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THAT WAS THE NOVEMBER THAT WAS
“Local supporter of Ducks Unlimited and the Campbell Soup Kid of CFRN-TV, John Berry and Mirna are expecting a ‘Little Berry’, hopefully on Valentine’s Day. Mirna has already made a camouflage baby pack for next year’s goose season.” ~ Maureen Hemingway Movers and Shakers 1990 “A light flickered in Tom Wilkinson’s noggin with the onslaught of winter in October…‘I just knew there was a reason I might not want to go back to caching (the U of A Golden Bears).’” ~ Don “Buckets” Fleming Mink and Manure Set 1991 “It’s said the (Edmonton) Sun tried to hire a Calgarian to take over Donna Marie Artuso’s column. The candidate declined. Calgarians would think this roughly the equivalent of offering a job to someone residing in Maui a chance to work in Fork Lift, Manitoba.” ~ Dick MacLean 1992 “Do you realize how much of your day is eaten up by being nice? Our time management studies show that courtesy costs you 1.3 hours per day. That’s almost 500 hours a year or the equivalent of more than 12 work weeks every year!” ~ Dale Dauten The Corporate Curmudgeon 1993 Tom Peters “…walks around the room, arms flailing, brow sweating, voice hoarse, urging those in the chairs around him to nuke hierarchy and thrive on chaos.” ~ Paul Near Business Difficulty Management 1994 “Governments do not create wealth; investers do.” ~ Bill Pidruchney Tycoons and Tenderfeet (debut) 1995 “Riverview Rotary has sort of adopted Norwood Elementary School to be the beneficiary of many of its good deeds, and Sandra Woitas wants the members—unsung heroes—to get the attention they deserve. Sandra, the new principal of the 1908 inner city school, is trying to forge strong links with business…” ~ Barb Deters Hot Flashes 1996
with Mark & Marty
“Vancouver’s bellowing (Senator) Pat Carney is starting to get to me. After hearing all the hot air wafting over the Rockies, I now think BC stands for Bitching and Complaining.” ~ Muggsy Forbes Funny Pompous & Unfair 1997 “The news of the merger of Edmonton-based TELUS Corporation with BCTel should be seen as good news for Edmonton… While the registered head office will be in Burnaby, we’ve been assured most of the executive functions will remain here.” ~ Dr James Murray Smart City 1998 “Reverend George Podtapa… tells the story of once giving his service in a church in rural Manitoba where some of the young altar boys had filled the ‘smoking thing’ (read incense burner) with marijuana. They had one of the happier services that Sunday.” ~ Muggsy Forbes Funny Pompous & Unfair 1999 “They’ve had accolades from around the world, now finally on home turf. The Islet Transplantation team, appearing this month on our cover, was heralded for its breakthrough in diabetes…” ASTech Awards photo feature 2000 “We eventually outgrow our beliefs in Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and Easter Bunny. One myth that never seems to get exposed as a financial fraud is the new economy.” ~ Ron Hiebert Making Money 2001 Russ Matichuk, co-chair, Information, Communications & Electronic Technologies Alliance: “While we have real strength in people and no shortage of innovation—we have 8300 companies in ICT in Alberta—we don’t have venture entities within our own province.” ~ Gary Slywchuk Tech Industry Cover Story 2002
2005 “Somewhere in between the retail reality of big box stores and re-invented malls and the search for peace, our downtown has begun an ascendancy that will see the wildly livable and successful streetscape become part of the City of Edmonton.” ~ Drake McHugh Billion Dollar Boom 2004 “Edmontonians presents a comparison— somewhat irreverent, but without malice—of the temperaments of the declared (PC leadership) candidates to the strong suits of various popular breeds of dogs. We leave it to cardcarrying Progressive Conservative members to determine who will assume the alpha position.” ~ Les Brost Best in Show Cover Story 2006 “A bright light for Edmonton apparently is the healthy quantity of companies with an academic bent… As well, it’s 2007 home to an increasing number of serial entrepreneurs who are starting new companies—like Bruce Johnson formerly of Intuit—and choosing to stay here.” ~ Sharon MacLean Think you can dance with a venture capitalist? 2008
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y digestive system
took a few days to recover. Beans and egg sandwiches loaded with onions will do that. Why? Our team, Mattie’s Mafia was defeated by Hogan’s Heroes at this year’s Steak or Beans golf tournament—a fantastic tradition in our city. When Victoria Golf Course head pro Kevin Hogan called me to participate in the 16th annual, I couldn’t say yes fast enough. It’s Kevin and his team of Heroes vs. Mattao Piscopo and his Mafia. The winning team gets steak served in an elegant setting… the losers get beans slopped on their plates and egg sandwiches thrown at their heads. The Victoria Golf Course regulars all gather for what must be the last golf tournament of the season. I recall playing this event in cold, cold temps. But, the weather this year was spectacular, although it did get a little nippy… good to have a flask of scotch in the bag. There were 10 of us on each hole. Best ball. Every green was a surprise—with some holes half the size and ridiculous pin placements. The entire day came down to a putt off. We all watched as the rat bastards from Hogan’s Heroes sunk the putt. Maybe next year… in the meantime, thank God for Gaviscon.
What a pleasure to get invited to the Enterprise Ireland luncheon… thanks to Doodie Cahill. The guest of honour was Deputy Prime Minister of Ireland Mary Coughlan, here as part of a trade mission around North America. In a
“The dedication of the TransALta Arts Barns on the Fringe site was a first class affair and, as barns go, the facility is very impressive.” ~ Muggsy Forbes Funny Pompous & Unfair 2003
EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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expected,” says editor Barb Deters. nutshell, she told us that Ireland is not “The ability to communicate with ease, looking to Alberta for bricks and regardless of location, keeps the door mortar… but for minds, technology and open for us to engage Drake’s talent innovation. “If Alberta businesses need when we know he would be solutions, I bet my bottom dollar that the best writer for a particular we will have it in story,” suggests publisher Ireland.” Sharon MacLean. A highlight at the Both Drake and his SO lunch was when Colm Denise Carpenter, who O’Carroll donated joins the Canadian Nuclear $43,000 to the U of A Association as president for the Wild Geese and CEO in late Endowment Fund. The ghlan Mary Cou ie Cahill November, are originally fund was born at the 2nd and Dood from Ontario Annual St. Patrick’s Day and have Ball to raise over $250,000 family there. to help Edmonton students Their new study in Ireland. Colm is home is across president of the Ireland-Canada the road from Chamber of Commerce the Rideau Edmonton which created the River. Having fund to get in on it, go to the Drake M long ago canoed next ball in March. cHugh the length of the www.iccced.com Mackenzie River, Drake is seriously My new band Uncle Fester considering taking advantage of played the Royal Glenora Club— proximity to the waterway. “Kayaking, President’s Ball in mid-October, a little rock, some country and some old school perhaps… if I can teach Shakespeare to stay in the boat,” he muses. Controlling soul. A fine crowd turned out to say the large pup, a Golden Doodle, will be thank you to outgoing president Dr. a challenge. Drake will also be honing Scott Paterson. Under his watch, the club engaged in a major renovation. The his French, and continue providing media training services to Allan Bonner new pool, a year-round facility, is well Communications. underway. The plans look fantastic. The The couple has been féted at incoming president, Bill Patrick has numerous lunches, dinners and parties. taken on the reins. From a band perspective, the ballroom Denise plans to return for the gala opening of the Art Gallery of Alberta in at the Glenora is a great room to play… January. She’s renowned for her look forward to firing up Uncle Fester commitment to the arts and education. there again. Her fundraising prowess will be greatly missed—as will Drake’s wit and Ottawa bound…. Long-time Edmontonians’ feature writer and former wisdom. √ editor Drake McHugh is leaving River Mark Scholz, owner of MES City. The freelance journalist could always be counted on to dig deep for the Communications Inc. offers a variety of services including production, creative facts and nuances that made for and entertainment. For more interesting reading. “He put a special information or to suggest a story idea, spin on everything… every piece he email mscholz@edmontonians.com submitted included an angle we hadn’t
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s mentioned in my
Edmontonians column last month, the family and I did a little jaunt over to Europe, and I’m happy to report it was an amazing adventure. Spain was a kick, Italy a land of extremes, and Cannes, France is a playground for the rich and famous. We flew over/into Germany twice and it looks like a beautiful country. I hope to explore it next. One of the highlights of the trip for me was Portofino, Italy, which is right out of a movie set with water so clean you can see to the very bottom of the sea in the harbour. As well, going through the catacombs of the building that houses the bodies of all the former Popes was an amazing experience. Hundreds of us quietly and respectfully walked past each of the former Popes dating back thousands of years. And, being in front of the amazing Coliseum in Rome is simply mind blowing as you realize this magnificent structure was built in 55 AD and, for the most part, is still standing. Considering wars and weather, you’d think it would have been dust long ago. Ironically, the biggest damage was done when materials were ‘repurposed’ for the Vatican several hundred years ago. A must see. I actually sent a picture to Edmonton Oilers’ President Patrick LaForge to give him a few ideas for the new arena. A few tips if you’re heading overseas: Phone your bank and credit card companies and inform them where you will be traveling abroad or you will have trouble accessing cash in the ATMs. Banks track strange usage of your cards and when they see expenditures in lands far away, I can guarantee you’ll get a call. And, for that safeguard, I thank CIBC. Learn how to pickpocket-proof yourself. It’s a huge problem overseas. Carry as little as you can; use your front pants pockets; and, above all, never leave your passport out in the open. Forget European coffee: It’s like ESSO 10/ 40 weight oil. A grandé at Starbucks was 2,8 Euros which means you’re paying about $4.00 for a cup of coffee. Gas is virtually double our cost per litre. Driving in Europe’s main cities is crazy: no lines on the roads…no speed limits. Somehow, locals maneuver through the clogged streets.
Scooters make up one-in-four vehicles, whipping in and out of lanes and between cars all the time. Naples, especially, is insane. Enjoy the culture and history. It’s immense.
Now, I’m sure many of you have seen the new structure rising on the Northlands property. The Edmonton EXPO Centre will offer 500,000-square feet of integrated, contiguous trade and consumer show space and high caliber conference and catering facilities. This expansion will enable Northlands to attract even bigger class events to our city. Nearly four million people visit the grounds throughout the year. It will certainly up that count and add to the more than 2,500 events held annually at Northlands. “It’s been a long process getting to this day since we first broke ground on the Edmonton EXPO Centre in February 2007,” said Ken Knowles, president of Northlands. “With the doors finally opening this December, Northlands will soon be able to compete for some of the largest trade shows and conferences in the world.” It’s a welcome replacement for the old Sportex, and I look forward to seeing the EXPO Centre completed. The first event will be The Roar of the Rings to determine Canada’s curling team for the 2010 Olympics.
A few media notes... First, congrats to John Yerxa and the staff at Hot 107 FM. John is taking on the big guys as a stand-alone operator, running the only locally owned and operated station in Edmonton. Second, CISN’s Bruce Bowie did his annual “live in a dumpster” stint in October, enduring some of the most brutal weather this fall. No doubt, it warmed his heart to have raised another $80,000 for the homeless.
The first meeting of our Grassroots Advisory Group to the Alberta Research Council was a huge success. I’m sure you’ll be seeing/reading/hearing more from the media about this amazing organization in the coming months. Guests enjoyed a tour of the building, a presentation by the ARC’s distinguished and dedicated scientists and a spectacular dinner. Each table presented some ideas on how to get the word out to the rest of the world on the work of the Alberta Research Council. Suffice to say, once you go through this facility at Edmonton Research Park, you realize the scope of study—virtually every inch of Alberta and its resources is being assessed and improved. Our children’s children will benefit from the work being done today for tomorrow. √ Marty Forbes is the recently retired VP and general manager of The Bear, EZRock and The TEAM 1260 Sports Radio. Contact marty@edmontonians.com
EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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CELEBRATING
20
Poll
STATION
YEARS
With Linda Banister
FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN
Vol. XX
NOVEMBER 2009 No. 11
L
SHARON MacLEAN Publisher and Advertising Director Telephone: 780.482.7000 Fax: 780.488.9317 e-mail: info@edmontonians.com edmontonians.com
INSIDE CELEBRATING 20 YEARS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
ook into any living room or family room and you will most likely find a TV. To be honest, you can probably find one in other rooms as well. Good or bad, for most of us, watching TV is part of our daily routine. This month, we asked Edmontonians about their TV viewing patterns. Canada will switch to all digital TV, requiring analog TV users to buy a converter for viewing. Three respondents indicated they were aware, while one was unaware, and one was unsure.
HOW MANY HOURS PER WEEK DO YOU WATCH TV… AND WHEN?
VOX POP Mark Scholz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Marty Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
NOT AN INNOCENT BYSTANDER Horse Sense/Brost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
DO YOU OWN A PVR/DVR? Percent
POLL STATION TV Viewing/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
SIZZLING IN THE CITY Stoppler/Rayner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Reported they didn’t watch TV at all
CIVIC BUZZ Air Travel/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
PHOTO FEATURE ADF Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8-9 VISIONARIES Rusnak/Gazin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Edmonton Research Park/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Briefs/Croucher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Social Media 101/Schwabe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 LIVELY LIFESTYLES Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 BARB DETERS Editor
editor@edmontonians.com COLUMNISTS Linda Banister John Berry Linda Bodo Les Brost Marty Forbes Bruce Hogle David Norwood Erin Rayner Mark Scholz Walter Schwabe Nizar J. Somji FEATURE WRITERS NJ Brown Cheryl Croucher Barb Deters Greg Gazin Marg. Pullishy PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris Barrett Doug Barrett Terry Bourque Cheryl Croucher Fred Katz Anita Robicheau SPECIAL PROJECTS Edmontonians Transformers Tom Bradshaw Les Brost Steffany Hanlen Dr. Larry Ohlhauser GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc.
THIS MONTH’S COVER
15%
Reported watching between 1 - 3 hours
Reported Reported Reported watching between watching between watching between 4 - 7 hours 15 - 20 hours 8 - 14 hours
Reported watching more than 20+ hours
To begin the survey, respondents were asked how many hours they spent watching TV in any given week. Over one-quarter (26 percent) spent between eight and 14 hours watching TV per week, while 24 percent spent four to seven hours, and 23 percent spent 15 to 20 hours. Fifteen percent watched more than 20 hours per week, seven percent watched between one and three hours, and five percent watched no TV. TV viewers were then asked what time of day they watched. Most (more than 60 percent) indicated they watched TV in the evenings (4:30 pm to 10:59 pm). Thirteen percent watched late night television (11:00 pm to 5:59 am), while 12 percent watched during the day (9:00 am to 4:29 pm), and eight percent watched in the morning (6am to 8:59am). On weekends, respondents were most likely to watch TV during the evening (61 percent), followed by daytime (35 percent), late night (10 percent) and morning (10 percent). Eighteen percent were unable to provide a response.
TO WHAT TV SERVICE DO YOU SUBSCRIBE?
80%
Respondents who subscribed to satellite or cable were asked if they owned a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) or Digital Video Recorder (DVR). Forty-eight percent indicated they did, while 51 percent did not. Those who did were then asked how often they used it. One-third said they used it daily, 26 percent used it weekly, another 26 percent used it monthly, and 16 percent reported they never used their PVR/DVRs.
DO YOU SKIP COMMERCIALS? Advertisers are concerned that people are no longer watching commercials, either through fast forwarding using a PVR/DVR or changing channels. We asked all TV watchers if they ever skipped commercials. Sixty-two percent indicated they did, 27 percent reported they did not, and 11 percent said sometimes. Respondents were then asked if they are specific types of commercials they are more likely to watch. While 56 percent indicated no, 42 percent indicated they were likely to watch specific types of commercials. When asked to specify, respondents most frequently mentioned funny/humourous commercials (23 percent), followed by car commercials (five percent), beer commercials (four percent), and those featuring children (four percent). Finally, respondents were asked if they were more likely to watch commercials during a special television program, such as the Superbowl. The majority (56 percent) of respondents indicated no. Of the 37 percent that indicated yes, 13 percent watch commercials during the Superbowl, and five percent during any sporting event. Five percent stated commercials are better during any special programs. √
Percent
POWER OF PASSION Woitas and Menczel/Brown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
23%
7%
5%
MEDIA MINUTE Irony/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
26%
24%
Monthly Poll Station Online Question Visit www.edmontonians.com to register your opinion
15%
Want a question included in the Edmontonians Poll?
5% Reported they subscribed to cable TV
Reported they subscribed to satellite TV
Contact Linda at 780.451.4444 or e-mail lbanister@edmontonians.com.
Reported they had analog TV (antenna)
Next respondents were asked what type of TV signal they received. Eighty percent indicated cable TV, while 15 percent subscribed to satellite TV, and five percent had analog (antenna) TV. Analog TV users were asked if they were aware that, as of August 31, 2011,
Linda Banister is a certified management consultant and the owner of Banister Research and Consulting Inc., a full service provider of market research and program evaluation services. Visit www.banister.ab.ca.
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EEDC’s Candace Brimsmead at the Advanced Technology Centre Published by 399620 Alberta Ltd. on the first day of each month at C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th Street Edmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8. ©All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted or reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Manuscripts: must be accompanied by a stamped, selfaddressed envelope. Edmontonians is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. All stories Copyright ©Edmontonians Publications Mail Agreement No. 40023292 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Circulation Department C-100 Park Side Tower, 8920-100th Street Edmonton AB CA T6E 4Y8 Email: info@edmontonians.com
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www.suddenlyslimmerdayspa.com EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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an innocent N otBYSTANDER By Les Brost
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t’s surprising how much we can learn about working with humans from spending time with animals. Many of the concepts I’ve used as a school trustee, business consultant and coach come from insights gained during my ranching years. One lovely spring morning during calving time, I was in hot pursuit of a runaway cow. I threw caution and common sense to the winds and forced my grand old cowhorse Duke down the face of a slippery coulee against his better judgment. He slipped and fell on frozen ground. We ended up in separate bruised heaps at the bottom of the coulee while the cow hot-footed it out of sight. Fortunately, neither Duke nor I was seriously hurt. However, Duke lost confidence both in my judgment and his own agility, and was never again quite the same horse when it came to riding headlong down the coulees. Duke helped me grasp two huge lessons. Lesson # 1 was that you can drive a willing horse too far. Lesson #2 was that one should never put a creature in a position where you know it is likely to fail. I thought of those insights as I contemplated one of the hot-button issues stirring public opinion across Alberta,
Horse sense
especially here in the Capital Region. That issue is the planned closure of the psychiatric beds at Alberta Hospital. In August, the provincial government announced its intention to close 250 beds at the northeast Edmonton hospital, transferring those patients to beds in community-based facilities. That announcement led to a storm of protest from people across Alberta, including doctors, mental health experts and former Alberta Hospital patients. They pointed to the value of the unique co-location of specialties associated with the treatment of mental illness provided by Alberta Hospital. Few, if any, public voices supported the proposal and the opposition gathered steam. The pressure finally forced the usual kind of political response from the government: the formation of a committee to study and advise on the implementation of the planned closures. I have a hunch that Duke’s lessons will come in handy for this advisory committee. Lesson #1—that you can drive a willing horse too far—is absolutely spot-on. Stretched beyond capacity by current caseloads, urban community-based hospitals face funding cuts to their upcoming budgets. Underutilized hospitals in rural Alberta do
not have the specialized support resources to deal with mental illness. The community volunteer sector supporting our professional medical community is also stretched to the breaking point. Government’s ongoing propensity to download to the community volunteer sector has overloaded the most willing of organizations. There’s another reality that’s too familiar to Edmontonians. Many of the street people we see every day are living reminders that the system currently in place—including the fully-functioning Alberta Hospital—cannot cope with all of the manifestations of mental illness in our community. What happens when the impact of the fear and confusion following the Alberta Hospital closure hits the vulnerable inevitably living on our streets? Members of the government-appointed implementation committee should next consider Duke’s Lesson #2—that one should never put another creature in a position where you know it will likely fail. This consideration has two elements. There will be a psychological impact on the current patients forced to leave the familiar surroundings of Alberta Hospital. A key element of treating mental illness is a stable environment in which the patient
feels safe. The planned change in environment will add to patient stress. The other element of Duke’s Lesson #2 meriting consideration pertains to this committee’s chances for success. Will the Minister of Health & Wellness take its advice? Is there any prospect of successfully implementing the government plan? Who will be publicly accountable for issues arising from the implementation? What is the government’s real purpose in striking this committee? Will this committee be able to calm the waters of community concern? As they begin their work, I hope that members are mindful of Duke’s Lessons. I’ve learned that a little horse sense goes a long way. √ Les Brost is the head of Southern Star Communications, a member of the University of Alberta Senate, and Edmontonians Transformer, and a keen observer of the world around us. lbrost@edmontonians.com
with Erin Rayner
T
his year hasn’t been an easy year. I’ve lived through recessions as a child and saw the impact they had on my dad and the family HVAC business. Now that I’m an adult with my own business, the word “downturn” gives a whole new perspective. And I’m not alone. It seems at every turn I hear another entrepreneur talking about how stressful the past 12 months have been. Having to cut costs and implement layoffs is not a great place to be when you’re a business owner. Carrying a loss or just barely breaking even is the equivalent of economic and corporate whiplash after the break-neck pace of the previous three to five years. I’ve also heard the same stressed entrepreneurs putting this time to good use by re-acquainting themselves with big dreams and planning for the future. For many, it is a chance to re-focus and evaluate ways to prepare for the next opportunity for growth and an economic upturn. As president and COO of Executrade, an Edmonton-based recruiting firm, Scott Stoppler falls firmly into this group. He and I caught up when he was a few hours away from a Hawaiian vacation with his wife Megan and their two-year-old son, Sloan. I asked how his life had changed since he was chosen an Edmontonians Sizzling Twenty under 30 in 2005. He quipped, “My hair line is still holding up.” All kidding aside, it’s been busy for this proud 32-year-old Sizzler. Along with becoming a father, he completed the succession of the family business and moved from a vice-president, recruiter and manager to president, COO and sole shareholder.
Scott Stoppler with son Sloan.
Not surprisingly, Executrade had seen steady growth with a record setting year in 2008. When I asked about the impact 2009 has had on the company, Scott’s dream-big, coach-in-the-locker-room attitude was front and centre. “2008 was a record year in revenue, number of employees, new vertical markets and margins. We entered this downturn in a very strong position, which has allowed us the chance to stay strong.” In anticipation of an eventual upturn in the market, there have been no layoffs. “I’d rather be a little over-staffed in the short term than break up the team.” In researching this piece, I had the chance to read some of Scott’s writing in
Executrade’s newsletter Boom! His passion for and commitment to the Edmonton community was evident in articles about corporate social responsibility and his various volunteer positions. He has been active on the board of directors for the ABC Headstart program and was recently invited to join the Alberta chapter of YPO—the Young Presidents Organization—and to serve on its executive. This optimism and focus on attitude was even evident in the 2005 Sizzler profile. Back then, Scott mentioned he’d begun writing a book focused on being the master of one’s destiny, so I had to ask: Is it published? Where can I get a copy? The
book is 95 percent complete with the last five percent a mantra in Scott’s mind, but not quite ready to be published. Even the most optimistic, energetic entrepreneurs have projects that take a little longer than anticipated. Scott and I discussed the importance of this downturn to our generation. Throughout our adult lives, we’ve generally seen growth and opportunity to the point that we ignore the possibility that hard times happen. “Hard times” were exaggerated experiences recounted by our parents. We are the most technologically savvy, highly educated generation ever and yet we have the shortest attention spans. Given the expectation of holding down up to five careers in our lifetimes, we are often labeled fickle and criticized for our work ethic and making a work-life balance our priority. Nonetheless, the world is our oyster and we believe we can make it a better, more wholesome place to live. This downturn gives us the chance to explore and expand our knowledge and abilities—if we can embrace the idea that Zig Ziglar coined so well: “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” My generation will come out the other side of this downturn better entrepreneurs, better employees and better members of the community… much more appreciative and understanding of the entrepreneurs who came before. √ Erin Rayner is president of ED Marketing and Communications Inc. Contact erayner@edmontonians.com
EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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edia Minute with Bruce Hogle
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How ironic:
saboteur turns strategist his is the month when
we remember former and current members of the military who have paid the supreme sacrifice in time of war and peace keeping missions. Over 100,000 young Canadian men and women have been killed and 200,000 wounded in the two World Wars, the Korean conflict and Afghanistan. That special place in our hearts for the military is especially true in Northern Alberta, given the existence of military bases in Edmonton, Wainwright and Cold Lake. The same heartfelt appreciation is also applicable to those in law enforcement who have been killed or wounded in the line of duty. Who, for example, will ever forget the brutal murders of those four young Mayerthorpe/Whitecourt Mounties – the worst massacre in RCMP history? That’s why I find it somewhat disturbing and ironic to see the Calgary Herald front page treatment accorded Wiebo Ludwig for his talks last month with Alberta RCMP officers, regarding strategy to deal with whoever is bombing EnCana Corp. properties in northeastern B.C. This is the same Wiebo Ludwig who was found guilty in 1998 of five oilpatch vandalism related charges, and was released from prison after serving two-
thirds of his 28-month sentence. After each day of that trial, the oilpatch bomber and sometimes his counsel Paul Moreau entertained the media with their take on the day’s proceedings. The presiding judge Mr. Justice Sterling Sanderman was obviously unhappy, stating: “They were putting their spin on what happened that day.” He added, “People lose faith in the system… because they have been deceived. Not by the court. They have been deceived by comments made outside the body of the courtroom, and the administration of justice suffers greatly because of this deception.” That’s one aspect of Ludwig which Mounties of today may not remember as this crime happened over 10 years ago.
The same is true with the shooting death June 20, 1999 of 16-year-old Karman Willis of Beaverlodge, and the wounding of one of the other seven teens, who were joyriding in two trucks on Ludwig’s farm property near Hythe. The teens rushed to a hospital where Karman died. A decade later, no one has been charged with that fatal shooting. In recalling that incident at a time when Ludwig initially failed to recover the .30-30 hunting rifle police believe was used to kill Karman, former Edmonton Journal legal affairs writer Gordon Kent reported on the 911 call that Ludwig made to police after the shooting. On June 20, 2001, he
wrote: “Ludwig told police the teens had been driving all over his property and shots had been fired into the trucks to mark them so they could later be identified. None of the Ludwigs admitted to the shooting. The .30-30 was found partially concealed in the wall of a sheep and goat barn along with eight bullets. In an affidavit, RCMP Cpl. Curtis Zablocki says this is all key evidence in the case because forensic tests indicate the rifle was used to shoot the two teenagers.” So, in reading that Calgary Herald story about Ludwig’s desire to assist Alberta RCMP in developing a strategy to nab the culprits bombing EnCana properties, it occurred to me: Why don’t they also ask him to assist them in developing a strategy to find Karman’s killer? That would finally bring closure to the Willis family who will observe Christmas for the eleventh year… without their beloved daughter. √ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and retired head of the Alberta Press Council. Contact bhogle@edmontonians.com
Best air service C ivic Buzz with David Norwood
IN OUR HISTORY
W
hile Edmonton
International Airport has been affected by the global economic downturn, like virtually every other airport worldwide, it hasn’t suffered as much as most. Passenger traffic is expected to drop about five percent by the end of this year, compared with 8.9 percent in Vancouver, 6.4 percent in Toronto, and 5.6 percent in Montreal, according to the DBRS debt rating agency. The report goes on to say that most airports have coped with the decrease by deferring capital projects, freezing hiring, and imposing fee increases. The exception, notes the agency, is Edmonton, where terminal expansion is ramping up. Among other projects, construction has begun on the new control and office tower. A striking design from Cohos Evamy architect Stephen Boyd, the tower is meant to reflect “prairie winds and snowdrifts”— features familiar to all Edmontonians. The tower, which has won near unanimous praise for its design, will almost certainly be iconic and provide a visually arresting sight to passengers arriving in Edmonton. It also has been designed with environmental and sustainability concerns in mind, such that the sculpted design is not only aesthetically pleasing but energy efficient as well. There is no doubt that the tower will be identified with Edmonton, in a positive, exciting way.
Other air service updates: Despite the slight drop in passenger traffic, Continental Airlines re-launched its nonstop Edmonton-Houston service on November 1st, using Boeing 737-500 aircraft. This is a welcome return: Edmonton-Nisku-Leduc and Houston are major petroleum-related service hubs; many companies have operations in both locations. As well, Houston—the world’s 16th busiest and North America’s 8th busiest airport with 43.176 million passengers in 2008—is a major hub connecting with Mexico, and Central and South American destinations.
With Mexicana Airlines becoming a A welcome upgrade is the replacement of member of the OneWorld Alliance Air Canada Jazz aircraft on the (British Airways, American Airlines, Edmonton-Los Angeles route with Cathay Pacific, Iberia and Japan Airlines “mainline” Air Canada equipment. An among others), Edmonton now has Embraer E190 aircraft is flying the route as of November 1st. This is nothing against Air connections through Mexico City to other Canada Jazz, by the way; it’s simply that the destinations on those partner airlines. Like Continental Airlines from Houston, traffic load consistently demanded a larger aircraft, and it’s good to see that Air Canada Mexicana offers connections to many cities in Mexico, and Central and South America has responded accordingly. Both Air from its Mexico City hub. Canada and WestJet now offer non-stop Overall, comparing Edmonton’s air daily services to Los Angeles. WestJet has expanded its winter route and service now with that of even five years ago is an eye-opener. Transborder destinations service offerings, with daily non-stop are more plentiful than ever, and most service to Palm Springs (up from four per routes have multiple daily flights. WestJet week last year), and Phoenix (same as last has indicated that it will likely add more year), and three times weekly to Cancun. It U.S. destinations also offers twice weekly non-stop service to as it acquires Puerto Vallarta, and weekly service more aircraft. to Cabo San wer To e fic Of High on the list Lucas and d an ol nt Co w Ne of desirable Mazatlan. In routes are New March 2010 York/Newark, (delayed Orlando and awaiting the Miami. There arrival of new are also strong aircraft), WestJet hopes that will offer nonAmerican stop flights to Airlines will Maui—its longest return to non-stop route— Edmonton with on an flights to Dallas-Fort Worth. experimental basis Domestic routes remain strong, despite for eight weeks. If demand meets reductions in capacity. Europe commands a expectations, the service will be expanded. Air Transat is offering seasonal non-stop high priority as well. Air Canada’s daily flights to London Heathrow are being flights to Liberia, Costa Rica (new this reduced to four flights a week for the winter year), Varadero, Punta Cana, Cancun, and Puerto Vallarta. Sunwing Airlines will offer season. Frankfurt is perhaps the highest priority after London (Air Transat will offer Las Vegas, Varadero, Cancun and Puerto seasonal non-stops in 2010), but Amsterdam Vallarta destinations to Edmontonians this is also an important destination for many. winter. Other non-stop destinations include Martinair’s twice-weekly flights from Panama City (new, Nolitours), Huatulco Edmonton to that city are sorely missed. (Signature Vacations), Holguin (Skyservice), Montego Bay (Skyservice and Air Canada), Puerto Plata (Skyservice Peter McCart, vice-president of and Air Transat), and Punta Cana (Air marketing and business development for Canada and Skyservice, in addition to Air Edmonton International Airport, pointed out Transat). in a recent guest column on the
Connect2Edmonton website that leakage of passenger traffic to Calgary—people choosing to fly from Calgary rather than Edmonton—remains a significant issue. He noted that while leakage has decreased steadily, from 35 percent to 21 percent from 2005 to the present, between 750,000 and 850,000 potential Edmonton passengers fly from Calgary each year. He writes that, “…this number could support the equivalent of approximately seven daily B767 flights from Edmonton. The lost economic opportunity for the citizens and businesses of Edmonton is huge and we are essentially giving away our non-stop air service seats to Calgary!” McCart concludes, “Edmonton is enjoying the best air service in its history, but we know there’s even more opportunity for us. It is important to remember that every time you fly you vote for air service in a community—we want you to vote for Edmonton. During tough economic times Edmontonians choosing to support the airlines that have made the decision to serve our community is more critical than ever, as airlines will go where they can make a profit and where they are welcomed and supported by the community. In other words for airlines to choose Edmonton... Edmontonians must first choose our airlines.” (The full column is available at http://connect2edmonton.ca/forum/showthre ad.php?t=14711) This is the best possible argument for supporting carriers such as Continental and Mexicana, as well as all other carriers offering non-stop flights from Edmonton. It really is the clichéd “use it or lose it” strategy. I know this column generally preaches to the converted (to use another cliché), but it’s important. Spread the word and take it seriously. √ David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor. Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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Sandra Woitas and Tom Menczel Photos by Terry Bourque
To have and to hold
...in education, art and life
By NJ Brown
T
uesday morning, and I’m barely alert. I approach John A. McDougall School and try to pep talk myself into a slightly more conscious state. No luck—it’s cold and foggy and damp and I’d rather be in bed. But, an earlymorning interview beckons. Today’s subjects: husband and wife Tom Menczel and Sandra Woitas. I step into the school and, within moments, Woitas approaches me, greets me warmly and ushers me into her office. Menczel soon joins us and Woitas facilitates a stream of friendly chatter as she arranges three chairs around a small table, smoothes the table cloth and offers us water. I take my seat and start my tape recorder. And that’s all it takes— with one push of the “record” button, I’m wide awake. Lethargy is simply no match for the vitality and enthusiasm of this couple. For the next hour, we talk about everything from education, art and communities to careers, relationships and childhood memories. And the room is, quite literally, infused with energy. It doesn’t take long to figure out that this “all-out” energetic approach to life
is a key ingredient in Menczel and Woitas’ success—both as individuals and as a couple. As Woitas talks about her current focus as director of the newly established Edmonton Public Schools Foundation, her passion is palpable. “There are so many terrific things happening in schools across this city,” she says, “and I’m so excited about this opportunity to raise the profile of public schools.” The foundation’s major goal is “to provide district-wide support to schools by offering community members the opportunity to support teaching and learning through financial and in-kind contributions.” Read: Edmonton Public is moving into serious fund-raising for schools. It became an official entity on September 1st of this year. As Woitas puts it, the foundation will “advocate for public education and work to build a groundswell of support for public schools.” This promises to be a challenge, considering that “70 percent of tax payers who pay public school taxes don’t actually have children in our public schools.” Not everyone is going to agree with
schools hosting gaming fundraisers and big ticket special events in a tight market. Nevertheless, as Woitas points out, we all have a stake in education— and we all have a vested interest in ensuring that the children in our communities receive the best educational experience possible. So this is a challenge that she welcomes and for which she is totally prepared. Today’s realities, however, call for a new approach to mustering support: “The bulk of our energies are going into what we call social-engagement strategy. We’re looking at how to use social media. We’re looking at bringing together small groups of people, average people, in social settings and simply talking to them about public schools. We’re looking at having our students share their personal stories. In essence, we need to build that groundswell of support one individual at a time, tapping into the natural social networks that exist in our communities.” When I ask Woitas what led her to this point in her career, it becomes glaringly apparent why the foundation chose her as its director. “I’ve been an
educator for 29 years now,” Woitas recounts, “and I’ve been involved with Edmonton public since 1980. I’ve done stints as a special ed. teacher, a school counselor, and a consultant. I’ve been involved with HR staffing and recruitment and I’ve been a principal. I also led an initiative called the City Centre Education Project. For a time, I was with Alberta Education and the Alberta Mental Health board. Now, after a four-and-a-half-year detour, I’m back with the district. So I understand what goes on in schools. And I understand what it takes to run schools.” Woitas is renowned, by the way, for engaging business and corporations in contributing to her projects. She started raising private dollars for her inner city school playground years ago. Her efforts don’t go unnoticed: She joined the ranks of the UofA’s Distinguished Alumni in September… was a Global “Woman of Vision” in 2006… was named one of Edmonton’s “Top 100 Citizens” in 2005… and has received numerous awards for her community involvement—but she doesn’t mention any of this. Continued on page 10
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…”Food is not merely something we eat…eating is life. Each time we eat, the soul continues its earthly journey. With every morsel of food swallowed, a voice says, “I choose life...” -Grace by Honorary Chair Lynn Mandel October 17, 2009
A Night to Remember for the Alberta Diabetes Institute was true to its theme. The annual gala at The Westin was attended by 300 supporters who opened their hearts and their wallets to make it a memorable evening. The net proceeds from the live and silent auctions as well as special donations were $180,000— up roughly $30,000 from last year.
Long time volunteers Vicky Shultz and Garney Henley check out the Smart Car from Weber Motors. It’s being raffled off and the winning ticket will be drawn at the ADF golf tournament in June.
Photos by Chris Barrett, Doug Barrett and Anita Robicheau of Barrett Trulives Photography
Denise Cantor picked up her gown and scarf at boutiques in Toronto’s Royal York. She compared fashion notes with the ever chic Lynn Mandel. “Stephen is the shopper in our family,” says the Mayor’s Missus.
Fitness buff Gordon Reykdal and investment entrepreneur Bruce Hull, chair of the ADF. Hull convinced Reykdal to create the Freedom Run for his employees to raise $100,000 for the Institute.
In May, Shauna Desjarlais lost her 42-year old husband, Roy, to juvenile diabetes. She says his only wish was “to live his life for 24 hours without diabetes.” Shauna, a mother of three, graduated in dietary technology at NAIT and became a journeyman baker. She then joined Costco as an inventory auditor which allowed her to devote more time to Roy’s care. Sadly, Roy never got to have his wish fulfilled.
The gent in the yellow kilt entertained the folks at the Edmonton Airports table who came out in full force.
Art Langner, who runs the local Nortrux dealership, gazes fondly at wife JoAnn, who heads the Alberta Diabetes Institute. Under her leadership, the world-class diabetes research facility—where Edmonton’s globally renowned research scientists collaborate with clinicians and train students—opened its doors in 2007.
Aaron Moser was joined by Sandra Esposito, a teacher at St. Francis Xavier High School. He is the spirit behind the Aaron Moser Spinal Cord Injury Foundation.
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John and Cathy Chomiak of Hemisphere Engineering paid $1400 to play golf with Mayor Mandel at the Derrick Golf & Country Club. Janet Folk, who recently abandoned retirement to return to Folk Insurance, signaled $22,000 for John’s Charolais beef auction donation… Crystal Graham, a partner with Kasian Architecture matched her.
roy Bonni Gil
Chair Ken Cantor advises Angela Savereaux, ADF event coordinator, that the Cantors will be donating $35,000 for naming rights to a room at the new ADI facility. Jules Germain and Sharon Stefanyk followed suit.
Doug Kleininger of the Winners Organization, and Debbie Shinehoft of DDB Canada.
Dr. John Elliott, who researches Type 1 diabetes, with his wife, Dr. Anne Macdonald, an eye surgeon at the Royal Alex hospital. Fellow scientists, led by Dr. Ray Rajotte, were in Italy to give lectures and chair sessions at an international conference on islet transplant research. Dr. Rajotte presented the prominent Paul Lacy Lecture—named in honour of the pathologist known as the father of islet cell transplants. A video, aired especially for gala guests, underscored the fact that ADI researchers remain at the forefront of the field.
Football coach and provincial court judge Jim Skitsko with his wife, Deb, and Graham Hicks. The Sun’s page six columnist sat by himself at table #13 until Norm and Margaret McDonald forked over $1200 for 10 guests to keep him company.
Board member Lynn Hillaby with Katie Hull
Jamie Hayward of Qualico Developments with Canada Justice tax lawyer Kathleen Lyons
Past Gala Chair Ron Symic dropped $8,000 on the diamond ring for his lady, Betty Prokopczak.
Twins Maria Orydzuk, CTV promotions writer/producer, and Kat Brandon, who appeared in the Re-Vamped reality series on Slice TV, with Mayor Stephen Mandel
Lori and Gordon Reykdal, Chair and CEO of RentCash Canada.
joined by Sandra her at St. Francis ol. He is the spirit Moser Spinal dation.
EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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Continued from page 7 Woitas confesses, however, that there can be a downside to maintaining such an intense focus: “I have an absolute passion for what I do, but that passion can become almost an addiction.” She looks to her husband for confirmation, and Menczel nods his agreement. “I can become absolutely obsessive, and that’s where Tom steps in and puts the brakes on. He works very hard at keeping me healthy; he is my voice of reality, the voice that says ‘Okay, it’s time to come home now.’” Menczel agrees wholeheartedly with Woitas’ description of the dynamic between them, but is also quick to admit that there are times when the “shoe is on the other foot.” Menczel himself is, after all, no stranger to being “swept away.” Having also been an educator for 28 years, he is quite familiar with the phenomenon of being seduced by a cause. “I was a professional actor for a number of years, and taught drama for 24 years,” he says, “and that required a lot of extra-curricular involvement. And there were certainly times when Sandra had to reign me in. But it was great; we also had opportunities to work together in the schools—through performances and lunch programs and
various projects. It’s always great when you mural can be seen from the LRT and the walking path that winds through the can give kids something positive that they neighbourhood. When Menczel talks about will still remember and talk about even the project, it is not only his enthusiasm that years after they’ve graduated—something is evident—his gratitude for the opportunity that sparks their imaginations and inspires to touch communities them to really get involved.” directly through his art is During his last four years as a also apparent. teacher, Menczel The personal passions began to prepare of Woitas and Menczel for retirement and are a common thread shifted his focus to throughout their art of a different respective histories. In kind: painting. And fact, the couple, who here, too, he has were married in 1978, been able to put his met at a cast party passion to work for when Menczel was communities. As one performing at of the artists chosen to Playground Players work on the Boylefor the city of McCauley Edmonton and neighbourhood Woitas was revitalization project, he working for the is responsible for the s a Woit atz City as a summer creation of the LaFarge Sandra K ed Fr student with the mural, a 12 by 40-foot Photo by Oliver Social Action depiction of Edmonton’s Committee. Going back even further, historical Soap Box Woitas—who describes herself as “a Derby, which ran annually down serial volunteer”—recalls growing up “ McDougall Hill from 1932 to 1960. The
in a home where both parents volunteered and were active in the community, and it was just a given that you got involved.” And Menczel, who came to Canada from Hungary with his parents when he was seven, remembers using movies as a tool for learning how to speak a new language. The stories Woitas and Menczel share are rich, compelling and plentiful. Alas, it is inevitable that we run out of tape and time. No need to despair. Neither of them has any intention of going into hiding anytime soon. Opportunities to meet and chat with Woitas will undoubtedly be plentiful as the foundation rolls out new initiatives and provides venues for all of us to get involved in the education of current and future generations. And Menczel will most certainly be present at the October 29th official unveiling of the LaFarge mural and future exhibits of his work. (For more information about his art, visit www.tommenczel.com). Of course, if at some point you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit with both Woitas and Menczel in the same place at the same time, that’s a bonus. Just be prepared to be awakened. √
Tom Menczel at his SoapBox Derby mural
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CEO of ENC, Ed Rusnak
Data thieves
defied by ENCRYPTSTICK
By Greg Gazin
I
magine you’re a medical technician and your laptop just got stolen… Imagine the stress over the fact that it contained samples of about a quarter of a million lab tests for reportable and communicable diseases, plus identifiable names and personal health numbers. Even worse, imagine your name is on the list. In June 2009, Alberta Health Services (AHS) reported two physically locked down laptops stolen from a lab at the University Hospital. Within a month, in a separate incident,
private medical files of 11,000 Albertans within AHS were put at risk as a virus intermittently took snapshots of screens of computers that access that data. The information could have been transmitted to locations unknown. These are just two recent locals cases, but the phenomenon is worldwide. The Open Security Foundation’s DataLossDB.org gathers reported information about events involving the loss, theft or exposure of personally identifiable information—the statistics are mind-boggling.
“The loss of data is certainly a major concern for personal privacy, especially in health care, insurance and financial industries. For individuals, identity theft is becoming a more common threat,” states Ed Rusnak, CEO of ENC Security Systems. The company provides solutions to secure and transfer personal and professional data. “Not only can companies be adversely affected, the loss of information can spell ruin for families when banking and personal identity information falls into the hands of criminals.” Typically, most concerns are over the effect of the theft of the actual hardware… but the potential gain on the black market of the selling and actual use of stolen data would far exceed the nominal value of the equipment. The problem isn’t limited to laptops and hacked databases. The proliferation of high capacity, pint-sized data storage devices—USB flash drives, memory sticks or keys, pen drives or thumb drives—increases exposure to data risk and creates a potential goldmine for data thieves. According to the USB Flash Drive Alliance, from 2004 to 2008, the number of units sold rose from 59.5 million to 220 million, and the average capacity increased from 213MB to 1727MB. They can be seen hanging from key chains, belt loops, and lanyards around people’s necks. Too often, they are left unattended, plugged into the USB ports on computers. ”Things will get lost… things will get stolen. It happens every day.” And, while Rusnak can’t help people safeguard devices from physical theft or loss, he can help them protect their data. ENC has developed EncryptStick, an application that turns these low-cost, off-the-shelf flash drives into an affordable, easy-to-use, highly secure data vaults. It prevents virtually any type of file—documents, videos, photos—or passwords from being stolen. “Password protection is not enough. EncryptStick uses powerful 512 bit polymorphic encryption technology, which has never been broken or successfully hacked,” Rusnak proclaims proudly. Encryption converts data into code by use of an algorithm that cannot be converted back or decrypted without a “key”. EncryptStick uses the unique ID or serial number of the flash drive as a part of those 512 bits of information to create that key. This, combined with the user’s password, makes it virtually impossible to be decoded.
SIMPLE STEPS TO DATA SECURITY To get EncryptStick, simply plug a flash drive into a USB port, purchase a license and download the software directly to it (not the host computer). Using the unique registration code, follow the instructions to create a master password. “The password is not stored on ENC’s servers or on the computer. It’s directed to the flash drive and is known to only the user,” stresses Rusnak. To use EncryptStick, plug the flash drive into the USB port. The software runs automatically. When the password is entered, the vaults become visible. Open existing vaults, create new vaults and easily encrypt or decrypt any file by right-clicking and selecting from a drop down menu, or simply dragging and dropping the files into the folders.
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From great muffins
to great minds By Cheryl Croucher
Y
ou’ll find the Edmonton Research Park at the junction of Parsons Road and Karl Clark Road. A linear red and grey building marks the spot. That’s the Advanced Technology Centre where Candace Brinsmead has her office. She is the vice-president of technology advancement with the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation. Brinsmead describes the ATC, built in the 1980s, as “looking like a bunker from the road but it’s actually very cool, still a contemporary looking space. The Advanced Technology Centre was one of the premier buildings and it was designed as an incubator. It’s an award winning architectural wonder.” The ATC currently houses 33 tenants: startup companies with a focus on biotechnology, information and communications technology and energy technology. “We also have Research Centre One which was built in the late 1970s. It’s more for second stage companies. And then, more recently, we’ve added the Biotechnology Business Development Centre to our stable of incubators and it focuses on biotechnology development.” As you wind down Karl Clark Road through the Edmonton Research Park, you’ll pass by a number of buildings which house companies like Micralyne, Schlumberger, C-FER, Syncrude, and Affexa, the company that makes Cold-fx… and then there’s the ill-fated Dell building. Then you curve around a large pond where flocks of Canada geese gather year round, finally ending up at the Alberta Research Council. Just in case you’re wondering who Karl Clark was, he’s the scientist who, in the 1920s, invented the hot water process for separating bitumen from the oilsands, thereby laying the foundation for today’s oilsands industry. His work was among the first projects of the Alberta Research Council. Edmonton Research Park covers a quarter section of land. It was much larger until a few years ago when the City sold off the Park’s reserve on the other side of Parson’s Road. That’s where you’ll now find the shopping complex known as South
Jenni Salonga, incubation development manager; Neil Caarsemaker, manager, Edmonton Research Park; David Riddell, building maintenance assistant; Brian Mycholuk, building operations supervisor; and Candace Brimsmead, vice-president, technology advancement, Edmonton Economic Development Corporation, in the iconic Advanced Technology Centre.
BRIEFS
Photo by Terry Bourque
I
Denise Carpenter Photo by Fred Katz
POWERHOUSE M O V E S T O
O T TA W A
f history is any indication, the Canadian Nuclear Association is about to get booted from obscurity into the limelight. That’s because Denise Carpenter is coming on board as the association’s new president and CEO. No pun intended, but Carpenter is an absolute powerhouse when it comes to getting the message out. This public relations diva honed her skills in the 1980s and 1990s at Palmer Jarvis and Weber Shandwick Worldwide. Since 2003, she’s been the senior vice-president of public and government affairs with EPCOR and, until July, she guided the company through many hot issues. Twice chosen as one of Alberta’s 50 most influential people, Carpenter is now setting her sights on Ottawa. Her task is to build public confidence in one of the most controversial industries in Canada. When asked what someone from a province devoid of nuclear power could possibly bring to the industry, Carpenter replied, “I have a very strong track record of developing and executing really strong strategies for industry. And I also think they may have picked me because I have advocated for almost every fuel source in Canada. So I understand the importance and the regionalization of fuel sources.” Carpenter looks upon the nuclear industry as one that is not well known to Canadians. Nor are its benefits, she says. “The reason people are interested in nuclear energy quite frankly is because it is an emission free method of producing power.” And, what about the public’s concern over nuclear waste? “That’s certainly something I’ m going to want to learn,” says Carpenter. “I certainly
don’t know a lot about it right now, other than the government has put together a commission and there is a body that is working quite aggressively on solving that problem.” Carpenter takes a global view when it comes to the immediate challenges. “The world needs energy… how do you produce energy that people want to consume? I don’t see that people will stop driving their cars or stop heating their homes. The consumption of energy is growing and growing. So how do we do that in a responsible manner as a society? On the other side, there are special interest groups that advocate for and against every energy source. So that’s the challenge. How do you meet the industrial and the residential need for individuals and companies, and at the same time, build bridges with all the special interest groups?” With the current interest in developing nuclear power to supply Alberta’s oilsands development, there’s no doubt the nuclear industry is gearing up for a major campaign. Carpenter will be missed by the many people and organizations she has helped over her years in Edmonton. She’s lent her energies and PR expertise to the arts community and many boards like the Space and Science Centre, to name but a few of her commitments. “I cherish all the relationships that I’ve developed and people I’ve worked with more than I could ever express. And I really cherish the fact that there were a lot of people along the way who taught me a lot: Eric Newell, Jim Carter and George Ward, they were always great mentors. So I think I had the privilege of being mentored by a lot of people in this community.” √ ~ Cheryl Croucher www.cna.ca EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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Edmonton Common. Seems at the time, our City fathers didn’t think this “research and technology stuff” would ever amount to much. But today, not only is Edmonton’s biotechnology cluster taking off, the Research Park is bursting at the seams. According to Brinsmead, “We only have four lots available, and there are negotiations going on for three of those. So yes, we’re going to need to expand fairly soon. And we will be looking to the Southlands to do that.” The Southlands is 85 acres of provincially controlled land immediately south of the Research Park. “Because we see a boom coming in the technology sector, it will be a much more dense area than the Research Park is now,” Brinsmead predicts. “Right now we pretty well have a zoning limit of two floors. We see that we’re probably going to have to go up to eight floors and have fairly dense office and lab space. “We’re also going to have to start initiating conversations with the City and with the Province to look at what we can do to bring rapid transit down here, or at least shore up the mass transit system that we’ve got now.” This is where’s Brinsmead’s enthusiasm really kicks into high gear. She has that gut sense honed by years of experience that this Research Park holds great potential. As an entrepreneur, she ran a company that sold low fat muffins to McDonald’s across Canada, then sold it to a multi-national enterprise. She put her banking experience to good use at the Alberta Research Council where she ran an investment fund worth $6 million. Her supervisor at ARC was Ron Gilbertson, the man who now heads up EEDC. “I respected him as a visionary, and I think he respected the skills that I had that probably executed towards that vision. So when he came over to EEDC, he approached me because they were looking at an expanded role in trying to get technology to market, where the City could play a larger role.” Brinsmead describes the vision for the Edmonton Research Park as a community where great minds mingle and great ideas are born and nurtured into new technologies.
“It will be a very exciting campus of different technologies, different researchers, different minds but with synergies created between the sectors. “So we have a gated community where once you’re in, you’re in a whole different world. We plan on having one restaurant, one fitness area, one daycare centre, one social committee where events are being planned. The idea is the more we can get these minds to socialize… to talk… to exchange ideas… to be able to run across the street if they are thinking about something that might be needed in whatever they are working on. That is the vision, where we’ve got a focused, tightly knit community.”
Edmonton Research Park: “a whole different world” And it doesn’t stop there. The plan is to reach outside the Park by building networks throughout the innovation community across Edmonton, the province, the country, maybe even the world. “It’s a big vision, but it’s totally doable.” One of the immediate projects that Brinsmead is involved in is the new regional alliance between ERP, TEC Edmonton, the National Institute for Nanotechnology, novaNAIT, and NABI, the Northern Alberta Business Incubators. She explains the alliance. “Primarily we create space. The idea is we horse trade. And we will be able to work together, the five of us, to do what’s best for the tenant.” Those tenant needs may be office space, lab space, or services like mentorship, help with commercialization, and so on. But the regional alliance becomes one point of entry for the tenant or inventor who’s trying to move a new concept along the innovation chain. Then comes the second and third layers of the regional alliance. Says Brinsmead, “The second layer, we’re going to get into the product developers, the people who can help scale up. And, at some point, the third level will be
On the
the people who can fund some of these ideas.” The system Brinsmead describes is very much aligned with the new innovation framework introduced this spring by Doug Horner, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. There’s the emphasis on entrepreneurship and technology commercialization, the concierge concept, and the focus on core strengths, energy, health, ICT and biotechnology. Has Edmonton got an what it takes to stand out on the world stage? Brinsmead is confident we do—given the people, facilities and support both public and private. “If you look around the world and look at the major research parks, there are none out there that have the technology or the government support and map that we’ve got. Finland is the only one that I’ve read about so far where there’s actual government involvement and collaboration. “Instead of saying we have to make money from this right off the bat, they are saying create value for us. Create the technologies that are going to create the businesses that are going to succeed and contribute to the city. Create the technologies that are going to save lives. Create the technologies that are going to save our environment.” And you can count on Candace Brinsmead to make sure the Edmonton Research Park will be front and centre in facilitating these breakthroughs. √ www.edmonton.com To hear Cheryl’s conversation with Candace Brinsmead, visit www.innovationanthology.com Cheryl Croucher hosts Innovation Anthology which is broadcast on CKUA Radio at 7:58 am and 4:58 pm Tuesdays and Thursdays. Or download the podcasts at www.innovationanthologyy.com
HORIZON
NOVEMBER
Re-thinking
HEMP Dr. John Wolodko
H
emp was an important industrial material before World War II, but then it was supplanted by the development of petroleum-based products. Sixty years later, hemp is making a comeback as an environment friendly biofibre. The Alberta Research Council has developed a new technology to separate the very long fibres of the hemp plant from its inner core. And according to Dr. John Wolodko, a program leader in the Advanced Materials Group, when these fibres are chopped and formed into a mat, they make a very good substitute for energy intensive glass fibres used to make fiberglass. One potential application for this
hemp fiberglass is in the production of molded automotive parts. Wolodko says, “We’ve been working with a company out of Calgary called Motive Industries who are developing prototype cars for electric vehicles, for example. The big advantage with the hemp material is that it is very light weight compared to fiberglass. So it offers an incredible value in terms of energy savings, as well as reducing the weight of the vehicle, which is of paramount importance for increasing that kind of driving distance for electric vehicles. So it’s a very good fit. “ Wolodko’s group at ARC is also working with a boat manufacturer in the Okanagan to produce hemp fiberglass parts for boats. √ ~ Cheryl Croucher
November 3-4 Western Canadian Function Food and Natural Health Product Network 11th Annual Conference Delta Edmonton South Hotel www.collinsharper.com/wcfn November 3-5 Aboriginal Strategies 2009 Conference Labour, Health, Urban, Families, The North Hosted by Statistics Canada Westin Hotel http://www.statcan.gc.ca/conferences November 5 The Business Link Brown Bag Session Writing For The Web Suite 100, 10237-104 Street 12 -1 pm www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/brownbag.cfm November 4, 18, 25 TEC VenturePrize Business Plan Competition Business Plan Seminars Stollery Business Centre UofA School of Business www.tecedmonton.com November 6 ASTech Awards Gala In Calgary Hyatt Regency Hotel Tickets on sale now www.astech.ab.ca November 17 The Business Link Brown Bag Session
Meaningful Retirement for Family Business Succession Suite 100, 10237-104 Street 12 -1 pm www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/brownbag.cfm November 18 BioAlberta’s 10th Anniversary Gala & AGM Winspear Centre 4 to 8 pm www.bioalberta.com November 24 and 25 InnoWest 2009 Theme: Creating Value Through Innovation Shaw Conference Centre Registration now open www.thecis.ca/innowest November 24 novaNAIT Innovation Speakers Series Pitching Your Product 12 – 1 pm www.novanait.ca November 26 Stem Cell Therapies Hosted by ABCTech and BioAlberta Central Lion’s Seniors Recreation Centre 7 to 9:30 pm www.abctech.ca
DECEMBER December 3 The Business Link Brown Bag Session E-Commerce Applications Suite 100, 10237-104 Street 12-1 pm www.canadabusiness.ab.ca/brownbag.cfm
EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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he age of participation proves too scary for some.
Life is unscripted, uncontrolled and unpredictable—yet government in general proceeds under the premise it can control all things. This unfortunate reality resulted in a lost opportunity for many elected officials and civil servants who didn’t attend ChangeCamp Edmonton, an unconference in mid-October at the UofA’s Lister Hall. More than 150 people participated. Ironically, I was unable to attend due to health, so I relied on real-time information on Twitter for some of the unscripted play-by-play. Chris LaBossiere, a colleague on the organizing committee, was able to provide me with his on-site perspective. “There would have been no better way in Alberta to engage in discussions with citizens yesterday than at ChangeCamp. People contributed easily, and volunteered to lead discussions. The success of the day was based on the individual participants. I was surprised and happy to see such age diversity in the room.” That statement by Chris is supported by pictures posted online. “Many stepped up and pitched new session ideas, we planned 25 and ran 27.” I asked LaBossiere why he thought more politicians or government employees didn’t attend ChangeCamp. He speculated that “Politicians didn’t see this as an opportunity. They didn’t realize that this wasn’t about talking about the past but talking about change.” In response to the same question, Laurie Blakeman, Liberal MLA for Edmonton Centre, said plainly, “You didn’t ask.” This, despite the fact that she and other politicians, including City Councillors Don Iveson and Ben
Social media
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media with Walter Schwabe
Henderson and Liberal Senator Grant Mitchell, were in the room or on the list to attend. Doug Elniski, PC MLA for EdmontonCalder, said he was there because “the more I know about social media the better I feel about using it. People in government have created a reluctance to use social media and I think it’s a symptom of a lack of understanding of what it’s all about. There’s still a belief that social media is this interesting novelty, the government infrastructure has not caught up. The speed of it is remarkable. You can’t manage this like an ad in the newspaper, it’s not static.” I couldn’t agree more. “There’s an old saying in politics,” Elniski chuckled. “The loudest thing you hear in politics is the grinding of the axes.” This was his light-hearted response to my query about whether the tone of the discussion changed when he entered the room at ChangeCamp. “Sure the tone
changed to some degree, but I focused on listening to what other people had to say. The overall flow of the conversations was really good and, for the most part, people followed the rules of engagement. People were building off of the ideas of others.” Blakeman also felt the tone changed with her in the room. “Well, in the first session I attended, I got outed. I made no attempt to engage in the discussion, but was asked direct questions. By the second session, everything was fine.” When asked why she attended ChangeCamp, she replied, “I’m interested in new ways in engaging my constituents. I was there to learn.” Blakeman’s opinion of the unconference structure seemed positive. “It was the selfgenerated structure, people seemed to be less stressed and approached things with an open mind.” Arguably, the most interesting perspective was provided by Andrew
his first venture in the 1970s. For the most part, he worked in the oil and gas sector and related industries. In 1997, the recently divorced Rusnak reconnected with Doris, a former classmate from Vegreville who had been widowed two years earlier. After a few months together in Edmonton, the couple relocated to her home in Pitt Meadows—where the possibility of year-round golf appealed to Rusnak. The reality of a life of leisure soon waned. And, while flash drives are a recent phenomenon, application of encryption technologies is old hat to Rusnak. He soon founded AFI Inc., focusing his efforts on the oil and gas industry where he was the first to design a CSA approved electronic device for remotely monitoring well-heads on remote Northern Alberta sites via satellite. “Our system replaced windup devices on a seven-day clock which was susceptible to things like wet paper and dried up ink and where we waited 60 days for results from a Calgary lab,” Rusnak recalls. At that time, encryption technology was used to ensure the integrity and accuracy of the data transmitted rather than to address an issue of security. After 9/11, that all changed. “We knew that we could encrypt analog and digital data through the unique ID or serial number of the
processor.” Rusnak admitted this direction was inevitable but sold the company in 2003 before being able to implement it. He realized that he could use the same methodology on flash drives as he could with the processors on the remote well head monitors. “Most people were using flash drives for storage. It can be more—and it is.” In 2005, he started ENC and, by late 2006, EncryptStick was ready to roll. Timing couldn’t have been better, but things went sideways. According to Rusnak, a company he did some work for claimed that ENC was using its technology. The time to defeat the public claim “…put us behind two-and-a-half years after we announced the product. NAIT, among others (possible licensees) who were prepared to move forward, had walked away. They had no choice.” Crisis created opportunity: It gave Rusnak time to enhance EncryptStick— adding a password manager to store sensitive log-ins securely… an automatic session time-out for drives left unattended… and protection from common hacking techniques like keystroke-logging. Finally, in May 2009, Rusnak and ENC received a letter of apology and a retraction of the statement and allegations that were made, allowing the official release of EncryptStick to take place. At 69, Rusnak is certainly not ready to
Knack (who, as I write this, is at City Hall announcing his intent to run for councillor in Ward 1). Knack came on my radar after he announced on Twitter that ChangeCamp Edmonton had helped to solidify in his mind that he should run for election in 2010. “When politicians walk in, there’s an aura and perception that they are a little different than the rest. The best thing that I heard were the opinions and ideas that were not my own. I think it’s important to see how ideas can fit within your values. If you’re willing to listen to other people, then the value of an event like ChangeCamp is large. I took a lot away from the event,” explained Knack. “A lot of the group discussion went back to citizen involvement and getting community leagues involved in the process.” Personally, I understand why people in government may be afraid of getting into a dialogue about meaningful topics with everyday citizens in an unscripted format. That still doesn’t remove the point that it’s a shame to miss such a terrific opportunity. ChangeCamp Edmonton is just one positive manifestation of citizen engagement… an interesting format that many believe we need to build on. Folks at all levels of government should realize that despite their fears, citizen influence through the use of social media is growing. Online influence is the new currency and wallets within government will remain empty until politicians and policy-makers engage with the rest of us. √ Walter Schwabe is the Chief Evolution Officer of fusedlogic inc., a social media strategy firm and Alberta company since 2000. You can learn more at www.fusedlogic.com
Continued from page 11 EncryptStick also enables “encryption on the fly”—the ability to edit documents within vaults while the files are encrypted. “And it’s fast. EncryptStick encrypts files at a rate 10 times faster that AES 256 (the federal government encryption standard) and takes up only 4MB of space.” EncryptStick also allows users to maintain anonymity. “You can plug your encrypted flash drive into a public computer; when you remove it, it removes the temporary operating file so there is absolutely no footprint—no evidence of you being on that computer,” says Tim Sperling, President of ENC. And, even if someone were to gain physical access to the encrypted computer or see the vaults, without both the Encrypt-Stick flash drive inserted and the correct password, that information is coded and thus unreadable. ENC anticipated that a flash drive could get lost or become inoperable (perhaps you ran it through the wash). As long as the original drive was registered, replace the flash drive, purchase a new ENC license, and the system will piggyback a new registration key on the old key, allowing access to existing vaults.
ALBERTA ROOTS Born in Vegreville, Rusnak attended Strathcona Composite High School in Edmonton. His entrepreneurial roots sprouted in St. Albert when he started
retire. “I’m having too much fun.” In fact, he’s as energetic as ever. He’s looking at even more ways to add functionality. His team is working on version 4.2 that adds enhancements for Windows 7. Versions for Mac and Linux operating systems are just about done. And while he seems to have come upon a pot of gold, for Ed, it’s not just about the money. “I want to change the entire thinking of the world and to help keep in the forefront of your mind how valuable your data is to you.” That’s why Rusnak has created this revolutionary, yet easy-to-use Encryptstick at an affordable price of $39.99US, while offering free updates for the life of the product. And, it comes as no surprise that he has more ideas, more products at various stages of development. Rusnak chuckles. “If you’re can’t live on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.” √ Greg Gazin, “The Gadget Guy,” is a serial entrepreneur, freelance technology columnist, small business speaker, an avid Podcaster and producer of Toastcaster.com. Greg can be reached at 780.424.1881, gadgetgreg.com or greg@gadgetguy.ca EDMONTONIANS NOVEMBER 2009
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lifestyles LIVELY
SANTA is a Star with Linda Bodo
D
ear Santa:
Please enjoy the customary gratuities placed on the mantle. I took the liberty of placing the wingback by the fire to tempt you to take a short break between stocking stuffing and aerial deliveries. Take no notice of the growling terrier wearing the fake antlers; she’s just guarding the bone under the tree which she unwraps routinely. I understand Rudy’s allergies are acting up again so I’ve left some Ho-Ho-Hotrivin on the hearth which should get that nose glowing again. Heard about the low elf-esteem issues at the workshop and trust you managed to resolve their concerns without compensating production. So, the Missus put you on a high-fibre, low cholesterol diet after the unfortunate incident in the neighbour’s flue last year? And you have backed off eggnog and given up your pipe? Delighted to hear you have been looking after yourself Santa— Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without you. You are, after all, the star of the season. Thanking you in advance for the exotic package parked on the driveway (you overlooked that request last year). Hugs to the Missus, and best wishes for an environmentally conscious, low stress and healthy celebration during the winter solstice holiday.
MATERIALS .5M of 150cm fabric (body) .25M of unbleached cotton (face) Washed mohair/doll hair .8M ribbon 1 Cinnamon stick 1 Large brass bell, 4 small bells Wood star Craft paint (optional) Tassel or loop of cording 1 wreath (3” diameter) Thread Batting/fibrefill Hot glue sticks Blush and small brush or Q-Tip Fine felt pen Paper (tracing pattern)
TOOLS Sewing machine Needle Glue gun
Scissors Pins Pencil
STEP BY STEPS • Go to edmontonians.com, Lively Lifesyles blog for the Star Santa pattern. • Enlarge pattern as outlined onto paper. • Cut two star bodies from fabric and one face from cotton.
• Sew stars together with 1/4” seam allowance. Trim tips off excess on each star point and cut into each inside node. • Position face on wrong side of body and outline. Cut slit inside marked face profile slightly smaller than outline. • Turn star inside-out through slit. Stuff body firmly and hand-stitch slit closed. • Apply blush to face for cheeks and felt pen for eyes as illustrated on pattern. Do not press too long with pen on fabric as ink will bleed. • Hot glue face to body over stitched slit. • Sew large bell at top of star and small bells on remaining points. • Hot glue hair around face for hair and beard. • Slide wreath onto ribbon and tie around waist to create belt. Insert cinnamon stick into belt and glue star on top with hot glue. √
Linda
Linda Bodo is author of Enjoy Life Outside. Visit www.absolutebodo.com for upcoming appearances and project demonstrations; view other DIY projects; or order her book. Contact: lbodo@edmontonians.com Go to edmontonians.com and visit the Lively Lifestyles blog for Santa pattern
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MENU
Magic with Chef John Berry
C
hristmas is a magical time for children. The Christmas tree, the lights, hanging the stockings, writing a letter to Santa and getting a reply. For me, the best part of Christmas Eve, next to hanging the stockings over the fireplace mantel, was creating and making a special snack for Santa. My mom explained the jolly old elf had so much work to do, delivering the toys on Christmas Eve, that it was the nice and proper thing to do. So year after year, I left Santa a glass of milk and one of mom’s giant chocolate chip cookies or mincemeat tarts, and a bunch of carrots—didn’t forget the reindeer. And, sure enough, on Christmas morning there would only be a few crumbs and empty glass on the table. Score! Big time! This culinary adventure grew as I got older and became the creative genius behind the snack. In some families, it has become quite the tradition with everyone creating somewhat elaborate snacks for Santa. The origin of this tradition, according to folklore, dates back to the 1930s when good children would leave a little something to say thank you for the gifts, and naughty kids would use a snack to bribe Santa into leaving something for them. Today, many families host Christmas Eve
parties. We invite a few friends over after the church service and I usually make a seafood feast… anything from appetizers to a full entrée depending on my mood—that is, how exhausted I am after running around all day. Before we eat, it’s a simple matter to get the kids to plate up a few sautéed prawns or pan-seared scallops to leave for Pére Noel. This negates the need to prepare something special if you’re pressed for time. Other people use the occasion to spend an evening cooking with family. One of my favourite cookbooks is the ATCO Blue Flame Kitchen’s A Holiday Collection. It’s jam-packed with recipes that will get you in the spirit of the season. The kids will enjoy decorating the more traditional shortbread and sugar cookies for Santa. But, I thought I’d give a couple of ideas from the cookbook for Santa snacks that go beyond Christmas baking. Use your imagination and enjoy. √
SHERRIED BRIE PATE This can be used as a spread or dip. 8 oz brie cheese 8 oz cream cheese-softened 2 Tbs. dry sherry 2 Tbs. finely chopped toasted walnuts • Remove rind from Brie. For easy
removal put brie in the freezer for 30 minutes before peeling rind. • After you remove rind, cut brie into cubes. • In a food processor combine brie, cream cheese and sherry. Process until smooth. • Transfer into two serving dishes. Sprinkle with walnuts. • Serve with fruit bread or celery. It will hold for up to two days in the refrigerator or you can freeze it for up to a month. Makes up to 15 servings. CHEFS NOTE: You might like to experiment with a liqueur like Grand Marnier instead of sherry… or maybe a wine. Play with it and have fun.
• Remove the stems from the mushrooms and reserve for another use. • Using an electric mixer on medium speed beat together the cream cheese, blue cheese, pecans, green onion, basil and pepper until blended. • Stuff the mushroom caps, mounding slightly. • Place mushrooms on a slightly greased cookie sheet. • Bake at 350˚F for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. • Do not freeze Makes 10-16 servings Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com Go to Edmontonians.com and visit the Lively Lifestyles Blog.
BLUE CHEESE PECAN STUFFED MUSHROOMS 48 fresh white button mushrooms 8 oz. cream cheese softened 3 Tbs. crumbled blue cheese 2 Tbs. chopped pecans 1 Tbs. finely chopped green onion 1/4 tsp. basil crumbled 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
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