Edmontonians Oct06

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ALBERTA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT PAGING COMPANY

pompous & unfair FUNNY

By Muggsy Forbes

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No bear hugs for Harriet

’m always stunned by the aura that

surrounds Harriet Winspear… there’s something ethereal about this great lady. Dr. Ollie and I were thrilled to attend her 102nd birthday bash. I had to remind myself to curb my enthusiasm: Go easy on the handshake, and resist bear hugs. Organizer Quincy Brown recruited a long-time friend of Harriet’s, Ida Pound, from San Francisco to regale us with tales about the old days. Thanks to Ida’s wonderful command of the English language and her sense of humour, it was an absolute joy to listen to her.

Harriet and her first husband, Harry Snowball, were living in the Robertson Manor when he passed away.

Francis Winspear was also a resident and, after a few years, Harriet became Mrs. Winspear and the rest is history.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening. It was held— appropriately—in the Harriet Winspear room of the Faculty Club. Former Reform MP Debra Grey was a very polished MC, befitting a long time politician. Dr. Ollie and I sat with Tom and Shirley Graham, and Dick Shuhany with wife Scott.

I can hardly wait for Harriet’s 103rd birthday bash. I’ll bet there will be one...if she can squeeze it in between train trips.

The municipal brouhaha between a number of smaller towns and Fort McLeod about where the government is going to build the Mounted Police training centre reminded me that I have strong—but very old—ties to the area. My grandfather, Dr. William Forbes, joined the Northwest Mounted Police there around 1895. My father was born in the Fort and used to tell me tales of growing up with the local Indians who lived nearby. Years later, when we were buying a horse for our Bowness acreage, I met some of his boyhood friends as Dad went from tent to tent at the Calgary Stampede.

My grandfather left the Mounties and moved to Calgary to open a medical practice, but died of tuberculosis around 1914.

None of this has anything to do with the municipal fight—but it gave me a chance to let you know that my family has been proudly Albertan for 111 years.

A personal rant: I’d like to meet the genius at Shaw Cable who decided to move the Golf Channel from channel 39 to channel 144. I’d like to know why the genius thinks I would be more interested in outdated movies than the drama of the most popular individual sport in the world. As it is, my “triple tier” cable package gives me access to more than 50 channels—most of which I never watch—but it was what I had to buy to get channel 39. My Shaw bill, including the Internet, is about 90 bucks a month.

So now, in order to watch the Golf Channel, I have to get a digital box from Shaw. I can buy a rebuilt for about $200 or new for about $250, or rent it for $11.95

a month. Not only will I get the golf, I’ll have access to even more channels I will never watch.

This is a blatant money grab. When the Golf Channel outbid ABC for a third of the PGA broadcast rights, starting with the 2007 season, it decided to broadcast in digital. This does not mean “receive” in digital. So it could have stayed where it was. But no...Shaw saw an opportunity to the give viewers a wedgie. Sure, I’ll see some tournaments on CBS or NBC, but I’ll miss all the opening ceremonies, the news conferences, most of the Champions and LPGA Tours, and other stuff that golfers talk about around the water cooler.

I hear that hooking up a digital box is complicated, and not all cables can handle the system. Its use is restricted to just one TV, and you can only video tape what you are watching.

Shaw is holding golf enthusiasts hostage. It’s not as if we can switch cable companies. Fans are rightly teed off.

Let’s rise up and smite the cable giant.

Craig Brososky has left his normal practice as a physiotherapist to concentrate on more complicated cases. He contracts to insurance companies and/or their lawyers to evaluate the extent of client disabilities, and determine the length of time an individual could be out of the workforce and collecting a salary. This may sound like the insurance companies trying to weasel out of paying, but my experience is they don’t mind paying if it’s a legitimate claim. Taking time to do comprehensive tests is fair to both parties.

Being a Type 2 diabetic, I’m always interested in anything that helps the cause. The 9th Annual Alberta Diabetes Foundation’s fundraiser, A Night to Remember Gala & Auction, will be held at The Westin Hotel on Friday, October 20th.

Lynn Mandel, wife of Mayor Stephen, has accepted the role of honorary chair, and Ron Symic of Morgex Insurance is chairing the illustrious organizing committee.

Diabetes now affects one in 20 people. So help find a cure. Call Darlene at 447.1451 for tickets—table of 10 is $2,750.00 and individual tickets are $275.00.

Just a reminder to get your tickets for the best darn social event in town. The Concordia University College Grande Masque Ball is on Saturday, October 21st. This very classy evening is back in the Empire Ballroom at the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald—a perfect backdrop for the ladies in their spectacular gowns and the men in their tuxes. The beautiful masks are keepers as decorative art pieces. Concordia’s own Dr. Marilyn Westbury and her ever popular hubby Dr. Bob are the honorary chairs who have combined their talents with Lynn Mandel and Pat Warmington. A lot of fun can be had. See you there.

Faithful reader Frank Gilligan caught me in an “oops.” I must have lent my brain to a friend when I

Harriet Winspear with Gary MacPherson

said that the premier’s father, Phil Klein, was a boxer. I know full-well he was a wrestler.

It turns out that Mr. Gilligan was a 1957 Optimist Golden Gloves finalist so he should know. Many thanks.

The 12th Annual Laurel Awards featured Dr. Indira Samarasekera, president of the University of Alberta as the keynote speaker. She described the event as “...unique in Canada” for its recognition of innovation and creativity in the not-for-profit sector.

Winner of this year’s gold award was The Boyle McCauley Health Centre for its dental clinic which responds to the needs of low-income, inner-city folks.

The awards, sponsored by Duncan & Craig LLP, are a pet project of senior partner Sol Rolingher—one of the vertebrae in the backbone of Edmonton.

Ray Nelson is a hometown hero in the city of Lloydminster. The founder of Nelson Lumber was honoured for his many years of service to the community and his successes in business. There was much praise for his damn-the-torpedoes, head-down way of getting things done. The stretch of Highway 16 that goes through the centre of town has been named Ray Nelson Drive. When the mayor told him the news Ray quipped, “What makes you think I wouldn’t put up a toll gate?”

Former Deputy Prime Minister Don Mazankowski recounted meeting many times with Ray whom, I gather, was influential in getting the first upgrader for Lloyd.

Ray’s other claim to fame is that—at 85—he’s the oldest living heart transplant patient in Canada. Heart surgeon Dr. Dennis Modry pointed out that Ray getting his heart at the age of 79 has opened the door for many other older patients to receive tranplants.

Surgeons are now using older hearts that before were tossed out.

At the luncheon, I sat with Phil Klein, Cal Nichols, lawyer Doug Goss, realtor Terry Kilburn, John Burton of Springwood Developments Inc., and Frank Proto and his wife. ✔ Additional reporting

by Edmontonians staff.

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

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Napa Valley North –or not Edmontonians can’t invest fast enough in BC

By Michael O’Toole

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nd you actually have to drink the wine!” chuckles Sara Parsur.

“Sample it,” she amends, with no slur to the famed Okanagan appellations intended. The issue, it seems, is that there are just so many of these liquid diversions to be quaffed as one scans the lakeshores, glass in hand, for suitable retirement and recreational properties.

“And they’re taking over,” chimes in BC-born Pam Bannister, suppressing a mild nostalgia for her fruit scavenging escapades of reckless girlhood.

These two chatty librarians of no distant vintage are among the growing crop of recreation-seeking Albertans currently discovering that, in today’s Okanagan agro-playground, apple orchards are out; vines are the rustic toy of choice.

“We’ve definitely made that transition, and it’s not a myth,” confirms former-Edmontonian Matthew Hay, project director of The Verana condominium project in Penticton and president of Rivendell Homes. “I’m watching apple orchards get ripped out on a daily basis and grapes get planted in their stead. The wine industry is a sexy industry. There’s also more money in it.

“People love to go on their wine tours and everybody is a closet connoisseur in these wine tasting shops in their sandals and black socks and Hawaiian shirts. You know: ‘Yes, I can certainly taste the oaky flavour in this.’ People just really enjoy that. You can’t get that out of an apple orchard. It still maintains that country idyllic feel and viewscape of the rolling orchard or vineyard but, in addition, it’s bringing the high level of attractiveness of a wine area.”

Far from provoking controversy, the transformation of the landscape has been widely embraced for the boost it provides to tourism. It’s all part of an ongoing, semi-official process that has oft been termed the “rebranding” of the Okanagan as ‘Napa Valley North’.

Is there substance to this lofty nomenclature?

Penticton-based Keith Bevington of RE/MAX Front Street Realty takes us back to the seeds of the rebranding adventure:

“I was president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1996,” he recounts. “We had a look at what was going on in Napa, and I went down there myself.

We built a wine centre here which was the first one probably in Canada.”

Recently, Penticton’s British Columbia Wine Centre has undergone a high profile $1.3 million expansion as a result of the huge increase in production and the need to satisfy Vintners Quality Assurance licence stipulations that every VQA wine available in the province should be displayed.

“Our sales are up considerably,” says Bevington.

“When we opened the first wine centre in the late 1990s, there were only about 30 wineries in BC. Now, there are about 130. The fall wine festival here is among the top 100 attractions of the American Bus Tour Association. That’s bringing a lot of people into the area that wouldn’t have come here before.”

Somewhere in the maturing process, even the sober Chamber of Commerce has rebottled, and now offers itself up under the full-bodied title of the Penticton and Wine Country Chamber of Commerce. Those at the South Gate of the long Okanagan Valley—namely Oliver and Osoyoos— have boldly labelled the region as the Wine Capital of Canada.

Or perhaps one should refer to the entire valley as the Wine and Spirits Capital. In the south, Naramata’s Stonehill Estate Winery has opened Spirit Bear Cottage Distillery and is producing brandies from various local fruits. At the North Gate, former-Albertan Jennifer Strachan, of Vernon community marketing development, is quick to highlight the growing renown of Okanagan Spirits, the country’s pre-eminent fruit brandy distiller which is winning accolades for the splendid things it does with peaches and apricots.

In terms of a mass rebranding effort for the wider region, Strachan concedes that matters are not, in reality, quite on that footing. “I definitely, see us as positioning ourselves better collectively throughout the Okanagan. And when we are at the conventions and we say ‘Okanagan’, the Americans especially are like, ‘Okan-a-what?’

And so as soon as we say ‘Well, we’re the

Canadian Napa Valley,’ it’s ‘Oh right!’ But as far as an actual brand, I wouldn’t say that we’ve moved forward to that extent.”

Vernon itself has rebranded though, as Explore Greater Vernon. “We’ve tried to focus on agrotourism, not just wine,” Strachan explains.

“Agro-tourism is emerging as a very, very popular interest. That’s the orchards, the wineries, but also the distilleries and nature, some of the historic facilities and cultural tours that we have here. We’ve been really marketing under the umbrella of agro-tourism to Albertans because there isn’t a lot of it there.”

If any confusion still lingers, Nancy Cameron, general manager of Tourism Kelowna is agreeably at hand to set all matters of Okanagan branding in their proper order.

“There has not been a collective effort to formally rebrand the Okanagan as the Napa Valley North,” she affirms unequivocally. In fact, as she explains, the term Napa Valley North has been coined by some wine and travel writers that have visited this area and use that term as a point of comparison and description.

“This is positive,” Cameron insists, “as it allows readers and potential travellers to immediately relate to the type of experience that exists in the Okanagan Wine Region. [It] is generally quite a surprise to readers because they do not think of BC and Canada as having a climate that would be suitable for grape growing.

This helps shake up the Great White North image and open the doors for curiosity and intrigue.”

Sooner or later, the powers that be in the Okanagan will settle on an all encompassing moniker. Here’s an idea: It’s well known that citizens of Strachan’s original province are thick on the vine in the Okanagan. Just to press the point, she refers to the nearby resort property in which she has invested. “There are 82 lots. And they’re all Albertans, except for three!” Jennifer veritably hoots. It’s a scenario that’s playing out in virtually all the resort/recreational areas of British Columbia.

Hmmm… Alberta West? Perhaps. ✔

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2 1. British Columbia Wine Centre/ Don Weixl Photo 2. Okanagan Peach/ John Berry Photo 3. Jennifer Strachan/ Don Weixl Photo 4. Fruit of the vine/ Photography by Chris

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EDMONTONIANS OCTOBER 2006

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CELEBRATING

Poll

STATION With Linda Banister

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he pace of society seems to be faster than ever. Contrary to predictions made many years ago, the average work week has not been reduced—in fact, some people suggest it has increased. In the midst of our busy lives, people continue to look for the perfect partner. In this month’s Poll Station, we asked about relationships and wondered if matchmaking has kept up with life’s frantic pace.

WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A PARTNER?

had actually dated someone they met through the service.

Percentage

DO YOU BELIEVE IN “LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT”?

24% 8% Said honesty is the most important quality.

Said a sense of humour is the most important quality.

4%

4%

4%

Said compatibility is the most important quality.

Said respect is the most important quality.

Said good communication skills are the most important quality.

To start with, survey participants were asked what they felt was the most important characteristic in a mate or partner. Not surprisingly, a range of characteristics was offered. Approximately one-quarter of respondents (24 percent) said honesty is the most important quality. Eight percent suggested a sense of humour is very important. Compatibility, respect and good communication skills—each at four percent—also made the list.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MEET SOMEONE? Next, respondents were asked to identify the best way to meet a prospective mate or partner. Through friends (11 percent) was seen as a great way to meet someone, as was school (eight percent), and church (seven percent). Interestingly, seven percent of males suggested a prospective mate or partner could be met anywhere and everywhere; no females suggested this.

Perhaps more telling, 35 percent of respondents did not know the best way to meet a prospective mate or partner.

We also asked respondents if they—or anyone they know—have used an on-line or Internet dating service to help them meet someone. About one-third (31 percent) said they or someone they know had tried this method of dating. Furthermore, 81 percent of the people who had tried on-line dating

Thinking about our busy lives, we asked whether the respondents believed in love at first sight. Over half (55 percent) said they do believe love at first sight is possible, and almost two-thirds (62 percent) of these believers said that it had happened to them.

Males were more likely (70 percent) to say they have experienced love at first sight than females (56 percent).

WHAT IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP? Finally, respondents offered their best advice to ensure a long and happy relationship.

While respondents provided a diverse list of advice, about one-quarter (22 percent) said honesty is key to a successful relationship.

Good communications (16 percent), and knowing yourself and your partner (nine percent) were also suggested. Eleven percent of males suggested compromise is important compared with only four percent of females.

However, 12 percent of females suggested having fun would ensure a long and happy relationship… no males offered this advice.

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.

17 YEARS

FOUNDER DICK MacLEAN

Vol. XVII

OCTOBER 2006

No. 10

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 No bear hugs/Forbes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 OKANAGAN FEVER Napa Valley North/O’Toole . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Perfect Blend/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Absolute Bodo/Bodo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 MenuMagic/Berry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 POLL STATION Partners/Banister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 COVER/NEW WRITERS On Holger’s Block/Grisdale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 BIZINTEL Civic Buzz/Norwood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 BizIT/Michetti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Media Minute/Hogle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 MAKING MONEY Ramblings/Hiebert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Maggie Walt/Lockhart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 EDMONTONIAN IN EXILE Garbage/Edmondson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .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 Mackenzie Grisdale Peter Drake McHugh Michael O’Toole Marg. Pullishy PHOTOGRAPHERS John Berry Terry Bourque Barry Fontaine Tracy Grabowski Rocco Macri Photography by Chris Don Weixl GRAPHIC PRODUCTION Rage Studios Inc. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Michetti Information Solutions Inc.

THIS MONTH’S COVER

Holger Peterson photo by Rocco Macri

Poor Boys Lunch November 16, 2006 Fantasyland Hotel Phone 780.444.2819 for tickets

Inset: Vineyard at Sunrise supplied by Tourism Kelowna 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

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writers YOUNG

Growing up in the presence of a music icon

By Mackenzie Grisdale

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grew up in a beautiful neighbourhood in Forest Heights. It was full of great people and kids around my age, near plenty of good tobogganing hills and close to the river valley. I also grew up listening to amazing and diverse music, especially folk and blues. Both my neighbourhood and the music I listened to have helped shape me, but I didn’t realize until recently the depth of the connection between the two.

I say this because Holger Petersen, president of Stony Plain Records and radio-host on both CKUA and CBC, lived down the street. When I was younger, I thought of Holger as a friendly guy who had a speedy dog and, for some reason, two houses. As for the dog, Bingo was his name-o and he was mostly blind. Great dog though he was, he moonlighted as a bike-fiend and would chase me down the alley until he was dangerously close to the spokes that he could barely see.

The two houses were another matter. My six-year old mind once boggled at the thought of Holger being his own neighbour. It turns out, though, that one of his houses was actually the office of Stony Plain Records. Holger and the company have been central to the development of the roots music scene in Edmonton and beyond, which is, I now know, strongly linked to why I got to listen to great roots music while growing up.

This year is the 30th anniversary of Stony Plain Records, so it’s about time that I learned more about my former neighbour and what he does. To get some answers, I joined him on his back porch. I started by mentioning the limos that would occasionally drive by and stop in front of Holger’s place when I was young. Over the years, many artists who are regularly found singing on my family stereo stepped from their limousines into Holger’s home, including Amos Garrett, Harry Manx, Ian Tyson, Maria Muldaur, and Lucinda Williams. In his typical good-natured manner, Holger chuckles when asked who the best houseguest was. “They were all good!” he says.

Although my personal celebrity encounter is unfortunately limited to having Peter Pocklington step on my foot at a Trappers game, I do try to see my share of musicians perform. In fact for me, the real New Year begins with the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, a treasure trove of interesting roots sounds. My dad even remembers Holger recruiting him to manage a stage at the very first Folk Fest.

Holger was one of the founders of the event, and served as artistic director for three years before Terry Wickham accepted the reins. “It’s such a quality event… It’s recognized internationally for the quality of entertainment that is there and the massive organization that runs it so well, especially the commitment of the volunteers.” He also mentions that he started the Folk Fest House Band in the early ’80s, and is still in charge of this festival staple.

Holger regularly takes in other festivals around the

Photos by Rocco Macri province including Edmonton’s Labatt Blues Festival and the Calgary Folk Fest. He does fabulous interviews onsite at these festivals for his radio shows, including Saturday Night Blues on CBC, and Natch’l Blues on CKUA, now over 30 years old and Canada’s longest running radio blues show. After all these years as an interviewer, Holger admits, “I’m star-struck by talented people, especially if I’m aware of them through music.” One of the reasons he loves doing radio today is the chance to meet such talented, interesting people. He often brings along records for the artists to autograph for his collection.

This summer, he travelled to Washington, D.C. for the monthlong Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which spotlighted Alberta. Besides the booming economy, traditions in sport (ahem, hockey), multiculturalism and Alberta’s frontier roots, the festival looked at the musical culture of the province. Holger hosted one of the stages featuring Albertan performing artists. The festival was a natural extension for him as Stony Plain Records is also partnered with Folkways Alive, a joint project between the Smithsonian Institute and the University of Alberta. The project is home to an impressive collection of folk and other roots records collected and then donated by the late Moses Asch, who founded New York-based Folkways Records in 1948.

Responding to my question about why Asch chose Edmonton as the beneficiary of such a unique collection, Holger says, “I think that one of the things that Moses Asch noted was the presence of CKUA and the fact that it is such a unique broadcasting service. It’s Canada’s oldest public broadcaster.” He continues, “according to [the benefactor’s brother] Michael Asch, Moses really liked the volunteer spirit here, liked the festivals… liked the size of the city and respected the university… I think we were all very lucky to be the beneficiary of that wonderful collection.”

And how does Holger himself feel about the city? He and his business partner, Alvin Jahns, have chosen to keep Stony Plain Records here even when other small labels have headed east or south. “The size of Edmonton means that there is really a community here. Almost everywhere you go you’re running into people that you know… The other thing is, I think, that we’re very culturally rich here.

There’s always so much going on and it’s hard to keep up with it. If you have diverse interests there’s stuff going on here all the time,” he says.

And, he just likes the neighbourhood. Living and working in Forest Heights is evidently a lot of fun. Many people in the community are volunteers, and their conscientious nature gives the area the positive, friendly spirit that Holger himself epitomizes. He enjoys being able to go for a bike ride in the river valley after an Oilers’ game in the spring. Whenever his schedule allows, he also comes out to the annual block party, an event that holds memories

of water fights, sidewalk chalk and bike races for people like me who grew up there.

Unfortunately, Stony Plain Records has recently felt the effects of the free music downloading craze. Commenting on the trend, Holger explains, “Sometimes we don’t mind giving away free music, and the artists we work with don’t mind giving away free samples and allowing people to be exposed to their music. But, I think the most important part of that is it’s a choice. It’s a choice that we make or our artists make. To download illegally is certainly wrong and it does affect everybody in the industry. I think the future looks better. I think there will be a business model in place that will benefit everybody… I’m quite optimistic.”

He’s got some good pointers for people considering a future in the music biz. Good companies aren’t necessarily the biggest ones around: “There’s been lots of opportunity to grow the company, but my idea of growth really is doing a better job with what we have with the amount of artists we work with.”

Most important to Holger, perhaps, is the relationship that Stony Plain cultivates with those musicians. “I think we’re what you would call an artist-friendly record label. I’m very proud of the fact that the artists we work with we tend to work with for long periods of time. Take someone like Ian Tyson, we’ve worked with him for over 20 years… Amos Garrett for 25 years… Maria Muldaur for 20 years… Duke Robillard for over 10 years. I think that speaks to our respect for the artists.”

If the success of another of those artists, Corb Lund, at last month’s 2006 Canadian Country Music Awards is any indication, Stony Plain Records’ business formula will more than sustain the company in years to come.

Lund received both Roots Artist and Album of the Year for Hair in My Eyes like a Highland Steer. This honour, of course, is only one in a multitude befalling Stony Plain’s artists over the past three decades. In addition to several CCM awards, other illustrious hardware adorns the company’s wall and shelves, including a formidable collection of Junos.

I’m glad that I’ve started to wise up and appreciate how cool it was to grow up on Holger’s block. Listening to the range of roots music we have access to here, often stemming from some facet of his work, marks a great cultural opportunity for all Edmontonians—even those who have never been chased by Holger’s dog. ✔ Mackenzie Grisdale is in her fourth year of an Honours English degree at the UofA, applying to grad school in journalism. The self-professed folk-music junkie is 21 years old.

Do you have a story idea?

Contact: editor@edmontonians.com

Holger and Mackenzie check out one of numerous gold album awards achieved under the Stony Plain Records label.

EDMONTONIANS OCTOBER 2006

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Perfect Blend

By John Berry

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Three aficionados build a family tradition

o know Keith Holman is to know a walking encyclopedia on all things wine in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley… in particular, an area just a five-minute drive from downtown Pentiction called Naramata—what the locals refer to as “the arm or the bench.”

He’s a man with a vision that’s blossoming right before everyone’s eyes. Spillers Corner, as it is known, has been in the fruit business for 25 years. Keith and his wife Lynn restored the old 1930’s farmhouse and converted it to Spiller’s Corner Bed and Breakfast. They’ve also opened a fruit stand. He saw a marriage made in heaven.

Holman is now producing fruit wines at his Spiller Estate Winery. I must admit the thought of wine infused with the delicate flavours of fruit such as apple, pineapple, raspberry and apricots made me want to shout at the top of my lungs, “No, no, no!”

But alas, dear reader, after a taste of each, I was hooked.

My favourite is the apple: a light, lively blend of Fuji, MacIntosh, Gala, Red and Golden Delicious apples. It’s absolutely incredible with poultry and pork. It tastes like Christmas in a glass.

The other wine that turned my taste buds into over-drive was the pineapple. It’s so refreshingly delicious that it has backyard BBQ and summertime written all over it.

Holman saw more possibilities, not to mention more acres of vines. So he bought Benchland Winery, and renamed it Stonehill Estate Winery. Realizing the potential, he also purchased the winery next door, Mistral Estate Winery. What Spiller is to fruit wines, Mistral is to Bordeaux and Burgandy.

But, Holman isn’t after amassing large tracts of vineyards to mass-produce. He is after lower yields of high quality grapes. He only produces 2,500 to 3,000 cases a year.

Next door at Stonehill, magical things are beginning to happen. Not only is the winery a modern, well equipped facility, but it is making history. Holman has just installed an 850-litre copper pot still he bought from a farm-gate operation in Nova Scotia. It’s the largest and first farm-based still of its kind in British Columbia.

Enter Laurent Lafuente, a former French trained winemaker. He’s also a rum distiller and master

blender, perfecting his trade in Guyana and Antigua in the West Indies. Together, he and Holman have opened Spirit Bear Cottage Distillery.

LaFuente immigrated to Pentiction because it’s a stable place to live and raise his family, especially in terms of education. He’s incredibly excited and enthusiastic about the challenges ahead.

“I find making wine boring. Distilling is much more fun.”

Not to mention an exacting art unto itself. It’s all chemistry, and you can see the love in his eyes when he talks about his still and how he makes his cherry, apple, apricot, peach, blueberry and raspberry brandies. This winter, he plans to experiment with pineapple, mango and pomegranates.

With many of these fruits just across the road, Holman is taking fruit wines to a new level. I had the pleasure of trying a Cherry Port that LaFuente had just bottled. Wow. It was indeed delightful.

BENCHLAND WINERIES SET QUALITY BENCHMARK You might think that with the new venture, our story would end here. But this is Keith Holman we’re dealing with. He has once

Berry and Holman appreciate the legs Photo by Barry Fontaine

again expanded his vision with the acquisition of the highly successful and renowned Lang Wineries, one of the most popular in BC. Gunther Lang is a wine icon, having opened the first farm-gate wine operation in that province. After 16 years of making some of the best wines in BC, he decided it was time to retire to the wine cellar and enjoy the fruits of his labour. Holman heard about Lang’s plans and approached him about buying the winery. But there were two offers ahead of Holman and things didn’t look too optimistic. After several meetings, Lang decided he’d rather sell local.

“I couldn’t ask for a better person. We think the same way… we have the same ideals, the same goals. The big plus is that he’s local. Our goal is to make better and better wines, to be the best of the best.”

Lang, who now assumes the general manager’s role of Holman’s ever growing holdings, says, “I’m very optimistic about the future. Our region is so unique in the world.”

Holman agrees. “Benchland is like a little Monaco. If handled properly, it will be a wine destination for the world.”

And, to take one more step toward his vision, Holman is opening his fifth winery, Soaring Eagle. This is the name of a top end wine produced by Lang, and both men more or less came up with the same idea at the same time. The property sits just above Lake Okanagan with one of the best views along the bench. It has 30 acres slated for replanting and so far 12 have been cultivated with Gewurtztraminer (one of my personal favs), Pinot Gris, Syrah and Viognier varietals. A restaurant and inn are also planned for the property. This could well be the hottest ticket in the Okanagan once finished.

The thing that excites me the most about Holman’s and Lang’s visions is that they want to stay local, focused on what they do best. They want to create a culture and traditions along the same lines as the wine culture in Europe.

“They’ve been doing it over there for 600 years.

We’re in it for the long term. We want our children to carry on the family business.”

Holman owns the third largest group of wineries in Western Canada and Lang is firmly on board. They stand a good chance. ✔

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with Linda Bod

P

icturesque Route 97 sn through the fruit baske Columbia: the Okanag Endless orchards and v exploding with peaches, pears, cher grapes cradle the highway from End Exploring the route via SUV or RV recommended… empty trunks or st mysteriously fill up as you wine, din fine collectibles through BC’s interi to applesauce, biscotti to bistros, ch chardonnay, or honey to handicrafts discoveries await every palate. Duri decades, I have become acquainted bounty while trekking along Route North Gate to the South Gate. Here itinerary that is guaranteed to rev up all of us.

‘The Top of the Okanagan’, or En on the banks of the Shuswap River. riverfront community is nestled belo cliffs that tower high above the city. offers a wide array of antique shops crafts galleries in an ambient setting by heritage buildings, including two and Lorraine carry a large inventory collectibles at Jerry’s Antiques & Th rare and out-of-print books, maps an down the street in a renovated hous murals created by local artists, Cobw Gifts offers a unique selection of an collectibles including one-of-a-kind homemade crafts. Leave yourself am explore all the nooks and crannies in South of Enderby is the small com commercial centre of Armstrong, p fertile dairy and ranch land of the S Valley where agriculture and ranchi economic ventures. The town is nam Heaton Armstrong, a London banke finance the Shuswap and Okanagan The valley is a fine agricultural area cloaked in rich green alfalfa and gol

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Magic

MENU

lifestyles LIVELY

with Chef John Berry

Bits of Heaven along Route 97 odo snakes its way ket of British agan Valley. d vineyards erries, apples and nderby to Osoyoos.

V is highly storage bays will dine and accumulate rior. From antiques heese to fts… delectable ring the past two d with this region’s e 97—from its re is a tried and true up the voyageur in Enderby is located r. This idyllic elow steep volcanic y. The historic town ps, and arts and ng occupied largely wo must-stops. Jerry ry of antiques and Things as well as and prints. Just use decked out with bwebs Antiques & antiques and d gifts and ample time to in each location. ommunity and presiding over the Spallumcheen hing are traditional amed after E.C. ker who helped an Railway in 1892. ea predominantly olden grains, with

tique Okanagan an

ornate bar is now my

diverse farms nestled among pine-clad hillsides. The Armstrong Cheese Factory is a micro cheese plant based on the estate winery concept. Pull up a stool and watch cheese-makers creating cheese the old fashioned way from fresh local cow’s milk. Try the cheese curds… they squeak on your teeth, but they make a darn good poutine.

A drive through Vernon’s downtown core offers a glimpse into the city’s rich culture through historic buildings and 26 mind-blowing heritage murals.

Nestled between the Kalamalka and Okanagan Lakes, Vernon is the oldest and second largest community in BC’s interior and has become a Mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. Big Chief RV Park is a pocket-sized RV park, integrated into a mobile home community among towering pine and maple trees. Several sites back onto a babbling brook filled with good-natured ducks who appreciate bread scraps at sunrise. This is an extremely quiet park that will have you whispering

after 9:00pm as the entire community seems to hit the sack around that time. However, going to bed early is a good thing, since you will need all your energy to scour two of my favourite antique shops, just moments away in the downtown core. City Centre Antiques, located in the town’s former hardware store, is jam-packed with a profuse assortment of antiques and crafts from various dealers, including everything from desks to doorknobs. Antique Imports-Auction is a gargantuan warehouse loaded with unique finds that Collin and Victor have pulled together from international buying sprees. From stylish Parisian armoires to beefy Dutch farmhouse buffets, the variety is staggering. Since the boys are only open from Wednesday to Saturday, it is well worth re-arranging your schedule for a visit. In case storage is getting tight in the vehicle, shipping can be arranged.

For those of you more inclined to park your RV for the summer, you might want to check out Swan Lake Recreational Resort. Owner Natasha Croker currently has 111 sites and is planning 39 more. The serviced lots are going fast at $52,000 each.

Lake Kalamalka’s luminescent turquoise hue is a sharp contrast to its surrounding toasty hills. I am thankful that I am not driving: It gives me an

A little creek runs through Big Chief opportunity to indulge in Mother Nature’s superb vista all the way to Oyama, where a schnitzel-ishious stop at Oyama Okanagan Sausage is in order. Stepping Continued on page 11

W

ine country cuisine is all about organic, locally-grown, seasonal ingredients picked fresh and taken right to your table. And, Penticton is one of the places where these factors all come together.

Dana Ewart and Cameron Smith know first hand what it’s like to have the best of the best at their fingertips. Both were chefs at the Bench Market when they opened their own catering company “on the fly”.

Dana’s pastries

There has been such a demand for their products that they are down to working one day a week at the market. The rest of the time, they are in their kitchen trying to keep up. Their clientele ranges from locals and tourists to those who fly to Penticton in their private planes from Washington State.

I met them at their stall in the Penticton market. To say they were run off their feet is an understatement.

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Continued from page 9 into the shop tickles the taste buds—hanging rolls of pancetta and rings of garlic sausage fight for space among duck sausage links, procuitto, and wild boar salami. For five generations, the van der Lieck family has been dicing, grinding and spicing the best sausages, hams and patés on the planet. Yum! Motoring past hills quilted with the fabric of vineyards and orchards, the Okanagan Sunflower—Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Kelowna’s official flower—beams across hills and mountain tops. Cloudless blue skies boast over 2,000 hours of sunshine annually, occasionally sprinkled with 11 inches of precipitation… perfect conditions for nurturing the fruit of the vine. A tree top erupts as a flock of swallows ascend into the clear blue sky, spooked by a passing pick-up truck. A thousand flash bulbs go off in an orchard under the

Tripke’s treats mid-day sun as strips of foil ribbon flicker in a gentle breeze. This tactile maneuver prevents birds from chowingdown on ripe fruit so they can be shipped to fruit stands and markets, including the Kelowna Farmers Market, which runs every Wednesday and Saturday until the end of October. Don’t even think about walking through downtown without a trip to Tripke’s Bakery on the main drag. Although every item is absolutely mouth-watering, the shortbread biscotti are a favourite. With a hint of cinnamon and dipped in milk chocolate, these babies are soft and crumbly—a pleasant change from the traditional Italian variety. If you prefer to sample on site, there is a quaint tea room at the rear of the bakery, where fresh baking and specialty sandwiches are served.

Before leaving the Kelowna area, you might want to head for Twin Lakes, past Kaladen, to check out The Red Roost Gift Shop & Studio, owned by Janet and Larry Burbidge, former Edmontonians. Janet was a manager at Holt Refrew for a number of years, and Larry is still into real estate appraisal. Their Sante Fe-style shop on Sheep Creek Road

Quail’s Gate patio

“

is a treasure trove of iron and stone works, stained glass, wood creations and garden accessories. Speaking of which, a stroll through their hillside garden makes the detour even more worthwhile.

Winding along a picturesque ribbon of highway that slices through over 5,200 acres of well tended vineyards stretching toward the shores of Okanagan Lake, the region is often referred to as the Valley of the Vines.

Westbank is home to several vineyards, including Quail’s Gate Estate Winery, one of my preferred stopovers for lunch or dinner on their fresco style terrace. The Old Vines Patio Restaurant is open year round, offering gourmet cuisine made with the freshest local produce.

Relax on the patio with vineyards and lake-views as you savour the perfect marriage of wine and food. Don’t miss the Okanagan Wine Festivals: the Fall Festival, from September 29th to October 8th and the Icewine Festival, January 19th through 22nd.

Peachland’s main street borders the banks of Lake Okanagan, where Joerg Hoerath has been serving up platters of schnitzel, rouladen and pork hocks at the Gasthaus since 1991. The Bavarian eatery boasts a sprawling terrace with fab views of the water, while offering a cool retreat under hanging vines to soak in the sights over a pint of lager. De-alcoholized Warsteiner is available for designated drivers.

Penticton is nestled between Okanagan and Skaha Lakes. My colleague, Chef John, is a regular summer vacationer, so I’ve left lengthy commentary to him in MenuMagic and his article about the Holman family wineries.

Lake Okanagan is linked to Skaha Lake via a canal where tubers, air mattress drifters and ducks float south past Penticton and its most famous resident: Ogopogo.

Parasailers weave overhead as we navigate the twisting highway from Skaha’s waters to Vaseux Lake. Here, in Okanagan Falls, the best ice cream you have ever slung a lip over can be found at Tickleberry’s. Passing vacationers, truckers and ice cream aficionados scoop up their share of the 48 flavours offered daily. If you’re in a hurry to hit the road again, to-go containers are available. Just remember to grab a handful of napkins.

A visit to Oliver, the Wine Capital of Canada, must include an epicurean experience in The Sonora Room at Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. Whether you dine on the patio overlooking the picturesque vineyard or inside the warm and inviting dining room, talented chefs will delight you with the bounties of the Okanagan Valley. Fresh local organic produce, seasonal fruits and artisan breads and cheeses are paired with an exclusive wine list, which changes regularly to include a selection of Burrowing Owl library wines no longer publicly available for sale. Situated in one of the four most endangered ecosystems in all of Canada, the winery is nestled in the northern tip of the Sonora Desert—the most highly-rated grape growing areas in the Okanagan. The winery pays tribute to the little native

burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), which is currently being reintroduced to the Okanagan Valley.

Meander through the Golden Mile, where internationally recognized wineries are located within a 20-kilometre stretch along the valley. The scent of lavender perfumes the air as you pass stand after stand of fruits and vegetables, seasoned with Mother Nature’s gentle touch. Vines cover the folds of the hills in bold strokes of emerald green, delicate tendrils clinging onto supports that will bear the weight of ripened grapes when the palette will enigmatically transform to brilliant red.

Monster floral globes saddle lampposts on the busy main street in Osoyoos, which flows perpendicular to the shores of Lake Osoyoos. Misters spray light streams of cool water overhead to combat the desertlike heat as you stroll through the downtown core. Situated on a bench overlooking the lake, Nk’Mip Cellars—pronounced Ink-a-Meep—is North Downtown Osoyoos America’s first Aboriginal owned and operated winery. After a prolonged bout of wine tasting, I strongly suggest exploring the unusual menu at the PleinAir restaurant, where organic wild game sausage, bison sirloin and grilled Indian Experience NK’Mip bannock await adventurous palates. While your meal is grilling on an open fire on the canopied terrace, soak in the pastoral views of the desert, newly planted vineyards and another gloriously iridescent lake.

ABSOLUTE TIP If you decide to continue your journey further south, be sure to stop in at the Canadian Customs building before crossing the border. Any wine that is taken out of the country is subject to taxation upon its return into Canada. Canada Customs decals are available to avoid any surcharges. Oh, and don’t bring any citrus, beef or lamb along: It will be seized. Or, you will be forced to chow down any banned products before border crossing.

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

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Continued from page 9 Their wonderful pastries flew off the pans as fast as they could put them up. And everyone knows each other.

“Hi, how are the chickens?” asks Dana of one of her customers. To another she inquires, “Another big party tonight?” As a young lady approaches, Dana smiles, “So nice to see you out of uniform.”

It feels like I’m home.

When you look at what Dana and Cameron are doing, it’s nothing more than good, old-fashioned down home cooking and hospitality. They’ve kept it simple and clean. It sells big time.

“Everything just grows here. Why not use it?” adds Dana.

And talk about the circle of life: Dana and Cameron’s compost goes to the lady who raises the chickens. The compost becomes feed. Dana and Cameron take the eggs and use them in their baking.

A lot of wine-friendly items are raised or grown. For example, game meats are local: Rabbit is big. Game birds such as quail and pheasant are chef favourites.

Dana recalls, “I was with friends the other night watching some wild quail feed on apricots. And I’m thinking with sage in the garden and quail… mmmmm. My friends think I’m demented.”

Perhaps, but in a tasty sort of way.

She points to several interesting businesses in Penticton that she calls “hidden gems.

“There’s Bench Market on Vancouver Hill… Poplar Grove Winery is making its own cheeses… Carmeles is working a lot with goat cheeses. It’s awesome. And then there’s Joie Winery, which has a cooking school. Both of us teach there as well, with owners Heidi Noble and Michael Dinn. Both were Sommeliers before opening up their winery. ” This maturing of the culinary sector is also reflected in several key restaurants in town. A tourist and local favourite is Theo’s, built in 1976.

Here they serve not only traditional Greek dishes but what owner Nikos Theodosakis calls Okanagan/ Mediterranean cuisine.

“Some of the same greens found in Crete grow wild in the Okanagan. So we’ve incorporated them into the menu.”

He’s working very closely with his suppliers on produce.

He says they can give him the quality and quantity that he needs for his restaurant.

“It’s organic and it’s fresh.”

Local wines obviously factor heavily into the equation.

So does education.

“In 1976, we had three local wines on our list and two of

them had Baby Duck in their names. Today, we have 118 Okanagan wines on our list. I’m trying to educate the public to the difference between the lower-end wines and the upper-end.”

Nikos also regularly trains his staff on how to properly present the wine at the table. He takes them to some of the farm-gate wineries to see how wine is made, and to learn about the different grapes used in wine production and what they taste like in the end product.

Winery meal Photo by Don Weixl

Like Cameron and Dana, Nikos keeps food preparation simple. He says the future is in returning to the traditional roots of Greek cuisine with locally grown wines and ingredients. Theo’s is certainly a destination spot for the serious food lover.

And an absolute must is to check-out the fine dining restaurants and bistros located in many of the wineries.

Here chefs create wonderful dishes that are expertly matched to the wines produced on site. Most menus offer wine pairing suggestions for each item.

Nikos provided me with his mother’s stuffed tomatoes, which she prepared for the Tomato Festival at Covert Farms and for which she won the Iron Tomato Chef competition.

MARY’S STUFFED TOMATOES— CRETAN STYLE 12 medium firm ripe tomatoes 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 medium red onions, finely chopped 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped 1 cup long grain rice, rinsed and dried

4 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/3 cup currants, soaked in dry white wine 1/3 cup lightly toasted pine nuts 1/2 cup chicken stock 1 1/2 Tbsp. salt 1 bunch of fresh herbs, stems removed: dill, mint, basil, Italian flat leaf parsley 1/4 cup ground parmesan cheese 1/4 cup fine bread crumbs 1 tsp. sugar for rice filling sugar to sprinkle inside tomatoes 1. Wash and dry tomatoes. Slice through side of tomatoes opposite the stem, but do not sever since the tops serve as covers. Scoop out the pulp with a teaspoon and reserve. Sprinkle inside of tomato with salt, sugar, and ground fresh pepper. Place upside down in a pan to drain.

2. In a large heavy skillet, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and toast pine nuts lightly. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, red onions, and 1 tsp. salt. Saute over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 5 to 8 minutes.

4. Add green onions and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add rice to onion mixture, stir together and sauté for 5 minutes.

6. Add tomato pulp, minced garlic, cinnamon, strained currants, toasted pine nuts, 1/2 cup chicken stock, 1 tbsp. salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar, and mix thoroughly. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook until rice is soft but not cooked through. Mixture should be moist. Remove mixture from frying pan and place in a bowl.

7. Season to taste.

8. Add chopped fresh herbs and mix well.

9. Place tomatoes stem down in a baking pan large enough to hold them snuggly upright.

10. Stuff tomatoes 3/4 full with rice mixture.

11. Sprinkle approximately 1 tsp. parmesan cheese on rice mixture.

12. Replace tops of tomatoes.

13. Drizzle 1 tsp. olive oil over each tomato top.

14. Sprinkle fine bread crumbs on top of each tomato.

15. Add 1/4 cup of tomato juice from reserved pulp on the bottom of the pan.

16. Bake uncovered at 350º F for approximately 1 1/2 hours. ✔ Contact Chef John Berry at jberry@edmontonians.com

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BizINTEL C

ivic Buzz with David Norwood

RIOPEL’S NEW STRATEGY The City of Edmonton has shown that it can tap into the incredible wealth of local business talent.

Building on its ongoing efforts to plan for the enormous growth occurring in

Janet Riopel the capital region, the City has recruited experienced and distinguished business consultant Janet Riopel to be general manager of growth initiatives, reporting directly to City Manager Al Maurer.

“Planning for how we manage the

B izIT 101 with Greg Michetti

When was the last time you baked a cake right from scratch?

Wow. That long ago, eh?

Chances are you make your cakes the same way I do: Buy a handy cake mix from the local supermarket, add milk and ta-da; there it is. Even I can’t screw that up.

Same thing applies to today’s creation of simple, basic websites. Most designers, especially those novice types doing a relatively standard site, will use a set of templates or one they’ve recently completed, just to get the new project up and running. Templates—predesigned layouts you can adapt to your own information—also work well if you’re the local, one-person, in-house computer support team who gets a request from the boss to overhaul the existing web production.

Thankfully, there are several places that sell website templates, much like supermarkets sell cake mix. All you do is shop for the one that best fits your requirement, pay for it on-line via credit card or PayPal, download and extract the zipped file and add your content via an application; like Microsoft FrontPage 2003.

Now FrontPage isn’t the most userfriendly app written by the Gates Gang.

However, it is not that expensive (less

issues arising out of the growth coming to this region is one of the biggest challenges the city will face in the coming years,” said Maurer. “Janet is a well-known, well-respected and well-connected Edmontonian, and she has the expertise to link in with other community leaders to find solutions for the growth issues that the Edmonton capital region faces.”

Riopel is president and CEO of TREYL Communications Inc. Having spent close to 20 years in the land development industry, she has considerable experience in community development and community building.

Currently active on a number of local, regional and national boards, she has served as 2005 campaign chair for the United Way of the Alberta Capital Region; chair of Grant MacEwan College’s board of governors; president and chair of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce; and president of the Urban Development Institute, Alberta.

One of Riopel’s key duties will be advancing the city’s industrial land strategy, announced by Mayor Stephen Mandel in his State of the City address this past spring, and aimed at increasing the City’s share of capital region industrial development.

“Janet’s efforts will yield positive results for our industrial land strategy, which is absolutely vital given the $30 billion in development planned for the region,” said Mayor Mandel. “But I know her work will have an impact on a wider range of growth issues…

Edmonton has been front and centre in advocating for comprehensive, regionwide planning and collaboration, and hiring Janet Riopel is another way that we’re leading change.”

FINALLY: AN ATTITUDE CHANGE

than $200) and users familiar with other Microsoft Office apps will recognize the similar look and feel. Function-wise, there are clearly better applications— like the Dreamweaver-equipped Macromedia Studio 8 set of design tools—but the learning curve is steep and the cost approaches a G-note. Keep in mind you are designing a simple site for Luigi’s Radiator Shop; you are not writing the front end for Amazon.com.

Problem is, the sample templates that come with FrontPage are downright awful: boring, plain, no pizzazz whatsoever.

Thankfully, entrepreneurial programmers and business types have recognized this empty market niche and have created third party templates. Some of the best, cost-effective templates come from an online firm called AllWebco Design Corporation, located at http://allwebcotemplates.com/.

You can choose from (all figures US) a $15, four-page site to a $125, 20-plus page site with three expandable product pages, built-in Paypal and 2CO forms for payment processing. If yours is a

software firm, you can even buy a template that allows for sales of automatic downloads of your products.

In most cases, there are at least eight, Flash-equipped image pages linked to standard .jpg images. These sites have global editing features, meaning you can simply edit a single JavaScript text file to update all pages.

All of the templates are compatible with any server and can be set up using any hosting company. Pages can be edited with Microsoft FrontPage, GoLive, Dreamweaver, Notepad or any HTML editor.

The template sites are completely set up by the user, and AllWebco templates require no graphics knowledge or software. Each site comes with a searchable help database page and, if you can’t figure that out, a quick e-mail to the AllWebco support team fixes you up fast, as they generally reply within a couple of hours.

Although plenty of replaceable images are included in each template, you can easily insert your own pictures and change colours. My guess is that an AllWebco template takes you 75 percent

The recent news about the introduction—actually, the resumption— of Air Canada’s non-stop service to London Heathrow prompts an it’sabout-time feeling. In case you didn’t know, the service starts on October 31 with three flights weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays), and ramps up to daily service next April, using Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.

A number of factors differentiate this new Air Canada service from those in the past: the most recent of which was a five-times weekly seasonal service in 2001 and, before that, flights that involved the frustration of at least four of the seven weekly

Taking flight to Heathrow Air Canada Photo

flights flying from Edmonton to Calgary then back over Edmonton to London. Air Canada appears to have put a lot of thought into the route. The Heathrow flights have been timed to ensure convenient connections in Edmonton to and from Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie and Yellowknife—something that has not been done before. I’ve argued many times in the past that to be viable,

WEBSITE DESIGN TEMPLATES

—JUST ADD CONTENT—

such a route needs feeder connections, just as Calgary has long had similar feeders from much of Western Canada for its long-range flights.

I’m cautiously optimistic that Air Canada has undergone an attitude change regarding Edmonton, recognizing the long-term economic potential this city offers and its explosive air traffic growth. So far in 2006, Air Canada has announced nine new non-stop destinations from Edmonton: Montreal, Los Angeles, Victoria, Kelowna, Yellowknife, Las Vegas, London Heathrow, Cancun and Punta Cana. And, the buzz is that more announcements could be forthcoming. One especially persistent rumour is that Air Canada Jazz will fill the gap vacated by Continental earlier this year by introducing nonstop regional jet service to Houston.

That could easily be a money-maker for the airline; Continental was apparently not losing money on the route using 120-passenger 737 aircraft, but it was able to earn more revenue deploying the plane on other routes. So service with 70-passenger regional jets makes sense. Aviation enthusiasts also suggest that Air Canada has experienced great success with its Edmonton-Los Angeles route—so much so that it will add a second daily flight using its new Embraer 190 aircraft, meaning that mainline Air Canada will assume the route from Jazz.

Again, this makes a lot of sense, since Edmonton Airports surveys have shown that Los Angeles is among the top U.S. destinations for Edmonton-departing passengers.

Other carriers aren’t sitting back either. Northwest to Minneapolis-St. Paul, Horizon to Seattle, and U.S. Airways to Phoenix and Las Vegas are reported to be very happy with their Edmonton traffic loads. United Express has already increased its Continued on page 14

of the way to making your own site.

However, what’s best part about the AllWebco templates are the choices you get for the price you pay. There are general, cool, “graphix” and corporate categories, several photographer-style templates, and a very, very snappylooking MP3-style template that looks downright big-league. There is even a set for budding Web designers looking to hustle up their web-building skills to the world.

The second best reason for buying these templates is they look good. The AllWebco team has a great eye for colour, design, fonts, layout, and just the right amount of Flash to make the site look professional. This is an especially big deal because nearly all the geeky computer people I know—including programmers, DBAs, integrators, and especially me—have absolutely no artistic sense whatsoever.

Summary: You can’t afford not to use these guys because a hundred dollars or so is chump change compared to what it takes to make a site from scratch, no matter what great tools you have.

Better yet, just think of all the time you’ll have to bake a cake. ✔ Gregory B. Michetti of the Alberta-based systems integration firm Michetti Information Solutions, Inc. can be reached via www.michetti.com

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Continued from page 13 Edmonton-Denver frequency from two to three flights daily, and indications are that the carrier will also add a second daily flight to San Francisco because the route is doing so well; ditto for Delta’s Salt Lake City route. The two daily flights are packed, and word has it that a third is planned. The other persistent buzz, which reflects the popularity of the routes, is that United will switch one of its daily flights from Edmonton to both Chicago and Denver to “mainline” aircraft, moving from regional jets (and carriers) to full-size aircraft such as 737s or A319s. The other daily flights to both cities will stay with regional jets.

The other news to be confirmed in February 2007 is that United Airlines will be adding service in May from both Edmonton and Calgary to its rapidly expanding Washington-Dulles hub, from which the carrier serves the eastern United States as well as Europe and beyond. The service to both cities will be seasonal, five times weekly to start, and will become year round if demand exists.

WestJet has also been active, introducing nonstops to Abbotsford and seasonal non-stops to Halifax, increasing twice-weekly to daily Las Vegas service this fall, adding four weekly non-stops to Phoenix and three weekly non-stops to Palm Springs.

The smaller carriers are also getting into the act: Integra Air has added Fort McMurray to its Edmonton-Lethbridge route, and Quik Air has introduced non-stops to Penticton.

All of these changes reflect the incredible economic and population growth of the Greater Edmonton region, of course, but they also are a reaction to the fact that this market has been underserved by the major air carriers for years. The return of Edmonton-London Heathrow service is, to me, a most significant indicator that businesses are aware the city is reasserting its status as a player on the global scale. ✔ David Norwood is a freelance writer/editor.

Contact dnorwood@edmontonians.com

money MAKING

Prior to appearing before the Senate Committee on the Canadian News Media which presented its final report earlier this year, Ryerson Journalism Prof. John Miller studied the situation of visible minorities at 96 mainstream Canadian newspapers. While 59 percent had entirely white staffs, 41 percent had diversified newsrooms. One significant black eye was that of the 2,000 journalists interviewed at the papers, only one was Aboriginal. Canada’s Aboriginal Peoples Television Network—APTN, now celebrating its 7th anniversary—hopes to change that abysmal stat by providing competent journalists who will be a credit to any newsroom.

Appreciating that over half of the world’s population is non caucasian, it’s only natural to see an increasing number of visible minorities assuming leadership roles in Canada: Consider the appointment of our new and former Governors-General, our U of A president and the Alberta LieutenantGovernor.

During my journalistic career in five provinces, I’ve never found a news boss who wasn’t aware of visible minorities, as well as those with handicaps— physical, mental or any other problems—the unemployed and the homeless. But abilities still remain the major criteria in the journalistic hiring process—not the colour of your skin, your religion, or your beliefs.

The mainstream media in this city and province have done a phenomenal job in covering sensitive issues, while also providing ample space for those with differing views. We’ve also been well served by the ethnic print and electronic media.

Canada’s heritage has been built on incredible contributions by immigrants who came here from the UK, Scandinavia and other European countries, and the Orient. They travelled by covered wagon, homesteaded, established farms and forts, lived in

tents, tilled the soil, built railways, churches and schools… and, in 1867, established the Dominion of Canada and an envied democratic way of life. Most importantly, they celebrated their differences and worked side-by-side to establish a free nation which has always been acknowledged by the UN as one of the finest in the world.

That has changed with an increasing number of immigrants coming to Canada from war-torn nations where utter hatred, discrimination and bigotry are personified… where women and children are murdered by demented suicide bombers… where torture, decapitation and kidnappings are everyday occurances and no one dares protest.

Earlier this year, Australian Prime Minister John Howard expressed concerns about some immigrants being “utterly antagonistic” to Aussies. That’s why Australia is now telling immigrants to espouse its way of life or don’t come. New migrants must denounce terrorism, learn English as quickly as possible, endorse basic Australian values, forget ancient hatreds and prejudices of their homelands, and embrace tolerance and freedom of speech.

Should Canada follow suit? Ex-diplomat and counterterrorism co-coordinator Martin Collacott says yes in his report, Canada’s Inadequate Response to Terrorism: The Need for Policy Reform.

It proposes that those wanting to move here should be told what is expected of them. Further, those who behave in a manner that seriously conflicts with Canada’s principles should lose their citizenship and be removed from Canada.

At one time, such a recommendation would never have been considered by Canadians. The change has come about because of anti-Western, pro-extremist elements operating within some of our communities, just waiting for the opportunity to terrorize and punish Canadians, as has already been done to the Americans and British. ✔ Bruce Hogle is the former news director at CFRN TV and recently retired head of the Alberta Press Council.

Alberta’s disadvantage

By Ron Hiebert

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rain farmers have seen prices for their products linger in a death spiral for over two decades, yet relief looks like it may finally be in sight. Bill Biedemann of Allendale Inc. has done some research on the global supply of grains that is a real eye opener. He found that in 1986 the world’s inventory of wheat, coarse grains and rice per person amounted to 4.5 bushels. In 1999 it was 3.9 bushels per person. It is now down to 2.2 bushels per person. Poor crops, lack of planting, and increased demand from emerging economies like China and India have all contributed to the lowest inventory levels that the world has seen in 20 years. The question is, “How low can supplies go before prices start to rise materially?” Unfortunately, no one has that answer. When the price of grains finally does start to go up, the speed and magnitude of its increase will almost certainly catch everyone by surprise.

THE ALBERTA DISADVANTAGE For years, Edmonton and area sold itself as the best place in Canada to set up a business. We had low taxes, reasonable housing prices, a productive labour pool and, most importantly, business costs that were under control. That advantage is rapidly shrinking.

Companies that were once lining up to build heavy crude upgraders in Fort McMurray or the Edmonton area are now evaluating whether they should just pipe the oil to the U.S. or Eastern Canada, and finish processing it there. We have gone from being a lowcost jurisdiction to a high-cost one.

This is a huge economic boon we don’t want to lose.

Construction jobs are great, but they aren’t long term.

Upgraders provide skilled, high paying jobs that provide employment for decades.

LOOKING BEYOND THE U.S. FOR BUSINESS Canadians have an economic addiction: the United States. Over 70 percent of our exports go no farther than just south of the 49th parallel. Because America 14

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Oil’s double-edged sword accounts for 25 percent of the worlds GNP, Canadian businesses haven’t been forced to look very far and very hard to find a market for their products, but times are changing. Other than wanting our energy, the U.S. doesn’t need us as much as it used to. Places like China and India now produce many things that we traditionally supplied to the U.S. at prices we can’t even come close to matching. Not only are Americans sourcing products from other markets, they are becoming much more aggressive by erecting trade barriers to keep ours out. Forest products, cattle, and grain are just a few examples.

Like a jilted lover, we spend our time moaning and crying about how badly we have been treated rather that getting out and finding a solution. A local group that is trying to break the cycle is the Cattleman’s Beef Processors Ltd. It is going to set up a facility that will handle up to 800 head of cattle or buffalo per day. All of its products will be marketed in Europe which, I am sure, will soon learn to enjoy fine Alberta steak just as much as we do.

TWO BIG BARGAINING CHIPS Canadians snivel about how we get taken advantage of by the U.S. in our trade dealings. The playing field is actually more level than most people think. We have a number of assets that the Yanks need very badly.

America gets 41 percent of its crude oil from domestic sources, nine percent from Canada, eight percent from Venezuela and Saudi Arabia, seven percent from Mexico, five percent from Nigeria, and four percent from Iraq. The other 18 percent comes from a smattering of other places. As America’s largest source of foreign crude supply, our importance will do nothing but grow in the future. Canadian Oilsands production will ramp up from one to three million barrels of oil per day over the next decade. That will make Canada the only major supplier of crude to the U.S. able to meaningfully increase production in the years ahead. As U.S. domestic output continues to fall

and OPEC producers, like Iran and Venezuela, threaten to withhold oil to punish the U.S. for its political misadventures in the Middle East, Canada gains a powerful bargaining chip.

The only part of the U.S. that has meaningful amounts of untapped gas reserves is Alaska. Yet, to bring natural gas to the Lower 48, the Americans will have to build a pipeline that will cross Canadian soil.

If they want priority access to our domestic oil and a pipeline right-of-way, it seems only reasonable to require them to give a little ground on issues that are important to us like softwood lumber and cattle. It will be interesting to see how effective our government will be in using these advantages to lever future trade concessions out of the Americans.

INTEREST RATE RELIEF After 17 consecutive quarter-point rate hikes, the U.S. Federal Reserve has finally decided that enough is enough. The Fed funds rate, which is a proxy for short-term interest levels in the U.S., recently ground to a halt after rising from one percent to 5.25 percent.

Our two countries’ financial fortunes are so intertwined that Canada’s interest rate policy is usually just a reflection of what is going on south of the border.

Yet we have lower inflation, as well as budget and trade surpluses—which the Americans do not—so our economy is less likely to require interest rate hikes to cure what ails it. This should make anyone with a big mortgage or lots of consumer debt breathe a little easier. ✔ 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 OCTOBER 2006

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Maggie Walt in Bali dream buyer, patient tutor Designer Maggie Walt

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By Cheryl Lockhart

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oo often, global trade is thought of as something that happens among multinational corporations, that it is far removed from everyday small businesses. There is also the misconception that global traders are pure profit seekers, wholly at the expense of naïve producers in developing countries.

I can safely say that is not the case with Maggie Walt, local fashion designer and businesswoman, and her partner Rob McGrath.

I first met Walt and McGrath in Indonesia— despite the fact we were all living in Edmonton— where we were involved in the garment manufacturing industry on the tiny island of Bali. I was there as an export consultant on a project funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, and Walt and McGrath were having a new collection sewn for their Edmonton retail store.

Over the past two years, I have been working with Bali manufacturers to improve their marketing and export development skills, and to find more buyers.

Indonesia has been nature’s punching bag in recent years, having been hit by a tsunami, earthquakes and avian influenza, as well as being threatened by volcanic eruptions. While Bali itself hasn’t been battered by natural disaster, it was the victim of terrorist attacks in 2002 and again in 2005. All of these factors have resulted in a decrease in new garment buyers to the nation and have led some seasoned buyers to stay away, severely impacting local manufacturers and their Edmonton styling staff.

I quickly discovered that Walt has been doing so for the past Walt is the type of buyer 15 years, the last five under her most manufacturers dream own label, Maggie Walt. This of having: consistent, month, she celebrates the third willing to spend ample time anniversary of her retail store on on-site, prompt in payment Jasper Avenue. and, most importantly, For Walt and McGrath, it’s not patient. Let’s be clear, these just about producing goods more manufacturers are not the cheaply overseas: They operate large factories of China or under the principle of “what’s good Bangladesh. The typical for you is good for me.” Walt garment factory in Bali is spends up to six months a year onowned by a woman who the-road, much of it in Bali. A large treats her employees like portion of that time is spent with family. Production runs are production staff, educating them on small by industry standards Western fashion design principles, and much is still done by production methods and standard hand. Business practices are business practices—though getting influenced by the relaxed her manufacturer to consistently Hindu culture of the island, use e-mail is proving elusive. I where religious ceremonies have seen first-hand how that kind frequently halt production, of individual attention from a fashion seasons be damned.

Western buyer can transform a One owner confessed to me that he probably loses up to 20 percent of his productivity developing country business and make it stand out from the rest. For example, Walt’s manufacturer is well-known throughout the year due to these ceremonies. for her expertise in fine fabrics and challenging designs, Working in this environment can be challenging, but

Edmontonian I IN EXILE

By Janet Edmondson Janet and Owen Edmondson moved to Calgary in July. Janet can be contacted at jedmondson@edmontonians.com

had no idea how much garbage a move generates.

Besides all the emptied boxes, there is the excessive plastic, paper and cardboard that comes with new purchases. When we lived in Edmonton, I dutifully rinsed and flattened all this rubbish and hauled my blue bag to the alley on garbage day. Not possible in Calgary: It doesn’t have curbside recycling.

Now, I could lug all this junk to one of Calgary’s 48 neighbourhood recycling depots. Once there, I can wander up and down the aisle of bins, sorting my recyclables and tossing them in. Or I could do what my Edmonton-born, Calgary-residing niece does, and bring my blue bags back to Edmonton when I visit.

Calgary just welcomed its one millionth citizen. The city’s own website grumbles that, in 2002, Calgarians generated an average of 1.5 Kg of waste per household per week. This equates to the weight of the Calgary Tower—11,058 tonnes—every three weeks… and that

expertise she developed under the patient tutelage of Walt.

The couple also travels to other destinations, always on the lookout for unique new products to bring back to fashionable Edmontonians—products that can be purchased according to their social conscience. Currently, the store is stocking jewelry made in the Ladli—loving girl—vocational training centre for abused, orphaned and destitute girls in Jaipur, India. These exquisite pieces are crafted by young women who, without the centre, would likely be on the streets, forced into child labour or prostitution. In an effort to “try to do some good along the way,” an event at Walt’s store earlier this year raised $1,700 for an orphanage affiliated with Ladli.

WHAT DO WE REALLY KNOW ABOUT THE U.S.?

Ottawa’s loss is Edmonton’s gain as The Honourable A. Anne McLellan re-orients her career back toward the law profession, now serving as counsel at Bennett Jones LLP, providing “national and international strategic planning assistance to the firm’s clients”.

Her expertise is also being tapped by the newly founded Institute for United States Policy Studies at the University of Alberta. Its purpose is to “encourage and facilitate informed analysis and discussion of the policies and policy processes in the United States,” which will presumably allow Canadian government and business leaders to make more informed decisions. As McLellan, who has been appointed the distinguished scholar in residence, pointed out, “Canadians think we know more about Americans than we really do. The country is not homogeneous and individual states and regions are all very powerful—there is too much of a focus on Washington and the president.” To illustrate her point, she noted that the state of Montana, as well as President George Bush, supported Canada’s bid to re-open the border to Canadian beef after BSE was discovered here, but other interest groups and political bodies all played a larger, more influential role, leaving the border closed and decimating an industry.

By bringing together academics from across the continent to produce cross-disciplinary research, McLellan hopes that the Institute will help Canada respond to U.S. policy decisions with a more sophisticated understanding of where the power in the U.S. lies, and how to influence it, thereby avoiding situations like the one the Canadian softwood lumber industry is in right now.

The fact is that despite operating and benefiting immensely from globalization, U.S. citizens, Congress, state governments, trade groups and industry associations are generally becoming more protectionist. These ebbs and flows in favour and against global integration are not without historic precedent. But an ad hoc, undisciplined or uneducated approach to trade, border issues, security or environmental issues will always leave Canada in the dust.

The information gleaned from research produced by the Institute will help guide Canada in foreign relations with its neighbour to the south. ✔ Cheryl Lockhart owns International Strategies Ltd., specializing in exportrelated planning and marketing.

E-mail: clockhart@edmontonians.com was 100,000 people ago.

Edmonton, you’ve got it easy. Curbside recycling is available to every house, apartment and condominium* in the city. No sorting required. Just pitch it all into the blue bag and remember to take it out on garbage day. The City picks it up, sorts it, and sells it to local companies that turn it back into newsprint, insulation, shingles and rebar, among other things.

So, well done, Edmonton. You’ve been doing since 1999 what Calgary hopes to accomplish by 2020. By my unscientific caculation, during thoses years, that’s a minimum of 364 Calgary Towers tossed into the landfills? ✔ *If your apartment building or condo doesn’t participate in the Blue Bin program, ask your property manager or condo board to call Edmonton’s Waste Hotline at 496-5678 to arrange for the service.

EDMONTONIANS OCTOBER 2006

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300,000 Canadian businesses for sale?

ACQUISITIONS, DIVESTITURES & CORPORATE FINANCE

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

According to a 2005 survey conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), 71% of those surveyed plan to transfer ownership or exit their companies within the next five to 10 years. That suggests a very crowded market of sellers in the not too distant future. Imagine roughly 300,000 Canadian businesses hanging out a “For Sale” sign at the same time. The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce estimates the numbers may even be closer to 500,000. If such forecasts are accurate, more than $1 trillion would be needed from Canadian capital markets to finance the mass transition, presuming enough buyers could be found to buy all these companies. Some stats to ponder: • Within the next five years, about 41% of the 4,311 CFIB members surveyed plan to leave

their business or transfer control.

• Only one-third of those surveyed have a succession plan.

Worse still, only one-fifth of those plans have actually been documented.

• Just 48% of those expecting to exit their businesses within five years have a succession plan.

Surprisingly, the vast majority of these plans have not been shared with the intended successor!

This could pose a considerable challenge for many—the majority, in this case—who have the bulk of their net worth tied up in their business.

Based on our experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers, there are a significant number of potential buyers in today’s market. But as time passes and increasing numbers of retiring owners put their companies on the market, it is unlikely that the number of potential purchasers will increase proportionately. As a result of this imbalance sellers can expect stable

or diminishing demand in a credit market that’s under pressure and lower average valuations for their companies. In other words, the best valuation owners can receive for their company may be right now.

A number of external factors make this the best time for Albertans to put a succession plan into action: ✔ Record energy prices and a thriving provincial economy; ✔ Attractive interest rates; ✔ One of the most advantageous provincial tax regimes in the country.

So, unless you’re convinced your business is riding an enormous growth curve that won’t peak for another five or 10 years, there may be no better time than the present to set the wheels of finding a successor into motion. We welcome the opportunity to share our experience and discuss the process with you. Please e-mail stephen.w.kent@pwc.com or call us to arrange a meeting.

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EDMONTONIANS OCTOBER 2006

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