August 2016

Your Business. Your Community.

JOE PRESTON Life after Ottawa Cover story: Page 3

Inside: • Aylmer & Area Chamber Pages 18 and 19

• Running A Successful Small Business Pages 20 to 23

• Port Stanley this summer Pages 24 and 25

Volume 6, No. 12, August 2016

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519-631-1680 www.StThomas.ca

August, 2016

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 2

Ex-MP Joe Preston returns to his roots

by Terry Carroll

A graceful exit can be particularly difficult for an elected official at the provincial or federal level.

When do you leave? How do you leave? Who will replace you? What will you do when you are out of politics?

The jokes about politicians’ lives are endless, but the reality is that successful politicians at this level become their jobs. There’s always another legislative session, committee meeting, ribbon to cut, event to attend, constituent waiting to bend your ear, or election to prepare for.

Joe Preston served as the federal Member of Parliament for Elgin Middlesex London for eleven-and-ahalf years. Before the ten-year mark, he thought a lot about the fact that the “best before date” for politicians comes at around a decade on the job. On June 28, 2014 at the Masonic Centre, he announced that he would not be running in the 2015 federal election. Since Joe can be a pretty witty guy, there were a lot of laughs that night. But there were also tears, some of them shed by Joe. Joe puts it this way, “I knew it was the best job I was ever going to have. I can’t tell you how much I struggled.”

He understood two things for sure.

One was that if a new person were to be elected from the same party, “everyone still naturally turns to the old MP – it can be hurtful to the new guy.”

The other was that he had to personally create separation from the job. To accomplish this, he needed to get out of Dodge. Following the October 14, 2015 election, won by fellow Conservative and former office staffer Karen Vecchio, Joe and his wife, Geri, went on a cruise and then spent five or six weeks in Florida.

It was a cold turkey break, “almost too much,” Joe says in retrospect.

When he came back to this area, he still wasn’t sure what to do next.

During his time as MP, Joe had continued as franchise co-owner / partner with Marcy Pearse at Wendy’s and Jeff Wood at Boston Pizza in St. Thomas.

When he returned from Florida, he showed up at the restaurants with his typical “What can I do?” attitude. Marcy and Jeff each said, politely, “Not much.”

They were getting along just fine without him.

Joe has always been successful as a volunteer, as well as in business. Prior to entering the federal arena, he did a lot of work with United Way, the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Development Board and Youth Employment Counselling Centre among others.

Since leaving as MP, Joe Preston and Stephanie Brown are having Joe’s become involved fun with their new local granola business. with Farmtown Canada, the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, the Great Lakes In- health issues. She and Joe found common ground in ternational Air Show, Port Stanley Festival Theatre, discussions and conversations about their struggles. the National Council of the Conservative Party of They became life partners as well as business partners Canada and the local United Way. in a company they call Living Alive Granola.

Over the years, Joe has acted as a mentor to entreJoe ran the numbers, and the break-even point was preneurs and business owners, both formally through about 500 bags a week. He and Stephanie bake, mix organizations such as the Small Business Enterprise and package over 600 bags weekly for sale through Centre and Summer Company for youth, and infor- farmers’ markets, retail outlets, and livingalivegramally by assisting business owners, at no charge, in nola.ca. areas like sales, customer service, business plans and Their two flavours, Maple Walnut and Honey Alfinancing. mond, sell for $10 a bag. Ingredients include Palmer’s Stephanie Brown was one of the people who ap- dark maple syrup from near Port Stanley, Cloverproached him, post-Ottawa. She wanted his perspec- mead’s Summer Blossom Honey from the Aylmer tive on her idea – a consulting and coaching business area, local oats and many other ingredients. for beauty parlours. Joe had trouble understanding One upside for Joe, not a person of slight build, how that business could make money, and he asked is that the physical work of producing granola has Stephanie if she had any other ideas. Nine years ago, helped him lose 50 pounds. One downside is that he she had a granola business, she said, and she still had hates getting up at 6 a.m. He’s never been a morning the recipe. person. So he’s looking at mechanizing and standardFor years, Joe’s been saying, only partly as a joke, izing some of the processes so he and Stephanie don’t “Food is my life.” He instantly connected with the have to do it all. granola idea.

They’ve hired their first employee through Leads St. Joe had developed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Thomas, an employment service for people with disafter the shooting on Parliament Hill. Like many abilities and those who are highly vulnerable. And people with PTSD, he first tried to soldier on. When the company sets aside 10 cents per bag for local that didn’t work, he sought counselling. He’s getting mental health projects. Joe’s business and community better, although fireworks are still an issue. Since involvement continue. leaving Parliament, Joe has also gone through the enormous stress of separating from his wife.

Cover and page three photos by Terry Carroll.

Stephanie is open about the fact that she has mental

Elgin This Month Section Editor Business Beat – Bob Hammersley Freelance Editor Terry Carroll Sales Supervisor Geoff Rae

Advertising Consultant Greg Minnema Layout Janine Taylor Production Metroland Media Group

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 August, 2016

ELGIN THIS MONTH

3

INNES As I See It

Same sex weddings in the Anglican Church?

The decision marks another evolution in the spiriIn consenting to marry same sex couples The tual maturity of the church.

Anglican Church of Canada has taken a wonder- Its structures are in constant ful leap forward in reordering religious ideals. The evolution, a progressive develchurch now enters another three years of general opment. And by stepping beconsultation before the second reading and vote yond the demanding voice of in 2019. Until further talks take place, same sex tradition, the Synod has lifted marriages are not yet allowed in the Diocese of painful attachments, increased Huron. But, God willing, they will be soon. inclusivity, and given compasIt was a decision sending some to the moon sion the seat of authority it with joy. A few others were sent running … fear- deserves. ful their church was ‘going to hell in a handbag’.

The world is a vast plurality, This remarkable decision by the General Synod full of confusions and distracoverturns an outdated insensitivity. In responding tions. Even an individual life compassionately to the pastoral needs in their dio- is a mass of tangled difficulceses, the Anglican Church is, once again, open- ties and contradictions. Coning its mind and its heart to the needs of the com- sequently, making the ‘right’ munities in which it is called to serve. choice is not easy, no matter I can appreciate the pain this decision caused how strong our desire to do those who opposed it. It flies in the face of all they so. have come to believe as the right and proper beIn our socially diverse culhaviour for a Christian. And when such ground ture, the moral high ground is shaken, there is a decreased sense of safety, an is a matter of perspective and agenda. We move increased sense of anxiety. alongside Spirit knowing that distinguishing the But saying that, and knowing mutual respect darkness from the light is mostly about distinand pastoral care must be extended to those who guishing shades of grey. Often someone is disapfeel the agony of such change, I also say good rid- pointed, or even offended, no matter which decidance to an archaic value that limited the pastoral sion we make. effectiveness of our postmodern church.

Perhaps, as the church reaches out to our post postmodern world, it is learning to trust its heart and instincts, in addition to its (over) dependence on the leftbrain reasoning faculties. The classic Anglican sources of authority of Scripture, tradition, Supplies upplies ffor Students is an annual initiative run by and reason (charactervolunteers eers of the Thames Valley Education Foundation. ized as a “three-legged stool” which falls if any The he goal is tto ensure every child in need starts the one of the legs is not school yyear with a new backpack filled with school upright) must open to supplies supplies. New Backpack and School Supply Drop the authority of right off LLocation in St. Thomas is Family Video. brain intuition and senIf yyou know a child who could benefit from sitivity. receiving a filled backpack from Supplies for It feels to me that, Students, please contact the child’s school Principal.

by Jim Innes

in a vitally significant way, the General Synod’s decision of inclusivity depicts this increased right brain appreciation. And if so, hats off to an exciting spiritual development.

The church sits at the center of some pretty powerful forces: reality ….as it sits just outside our door and meets us head on after service each Sunday; the needs of our community… as represented by the disturbing news on CBC and elsewhere; and the increasingly astute hopes of those looking for spiritual truth.

When these forces make conflicting demands upon the church, our church, it is understandable that we sometimes feel as if we are about to collapse under the weight of it all. This anxiety best serves as a signal that we must listen intently to the Spirit calling us into new ways of doing things … new ways of processing our place in the world.

Jim Innes is a clinically trained therapist and a priest at St. John’s Anglican Church in St. Thomas.

Learn more at jiminnes.ca.

Thank you to everyone who supported Supplies for or Students in our rrecord breaking 2015 year.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 4

Business & Community Leadership the encouragement and wisdom that helps you move from mediocre to marvelous.

As you relax and reflect this summer listen to the voices that have been whispering to you. They may encourage you to wear a red dress or a power suit, a string of pearls or an energy bracelet. If one of those things helps you get the confidence you need, then believe in it, and believe that you are meant to succeed. Use your “magic feather” to get you off the ground.

Once you get some traction you will realize that the answers are in you and the ability is there when you trust yourself. Props and supports are a necessary part of the confidence building process. Sometimes it takes considerable support and assurance to get to the point where you are able to fly on your own. If you don’t have that cheerleader in your life, hire a coach or recruit a mentor. Ultimately, our message is that you are uniquely gifted. With a little encouragement you can fly.

Develop the confidence

TO fly on your own

by Doug Lester

In 1941, the Walt Disney movie Dumbo introduced the world to an elephant that because of his large ears was eventually able to fly. Life was difficult for this young elephant. Born as a proud circus elephant named Jumbo, Jr., our big-eared hero was ridiculed and renamed “Dumbo” by the other circus animals.

Unaware of his innate skill Dumbo struggled through life with only one friend and mentor, a mouse named Timothy. Convinced that Dumbo could fly if he really believed in himself, Timothy uses a crow feather to convince Dumbo that with the feather in his mouth he can fly. It worked. Because of his belief in the feather Dumbo begins to fly.

In the final scene Dumbo loses the feather and as he spirals toward the ground Timothy tells him that the feather really never was magical, all he needs to do is to believe in himself and he

will be able to fly. Dumbo flaps his ears and soars over the circus crowd becoming a media sensation and the star of the circus.

In your life you need that encouraging voice and sometimes you need a “magic feather” to get you believing in the natural abilities that you possess. Like training wheels on a two-wheeled bicycle or the file card notes for your first big speech, the props are important in getting you off the ground. Many of us need the diploma or degree to give us a sense of worth and success.

Like the Scarecrow, Lion, and Tin Man in The Wizard Of Oz, many of us lack confidence in our own abilities, and it takes a token or talisman to give us trust in our natural talent.

Your support in life may come from the most unlikely places. In Dumbo’s story it was a mouse that provided him with the coaching and mentoring he needed. In real life it may be the hairdresser, the mechanic, the bartender, a grandmother, or an eccentric uncle that provides

Cheryl Lester and Doug Lester—individually and together—making a difference through leadership coaching and development, writing, and speaking. Co-authors of 12 Steps of Self-Leadership. eagletreeleadership.ca.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 5

Healthy Living SELF DISCOVERY

Birth lessons that apply to leadership ing by the gate to the adjaI am an observer. I observe animal behaviour as cent pasture. well as people behaviour, and I take notice and Jackie noticed I learn as much as I can from just watching and a big glob of observing. something on This spring I had an interesting observation at the ground the farm where I help with chores a few times a and instantly week. My friend, Jackie, has a herd of miniature recognized it horses, and three of them were to have foals in as placenta.

May and June.

She went into Two of the mares had their foals in May and slight panic were doing great. The last one, Lacy, was not due mode.

She until later in June. Jackie had the monitor in the could not see the foal, just mom and placenta. stall, fresh straw laid out every night and she was The worst thoughts went through her mind as diligently waiting for the last arrival. Although she entered the pasture and looked down further Lacy was getting close to her due date, one eve- into the next pasture. She saw the small foal exning Jackie decided she needed a good night’s rest. ploring as she unsteadily walked about her new Lacy did not show the typical signs of going into surroundings. Jackie quickly opened the gate and birth that night, and Jackie turned the camera off, mom and foal were reunited. The foal had rolled left Lacy out in her pasture instead of locked up in under the fence (she was so tiny!) and made herself a stall and turned in for the night. comfortable in the next pasture. She must have After a great night’s sleep, she made it down to had time to bond with mom prior to her escape the horses later that afternoon. Of course her first from mom’s pasture. The proof? She greeted mom stop was to check in with Lacy. Lacy was stand- without hesitation and quickly started to nurse as if she had been doing that all night.

I find it interesting that we can go into panic mode so quickly, because the worst could have happened even if it didn’t. Jackie had taken care of all that her mare needed: a pasture area that was safe for her to birth her foal, and surroundings that were protected from predators and other nosy horses. And although August 28th, 10 am – 2 pm Lacy was probably not happy having her baby (rain date September 4th)

by Anouschka Van den Bosch

3rd Annual Car “Show and Shine”

on the other side of the gate, she watched over her and knew her baby was safe.

And that led me think about us as leaders. Yes, we as leaders are like Jackie leading her herd. We can take care of all the details for our teams, but sometimes something happens that is beyond our control. But because we have given our teams all the tools and knowledge they need to continue on with the process, they will also land just fine most of the time. That is what leadership is about isn’t it?

You can’t be there all the time. Life happens, and the team will have to get through the situation without you being there watching over all the details. Jackie was devastated that she wasn’t there to support Lacy. She very much wanted to be there for the birth of Lacy’s first foal.

You may want to be there for the implementation of a team’s project or important presentation for a client. But sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. You have succeeded as a leader, if your team can survive on its own. That to me is the greatest compliment for any leader.

Anouschka Van den Bosch is a Human Resources Professional and Certified Life and Career Coach.

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Grand Prize Draw for an IPad Mini!

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August, 2016

ELGIN THIS MONTH

1207 Talbot St., St. Thomas 519-633-0240 6

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY TOURISM

The Sweet Spot in Port Burwell

–a foodie fantasy

by Katherine Thompson

After his retirement, Serge Pieters and his wife Margot moved from the bustling urban sprawl of Milton to the quiet hamlet of Vienna. They purchased a project house and spent a year completely redoing every aspect of the home and property. After some time in the area, Serge came to appreciate the beautiful beach in nearby Port Burwell and began to see great potential in the community.

The couple purchased 29 Robinson Street in downtown Port Burwell and began the rigorous process of restoring the building. At first, they weren’t exactly sure what they were going to do with the building, but they recognized it was a great location. Revitalizing the building proved to be a monumental task requiring the replacement of walls, electrical work, and insulation – all work that was done using skilled, local contractors. A new addition to the building’s façade was a plaque presented by Bird Studies Canada in recognition of the owner’s work to save the building’s nonfunctioning chimney, home to endangered Chimney Swifts.

“The building was in such a state that it would have been easier to tear it down,” said Serge. “But the hundred-year-old oak floors made it worth saving.”

The result of this renovation is a beautifully restored building with solid oak floors, big bright windows, and a 1920s vibe. Serge and Margot then embarked on a period of extensive market research to determine what kind of business would be successful at the store’s location. One morning around 2:00 a.m. inspiration hit Margot who woke Serge to suggest that the pair open a chocolate shop. Unbeknownst to Margot, Serge had been born above his grandmother’s chocolate shop in Ghent, Belgium. He immediately took to the idea, and The Sweet Spot was born as a tribute to his heritage. Four years later the pair hasn’t looked back.

The Sweet Spot is an artisan shop specializing

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in unique and delectable culinary items. Serge and Margot source most of their products from local producers and small companies. They place great importance on offering products of superior quality to their customers. The store is a “foodie” fantasy with artisan cheeses, fresh baked desserts, Belgian chocolates, Turkish Delight, jams, jellies, preserves, specialty salad dressings, artisan ice cream toppings, handmade fudge, and customer favou- a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday from July to Larite – chocolate-covered pizza. This delightful bour Day. After Labour Day, the store will be open indulgence comes by the slice and is topped not Friday-Sunday only until Thanksgiving weekend. with meat or cheese, but with Belgian chocolate, For more information call 519-403-8838 or email cookie crumbs, and bits of candy bars. In addi- thesweetspot.in.pb@gmail.com. tion to these tasty treats, The Sweet Spot also takes custom orders for gift baskets that are perfect for Katherine Thompson is Marketing & every holiday occasion.

Communications Coordinator with Serge has high praises for his new community The County of Elgin where he sees a renaissance of sorts occurring.

“We drove down here one day by mistake and we never left,” laughs Serge. “Port Burwell is a community with tremendous potential. We already have a beautiful public beach, a nearby provincial park, a thriving community theatre, and a supportive business community and it is only going to get better from here!”

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ELGIN THIS MONTH

519-631-2224 7

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY OUR COMMUNITY

Demolition permit not the only solution There is no question that the issue of property standards is divisive. Underlying the discussion is the noCities and towns across Canada have long been tion that “a man’s home (or commercial building) is dealing with the scourge of “demolition by neglect”, his castle”.

Thus, many municipalities adopt a policy of acting buildings left to deteriorate until a demolition peronly on public complaints. Proactive inspections of mit becomes inevitable.

But here’s a provocative question: Who’s neglect properties don’t take place. When contraventions become too flagrant, work orders might be issued but are we talking about?

The property owners certainly. They’re the ones often they aren’t followed up with any real diligence. who buy buildings with unclear or unrealistic plans Legal action is seldom considered because of the cost to develop them or even without the financial re- and the length of the process (not to mention the sources to maintain them. Or, as is increasingly the fact that tribunals such as the Ontario Municipal case, they let them go specifically to get around re- Board are popularly perceived to rule in favour of landowners). strictive municipal demolition rules.

Municipalities often use incentives to ensure propBut isn’t there another form of neglect at work, namely the inability or lack of political will on the erty upgrades and proper maintenance. Most compart of municipalities to impose and properly en- munities, like St. Thomas, have Community Improvement Plans (CIP) to encourage new building force property standards?

Residents of St. Thomas certainly know that reality facades, improvements to structures and creation of but communities as diverse as London, Ottawa and affordable housing units in downtowns and older Edmonton are embroiled in heated debates about neighbourhoods. The St. Thomas CIP includes all of downtown plus sizable portions of the city’s older property neglect and its impact on development.

Often the debate centres around heritage build- sections.

However, these are incentive programs, the amount ings, but not always. In Edmonton, the key issue is the proliferation of vacant lots caused primarily by of money available is modest, and participation is the fact that property tax rates are much lower for va- completely voluntary. Mandatory policies regardcant properties rather than buildings. One solution ing property standards and redevelopment are much is to ask the province for permission to tax vacant harder politically.

There is an irony to this debate. Most everyone lots at a higher rate, thus creating a disincentive to wants nice properties, neighbourhoods, downtown hasty, wholesale demolition. streets and even industrial areas. No one votes to protect the right to make properties derelict. In fact, many people willth ingly live and do business in areas which severely restrict what owners can and can’t do to their properties. td th When people choose September 3 & 4 to live in condo buildat Pinafore Park ings or enclaves of bungalows, they sign restrictive covenants that dictate specific elements of property standards, NDOR even down to the colour V E u NI t F ir e

by Serge Lavoie

34 Annual St. Thomas Fire Muster Days

IEs Rt pO Op VAIL ABLE

A

and design of window coverings. They do this to ensure that they are living in surroundings where everyone has the same view about attractive communities and streetscapes, design and aesthetics.

By the same token, retailers who establish themselves in power centres or malls also agree to covenants relating to design, property maintenance and general curb appeal. It’s simply good business.

Customers are less likely to be attracted to derelict districts with a mix of poorly maintained buildings, empty lots and only the occasional attractive building with good design and upkeep.

The irony is obvious. In the private realm, strongly imposed rules for good design and maintenance are the norm and widely considered good business and good community building. In the public realm, where imposition of property standards is a political hot potato, the results are mixed and generally less positive.

This debate is surely about to heat up in St. Thomas over the coming months. To begin with, the recent redevelopment of the west end of Talbot Street has highlighted that public investment alone won’t bring the street back to life. Investment by private property owners is needed to complete the job.

In addition, the city, through its planning department and Municipal Heritage Committee, is undertaking a study of Talbot Street and the adjacent properties with a view to creating our community’s first Heritage Conservation District. Full disclosure: this is a process I helped put in place when I chaired the heritage committee.

As implemented in many other communities, Heritage Conservation Districts seek to define, protect and preserve entire neighbourhoods and commercial districts through strict design standards and property maintenance rules. Examples include Stratford, St. Marys, Bayfield, Goderich and several in London.

How this debate unfolds will tell us a lot about how we want our city to develop over the coming years.

More about this in a future column.

Serge Lavoie has a 35 year career managing associations. He is currently president of On Track St. Thomas. He lives in St. Thomas.

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ELGIN THIS MONTH

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• AUGUST 2016 •

Smiling winner Tom Marks of United Way happily claimed the top prize, worth over $400, in our door prize draws at August’s Business After 5. Chamber CEO Bob Hammersley is shown with Tom and his new 43” HD TV from Century Sound.

August Business After 5 Date:

Wednesday August 17

Time:

5:00 p.m.

Sponsor & location:

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Business Beat Table of Contents Page 10............Business voice Page 11.............It’s show time Page 12.................BBQ safety Page 13.......... Wealth transfer Page 14.............. What to post Page 15.....................BA5 pics Page 16............New Members August, 2016

Good news for employment and Bridges The Chamber’s August edition of our monthly Business After 5 series was the ideal forum for two significant announcements; one about a new employer coming to town and the second about one of Canada’s bestknown authors and speakers arriving here on October 26.

As you might expect, the announcements were met with applause and approval from the crowd attending our events.

Mustang Products coming Mustang Products, an all-Canadian company established in 2003, has confirmed it will move from London and relocate to the former BrassCraft property in St. Thomas at 35 Currah Road. The move brings 30 – 50 jobs to the city and the firm expects to be fully operational here this fall.

Mustang Products provides a wide range of licensed products ranging from apparel to drinkware and novelty items under some of the most recognizable brands in the world.

Current clients include the NHL, the NBA, the NFL and Major League Baseball. Mus- St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation General Manager tang was also the exclusive provider of all Sean Dyke had the pleasure of breaking news at our August Busibeverageware used in the 2010 Vancouver ness After 5 event on the decision by Mustang Products to relocate here and purchase the former BrassCraft plant.

Olympics.

The company is very advanced in product on The Dragon’s Den. He’s also the author (and selfdevelopment, graphic design and product distribution at regional, national and international lev- publisher) of one of the best-selling books in Canadian history, The Wealthy Barber. It has sold over 2 million els.

For further information on Mustang Products, see copies. Another local connection for David is his work with St. Thomas authors Janet & Greta Podleski, cretheir website at www.mustangproduct.com ators of the best-seller cookbooks Looneyspoons, Crazy David Chilton October 26 at Bridges The Small Business Enterprise Centre’s 7th annual Plates and East, Shrink & Be Merry. David Chilton is Bridges To Better Business event is on track to be the the publisher of the books.

Tickets for the Bridges To Better Business event are biggest and best ever thanks to confirmation that one of Canada’s best-known authors, speakers and TV person- $25 per person and on sale now via the SBEC website: www.sbecinnovation.ca. The Bridges event will be at St. alities will be the featured speaker this year.

David Chilton is known to millions of Canadians Anne’s Centre on Wednesday October 26, 4:30 p.m. to thanks to his term as one of CBC Television’s Dragons 8:30 p.m., and includes dinner.

Take part in our September feature

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To take advantage of these excellent advertising opportunities (ext. 222)

September Edition Advertising Deadline is August 15th

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 9

Chamber News

A strong business voice for this area Gaining the attention of Ontario’s political leaders and shaping a meaningful dialogue with key decision makers in government is a cornerstone of the St. Thomas & District Chamber’s advocacy strategy. We continue to draw upon the strength of the Chamber Network in order to positively influence the development of our province’s public policy.

Here’s a look and summary at what we have been engaged with for the benefit of our Members so far this year.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s (OCC) inaugural Queen’s Park Advocacy Day is an annual event that sees representatives from Chambers across the province meet directly with Ontario government officials in-person to discuss the issues affecting you, our members and the local community. Topics of conversation included several of the issues raised by our Members last month when we hosted our annual MP/MPP luncheon such as the growing costs of doing business (especially on electricity rates), provincial spending, and the recently-dismantled Ontario

Retirement Pension Plan (ORPP). this file was a key motivating factor to encourage Events such as the day at Queen’s Park are just the province to seek a compromise. one example of how the Ontario Chamber of In order to thrive, Ontario businesses need afCommerce facilitates face-to-face access with se- fordable electricity. In response to increasing elecnior government leaders and helps us build con- tricity prices, we called on the Ontario governnections that are meaningful at the local level. In ment to provide greater transparency in energy order for decision makers to effect positive change pricing. In March 2016, the provincial governin the development of our province’s public pol- ment released an updated Ontario Energy Report icy, and to do so in a manner that ensures local that included an industrial price chart providing a needs are heard and met, this level of activity is clearer cost picture for many businesses. as much essential as it is unique to the Chamber In recent years the topic of regulatory reform network. has become a priority for Ontario businesses. As We need all Members to realize that, through a response to this we called on the province to your membership with the St. Thomas & District adopt a crowd-sourced approach to regulatory Chamber, your issues are part of a larger advocacy change where the public could submit comments strategy that is advanced by the Ontario Chamber and suggest changes to the regulations that imNetwork and the OCC. This year, we have cham- pact them. This spring the Ontario government pioned a number of policies, and we have received announced the Red Tape Challenge, an initiative encouraging feedback from both the provincial encouraging Ontarians to submit comments to a and federal government.

Regulatory Modernization Committee regarding The initial announcement of the Ontario Re- regulations that impact them. For more informatirement Pension Plan raised great concerns over tion on the Red Tape Challenge visit www.ontarincreased regulatory fragmentation, administra- io.ca/page/red-tape-challenge.ca. tive burden and economic consequences for busiInfrastructure is critical to business success and nesses. This resulted in the OCC immediately economic growth. In many communities across stepping to the forefront of the discussion and Ontario, lack of broadband infrastructure inhibits leading a coalition of organizations to mitigate business growth. This is why we urged the federal the overall financial impact of the plan. Mean- government to move beyond its Connecting Cawhile, the OCC led nadians initiative and invest in critical broadband the Chamber Network infrastructure. In the most recent budget, the in working toward our federal government announced that it is investstated, preferred option ing $500 million over five years in a new program to support a national to increase high-speed broadband service in rural Canadian Pension Plan and remote communities. enhancement instead The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Comof a stand-alone ORPP. merce is the voice of business, and most definitely This option avoids the voice of local business. With your continued increased regulatory support, the ongoing cooperation with the Onfragmentation and thus tario Chamber of Commerce, and collaboration administrative burden with other Chambers across provincial and na– avoiding significant tional network, we will ensure that employers in consequences for On- St. Thomas & District have had a powerful collectario’s business com- tive voice at the Government’s negotiating table. munity. The collective, This year, we look forward to continuing to break First Data’s trademark is strong advocacy of the down the barriers that impede our community’s providing fast, safe and Chamber Network on economic growth. cost-efficient transactions.

Let us analyze your latest St. Thomas & District statement and we will meet Chamber of Commerce 2016 Board of Directors or beat your current rates.

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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.ca Website: www.stthomaschamber.on.ca President & CEO Bob Hammersley Accounting Coordinator Susan Munday Member Services Christy Hunking Marketing Intern Lucas Tyson Office Assistant Kylie Lechner

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21958 2016

August, 2016

ELGIN THIS MONTH

Chair: Dan Kelly, CPA, CGA Dowler-Karn Ltd. Vice-Chair: Robert Furneaux Gorman-Rupp of Canada Ltd. Treasurer: Mark Lassam, CPA, CA Lassam & Co. Past Chair: Ross Fair Fanshawe College Director: Ray Bosveld HollisWealth Director: Kathy Cook World Financial Group Director: Sean Dyke St. Thomas Economic Development Corp.

Director: Brian Helmer Reith & Associates Insurance & Financial Director: Kevin Jackson Elgin Business Resource Centre Director: Phil Mauer Phil Mauer & Associates Inc. Director: Ginette Minor Alexelle Slipcovers & Décor Director: Joe Preston Wendy’s Restaurant Director: Bob Ward The Auto Guys

10

Chamber News

Business & Community Showcase filling fast Since the announcement of our new National Small Business Week event, our Business & Community Showcase, exhibitor space has been filling quickly and we have also had quick success in confirming 6 ‘spotlight’ speakers who will offer brief presentations on topics that have value for all businesses and employers.

The date for our event is Wednesday October 19 and our location will be St. Anne’s Centre with capacity for up to 65 single exhibitors. Exhibit spaces are 10’ by 10’ and double or triple spaces can be set for larger displays. The event will run over four hours between 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Starting at 3:30, and continuing every half hour on the half hour, our spotlight speakers will offer brief presentations in the Gold Room at the hall. We have presentations scheduled from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Talbot Trail Physiotherapy, Human Resources specialist Katherine Englander, The Achievement Centre, Yurek Pharmacy and Catering by James Meadows. Each will offer 20-minute presentations but, knowing interest may expand past their speaking time, each

presenter will have display space on the show floor and be available for one-on-one questions & discussion.

Our goal with this event is to showcase as many commercial and service components of our market as we can.

If you are a retailer, a service provider, a trade, a community service or a not-for-profit/charity agency, the new Business & Community Showcase is for you. For both the B2B and B2C markets, this event is designed to build business and community connections for every exhibitor.

At press deadline time for this issue, over 60% of exhibitor space was booked. Exhibit spaces are $150 - $175 each and 10% of all vendor fees go to our door-prize pool to build over $2000 in potential prize offers. On-site sales and order-

taking is permitted. Giveaways and samples are welcome but not mandatory. Exhibitors may conduct their own ‘fishbowl’ business card draws at their exhibits. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres will offered from at least four food stations and your favourite refreshments will be available at a cash bar. Admission to attendees is free.

More info? We’re as close as your phone or email. Contact Christy Hunking at the Chamber office by calling 519-631-1981 Extension 526 or email christy@stthomaschamber.ca.

OCC summer photo contest #PictureOntario To support our upcoming tourism report in September, the OCC launched a summer photo contest! The contest asks participants to share pictures of their favourite Ontario summer destinations. Hosted on Facebook, #PictureOntario will be the official contest hashtag and the lucky winner will have their picture featured in our upcoming tourism report and will receive $300 for Ontario Parks.

Here’s how to enter the contest: 1. Share a photo on Facebook with the hashtag #PictureOntario.

2. Mention @OntChamberOfCommerce in the post and be sure to specify the location of the image.

3. “Like” the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Facebook page for contest updates and details. Winner to be announced August 26!

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 11

Pro Text

10 tips for safe summer barbecues

Dos and Don’ts that will keep you from becoming a statistic

by Janet Palmer

Warm weather means grilling time – time with family and friends and time to enjoy delicious foods. When cooking outdoors on your charcoal or gas grill, whether it be quick and hot grilling or low and slow barbecue, there are a few things you need to know to make sure nothing goes wrong and how to get the most out of your cooking. Explosive fuel tanks, fire accelerants, food, hot metals, and large groups of people can be a recipe for disaster.

Here are some Dos and Don’ts that will ensure a

safe and delicious grilling season: Do: 1. Keep your grill at least 10 feet away from your house. The further, the better. This includes attachments to your home like carports, garages and porches wood fencing. Grills should not be used underneath wooden structures such as trellises and pergolas in case of flare ups.

2. Clean your grill regularly. Built up grease and fat on your grill, provides more fuel for your fire and can easily get out of hand.

3. Check for gas leaks. You can check for this by making a solution of half liquid dish soap and half

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water and rubbing it on the hoses and connections.

Then, with the grill lid open, turn the gas on. If the soap bubbles appear, it’s a sign that your hoses have tiny holes or that the connections are not tight enough.

4. Keep decorations away from your grill. Hanging baskets, pillows and umbrellas look pretty and are highly combustible. Making matters worse, today’s decor is primarily artificial fibers that burn extremely fast and hot.

5. Keep a spray bottle of water handy to quickly calm minor flare-ups. Water is the perfect solution as it won’t harm your food and dinner won’t be ruined!

6. Keep a fire extinguisher within a couple steps of your grill. Be prepared and know how to use it. If you are unsure, don’t waste time fiddling with it before calling 911.

Don’t: 7. Don’t ever turn on the gas while your grill lid is closed. It causes gas to build up inside your grill. Once lit, it can cause a fireball to explode in your face.

8. Don’t leave your grill unattended.

Fires double in size every minute. Plan ahead so that all of your other food preparation and chores are completed so you can focus on grilling.

9. Don’t overload your grill with food.

This applies especially to fatty meats.

When too much fat drips on the flames at once, it will cause large flare-ups that could ignite nearby items or structures.

10. Don’t drink alcohol while grilling.

Stay alert and responsible.

Barbecuing is synonymous with relaxing summertime fun. Spend a few extra minutes before grilling to take the necessary precautions to keep your friends and family safe and enjoying the tasty treats you have prepared for them! Should your barbecuing get out of hand and a fire flare-up, any resulting fire damage is covered under your home policy, subject to your policy deductible. For additional tips to keep your family safe from loss contact your insurance broker.

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This column appears regularly in Business Beat and has been submitted by Janet Palmer, CIP, Advisor – New Business Janet Palmer Development 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.

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 12

Legal Business

Plan for wealth transfer, ahead of the wave

by Monty Fordham

It is estimated that, over the next 20 years, assuming present life expectancies and relative economic calm, the Canadian baby boomers will inherit over 1 trillion dollars. By extension, the much smaller millennial generation is expected to inherit much more. (Unless, of course, their boomer parents blow it all) This anticipated cataclysmic off-loading of wealth will undoubtedly not go unnoticed by the taxing authorities at every level of government.

At present, at least in Ontario, estates are subject only to Estate Administration Tax (EAT). It’s a paltry amount compared to what I think may be coming in the form of both federal and provincial inheritance taxes. Tax avoidance/deferral plans and the tools which create them will become more and more important in the future. At present, particularly in larger estates, corporations and trusts are often used to avoid or defer various types of tax, as well as organize more clearly the intentions of the testator.

In general terms, Ontario law recognizes three types of legal entities: the individual (you and me), the corporation (public or private, profit or nonprofit) and the trust. Again, in very general terms, Ontario law recognizes two types of trusts: inter vivos (established during the lifetime of the person creating the trust) and testamentary (contained within the will of the person creating the trust and

effective only upon their death). The person who creates the trust is called the settlor; the person for whom the trust is created is called the beneficiary; and the person who manages the trust is called the trustee.

In the case of larger estates, as well as the tax advantages, such as income-splitting between spouses, and flexibility of gifts to minors or persons with disabilities, the use of inter vivos trusts provides a framework for the management of the assets of the estate should one or both of the spouses become disabled or incompetent. Last, but certainly not least, since the inter vivos trust does not die, the assets held within it do not pass to beneficiaries on the death of the testator, thereby eliminating, or at least reducing the Estate Administration Tax. The Income Tax benefits, and potential pitfalls flowing from the establishment of an inter vivos trust are many, and must be discussed thoroughly with a tax accountant and tax lawyer. In this discussion, you will hear terms such as “alter ego trust”, “joint partner trust” and “self benefit trust”. These various vehicles facilitate the rearranging of assets between spouses and among children, before and after death. Great care must be taken in drafting these types of trusts, since, unless the trust provides for amendment, its terms cannot be altered (at least not very easily).

This is contrasted with the testamentary trust which takes its terms from the will of the testator

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and can be amended at any time prior to death.

While there are definite tax and other advantages to rolling assets to a testamentary trust, Estate Administration Tax may still apply to the value of any assets transferred to the trust.

The use of a “Henson Trust”, (or absolute discretionary trust) may be helpful in the case of an estate, a portion of which will pass to a beneficiary with a disability. The way this type of testamentary trust works is as follows: the estate trustees are instructed not to transfer the inheritance of the person with the disability to him or her. In fact, the estate trustees are told that they have total discretion whether or not to pay anything to the beneficiary. Sounds cruel doesn’t it? Not really. In separate documents the trustees are told to provide adequately for the needs and care of the individual, but are given the flexibility so as to avoid interference with other sources of income of the beneficiary.

Questions, comments and suggestions for future columns are welcomed by lawyer Monty Fordham at his office: Fordham & Brightling Associates – Lawyers, 4 Elgin Street, St. Thomas.

Telephone 519- 633-4000, Monty Fordham FAX 519-633-1371 or e-mail: montyfordham@4elgin.ca

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Viewpoint

How much is too much? you is essential to winning their SecPart of telling your business story on social business. people media – and encouraging customers and poten- ondly, tial customers to know, like, and trust you – is to are more apt to share personal things that your audience can iden- share things they identify with or tify with.

As is true in building any relationship, with find meaning in. use of social media for business it is important to The more you share, the more your audience will let people in. You want them to see your business respond with likes and shares. Those interactions (and you) as someone who “gets” them and under- help you reach your audience organically and indicate to the search engines that your content is stands what they want and need.

However, you can share too much. Even with worthwhile.

Factors in sharing the increased desire on behalf of consumers to get The key to successful sharing to increase busito know companies they do business with, there’s still a line between effective sharing from a rev- ness depends on your audience and your type of enue perspective (it translates into more customers business. Things that dictate the level of sharing and greater retention) and the type of sharing that you should do, and the topics you cover, include: • The average age of your ideal customer and requires a public relations professional to smooth other key demographics of your buyer over the damage.

• What you sell and the industry you work in Why share anything at all?

• Whether you are an independent entrepreIf there’s a big risk of offending or turning off neur/consultant or part of a larger enterprise your audience, why share anything at all? You • Whether you own the company or not should share with your audience for a number of • The tone of the company’s marketing comreasons. First, getting them to know, like, and trust munications • Your end goal in the communications We’d While there isn’t an exact formula in decidlove to ing if something is too take credit much, the better you understand your audifor the ence, the easier it is to beautiful grasp the appropriateness of content.

Summer Things you don’t want to share As mentioned earlier, what to share but we depends on your authink creating a dience, but the following things are general strong local no-no’s for business economic climate as they tend to break relationships down inis much more stead of building them important. up. However, some of these topics may be in• Networking opportunities to help you make new business contacts tegral to your business.

• Government advocacy to protect you from red tape and undue taxation For instance, a political • A pro-business agenda to help strengthen the local economy consultant should share • Discounts and benefits to save you money political commentary as • Learning and professional enrichment programs to help you grow your her audience would exbusiness pect that and desire it.

A grocery store owner, on the other hand, may find it alienates his customers.

115-300 South Edgeware Rd., St.Thomas, ON Politics, religion 519-631-1981 and others topics that divide. If you’ve ever mail@stthomaschamber.ca | www.stthomaschamber.on.ca defriended someone on

by Christina R. Green

Weather...

August, 2016

Facebook because of their political rants, then you know why this is a divisive subject. Unless your business calls for it, your audience wants it, or your post has something to do directly with your business (like a proposed bill that will affect your industry), skip these types of posts.

Rants and whines. Your business account should be about helping people and building people up. You are a resource and a business. If your stream is filled with rants and whines, your audience will lose interest quickly.

Personal issues. This advice seems counterintuitive because I’m suggesting getting personal and then telling you not to get into your personal issues. The key difference here is the term “issues”.

Share things about your personal life. However, don’t share old-school Howard Stern style, unless you’re trying to be the “shock jock” of your industry.

Instead, share personal challenges, hopes, dreams, even setbacks but do so in a helpful way.

Look at everything you share through the lens of your audience. How is this post helping you to connect and assist them? For instance, if you recently had a health scare, there’s nothing wrong with sharing that, especially if you’re able to find a purpose behind the share by telling people why it’s important to get regular exams.

However, when you’re a business owner every social media post is an audition to see if someone wants to hire/do business with you. Keep this in mind with every post. Don’t share anything that will make people question your ability to do the job at hand. If they think your personal life is a mess, they will want to stay far, far away.

Things to share So what should you share?

Share content that is helpful to your audience, or content you found helpful and why, inspirational content, content that provides (positive) insights into your life, and content that helps forge relationships and is not divisive. Examples of this type of content include: “Moms and apple pie.” These topics are largely regarded as loved by everyone. These include pictures of sunsets, kittens, puppies; videos of babies laughing or you goofing around waiting in line (everyone has to wait in line, right?); and posts on your favourite books (who can argue with the benefits of reading?).

Trivialities of life. Marketer Kim Garst is known for doing this on Facebook. She asks questions like, “Night Owl or Early Riser?” They are so basic, but people really open up with them. She Continued on page 15

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 14

Chamber News Knowing how much to share on social media

July BA5: St. Thomas Economic Development Corp. hosts at Elgin County Railway Museum myFM Radio News Director Andrew Buttigieg won a unique St. Thomas product & tourism promo pack with over a dozen local items, plus a new #StThomasProud t-shirt. Railway City Tourism’s Megan Pickersgill is pictured as Andrew examined his winnings.

Continued from page 14 answers these questions herself and has built a very loyal tribe by using them.

Images. When in doubt use images from your life such as your view from your business, a trip you’ve taken, somewhere you’d like to go, your cat, your favourite recipe, or any number of things that interest you. Even selfies can be effective when they’re not all focused on your appearance.

A final word about social sharing The key to successful sharing is envisioning your ideal customer and asking yourself if that person would find value in what you’re posting. Next, decide whether the post topic and the wording will bring you closer to that customer or push them away. Never shy away from sharing details about your life, but do so to build rapport and serve as a resource. In business even when you’re sharing things about you, it must always, ultimately, be about (and for) your audience.

Singer & songwriter Malichi shared a great story on why and how he and his family chose to move to St. Thomas recently. Malichi is definitely a big #StThomasProud booster and performed a new song about our community for everyone attending August’s Business After 5.

Christina R. Green is a regular contributor to the Chamber and our publications. She teaches small businesses, chambers and associations how to connect through content. Her articles have appeared in the Midwest Society of Association Executives’ Magazine, NTEN.org, AssociationTech, and Socialfish. She is a regular blogger at Frankjkenny.com and the Event Manager Blog. She’s a bookish writer on a quest to bring great storytelling to organizations everywhere.

Petrusia Hontar from the St. Thomas Elgin Local Immigration Partnership took home tickets to the 2017 St. Thomas Sports Spectacular as a door prize draw win at Business After 5. All of our prizes in August were based on activities, events and products with strong St. Thomas connections.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 15

Member News

New Members Canadian Blood Services 820 Wharncliffe Road South London, ON N6A 4J9 Phone: 519-690-3932 Email: kendall.oneill@blood.ca Web: www.blood.ca Contact: Kendall O’Neill Buyers Guide Categories: Agencies & Associations; Health Care Services; Products & Services: Canadian patients depend on them to manage a safe, secure and cost-effective blood system. They bring quality to every aspect of their work - from collecting, testing and manufacturing blood, blood components and stem cells to knowledge creation and dissemination to conducting ground-breaking research.

Their role also includes providing the following unique services to Canadians: • Operating the OneMatch Stem Cell and Marrow Network • Building and operating Canadian Blood Services’ Cord Blood Bank • Leading national practices, professional education, public awareness and system performance activities for organ and tissue donation and transplantation • Managing national patient registries for organ donation and transplantation

The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce proudly welcomes the following businesses, organizations and individuals as our newest Members. Those listed below were accepted as registered Members from June 16 to July 15, 2016. Once an organization registers with the Chamber, all personnel (owners/managers/staff) within the organization have full access to all Chamber programs, projects, events, services and offers within our Member Benefits Bundle.

• Bulk purchasing of pharmaceutical plasma protein products • Providing diagnostic laboratory testing services in some provinces • Conducting leading-edge research and advancing practice in transfusion and transplantation medicine nationally and internationally The Achievement Centre 45639 Southdale Line St. Thomas, ON N5P 3SG Phone: 519-318-2989 Email: mtaylor@tacresults.com Web: www.tacresults.com Contact: Melanie Taylor, Facilitator & Coach Buyers Guide Categories: Business Advisory Services, Business Information Services, Counselling Services, Employee Assistance Programs, Management Consulting, Professional Speakers, Training Services Products & Services: The Achievement Centre (TAC) provides professional development programs, coaching, and strategic planning to large and small companies throughout the world. TAC developed a reputation for delivering results by focusing on the people side of business. They work primarily through referrals and with long term clients. Today, they continue to provide a professional development and transfor-

mational experience where clients need us most – bringing out the potential in their people.

Through success, TAC is expanding its network by attracting the best Principals and Associates throughout Canada, and around the world.

Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario 2-40 Pacific Court London, ON N5V 3K4 Phone: 519-659-1949 Email: shadskis@habitat4home.ca Web: www.habitat4home.ca Contacts: Gerry Pieroni, Vice President ReStore Operations; Steve Hadskis, Senior Manager, London & St. Thomas ReStore Operations Buyers Guide Category: Agencies & Associations Products & Services: Habitat for Humanity London was established in 1993. It is a non-profit, non-denominational Christian housing organization. They welcome partners without discrimination to help them build simple, decent, affordable homes for low-income families. 100% of ReStore revenue funds the administrative costs of Habitat Heartland Ontario.

They believe that by offering a family a hand-up, not a handout, they empower low-income families to become successful homeowners.

Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario – St. Thomas ReStore 5 – 280 Edward Street St. Thomas, ON N5P 4C2 Phone: 519-631-6868 Email: derickson@habitat4home.ca Web: www.habitat4home.ca Contact: Dana Erickson, Store Manager Buyers Guide Categories: Agencies & Associations; Bed & Bath Accessories; Building Products & Supplies; Community Services; Recycling.

Products & Services: The ReStores are owned and operated by Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario. Their shelves are stocked with new and gently used renovation supplies donated by homeowners and businesses. Everything is available at seriously discounted prices.

Because they constantly receive new inventory from a variety of generous supporters, every trip to the ReStore offers a unique opportunity to discover a fantastic deal, a one-of-a-kind item, or the missing piece in your design inspiration.

The money raised from the sale of items at the ReStores pays for the overhead costs of operating Habitat for Humanity Heartland Ontario.

By covering their own costs, they are able to keep their promise that every dollar donated to Habitat for Humanity will go directly towards building homes for families in need.

Crystal Underhill EXT 234 or Janet Palmer at EXT. 226

Continued on page 17

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 16

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY FINANCIAL PLANNING

Technology cannot replace personal service

by Stepanie Farrow

As a co-owner of a business whose cornerstone is personalized service, I often find a lack of human personal service in other areas of my life hard to swallow. Are we watching human interaction slowly go by the wayside in favour of increasing technology? Don’t get me wrong; I think technology has its place. In fact, I embrace the many wonderful things technology has to offer, but I don’t believe it can replace personal service.

For the past few weeks I have been trying to deal with our business cell phone contract renewal.

This morning I was told via email by my business service representative that my dealings are now to be strictly online and was provided the website and codes. I inquired about a phone contact in case I needed some support along the way. He emailed me saying his assistant could not help me via phone as she has no line to call out on. What?

I send back an email saying, “OK, I’m trying to get my head around this. Your assistant for a wireless cell phone company has no line to call out on?” I promptly received a phone call from him (hooray for human contact) only to explain to me why everything was automated; due to privacy, fraud prevention, and risk of passing personal data via phone etc. Gosh, how did we ever manage before?

So here’s the thing. I am in my forties, and I really do try to embrace technology in all that I do and I will surely figure this out, but what about the senior citizen, or someone less comfortable with technology than I am? What about the service you need that doesn’t quite fit into the pre-populated boxes provided on websites? Sometimes you just need to be able to speak to someone.

I consider our own business and how these technology advancements affect our world of financial and tax planning, and wealth management. We are an advice-driven business so personalized service is at the core for our clients.

Mind you, some companies are currently trying their hand at replacing investment planners

(which is one of the multiple things we do) with technology. Nope, this isn’t from an episode of the Jetsons, it’s real. Enter Robo-Advisors. It’s technology to provide financial recommendations for basic scenarios. Instead of dealing with an advisor you have a type of Robo investment account.

I suspect this may work for very basic accounts, but for us, in wealth man- in hand. It’s a matter of balance.

Now to figure out our cell phone contracts … agement, each person’s situation is quite unique, and in areas of tax, financial, wealth and estate planning, there is no replacing personal advice.

Stephanie Farrow, B.A., C.F.P., is a There is no cookie cutter approach to what we do.

Certified Financial Planner and And our business is just one example in one indusco-owner of Farrow Financial try. Although each type of business is very differServices Inc., in Belmont ent, I suspect many will have some aspect where personal service is still ideal.

Again, we love technology, we really do. In fact, we are very proactive and continually improving our technology options Continued from page 16 for our clients, but these will Las Chicas del Cafe moved to St. Thomas. Maria Fialnever replace personal service 750 Talbot Street, Unit #105 los and Valeria Fiallos-Soliman now where needed.

St. Thomas, ON N5P 1E2 roast and package coffee out of their As someone who has always Phone: 519-652-3642 location at 750 Talbot Street in the been forward thinking, I am Email: maria@laschicasdelcafe.com historic CASO Station, a long way reluctant to consider personal Website: www.laschicasdelcafe.com from their native Nicaragua, and service as somehow old school. I Contacts: Maria Fiallos & Valeria their family’s coffee farm in Las SaFiallos-Soliman, Co-Owners banas, Nicaragua. Coffee has defined love the notion that we can offer Buyers Guide Categories: Food – their families for four generations. technology options to enhance Wholesalers; Food Processing; Food A relationship that began as first personal service; not replace it.

Specialties; Manufacturers steps on coffee patios, has now blosI would implore businesses large Products & Services: On Novem- somed into a passion for the perfect and small to embrace technology ber 4, 2005 a decision was made roast profile. Their coffee is a true where they can but please don’t to take three generations of coffee testament to craftsmanship, as it forget about the need for pergrowers and one generation of cof- is handled and processed by hand, sonal service. There is no reason fee importers a step further and Las from the time the coffee cherries in my mind why technology and Chicas del Café was founded. Last are picked to the time the beans are personal service can’t compleyear, the business expanded and packaged for their consumers. ment each other and walk hand

New Members

Karen Vecchio,

M.P.

ELGIN-MIDDLESEX-LONDON

• Revenue Canada • Seniors’ Issues • • Citizenship & Immigration • • Employment Insurance • Passport Inquiries • 203-750 Talbot Street, St. Thomas, ON N5P 1E2

519-637-2255 www.karenvecchiomp.ca August, 2016

ELGIN THIS MONTH

17

Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce

Top retirement tips for small business owners

by Karyn Silliker

Without the luxury of a company pension plan, small business owners need to be more proactive in building a stable retirement nest egg. But with a constant focus on the day-to-day tasks of running a business, many small business owners can lose sight of their retirement goals and may be at risk of derailing their retirement dreams.

Meridian, Ontario’s largest credit unions offers the following tips to help small business owners start saving for their dream retirement.

1. Start now. Retirement planning is important for everyone but small business owners are often guilty of funnelling so much energy, time and resources back into their business that they put saving for their future on the back burner.

Saving for retirement is a marathon not a sprint, so starting to save as soon as possible is vital.

2. Your business succession plan is part of your retirement plan. To better prepare for retirement, small business owners should have a succession plan and a retirement plan. A succession plan is one aspect of your retirement plan but it should never take the place of a holistic retirement plan.

3. Understand your sources of retirement income. Many small business owners make the

mistake of thinking that selling their business will be their primary source to fund their retirement. But that’s not always the case. Some small business owners plan to pass the business down to a family member or in some cases the value of a business may fluctuate overtime, not leaving the owner with a significant nest egg. Retirement income from government sources such as Canada Pension Plan or Old Age security may simply not be enough to fund your dream retirement.

4. Assemble a team of trusted experts. Working with trusted professionals including a financial advisor, tax specialist and lawyer will help you better understand your options and tailor solutions based on your full personal and professional financial picture.

5. Make it automatic. Pre-authorized contribution plans (PACs) are a great tool for contributing to Registered Saving Plans or Tax-Free Saving Plans. Most financial institutions provide pre-authorized contribution plans (PACs) that automatically transfer funds from your chequing account into your savings investments on a regular basis.

For more information on retirement tips for small business owners, visit www.meridiancu. ca or come and visit us at Meridian’s Aylmer branch located at 36 Talbot Street West.

Where Home Begins

Karyn Silliker is Meridian’s Aylmer Branch Manager.

SM

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18

Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce Festivals and events in the Aylmer area

by Mikaela Moore Aylmer & Area Tourism Office Assistant

Don’t miss out on all the wonderful events and festivals the Aylmer Tourism Office is offering this summer. If you are looking for something fun for the kids, Clovermead Adventure Farm is having their annual honey fest every Saturday in August. These fun-filled Saturdays includes bee beard demonstrations, a meet and greet with the Bee Princess and Sticky the bear as well as bee barrel train rides, candle making, pillow jumping, pedal go carts and so much more. It will bee fantastic!

Another exciting week coming up on August 11 is the Aylmer Fair. The fairgrounds will be host to many fair activities such as the demolition derby, flower show, 4H exhibits, youth and speed horse shows, rides, and much more.

Saturday, August 20 in Aylmer is a big day for all ages!

First, Sweet Cornfest is taking place downtown Aylmer with live music and sidewalk sales. In Balmoral Park from 10am-2pm, there will be free jump and bounce activities, free wagon rides and a fundraiser BBQ. If you are participating, or just driving by ports of Elgin County while the Three Port Tour is on, cheer on all the cyclists on Saturday, August 20.

The fundraiser starts at the East Elgin Community Complex and ends in Port Bruce for lunch.

Any proceeds from the race are going towards the Forest City Velodrome and the Environmental Leadership Program offered at East Elgin Secondary School.

To end your summer day stop by the beautifully renovated Palmer park, also known as the Bandshell every Wednesday night to enjoy some local, and very talented musicians and the car show in the ICS parking lot. Feel free to visit the Aylmer Tourism Office for more information about all of these great summer events and festivals.

My name is Mikaela Moore and I am the summer student for the Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce and the Aylmer BIA (Business Improvement Area) and, of course, the Tourism Office. On a daily basis, my role in the BIA and Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce is to as-

sist in event planning, marketing and administration work as well as writing fantastic articles to attract people to the Aylmer area. My work with the Tourism Office requires that I am aware of the events happening in Elgin County, and that I answer any questions tourists may have.

As a resident of a small rural town it is clear to me there is much more going on than just tractors and corn fields. One of the things I enjoy about this community is that the Ontario Police College is right in my backyard. The reason I’ve chosen to talk about the college is because out of all the places in Ontario, they chose to put it just east of Aylmer. To become a certified police officer, all peacekeepers must attend the Ontario Police College for a 13-week program that, once completed, will give them their Basic Constable Diploma.

Something else I really enjoy about this community is that it is very close-knit. Everyone helps others when they can. Residents rally around to donate to fundraisers or attend events to help out local organizations. I also appreciate that residents support our local business community.

Something I would really do without about living here though is that I do not appreciate waking up to freshly sprayed fields with manure. However, living in a rural community Over 200 used vehicles to choose from has more advantages than it does disadvantages so I think I’ll stick it out and come back when I can and visit.

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ELGIN THIS MONTH

19

Running A Successful Small Business

The power of positive beliefs

Melanie Taylor

“I don’t want to go to school today! It’s going to be boring!”

My six-year-old was having a grumpy morning, one of many in that particular week. I pulled out the Belief Wheel. I didn’t let his eye-roll (six going on sixteen) stop me from explaining to him that his beliefs were likely going to ruin his whole day.

The Belief Wheel comes from the Results-Centred Leadership Program by Caroline Rowan. It illustrates the relatively simple concept that your beliefs affect your attitude and, in turn, your attitude affects your behaviour and the results you achieve. Your results then affect your future beliefs.

I drew the wheel and asked my son how his belief that school was going to be boring would affect his attitude, behaviour, and results. He was able to explain to me that if he believed school was going to be boring that, in the end, he was likely to be bored. We then discussed what might happen if he believed school was going to be great. He left the house with a smile on his face and reported back at the end of the day that school had been “kind of fun”. I’ll take it.

This concept, simple enough to be understood by a six-year-old, is incredibly important in running a business. Negative beliefs creep in to our minds all the time. We often don’t notice that they’ve taken up permanent residence and are having a significant impact on our results.

“I believe that my business can’t be successful in St. Thomas”.

“I believe that people don’t want to drive from London to St. Thomas to work”.

“I believe that social media is a waste of time”.

What attitudes, behaviours, and results are coming from these beliefs?

A belief that people don’t want to drive to St. Thomas to work, and you therefore don’t have a large pool from which to hire, could result in an attitude that you have to settle for an employee that doesn’t meet your employment criteria. This could result in you ignoring poor on-the-job performance later. High-performing employees may then become frustrated working with the poor performers. When asked by others if it would be worth commuting to your workplace, they may suggest that it’s likely not. The result is that people are not willing to commute to your workplace, which supports your initial belief and sends you down the rabbit hole.

What if you believed that people who meet your criteria would drive from London if there was reason enough for them to do so? Might your atAugust, 2016

titude then be that you need to create a work en- I am pleased to say that the result is less eye-rollvironment that makes it worth the drive? Would ing and happier mornings. you still tolerate poor performance? What would be the results?

Melanie Taylor is a business, Believing you can doesn’t necessarily result in sales and leadership coach you achieving the outcome you desire, but it with the Achievement Centre does make you much more likely to succeed than and co-owner of Vesta Shop if you believe you can’t. Thankfully, we get to and Parenting Centre in St. choose what we believe. We can also help others Thomas. She can be reached at to understand how their beliefs affect their outmtaylor@tacresults.com. comes and help them to change their own beliefs.

Melanie Taylor Running a small business can be incredibly difficult. It can be easy to take on a negative attitude and generate for yourself results that support your initial beliefs. Remember that sometimes just changWhen you’re an accounting and business service firm who ing your beliefs can prefers to see clients “getting ahead” rather than just “getting make all the difference in your daily, monthly, by”, really getting to know the people you serve is the most

KnowingYou, To Know what works best forYou

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 Then consider letting us get to know your business — by getting to know you.

and annual outcomes and put you on a path to achieving greater success.

The Belief Wheel now hangs on the wall in the back hall of our house.

450 Sunset Dr., ST.THOMAS 519-633-0700

25 John Street S., AYLMER 519-773-9265

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 20

Running A Successful Small Business

Don’t let the business become your whole life

by Mark McIntosh

Starting a business is a very exciting and scary prospect to say the least. So many things to consider, hurdles to jump, red-tape to cut. It’s a rollercoaster of emotion and even stress. Once you cross those thresholds and become operational it’s all smooth sailing … right? Well, not quite.

Complacency is not something you want to settle into completely. However, you can certainly take a breath of relief … you’re now operational and have to “run” your business.

Running a small business is rewarding. However, one thing to keep in mind is to make sure “You run the business and not let the business run you”. What is meant by this is that many business owners run into the pitfall of their business becoming their life.

You put in long hours, work weekends, become everything. Soon you become the business. Since starting my own business, I have established set work hours and stick to them wherever possible.

Sure there will be some long hours, but they don’t have to be every day. Give yourself the time you need to recharge so you don’t become frustrated and start questioning why you did this in the first place. It happens to many of us entrepreneurs.

That being said, there are things that need to be done, and this is where time management comes in. Good time management is imperative for

a small business owner who has to do everything.

Alongside performing the work and making money, there’s the “business of doing business”. Don’t let things lapse like accounting and record keeping … those little “I’ll do it later” things.

This stuff piles up fast and can swallow your time at night and on weekends.

If you ever watch shows like Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank, you often hear them tell entrepreneurs that they look for people who are “all in” and work hard in their business. They don’t want to invest their money with a person who doesn’t want to do the work.

However, one things I have also heard them say is to allow time for family and yourself. If you burn out, that’s a lost investment as well. A business is not worth losing your family or your health over. It’s a job that you happen to own and control. You can decide when and how to take time off … use that power.

I have found that running a business has been very rewarding. There are perks to being your own boss. Enjoy those perks and what you are

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doing. (I am assuming that, like most who start a business, you are working at something you enjoy doing.) There is always stress being your own boss and running a business; just don’t allow it to become something you wish you had never done because it’s now “running you”.

Mark McIntosh owns markIT Technology Solutions Group in St. Thomas.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 21

Running A Successful Small Business

Dedication, hard work, planning: keys to succes document that will change regularly and help you unThere are many benefits of business ownership: derstand where you need controlling your own destiny, flexibility, following to pivot. Don’t have a busiyour passion, pride of ownership and many oth- ness plan? Create one. ers. However, operating a small business is no walk The exercise of building in the park. It requires dedication, hard work and a business plan pays as it will help to answer the and be an expert in your industry Watching trends allows you to make it easier to planning to succeed. An Industry Canada study tough questions now. A plan will also help you to on small businesses concluded that 30% of small clarify your goals and objectives. As you grow, you plan for changes, helps keep you ahead of your businesses won’t survive longer than two years, may need access to capital and having a business competitors and will show you opportunities to grow your business. Understanding what is hapand only half make it to five years. While daunt- plan will make it easier to approach lenders. pening in the industry will also help you to be ing, this doesn’t have to be you. Here are tips to Cash flow help.

Cash flow is the life-blood of a small business. viewed as the ‘go-to’ expert and will help you to Know your goals and objectives It is important to understand your revenue gen- gain respect and trust with peers and customers.

Create an experience Working without a plan is like travelling without eration and expenses, and these should be tracked Customers don’t want to be ‘sold to’. Often it is your GPS or a map. Sure, you will likely get to and reviewed on a regular basis. Business ownthe location you are seeking but it will take you a ers who are not managing their cash flow have a the little details that customers recall more than the product or service they purchased. Research lot longer. Intentional goals and objectives point a greater failure rate. completed by Superoffice.com shows that 60% new business in the right direction and help keep Networking an existing business get on the right track. Goals Look at networking as a low-cost marketing of customers are willing to pay more for a better tell you where you want to go, and objectives tell tool. It may not show immediate results; however experience and happy customers are more likely you exactly how to get there. it helps you to find future business opportunities. to remain loyal. An amazing experience creates Review your business plan The generation of referrals and increased business better customer engagement and more loyal cusYou’ve spent countless hours preparing your is only one of the benefits of networking. There tomers, which increases the likelihood of strong business plan, never to look at it again. It’s easy to is great satisfaction helping other business owners referrals.

Give back to your community get caught up in the running of your business and that have problems or issues you can solve. It is There are many ways to give back to the comforget what your original intentions were. Review also a great way to tap into advice and expertise, munity as a small business owner, and it doesn’t the plan and adjust as needed. This is a dynamic raise your profile, and increase your confidence.

Understand where have to be expensive. Contributing to the community your time is being stimulates good public relations and helps to crespent You are wearing many ate a loyal customer base. It will also help you to hats as a business owner, understand what is happening in the community and too often business and how your product or service can help.

Don’t go it alone owners get caught up in Many resources are available to small business time-wasting tasks that take them away from owners. Leverage your small business centre, revenue-generating ac- small business peers, mentors, local Chamber and Small Business tivity. Track where you trade associations.

Specialists are spending your time and determine what Tara McCaulley is the manager at Kee, Perry & DeVrieze offers a makes sense to do on the Elgin/St. Thomas Small Business full range of public accounting your own and what Enterprise Centre. tasks you should outservices for your Small Business. source.

Understand trends • Audits & Reviews • Tax Planning & Preparation • Consulting & Business Evaluations • Buying / Selling a Business • Bookkeeping (monthly/quarterly/annually) We can help you set up the Accounting system for CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT your Small Business

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 22

2015 Healthy Workplace Awards Gold Award Winners

Steelway Building Systems 2015 Gold Healthy Workplace Award

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital 2015 Gold Healthy Workplace Award

Elgin St. Thomas Public Health, in partnership with the Elgin Business Resource Centre, congratulates these progressive organizations for their ongoing commitment to creating healthy work environments for the benefit of their employees, their community and their bottom line.

The Healthy Workplace Awards are presented annually to deserving organizations who have an active workplace health, wellness and safety program.

Photo L to R: Kevin Jackson (EBRC), Rita Perepelitsky (Steelway), Brandy Verbruggen (Steelway), Diane Oostrom (Steelway), Janet Baker (Elgin St. Thomas Public Health)

Silver Award Winner

Photo L to R: Kevin Jackson (EBRC), Dawn Ellis (STEGH), Chris Dalton (STEGH), Janet Baker (Elgin St. Thomas Public Health)

Municipality of Central Elgin

2015 “On the Right Track” Healthy Workplace Award

Milestone’s Children’s Centre 2015 Silver Healthy Workplace Award

To submit your company for the 2016 Healthy Workplace Awards Call Health at Work 4 All! at 519-633-7597 ext. 326 or e-mail jhenwood@elgincfdc.ca

Photo L to R: Kevin Jackson (EBRC), Cora Burns (Milestone’s Children’s Centre), Janet Baker (Elgin St. Thomas Public Health)

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 23

t r o P Y E L STAN Harbourfest just one of Port’s many draws

Terry Carroll

Port Stanley is a perfect summer destination, noted for its fishing boats, sailing and pleasure crafts, and the joys the downtown, the harbour and the beach offer. The village boasts live theatre, art galleries and local artists, music, dining, cottages, other accommodation, upscale homes and shopping.

And, of course, the biggest draws: Main Beach and Little Beach. It’s a complete change of pace from the hubbub that can easily overwhelm people.

The reconstructed pier has become a real draw for vacationers and day trippers, with an additional multi-million dollar park development in

the works, to make the dream of the new Hofhuis Jason Collett with Zeus appears at 8:00pm FriPark a reality. day, August 5 at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch The village has the only beach on Lake Erie with 410, Port Stanley. Jason Collett is the godfather of a Blue Flag Beach designation, an exclusive eco- indie-rock, a co-founding member of Broken Solabel given to only qualifying beaches and mari- cial Scene, who also started the Basement Revue nas meeting certain environat The Dakota Tavern, and has a solo the popular Tall Ships career that spans more than a decade. mental criteria across Europe, South Africa, Canada and the Enjoy the second and last of two Caribbean. summer shows by APSA, the AssoThe popular Tall Ships are ciation of Port Stanley Artists, on the returning during Harbourfest 2016 August 6 and front lawn of the Legion August 6. Original and 7. Other great events that weekend include live creative art is by APSA, the Association of Port music, a vendor fair, street performers, Firemen’s Stanley Artists, presenting a variety of media with Fish Fry at the Station, an art show at the Legion something for everyone. (more details below), For outstanding theatre, check out Port Stanley and Meet the Navy at Festival Theatre. Its performance of This One by the Harbourfest site. Denise Mader runs until August 13. Who knew Spectacular fireworks that baking could be this much fun? The world are in the works for premiere production of This One explores the Saturday August 6 at bond between mother and daughter, the ups and dusk on the beach, downs of rural roots, and the wonders of freshly sponsored by GTS. baked pecan pie.

Antique train rides Or catch The Birds and The Bees by Mark Craware also offered Har- ford August 17 to September 3. Fresh from the pen bourfest weekend Sat- of the playwright who brought 2014’s Stag and urday and Sunday at Doe to this area comes a sparkling new comedy Port Stanley Terminal about family and friends, and relationships, and Rail. Departure times: sex, and farming, and ... bees. Chance encounters, 11:00am, 1:00pm and love among the turkeys, it’s a comedy about fresh 2:30pm. starts!

For Harbourfest upComplete summer theatre schedule is at portdates, visit portstanley- stanleytheatre.ca. For the latest on everything Port harbourfest.ca.

Stanley, visit portstanley.net.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 24

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 25

Business & Community Workforce Planning

How to attract and keep talent

by Debra Mountenay

The fall is traditionally a time when employers start looking for additional employees. With employers reporting difficulty in finding talent, the spot light has firmly been thrown on the importance of having effective ways to attract and retain key staff.

Employers can make good investments by attracting and hiring additional staff and having a good working relationship with their existing employees. With competition for labour and skills so high, an attraction and recruitment plan will help you focus on finding the right person for your company.

When asked how they attract and keep talent, here is what employers had to say: Ways to attract top talent: 1. Training and development opportunities are considered the number 1 factor that attract people to a company.

2. Wage is an important element.

3. Working in an enjoyable environment, e.g., the cultural aspects of an organisation, which makes turning up to work every day a pleasant experience.

4. Flexible work hours – where possible.

Ways to keep your talent: 1. Offer benefit packages that fit your employees’ needs.

2. Provide some small perks – e.g., free bagels or

ice cream bars on Fridays.

3. Use small contests and incentives to help keep workers motivated and feeling rewarded.

4. Conduct STAY interviews, consider asking longer-term employees why they stay, and use this information for potential new employees.

5. Promote from within whenever possible.

6. Spend time coaching employees, foster employee development and training, helping good performers move to new positions.

7. Communicate your businesses mission – feeling connected to the organization goals is one way to keep employees mentally and emotionally tied to your company 8.

Make sure employees know what you expect of them; it may seem basic, since small companies employees have a wide breadth of responsibilities, but if they don’t know exactly what their jobs entails and what you need from them, they can’t perform up to standard.

Employers face some challenges in finding the right matches for their positions, but with the right approach, most of their effort will lead to great results.

Debra Mountenay, the executive director of the Elgin Middlesex Oxford Workforce Planning and Development Board, is a member of the Elgin Workforce Development Committee.

Signed Bicycle Routes

These signs provide route guidance on shared roadways.

Elgin-St. Thomas has NEW CYCLING ROUTES & RESOURCES

Dedicated Bike Lanes

These signs show marked lanes on a roadway for the use of cyclists only.

Shared Use Lanes

Shared Use Lane Markings, or ‘sharrows’, show drivers and cyclists the correct line of travel for cyclists.

Share the Road signs appear where the lane is wide enough for cyclists to ride beside drivers.

Single File signs appear when a lane is too narrow for cyclists to ride beside drivers, so single file should be used.

Drivers must leave at least one metre when passing a bicycle - it’s the law!

August, 2016

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 26

Business & Community Your Team

The key to passion, success and happiness

by Laura Pavilonis and Nancy Annett

Some people move along their career path with ease and seemingly, great happiness. They appear to love what they do so much that they may continue working well past normal retirement age.

There’s a key to their passion, success and happiness. And it’s not just restricted to those who seem to have found the “perfect” career. You have access to it, too, no matter what your work and where you are in life.

Recent research has discovered that there are specific things that these people have in common.

It can be as simple as learning how to learn.

Flexibility and adaptability have been identified as key traits required to succeed in the workplace and to find happiness in life.

Easier said

than done, perhaps. Yet it can be likened to either going with the flow of a current or swimming against it. You know what happens when you fight against it … you get tired and you don’t get very far.

“We all need to learn to adapt and thrive in ambiguous or new situations,” says the Center for Creative Leadership’s George Hallenbeck, author of the new book, Learning Agility: Unlock the Lessons of Experience. Here are some of his ideas about how to do that: 1. Discover: Become more agile in learning and seek out new and diverse experiences. By doing this, you broaden your skills and perspectives and explore new opportunities. Challenge yourself to try the unfamiliar, pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. Reach out to a trusted friend or confidante and ask them to help you along the way. It may be that all you need is a little reminder or push to get yourself going.

2. Be curious: Ask lots of questions and be curious and willing to experiment constantly. Ask yourself, “why?” “how?” and “why not?”. Sometimes it can be as simple as asking, “What’s the worst that can happen?” Find different ways to understand a problem, bringing in the perspectives of people you may not normally ask, people who are very different than you. Utilize multiple techniques to grow understanding and meaning from the situation.

3. Embed the experience: In order to recall and apply new learning later, you really need to find a way to embed the experience deeply. When internalizing the experience, you must be open, taking time to debrief and reflect on experiences. This may mean finding space for quiet and mindfulness, where you remove external distractions and give yourself permission to simply let whatever thoughts and feelings arise come to the surface. It can also mean talking with someone about the experience in order to surface some of the underlying thoughts and feelings you have about the experience.

4. Be flexible and apply: Over time, you will get better at applying learning’s to navigate new situations. It’s not just about what you learned, but how it might apply elsewhere. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to experiment and try different ways of applying your key learning’s.

Passion, success and happiness are available to everyone and they can be accessed now. Practise some of these new skills and watch your life expand.

Nancy Annett, MBA, CHRP and Laura Pavilonis, MBA CHRP own Flashpoint Training and Development.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 27

Homestyle Decorating

Create a master ensuite retreat

by Renée Carpenter

It’s been said that if the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the master ensuite is the sanctuary. I agree. It is the space just off the master bedroom, another very special place, that we dedicate to our own self-wellness and care – a rejuvenating zone for you. Therefore, this ensuite deserves considerable attention to the decorating details so that every element is as nurturing as it is beautiful.

Together both the ensuite and master bedroom become your retreat. But for now let’s just focus on the ensuite.

The first feeling required for this space is serenity.

Calming colours and streamlined décor, wonderful scents, fluffy towels, superb function, proper lighting, good mirrors, ample storage for organization (no clutter!), and absolute cleanliness. The term ‘spa’ has been used many times but explains it quite well.

Let’s start with colour. I’ve seen a lot of bathrooms in my time, and my favourite approach is with lighter tones with a touch of subtle colour or

August, 2016

layers of neutral. Powder rooms are intended for the bold reds, and whatever wild paper you want to put into the tiny space – and it works there, but not in a much-needed relaxing environment. A serene make-over self-care arena needs to be inviting in a quiet sort of way. No busy, wild tile pattern on the floor or walls to distract the eye, or loud colour jarring you to attention. You are tired. Your feet need a soak. Your eyes need to relax. The weight and build-up of the day must be able to melt away as you prepare for whatever is to come next. Colour does matter. Keep it calm!

The same goes for streamlining the décor and architectural features in this room. Imagine visual quietness. ‘Busy’ is visual noise. If there are too many turns, twists, colours, patterns, designs, or pieces, it can become too busy for the concept we are trying to create, thus becoming ‘noisy’.

This also includes clutter. Never should toiletries be left out on the counter! My biggest pet peeve is to find toothbrushes left out for display on a bathroom counter! No thanks! If you do not have space to store your toiletries, then this is where your focus should begin. Add cabinets under sinks, over toilets, narrow cabinets along walls, build storage over heater rads, invest in baskets, etc., or, go through all of it and throw it all away except what you absolutely use and need. I bet you will never miss the rest!

Good lighting with mirrors that reflect the lighting is a must. How useless are bathroom lights that shine upward – but yet I’ve seen many of them that do. Yep! Point the light at the ceiling and then try putting eyeliner on straight. You want the light to be downward facing and potentially reflecting into the mirror beneath it so that you benefit from twice the light.

Be careful, though, to have the right colour of bulb – and the right kind of light and bulb or else you will melt under the intense heat it can produce.

Oh, and you might as well make sure it is a pretty light while doing all of

this – because this is just one more feature that makes this room really special – along with amazing mirrors, and of by all means, the bigger and the more the better. Let this space bounce with a beautiful reflection of both light and space. Mirrors are magical in that way.

Enough cannot be said about the importance and power of welcoming scents. Soaps, lotions, candles, that bring about essence harmony can and will uplift the body and soul. This, along with the fluffiest of white towels will immediately place you into the ‘boutique hotel’ atmosphere we all love.

In the winter, place those towels over the heater vent so they are warm when you step out of the shower. Life is perfect for those few precious moments of body and soul reviving. Even a little jazz music piped in helps elevate this mood!

Cleanliness! This is the most important of all and absolutely essential. The best part is that it costs you nothing but can be the difference in this space becoming a retreat. Clearing the counter of debris is one thing, but making sure the sink is wiped out daily with no remaining tooth paste, the faucets have had a quick last minute shine before you walk out, and of course you have rinsed out your shower/tub and even wiped it down out if for other reason than courtesy for the next person who will enter. Maintaining a clean toilet bowel and seat as well as a clean floor will make the room feel more welcoming if you never change another thing.

Just never put carpet in a bathroom as it becomes filthy in no time, moldy with water spillage, and more – with no way to actually really keep it clean easily. Instead, have a hard surface floor that can be mopped regularly so that you know it is clean!

A throw rug that can be washed on a regular basis is a way to soften the space, but again must be maintained.

Start with the above for basics and remember, your sanctuary deserves the best!

Renée Carpenter owns Jennings Furniture & Design & Stage It With Jennings in St. Thomas.

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 28

Healthy Living Everyday Health

Less screen time = healthier kids

by Dr. Greg Johnston B.H.K., B.Ed., D.C.

“Mom, I can’t sleep!” Have you heard your child say this recently? If you have you are not alone. A recent study by ParticipAction found that a third of Canadian children are not getting enough sleep. Too little exercise and too much screen time create a double whammy where kids aren’t moving enough to be tired at night so they don’t sleep and as a result they are too tired to move the next day. This has far reaching ramifications on physical development as well as academic performance.

It’s not just kids being tired and cranky. Too little sleep can lead to hyperactivity, impulsiveness and a short attention span. Children with reduced sleep may struggle with verbal creativity, problem solving and may generally score lower on IQ tests. Decreased sleep also produces hormonal changes, some of which may be associated with obesity, diabetes and hypertension. Chronic sleep loss is also linked to higher rates of depression and thoughts of suicide.

A ParticipAction study has helped to shed light on the fact that many of these sleep issues can be linked to a lack of good quality physical activity.

For the fourth year in a row, the ParticipAction Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth gave Canadian children a D- score for overall physical activity. The full report can

be found on the ParticipAction website but here are some of the highlights. Only 9% of Canadian children aged 5-17 get the 60 minutes of vigorous activity that is recommended. Only 24% of kids aged 11 to 15 years walk to school.

High school students spend on average 8.2 hours in screened based sedentary behaviour a day while approximately 75% of children between 5 and 17 years of age spend more than 2 hours in this type of activity.

The ParticipAction report warns that if you think that kids can get a little physical activity, play video games into the wee hours, yet remain healthy, you’re in for a rude awakening. Research indicates that every hour a child spends in a sedentary behavior delays their bedtime by 3 minutes. This translates to 33% of Canadian children aged 5 to 13 and 45% of youth between the ages of 14 and 17 reporting having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

Too little activity and too little sleep combined with too much screen time are having devastating effects on our children’s health.

The question is, what do we do about it? Last month this column reported on a local website called “activeelgin.ca” which provides information about local activities and events that are designed to help us all get more active. Accessing tools such as this to find local resources and events to help get our children involved in fun physical activities

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August, 2016

Kicking a ball around, rather than staring at a screen helps kids sleep at night. is one way to help. Limit screen time and access to computers, laptops, cell phones and tablets.

Set limits on the number of hours they can be used and inforce them. Once this becomes an accepted part of the routine they will naturally become more involved in other active pursuits. A suggested hourly limit is 2 hours per day.

Dr. Greg Johnston is a Chiropractor and partner in Family Health Options Treatment & Resources Centre in St.Thomas

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 29

Lifestyle Time On My Hands

Marching bold ly to your own drummer

by Duncan Watterworth

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

That question, from a Mary Oliver poem, has been stalking me since last winter, when I first read it. I put it at the end of a column that commended the adventurous snowbirds who wintered in the mountains of Mexico.

We tend to forget what a precious and singular gift a life is. It’s all too easy to take the path of least resistance, to settle into a routine, to just go through the motions.

Oliver’s terse query cut right through my complacency. Wake up, she says. You get just one shot.

Think about upping your game.

Oliver helpfully shares part of her own plan: “I do know how to pay attention … how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields …”

Soon after – just my luck – I got a second kick in the pants. This time it was from Henry David Thoreau, whose opening shot, 175 years ago, was, “Let us examine the way in which we live our lives.”

In my recent column on canoe tripping, I described how Thoreau’s book Walden inspired me, as an 18-year-old, to “seek adventures”. Truth is, that was just a small fraction of the inspiration I

got from Walden. The book changed me.

The search for the “seek adventures” quote in my heavily underlined copy turned into a reread of large portions, and, predictably, another full dose of inspiration.

In Walden, Thoreau unleashed a trenchant social, economic, and theological critique as relevant today as it was in 1840. He questioned everything, then boldly fashioned his own unique life, part of which was to live alone in a cabin for two years.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately”, he wrote, “… and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” ”Most of the luxuries, and many of the so-called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.”

“Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things.

They are but improved means to an unimproved end.”

Like Oliver, Thoreau believed that paying close attention to life was crucial. He called for “the perpetual instilling and drenching of the reality that surrounds us”.

Thoreau would not want us to blindly follow his life decisions. After all, the book is the source of the famous quote about marching to the beat of

your own drummer. But he would expect us to boldly follow our own.

So here I am, at 65, considering what to do with my wild and precious life. I think that’s good. The question seems as crucial as ever. I expect no permanent answer. Life is always a work-in-progress.

How have I done so far? I must acknowledge a lot of help and luck. For my part, I give myself a B-minus.

My plans for the future? Well … each morning starts with my newspapers and coffee; I don’t see that changing. I keep a To Do list I can’t seem to get to: stretching, balance exercises, mindfulness practice, sorting a lifetime of photos.

I still value experiences more than objects. My biggest kick is wandering the odd corners of the planet. That’s when I feel most alive. Mindfulness is easy there. Sometimes mandatory.

So I do have a few plans for the future.

But tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

Duncan Watterworth is a life-long resident of Elgin County and a retired lawyer. He can be reached at duncanetm@gmail.com.

Dining & Entertainment Food & Wine

Growing grapes in a drought

roots that can penetrate meters into the soil.

However, when a vine is water deficient it tends My efforts this season have been dictated by to be less vigorous. There are fewer leaves to turn one large challenge – Southwestern Ontario has sunlight into sugars (which use water) and the received, by varied estimates, 20-30% of the aver- plant appears stunted. If the drought is too soon age amount of rain we are accustomed to. This in the season, the vine has not taken up sufficient was the first time I can recall in my 34 years of life micronutrients to properly develop fruit and as a that the grass in my yard was brown by mid-June. result, newly set berries will quickly become neAs of this writing in July, we still haven’t had any crotic. Conversely, if the drought stress is later in appreciable amount of rain. the season, the berries are relatively smaller and Growing great grapes in water deficient condi- the fruit becomes over concentrated. tions is not new to the wine world – California One of the best techniques to overcome drought has been doing it for over half a decade. Grape- risk is to install irrigation. I have mixed feelings vines are very good at finding water and have about its use in quality winemaking. Too much water leads to excessive vigour, and higher risks 50 Years of rot in the fruit. It Full Service Garage of Service! may enhance yield, but Thank you for with Licensed Mechanics that comes at the cost all your support!

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by Jamie Quai

August, 2016

stand how to use the water that is applied to its fullest potential. While there have been some tremendous advances in our understanding of water use, we are still a long way away from a full grasp of proper irrigation for maximum impact.

A grape grower can do other things to hedge the effects of a drought. One technique is to remove all of the other vegetation around the vines.

Keeping the inter rows free of any other crop will preserve water for the vines. A grower needs to be careful to not overwork the soil and evaporate water while trying to keep down the weeds. It’s all about balance.

Another technique is to build up natural organic matter levels in a soil. Organic matter (OM) is essentially a classification of materials in the soil that comprise decomposing plant and animal materials, the residues of the breakdown, and associated microbiology. Organic matter is a tremendous buffer for water in a soil. Think of OM as a sponge. During heavy rains, the OM soaks up the water and hold it. During a drought, the sponge releases that stored water.

Organic matter management is one of the best resources growers have to thrive in the challenging season that is vintage 2016.

Jamie Quai is head winemaker at Quai du Vin Estate Winery in Elgin County

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 30

Lifestyle That’s Life

Life’s not crazy enough?

Get some chickens

by Elizabeth VanHooren

Because our life is not crazy enough, this summer we decided to become chicken farmers. Not large scale – just backyard farmers of a nice flock of 8 laying hens.

The idea took root around two repetitive discussions in our household: the boys agonizing over and longing for another pet – “even just a little guinea pig, mom” – and our strong desire to teach the boys responsibility without introducing rodents into the house.

Why are chickens better than a guinea pig? Well, I was raised on farm fresh brown eggs. My paternal grandmother in particular believed there were only two staples required in any household – potatoes and farm fresh eggs. This was so ingrained in my upbringing that there is somewhat of a standing joke among my husband and brotherin-laws that if you want to keep the girls happy just make sure they have eggs and potatoes.

So, this spring we placed our order in the annual Chick Days at our local feed store and received eight fluffy balls of yellowish brown fuzz a couple of weeks later.

There is no denying chicks are cute. They come in a little brown box, softly peeping, timidly pecking, and fit in the palm of your hand.

The first weeks were blissful. The boys enam-

oured with their puffballs faithfully watered and fed the flock. They even attempted to name their new pets – “Fluffy,” “Fred”, “Chirpy”, “Jumpy”, “Chick”.

But by the time school was out for the year, our cute fluff balls had entered that awkward pre-adult stage. The chicks had outgrown their initial cardboard box, and were now stretching the capacity within their interim hatchery. Permanent feathers were poking out of their baby fuzz and combs were appearing on their once soft heads. The boys had better things to do than water chickens and frankly they couldn’t tell which one was Chirpy or Jumpy. They all jumped and chirped, ate, and scratched.

The outdoor hutch my husband was commandeering was more elaborate than the original plan, over budget, and almost complete – but not quite. And I had no farm fresh eggs.

The responsibility part of the venture was getting everyone down.

That’s not to say we haven’t had fun. When not preoccupied with building his latest tree fort, my eldest is attempting to train the chicks to follow him around the house. My youngest has less

patience and if he is in need of some company wrangles a chick into a pail and carries it around the yard showing it his favorite haunts.

Most days the chickens are left to roam free around the yard. And, it only took the boys a couple of days to figure out that chickens really do come home to roost and don’t need to be herded into their pen at night. We’ve also found automatic watering and feeding devices on the internet. They are not your normal pet – but our flock has certainly found a home on our crazy acreage.

The reward? Hopefully eight farm fresh eggs every morning this fall.

Elizabeth VanHooren is General Manager of Kettle Creek Conservation Authority

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519-633-9691 1030 Talbot Street, St. Thomas Open Monday to Saturday 8am - 8pm •Sunday 8am - 6pm

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 31

Thursday

TICKETS

ild – Gates open at 4pm Bayou Boys, Mudmen, Hogw Adv anced General ing tax ) Admission: $5 (includ ing tax ) the Door: $10 (includ General Admission at

22nd ANNUAL

BAYOU BOYS

Enjoy h local fave Hogw ild.

Thursday kicks off witltic rock band Mudmen before Ce of rgy ys. the high ene talent s of the Bayou Bo singing along with the

Friday

MUDMEN

TICKETS

ZED, Doghouse Rose, Point Taken – Gates open at 4pm Adv anced General tax) Admission: $5 (including General Admission at the Door: $10 (including tax )

ZED

of Led Zeppelin’s studio Recreating the sound tur ing the Led Zeppelin live cap o als ile wh s um alb experience.

Saturday

the Stan with some Blues from Start Saturday night king out to Dave’s not here k.

Brown Band before roc headliner Thunderstruc and some ACDC with

5:30pm-9pm unique

Midway

samples created chefs,

wineries,

and

breweries

that

use

for

their

Buy a book of 35 tickets in advance for $40 and save, save, save!!

Midway Hours:

ingredients.

Advanced

DAVE’S NOT HERE

CASO Station on Friday and Saturday 11am-8pm and Sunday 11am-4pm. Get a reading from one of the many gifted readers with tarot cards or tea leaves!

Free entry!

on Thursday from

farms

FRIDAY 4PM-11PM

Psychic Fair

Railway Museum

local

THURSDAY 4PM-11PM

Thursday 4pm-11pm

tickets

are

$15 including entry, souvenir wine glass, entertainment,

and

five

tasting

coupons.

Tickets at the door will be $15 without the tasting coupons which will be available for $1 each.

Friday 4pm-11pm

SATURDAY 11AM-11PM SUNDAY 11AM-6PM Roots, Brews

& BBQ

Come out and support your favorite BBQ Team compete for prizes while you enjoy the sounds of roots music and quality craft beer & wine!

The best in Roots entertainment featuring Texas King, Hollow Romance, Zach McCabe, Last highway, The Dozens and Aaron Allen. Enjoy local craft beer form a number of breweries from around the region.

Advanced tickets are $5.00 including entry, entertainment, Sample Souvenir Glass, and a sample ticket. Tickets at the Door will be $5.00 without the Glass and sample ticket. Additional Sample tickets avail. for $1 each

Saturday 11am-11pm *Special Midnight Madness price on Saturday 8pm-11pm*

Sunday 11am-5pm

Location

ROSS STREET

Fresh Fest

by

FESTIVAL HOURS

TICKETS

, Thunders truck, Dave’s Not Here 4pm Stan Brown – Gates open at Adv anced General ing tax ) Admission: $5 (includ General Admission ing tax ) at the Door: $10 (includ

THUNDERSTRUCK

Enjoy

AUGUST 18-21, 2016

DOGHOUSE ROSE

The Festival will be held at Railway Park between the CASO Station (750 Talbot St) and the Elgin County Railway Museum (225 Wellington St).

PARKING is FREE!

Ample parking is available off Wellington Street. No parking access in Starwood/VanPelts area.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS LAEMER’S EXCAVATING

August, 2016

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 32