Your Business. Your Community.
Volume 5, No. 8, April 2015
Inside:
• Anouschka Van den Bosch Trust Me Page 17 • Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce Pages 18 and 19
• Jamie Quai Wine in stores? Page 24
Joshua Davey Guitar cat at Alley Kat Cover story: Page 3
6th 7th Annual Crime Stoppers
Golf Tournament
At the St Thomas Golf & Country Club, located in Union
On Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 11am
Have a fun day of golf and support your local Crime Stoppers at the same time.
The cost is $130 per player. ($140 after April 15th)
includes: • 18 holes of golf (cart included) • Tournament gift bag • Lunch and driving range privileges • Steak Dinner • 2 for 1 golf certificate for a future visit to St. Thomas Golf and Country Club
For additional information please call or email: Heather White 519-631-1224 Ext.153 crimestoppers@golden.net
1-800-222-TIPS (8477) www.stthomascrimestoppers.ca
We Couldn’t do it without the support of the Community Proud SuPPorter of Crime StoPPerS
Proudly Fuelling Crime StoPPerS For over 10 yearS!!
lynhurst eSSo & variety • Diesel • Propane • Speed Pass • Convenience Store • Party size bags of ice • Official flags
St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce members SAVE 3.5¢ PER LITRE when you sign up for Esso’s Direct Billing Program. For an application, contact:
225 Chestnut Street, St.Thomas 519-633-2850
Supplying Vehicles to Crime Stoppers for Over 10 Years!!
Wellington Road at St. George St., St Thomas, Ontario
open 7 days a week (519) 633-0002
Supporting Our Community
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Local Community News everyday on our website at www.theweeklynews.ca April, 2015
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The St.Thomas Police Services Board & Members of the St.Thomas Police Service are Proud Community Partners with Crime Stoppers. St. thomaS Police 30 St. Catharine Street St.Thomas, ON N5P 2V8 519-631-1364 www.stps.on.ca 2
Go west young man and make music by Terry Carroll
They tend to be generous with each other, Some people don’t discover their purpose in these people in the musical community, somelife until middle age. Some not until they’re rething Joshua had proven to him in spades last tired. And some never do. Then there are peosummer when he cut tendons in his finger and ple who seem to know from the womb what wore a cast until December. “Friends stepped they were born to do, and they do it. Joshua in, asking for virtually nothing in return.” Davey seems to be one of those people. How was Josh ever going to repay some of His purpose in life revolves around music. what he owed? He built them each a guitar. He played trumpet in the school band at ParkThis guitar building is done under the name side in St. Thomas and his mother, Vera, plays of Joshua Wade Luthiers. Some appreciation piano. But stringed instruments are really his of what goes into custom-making guitars can thing. He picked up a guitar when he was a be gleaned from the Alley Kat Facebook page, kid, playing rockabilly and the blues (his dad’s but it certainly makes a difference to see sammusic), and has been working on guitars since ples of these beauties in the store. Joshua sees he was 12 or 13 years old. “I haven’t looked guitar building and repair, along with lessons back,” he says. and accessories, as more the way of the future ‘Not looking back’ includes opening, in than new instrument sales, which are increas2012 at the age of 22, Alley Kat Music in West ingly happening on-line. Here’s a Facebook Lorne. It includes being able to play and teach posting about a repair he did: “Very early 12 most stringed instruments. “If it’s got strings, string Ovation. Came in with a broken truss I can pretty much play it,” he says … mandorod, and a lifting bridge. It was unplayable. lin, guitar, banjo, bass, fiddle (“It’s hard not Went home a week later with a new truss rod to enjoy playing the fiddle”) … and drums. end, and a new pickguard. It looks and plays It includes not only selling but also custom really well, and made the owner very happy.” making and repairing instruments. He has He will custom-build just about any guitar even repaired accordions, something not every – electric, flat-top acoustic, arch-top acoustic, musical store will tackle. It includes being part and he has trouble charging enough to cover of an active music scene in West Elgin and all the hours of work that can go into one. Dutton-Dunwich. Now 25, Joshua Davey has owned and operated Alley Kat The love of what he’s doing aside, Joshua And it includes winning the 2014 Helen LeDavey had to learn to run a business. Music in West Lorne for two and a half years. Frank Youth Entrepreneurial Award given out When he started at the age of 22, he had annually by Elgin Business Resource Centre a building on Graham Street in West Lorne for much to learn about time management and (EBRC) and named after Helen LeFrank who re- Wade’s business, with one side vacant, Joshua re- the challenge of staying on one task at a time. tired as EBRC manager in 2007. LeFrank encour- ally got the bug. “I begged and begged them to let That was partly due to his youth and partly “it’s aged young people in business and was always a me start a store,” Joshua says. His parents eventu- the nature of repair work,” he says. Often, a piece keen supporter of small business in general. ally gave up or gave in. Using Wade’s craftsman- has to be glued and left for a day. But a day can In presenting the award, EBRC Community ship and a lot of hard work, they turned a space quickly became three or four. He now uses a white Economic Development Officer Sharen Symond- that has had all kinds of uses over the years into a board to control works in progress, with a system son said, “Alley Kat Music is becoming a musical large music store with a vintage look that features of checking off and erasing. ‘melting pot’ for the community. Josh has shown a beautiful tin ceiling at the front, false coffered He uses a computer program to track daily busithrough his various activities that he is a true ceiling toward the back and an original yellow ness transactions, and his mother, who works at business owner as well as having a strong sense of brick wall. TD in St. Thomas, does the bookkeeping. community.” On the custom guitar building front, Joshua Above all else, he recommends to other young Entrepreneurship runs in the family. Joshua’s learned from what he calls his father’s “sheer tech- business people, “Just keep going. Find somegrandparents on his father’s side were entrepre- nical expertise with wood” and also from fam- thing you enjoy and work hard enough at it to neurs as is his father, Wade, a woodworker and ily friend Mark Beneteau, whom Joshua credits make some money.” carpenter with a special interest in old buildings, with producing “by far the nicest guitars I’ve ever particularly anything with a timber frame. Wade seen.” Mark’s meticulousness and attention to deand Vera Davey also raise various fowl on their tail impressed upon Joshua the absolute imporFront cover and page 3 photos by Sparta hobby farm. tance of detail. Mark Girdauskas, Photos by MG. When his parents purchased and renovated Elgin This Month Manager Linda Axelson Section Editor Business Beat – Bob Hammersley Freelance Editor Terry Carroll
Regional Sales Manager Nelson Parreira Graphic Design / Production Metroland Media Group Sales Representative Greg Minnema
Elgin This Month is a monthly magazine focusing on business and lifestyle issues and includes Business Beat, the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce newsletter. The publication is available for pickup at no charge at news stands and other locations around Elgin County, as well as distribution to businesses and selected households.
Published monthly by Metroland Media Group Ltd., 15 St. Catharine Street, St. Thomas, ON N5P 2V7 519-633-1640 www.theweeklynews.ca/etm April, 2015
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3
INNES AS I SEE IT
Let’s begin with the oughts by Jim Innes It can take a long time to accomplish desired tasks. The intention is present, but the focus eludes us. And we spin in frustration. “Is it ADD?” asks my hindered client. I smirk in recognition of a shared sentiment. It’s not an attention disorder (not likely). It’s what I call the oughts. An annoying brain default that prompts postponement and delay … like a sudden need to eat something, or pay the bills, or learn to run Genius on your new IPod … everything and anything but the desired task of our good intentions. It took, for example, a looming deadline to begin this article. And when I finally sat down to it, I found myself answering work emails, managing a deal on Kijiji (for that Ipod I mentioned earlier), a desk to tidy up, and the sudden urge to jump for another cup of coffee. Well … maybe it is a bit of ADD (or the effects of too much caffeine). But even still, the oughts are a grueling distraction. And, if not for their ability to best our ambitions, the oughts can be somewhat comical. As a brain default, the oughts are a complex mix of neural firing, rapid blood surges and oxygen flows. Neuroscience states that attention is “a complex process … mingling with emotion, memory, identity, will, motivation, and mood” (Anderson, 2009, New York News). As such the
oughts cannot be easily accounted for, and consequently, we can’t easily rid ourselves of them. It’s important not to judge ourselves too harshly for the oughts. Judging increases their power and adds guilt and shame to the frustration. In my experience, the oughts are best diminished when accepted (and anticipated) as naturally arising before certain tasks can begin (or be finally accomplished). When the oughts are treated as part of the process instead of judged as deferring the process, we can make certain allowances for their distracting character. For example, when I appreciate that my writing process demands time to wander all over the place (in my mind as well my office), I start the work a bit earlier predicting these oughts will need attention. Also, by accepting the oughts, I have come to know them as less intense in the early morning (before the daytime’s many other distractions). Without judgment, the oughts, which can Visit our website using occur not only before, but also during the task your smartphone, tablet at hand, may even come or computer for relevant to be enjoyed as a break. But let me not underfinancial information at your estimate the difficulty fingertips. the oughts can create. The problem with the www.farrowfinancial.ca oughts increases as the importance and immediacy of the task increases. For example, clients working to develop new
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interpersonal habits, or developing new strategies for managing their anxieties or anger or addictions, may find the oughts extremely distressing. One exceedingly stressed client stated, “I want to change but I can’t seem to focus on doing it.” In such emotionally charged situations, we must ask whether the oughts are not so much oughts as they are a true resistance to the task. Too often, with good intention, we invest in what we think we should be doing as opposed to what we really want to do. This I call living with the shoulds (which can be confused with the oughts but is an entirely other complex issue). As I see it, as long as I am pursuing what I like to do, (like my writing) and keep the oughts a very real part of the process (without discouraging judgment), I know that at the very least, my deadline will get met and, as a bonus, my new Ipod will fair me well this summer.
6 new features every month
Jim Innes is a clinically trained therapist and a priest at St. Johns’ Anglican Church in St. Thomas. Learn more at jiminnes.ca.
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BUSINESS & COMMUNITY Small BuSineSS
Contact North | Contact Nord Helping small business owners by Laura Sherret
Looking to add new skills to grow your business? Need a flexible way to learn that won’t conflict with your busy schedule? Online learning may be the answer! Contact North | Contact Nord, Ontario’s distance education and training network, is a great option for accessing flexible courses without leaving the community, helping both new entrepreneurs and seasoned business owners acquire valuable skills without leaving their desk. One way that Contact North | Contact Nord is helping business owners in the St. Thomas area is through our partnership with PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise, an organization that supports women in business and promotes community economic development. Through this partnership, Contact North | Contact Nord brings local access to PARO’s free workshops in business start-up and management for individuals across the province. Access to the online workshop is available to both women and men. Local resident Richard Stewart participated this January in PARO’s What's Your Dream workshop from his computer in St. Thomas, learning about identifying one’s strengths and goals in business. Stewart is in the midst of a career change and tak-
Laura Sherret is the Online Learning Recruitment Officer for the Contact North | Contact Nord online learning centre in St. Thomas. ing any opportunity to learn new skills in his goal toward permanent and enjoyable work. “I found the workshop very valuable, and I felt included in the process as my questions and comments in the online discussion were quickly responded to and included in the process,” he says. Other workshops include Tax Basics, Business Expenses and Budgeting, and Introduction to Labour Standards. The workshops take place every Wednesday, and individuals can participate from a Contact North | Contact Nord online learning
Knowing You, To Know what works best forYou When you’re an accounting and business service firm who prefers to see clients “getting ahead” rather than just “getting by”, really getting to know the people you serve is the most important thing you do. And while we know the numbers count, at Graham Scott Enns, we also know the life those numbers belong to is what matters most. Get to know us better by visiting our new website at grahamscottenns.com
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centre or their home or work computers. Our Contact North | Contact Nord staff can also research and identify suitable courses at the college or university level that may be valuable for business owners or their employees. Courses in marketing, project management, social media, bookkeeping, and specific computer software are all popular topics. Most courses are offered each semester (January, May, and September) with some also offered monthly. Our help is free! The St. Thomas online learning centre is located within Employment Services Elgin at 400 Talbot Street and is one of 112 centres across the province. Funded by the government of Ontario, Contact North | Contact Nord partners with Ontario’s 24 public colleges, 22 public universities, and 250 public literacy and basic skills and training providers to ensure local access to education and training opportunities. Contact North | Contact Nord’s services ensure that residents living in smaller communities can access over 18,000 online courses and 1,000 online programs without having to leave their home communities. For more information contact our St. Thomas online learning centre at 1-855-451-7516 or by email at stthomas@contactnorth.ca.
Call or Drop by the branch. We look forward to seeing you.
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Mark Ashfield Financial Planner
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TD Canada Trust 378 Talbot Street St Thomas, ON (519) 631-7070 5
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY OUR COMMUNITY
Reimagine Campaign: United Way at a crossroads by Serge Lavoie
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The communities of Southwestern Ontario are facing all sorts of challenges — out migration, an aging population, chronic unemployment and under-employment, reduced civic engagement as evidenced in ever lower election turn-outs, even reduced rates of voluntarism. These challenges can cause stresses in how communities function. Retirees may be far less likely to want their hard-earned tax dollars used to invest in new civic amenities or community development. Young people, seeking new opportunities, are forced to leave, and once established elsewhere, may not return. With less money being earned, there is less to share, either through taxes or charitable giving. Inevitably, our governments at all levels need to adjust to the new environment by reducing costs, finding economies of scale and re-engineering the way they do business. Thus, our school boards consolidate resources, health care services are rationalized to avoid costly duplication and other government services are centralized or automated to cut overhead costs. Our institutions aren’t immune. Several years ago, the YMCA in St. Thomas was merged into the broader YMCA of Western Ontario, a network stretching from Windsor to Woodstock. As a result, the local autonomous management board was lost and yet services and facilities have im-
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proved and membership has increased. It can be argued that the economies of scale have resulted in lower overhead costs and more investment in the services that matter. This brings me to the situation facing the United Way of Elgin-St. Thomas. Full disclosure: I recently joined the board of our United Way and I currently chair its Reimagine Campaign. Along similar in all those jurisdictions. Of these, Chawith my fellow board members, I’ve been engag- tham-Kent in fact has the lowest family income. ing in conversations with community leaders That municipality also saw a 4.2 percent decrease about the best way to ensure the future survival in its population. By comparison, St. Thomas exof the agency after almost 60 years of valuable ser- perienced a 5.6 percent increase in its population during the same period. vice to the city and county. All of these communities have experienced sigIn the past 10 years the level of giving to our United Way has declined by two-thirds. This year nificant economic losses in the past 10 years and alone, the campaign missed its $600,000 target have adapted in their various ways. It could be by over 25 percent. For fundraisers, the results are argued that our proximity to London has made perplexing. For the 15 organizations counting on it possible for our population to grow and for our financial support from the agency, the results are municipality to remain relatively strong and viable. But being so close to London is also a twodevastating. It’s easy to blame the situation on the declin- edged sword. It could just as equally have drained some of our local discretionary ing economic fortunes of our dollars and, more importantly, our ...being so manufacturing sector. The loss of sense of community. close to London Sterling, Ford, Timken and SchulThe United Way of Elgin-St. man, among others, has had an is a two-edged Thomas has a decision to make. enormous impact, no doubt. Yet, sword... Should it try to rebuild itself into upon further analysis, the situathe strong, vibrant, volunteer-drivtion seems much more complex. en community organization it has been for most To begin with, while United Way campaigns in Elgin and St. Thomas of its 60 years? Is there enough community spirit have declined over the left to achieve that? Or should it ensure its future past 10 years, campaigns success by teaming up with London-Middlesex, in neighbouring com- tapping into the deeper resources and economies munities have remained of scale such a partnership could offer? Since the ultimate goal of either option is to stable or have increased. On a per capita ba- maximize our ability to raise and distribute the sis, the United Way in funds so desperately by our local organizations, Elgin-St. Thomas col- there is probably no wrong solution. And yet, the lected $5.00 in 2014. In option we choose could speak volumes about the Huron-Perth the num- type of community we’ll become in future. ber was $8.70 and in Oxford it was $11.12. In Serge Lavoie has a 35-year career We can save your business time and money, Chatham-Kent, the per managing associations, most capita contribution was like we have done for many of our clients recently the Southwest Economic an impressive $18.47. Alliance. He lives in St. Thomas. Yet, the median household income is relatively • Business/Technology Consulting
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BUSINESS & COMMUNITY Financial Planning
It’s tax time again. What’s new for families? by Stephanie Farrow
It’s tax time again, and saving money on income but payments will be retroactive to January for tax comes back to the forefront. We wince at the the full amount. There is also a new element added to the Enthought of owing income tax at year end, and hanced UCCB which will provide up to $60/ keep our fingers crossed for a mini-windfall in the month tax credit for each child from ages 6-17. form of a refund, should we be so lucky. Family Tax Cut Tax Credit – (Family Income When it comes to getting the most money back on your return, it helps to be up to date on what’s Splitting) Effective for the 2014 tax year, the government available and what’s changing. Last fall, Canada’s has introduced a new non-refundable tax credit Minister of Finance announced some tax changes up to $2,000. This tax credit is attained by inaffecting Canadian families with young children. Here is a quick summary on a few tax changes come splitting between spouses. Seniors with pension incomes have been able to income split affecting families. for some time now but young Child Tax Credit is being families have never had the opeliminated portunity. Couples with children The current child tax credit “this tax credit is can now split a portion of their as we know it is being elimiattained by income income between them to lower nated. The 2014 tax year will their taxes up to the $2,000 splitting between be your last year to claim this maximum. This credit will ennon-refundable child tax credit spouses” able one spouse earning in a high of $2,255 for children up to age income tax bracket to transfer 18. This child tax credit will be a portion of their income (to a eliminated for the 2015 tax year going forward. maximum of $50,000) to the other lower income Enhanced Universal Child Care Benefit spouse in a lower tax bracket. The overall effect The Enhanced Universal Child Care Benefit is that a portion of the family income can now (UCCB) will pay $160/month for each child up be eligible for a lower income tax bracket which until the age of six. This is an increase from the previous $100/month. Although the new benefits means a tax reduction for the family. Families go into effect on January 1, 2015, in practice, you who will benefit from this tax credit the most will won’t receive your first cheque until July 2015, be families where one spouse has a high income
April, 2015
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and one has a low income. Child Care Expense Deduction is increasing for 2015 Child care costs are ever rising and the child care expense deduction is being increased to reflect that. The actual amount you can deduct on your income tax return from the lower income spouse is dependent on the expenses you incur, two thirds of earned income, and the maximum for each category as follows: $7,000 for each child under age 7 for 2014, and increased to $8,000 for 2015 $4,000 for each child between the ages of 7 and 15 for 2014, and increased to $5,000 for 2015 $10,000 for each child eligible for the Disability Tax Credit for 2014 and increased to $11,000 for 2015 Speak with your tax and financial advisor on how these tax changes can work for you. Stephanie Farrow, B.A., C.F.P., is a Certified Financial Planner and co-owner of Farrow Financial Services Inc., in Belmont
7
Business & Community CommuniCation
Business communication - a key to success by Carol Groves
Write it right the first time. It is well known that developing effective communication skills can enhance a person's personal and social life. However for business owners, the need to communicate effectively with customers can be the critical factor in whether the business succeeds or not. Trusted client relationships and successful financial ventures stem from effective business communication. So what is business communication really all about? Business communication is somewhat different and unique from other types of communication since its purpose is to attract clients and ultimately make money. In general, business communication encompasses a variety of topics from marketing and customer relations, to online interactions and all things in-between. Affected by technology changes, business communication has now become faster and more direct than ever before. The 'need for speed' takes on new meaning when, in a world where every minute counts, your ability to attract or influence can be compromised by the timing or timeliness of your business message. Unlike everyday social exchanges, in the business world you rarely get second chances. The investment in your business brand image can be undone in a matter of seconds by one careless email. It is imperative for businesses to learn how to communicate efficiently and effectively and to follow current standards of busi-
ness communication.
..the need for speed takes on new meaning... Tone and attitude of writing are as important as the content. Do you talk down to your audience? Are you flippant, aggressive, bored or uncaring? The feelings expressed in emails or letters are as clear as if the person were talking to you face-toface. Make your writing professional and personal yet businesslike. Compare it to business casual dressing: You want to be approachable but it isn't dress-down Friday. The prevalence of poorly written e-mail has been singled out as a cause of many workplace problems. One personnel director noted that, "Email is one of the leading causes of miscommunication … The sender is composing on the spot. You might do a spell-check, but you can't do a 'thought-check.' It's like blurting out something without thinking it through." So why allow spelling and grammatical errors to give potential customers reason to question your competence? Always make use of spelling and
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grammar checks. Ask a colleague or employee to review important documents. Correctly spelled words used incorrectly are a big turn-off. Most importantly, don't insult your clients; make sure you get their names right! How will you "win" at business communications? Practice! In very few cases does the development of effective business communication skills come quickly; it often takes considerable practice and experience. Did you know that President Obama signed an executive order, The Plain Writing Act of 2010? The law requires that U.S. government documents be written in "plain language," defined as "writing that is clear, concise, well-organized, and follows other best practices appropriate to the subject or field and intended audience." Plain language; what people can understand the first time they read it or hear it. It is vital to be extremely well polished in every aspect of your communication. Your business and your customers will thank you for it.
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Mayor Heather Jackson is asking all businesses owners to allow their staff to take 20 minutes to clean-up the outdoor space around your place of business. Register your group Pick up your clean-up kit Send us before and after photos and be entered for a chance to win a pizza lunch for your group!!
Let’s All Chip In and Do Our Part!
545 Talbot St., St. Thomas
519-631-1680
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• April 2015 •
An event-full calendar! April and May bring two special events to the Chamber calendar in addition to our regular activities such as our monthly Business After 5 events and internal functions of our Board of Directors and committees.
St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce Member Services Representative Warren Allen (right) presents a winning door prize draw to St. Thomas Economic Development Manager Sean Dyke at the March 11 Business After 5 at St. Thomas Golf & Country Club.
Business After 5
Wednesday April 15 St. Thomas Roadhouse, 837 Talbot Street Sponsored by: The Auto Guys and Elgin – St. Thomas United Way Free admission to all personnel from any business or organization that is a Member of the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce.
MP/MPP Luncheon Last Call for Tickets
MPP Jeff Yurek and MP Joe Preston
Thursday April 9, the Chamber hosts federal MP Joe Preston and provincial MPP Jeff Yurek in our annual luncheon to hear presentations from both, and have them respond to questions from our Members. This year, a special feature is being added through the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation and the launch of a new promotion campaign called St. Thomas Proud. Tickets are $32 per person and may be ordered through the Chamber office. Call us at 519-631-1981 or email mail@stthomaschamber.on.ca Doors open at 11:15 and buffet food service runs 11:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. The launch of the St. Thomas Proud program starts at 12:10 p.m., followed by remarks from our MP & MPP starting at 12:15. Special thanks to our event sponsors: Catering by James Meadows; Dowler-Karn Limited; and Phil Mauer & Associates Inc.
41st Annual Members Golf Day May 28 Earlybird registration ends May 1
Beat the May 1 deadline and enter a foursome for only $575. Experience a great day of golf on one of Ontario’s top courses. Our all-in price includes 18 holes, carts, a BBQ lunch, the incredible all-you-can-eat dinner buffet, post-game social mixer, silent auction, prizes and more. Foursome Registration forms are available now at the Chamber office or via email. Play your own game – medal play or ‘best ball’. For full details, contact Warren Allen at the Chamber office at 519-631-1981 Extension 526 or email warren@stthomaschamber.on.ca
Business Beat Table of Contents Events galore............. Page 10 Surprising data .......... Page 11 Business wants ......... Page 12 Blurring lines............. Page 13 WHMIS changes ....... Page 14 D&O insurance ......... Page 15 New Members........... Page 16 April, 2015
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Viewpoint Events and News of Interest to our Members
In recognition by Bob Hammersley Former St. Thomas Mayor & MPP Steve Peters once told us “I love history because it tells us so much. If we don’t know where we’ve been, we can’t know where we’re going.” We think he’s right, and we think the same value can be found in something we call recognition. And in something else we call attitude. At the community level, we’re about to see two new activities launch this month that complement some existing programs and forums devoted to recognition and the celebration of excellence and success. On April 9, the Chamber will support the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation in the formal launch of a new initiative called St. Thomas Proud. This one isn’t an award program but it’s definitely a path to celebrate excellence and community spirit through delivery of testimonials and use of a variety media to promote and communicate local successes, victories and spirit.
New
On April 13, myFM Radio joins with the St. Thomas EDC to begin delivery of a program that celebrates influence. The game plan is to name and recognize the 75 Most Influential people in our community. It concludes with an invitationonly breakfast Friday, June 19. This one is brand new! Rob Mise at myFM welcomes comments and questions.
On April 23, the City of St. Thomas continues its annual tradition of presenting the Civic Honours & Awards. Earlier last month, on March 6, a committee within the City of St. Thomas Parks & Recreation Department celebrated the first business recipients to be named to the municipal Wall of Fame inside the St. Thomas Timken Community Centre. The Wall of Fame is a designated area in which individuals and teams are recognized in the categories of Sport, Business, Arts/Entertainment and Literature.
On Wednesday May 13, the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce hosts the presentation of the 41st Free Enterprise Awards. Up to 7 awards may be given to celebrate local short-term and long-term entrepreneurial successes that go beyond business to improve the cultural and social fabric of our area.
On Friday October 23, as part of National Small Business Week, myFM Radio along with the Chamber and dozens of local sponsors host the presentation of the annual Spirit of St. Thomas Awards. Created by the radio station four years ago, this program of 50 awards is the most lighthearted approach to recognition but it does what it’s named for and definitely boosts community spirit.
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Business Beat Published by Metroland Media Group Ltd., and delivered to businesses in St. Thomas and Elgin Country For complete information on the St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce, reach us at: 115-300 South Edgeware Rd., St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 4L1 Telephone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466 E-Mail: mail@stthomaschamber.on.ca Website: www.stthomaschamber.on.ca President & CEO Bob Hammersley Accounting Coordinator Susan Munday Member Services Warren Allen
For complete details, contact the Chamber
115 - 300 South Edgeware Road, St. Thomas Phone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466 Email: mail@stthomaschamber.on.ca www.stthomaschamber.on.ca
April, 2015
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St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce 2015 Board of Directors Chair: Ross Fair Fanshawe College Vice-Chair: Dan Kelly, CPA, CGA Dowler-Karn Ltd. Treasurer: Mark Lassam, CPA, CA Lassam & Co. Past Chair: Laura Woermke St. Thomas Elgin Public Art Centre Director: Sean Dyke St. Thomas Economic Development Corp. Director: Robert Furneaux Gorman-Rupp of Canada Ltd. Director: Brian Helmer Reith & Associates Insurance & Financial Director: Kevin Jackson Elgin Business Resource Centre Director: Jeff Kohler City of St. Thomas Director: Phil Mauer Phil Mauer & Associates Inc. Director: Ginette Minor Alexelle Slipcovers & Décor Director: Rob Mise myFM Radio 94.1
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Chamber News Events and News of Interest to our Members
We get, we give Chambers of Commerce are often seen as the gateway to the communities they serve, and the St. Thomas & District Chamber is no exception. In many respects, we’re also seen as they gatekeepers on mounds of local data and intel that people in businesses, organizations and the community at large need and want, but don’t necessarily know how to find or assemble. If you could spend a day in our office manning the phones, the email and monitoring our on-line traffic through our website and social media channels, you would likely be surprised, if not overwhelmed, by the traffic. Responding effectively means we keep score and pay attention to lots of stats and data. The type of info that defines what we are, what we need, and what we can be. That, in turn, creates some surprising data of its own. In no particular order, and under no particular theme, we thought we’d take this time to share some of the stats, facts and trivia we have recently dug from our multiple mines. As the headline to this piece suggests, it’s what we get and what we give. • The St. Thomas & District Chamber website is a busy place! For example, during the last week of February, 2,561 people came to it looking for community info. In all of 2014, we recorded total traffic in excess of 140,000 unique visitors who conducted over 250,000 searches of data in our website. • In any average week, around 65% of the users will be new, never having looked at us or our community before through the Chamber’s site. • 68% of the average weekly traffic we see online is for business searches. Buyers, sellers, people looking for employment. They come to us for many reasons. Hint to Chamber Members: All Members are listed in our online data. Have a look, and make sure we’re up-to-date. • The other one-third of our traffic goes in several directions, but the 2nd most popular search/ download/view is our Community Profile pages. The Community Profile is a document we update annually that is a ‘snapshot’ of the city and region that contains population, housing, recreation and general community info. It’s the document that newcomers, and prospective newcomers and investors request more than any other. • 25% More Life? It’s true, very true. Matter of fact, stats from housing sales in the whole London region in 2014 proved St. Thomas and area homes sold for an average of 25.3% less than a comparable place anywhere in the region! • There are 15,842 homes in the City of St. Thomas and the 8 surrounding rural routes; 3,165 apartments; 294 farms; and 1,068 businesses. • For the last 9 consecutive months, St. Thomas housing sales have been very strong. Sales activity hasn’t been this hot here since 2007! • New Stats Can data just in on how we spend our money … Average ‘family’ household (married with kids) spending on all goods and services rose 4.1% last year. • The average household spends $58,592 in a year; 28% is for shelter, 21% for transportation, April, 2015
While the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce is perhaps best known for its monthly Business After 5, such as this March event at St. Thomas Golf & Country Club, the local Chamber interacts with Members and the general public in all kinds of ways, some of them surprising. over 80 subscribers in the US, 12 in the Dominiand 14% for food. • A one-person household headed by a senior can Republic and 16 in Japan! • Posting Green Mail on the Chamber’s website aged 65+ spends an average of $29,064 per year. • The average Ontario hotel rate is up 3.5% and links in our social media via Twitter, Facefrom a year ago. Whole province considered, the book and LinkedIn boosts our circulation by about 10% each week. The March 17 issue, for average room rate is $130.46 per night. • The number one job creator locally and across example, was seen by 176 readers who came to get the entire country last year was the restaurant/ it, instead of us sending it to them! hospitality industry. 31,300 new jobs added in 2014 bringing the total nationwide to 1.2 million. Add 300,000 more when you add farming, transportation, etc. to the mix. • The number two source of new jobs is the health care sector. 29,800 new jobs in Canada last year. • Less than half of us are volunteers, 44%. But 82% of us gave money to a charity or not-for-profit agency last year. • The premium on the US dollar might be keeping more folks home. Traffic to the US from Canada dropped more than 7% last December compared to December 2013. • The popularity of the Chamber’s weekly Green Mail newsletter continues to climb. The average weekly issue is opened by 45 Metcalfe Street, St. Thomas around 2,000 people, 519.631.9393 and many people share their copy. • Green Mail isn’t just local. We have
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Chamber News Events and News of Interest to our Members
What does business want in Ontario’s 2015 budget? The provincial Chamber network has released a key report to Queen’s Park containing 7 recommendations on the wants and needs of the business community as the province develops the 2015 budget. The contents of the document are based on findings of a province-wide survey conducted through February by Leger Marketing through the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Comments and observations submitted by dozens of local businesses were included in the study and used to build our series of recommendations. Our full report can be viewed and downloaded on the Chamber’s website at stthomaschamber. on.ca. It outlines the seven key recommendations captured here; recommendations that we believe the Government of Ontario must adopt in its 2015 Budget in order to return to fiscal balance and spur growth in our economy. Our submission outlines our increasing concern with how new provincial programs and policies are impacting Ontario’s competitiveness and job creation. Over the past year, the Government of Ontario has implemented or announced several new initiatives that have a direct impact on business, including increases to the minimum wage, a new Waste Diversion Act, a review of the Labour Relations Act, the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP), and a potential carbon pricing regime. The government needs to seriously consider the cumulative impact of these initiatives on business. Addressing the fiscal situation should also continue to be top priority for the government. Eliminating the deficit is an important step the government can take to improve Ontario’s competitiveness and create jobs in the province.
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St. Thomas Columbus Club Manager Roy Esbaugh (left) is all smiles as Chamber Member Services Representative Warren Allen presents him with his main door prize draw winnings at the March 11 Business After 5 … a terrific golf package from host St. Thomas Golf & Country Club.
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Legal Business Events and News of Interest to our Members
The blurry lines of music copyright by Monty Fordham
very rich. As an aside, the twerking by Miley Cyrus in The recent court decision Thicke’s VMA performance became the most in the case involving Robin “tweeted” event in history. Until I saw the vidThicke, Pharrell Williams and eo, I thought “twerking” was something I did the late Marvin Gaye’s estate to my computer. Regardless of the success of certainly has the members of the popular music industry, Monty Fordham “Blurred Lines”, or the twerking, the question for the jury was, “Is ‘Blurred Lines’ essentially a ahem, humming. For the few of you that might have been on vacation or just ‘knock off’ of “Got to Give it Up?” For comparison, many will remember the don’t care, a jury in Los Angeles last month copyright case involving George Harrison’s awarded the late singer Marvin Gaye’s children damages in the amount of $7.4 million “My Sweet Lord” and the Chiffons’ “He’s So for copyright infringement arising out of the Fine.” Although there was clearly no confusing the lyrics or the themes, the musical score was Robin Thicke hit “Blurred Lines.” For aspiring composers, the decision has great virtually identical. George Harrison eventually significance. It has been criticized by some in bought the copyright to the Chiffons’ song. A the music industry and entertainment law as good solution so long as your pockets are as being too broad in its scope and apt to discour- deep as Harrison’s were. In the Thicke / Williams / Gaye lawsuit, both age, if not suppress, creativity. Others have applauded the decision as being a victory for in- sides called as expert witnesses individuals tellectual property rights. However, one thing known as musicologists. These folks attempted is certain: the number of copyright infringe- to portray the similarities or differences between the two pieces of music. Now, you might think, ment law suits is about to skyrocket. hey, how many combinations A little background and permutations can there be might be helpful. of 12 notes? (Answer is, actualMarvin Gaye was one of “answer … not many, unly, not many, unless you include the most popular rhythm and blues singers of all less you include cacophony cacophony in the comparisons). So, if the notes and lyrics aren’t time. His songs are still in the comparisons” t h e played extensively on same, adult contemporary radio. Millennials, howand the rhythms are ever, probably don’t recognize his name, much less his music. The song, “Got To Give It Up” distinguishable, how was first performed by him in 1977. He died can the two works be in 1984 after a hugely successful career, leaving similar? The answer, I his three children, born 1966, 1974 and 1975. think lies in the nature Pharrell Williams was born in 1973 and is of contemporary muone of the most successful composer / perform- sic and the manner in ers in the music business. Robin Thicke (son which it is produced. Music production of U.W.O alumnus Alan Thicke) was born in 1977. Both Thicke and Williams acknowl- and composition have edge they were influenced by Gaye’s music. evolved technological(Likewise, I am often influenced by the music ly to the point where, of Beethoven or Bach, to no particular end). as many have noticed, “Blurred Lines,” first performed in 2013, has 60 year-old ears can’t sold over 14.8 million and made them both distinguish one cur-
rent top 40 hit from another. Members of a jury surely would have the same problem, especially when presented with complex production and recording concepts by the experts. The chances of a song which becomes a hit being challenged as infringing copyright just increased. By the way, the next time you want to launch into your loudest and pitchiest version of “Happy Birthday” at a party, you’d better think twice. Apparently, the copyright for the song was registered in 1935. The rights were acquired again in 1988, and the guys who think they own the rights say they’re good till 2030. (Heck. I’ll be almost 50.) Well, you guessed it. This one is before the courts as well. But wait. Maybe there’s a way to distinguish our versions of “Happy Birthday” from the original. Some distracting twerking on the side? Lawyer Monty Fordham prepares this monthly column for the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce and our Members. Monty is also a volunteer serving on the Chamber’s Board of Directors. Questions, comments and suggestions for future columns are welcomed by Monty at his office: Fordham & Brightling Associates – Lawyers, 4 Elgin Street, St. Thomas. Telephone 519-633-4000, FAX 519-633-1371 or e-mail: montyfordham@4elgin.ca
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Chamber News Events and News of Interest to our Members How to meet the new WHMIS/GHS compliance deadlines in 6 easy steps Manufacturers, importers and distributors of hazardous products now have a series of deadlines for complying with changes to Canada’s Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) that have been in the works for years. These deadlines, published in a February issue of the Canada Gazette Part II, also apply to federally regulated employers. Employers under provincial and territorial jurisdiction can likely expect the same or slightly staggered deadlines. The just-released dates will allow manufacturers, importers, distributors and employers to schedule their compliance efforts. “If I were any of these parties,” says WSPS consultant Craig Fairclough, “I would be feeling more comfortable than I was before the announcement. We now have exact dates that should give us enough time to implement the changes.” The changes introduce new classification rules, label requirements, and formats for material safety data sheets. However, they build on the existing WHMIS framework. The implication: “We’ll all have to make changes, but we won't be starting from scratch,” says Fairclough. Why WHMIS is changing The changes will align Canada’s existing WHMIS system, now known as WHMIS 1988, with the Global Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling for Chemicals (GHS), an international system used by Canada’s trading partners. According to Health Canada, this will make workplaces safer, more competitive and more productive. Net benefits for Canadian governments and industry are estimated at $391.6 million
over 20 years. Phase Who’s Affected How to Comply What happens next 1: from now until May 31, 2017 Manufacturers, importers and Follow either the WHMIS 1988 distributors of hazardous products or WHMIS 2015 requirements Canada’s transition to the GHS-aligned verFor each product, use either a WHMIS 1988 or WHMIS 2015 sion, to be known as WHMIS 2015, will take label and (material) safety data place in four phases. All parties must be in full 2: June 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018 Manufacturers and importers sell- sheet Import hazardous products with ing hazardous products labels and (material) safety data compliance by December 1, 2018. The following Sell or import only products with sheets compliant with either WHlabels and safety data sheets com- MIS 1988 or WHMIS 2015 table identifies next steps for everyone. pliant with WHMIS 2015 Distributors of hazardous prod* Ontario employers, watch for more informaucts plus manufacturers and importers importing hazardous tion from the Ministry of Labour products for their own use 6 next steps 3: June 1, 2018 to November Manufacturers, importers and Sell or import only products comdistributors of hazardous products pliant with WHMIS 2015 1. Inform yourself. Attend an information ses- 30, 2018 sion such as the Partners in Prevention 2015 4. December 1, 2018+ Manufacturers, importers, Comply with WHMIS 2015 distributors, and federally reguHealth & Safety Conference & Trade Show later lated employers* using hazardous products this month, request an onsite awareness session, * Ontario employers, watch for more information from the Ministry of Labour or watch a free webinar. 2. Inform others. If your workplace handles or Reach out to WSPS for help stores chemical products, then at some point everyone • WSPS (Workplace Safety and Prevention Services) will need to be briefed or trained on WHMIS 2015. has consultants, trainers and resources to help you at 3. Ensure your workplace is already WHMIS 1988 every step along the way. Visit their WHMIS resources compliant. You'll have an easier time converting page for more information at wsps.ca smooth-running processes to WHMIS 2015 than try• For at-a-glance information on WHMIS 2015, such ing to improve and convert at the same time. as chemical classifications and safety data sheets, check 4. Review training processes and materials to deter- out the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and mine what needs to be changed, the best way to pro- Safety’s OSH Answers WHMIS info. vide training (e.g., combining classroom training with • Attend Partners in Prevention 2015 Health & Safety e-learning?), who will make the changes, and when. Conference & Trade Show, April 28-29 in Mississauga, 5. Draft an implementation schedule and budget. In- where you can ask speak with WHMIS experts and atvolve key stakeholders and build 50% more time than tend WHMIS 2015: How Workplaces Can Prepare for you think you will need into the schedule. Successful Transition. 6. Get input and buy-in from key decision-makers at • Call WSPS at 1-877-494-WSPS (9777) the design stage.
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Pro Text Events and News of Interest to our Members
Directors and officers need to protect themselves by Joanne Fisher
Directors and officers insurance, commonly referred to as D&O, is a specialized form of liability insurance that should be purchased and carried by incorporated businesses, not-for-profit agencies and services, and even educational institutions. It is not included in the standard commercial general liability coverage typically carried by any business or not-for-profit organization. It is underwritten by means of a separate application and is priced based on the size, financial stability and operational practices of the organization or business applying. Typically, in the case of some not-for profit groups this cover can be added to an existing policy whereas for private enterprise a separate policy is issued. The purpose of this coverage is to protect the interests of those who serve as directors and officers of corporations and are charged with the fiduciary duty to act in utmost good faith when making decisions that affect the operations of the organization. Canadian courts, through various decisions and relevant case law, have long since pierced the corporate shield that directors and officers could once hide behind. Combine this with recent changes in key government legislation and those who serve on boards of directors are now personally, jointly and severally, liable for the actions of the board and its decisions with respect to the nature of the organization; operating policies and practices and status of statutory remittances. As such, for anyone serving on a board or as an officer of the company, D&O will protect them from claims which may arise from the decisions and actions taken within the scope of their regular duties. These policies cover the personal liability of company directors and officers as individuals, but also the reimbursement of the insurance company in case it has paid the claim of a third party on behalf of its managers in order to protect them. Why should companies purchase D&O coverage? Boards of directors and managers can make mistakes and today can be held personally legally liable for them. They are required to walk a fine line between making tough and complex decisions with huge impact on the basis of sometimes limited information available. No matter how prudently they act, any manager’s decision can result in losses for the company or a third party,
and the directors and officers who made those decisions can be held personally liable for those losses and can be involved in costly litigation. A company needs to ensure that its directors and officers have the room to make decisions and D&O insurance supports good corporate governance by making the risks of these decisions manageable. In cases where a company goes bankrupt, D&O is often one of the few assets providing the company, its shareholders or its creditors a way to recapture some part of that loss. Common D&O risk scenarios • Employment practices & HR issues • Shareholder actions • Reporting errors • Inaccurate or inadequate disclosure (i.e. in company accounts) • Misrepresentation in a prospectus • Decisions exceeding the authority granted to a company officer • Failure to comply with regulations or laws What is not covered? • Fraud • Intentional non-compliant acts • Illegal remuneration of personal profit • Property damage and bodily harm • Legal action already taken when the policy begins • Claims made under a previous policy • Claims covered by another insurer The most frequent source of D&O claims are those related to employment or HR issues such as discrimination, sexual harassment or wrongful termination. 40% of current D&O claims are employment related. In most cases managers did not act themselves; they simply did not enforce employee conduct rules against discrimination and harassment. D&O is not just coverage for large corporations who deal in international business. Any company’s
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This column appears regularly in Business Beat and has been submitted by Joanne Fisher, an Advisor at Reith & Associates Insurance and Financial Services Limited, 462 Talbot Street, St. Thomas. Questions and comments on this column are welcomed by the writer at 519-631-3862 or via e-mail: info@reithandassociates.com
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and/or NPO’s directors and officers and managers could be at risk of a potential claim. All current, future and past directors and officers of a company and its subsidiaries can cover under a D&O policy, which can also include non-executive directors. That said, not all D&O policies are created equal and it is therefore crucial that when selecting this coverage you are dealing with a broker that is astute and aware of how to craft such a policy and isn’t simply relying on an “off the shelf” commodity to serve you. D&O is a standard part of any for-profit and notfor-profit insurance program. If your business or organization does not have it, it is time that you do. If you do, and it has not been carefully reviewed to ensure compliance with recent legislative changes, it is time that you do. D&O coverage is necessary to enable managers to make decisions without the threat of personal liability hanging over them, and it is there to respond when mistakes happen.
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www.fergusondimeolaw.com 15
Chamber News Events and News of Interest to our Members
New Members
The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce proudly welcomes the following businesses and individuals as our newest Members. Those listed below were accepted as registered Members to March 15, 2015. Once an organization registers with the Chamber, all personnel (owners/managers/ staff) within the organization have full access to all Chamber programs, projects, events and services. VM Contracting 35607 Fingal Line Fingal, ON N0L 1K0 Phone: 519-878-9580 Email: vmcontracting@live.com Website: www.vm-contracting.com Contact: Jeremy VanMeekeren, Co-owner Jenn VanMeekeren, Co-owner/Administration Buyers Guide Categories: Building Contractors, General Contractors, Renovations/Additions, Windows & Doors, Flooring, Restoration Products & Services: VM Contracting is a family owned business that has been in the construction business for 14 years. They pride themselves on their dependability and quality workmanship. VM Contracting’s mission is to provide quality products
and services at competitive rates. They feature a wide range of services including siding, soffit, aluminum facia, seamless eaves trough, replacement windows & doors, roofing, flooring, drywall, painting, framing, excavation, concrete and more. VM Contracting is proud to say, “We do it right the first time – we guarantee it”. RBC Insurance 3089 Wonderland Road South London, ON N6L 1R4 Phone: 519-680-6023 Email: julie.vannoord@rbc.com Web: www.rbcinsurance.com Contact: Julie Vannoord, Insurance Advisor Buyers Guide Category: Insurance Services, Financial Services Products & Services: Julie Vannoord is your St. Thomas and area Property and Casualty Advisor with RBC Insurance. Julie has over 14 years of experience with assisting clients just like you choose the right coverage so you can sleep at night, knowing you have it covered. RBC Insurance provides a wide range of travel, life, health, home, auto, wealth and reinsurance products and solutions, as well as creditor and business insurance services, to individual, business and group clients. RBC Insurance has
more than four million clients in Canada. As Julie proudly says, "My passion is to help protect what matters the most to you". TUC Managed IT Solutions 4151 Perkins Road London, ON N6L 1G8 Phone: 519-652-1942 Email: info@tucmanaged.com Web: www.tucmanaged.com Contact: Beth Walpole, Vice-President & General Manager - SWO Buyers Guide Categories: Information Technology Services Products & Services: TUC® makes technology uncomplicated for business. Ranked as a Top 50 global Managed Service Provider (MSP), TUC delivers technology infrastructure, applications, virtual CIO, managed and cloud services – all supported 24/7 by the TUC Managed Service Center. Customers range from small business to global enterprise with over 250 managed services engagements servicing over 50,000 end-users. With TUC Connected Office® managed services program you get the technology you need in the model you want: •Traditional – network, desktop, data back-up and security with proactive monitoring and support; • Utility – hardware, software and support for a monthly fixed fee per user; • Cloud – virtual desktop, server, applications and communications. Oscar Temple & Sons Construction Ltd. 37979 Fingal Line, R.R.# 1 St. Thomas, ON N5P 3S5 Phone: 519-637-1350 Email: n/a Web: n/a Contact: Bob Temple, Owner Buyers Guide Categories: Building Contractors, General Contractors Products & Services: Oscar Temple & Sons Construction are qualified builders and contractors serving St. Thomas and area for over 80 years. This family owned company has been providing quality commercial and residential construction for large and small projects. Oscar Temple & Sons Construction also specializes in concrete and all concrete related work. Call Bob Temple today for more information at 519-633-7451.
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Healthy Living SELF DISCOVERY
Trust me – great words if they are genuine by Anouschka Van den Bosch
will not in any way damage the business – or, for Have you ever had a conversation with business go. owners or managers where they were adamant to On the positive side, if you build trust into your that matter, their careers,” and this is according to do a project themselves because they didn’t trust organizational values, you’ll have an opportunity Richard Branson’s own article of September 2014. This is, of course, not possible for all organizatheir employees to do it right? How about that to build a team where everyone will feel appreconversation in the lunch room where the general ciated, responsible, and accountable. When you tions. However, what if you were to take a good consensus was that no have a positive rela- look at your big fat policy binder and ask yourself one trusted the presitionship with your which policy is really necessary? What would hapdent to be speaking employees, you will pen if it was taken away? Would your business fall “what if you were to take a good the truth about the build one-on-one apart? Or would your employees take it as a sign look at your big fat policy binder?” success of the busitrust, allowing lead- that you trust them to take the appropriate action ness? ers to be perceived in the right circumstances? What if it increased When I think of as open-minded and morale? Whoa, what if it decreased turnover because the employees felt valued and trusted? trust I also think of vulnerability and the willing- trustworthy. If you have time over the next few days, do an ness to be vulnerable. In other words, you need to Effective communications builds trust within show you can be trusted first by being vulnerable your teams. Be transparent, share the losses and online search for “Susanne Jacob recruiter buildbefore you can expect that trust to be returned. the wins. Walk your talk, be trustworthy yourself. ing trust.” There you will see the Jacobs model If you are withholding information from your When you say you will do something, do it. It created by Susanne Jacob. Check it out and see if employees then how can you expect them to be seems so simple and it goes such a long way in it resonates with you and decide if it is a tool that could help you in building trust in your organizaforthcoming with information for you? Why building trust amongst your teams. would they want to help you with your project if My favourite HR column writer, one I have tion. And a final thought: “The best way to find out if you don’t want to give them all the data? mentioned before, Liz Ryan, recently wrote an I can just hear you muttering, “I trusted them article about an organization that was built on you can trust somebody is to trust them.” - Ernest once and they screwed it up.” And, so, did you policies. Everything had to have a policy, as the Hemingway find out what happened, did you ask why the owner did not trust the employees to follow the project went side-ways, did you look at ways of rules if there were no policies, which meant that Anouschka Van den doing it different next time? If you chose to never managers and supervisors would spend most of Bosch is a Human trust your team again than you will have to live their time disciplining people for not following Resources Professional with your team not trusting you either, and if you policies. and Certified Life and are OK with continuing on like that, then off you Can you imagine not having a dress code policy? Career Coach. Oh my, let’s really go off our rocker and not have a vacation policy! I read that Netflix has no vacation or “9-5” policy and <1% OF CANADIANS ARE Virgin has also adapted the non-vacation policy MEMBERS OF YACHT CLUBS. in their UK and US operations. Employees can WHAT’S YOUR take as much time off as RETIREMENT VISION? they need, without asking for permission. The Source: Sail Canada, 2014 only stipulation is “the assumption that they are only going to do it when they feel a hundred per cent comfortable that they and their team are up to date on every projRetirement clichés are yesterday. Talk with me today ect and that their absence
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Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce
Free business guidance and so much more People do business with people they know, like and trust The same rings true for anyone who needs small business help and we are here for you. The Small Business Enterprise Centre team is focused on our mandate to serve. Whether you’re a student, an aspiring entrepreneur or an established business owner with an idea, we earn trust by ‘meeting you where you are’ and helping you through to the next step of self-discovery, business planning, and taking action. In addition to providing free business advice and guidance, cash flow projections, resources and value-packed special events, we established the Small Business Network to help us achieve our m a n da t e to best serve your business needs. S o m e benefits include business outreach support and facilitated local con-
nections with professional service providers through our ‘Ask an Expert’ round-table discussions and incredibly engaged group of local Business Mentors who volunteer their Town of Aylmer photo courtesy of aylmer.ca. time to help you succeed. Works Self-Employment program Quick facts for Elgin/St. Thomas Small Business - Ontario Service Provider for annual special Enterprise Centre: events, specifically Bridges to Better Business, In- Established in 2010 to serve Elgin County-St. ternational Women’s Day and E-Business WorkThomas shops - Funded by Elgin County, St. Thomas EconomWe are open to creative ideas and partnership ic Development Corporation and the province opportunities that will help our business commu- Proud division of the St. Thomas Economic nity achieve. With questions, comments, or partDevelopment Corporation nership ideas, please contact the Small Business - Service location is based at 10 Mondamin Enterprise Centre manager at 519-631-1680 ext Street, across from St. Thomas City Hall 4505 or visit SBECinnovation.ca. - Ontario Service Provider for Summer Company $3000 youth business grant program Ronda Stewart is the manager of the Small - Ontario Service Provider for Starter Company Business Enterprise Centre. $5000 youth business grant (pilot) program rstewart@sbecinnovation.ca - St. Thomas-Elgin Service Provider for Ontario
2015
Aylmer Home & Garden
Elgin Feeds Ltd.
Show
Friday April 24 - 3pm - 9pm Saturday April 25 - 11am - 9pm Sunday April 26 - Noon - 4pm
Country Store Garden Centre
Johnson ohnson Meats
At the East Elgin Community Complex
Do-it-yourself & professional projects Landscaping, Renovations Local Services & much more!
Free Draws Ever y Hour!
Book Your Booth Today! (519) 773-3445 or email: aylmerfairboard@amtelecom.net www.aylmerfair.ca April, 2015
Toys Bright’s Cheese
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Come explore our newly Transformed Country Store
26 Beech Street, Aylmer • 519.773.8481 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm • Sat 8am-5pm • Sun Closed
Like us on Facebook
ELGIN THIS MONTH
www.elginfeeds.com 18
Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce
Tips to stress-test your mortgage your mortgage at 1 to 2 per cent higher than your current rate. Many financial institutions offer With mortgage rates at an all-time low, lock- online mortgage calculators that are designed to ing into a mortgage is a tempting commitment. help calculate your mortgage at different rates. However, these low rates have experts cautioning Not just for first-time homeowners: homeowners: Can you still afford your mortgage Stress-testing your mortgage isn’t just limited to if rates were to rise? first-time homebuyers. Current homeowners who Stress-testing your mortgage is a smart way for are looking to renew their mortgages can benefit home buyers to prepare for the future in the event from this exercise too. While you can’t predict the that mortgage rates go up. Before locking into a future, you can at least prepare for it. This is a mortgage, home owners would calculate their better-safe-than-sorry approach to ensure you can mortgage payments at a higher rate to see how comfortably afford your home now and ten years much their mortgage may cost in the event rates from now. were to rise in the future. Double check your results with a mortgage When homeowners stress-test their mortgage at specialist: different rates, they have a better understanding Mortgage specialists are well versed in the fiof what they can and can’t afford. It’s a simple and nancial implications associquick test that can save homeownated with home ownership ers from future stress and worry. and can help you stress-test Meridian offers the following your mortgage but also help “it’s a simple and tips to help homeowners stress-test find ways to pay down your quick test” their mortgages: mortgage faster. Test at 1 to 2 per cent higher To learn more about than your current rate: Financial advisors recommend stress-testing by Karyn Silliker
stress-testing your mortgage visit meridiancu.ca or visit your financial institution.
Karyn Silliker is Meridian’s branch manager and Chamber president 2014-2015.
Member Advantage program for Chamber members The Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce Member Advantage program showcases businesses that offer a discount or service benefit to other chamber members; whether it’s privileged pricing, an exclusive discount or other valueadded benefits. This is a program where everyone benefits: you extend special benefits or discounts to other Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce members for your business, and in return you receive advertising, recognition, discounts and benefits at many other businesses. By choosing to offer a Member Advantage discount, you not only increase your organization’s business by elevating awareness of the goods and services you provide, but you can also help to raise your profile in our community and your reputation as a strong supporter of the Aylmer & Area business community. The Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce website lists current Member Advantage Savings opportunities for members of the Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce. Show your card before you make your purchase. Check back for updates!
April, 2015
ELGIN THIS MONTH
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St. Thomas / Elgin Business This MonTh
Movers and shakers Railway City Brewing in T.O.
nounced a corporate name change to Jumbo Building Products Limited. The company no longer provides installation services. Rather, the focus is on supplying quality building materials to contractors, renovators, D-I-Yers and home builders. “We realized it was extremely important to have our company name better represent what products and services we offer our customers,” said Brian Cox, president of the 30-year-old company.
source Centre building. Co-owner David Murray and his high school sweetheart Lynnsey both studied Graphic Design at Fanshawe and decided to start their own company in 2006, in an uncertain job market. Why the expansion into St. Thomas? “We were serving more and more clients from St. Thomas and London, so we decided to move to a location closer to our customers,” Murray says.
Ascent offers ultra-high speed
PropertyGuys.com opens new franchise
The Crepe Escape and Bakery, open since last November, keeps expanding its menu and is even doing some catering. On the horizon soon … a new website. After opening for a season at the Horton Market in 2014, the business moved into premises on Ross Street at Erie in St. Thomas. Helena Fehr and The Crepe Escape went on to win the Promising Start-up of the Year award at the Elgin/St. Thomas Small Business Centre Enterprise Centre Bridges to Better Business conference and awards program last fall. The shop is open Wednesdays to Saturdays 9:30 to 5 and specializes in crepes, gluten-free and vegan light lunches to go as well as baked goods. If you have business news, moves or updates for Business This Month, email carrollgroup@sympatico.ca by the middle of the month for the next month’s issue.
Railway City Brewing Company recently landed new business in the Toronto area when four major hotels in the airport area began carrying product from the St. Thomas craft brewery. The brewery has also expanded into 30 Beer Store locations in the province from the previous 13, and is getting interest from other countries, so the owners are examining whether that is a route to go. Ascent is expanding its ultra-high speed fibre optic and wireless network in St. Thomas. Fibre optic services are, or will soon be, available to every industrial and commercial property in St. Thomas. Gorman Rupp Canada’s Technical Services Coordinator Maureen Barendregt says, “Ascent has been Gorman Rupp Canada’s internet service provider for the past three years and during that time, has supplied exceptional service and reliability.” Last November, Ascent announced a new 170’ radio tower was being constructed to deliver high speed wireless services to businesses at speeds up to 20 megabits per second, or for specific cases, up to 1 gigabit per second.
Name change, but still Jumbo
In March, Jumbo Renovations Limited an-
Steve and Linda Hart have purchased the franchise for PropertyGuys.com Elgin-St. Thomas. “My wife, Linda, and I had been looking at various franchises,” Steve said. “We both share the old school opinion on customer service. The way I look at it, all change is good, major change is better.” PropertyGuys.com is Canada’s only fullservice, private sale real estate franchisor, currently in over 600 communities.
Marketing company expands to St. Thomas
Blackcat Concepts, previously a home-based web, digital and print design company located in Aylmer, has opened a St. Thomas location at 300 South Edgeware Road in the Elgin Business Re-
No escaping The Crepe Escape
Join us for a Great Cause dians three in ten Canasuffer lly na 3, rso pe ay ) M (32% On Sunday illness spice from a chronic (39%) Serenity House Ho ten r in Fo ur ke fo Hi ile al nu wh an hosts its their Care have a sufferer in Hospice Palliative rk in . ily fam te Pa dia imme at Waterworks ntinues g that Serenity House coorously St. Thomas, ensurin vig e receiv work to more local people re they idential toward a res / St. the end-of-life ca gin El r fo ice hosp wish for. that Peggy Thomas. While , the Coordinator es nu ar, nti ye effort co Gillespie says, “Thisit up a provides on progressive, organizatiy - c e n t r e d we will be kickingrun and with l i a e m illnesses. f a notch to includ care, nate ent.” life-alerting volunteers compassio on comfort a disc golf tournam d ine Tra r fo nd ng With pledges in ha e, or and their community focussipport in a client’s the and su offer the traditional hikc golf, partners rsing home, emotional home, nuing facility or the new run or disa lot of physical, liv participants have g funds and spiritual resources assistedl. fun that day raisin are all people need at one of hospita ort or participate, times To supp for something we spie at day the most difficult contact Peggy Gille it the es. going to face some liv ir the vis of or 34 30 7… end of life care. enable The Hike kicks off 519-63 ng Events page at Hospice Upcomi Hike donations e ospice.ca to National Hous Week serenityhouseh re Ca Serenity e tiv llia Pa d an on ati y 3 to provide educ duals running Ma support to indiviliving 9 under the theme, ths and their families “Busting the My ce spi Ho t ou ab Palliative Care.” is One of those myths e that hospice palliativs. care is just for seniorce hospi fact, In is care palliative of provided to people cy all ages – from infan er to adulthood. Ov April, 2015
2015 HIKE FOR HOSPICE
Sunday May 3rd
Registration 9:30am Walk/Run starts at 10:30am Pinafore Park (Back Bandshell) St. Thomas
Pledge Sheets available at Serenity House
Donations can be made online and at Serenity House Memorial Balloon Release BBQ, Prizes Lot’s of Family Fun Cost of Balloon - $5
ELGIN THIS MONTH
20 Flora St., Lower Level, St. Thomas N5P 2X4 Phone: 519-637-3034 or email: info@serenityhousehospice.ca www.serenityhousehospice.ca 20
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP
Increasing your DMQ through a clear sense of purpose
intentions moment by moment and recalibrating when the negative comes in, you can create your Last month, I introduced you to the concept own playlist and a powerful alliance with all the of your Difference Making Quotient - your own positive people and forces in the Universe. Focus unique blend of SoulDNA plus the Facts plus the on information about your Circle of Influence Influences that together make you ‘you’. Effective not on other people’s Circles of Concern. Self-leadership intentionally harnesses and manAs a Difference Maker your goal is to be open ages the creativity, wisdom, and to life in the moment power of these ‘parts’ in order to so that your mental, increase their Difference Making physical, and emotional Quotient and the contribution energy flows from your “make your workspaces they make to the greater good of intentions and awareness vibrant and meaningful” the whole. in alignment with your Whether you see your leadership highest future potential. role as informal or formal, taking As you Self-lead with a sense of purpose your steps to discover, develop, manage, and lever- authentic Self will continue to manifest and you age your unique blend of SoulDNA, Facts, and will feel yourself rising into a new life with unInfluences through effective Self-leadership will limited possibilities. As you accept responsibility increase your DMQ and make a positive differ- for the outcomes in every situation you will gain ence—individually and collectively. confidence in your Difference Making capacity. A sense of purpose, clear intentions, and your From this empowered perspective, it is time to act willingness to take action are essential to you be- on your best intentions in the laboratory of relaing a catalyst for positive change — a real Differ- tionship and real life situations. As you show up ence Maker. Energy is like a radio signal. You are fully you will discover the behaviours that most a receiver and a transmitter. You can choose what effectively generate responses that nurture and enyou focus on. You have the ability to receive mul- hance the dynamic life you are seeking. As you tiple frequencies at any time. By setting positive plan and move your insights into action, structures give form to your by Cheryl Lester
plans. Be intentional from the first thoughts of the day to focus on the positive. Make your workspaces vibrant and meaningful for you. Review your progress several times each day and at the end of the day and at the end of each week spend time reflecting on your successes and the difference you have made. As long as you are true to your best Self and in the right relationship with the people in your circle of influence your future will evolve. You do not have to have all the answers. Trust your awareness and take action. As you live in the moment with openness and anticipation leaning into the emerging future with hope and optimism you will radiate an energy that will make a difference to everyone you meet. The secret to being a Difference Maker starts deep inside. As you lead from a deep sense of Self you will continue to increase your DMQ. Cheryl Lester, Eagle Tree Leadership, is an international leadership coach known for her ability to help people improve their performance and effectiveness. Reach her at clester@eagletree.ca.
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ELGIN-MIDDLESEX-LONDON Here to Help You with:
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New & Used Parts for All Makes and Models Extensive inventory and Hotline means we can get almost any part you need.
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750 Talbot St., (CASO Station Suite 201) St. Thomas, ON N5P 1E2 519-631-0666 email: jeff.yurekco@pc.ola.org www.jeffyurekmpp.com
April, 2015
• SAFETY CHECKS • • ENGINE & TRANSMISSION • • AIR CONDITIONING • • BRAKE REPAIRS AND INSTALLATION •
ELGIN THIS MONTH
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519-631-4801
www.McGregorAutoParts.com 21
HOMESTYLE DECORATING
50 shades of grey by Renée Carpenter
Today’s trendiest neutral comes in at least fifty shades – and maybe more when you consider the various tones of warm, cool, and everything in between. Add some blue, make it green, turn it purple. Versatile?! Absolutely. Neutral. In every way. Grey creates a backdrop from traditional to modern. Grey rooms can be anything but dull. In shades of silver, fieldstone or fog, a space can have a sophisticated style that’s anything but lackluster. Considered the colour of compromise, grey balances comfortably between the extremes of black and white. It IS the new white – and has been for a while, yet more elegant in that it gives depth to subtle colours and makes bold tones scream. But getting grey right is tricky. The temperature of a particular shade, whether warm or cool, can produce very different feelings with enor-
...the temperature of a particular shade, whether warm or cool, can produce very different feelings... St. Thomas Railway Annual
mous effects on the entire mood of the room. A few tricks do exist when choosing the perfect shade. - To prevent any grey from looking like industrial metal, use a flat paint on the wall. Flat grey actually hides flaws on a wall, unlike flat white wall paint which shows smudges and fingerprints. - Use creamy white rather than stark white on the trim. - Lots of light is needed City Rotary when using grey – table lamps, sconces, floor lamps. Grey is already the colour of a shadow so you don’t want to cast more with an overhead fixture. Flatter the room with layered lighting. A palette of greys might seem bleak, but it’s actually sophisticated with a hint of luxury. Dual tones of varying grey hues on a wall add depth to the room. But it all goes back to the ‘tem-
perature’ mentioned above. Cool greys have undertones of blue. In a sunny room where some greys could look dull, cool greys hold their colour. A cool grey is clean and crisp for a bathroom. Many designers like cool grey on the ceiling. The cool darker shades of grey are often thought to add excitement and modern glamour to a dining room. Warm greys have hints of yellow, connecting with earthiness, comfort and coziness. But always test-check the colour on a wall morning, noon and night. In some light, a too yellowish grey can look taupe. For rooms with little natural light, use a warm shade of grey. The slight golden hue will make a dark space less dreary. And then there is the mixing of colours with grey. I love beautiful shades of gold and grey swirled together like marble. Grey with a slight green undertone pairs well with blues, white and even a pop of citrus. Grey and pale blue together feels subdued and sophisticated, creating a perfect natural combination for those that are colour-shy. My favourite – a soft grey and cream in a dreamy cottage by the lake ... Renée Carpenter owns Jennings Furniture & Design & Stage It With Jennings in St. Thomas.
Silent Auction
Saturday, May 2nd T GO ICKE ING TS FA ARE ST !
4:30 - 7:30 pm
www.livingwagestthomas.com
or see any Railway City Rotary member Advance Tickets Only $25
Proceeds to Big Brothers / Big Sisters Sponsored by: AT Print, St. Thomas/Elgin Weekly News, 94.1 myFM & CASO Station
April, 2015
ELGIN THIS MONTH
22
Five signs that you are in victim mode by Ronda Degaust
The words we use are indicators of how we form our reality, our version of what is happening around us. These words or phrases also indicate whether you are in victim mode or you are taking responsibility for your own feelings and behaviours. 1 – S/he makes me feel If you use the very common phrase s/he makes me feel, this is one of the indicators you are in victim mode. As much as we like to believe that another person has the ability to make us feel bad, it is not the case. In reality, something someone says or does has no power over how you feel unless you choose to feel a certain way. Don’t get me wrong, I know things happen, and you automatically have a feeling, and it seems as if you have no control over it, and therefore s/he makes me feel that way comes out of your mouth. When you are taking responsibility for your own feelings, you would say something like when s/he says that to me, I feel bad. You are still feeling bad, but are not blaming the other person for making you feel that way. You are stating how you feel when someone says or does something you do not like. 2 – Means s/he doesn’t care Here’s an example: When he turns away from me, that means he does not care. When you use phrases that claim to know how another person
HOMESTYLE HEALTHY LIVING
feels by their behaviour, this is another way to no- breaking through patterns that control you. tice the victim mode happening again. 3 – I know s/he is thinking I know she is thinking I’m a nerd. Anytime you Ronda Degaust lives in claim to know another person’s thoughts without St. Thomas. She and them telling you directly, you are in victim mode. Bob Clarke are NLP 4 – I should, I have to, I got to, I must trainers and coaches. Did you ever hear the saying you are shoulding Learn more by visiting all over yourself? Anything other than wanting to their website do something is giving away your power. Regain www.LifePotential.ca. your power by stating what you want to do rather than what you think you should or must do. 5 – I never get what I want The words never or always can also be signs of victim mode. If you have ever used a phrase like I never get what I want or no one ever remembers A team-oriented spelling bee to support The Kettle Creek my birthday, ask yourself Environmental Trust and save our local wetlands. this question: Is there ever a time when you get what you want? Has anyone ever remembered your birthday? More than likely the answer would be yes, and you can come out of victim mode and take responsibility for how you are feeling in the moment. These phrases are only Saturday, April 25th 2015 a few examples of how St.Thomas Seniors Centre our language indicates 225 Chestnut Street, St. Thomas ON what we are thinking 7:30 - 9:30 p.m (Doors open at 6:30 pm) and feeling inside at any moment. Of course we First time f-u-n-draising event! are not always in victim mode, but recognizing Te a m o f 6 - $ 3 0 0 / t e a m them will help you unTo r e gister a team or to sponsor derstand what’s happening when you hear or SpellBound 2015, please call: say words like: means, (519) 631-1270. because, makes, I know, always, never or all. Realizing that you are in victim mode is the first step toward making LICENSED EVENT || SILENT AUCTION changes in your life and
SpellBound 2015
Joe Preston, M.P. ELGIN-MIDDLESEX-LONDON
• Revenue Canada • Seniors’ Issues • • Citizenship & Immigration • • Employment Insurance • Passport Inquiries • 24 First Ave., Unit 2, St. Thomas, ON N5R 4M5
519-637-2255 • 1-866-404-0406 www.joeprestonmp.ca
April, 2015
ELGIN THIS MONTH
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Dining & Entertainment FOOD & WINE
Some thoughts on alcohol in grocery stores ... Part One by Jamie Quai
It seems to be a real hot topic every few years. What can we do to improve upon Ontario’s alcohol sales framework? For as long as I can remember, around every annual budget, the ruling political party floats the idea of major reforms to how we sell wine, beer and spirits. How daring a reform that’s suggested, I’ve also come to learn, has a correlation with how high the budget deficit is expected to be. Bigger the shortfall – the more ambitious the reform. The restructuring suggestions this season are two-pronged: end the near-monopoly on beer sales by a foreign-owned private company (the Beer Store), and expand sales of wine, beer and spirits to select grocery stores. I am not going to keep you in suspense about what my opinion on this is. I will lay it all out right now, and then use the rest of the next few articles to explain how I came to this conclusion. Trying to affect either of these changes is going to be politically messy, financially wasteful, incredibly burdensome to implement, and maintain, which will ultimately lead to no real advancement in the actual distribution of alcohol. “More competition means prices will drop” say the pro-reform campaigners. In a free market, yes, that would be true (Econ 101 in action). But have you ever noticed that the price you pay never fluctuates depending on where in Ontario you are? Your favourite Pinot Grigio is the same price in Port Stanley as it is in downtown Toronto. We have laws in this province that prohibit price discrepancies between different sellers. So much so, that, if a line of alcohol goes on sale in the LCBO, it actually has to also be on sale in the privately owned store where the product was made. Any new avenues of sales like grocery stores or convenience stores will not be able to readily offer sales on products without permission of the LCBO. No deals for customer loyalty and definitely no
flyer price matching. Pricing wine, beer and spirits in the province is very intricate. We have what’s called a base price the winery/brewery/distiller keeps. Then, depending on how it’s distributed (LCBO, restaurants, halls, manufacturer’s store), there are no less than a half dozen markups, taxes, levies, fees, and deposits added into the price you as the customer see.
...in a free market, yes, that would be true... Since we’ve already established it’s against the law to have differing buyer prices, the profits for the grocery or convenience store have to be taken out of the markups that the distributer gets (in this case the LCBO). The government will still collect some proceeds, just significantly less overall. The pro-reformers argue that the loss in revenues will
be offset by the increase in overall sales. It’s actually an interesting political feat of narrative spin to watch an interest group argue for increased availability (ergo consumption) without drawing the ire of the medical, policing and anti-alcohol interests. Our province collects billions of dollars in revenue from alcohol sales. This revenue goes into provincial coffers and eventually disseminates into financing the same medical, policing and anti-alcohol groups. It’s quite an interesting balance. I’ve read that only larger grocery stores would be likely targets for alcohol sales trial programs (more next month on this, but ...) how you answer this next comment will most likely be influenced by your political leaning: Would you support diverting money away from our crown corporation and giving it to large multi-million dollar private businesses instead? It may be a little tricky to answer. We know the prices aren’t going to go down. What we can speculate on is whether selection will improve, convenience will increase, and whether all of the diverted revenues will be offset by a huge increase in consumption. Next edition we will also address some other pragmatic questions like: Can an underage grocery clerk ring through my wine-stocked shopping cart? Will government inspectors still audit every sales location at the current rate of twice every year, if the number of number of channels doubles? Triples? Who pays for that? And, of course, what needs to happen to affect any meaningful change? Jamie Quai is head winemaker at Quai du Vin Estate Winery in Elgin County
YOUR MOBIL LUBRICANT SALE Stock up now and sock away the savings! March to April 30th
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www.dowlerkarn.com ELGIN THIS MONTH
24
Dining & Entertainment Tourism
Plan your summer with the official Elgin County Visitor’s Guide by Katherine Thompson
Elgin County Tourism is pleased to announce that the official 2015 Elgin County Visitor’s Guide is now available. It has been a long cold winter, and the rising temperatures have everyone dreaming of long sunny days and warm Lake Erie breezes. Before you know it, summer will be here, and now is the perfect time to start planning your vacation. The official Elgin County Visitor’s Guide can help you do just that. The guide includes information about arts and entertainment, museums and attractions, shopping, dining, golf and recreation, overnight accommodations and events listings. Hike or cycle over 100 km of scenic Carolinian forest trails or answer the call of the wild at one of Elgin’s many campgrounds. Provincial parks, conservation areas and private campgrounds provide a fantastic back-to-nature family experience. Nothing says adventure like cooking over an open fire and sleeping under the stars! Paddle your way around Springwater, Dalewood and Lake Whittaker conservation areas or up the Big Otter Creek in your canoe or kayak. Head to the open water for some faster paced excitement, the often choppy waters of Lake Erie are perfect for wind surfing and kite boarding adventures.
Elgin County’s four port villages offer everything from boating to paddle board rentals to fishing charters. Enjoy a cold drink on the patio at one of the area’s restaurants, pick fresh local produce straight from the field or cool down on a hot day at one of Elgin’s many delightful ice cream shops. With kilometres of sandy beaches, exciting agritourism experiences, quality live theatre, unique shopping opportunities, vineyards perched on rolling country hills and an abundance of mouthwatering culinary attractions, Elgin County is the place to be this summer! Pick up your copy of the Elgin County Visitor’s Guide at the Elgin County office at 450 Sunset Dr. St. Thomas, call 1-877-GO-ELGIN (519631-1460 ext. 168) to have a copy mailed to your home or business location or visit elgintourist. com to download a virtual copy. Katherine Thompson is Marketing & Communications Coordinator with The County of Elgin
Are you a young person interested in starting or expanding a business?
YOU COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A $200 - $1,000 GRANT Helen LeFrank Youth Entrepreneuria l Award
Must be 29 or younger and a resident of Elgin County. For more details contact Sharen Symondson at 519-633-7597 Ext. 461. Applications are available on-line at www.elgincfdc.ca
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS APRIL 30, 2015. www.elginbusinessresourcecentre.com DUTTON - ST. THOMAS - AYLMER April, 2015
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Healthy Living EVERYDAY HEALTH
Get moving. Exercise is medicine by Dr. Greg Johnston B.H.K., B.Ed., D.C.
As a chiropractor, part of what I do is to listen to forms of cancer but less understood by patients describing to me how they have injured the general public is that they also lead themselves. In many cases patients have no idea to musculoskeletal problems such as how this happened. In fact, more often than not, back and neck pain. The general premthere doesn’t seem to be a clear precipitating rea- ise is simple, if you don’t use it, you lose son, and often patients are left thinking that their it. symptoms arose right out of the blue. In 2011, the Globe and Mail published More accurately though, these symptoms did an article discussing new guidelines not arise out of the blue. Even if they are not di- that were developed by the Canadian rectly related to something that the Society for Exerpatient did, they may be caused by cise Physiology. things that he or she is not doing. In this article, In other words, the patient may not Dr. Mark Trem“most people think be overusing or misusing the body, that they’re not one of blay says that but underusing it through a lack of “most Canadians are acutethose people or that exercise and activity. ly aware there is an activity their kids aren’t those Most people recognize that lack crisis, but there is a huge kids” of activity and a sedentary lifestyle disconnect between perlead to health issues like cardiovasception and reality when it cular disease, diabetes and some comes to our own behav-
Join us at our 2nd annual Elgin Hearing and Wellness Show Meet local vendors & service providers
Sponsored By:
Canada Southern Railway Station 750 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, ON
Thursday, April 23rd, 2015 at 10:00 am – 3:30 pm Door Prizes
FREE ADMISSION
DISPLAYS
Free Seminars
ElginSpeech &LanguageServices
10:00 am: Dementia - Not a normal part of aging Alzheimer’s Society 11:00 am: Seniors Driving Test Ministry of Transportation of Ontario 12:30 Pm: Lyric Hearing aid - Contact Lens for your Ears Elgin Audiology & Phonak Canada 1:30 Pm:
Seniors Driving Test (repeat of 11am talk) Ministry of Transportation of Ontario
2:30 Pm:
Diabetes - Did you Know? Elgin General Hospital Diabetes Educators
FREE Hearing Screening FREE Hearing Aid Cleaning Organized by:
146 Munroe St. WEST LORNE 1-888-815-2306
17 King St. AYLMER 519-773-3838
66 West Ave. ST. THOMAS 519-637-5925
www.hearingandwellness.ca April, 2015
ELGIN THIS MONTH
iours. Most people think that they’re not one of those people or that their kids aren’t those kids.” To help Canadians with their perception, the Society developed “The Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines and Canadian Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.” The guidelines can be found at csep.ca/guidelines on the internet. The guidelines are divided into one section that deals with the minimum amount and types of activities that should be done while the other section deals with recommendations with regard to limiting sedentary activities. Each guideline is divided into categories based on age. For example, the activity guideline for adults (18-64 years) recommends an accumulation of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity per week in bouts of 10 minutes or more. It also recommends including strength training at least two days a week. Dr. Tremblay goes on to explain that it is important that we think of sedentary behaviour and physical activity as two different things. The reason for this is that limiting sedentary behaviour may be just as important as increasing physical activity. It seems that even if someone is very active and fit that this might not be able to actually counteract all the negative affects of sedentary activity. For example, even if a person regularly engages in vigorous physical activity, this may not be enough to counteract all of the negative affects of a job that requires them to sit at a desk for long hours. These guidelines were developed to give people a tool to measure their personal amount of activity and sedentary behaviours and help them to honestly evaluate if they need to make a change in their lifestyle or their children’s lifestyle habits. I encourage you to look them up on line and honestly compare your lifestyle habits and those of your children and decide if you need to make some changes. The evidence is clear that if we make efforts to increase activity as well as decrease sedentary behaviour we will see significant improvements in combating obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases as well as improvements in musculoskeletal health. Dr. Greg Johnston is a Chiropractor and partner in Family Health Options Treatment & Resources Centre in St.Thomas 26
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY Career ChoiCes
Passion in the workplace A revolution of kindness by Laura Pavilonis and Nancy Annett
What would it be like if we went to work every day with a sense of passion? You know that intense feeling of emotion, the one that takes over without thought and the thing that propels you forward without effort. It fills you up and creates an enthusiasm for whatever you’re doing. We call passion in the workplace "work engagement" which is linked to employee satisfaction. People spend more time at work than with their families. And yet so many of us are just going through the motions at work waiting for the day to end. Gallup Research and The Conference Board have been monitoring employee satisfaction and engagement for many years and their research shows that “the decision to be engaged is made in worker’s feelings – not minds. We now know that feelings and emotions drive human behavior – what people care most about and commit themselves to in their lives. Consequently, how leaders and organizations make people feel in their jobs has the greatest impact on their performance by far.” A significant indicator of work engagement is the level at which an organization supports its employees. Research by G. Johns in the International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology found that positive organizational support has a number of positive consequences such as better job performance, satisfaction, commitment to the organization, positive mood at work, increased job involvement, reduced absenteeism and turnover, and reduced fatigue, anxiety and headaches. People want to be seen, to be heard, to feel like organizations care about them. We’re talking real, deep interest. Enough to have your back when things get hot at work. Enough to treat people as human beings with feelings when economic conditions turn bad. And, enough
to accommodate difficult times in people’s lives when the pressure gets turned up. What does this all amount to? Simply … kindness. So what can be done? It involves all levels of the organization coming together to create ‘Kindness Commitments.’ That’s right. Use the word ‘kindness’ in the workplace … it's not a dirty word. The most extensive research ever done on cross-cultural leadership, called The Globe Research Project, found that outstanding leadership is connected with demonstrating trustworthiness, a sense of justice, honesty, as well as encouraging, motivating, building confidence and being positive. Spend time talking about what motivates you and your team, and then create a way to help each other uphold it and be right rather than pointing out what’s wrong. It involves building confidence by digging deeper into underlying personal, team and organizational fears like the fear of failure, fear of reprimand, fear of not being able to see an idea come to life, fear of liability, or fear of sufficient resources. Building trust requires the autonomy to give both voice and life to ideas, seeing failures as just a set-back and opportunity to learn. Building confidence can also happen by al-
lowing people to own ideas from start to finish, with the support leaders along the way. Creating ‘Kindness Commitments’ is a process … not a one-time thing. Such commitments have to grow and be kept alive by displaying them for everyone to see, discussed regularly for continued understanding and embedded into HR practices to make them a living source. With time and continuous effort, kindness can even become a core value and part of your organizational culture, spreading into daily life both at work and at home.
Nancy Annett, MBA, CHRP owns Ignite Career Life Solutions, and Laura Pavilonis, MBA, CHRP owns Reach Beyond Limits. Together, they form Rock Your Career Club.
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27
Healthy Living COMMON SENSE
The reported death of Mrs. Common Sense by Brian Vine
I came upon this article on the front window of a vacated retail store in Mt. Dora Florida, an affluent community very similar to Niagara on The Lake in Ontario. This article caught my eye and tweaked my interest because of how very true this is in our everyday lives. Mrs. Common Sense lives her life in the time of the Baby Boomers! Dramatic changes have occurred not only in our personal lives, but the business world as a whole. I would recommend reading this from a personal perspective first and then re-read this from a business perspective. Do you run your business today using Common Sense? Think about that and draw your own conclusion!
a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old she was since her birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. She will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn’t always fair, and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial polCommon Sense icies (don’t spend more than My parents told me about Common Sense early you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, in my life and told me I would do well to call not children are in charge). on her when making decisions. It seems she was Her health began to deteriorate rapidly when always around in my early years well-intentioned but overbearbut less and less as time went by. ing regulations were set in Today I read her obituary. Please place. Reports of a six-year-old join me in a moment of silence boy charged with sexual harass“a teacher fired for in remembrance, for Common reprimanding an unruly ment for kissing a classmate, Sense had served us all so well teens suspended from school student” for so many generations. for using mouthwash after Obituary – Common Sense lunch and a teacher fired for Today we mourn the passing of reprimanding an unruly student only worsened her condition. Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined ever further when schools Call for your Free Consultation with were required to get paBrandi Pisek, DD or Mike V. Pisek, DD! rental consent to administer aspirin, sun lotion Walk in patients and new patients are or a sticky plaster to a always welcome and all insurance student, but could not plans are accepted inform the parents a stu(financing available). dent became pregnant and wanted to have an Come visit us today and let’s get
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abortion. Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband, churches became businesses, and criminals received better treatment than their victims. Common Sense took a beating when you couldn’t defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault. Common Sense finally gave up the will to live after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was awarded a huge settlement. Common Sense was preceded in death by her parents, Truth and Trust, her husband, Discretion, her daughter, Responsibility, and her son, Reason. She is survived by three stepbrothers: I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I’m a Victim. Not many attended her funeral because so few realized she was gone. If you still remember her, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing. Author unknown
Bryan Vine is a business coach in St. Thomas and Southwestern Ontario.
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Moms deal with those “eww” moments
LIFESTYLE ThaT’s Life
by Elizabeth VanHooren
Soft fluffy white kittens, and tear jerking yet poignant life moments, feature prominently in Kleenex and other tissue commercials. All very good "please pass a tissue" moments. But as a mom there are a million other reasons why I reach ... no grab... a mittful of Kleenex before going anywhere with my kids. Kids, especially boys produce a lot of "eww" moments. A few that come to mind are the unexpected sneezes. Moms know what I'm talking about. More than once I've turned around to find one of my sons walking towards me head tilted slightly backwards balancing a rather large discharge on his upper lip ... actually puzzled as to what he should do next. I call these instances triple-Kleenex emergencies. I don't care if you have two-ply three-ply or the really expensive cushion quilted Kleenex I believe in tripling the protection against this manifestation of gross. My husband questioned the economics of this protection until he was invited to deal with a particular greenish showing from my youngest son. Suddenly, a few extra pennies saved were no longer a real concern. Every parent or soon-to-be parent has read about the woes of toilet training. But I would hazard that most parenting books do not include step-bystep instructions on how to teach your off-spring to use a Kleenex. In my experience, a child will sniff, snuffle and inevitably wipe a dripping nose on his sleeve (or your pants) before ever reaching for a tissue. Even when asked, "Do you need a Kleenex?" the snif-
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reply is, "No." When asked to blow his nose, my youngest son would hold a Kleenex to his nose and blow air out his mouth. Because it sounded like he was blowing his nose, the exercise often left us both frustrated and a lot of unused Kleenex in the garbage. Frankly, there is never an adequate supply of Kleenex. I have Kleenex boxes stashed in the car, neat little travel packs in my purse and Kleenex stuffed in every coat pocket. But somehow, I have, on more than one occasion, been caught empty-handed. I have been faced with emergencies in grocery stores when one or both of my sons have suddenly produced an offending nasal drip. Horrified, I search my pockets, my purse and as a last resort their pockets for a tissue. Yes, I am a mother and I do not hesitate, in a public crisis, to use a tissue that has been used and balled up in my pocket for over a
month. Oh, who am I kidding? Any good mother knows that in an emergency any scrap of absorbent paper is by definition in the motherhood handbook a Kleenex. But I guess that doesn't make a good commercial. Elizabeth VanHooren is General Manager of Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
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LIFESTYLE TIME ON MY HANDS
Cave rescues
There’s a lot going on beneath the surface by Duncan Watterworth
chuckled, but the interviewer was stunned to silence, unable to believe her ears. Trapped or not, exiting a cave is always magical. After hours of dim light and confined space, one emerges, with heightened senses, to birdsong, bright blues and greens, all of creation. Poetic souls have likened a cave exit to a birth, reverberating with symbolism. And birth, famed psychoanalyst Carl Jung tells us, is an “archetypal experience” that permanently shapes our psyche and subconscious. If that’s true, then for trapped cavers, and their ...poetic souls rescuers and have likened a spectators, a lot cave exit to a must be going on in the underbirth... ground of their minds during a lengthy struggle to reach the surface. The struggle most memorable to this spectator was in 1991. Emily Mobley, a 40-year-old veteran caver, pulled an We Can Make Your Car Look 80-pound rock down on her leg, snapping And Feel Brand New Again!! her tibia. She was far • Inside Shampooing, into Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico, one • Leather Cleaning of the longest, deepest & Conditioning and most ornate in the • Glass Treatment USA. Over 70 cave rescue & Fabric Protection experts from across the country rushed to the scene, and laboured 160 Burwell Road, St. Thomas for four days in a very
I’ve always thought of Floyd Collins as the patron saint of cavers, poor bugger. Seeing the book “Trapped! The Story Of Floyd Collins” in the Mammoth Cave’s gift shop in Kentucky brought back memories of my cave exploring days, and of a few cave rescue tales, thankfully none mine. Collins caved alone in the poverty-stricken Kentucky of the 1920s, dreaming of finding a cave that would attract tourist dollars. He was crawling through a very tight passage when he dislodged a small rock that fell on his leg, pinning him. A friend found him the next day, but there was no way he could get past Collins, or move the rock. Many would-be rescuers eventually arrived, and a crew started digging a rescue shaft. The media showed up in force, and the rescue effort became a nation-wide newspaper and radio sensation. Thousands of spectators flooded in, and a carnival atmosphere erupted. None of this helped Collins, who died after fourteen days, still pinned in place. Poor bugger. Another group of trapped cavers, also in Kentucky, had a much better outcome. Several years ago these careless adventurers were inside a cave when a rainstorm completely filled the entrance passage with water. They were safe, but couldn’t get out. A local rescue team brought in industrial pumps, and was able to lower the water level enough to create a few inches of air space in the passage. The cavers were led out one at a time, faces to the roof, by scuba divers. I heard one of the rescuers interviewed on CBC radio. Weren’t the cavers terrified to come out that way, he was asked? “Not really”, he replied, “That’s about the way it was when they went in.” I
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arduous and technical attempt to extract Mobley, using ropes to move her stretcher across chasms, through tight squeezes, and up huge cliffs. As with poor Saint Floyd, media coverage was intense throughout. As a caver, I identified with both Mobley and her rescuers during her protracted passage through Lechuguilla. But I was also very distracted. For on day three of the rescue effort – April 3, 1991 – my daughter Brooke was born. There were good outcomes in both cases, but it was a dramatic double-header, and my psyche and subconscious got rearranged, I’m pretty sure.
Duncan Watterworth is a lifelong resident of Elgin County and a retired lawyer. He can be reached at duncanetm@gmail.com. 30
BUSINESS & COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY
If disaster strikes, are you prepared? by Mark McIntosh
In today’s world it’s so important to make sure we are well insured: our homes, cars, and, of course, our life. We insure these things in case of critical loss so we do not suffer financial tragedy and we can replace those things that are replaceable. Life insurance, of course, is our guarantee that our families are taken care of in time of death. How about your business? Is it insured? Many reading this will answer yes. Your building, contents, liability. OK, but, what about your data? Many do not even consider this in their “insurance” plan, but it is vitally critical to the survival
of a business. It may not be an insurance policy, much down time can my business sustain?” Inevibut it is a plan to ensure replacement in time of tably, the answer I hear from all business owners loss. We refer to this as a Disaster Recovery Plan. and managers is “None.” Very likely all of your business data is stored on It’s important for business continuity to have a a hard drive somewhere – everything you rely on multi-tiered backup and recovery system in place to operate your business, pay employees, report to to ensure little to no business loss. This design the government, etc. Imagine what would hap- would be tailored to the business and its needs for pen if all of this was gone in an instant. There are backup and recovery. Some like to keep historical various ways this can be compromised: viruses, data where others are only interested in ensuring drive failure, physical damage, up to date data is stored. Howtheft, this list is endless. Imagine ever, no matter the design, it the devastation a total loss would should include on-site extercause. It has been reported that “how much down time nal hard drive backups and as many as 50% of companies off-site, remote daily backups. can my business that suffer data loss in a disasOn-site backups allow for fastsustain?” ter never re-open and of those er recovery time, whereas offthat do, 90% are out of business site remote backups provide within 2 years. Statistics vary, but the end result is data security in case of building loss, fire damage, the same. Why would anyone want to risk those water damage, etc. odds in their business? It’s too late to get insurance after the building Prevention is quite simple. It can have some has burned down, so-to-speak. Consult your upfront cost, but nowhere near the cost of data trusted IT specialist to determine the best soluloss, and your business can continue to operate tion for your business. and grow. Protect your data … it’s life insurance for your Data back-up in a business environment takes business. many forms and must take into consideration reMark McIntosh owns MarkIT covery time as well. This is all part of the “Disaster Technology Solutions Group in Recovery Plan.” Recovery time plays an important St. Thomas. role in any business. The question to ask is: “How
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