, intelligent man with a long record of service to the party and government. As a former party president, he is very well respected by members, and appeals to those “Capital P” Progressive Conservatives who are looking for a fiscally conservative, socially liberal approach to government. Hancock is also the only metroEdmonton-based candidate who is currently seated in the Legislature.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS Hancock’s reputation as a policy wonk does not endear him to those Alberta Conservatives who are looking for an “Arnold Schwarzenegger” clone to lead them. The perception of him as a social liberal will not be an easy sell to the hard right of the party.

SHOW RING STYLE Hancock is working hard to convince the judges that he wants to win this show. He is showing a feisty side in the candidate forums and is positioning himself to the judges as the only alternative to the front-runner.

THE ODDS He has the ring smarts to win. The challenge will be to make the final three. In a threedog showdown, anything can happen. If Hancock can make the cut—and if the other two competitors are polarized—he will be the next leader.

PEDIGREE Gary McPherson has not held elected office. Cabinet appointed him chairman of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities. He served as executive director, Canadian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship in the School of Business at the University of Alberta

HIS HANDLERS Campaign manager Deb Hagman of Mayerthorpe leads an eclectic mix of individuals on the McPherson team. They personify the can-do leadership style of the candidate. The website—www.teammcpherson.com—is straightforward and compelling… without the bells and whistles possessed by some of the competition, but it quickly tells you what this candidate is all about. Their campaign challenge is to ensure that their message is clearly heard by the party.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS McPherson epitomizes the Alberta spirit of perseverance and tenacity when confronted with obstacles. His reputation as a successful businessperson and advocate for people with disabilities gives him a tremendous amount of respect within the party.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS The present power players within the party do not share the policy positions he advocates. His first time in the show ring, but not the public eye.

SHOW RING STYLE McPherson will enter the ring the same way he approaches life: full speed ahead. He will not shrink from sharing his values and platform with the judges.

THE ODDS The longest shot in the bunch—but he will win the respect of everyone.

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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BREED OF COMPETITOR: GREYHOUND

BREED OF COMPETITOR: BORDER COLLIE

The Greyhound is a swift as a ray of light and graceful as a swallow. One of the oldest and purest known breeds, it has been used on practically all kinds of small game, but the hare is its natural quarry. While gentle with children, the breed does have a natural tendency to chase anything small that moves, and it may be aggressive to small dogs.

Border Collies are highly intelligent, hard-working dogs that respond quickly and eagerly to training. They are the world’s premiere sheepdog in terms of patience, agility and stamina. They thrive on games and are willing to please.

PEDIGREE Albertans chose Ted Morton as Senator-in-Waiting for the Reform Party in the 1998 Senate “election”. He won a seat in the Legislature as a Conservative MLA in 2004.

HIS HANDLERS Morton has a highly skilled team of handlers who operate under the guidance of Sam Armstrong. They have conducted a brilliant strategic campaign, running early and running hard. The campaign focuses on identifying and energizing Morton’s natural constituency on the right. The website—www.tedmorton.ca—is the class of the field. The challenge is to overcome the deep reservations about his candidacy held by centre and centre-left Alberta Tories.

PEDIGREE Mark Norris ran against and defeated Liberal Leader Nancy MacBeth in the riding of Edmonton-McClung in 2001. He served as the Minister of Economic Development, with responsibility for Tourism and Industry. He lost to the Liberals in the 2004.

HIS HANDLERS The Norris team is a hard-working team guided by campaign manager Tim Shipton. The front-office group is very skilled at making visitors feel welcome. They have the support of some of Edmonton’s corporate leaders, which is reflected in a very business-oriented campaign. The website—www.MarkNorris.ca—is congruent with the perception of the candidate: businesslike, informal and hard working. The biggest challenge of the campaign is to overcome the impact of Norris’s loss in the 2004 election.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS

Morton is a smart, articulate spokesman for the political “right wing” in Alberta—underscored by his endorsement by Alberta Alliance leader Paul Hinman. He has the enthusiastic support of the heavy hitters in the province’s ultra-right wing media. The show judges who support Morton will crawl over 17 miles of gravel road to cast ballots for him.

Norris is a very, very good salesman, a trait that made him an effective Minister. He is also extremely focused, particularly on the “bigger picture.” Those who are looking at continued economic expansion will give Norris a long look in the show ring. He doesn’t have to defend the PC record over the past four years, and can appeal to those Tories who are looking for a fresh face to lead the party. Norris also has the ability and energy to be able to use the word “passion” in a political context without appearing insincere, or “overly leftish”—the kiss of death in current Alberta Tory politics.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS

See all of the above through the eyes of the centre-left wing Alberta Tories who have deep reservations about a Morton-led Alberta PC party. He may have trouble staying on track in the competition because of the show ring’s oval shape and his natural tendency to run hard and to the right.

Norris’s political ambitions suffered a setback when he lost his seat in the last election. The first rule of parliamentary leadership is that a leader delivers his own seat. Tories deeply concerned with environmental protection do not all see him as a champion. Norris, Hancock, McPherson and Ed Stelmach will go nose-to-nose for the attention and support of the judges from the Edmonton area.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS

THE ODDS The odds are good that Morton will make the second round of the competition. There are some who are betting that he will either be the next leader of the PC party—or the next Leader of the Opposition.

THE ODDS As a sitting MLA, Norris would be going head-to-head with Dinning. Now, he has to do the selling job of his life to make the final three. If he makes the cut, anything is possible.

VOTE Gary McPherson on November 25 for Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party and Premier of Alberta WHY vote for Gary McPherson? Because attitudes cause limitations. Alberta needs a different attitude, a different approach, a new leadership style. Gary can provide this! ✔

Gary McPherson’s attitude, achievements and ambitions show his ability to engage and work with people!

✔ ✔

He has been a member of the PC Party since 1968.

✔

He is an accomplished and much sought-after guest speaker, an author, an entrepreneur and business owner, a lecturer at the University of Alberta, and he was appointed by the Premier as Chairman of the Premier’s Council for the Status of Persons with Disabilities, a portfolio he held for 10 years.

✔ ✔

McPherson is the candidate that ensures refreshing new ideas are the order of the day!

Gary McPherson, a devoted father to two teenagers and husband to Val McPherson, has the leadership qualities that awarded him the Order of Canada, an Honorary Law Degree from the University of Alberta, and a place in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

Gary McPherson was honoured as one of 100 Edmontonians noted for their contribution to the City of Edmonton in the last 100 years and one of 100 Albertans during the province’s Centennial for his contributions to shaping Alberta.

It is no wonder then that he wants to continue that service by becoming new PC Leader and Premier.

To learn more about this amazing candidate... please check out his campaign website at www.teammcpherson.com Remember BUY a $5 PC membership from your local constituency office and bring your PC membership card, picture ID and one other piece of ID to your polling station.

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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BREED OF COMPETITOR: GERMAN SHEPHERD German Shepherds have a very high energy level. They are versatile working dogs, highly intelligent, fearless, self-confident and make excellent watchdogs. They are very willing to learn and want to please their owners.

PEDIGREE Dr. Lyle Oberg was first elected as an MLA for Brooks in southern Alberta in 1993. He has served as Minister of Family and Social Services, Minister of Learning, and Infrastructure & Transportation.

HIS HANDLERS Ivan Bernardo and his team have run a campaign very different from the other competitors. They proved their flexibility early when Oberg clashed with his colleagues in caucus and was relegated to the backbenches. The ability to stay in the show despite that setback showed their depth and perseverance. The website—www.obergforalberta.ca—is in the top three. The challenge will be to show the warm and caring side of Oberg.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS Oberg understands the nature of the competition very, very well and is not afraid to take risks. His understanding of the current unhappiness bubbling under the surface of the Alberta PC party led him to challenge the Premier’s retirement strategy. He is a smart, articulate campaigner.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS Oberg’s candor and quickness to respond can get him into trouble. Southern Alberta is also home turf to Morton (the current poster boy for Alberta’s political right wing) and to perceived front-runner Dinning.

SHOW RING STYLE Oberg is smart, hard-nosed and can get in the face of the other competitors... He is flexible and capable of a high level of strategic thinking. He’s not be afraid to do the unexpected.

THE ODDS If Oberg makes the top three, he could come up the middle to win the competition, particularly if Morton is also in the final three.

BREED OF COMPETITOR: SMOOTH COLLIE Smooth Collies are considered to be one of the most beautiful breeds because of their elegant appearance. They are intelligent, gentle and social. They are considered very good family pets—ideal with children and other pets around the house.

PEDIGREE Ed Stelmach was elected as MLA for Vegreville-Viking in 1993. He has served as Deputy Whip, and as Government Caucus Whip. His ministerial portfolios were Agriculture, Infrastructure, Transportation, and International and Intergovernmental Affairs

HIS HANDLERS Stelmach’s team wins top marks for their personable and friendly approach. Operations manager Elan McDonald has been very astute in positioning the candidate to take maximum advantage of his attributes. His website—www.stelmach.ca—is excellent and mirrors the perception of the candidate. The challenge will be to broaden his appeal to urban voters.

SHOW RING STRENGTHS Everybody likes Stelmach. He puts people at ease and conveys empathy and understanding—and he is a master schmoozer. His background in agriculture, small business and the Ukrainian community are all assets. If pedigree and people skills count, Stelmach will be a strong candidate.

SHOW RING LIMITATIONS Stelmach has to prove he understands the concerns of young urban Tories. His warm yet laid-back style may cause some judges to question the depth of his passion and vision for Alberta. He’s hampered by the perception that he is “too nice a guy to be premier”.

SHOW RING STYLE Stelmach will show well in the ring. His personable approach will keep him centred to the judges, and his people skills and pedigree will make him one of the sentimental favourites as the show begins.

THE ODDS Can Stelmach peel off enough rural support from southern Alberta and combine it with his support from Edmonton and area to make it to the second round? If he can, and if the other two competitors are polarized, he will be the next leader. After all, everybody likes Ed.

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

with Linda Bodo

lifestyles LIVELY

O h Tannenbaum! S

t. Boniface had no idea that the chain of events that he would set off in 7th Century Germany would eventually infiltrate almost every home at Christmas time. After all, he just wanted to spread the word of God to the people of Thuringia, Germany. To simplify things, the monk used the triangular shape of fir trees to portray the Holy Trinity. Soon the converted locals began revering the fir as God’s tree. By the 12th Century, it was being hung upside-down from ceilings at Christmas in central Europe as a symbol of Christianity. As a result, Thuringia went on to become the cradle of the Christmas decoration industry. Latvia lays claim to the first decorated tree in 1510. The early 16th Century found Martin Luther decorating a small Christmas tree with candles, to replicate twinkling stars. By the mid-1500s, Christmas markets sprouted up in several German villages, peddling everything from gifts to geese. The baker’s kiosk usually touted gingerbread cookies, wax ornaments and boldly wrapped candies. These curios often ended up hanging from Christmas trees as decorations much to the chagrin of young ’uns. Tinsel glitzed into the picture around 1610 when German craftsmen implemented real silver. The problem was that it tarnished quickly juxtaposed to candle flames. Attempts were made to use a mixture of lead and tin with little success; refinements finally occurred in the 20th Century. In the 1870s, glass ornaments were gaining popularity and the export commerce in Thuringia was thriving. It became a status symbol to have glass ornaments on the tree—the more one had, the better one’s status. The earliest form of Christmas lights were small white candles attached to the branches of the tree with wooden clips. Unfortunately, this primitive lighting often caused a rash of house fires just before Santa’s arrival. Thank goodness for Edison, who constructed the first crude string of lights from wires and crepe paper.

There cannot be a soul on earth who enjoys stringing lights on a tree. Take the pain away by purchasing a pre-lit tree that has been expertly embellished with long-lasting twist-proof bulbs that are evenly spaced throughout the tree. The great thing with these bulbs is that if one light goes out, the rest stay lit. Or, to be on the safe side, you can source pre-lit LED lighted trees that are guaranteed to light up your Christmas with the longest lifetime of any lighting technology, greatly reduced consumption rates, and lowered risk of fire with low voltage elements.

You’ve come a long way, Baby!

ABSOLUTE FACTS

PENCIL TREES These artificial Christmas trees are designed to take up less floor space than a standard tree and are sometimes referred to as ‘slim’ or ‘slender’ trees. With the trend in home building to have high, vaulted ceilings, many want the tallest

tree possible to accentuate the room. A challenge arises when trying to get the tallest tree with the narrowest base width. The taller the tree, the less stable it will be. A tree with this dimension is a great choice for a decorative, second tree. If height is really what you want, purchase a pencil tree that is somewhat shorter than what you are looking for and put it on a platform.

UPSIDE DOWN TREES These trees turn Christmas on its head—literally. Evoking that 12th Century central European tradition of hanging a tree from the ceiling at Christmas, this unique inversion ensures a smaller footprint for lessspacious areas, allowing more room for accumulation of the all important presents underneath. Re-introduced in the 21st Century for specialty stores to display ornaments using a minimum of floor space, the unusual tapering shape displays the tree in places that do not accommodate a traditional holiday tree such as between furniture or in a corner. The tree’s weighted base provides extra stability to prevent tipping and leaning, and the inverted shape makes it easier to see ornaments, which hang away from the dense needles and do not get lost in the foliage. The only question to ponder: Where do you put the star?

PRE-LIT TREES

▲ King Tut never saw a Christmas tree, but he would have understood the tradition which traces back long before the first Christmas. The Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshipped evergreens. They brought green date palm leaves into their homes to Continued on page 16

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

Magic

lifestyles LIVELY

with Chef John Berry

Christmas is when?

ime for a show of hands. How many of you have put a dish in the microwave or oven that you had intended to serve as part of your Christmas meal, but forgot to serve it because you were harried and there was too much to do… or you had consumed too much red wine… or both? How many of you have planned to serve a wonderful Christmas dessert and said, “Oh I really wanted to make a mincemeat pie, but I just didn’t have time.” If you’re like me, I tend to put things off until the last minute. But this year I’m turning a new leaf. Be Prepared is my motto for this Christmas so I’m starting to plan and cook right now. In the Berry household, we’ll start planning our Christmas meal right after Remembrance Day: the menu, number of guests, special themes and decorations. My wife, Myrna, and her mother, Clara, would make Christmas cakes and pudding on Remembrance Day and let them age like a fine bottle of wine. Clara used to say that a Christmas cake was in its prime about three years after making it. The longer you leave it, the darker and richer it becomes. The science behind it isn’t fully known, but it tastes better aged. Former CFRN-TV Live Eye cameraman—and adopted brother in our family—Al Girard, found one of his late mother’s Christmas puddings in his basement and brought it for dessert a year or two ago. He couldn’t put an exact date on it, but we figured it had to be 10 to 15 years old. It was sealed perfectly like a jar of pickles, so we thought we’d experiment. I made my favourite rum sauce, we heated up the pudding and gave it a try. Other than an unusually deep and dark color, it tasted amazing. Now I’m not suggesting that everyone leave their pudding that long, but the key here is to plan ahead and be prepared. Louise Vandeleer, who sings in our gospel rock group at church, feeds up to 30 people in her home at Christmas. “I try to get a good portion out of the way before the big day, or face a mad scramble on Christmas day.” Louise makes all of her sweets—shortbread, squares, puddings—in late November or early December, and freezes them. “The butter tarts and mincemeat tarts I leave until a day or two before because they are the easiest to do.” Many people have an aversion to Christmas pudding so, instead, she makes an old family favourite: a carrot pudding with a hard sauce of brown sugar, butter, water, flour and vanilla.

Louise Vandeleer

I found these recipes in Myrna’s Unifarm Cookbook, circa 1971. They are among the ones our moms and grandmothers used, steeped in tradition and family lore.

CARROT PUDDING 1 cup shortening 2 cups cooked carrots 2 eggs 1 cup currants 1 cup raisins 2 tsp. baking powder 2 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. soda dissolved in 2 tsp. water 1 tsp. each salt, cinnamon and nutmeg 1 cup brown sugar

“Even people who don’t touch Christmas pudding love our carrot pudding.” She also prepares her appetizers well before the festivities. “I make my mushroom turnovers, meatballs, ham and cheese puffs, and sausage rolls ahead of time then freeze them. All I have to do is take them out and pop them in the oven and we’re set.” Fellow singer Lynn Lepine agrees with Louise. She hosts an open-house for 40 people Christmas Eve and proudly boasts, “I’ve never been stuck to the stove in my whole life. I’m prepared ahead of time so I can be with my guests!” She starts baking and preparing about a week before the big event. You can also get a jump on the rest of your Christmas meal. Potatoes can be peeled and cut up and easily stored in a small bucket of cold water in your fridge for two to three days before cooking. Carrots, celery, onions and any other vegetable may also be cleaned and cut up days in advance, and sealed dry in Ziplocks or plastic wrap and refrigerate. Make as many dishes as you can a day or two before the big meal. Mousse, pudding, pies, seasoning mixes, stuffing, casseroles and sauces can be stored in your fridge. One of the advantages of starting early is that most of the ingredients you’ll need will be readily available in the supermarket. If you leave your food shopping to the last minute, a lot of your preferred products may have been depleted, and you may have to start substituting—or go without.

1. Blend the shortening, sugar and eggs. 2. Put carrots through a ricer and add to the shortening mix. (Mash carrots well if you don’t have a ricer.) Mix well. 3. Add raisins and currants. Mix well. 4. Sift flour, baking powder and spices. Add to the carrot mixture stirring thoroughly. 5. Add dissolved soda in water. Stir. 6. Bake in the oven at 350º-375ºF for 2 hours or steam in sealers for 3 hours. If steaming, fill sealers less than two-thirds full and seal tight before steaming. Will keep indefinitely.

ALMOND CHRISTMAS BALLS 1 cup butter 1/4 cup icing sugar 2 cups flour tsp. salt

1 cup ground almonds 1 tsp. almond flavoring 18-20 cherries cut in halves

1. Cream butter and sugar, add flour, almonds and flavouring. 2. Take 1 tsp. of dough and form into a ball around cherry half. 3. Bake at 325ºF for 35 minutes. 4. Roll in icing sugar while warm. Chef’s Note: My mother used this recipe, but omitted the cherries and formed the dough into half-moon crescents. We called them ‘white mice’—still a must in our household each Christmas. ✔ Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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A no-brainer New centre will apply research to improve health care delivery By Barb Deters

Carlyn Black, Sheila Weatherill, Sara Mottit and Colleen Flood toast iCARE

magine being rushed into the emergency room at an Edmonton hospital and being attended within mere minutes of arrival… of being given an acute care bed within a few short hours of diagnosis. It could happen—sooner rather than later. Finding out why the wheels fell off the ER trolley and figuring out how they can be put back on—and keep rolling smoothly—is the first major investigative initiative of iCARE. It’s conducting a comprehensive examination of ER wait-times, and the development of a definitive solution that will improve the movement of patients through the system and—ultimately—the quality of health care delivery. iCARE is the Integrated Centre for Care Advancement through Research, and is being touted as Canada’s first health outcomes research centre. Finally, someone is going to blow the dust off volumes of brilliance. Instead of conducting reseach destined for publication in respected—although, oft-times, obsure— health care journals, findings will be applied to improve real-world situations. That this is a necessity is a no-brainer... that this is happening in Edmonton is exciting... that this has taken so long is a mystery. “Edmonton will be a unique national laboratory for studying the best ways to treat patients and facilitate changes in practice,” says iCARE’s scientific director, Dr. Shoo Lee, a world-renowned neonatologist and Harvardtrained health economist. The centre will examine issues at the macro level to influence policy changes and address accountability, and at the micro level to improve efficiencies in units of care at hospitals. For example, at the macro level, one of the problems is the rising cost of delivering care: At nine percent annually, not even Alberta’s hot economy is growing at that rate to keep pace. iCARE will identify cost pressures and develop strategies for implementation. Currently, the system is geared to supply with no control on demand. Can consumer awareness increase knowledge of preventive actions and/or associated costs of treatment to lessen inappropriate or overuse of services? Maybe the centre will find out. At the micro level, it will focus on health care productivity. It will assess new treatments and technologies, look at effectively reducing infections, and determine ways to increase patient satisfaction. Created in partnership by Capital Health and the University of Alberta, iCARE promises to fuel the advancement of progressive solutions for patient care over a broad scope… to change the way health-services research is done... to harness the expertise and synergies of both organizations to improve the health system and the health of the community. “This will be the first centre of its kind to unite researchers, care providers and health administrators together to ask questions about how to make services work better and then apply the answers to real-world programs.” Such collaboration represents the bridge of opportunity for iCARE’s success: Traditionally, advancements in research end with a published paper and fall short of being put into practice at the clinic. This “knowledge transfer gap” is not only frustrating to researchers and care providers, but it slows progression in an integrative system. Dr. Lee laments the predominant lack of relevancy: “Research— while dear to the heart—is not necessarily important to health care delivery. “We are changing the paradigm in research and health care. We want to create a single organization that does research and implementation as well.” Dr. Lee has a track record that proves it can be done. As the founder of the Canadian Neonatal Network that now includes members from 27 hospitals and 16 universities from across the country, he worked with multidisciplinary teams on a three-year, evidence-based project that concentrated on infection rates in neonatal intensive care units. His efforts led to a 40-percent decrease in infection rates and changed health policy. This patented risk prediction and health informatics system raised the bar for neonatal care around the world, and was recognized with the knowledge translation award from the Canadian

Photos by Terry Bourque & Barb Petryk

Institutes of Health Research in 2004. In a strategic move to continue this level of excellence, Dr. Lee agreed to come to Edmonton in the fall of 2005. His expertise in applying research to real-world programs will serve as the framework in building Edmonton as the national centre for health—a framework made possible by the vision and commitment of Capital Health and the University of Alberta. “It’s rare. Nowhere else in the country do you have the

“

You can’t manage if you don’t measure.

”

Bill Sturgeon, 1989 Member, Premier’s Commission On Future Health Care for Albertans

leadership and commitment of the research and healthservice communities to develop such a centre,” acknowledged Dr. Lee, “Our arena is the Capital Health region… which provides tertiary services to Northern Alberta communities as well. We’ll also collaborate with Calgary and other research networks. This is a great opportunity to create a new model to solve health care problems.” It is a vision shared by Sheila Weatherill, president and CEO of Capital Health, who sees iCARE as a showcase model for how the academic, administrative and policy arms of health care can work together. It is expected that more than 200 people—health services researchers from the six health sciences faculties at the U of A, plus managers, policy developers, clinicians, statisticians, epidemiologists, political economists, analysts and technologists—will

Nicola Shaw with Dr. Tom Feasby, Capital Health VP of Academic Affairs

iCARE Opening Symposium Last month, with little fanfare, 200 of Edmonton’s brightest leaders in health service and research gathered at the Jubilee Auditorium to formally toast the start of operations at iCARE. The importance of bridging the gap between research and relevant, practical applications in health service was echoed by a national panel of leading experts in health outcomes and policy research at iCARE’s inaugural symposium in October: • Dr. Charlyn Black, a nationally recognized healthpolicy researcher who oversees research and datadevelopment activities at the Centre for Health Services and Policy Research (CHSPR), spoke about the “power of data” and the importance of translating data into information that leads to quality improvement in healthservice delivery and policy. • Dr. Sarah Muttitt, acting vice-president of innovation and adoption at Canada Health Infoway, focused on the process and importance of evaluation to identify potential benefits when measuring the impact of the electronic health record (EHR) on the quality, access and productivity of health care. • Dr. Anne Sales, associate professor in the nursing faculty at the U of A, provided insight on the significance

regularly be involved in the diverse work necessary to achieve iCARE’s objectives. iCARE is also applying research for improved health outcomes through electronic patient records. Dr. Nicola Shaw, iCARE’s first endowed research chair in Health Informatics, is working with Capital Health on a strategic level to enhance the efficient use of patient information to improve the quality of care and personal experience for both patients and health specialists. As Canada’s foremost expert on the subject, she also collaborates with groups— such as Health Canada’s electronic medical record (EMR) toolkit and Canada Health Infoway—to develop understanding around the implementation, use and sharing of medical records. Dr. Shaw was recruited from the Centre for Healthcare Innovation and Improvement (CHIi), Child and Family Research Institute in Vancouver, where she had worked with Dr. Lee. Under his direction, the CHIi group contributed to more than 87 articles and $12 million in research funding in its first year. Most of the funding for iCARE will come from external sources, agencies and private foundations. The concept of a direct link between outcomes research and the health system is not new. In 1990, when the Premier’s Commission on Future Health Care for Albertans released its Rainbow Report, it quoted the University of Alberta: Solutions to some of today’s problems in health care have appeared in the research literature but have not yet been applied to practice. The reason for this is change requires some impetus or that energy to initiate the change. Also, individuals tend to be conservative and avoid changes that are disruptive to the normal or traditional ways of doing things. It is recommended that incentives be provided to health care organizations to incorporate research findings into their operations. Some 16 years have passed since then… and Bill Sturgeon passed away earlier this year. Nonetheless, there should be some satisfaction among surviving members of the Premier’s Commission who shared his belief that “you can’t manage if you don’t measure”. Perhaps, they would be even more pleased if their recommendation that the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research “…be expanded to include research into healthcare systems, health status, intervention outcomes, and promotion and prevention,” particularly as it related to funding those activities. The creation of iCARE is long overdue. It has attracted people of wisdom, integrity and commitment whose efforts would be better directed at clinically applied research and measurement of treatment outcomes than at fund raising. ✔ of evidence-based nursing practice (EBNP) on the collaboration towards, and the improvement of, patient outcomes. • Dr. Gary Lopaschuk, Gary Lopaschuk Scientific Director for the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, identified iCARE as a critical collaboration to ABACUS—the Institute’s Alberta Cardiovascular and Stroke Research Centre—as it moves forward to research cardiac-patient outcomes in population health. • Keynote speaker Dr. Colleen Flood, director of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Health Services and Policy Research (CIHR-IHSPR) and Canada Research Chair in Comparative Health Law and Policy at the University of Toronto, stressed the importance of health-services research to the sustainability of Canadian health care and how multidisciplinary collaboration enhances the success of health-services research.

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

corporate ETHICS

Edmontonian

Wisdom – a developing art Make your mistakes work for you

By Janet Edmondson

By Nizar J. Somji recently heard an analysis of the value of knowledge: Knowledge—when not acted upon—is simply information. Over the past decade or so, scientists, mathematicians, economists and the like have spent an inordinate amount of time promoting the concept that data, if not transformed into information, has little or no value. Others have argued that information enables the development of knowledge. Today we have an abundance of information and we have developed some knowledge from this information. Unfortunately, knowledge—or information—on its own, while interesting, has no impact unless it is acted upon. So to enhance this thinking, I submit that it takes wisdom to act on knowledge—to define the right action to be taken to yield real results. How do you develop wisdom? When do you know your wisdom has served you well? When do you know you have taken the right action? And more critically, how has your wisdom enabled you to take the right action at the right time to deliver optimum results? As scientists engage philosophers in answering these questions, a new area of knowledge development will likely emerge. Over the past decade, researchers developed the concept of key performance indicators—KPIs—as a means of translating data into information and thus gaining knowledge about a business or a process. Various organizations developed their own KPIs, used them to monitor business performance, and tied behaviour and individual compensation to these KPIs. In the fast food business, for example, franchisees track the percentage of clients who go from individual purchases to “combo” deals, and those who then upsize or super-size the deal. By tracking the servers who have increased the super-size conversion rate, they are able to develop strong incentive plans to encourage this behaviour. The salespeople at many major electronics and appliance stores could not care less what you purchase, as long as you buy the extended warranty package for the product. Their variable compensation and, in many cases, their livelihood depends on it. As KPIs evolved and became the foundation on which an organization operates, the demand for realtime, on-line KPIs became critical, even for smaller businesses. The ability to track what is happening on-line and make changes in real-time would fundamentally alter the business performance, not only improving profitability, but also customer service and satisfaction. Unfortunately, while those on the front line have the knowledge to make

adjustments, they may not have the wisdom to make the right adjustment at the right time. I have often pondered how an organization could hire a high powered, seasoned sales person and yet that person could not match the success of the entrepreneur who started the business. Many have argued that the difference is the lack of training, an insufficient understanding of the organization or the products it offers. I have never bought into any of these arguments. My contention is that the entrepreneur is able to adjust, in real-time, decision making to match the real-time availability of information. And that ability is wisdom: The ability to make not just the right decision or take the right action, but to do so at the right time. That requires two factors inherent in an entrepreneur: • The ability to combine knowledge with intuition—gut feel—to determine the right course of action at that very second; and • The authority—and, more critically, the courage—to take that action. So how does one go about developing this wisdom? The best way to get to know your way around any city is to get lost in it. Wisdom, in life or business, comes from having no fear of making mistakes. It comes from having the courage to learn from these mistakes. It comes from making your mistakes work for you. My philosophy, when young people came to work for me, was to give them autonomy and responsibility… to allow them to develop and sharpen all their skills—data, information, knowledge and wisdom—not just technical knowledge. Developing “gut feel” comes from being given the opportunity to apply, learn and apply again. During times of uncertainty or crisis, as various scenarios and possible outcomes are analyzed, many question: “What happens if?” “What happens if not?” My response, “I win either way,” puzzles many. I believe in every crisis there is an opportunity. The fact that I have not yet found the opportunity does not mean I need to panic or worry about it. I just need to use that energy constructively… to find the opportunity. ✔ Nizar J. Somji is president and CEO of Jaffer Inc., a management/ investment consulting firm; and chairman of the board of Matrikon Inc., a company he founded in 1988.

IN EXILE R

esolution number one: While in exile in Calgary, I will read all the books I have planned to read “when I have time”. And since they number in the hundreds, getting a library card is an economical decision. The Calgary Public Library functions in much the same way as Edmonton’s, with three interesting exceptions. If you don’t want to line up behind… say… 112 people who have placed a hold on Margaret Atwood’s new novel, Moral Disorder, you might find single copies in the New and Notable sections in Calgary libraries, or on the Bestsellers to Go shelves in Edmonton. These are areas where lucky patrons may be able to pick up popular novels today, avoiding the tedious wait. An Edmonton reader can choose one designated bestseller, and is allowed one week, with no renewals, to get the book read. Calgarians can borrow three of the notables at a time, and keep them for three weeks, no renewals—a better deal, in my opinion. If I have the patience to wait for the 112 readers ahead of me to plow through Moral Disorder—and even with 27 copies in the system and everyone returning them on time, that’s over a month of waiting—I can place a hold on the book. The folks at Edmonton Public Library will e-mail or call me, when my name comes to the top of the list. They will deliver the book to my favourite branch, and wait a week for me to pick it up. If I forget, change my mind or don’t show up for any reason, no harm done. They quietly pass it on to the next hopeful and, I assume, cancel my hold. The Calgary Library offers pretty much the same service, up to the no-show part. I will be fined two dollars if I fail to pick up my book or cancel the hold. Every year nearly 100,000 holds are not picked up or cancelled by the calgarians who placed them. Now, here’s my favourite service—again, only offered in Edmonton. When I finally get my hands on Atwood’s latest and become totally absorbed in it, EPL will send me a gentle reminder to return the book, a few days before it’s due. This service saved me hundreds of dollars in overdue fines when I lived in Edmonton. The Calgary system makes it my responsibility to remember when to bring books back, and charges me 30 cents per item per day (that’s five cents more than in Edmonton) for each overdue item. This Calgary library card may not prove to be as economical as I had hoped. ✔ Janet and Owen Edmondson moved to Calgary in July. Janet can be contacted at jedmondson@edmontonians.com

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www.suddenlyslimmerdayspa.com EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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BizINTEL

S cience &Tech with Cheryl Croucher

Perry Kinkaide is one of those guys who has far too much fun in life to even think of sleeping. And don’t bother mentioning the r-word—retirement. You’d think that after a career that included getting a doctorate in brain and behavioural research, and stints as an assistant deputy minister for the provincial government and a managing partner of KPMG Consulting, you’d want a little R & R. Not Perry. His latest venture is the Alberta Chamber of Technologies. This grows out of a business advisory group he started several years ago which eventually came to be known as the KEI Network. From casual meetings in coffee shops, this evolved into dinners and workshops for entrepreneurs. “I’d throw the party and people would show up,” says Perry, still a bit bemused by the popularity of his events. “A common interest developed and the word spread. It was a place for new enterprises to show off what they were doing. We’d talk not just about their business but about the pain of getting to where they were. Let’s not be naïve. Birthing a business is an incredibly hard process. You can’t do it alone. There are a lot of midwives here.” A few months ago, KEI Network and ECAT—the Edmonton Council of Advanced Technologies—another business network, decided to join forces. They now comprise the new Edmonton Chamber of Technologies, which is the first chapter of the fledgling Alberta Chamber of Technologies. Chapters are also forming in Calgary, Medicine Hat, Pincher Creek, Red Deer and Grande Prairie. Perry’s efforts are centred around his growing appreciation for the struggle small and medium size companies go

B izIT 101 with Greg Michetti

Encrypt-Stick USB Memory Key Like most people “in the business” I use as many hi-tech gadgets as possible including a Blackberry and a notebook PC with an “air” card. This means I can use a cell phone, check my e-mail and, above all, get to the Internet from anywhere. For me, being connected is everything. However, in order to remember some of the log-on information, or for quick and dirty PC fixes, I also had a 1-GB USB memory stick attached to my keychain. In addition to containing anti-virus software and anti-spyware downloads, the device also held various documents with sensitive client information. This included my personal passwords as well client VPN and Remote Desktop connections, complete with IP addresses, log-on user names and stored administrator passwords. If I ever lost my keychain, I wouldn’t simply lose the keys to my car, office and home. Indeed, the person who found the USB key would have the ability to access the information systems and networks of over 100 file servers, several hundred personal computers and thousands of email accounts. Did somebody just say yikes?

through in their early stages. “We’re trying to help SMEs grow and survive and, in so doing, encourage

Perry Kinkaide

and advice for Edmonton’s entrepreneurs and start-up technology companies. The next get-together of the Edmonton Chamber of Technologies will be November 21st at the Royal Glenora Club. Pre-dinner seminars will start at 4:30 pm with the reception and dinner starting at 6 pm. Register online at www. abctech.ca, and sign up for its newsletter while you’re there.

Edmonton is host this year to the

diversification of the economy through technology. After all, it’s really small business that brings new technologies into the market. Large businesses will take advantage of these once they mature, but all the early work is done by small business. They’re the laboratory of enterprise.” Along with developing support for SMEs, Perry is keen on establishing a president’s council which will bring together visionaries from many disciplines to set priorities for action on economic and technological development. Says Perry, “I agree with Eric Newell’s perspective that many of Alberta’s businesses zero in on some aspect of carbon technology. That’s Alberta’s resource base… meat, wheat, oil, gas, fibre and timber. Even the new bio-based technologies and businesses are all about building successful carbon-based industries.” There’s lot of food for thought there. And Perry promises plenty of support

2006 ASTech Awards Gala. Set for November 3rd at the Shaw Conference, this black-tie, Oscar-style event will honour some of the brightest minds in Alberta’s science and technology community. This year’s nominees include a healthy list of Edmonton innovators. There’s Dr. Bill Gunter, a distinguished scientist with the Alberta Research Council and one of the world’s preeminent researchers on the geological storage of carbon dioxide. And, anyone who has been to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology will recognize the name of Dr. Philip Currie. His discoveries have changed the way scientists around the world think about the dinosaurs. Vying for awards on the technology side are the Alberta Ingenuity Centre for Machine Learning, and a software company called Code Baby. Two finalists in the Leaders of Tomorrow category are PhD candidates Christopher Barton, a computer programming specialist, and Emad Ghafoori, already a world expert on new technologies for animal waste disposal. Every year, the ASTech Foundation singles out one person who has really made a difference in building the science and technology community in Alberta. This year that honour goes to Dr. Cyril Kay. A member of the Order of Canada, and a Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry at

That, however, was then. Today, I still use a USB key but it comes with encryption—it’s pretty much impossible for others to get into this removable drive if it falls into the wrong hands. The device I use is called Encrypt-Stick, a combo USB drive and special software from ENC Security Systems, Inc. of Pitt Meadows, near Vancouver, B.C. According to the product information, no one has ever been able to hack into an ENC-encrypted file. Here’s how the Encrypt-Stick works: Peel the USB key out of the package, insert it in a spare USB slot, unzip the application files and you’re halfway there. Like most other USB keys, it shows up as a removable drive on your system. Now, run the application file (an unzipped executable file that is on the key) and a Windows Explorer-like box opens and displays the drives and folders on the left hand side and the corresponding files on the right. Below is a third pane where you simply drag and drop the files you would like to encrypt or protect. That’s it. The Encrypt-Stick application protects your files with a unique algorithm key that, once encrypted, makes the files unreadable by anyone. The Encrypt-Stick application software is run from an Encrypt-Stick enabled flash drive and, unlike other encryption software, is never installed on your computer. Retrieving the protected files is just as

easy. Go to another PC, insert the EncryptStick and run the application; remembering, once again that it is ON the stick. An authentication screen appears where you enter your password and when the now familiar three-pane window appears, select the encrypted file and remove it from the list or decrypt it to another location on that PC. Yes, you can select more than one file or folder at a time. There are a few more options, including overwriting of existing files, removing them from archive and, of course, the ability to rename the newly decrypted file. OK, so what happens if I actually DO lose my Encrypt-Stick? Well, first, you must have backed-up your Algorithm key and your Password. Both pieces of information are required in the event of loss. Naturally, you don’t store this backed up file on your computer. Burn it to a CD or floppy and store that media in a secure location. ENC cannot decrypt your files for you so you must back-up your algorithm key. However, you will be able to get access to any encrypted files on your PC; provided you had registered with ENC when you did the set up. The 512 MB USB device sells for (US) $99.95 and includes the appropriate software. Alternatively, you can use your own key and for (US) $49.95 can download the encryption software from the ENC website. ENC is the brainchild of former

Cyril Kay the University of Alberta, Cyril is just as busy in retirement as he ever was during his teaching and research career. He is vice-president of research with the Alberta Cancer Board. He is also involved with the development of a cancer research institute which will be sponsored by the $500 million Cancer Legacy Endowment Fund recently announced by the provincial government. Cyril’s research focused on proteins with a strong emphasis on the structurefunction relationships of muscle and calcium binding proteins. One of the interesting things he told me about proteins is the way they misfold, and the role that can have in the development of disease in general and cancer in particular. (Makes you wonder about those misfolded prions behind Mad Cow Disease.) His collaborative work with the Medical Research Council contributed significantly to our understanding of proteins. He was also a founding member of PENCE—the Protein Engineering Network of Centres of Excellence. After his retirement from the University, Cyril then co-chaired a task force which developed a strategic plan for health research for the province to 2010. Congratulations to Cyril and all his fellow scientists who will share the limelight at the ASTechs.

When TEC Edmonton and its tenants at the current Research Transition Facility on the U of A campus move downtown next summer to take up residence in the refurbished Bay building, its new digs will come with a new name. RTF will be renamed as the TEC Centre. This is all in the spirit of promoting the broad range of services TEC Edmonton offers under technology, entrepreneur and company development umbrella.

Continued on page 14 Edmontonian Ed Rusnak, who has a 10 year background in encryption technology that includes the development of remote wellhead reading devices for Alberta’s oilpatch. ENC began in 2005 when Rusnak realized “The whole world is going to security.” I’ll say. According to Rusnak, “ENC uses polymorphic ciphers which have sustained all types of cryptanalytic attacks by others in an attempt to break this code since 1999.” Encrypt-Stick works with Microsoft’s Windows 98 SE, ME, 2000, and XP and you can encrypt any file type. Early adopters of the Encrypt-Stick include NAIT and Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) Tax Incentive Program branch in BC. Other adopters are people like me or any other individuals who are carrying the “e-keys” and passwords to several systems, servers, workstations and user accounts. Check out the ENC website and watch for other encryption systems that are in final stages of development; www.encrypt-stick.com ✔

Gregory B. Michetti of the Alberta-based systems integration firm Michetti Information Solutions, Inc. can be reached via www.michetti.com

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

M edia Minute

U of A Enterprise Square

with Bruce Hogle

Continued from page 13 The whole U of A complex at the Bay building also will have a new name and that’s Enterprise Square. As the university’s President Indira Samarasekera said at the official unveiling, “This is about enterprising people… people marked by imagination, initiative and a readiness to pursue more education and advance innovations.” There has been so much interest in the TEC Edmonton component, renovations have expanded to include the addition of a fourth floor. At a recent meeting to update RTF tenants on the move, Pamela Freeman, TEC Edmonton’s VP for company development, boasted, “This will be the most sought after penthouse address in the downtown.” The top two floors occupied by TEC Edmonton will offer flexible lab and office space. The rest of Enterprise Square will house the U of A’s Faculty of Extension, the professional development activities of the School of Business, the Alberta Business Family Institute, and the Design Gallery as well as the Art Gallery of Alberta (during its own multi-million dollar reno) and City TV. ✔

Cheryl Croucher is an Edmonton broadcast journalist and host of Innovation Alberta. You can hear the program on CKUA Radio Tuesdays at 8pm or download it when you visit www. innovationalberta.com

money MAKING

The incredible speed of live television has forever changed news. Who will ever forget watching CNN’s unbelievable coverage of that second terrorist plane as it was crashing into New York’s World Trade Centre September 11, 2001? Ditto for live Cape Canaveral coverage of that January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger launch which exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members. Or the disintegration of the Columbia shuttle over Texas on February 1, 2003, during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, killing another seven astronauts. That’s why Canadians—and the world—have come to expect almost instant coverage of the deaths or injuries of any Canadian troops in Afghanistan, or of terrorist activities elsewhere. Such media coverage was unknown in the two World Wars and the Korean conflict. That’s because television was in its infancy, and Canadians had to rely on heavily censored and controlled newspaper and radio reports. Movie newsreels were often the only source of wartime film footage—also censored and often old. But the immediacy of terrorist acts today in Afghanistan has thrown some Canadians into hysteria, with demands that Canada pull out because our military should not be involved in peace-keeping if there is danger to life or limb. The problem is that such critics have forgotten—or ignored—the incredible contributions that Canadian men and women have made during wars and peacetime missions. Such as the 100,000 who paid the supreme sacrifice, and another 200,000 who were wounded, some so badly they never worked again. The biggest family loss in Canadian wartime history was that suffered by Charlotte Wood of Winnipeg. Mrs. Wood had 11 sons who all served in the First

World War. Only six returned home… the other five died in action. For those who question our presence in Afghanistan: What, pray tell, were we doing in Korea? Hostilities started in Korea (which is as far away from Canada as is Afghanistan) on June 25, 1950 when the North invaded the South. That war lasted three years… with another two years of peacekeeping. Some 26,791 Canadians fought in the Korean conflict for two years and an additional 7,000 troops participated in the ceasefire afterward for another two years. Some 516 Canadians were killed in those four years in Korea, both during the war and while peacekeeping after the ceasefire. Another 1,558 were injured. During the four years we’ve been in Afghanistan, more than 40 military personnel have died. So what were we doing in Korea? The same thing our brave and courageous military men and women did in two World Wars and Korea… The same thing we’re doing today in Afghanistan: establishing and preserving the basic human rights that we take for granted in Canada. Military personnel and their families don’t question their assignments, regardless of the potential dangers involved. God bless the families of those who lost loved ones or had loved ones injured. God bless, also, those who continue serving our nation whenever and wherever called upon—be it wartime or peacetime. That’s what it is to be a Canadian. November 11th is a special day of remembrance… a time for us to express our gratitude to our military personnel—those who have given their lives, those who have been wounded, and those who are serving today— all in the name of peace and freedom— wherever in the world they are posted. ✔ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council.

From tax heaven to tax purgatory

By Ron Hiebert

Protect your RRF income from the CRA

he beauty of the RRSP is that it lets you protect income that you haven’t paid tax on and compound it for decades. When you can make 100-cent dollars grow for long periods of time without the deleterious effects of Canada Revenue Agency taking half of your profits away every April, you truly have what has been billed as the greatest Canadian tax shelter. Unfortunately, the money can’t stay tax-free forever. The year that you turn 69, your RRSP has to be converted into a RRIF or an annuity. From that moment on you start to witness the systematic destruction of all those years of taxfree compounding of your investments. The slide from tax heaven to tax purgatory starts when the mandatory annual withdrawals from the RRIF or annuity are added to your taxable income, often pushing that total into a higher tax bracket. To make matters worse, high-income pensioners will often find that the additional RRIF income they receive will cause their Old Age Security benefits to get “clawed back”. For low-income pensioners, higher income can make them ineligible for the Guaranteed Income Supplement. Higher taxes and a loss of benefits can easily turn the RRSP from a tax benefit into a tax trap. Let’s look at some strategies that are available that could help you lessen the bite when you are forced to start taking money out of the greatest of all Canadian tax shelters.

people just hold their noses, deregister a big chunk of cash and face the tax consequences at the end of the year. Well, there is a way around this. You need to have a self directed RRIF, cash available inside the RRIF, and an asset outside of the plan that you are willing to swap in. For example, let’s say you have $40,000 cash in your RRIF that is sitting in a money market fund or cashable GIC just waiting for a good investment opportunity. Meanwhile, your car blows up and you find yourself needing a new one. You go shopping and find just what you want for $30,000. In addition to the RRIF, you coincidentally have a $30,000 Province of Alberta bond you bought years ago that pays six percent interest, but doesn’t mature for another 10 years. Because the interest rate is much higher than is currently available in the market, you have no desire to sell the bond. The solution is to transfer the bond into the RRIF and take an equivalent amount of cash out. This is called a swap. Because assets of equal value are moving in and out of the RRIF, there is no tax payable on the cash withdrawal. However, if the asset you are putting into the RRIF has a capital gain or untaxed interest, the investment is treated as if it has been sold and you will have to pay tax on any capital gains or accrued interest at the time of the swap.

STRATEGY 1: ROBBING THE CRADLE

Let’s say you have to take $6,000 out of your RRIF next year. You want to offset the income this will create. You can do this by borrowing $100,000 at six percent and buying stocks or tax efficient mutual funds with the proceeds outside of the RRIF. The $6,000 in interest costs on the loan would be tax deductible and would offset the withdrawal from the RRIF. The risks with this strategy include rising interest rates, leverage, and investments that don’t perform well.

When you transfer your RRSP to a RRIF you are allowed to base the withdrawal calculation on either your age or your spouse’s. So let’s say you are 80 and you robbed the cradle and married someone 10 years younger than yourself. This can work out to be a significant advantage for you because the older you get, the more as a percentage you are required to withdraw annually from a RRIF. At age 80, you must take out 8.75 percent of the market value of the RRIF in that year. If you had a spouse who was 70, and you elected to base the withdrawals on his or her age instead of yours, the percentage you would be required to take out would only be five percent.

STRATEGY 2: THE SWAP What happens if you are facing the purchase of a big-ticket item like a car or kitchen renovation, but find that the only place that you have any liquidity is in your RRIF? Most

STRATEGY 3: THE RRIF MELTDOWN

STRATEGY 4: TAX PROTECTOR INSURANCE Upon death, unless you have a spouse or minor child, your RRIF gets deregistered and tax is paid on the full value of the assets inside the plan. One way to lessen the tax blow is to buy insurance. The proceeds of the insurance policy flow tax free to the beneficiaries. They can then use these proceeds to pay the taxes generated from deregistering the RRIF.

STRATEGY 5: FLOW THROUGH SHARES Junior resource companies can flow through their Canadian exploration expenses to their shareholders who in turn can deduct those expenses against other income. If you buy $10,000 worth of flow through shares, which gives $10,000 worth of deductions, you could use this to make your $10,000 withdrawal from your RRIF tax neutral. This strategy is not for the faint of heart and should be done in moderation, as junior resource stocks can be very volatile.

STRATEGY 6: THE PERSONAL DEDUCTION OFFSET Your personal exemption for 2006 is $8,839. If you have no other income, you could withdraw that much out of your RRIF without having to pay any tax.

STRATEGY 7: GIFTING If a person wishes to keep the Canada Revenue Agency out of the picture at death, they can will their RRIF to charity. The charitable tax receipt will approximately offset the taxes due on the RRIF. Annual gifting also works very well to neutralize tax. Charitable donations of approximately the size of your annual RRIF withdrawal will essentially reduce your tax to zero.

STRATEGY 8: PENSION CREDIT Taxpayers can claim a pension credit against pension income. This credit eliminates tax on the first $2,000 of pension income. To qualify, you need to be at least 65 years old. Income from a pension or a RRIF withdrawal will qualify for the credit. Used prudently—especially in combination with a good tax advisor—these strategies can keep the Greatest Canadian Tax Shelter from becoming a tax trap. ✔ Ron Hiebert, a director at ScotiaMcLeod, teaches investment classes at Grant MacEwan College. The author of Wealth Building can be heard weekdays at 7:34 am, on CFCW radio (790 AM). Contact him at 780.497.3215 or rhiebert@edmontonians.com EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

D MO NTO R E N

I found it interesting that NAIT has only one Canadian government funded project (in Cuba), while the remainder are either foreign government financed or paid for by private companies. The Cuban exception is a nine-year project, which commenced in 2000, encompassing an initial needs assessment, physical facility development, organizational structuring, the establishment of a curriculum, teaching and train-the-trainer programs. Basically NAIT, with its partner, the ministry of basic industries, has designed an entire technical institute in a country that has one of the best doctor-patient ratios in the world, but doesn’t have enough mechanics to service aging automobiles. (Incidentally, Cuba is a net exporter of doctors. When I lived in Botswana, many of that country’s sick were being cared for by Cuban health care workers.) However, the urgent need for millwrights, welders, electricians, automotive technicians and other skilled tradespeople has caused the government there to recognize the need for a more balanced workforce, and for outside experts to come in and help meet that need.

INE

GR E

Jeffery Sundquist in Dubai

AT I O N A L

NAIT

GOES GLOBAL By Cheryl Lockhart

lberta’s boom means business development for many local organizations: There is so much domestic business that many are not actively searching for foreign contracts. Not so at NAIT where Dean of business development Jeffery Sundquist focuses 25 percent of his efforts internationally. His $30 million-a-year department is tasked with infusing money back into the institute while aligning its programs with the human resource needs of the business community—the business community encompassing more than just corporations in Edmonton, Alberta or Canada. NAIT’s international perspective emanates from the approximately 1,400 students from 60 countries that come to study at the school each year. Once these students return home, they become ambassadors for the school and business linkages evolve. It’s only natural that NAIT receives requests from alumni to develop programs in far reaching nations, so for 30 thirty years it has actively managed an international program. As Sundquist points out, “NAIT is not dabbling in international work, rather it is a core business activity.” Obviously, with offices—not just agents operating on NAIT’s behalf—in the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, India and China, the renowned institute is committed to providing education in business, advanced technologies and skilled trades in a diversity of regions around the world. “NAIT focuses on countries and regions with a heavily university oriented marketplace and high industrial growth,” explains Sundquist. “In those places, as in Alberta, corporations are facing severe skills shortages at the operations level and, as a result, most technicians are trained on the shop floor. In some instances, the bulk of people at a plant will be trainees.” For these corporate clients, there is real value in having a Canadian technical institution provide instruction to their staff: They know that they are receiving world class instruction—the same instruction NAIT students in Northern Alberta receive. To support this demand, NAIT has a roster of approximately 1,000 instructors it can call on to provide training, whether it is a short-term course in China or a four-week intensive program in Cuba. These individuals may be retirees, expatriates, current NAIT instructors or industry leaders but they have all completed NAIT’s Becoming a Master Instructor (BMI) program, ensuring a consistent level of quality regardless of where or what the instructor is teaching. Its international training program has become such a success that grads of these courses are now becoming instructors; some of NAIT’s training programs in Egypt are now being taught by Egyptian nationals who have passed the BMI program.

FINDING FOREIGN WORKERS NAIT’s international activities come full circle with NAITfind which has a “mandate to match the labour needs of organizations throughout Alberta with highly skilled individuals from across Canada and around the globe.” Essentially, NAIT can act as the global recruiter for a company, tapping into its existing foreign student body that is eligible for two year Canadian work permits after graduation, as well as overseas alumni and its network of skilled contacts in other countries. Since its inception a little over a year ago, NAIT has brought about 70 employees into Alberta. Among them are eight German welders and structural steel and plate fitters to Weldco-Beales, a local manufacturer of specialized heavy equipment attachments and cranes for the construction, resource, mining, forestry and road maintenance industries. “NAIT is able to offer more than other recruiters, because they really understand our needs and their staff can make in-country assessments by incorporating skills testing at local technical institutes into the recruitment process,” remarked Director of Human Resources Dawn Jacobsen during a phone interview. For new recruits, Weldco-Beales makes the final recruiting decision and provides settlement assistance and safety training but it has come to rely on the staff of NAITfind for employees who can hit the ground running, with all of their paperwork in place so work visas and immigration procedures are not an issue.

INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURING I had the chance to walk about the Weldco-Beales manufacturing facility while participating in a bus tour organized by Alberta Innovative Manufacturing Works. Our guide for the day was Chris Buerger and, in addition to Weldco-Beales, we visited Flexxaire Manufacturing, Master Flo Valve and its sister company, Stream-Flo Industries. This tour, one of five held throughout the Mark McNeill province, was intended to showcase “some of the best companies in Alberta manufacturing in action, and to learn about the opportunities in a growing sector of Alberta’s economy.” While oil and gas, and occasionally agriculture and hi tech, garner the most attention, manufacturing is slowly gaining ground as a significant contributor to Alberta’s prosperity, with revenues increasing 12.2 percent in 2005 to reach $59 billion and employing close to 10 percent of the workforce. And these companies have set their sights on

markets beyond the province and the country. Interestingly, each company had a different foreign market penetration strategy, depending on the nature of products and uses: Through its office in Portland, Oregon, Weldco-Beales services its American dealer network… Flexxaire works primarily with original equipment manufacturers and therefore its variable pitch cooling fans are found all over the world, in Caterpillar, John Deere and Komatsu, branded equipment (among others), otherwise direct international marketing efforts conducted from Edmonton. Stream Flo is expanding by pursing a direct sales route with its own staff. Of the four firms, Master Flo has the broadest international market presence, with offices in Indonesia, Malaysia, France, the U.S., Brazil, the UK and the UAE. President Mark McNeill personally led our group around his plant and was rightly proud of his organization, the modern manufacturing facility right here in Edmonton and its staff. He pointed out that “the only way Canadian companies will survive in the global marketplace is through reliability, on-time delivery and superior technology.” He explained that Master Flo invests $4 to $5 million each year in the most current of machinery and training for its staff, where everyone—including McNeill—starts out on the shop floor.

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND IN THE UK As a researcher, I know that it can be difficult to obtain reliable, current market intelligence on trade opportunities in another country, without incurring the expense of travel to the target market. That is why I was so surprised by the low turnout to hear Brit Howard Smith speak on the UK market for healthcare products. His in-depth account of the purchasing channels was highly informative and would have placed the UK on any would-be exporter’s priority list for further investigation. Consider that the NHS is deemed to be the largest employer in the world, offering “free cradle-to-grave health care,” and you have some understanding of the size of the organization… an organization that is looking for everything from nappies to diagnostic machines and tests to the latest information technology. As Howard noted, “The market is substantial, it wants good Howard Smith products, it can pay— promptly; it is well regulated, cultural barriers are low and the rewards are potentially very big.” Unfortunately, he was preaching to the choir of only 15 government and industry association officials in the audience but it’s a message I hope more private companies hear through this column. Howard was in Edmonton as the latest speaker sponsored by Alberta Economic Development, in partnership with WiTec Alberta and The Business Link’s Export Link. While Canadian provincial governments continue to debate the merits of electronic patient records, Howard detailed the NHS ambitious National Programme for IT which is billed as the largest IT project in the world with a $1.1 billion infrastructure and $12.6 billion roll-out budget to connect 100,000 doctors, 380,000 nurses and 50,000 other health professionals. Work has commenced and it should be fully operational by 2008, meaning that doctors will be able to electronically transmit prescriptions to pharmacies, or go on-line and book hospital and specialist appointments for their patients, without the usual exchange of referral letters. Every patient will have a personal electronic health record, which will even be capable of containing digital x-rays and other images. And, to think, the last time my doctor moved from one clinic to another, I had to pay a $25 fee to have my records photocopied and transferred. ✔ Cheryl Lockhart owns International Strategies Ltd., specializing in exportrelated planning and marketing. E-mail: clockhart@edmontonians.com

EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

Proof__ _________PROOFED BY:_______________________________________________CHANGES MADE:__________________________DATE:_________________

Ice cubes

ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES & CORPORATE FINANCE

Tea light

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

Continued from page 9

▲

symbolize life’s triumph over death on each winter solstice. The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honour of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and candles. And, they exchanged gifts—coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one’s journey through life. Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and placed evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits. Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. The Christmas tree tradition most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution and German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio. America tended to have trees Pencil ‘pockets’ of customs relating

to the immigrants who had settled in a particular area, and it was not until communication really got going in the 19th century, that such customs began to spread. ▲ A.F.W. Woolworth brought the glass ornament tradition to the United States in 1890.

Cool Stuff

Why does Tom Cruise use an agent?

Pre-lit trees

▲ You can now purchase battery operated LED mini light strings that run on three AAA batteries. These are a godsend for table centre pieces, wreathes and small table top trees. There are two versions: 4’ and 12’ long. ~Dansk, Southgate ▲ Battery operated flickering tea lights are also available in red, green, blue and white. That old adage, “Don’t leave a burning candle unattended” just went out the window. ~Dansk, Southgate ▲ Ice cubes that change colour can jazz up your next cocktail party. Just turn the battery operated cubes

on and watch your guests guzzle with gusto. ~Dansk, Southgate ▲ Greet your holiday guests with panache. Fibre optic doormats light up when stepped on and metamorphose through a variety of colours. ~Around the Town, 10428 - Whyte Avenue ▲ Ho-Ho-holiday. Amuse la Bouche with a Santa fondu. Shaped like Santa, his hat is the lid, his face is the pot, and his belly stores the key light. ~Around the Town ▲ Looking for a lighted sculpture to greet guests at the front entrance? How about a running goose clad in Santa’s finery? Great conversation piece. ~Around the Town ✔ Contact Linda Bodo at lbodo@edmontonians.com or visit absolutebodo.com.

Everyone has a dream of success and yet not everyone succeeds. Why is that? Steffany Hanlen, Olympic Performance Coach, NHL Skating Coach, and renowned Personal Performance Coach will teach you what you have in common with Olympic Athletes and World Class Performers. Are you a business owner, a real estate investor, a superstar parent or self-employed entrepreneur? Are you the decision maker in your business? This could be what is next for you…

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Tom Cruise, Harrison Ford, and Jim Carrey are part of a very exclusive club of actors being paid more than $20 million per picture. But, regardless of their star quality, each of these actors is represented by a professional agent. Now, why would Tom Cruise need an agent? Surely he knows every producer and financier in Hollywood and should be able to secure his own deals. Yet he uses an agent to negotiate for him. This is because he accepts a fundamental truth: it’s not about making a deal, it’s about making the BEST deal. In the movie business, the best deal is not always about collecting the biggest paycheque. It’s also very important to consider who your costars will be, what the reputation of the director is, and how profitable the project will be. In the mergers and acquisitions world, an equivalent role to a Hollywood agent would be that of the intermediary or investment banker. Here are some of the most important roles an intermediary plays: Knowing the deal makers. When we present a divestiture opportunity to a purchaser, we approach the best person in the organization to view the deal (and this may not always be the CEO). In some cases, our approach might put the emphasis on the financial performance of the company; for others, the strategic fit with the purchaser may be the key. Who we approach first, and how we present the opportunity will depend on our knowledge of the buyer and their anticipated response to the transaction. This is not the time for a shotgun approach; a rifle usually works best. Understanding industry trends and determining how they fit with a purchaser’s Strategy. Carefully positioning the vendor’s business so that it fits strategically with the purchaser’s objectives is as much an art as a science. Often, these synergies are not obvious and have to be pointed out to the buyer. Knowing the transaction history and creating a relationship of trust with the purchaser and vendor enables us to openly discuss these synergies and how they will benefit the buyer. Marketplace credibility. An intermediary’s existing relationship with his clients is extremely beneficial to the people who are interested in getting to know those clients, whether they are vendors or purchasers. PricewaterhouseCoopers’ well known brand along with its solid reputation and wide range of contacts, allows us access to some of the biggest boardrooms and decision makers in the country. Our experience and expertise in matching buyers with sellers is of great benefit to all of our transaction clients. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss how an experienced intermediary like PricewaterhouseCoopers can assist you with the purchase or sale of a business. Please email stephen.w.kent@ca.pwc.com or call 780441-6793 to arrange a confidential meeting.

-Become a Champion in EVERYTHING YOU DOEDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2006

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