May 2016

Your Business. Your Community.

Volume 6, No. 9, May 2016

CATERING BY JAMES MEADOWS

James and Mary, “No me without you” Cover story: Page 3

Inside: • Garden & backyard inspirations Pages 20 to 27

• Diggin’ up bones Janine Lunn Page 8

• Pretty and durable fabrics Renée Carpenter Page 32

• Aylmer & Area Chamber Pages 18 and 19

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May, 2016

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

A recipe for success in love and business

by Terry Carroll

Mary first spied the man she calls Jim at the Grosvenor Club in London. She was at the club to coach a gentleman who was learning to be a dishwasher. At the time, Jim was head chef at the club, and Mary was a job coach with Community Living London. Prior to 10 o’clock that morning, Mary didn’t believe in love at first sight. “But I looked at him, and I was struck,” she says.

As is not uncommon with chefs in particular, or men in general, Jim’s initial reaction was somewhat different. He thought, “Who are you, and what are you doing in my kitchen?”

But Mary and Jim quickly discovered that they both liked their coffee exactly the same. Over the next three days, they spent considerable time interviewing each other, as Mary likes to put it. During that process, Mary unearthed Jim’s favourite colour. Red. On day three, she arrived at the Grosvenor Club in a red sweater.

The rest is romantic and catering history.

But it wasn’t a direct path from the red sweater in London to the full-time, all-encompassing Catering by James Meadows business based in St. Thomas.

James started catering on a part-time basis while he was also cooking coordinator at the Real Canadian Superstore in St. Thomas and Mary was still half-time at Community Living London. He offered gift certificates, and one of his certificates, an $800 dinner for eight at a fundraiser for Bethany’s Hope, was purchased by real estate broker Kim Mullan. Kim was so impressed by the dinner that she started giving his gift certificates as a perk to clients every time she sold a house.

With this type of support, the gift certificate side took off, to the point where James was getting too busy to combine it with his Superstore work. Then came the wedding call. “It was more serious money,” James says. “But I was just too busy already. I called Kim, and said I was getting out of it. I asked her to cancel all future gift certificates.”

Her response? “Hold on a sec. You may want to rethink that.” James and Mary took her advice.

At the time, James didn’t have his driver’s li-

cence. Mary was driving James and their daughter Sarah to St. Thomas first thing in the morning and going to work in North London. Mary says, “We quickly decided to move to St. Thomas.” And James learned to drive.

On April 8, 2011, they opened Catering by James Meadows on a full-time basis at 481 Talbot, behind Liberty Tax, a former Jazzercise location that was a lot of work to convert. From the start, they communicated well with Elgin St. Thomas Public Health. “Really, the health department is your friend,” James says. “You want to work with them because they want you to succeed.”

During their fourth year at 481 Talbot, they got a call from Kevin Jackson who let them know he had a fully equipped kitchen available for lease at Elgin Business Resource Centre at 300 South Edgeware in St. Thomas. Catering by James Meadows now operates from that centre.

There’s James and Mary, and, relatively recently, Chef Clement Lennox, and that’s it for full-time staff. But with the help of a deep pool of dedicated people to draw on for events, Catering by James Meadows has moved from being unable to cater a wedding to the capacity for two on a weekend.

The Catering by James Meadows “unwavering promise” goes like this: “We pride ourselves on our unwavering promise to deliver the very best quality cuisine. Elgin County is rich in agriculture and we are fortunate to be able to locally source our ingredients.” They are now comfortable catering events from two to 1,500 people, and while they offer suggested menus, they pride themselves on rarely duplicating the same menu.

James loves doing appetizers and hors d’oeuvres.

He once prepared lunch for a professional group every Tuesday for two years, and never offered the same menu twice. With Mary’s help, he has come to see that this can be a little over the top. With a

Mary and James Meadows (aka Jim) in the kitchen at 300 South Edgeware in St. Thomas. little reluctance, James will now accept that sometimes coffee, juice and a muffin are fine for a morning break, as long as they are of the highest quality.

And while the name James Meadows is integral to the company’s success, it’s a partnership in every way. Not only is Mary a much-valued business head, but she also has the final word on all new creations. “Nothing goes out the door without my say,” she admits. And she makes a banana bread to die for.

James puts it this way, “There is no me without you.” Her business card says: “Everything.” His reads: “Everything else.”

They are hugely supportive of the community.

James in particular has trouble saying no. But they are learning to not work all the time. In April, James, Mary and Sarah completed a 5km. run at the Star Wars – The Dark Side half marathon at the Walt Disney Resort in Florida. “Mary and I do our best thinking while we drive,” James says.

Mary has two roles in Calendar Girls at the Elgin Theatre Guild, and James is renovating their basement when he gets a minute.

Among many, many other things, they’ve learned about yogurt at a St. Thomas / Elgin breakfast.

“You can send 20 yogurts and get 22 back,” James acknowledges with a grin. “We replaced it with fresh fruit.”

Cover and page three photos by Mark Spowart.

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 April, 2016

ELGIN THIS MONTH

3

INNES As I See It

Casting your net on the other side of the boat

by Jim Innes It was a great day, but no fish for the fisherman.

Then Jesus, walking along the beach, yells out to Peter and others in their boat, “Cast your nets on the other side of the boat.” And they did … and they caught many.

Sometimes, in our search for what we want, all we need is to be told to stop and turn around.

What we are looking for is as close as the other side of the boat. I can’t count, for example, how many times I looked for my glasses only to find them resting on my head.

The relentless search for what we want (or think we want) can spin us away from that which we seek. Too much reading and we can become overwhelmed. Too much advice and we can become confused. Too much religion and we can disregard reason.

“Put your Bible away,” said a priest to my roommate in University. In his zealous search for answers within scripture, he was detaching from everyday life. He became critical of himself and others, and decision-making became onerous and guilt-driven.

Perhaps an example of this over-focus is playing out in the difficulty faced by the world-wide Anglican Communion in its attempts to resolve sexuality issues. The emotional, spiritual, and intellectual disputes become a tangled mess. And

in the cautious, slow movement to untangle it, we can find ourselves overly focused on the right answer and hence a stumbling block in effectively reaching out to those we want to serve.

Such struggles remind me of how fishing nets hang useless when the floats holding the net at the water’s surface become twisted under the anchor’s weight. When the net is properly set, these weights hold fast the straight and open lay of the net.

Where we place our attention creates our investment • insurance • retirement and tax planning reality. And all that some folk have ever known is the fight. We can become so very accustomed to that fight we will stay floundering far too long in our one-sided thinking.

And there can be a payoff to staying with this one sided thinking (and the life therein led). So attested to by

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the couple in counseling, “We’re getting along much better … but now what do we do?” Or the client who told me, “I’m not as anxious anymore … but now I have another problem … boredom!”

A little while back I wrote a few articles on the healing of emotional and spiritual wounds. What I failed to discuss were the marks of becoming healed and then how to live into that healing.

And that’s because the work of identifying and then seeking the resolution can be consuming, leaving little, if any, energy to acknowledge that healing may have taken place.

As I see it, well, am beginning to see it, to feel love and joy, we might try living as though it is okay to be loved and feel the joy. To feel peace, we might try living as though we are people of peace. And to feel compassion we might try being compassionate.

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

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

Business & Community OUR COMMUNITY

Positive St. Thomas-Elgin change in the air There’s a definite positive buzz in the air about the pace of community development and infrastructure investment taking place in Elgin County, especially St. Thomas and Central Elgin.

Residential real estate sales are strong, existing businesses are adding new positions and municipal investments are increasing.

Consider this partial, but impressive, list. The far west end of Talbot Street is being totally made over from the ground up, a template for the rest of the iconic street’s redevelopment. Work will begin shortly on an extension of the L&PS walking trail north. The L&PS tracks themselves are being extended north to connect to the CN line, giving that line a crucial link to the full rail network.

Under the direction of Elgin St. Thomas Public Health there is a project to improve walkability in the city by improving sidewalks and increasing the trail system. The City is already embarking on an ambitious sidewalk program this year and residential developers Hayhoe and Tarry are investing in their own trail systems designed to tie into municipal trails.

There’s more, of course. Central Elgin continues to invest in public amenities in Port Stanley. Hofhuis Park is almost complete and will link beautifully into last year’s restoration of the breakwater.

The municipality even got a little media attention when it went high tech with its beach parking system, allowing visitors to pay for parking on their mobile devices, right from the beach.

Back in St. Thomas, community groups are ramping up their own contributions. The Elgin County Railway Museum has unveiled design plans to convert their rail lands into a multi-use Railway Park which could be used to host events, concerts and the annual Iron Horse Festival. On Track St. Thomas unveiled its Master Plan for the St. Thomas Elevated Park, with a promise to have the bridge structure open to the public by 2017 (full disclosure: I’m president of On Track).

What really got my attention last month was a handful of low-key announcements from the City

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of St. Thomas which clearly illustrates its willingness to invest in the community. The most surprising, to me, was the unveiling of a plan to convert fully serviced industrial land between Burwell Road and Highbury Ave into something called the St. Thomas Outdoor Recreation Complex.

A $257,000 tender for design work has been approved.

The classic and handsome Mickleborough What is especially significant about this project Building at 423 Talbot, St. Thomas. is that it repurposes industrial land, bought and serviced by the municipality at some expense, into a major quality of life facility for residents. While and improve community prosperity. If there’s some might quibble that this is nothing less than a positive buzz in the air right now, it’s because the City throwing in the towel on industrial de- activist residents, new and established, have been velopment, I see it as a recognition that making clamouring for action. a pragmatic decision to increase community and The City now appears to have a progressive recreational assets is a better bet for future growth. council and a senior management team with viThe City further signalled its intention to invest sion. The combination is forging a powerful ecoin community infrastructure by placing condi- nomic development team. tional offers on two key Talbot Street properties.

One is between Queen and William on the south Serge Lavoie has a 35 year career side of Talbot, right where the big street redevelmanaging associations. He is curopment is underway. The other is the classic and rently president of On Track St. handsome Mickleborough Building at 423 Talbot, Thomas and Secretary-Treasurer of currently leased by the City for Ontario Works. the United Way of Elgin-St. Thomas.

The message from the City seems to be, if we He lives in St. Thomas. want to attract investments to our city and to our core, we need to step up to the plate with our own money. To show leadership. After the years-long tragedies of the Alma College and Sutherland Thanks to our 2015 Press properties, we all Customers, we had 900 recognize that the city needs to attract qualtrees planted locally. ity investors with vision and the financial To join our pledge to the resources to achieve environment, call to have that vision.

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Business & Community Financial Planning

The benefits of working with a financial advisor

by Ellen Luft

Navigating the financial markets on your own and investing with confidence isn’t easy – particularly when heightened volatility has become the norm. Enlisting the help of a financial advisor is an effective way of ensuring that your financial goals – as well as your overall financial health – are on the right track.

Working with a financial advisor can help you: 1. Choose the right investment mix – to generate better returns.

Investors who do not have a financial advisor may invest too conservatively for their age and not have enough exposure to growth assets, such as equities, that can deliver superior risk-adjusted returns over the long term.

The result? These investors can end up holding an excessive amount of low-risk, low-return investments, such as guaranteed investment certificates (GICs) or government-issued bonds, and may therefore not reach their long-term investment goals. Financial advisors encourage their clients to invest in equities.

It is important to remember that short-term volatility can arise when seeking the long-term

growth potential of riskier asset classes like equities. However, over time, the impact of shortterm volatility diminishes.

2. Follow a disciplined plan – to save more and reach your long-term goals.

We are living longer than we ever have before.

While this is great news, a longer life expectancy brings with it additional financial challenges. No matter what life stage you are at, it is important to determine your long-term financial goals. What kind of lifestyle do you want during your working years? When do you want to retire? Once in retirement, what income will you need to live the lifestyle you want?

Working with a financial advisor can create the wealth that you desire or require. This could mean a world of difference to your comfort before and during retirement. Simply put, a financial advisor can help you create a disciplined plan to help you reach your goals and, most importantly, help you stick to that plan.

3. Control emotion-based behaviours – to avoid making irrational investment decisions.

It is understandable that if news headlines are screaming about trouble in the financial markets,

some investors may feel panicked and make investment decisions that could hurt them in the long run. It’s moments like these when financial advisors can help steer investors away from making emotion based decisions that could jeopardize their long-term financial goals.

Next steps A financial advisor can help you make financial decisions that will get you on your way to achieving your long-term goals.

If you do have a financial advisor, remember that it is important for you to tell your advisor of any significant life changes, such as receiving an inheritance or losing your job, which may require an update to your financial plan.

This article was prepared solely by Ellen Luft who is a registered representative of HollisWealth® (a division of Scotia Capital Inc., a member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada). The views and opinions, including any recommendations, expressed in this article are those of Ellen Luft alone and not those of HollisWealth. ® Registered trademark of The Bank of Nova Scotia, used under licence. HollisWealth is a trade name of HollisWealth Insurance Agency Ltd. Insurance products provided through HollisWealth Insurance Agency Ltd.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 6

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY Tourism

Hawk Cliff – Soaring to New Heights in 2016

by Katherine Thompson

A local conservation organization, the Thames Talbot Land Trust (TTLT), has big plans for the future of Port Stanley birding attraction Hawk Cliff.

Located on the north shore of Lake Erie, Hawk Cliff has been the stomping ground of nature lovers and birders for generations. Members of the St. Thomas Field Naturalist’s Club have been participating in Hawk viewing weekends, education, and banding at the location since 1975. It is internationally known as a “Hawkwatch” site and is renowned as an observation point for over 20 birds of prey. The site is also a great place to view song birds and Monarch butterflies.

The woodland on this property is one of the most unique and significant deep interior forests in the area. This maple-beech forest is home to many Carolinian species, including the Tuliptree, Pignut Hickory, the Endangered Butternut Chestnut, and the American Chestnut. Rare

birds such as the Eastern Wood-Pewee, Acadian Flycatcher, Louisiana Water Thrush, and Wood Thrush also make these woods their home.

The TTLT, a not-for-profit organization that is focused on land acquisition, conservation, and restoration, is currently in the process of raising funds to purchase the 230 acre Hawk Cliff Woods property. The Soaring Higher – Hawk Cliff and Beyond Campaign has a fundraising goal of $1.6

Hawk Cliff Forest including restoring portions of agricultural and scrub land on the property to increase the amount of forest, creating meadows and grasslands along the forest’s edge, removing invasive plant species, restoring trails, and continuing Hawk education weekends.

The purchase of the land will be followed by some property clean up in conjunction with the Municipality of Central Elgin, environmental assessments to identify and inventory what is on the property, and decisions regarding recreational uses of the property (hiking, birding). All Hawk viewing weekends will continue as usual this fall.

For more information on the Hawk Cliff Woods project or to donate to the Soaring Higher – Hawk Cliff and Beyond Campaign visit: http://www.thamestalbotlandtrust.ca/hawkcliffwoods.

Katherine Thompson is Marketing & Communications Coordinator with The County of Elgin

Million and with 93% of this goal realized to-date, the land purchase is scheduled to take place in May of 2016.

The TTLT has a series of restoration projects planned for

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 7

AGRICULTURE On The Farm

Diggin’ up bones

y g o l o e a h c r A on the farm

The random assortment of containers was our washing and sorting There’s a country song we used to sing that system for all manner of old china goes: “I’m a diggin’ up bones I’m a diggin’ up that would turn up each year when bones, Exhuming things that’s better left alone.” the garden was rototilled. We found I always hum this tune when I see one of our it fascinating that so much informacrew (or the dog) digging for lost treasure around tion about the past was buried in a here. Although it’s a traditional hurtin’, country, garden. It’s hard to imagine now, but lost-love song, and there aren’t any significant in the days before weekly garbage stories of lost love in our family, the tune always pick-up, there were a lot of housepops into my head and it still seems to fit in a hold effects that were repurposed or discarded, only to be dug up and strange way.

I remember a few summers growing up that puzzled over by future farm kids.

We were certain that if we collectour main bathroom was an odd mix of the clutter of farm kids, some mud, plus many, assorted ed enough chipped-up artifacts we plastic tubs of broken pottery. To an outsider this would soon be able to assemble and could look very strange, definitely messy or even reunite all the pieces to a beautiful dangerous. But along with my siblings, we had old plate or cup and saucer. Thinking about it now, I’m sure we had been turned into fair-weather archaeologists. asked to do spring jobs outdoors: pick up sticks, rake pine cones, or pick large rocks out of the garden. Somehow these jobs lost their appeal once we found the unearthed treasure. We imagined what plants used to grow in the terra THE A/C SYSTEM cotta pots, and what meals were served on SERVICE SPECIAL INCLUDES: the beautiful blue and • Evacuate and recharge A/C System white Delftware.

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lyzed, original purpose determined, and then we need to decide if the item is: 1) Going to be put on display as a beautiful decoration 2) About to be incorporated into an elaborate invention that includes items from the recycling bin 3) Never entering the house again Our little dog gets in on the action now and then, as she has a good nose for treasure. She can be spotted most afternoons sunning herself on a grassy slope surrounded by an array of sandbox toys and a few bones she’s found. Our best archaeological mystery was found by my motherin-law who brought over a strange dog-chewed, peach-coloured object she’d picked up in the field. We couldn’t sort out its purpose, but when she showed us that it had a ‘bend’ in it, we realized it was a buried Barbie leg!

I would love to know how future archaeologists will mull over the farms that I know. Between the many tools and trinkets we use on the farm, and the odds and ends that kids play with, build and hide over the years, they’ll have quite a time deciding what it is humans did here. I can’t help but wonder if those archaeologists’ moms also had lots of mud to contend with in the bathroom.

Janine Lunn lives on the family farm near Belmont, Ontario.

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 8

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• MAY 2016 •

April BA5 draw winner Joe Fleming (left), Columbus Club president, presents Angel Kaplanis from Adamson & Associates with a certificate for a $500 Columbus Club rental, at the April Business After 5. The event was co-hosted by the Columbus Club and St. Thomas Ford Lincoln.

Date: Wednesday May 18, 2016 Time:

Doors Open at 5:00 p.m.

Presentations & Prizes at 6:15 p.m.

Sponsors: myFM 94.1 5th Anniversary Site:

Grand Central Place, Lower Level, 300 Talbot Street (ample parking at the rear) Free Admission to all personnel from any organization that is a Member of the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce.

Free Enterprise Awards May 11 The Board of Directors, volunteers, management and staff of the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce request the pleasure of your company for the 42nd presentation of the Free Enterprise Awards on Wednesday May 11.

The 2016 Free Enterprise Awards Reception will be held at St. Anne’s Centre. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a social mixer start at 5:00 p.m. The award presentations begin at 6:15 p.m.

The Chamber’s Awards and Recognition Committee had considerable challenges in evaluating several excellent nominations this year.

Several that won’t be named this year have been deferred for consideration again in 2017.

We are proud to announce our 2016 winners.

Seven awards will be presented on May 11 with details in words and pictures to be presented at the Awards Reception. For event tickets, please contact the Chamber office at 519-631-1981.

2016 Chair’s Award Chamber Board of Directors Chair Dan Kelly has chosen to recognize a long-term supporter and Chamber volunteer, Debra Mountenay, for her work and service to better the Chamber. Deb joined us as a volunteer in 2000, has complete two terms on our Board of Directors, and remains active on our Public Sector Liaison Committee.

2016 Free Enterprise Awards of Merit A maximum of 3 of these annual awards may be presented in any year. The Merit awards recognize recent or short-term success and achievements.

Gurr Auto – John & Suzanne Gurr operate their small business in a way that successfully reflects the best business practices while contributing to the betterment of the community with special events and activities.

St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation – this award reflect exceptional success boosting community pride, and doing it on a shoestring budget. EDC’s

#StThomasProud campaign has earned provincial and national honours and we’re proud to add local recognition with a Merit award.

Vesta Parenting Inc. – Co-owners Melanie Taylor and Shawn DeVree launched in 2009 to serve a niche market focused on moms and moms-to-be, maternity, kids and green living. Focused on meeting client needs while growing and developing an exceptional and rewarding business, Vesta is a model many can learn from.

2016 Free Enterprise Master Awards Recognizing longterm business and community success, the Free Enterprise Master Award is generally a once-in-a-lifetime honour. Up to 3 Master Awards may be given each year. For 2016, the Awards & Recognition Committee has decided to celebrate two individuals for their exceptional success and service.

Bill Graham, CPA, CA – Last December, Bill retired from professional practice; a founding partner of the firm Graham Scott Enns. His successes in business and service to the community at multiple levels put him in distinguished company. Building a business from a team of 3 partners to a ten partner firm with 30 employees is only part of Bill’s success. His dedication and commitment of hundreds of hours to community groups and services is extensive. So, too, but perhaps lesser known, is his direct but quiet assistance to people with limited means and his support as a mentor and leader.

Joe Preston – For a person who started his business career as a driver for Wendy’s Restaurants founder Dave Thomas, Joe has really, really done a lot. And we’re eager to note that his retirement as a Member of Parliament last year has definitely not meant retirement from active engagement in business and community circles.

This award is meant to celebrate excellence, and to encourage Joe to do more. His successes in business, government and community service are an inspiration to many.

Business Beat Table of Contents Page 10............. Break barriers Page 11................New people Page 12........... Legal Business Page 13................... Save time Page 14................Teen drivers Page 15............ Useful contact Page 16............New Members May, 2016

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

Chamber News

Addressing roadblocks to business expansion Report identifies six barriers to growth The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), has released a new report that is based, in part, on a survey our Members were invited to participate in between March 3 to April 11. Our researchers also included personal, detailed interviews and input from a variety of sources to validate the observations in the document.

The report, Breaking Barriers: Ontario’s Scale Up Challenge, identifies the major roadblocks preventing Ontario businesses from expanding and presents recommendations to best support business owners in taking their ventures to the next stage of growth. According to the report, based on interviews with nearly two dozen business owners, sector associations, and other organizations, as well as a survey of over 350 Ontario business owners, too few entrepreneurs are continuing to build their business, or “scale up”, in the province.

The report adds to a recent chorus of voices calling for governments, the business community, and other actors to build on the province’s entrepreneurial spirit by creating the conditions to enable our most promising firms to scale up.

To position Ontario for long-term success, the report proposes recommendations to address six specific barriers preventing businesses from growing, which includes a lack of access to talent with scale-up experience, gaps in the right kinds of financing, and lower incentives to growth offered through public programs.

Chief among the St. Thomas & District Chamber’s recommendations are for governments to improve businesses’ access to talent in the shortterm by creating a scale-up visa to quicken access to essential international managerial talent. According to an earlier OCC survey, 63 percent of businesses that are looking to grow face a talent shortage. The St. Thomas & District Chamber’s latest data also shows growth in local job postings and strong participation in special events such as Job Fairs with record numbers of local employers looking to recruit new talent. The Chamber sees the local situation as having a good news/bad news dimension in that we’re very pleased to see the growth in local employment opportunities and the diversity of jobs open, but we are concerned if employers aren’t able to fill the positions.

The St. Thomas & District Chamber also encourages governments to gain a better understanding of where current gaps exist in the

Canadian financing landscape.

Other recommendations of the report include: • Realign public programs and incentives to focus supports on high-growth firms • Encourage greater international trade activity by linking more business support programs to trade • Improve access to public and private anchor customers by leveraging procurement to strategically invest in growing businesses • Enable accurate measurement and monitoring of the scale up challenge by ensuring collaboration between Statistics Canada and industry groups to collect and publicize relevant data The OCC’s survey prior to release of our new report also revealed that the cost of doing business remains a top issue for Ontario employers as 69 percent of business owners looking to grow identified this as a barrier. Through its advocacy efforts on other key policy issues, the St. Thomas & District Chamber, in partnership with the OCC, continues to highlight the cost of doing business as a major challenge facing Ontario’s business community.

To view and/or download a copy of our new report, check the News section in the lower left corner of the main page on the chamber website at www.stthomaschamber.on.ca

MOL planning falls blitz Falls are hurting Ontario workers. In 2013, a staggering 11,814 lost-time injury (LTI) claims resulted from falls – that’s 32 LTI claims per day. Falls on the same level occur most frequently, accounting for 70% of the claims.

According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, falls in Ontario cost more than $73.2 million in 2012 in direct benefit claims costs.

That is why Ontario’s Ministry of Labour will conduct an inspection blitz around falls from May 16 to July 15, 2016.

Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS) has collaborated with the Ministry of Labour to host a live, no-cost webinar on May 12 to help employers prepare for the blitz. The webinar will provide information on what inspectors will be looking for during the blitz, the industry sectors that will be targeted, and what firms could do to prepare. For details and further info, visit the WSPS website at www.wsps.ca

Business Beat Published by Metroland Media Group Ltd., and delivered to businesses in St. Thomas and Elgin Country For complete information on the St. Thomas and District Chamber of Commerce, reach us at: 115-300 South Edgeware Rd., St. Thomas, Ontario N5P 4L1 Telephone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466 E-Mail: mail@stthomaschamber.on.ca Website: www.stthomaschamber.on.ca President & CEO Bob Hammersley Accounting Coordinator Susan Munday Member Services Christy Hunking Marketing Intern Lucas Tyson

247-450 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas, ON 519-637-0181 x204 1-888-877-2119 www.arcbenefitsplanning.com

May, 2016

Stability & Predictability for Small Businesses

EGGS 8.5X11-10-12

St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce 2016 Board of Directors 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

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 10

Chamber News

Joining the Chamber Team 519-631-1981 Extension 526 or directly via email through the Chamber website

in Digital Marketing at Fanshawe College. Raised in St. Thomas, he has four years of work experience in a family-owned retail electronics business, Century Sound. He has also worked for Staples in retail sales.

Lucas can be reached at the Chamber office at 519-631-1981 or directly via email through the Chamber website.

Shred it safely Christy Hunking

The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce is pleased to welcome Christy Hunking to our staff. Christy joined us on April 18 as our new Member Services Representative – Internal, and will work on the administrative side of the Chamber’s operation including daily work with our new website and on several of our communication products including this weekly Green Mail newsletter and the Chamber’s Business Beat section within Elgin This Month Magazine. She will also have direct connections to our events and services.

Christy and her family relocated to St. Thomas in 2012 from Goderich where she was responsible for the operation of the community television channel, including advertising and programming/ operations duties. Her skills in computer design & layout work and customer service are a welcome addition to the Chamber team as we renew and grow our online and communications products.

Christy can be reached at the Chamber office at

Lucas Tyson

The St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce, Elgin Business Resource Centre and the St. Thomas Seniors Centre are helping St. Thomas Police mark Police Week with a free document shredding service. Drop off any old documents and we will destroy them safely and securely for you.

Tuesday May 17, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

The launch of the Chamber’s new website and St. Thomas Seniors Centre, 225 Chestnut Street the continuing growth of communication products such as our weekly Green Mail newsletter Thursday May 19, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. mean the Chamber office has a very busy summer Elgin Business Resource Centre ahead in assisting our Members to get maximum St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce benefit from all that we do.

300 South Edgeware Road (at Burwell) Effective April 23, Lucas Tyson joined the Chamber staff for a four-month co-op/internship. Now This offer is open to all. It’s our way of helping through the end of August, Lucas will assist in the everyone be safer and secure and prevent fraud and identity theft. design, marketing and delivery of events and take on special duties relating to the promotion and marketing of our new website and all social media.

Smile Theatre Presents Lucas is enrolled in studies toward a Bachelor of Commerce degree

Annual MP / MPP Luncheon June 28 Federal MP Karen Vecchio and Provincial MPP Jeff Yurek will be our featured speakers in the Chamber’s annual MP / MPP Luncheon on Tuesday June 28.

Tickets are advance sale only and available now from the Chamber. Order by phone at 519-631-1981 or send us an email request to mail@stthomaschamber.on.ca The event opens with buffet food service from 11:30 a.m. to 12 Noon.

Presentations from our guests start at 12 and lead to an open question-andanswer session. The event will conclude by 1:30 p.m.

AT METCALFE GARDENS

MONDAY MAY 30TH AT 7PM Call to reserve your spot 519-631-9393

Federal MP Karen Vecchio and Provincial MPP Jeff Yurek

May, 2016

45 Metcalfe St, St. Thomas, ON I www.verveseniorliving.com E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 11

Legal Business

Of sound mind, or possibly not?

by Monty Fordham

Lawyers sometimes must deal with questions surrounding a client’s “capacity” to make their last will and testament. This situation arises, more often than not, with elderly clients, and from time to time in relation to persons who have experienced some mental health issues in the past. There are two types of capacity: legal capacity and testamentary capacity.

Generally, all persons who are of legal age may make a will mapping out the disposition of their assets upon their death. Exceptions are made for persons who are married or in the armed forces.

In other words, almost every adult has the legal

capacity to make a will. Seems pretty straight forward doesn’t it?

However when the focus turns to testamentary capacity, the road takes some unusual turns. In an 1870 case known as Banks v. Goodfellow, the court ordered that, to have testamentary capacity a person must a) understand what he or she is doing (i.e., preparing a will); b) comprehend and recollect the nature and extent of his or her property; c) understand and identify the persons who will be benefitted by the will; and d) understand and identify the claims of persons excluded by the will and the extent of property being given to persons included in the will.

Later, a 1937 case summarized the test as fol-

Youth Employment Programming Ages 15-29

lows: “What is required is that the testator must have such memory and appreciation as to be able to carry in mind and appreciate the extent and nature of his estate and the persons who normally should be the objects of his bounty.” But are the standards set down so many years ago adequate to determine issues of mental capacity in 2016?

The Alzheimer Society of Canada has determined that, in 2011, there were some 747,000 Canadians living with a cognitive impairment, including various degrees of dementia. And nearly 15% of Canadians over 65 years of age are affected by some form of impairment. Barring any significant advancements in treatments or prevention, the total figure will rise to 1.4 million by 2031.

Locally, the Alzheimer Society’s Elgin - St. Thomas branch confirms that, by 2020, there will be over 1,600 people here diagnosed with dementia.

Now for the tsunami. Human Resources and Skills Development Canada states that, in 1971 the percentage of Canadians over 65 was 8%; in 2011, 14.4%. In 2031, that percentage is projected to be 22.8%.

(Oh, those pesky baby boomers). So what can we do to ensure our wishes are eventually carried out by our personal representatives without challenge to our mental capacity when we drew our will?

When wills are challenged, it is usually on either or both of two grounds: undue influence by a third party, or lack of mental capacity on the part of the person making the will. But who bears the onus of proving these things? Well, in the case of “undue influence” it is up to the person challenging the will to prove, on a civil standard, that someone influenced the individual to an extent that the will did not contain his or her true intentions. However in the case of “mental capacity” the onus is reversed. In other words, the mental capacity to make the will must be proven, again on the civil standard, by the person or persons putting forward the will.

Employment Services Elgin Exciting New Programs!

• Youth Job Link • Youth Job Connection • Youth Job Connection (Summer)

Employment Services Elgin 400 Talbot Street St. Thomas, ON (519) 631-5470 (226) 376-0320

West Elgin Support Services 160 Main Street West Lorne, ON (519) 768-0020 (226) 376-0393

www.employmentserviceselgin.ca joblink@employmentserviceselgin.ca May, 2016

Lawyer Monty Fordham prepares this monthly column for the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce and Monty Fordham our Members.

Questions, comments and suggestions for future columns are welcomed

by Monty at his office: Fordham & Brightling Associates – Lawyers, 4 Elgin Street, St. Thomas. Telephone 519633-4000, FAX 519-633-1371 or e-mail: montyfordham@4elgin.ca

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

Chamber News

Need a travelling companion?

The lower value of the Canadian dollar against the US buck has produced a noticeable decline in the number of people leaving the country for personal reasons like vacations or shopping, but there’s also a noticeable upswing in outbound trips from Canada for business reasons.

If you’re looking at cross-border travel for sales purposes, and planning to take or ship samples of products to demonstrate, you could be in for some cumbersome paperwork and dealings at the border. Unless, of course, you know about Carnets (pronounced Car – nays) and how the Chamber of Commerce can be a huge help.

Business travellers can make their lives easier by carrying an A.T.A. Carnet, the virtual Merchandise Passport. From the Netherlands to New Zealand to the U.S. and the U.K., Carnets can save time, effort and expense for any business traveller crossing international borders. Around the globe, in any of more than 100 countries and territories, Carnets may be used for commercial purposes which require temporary export of Canadian goods as commercial samples, professional equipment and/or for demonstration purposes at fairs, trade shows and exhibitions.

Here in Canada, these customs documents are issued exclusively by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce through our offices in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

A Carnet lists the goods you wish to have cov-

ered for the country or countries you intend to visit. Each Carnet is prepared specifically to meet individual requirements.

Diverse Canadian businesses plus organizations in the arts, sciences, sports, media, fashion industry and other fields use the Carnet for a variety of reasons.

Carnets eliminate complicated and time-consuming Customs procedures.

They eliminate the need for travellers to prepare national entry forms or purchase a bond for security purposes at each Customs station. With a one-year period of validity, Carnets can be used for multiple entries in and out of participating countries.

The Canadian Chamber’s participation in the worldwide Carnet System is administered through the International Bureau of Chambers of Commerce in Paris, France. The Carnet System is recognized in over 100 countries & territories worldwide. Our national Chamber issues approximately 3,000 Carnets per year and serves a client list dealing in everything from commercial samples, to the horses in the RCMP Musical Ride and touring Canadian rock stars’ musical equipment.

For more information, we invite Members to check details on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce website at www.chamber.ca (click on CARNET at the home page) or to pick up a bro-

chure at the St. Thomas & District Chamber of Commerce office, 300 South Edgeware Road in the Elgin Business Resource Centre. We’re open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Canadian Chamber’s web-site has extensive information on unique or special circumstances regarding all countries that accept Carnets, and we strongly recommend viewing the extensive and detailed information they have posted for public viewing. You can also view CARNET info webinars there.

The required application documents are now available electronically in Excel and MS-Word format. A complete listing of all countries and territories participating in the Carnet System, and details regarding specific expectations and procedures for each country, may be viewed on the national Chamber website.

Commitment to Excellence DON FERGUSON • Real Estate • Corporate Law • Commercial Law • Wills and Estates

Our Knowledgeable and Friendly Staff have the experience and training to help you with all your accounting and taxation needs

SANDRA DIMEO • Motor Vehicle Accidents • Slip and Falls • Wrongful Dismissal • Contract Disputes

Canada Southern Railway Station 750 Talbot Street, Suite 211 St. Thomas, Ontario

t 519-633-8838 • f 519-633-9361

www.fergusondimeolaw.com May, 2016

Business Plans • Management Consulting Small Business Services • Bookkeeping Services Estate and Trust Returns Business Succession Planning

Mark Lassam, CPA, CA 115 Curtis Street, St. Thomas 519-631-1631 mark@lassam.ca

E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 13

Pro Text

Your teen in the driver’s seat Creating a parent/teen driving contract is paramount. Sit down and discuss the rules contained In a few short weeks, I will face the daily ques- in the contract. Let your teen be a part of the process so that they can understand the reasoning betion from my teen, “Can I drive?”

How did I get here? How did this sneak up on hind them. This contract should reflect each level me so quickly? Since I do not have the ability to of the driver’s licence: G1, G2 and full G license. reverse time, I need to focus on preparing both of us You will need to learn the graduated licensing rules and laws, for example, those surrounding passengers for this next stage in our lives.

Finding that balance between giving our chil- and night driving. Make sure the contract includes dren some independence, having the confidence items such as rules to limit distractions from loud to lend them the family car and, above all, keeping music or eating and drinking while driving and banning electronic devices altogether. New cars now them safe, can be overwhelming.

We all know parents who are or who have re- come equipped with teen settings for the control cently been in the same situation with their teens. panel limiting functions and removing distractions.

Include an agreement We see them every which makes it clear that, week at hockey praclimit distractions from loud music or should they find themselves tice, baseball games, in a situation where their eating and drinking or horseback riding safety is threatened, they can lessons. These moms call you for a safe ride home, and dads tend to know without question. Any parmore about my day ent would rather drive than my husband ever does. Talk to them, share experiences. They may across the province at 3 a.m. to bring their child be able to give you feedback on fees or experiences home safely than face the unthinkable. Reinforce with driver training courses available here. You can the fact that you want them to call you for help also search the Chamber of Commerce business di- and that you can refrain from being angry and defer rectory on their new website for the names of local any discussion on the poor choices that led them to registered professionals. Just search “driver training” the situation in question for a later time. It is also important that they know who they can contact in to connect or link to websites for additional info.

by Janet Palmer

“

while driving”

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This column appears regularly in Business Beat and has been submitted by Janet Palmer, CIP, RIB (Ont).

Janet is a Broker/Advisor with 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

I want to start a family.

Credit Card Processing to Help Drive Business Success Full Suite of Products

your stead, regardless of the time or circumstance, if they are unable to reach you. Clearly explain the consequences should any of the conditions of the contract be broken.

Teach them responsibility and ask them to contribute to car care and the expense of driving. I’m a fan of the barter system in my home. I will happily trade labour for gas money.

How will your young driver affect your insurance? Certified drivers’ training courses will help offset the insurance costs by way of discounts and by awarding your young driver additional years of experience as long as they maintain a clean driving record.

Generally speaking, it is cost prohibitive for a new driver to own or be assigned a vehicle for their exclusive use. If and when your teen is looking to purchase a car, the type of car and coverage required will greatly affect the rates. Your insurance broker gladly will help you navigate these waters when the time comes.

Mortgage protection • First-time home buyer plan • RESPs*

I can help with your goals. Let’s talk about Money for Life.

Michael L. Moore 519-637-7747 michael.moore@sunlife.com www.sunlife.ca/michael.moore 9 Princess Avenue, Unit #3 St. Thomas, ON N5R 3V3

Life’s brighter under the sun For complete details, contact the Chamber

115 - 300 South Edgeware Road, St. Thomas Phone: 519-631-1981 Fax: 519-631-0466 Email: mail@stthomaschamber.on.ca www.stthomaschamber.on.ca

April, 2016

*Mutual funds offered by Sun Life Financial Investment Services (Canada) Inc. Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada is a member of the Sun Life Financial group of companies. © Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2015.

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

Viewpoint

Long-term happiness: You and your customer

by Christina R. Green

When it comes to customers, most businesses are longing for a strong relationship for years to come. Who wants a one-night stand kind of customer who breezes in and out of your world, barely around long enough to hear you say, “Thank you for your business.”

Acquiring customers is costly. You’re wise to want to retain them.

Retaining them means keeping them happy and interested in you over time.

The second part – over time – is the kicker. Anyone with a pulse can figure out how to keep a customer, or potential customer, happy for a moment but it takes a plan to stay on their mind when they’re not currently in the market for what you offer.

That’s where courtship comes in.

Many people assume courtship is about landing a customer, and it can be, but it’s also about keeping them interested in between purchases. Here are a few ideas to keep your business at the top of your customers’ minds: Create an e-newsletter This is an easy way to stay top, IF you can find worthwhile content for your audience. Let’s take it back to the relationship analogy. A love letter (or text, in today’s world) is a wonderful way to stay close to the person you like. If you talk about things they find interesting, peppered in with a little flattery, your communication becomes the kind of thing your beloved will show friends.

However, if you talk incessantly about yourself or a topic they have no interest in, their attention will soon wane.

You need to address topics they’ll find entertaining, inspiring, or educational and you need to do this from the start. It doesn’t take long for people to lose interest if you’re presenting them with something they don’t value.

Haven’t got time (or energy) to do a design/build process for a newsletter of your own? Then consider being part of something like the Chamber’s weekly newsletter by submitting a newsworthy item the Chamber could want to share with Members. Same rule applies to the Chamber’s public Facebook page. Members are always welcome to post content there. You might also consider placing content in an ad format in the Chamber’s Green Mail newsletter or looking at the new ad options in the Chamber website.

Become a free resource Most of us talk about content marketing as if we just invented it. For this reason, a lot of business people are hesitant to embrace it because it May, 2016

seems like a novelty and a trend, and they’re uncertain whether the tides will change, so they wait. But content marketing, or providing resources for your audience, to establish you and your business as an expert in the industry is nothing new. In 1895, John Deere (yes, that John Deere) published a magazine for farmers called Furrow.

His goal was to become a resource for his customers by providing helpful tips to maximize production. It took the rest of the world a little time to catch on to how well this type of marketing works.

You needn’t worry if the subject matter you choose to focus on is directly related to what you sell or only loosely so. John Deere knew that if farmers were more successful in producing more crops, they’d have more money, and need help mechanizing the process. The beauty behind his content marketing strategy was that he helped his audience and created a happy problem (now they needed a more efficient way to operate) that his company could then solve for them. You also see this when companies that make flour, for instance, hand out cookbooks that contain recipes with what else?

Flour.

Remember, effective content marketing does several things: • satisfies your audience because you are providing them with information they need • helps them know, like, and trust you • makes you a resource and an expert in the industry you serve • creates a need for your services or product Offer discounts for return customers Nothing says thank you like a loyalty discount for past purchases.

However, most businesses that offer them place an expiration date on the coupon or discount that is not very far in the future. They believe this drives business but there are certain products people won’t stockpile. In the end the discount expires before the customer uses it and the nice gesture is thrown in the trash. Consider eliminating the expiration date on the coupon, and instead, send them an email reminder periodically. At the very least, if you must use an expiry date, make it far enough in the future to allow flexibility.

If you don’t want to go the route of the discount (some businesses are morally opposed to them, like Apple), create a wow moment by

placing something extra in their order.

Ideas range from happy quotes to free samples. There’s a solution for every budget but it’s a nice surprise when they receive the package or you hand them the bag.

A final tip about nurturing your relationship with your customers: Customer relationships are like personal ones, except that they’re a lot less forgiving. In order for customers to stay faithful to you, you need to provide them good reason by remaining attentive to their needs and giving them things they find valuable. If you keep them at the top of your mind, they’re likely to do the same for you.

This article has been submitted to the Chamber and Business Beat by Christina R. Green. 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.

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

Member News

New Members Central United Church 135 Wellington Street St. Thomas, ON Phone: 519-631-3503 Email: centraluc@bellnet.ca Web: www.centraluc.ca Contact: Pastor Troy Van Ginkel Buyers Guide Categories: Church; Agencies & Associations; Music Instruction; Community Services Products & Services: The Chamber welcomes Central United Church as a re-joining Member with strong interests in community service. We’re also pleased to see Pastor Troy Van Ginkel return as an active member of the Chamber’s St. Thomas – Elgin Safe Communities Coalition. Established in 1897, Central United is known for its beautiful stained glass windows which have been featured in many magazines and books. As well, the sanctuary of the church is noted for having “amazing acoustics” and has been referred to as a “mini Massey Hall”. Not surprising, as both Massey Hall and Central United Church were designed by the same architect, Sidney R. Badgley. Visit their website for a complete look at all of Central United’s programs and services.

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 to April 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 and services.

Elgin Mall Dental Office 417 Wellington Street, Unit #53 St. Thomas, ON N5R 5J5 Phone: 519-637-1811 Email: elginmalldental@bell.net.ca Website: www.elginmalldentaloffice.ca Contact: Dr. Gajender Ahlawat DDS Buyers Guide Categories: Dentists and Dental Services Products & Services: Elgin Mall Dental Office welcomes patients of all ages. Their team of trained dental professionals will assist you in all aspects of your dental treatment with a focus on personalized dental care and preventative dentistry. Elgin Mall Dental Office can improve the function, health and appearance of your smile while enhancing your self-esteem. Some of Elgin Mall Dental Office services provided include dental hygiene, root canals, periodontal care, dental sealants, children’s dentistry, whitening, crowns & bridges, check-ups & cleanings, and cosmetic dentistry. Evening and weekend appointments are available plus 10% discount for seniors and direct billing to insurance companies. They have been serving the St. Thomas community for over 25 years. Ask about their 20% discount for all Chamber Members (including all employees and immediate family).

Human Resources Partners 4 Business 322 Hill Street Port Stanley, ON N5L 1J8 Phone: 519-494-2936 Email: katherine@hrp4b.com Web: www.hrp4b.com Contact: Katherine Englander, B.A., Cert.

HR Mgmt., Human Resources Consultant/ Contractor Buyers Guide Categories: HR Services; Business Advisory Services; Management Consulting Products & Services: This business provides an extensive array of Human Resources (HR) services that include recruiting, onboarding, training, performance management, sick leave & WSIB claims management, culture & morale development, employee handbooks, and legislative compliance including policy development to harmonize with Ministry of Labour requirements.

Jennifer Boone EXT 225 or Crystal Underhill EXT 234

Full range of Public Accounting Services including: Auditing, Accounting and Taxation Services

Mark Lassam, CPA, CA 115 Curtis St., St.Thomas, ON N5P 1J4 p: 519-631-1631 | f: 519-631-2929 mark@lassam.ca May, 2016

All smiles Kathy Cook Noble accepts the first door prize draw at the Chamber’s April Business After 5 at The Columbus Club in St. Thomas from St. Thomas Ford Lincoln co-presidents Bruce Dumouchelle (left) and John Stollery, co-hosts of the event with the club. Linda Stevenson later won the main prize, a Lincoln Dream Date including a Lincoln for a weekend and a $100 meal voucher from STFL.

Rob Blaxall: President

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

HEALTHY LIVING Self Discovery

Late bloomers are a

pretty cool bunch

by Anouschka Van den Bosch

There are reasons to be grateful for being a late bloomer. According to a blog by Koty Neelis, late bloomers stay down to earth and genuine. We tried hard to get where we are today and will not forget where we came from. And we will never take anything for granted. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for how I have landed in this awesome spot, and I will never forget the journey that got me here. And on top of that, we have made mistakes along the way and learned from them, and we will continue to learn from them.

It really is not all that bad to be a late bloomer. I

It is a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I am having a coffee with my parents. I have just come home from a conference where I was presented with a new designation, representing my education and work experience over the last 15 years.

As we chat about this designation, my mom looks at me and says, “You are our late bloomer.” I let the words land and give her a big proud smile back. You bet I am.

As the oldest of three girls, I am the one that did not go to university. I did my HR diploma at night while working full time hours in retail.

Some semesters, I took two courses to get it all done faster (on-line was not an option yet at that time). My career had many stop and goes along the way, and it has only been this past year that I have been able to call an organization “home” without having to start looking for the next job. This all certainly feels like fulfilling my professional talents later in my career.

According to Wikipedia, a late bloomer is “a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual.” I am not sure if my talents were visible to others until now; what I do know is that my talents are finally being utilized and acknowledged. It’s clear that I am not alone.

Late bloomers are not necessarily a bad bunch. We actually are a pretty cool bunch who just work on different time lines based on our previous careers, family circumstances and just plain life events. Human beings love to create our own timelines. Must have degree by … Top rank in the company by … Two children by …

And some adhere to their timelines and feel accomplished when they reach these milestones. Others have a HoTLinE few curve balls along their career path SErvicETo and have to sidetrack some of their oTHEr goals.

accept it as a badge of honour.

The best part is we are in good company. Morgan Freeman became an international star at age 52 when he played his first major Hollywood role in “Glory”. Colonel Sanders founded Kentucky Fried Chicken when he was 65 and Laura Ingalls Wilder did not have her famous “Little House in the Big Woods” published until she was 65. So if you have not yet reached a milestone you thought you would have reached years ago, stop living for what isn’t and start living for what you have. And bloom where you have been planted.

7th Annual

TIRES FOR KIDS TIRE TAKE BACK WEEK

rEcycLErS

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

May, 2016

May 24th to June 4th

Drop off your old tires for free and make a child's dream come true. Money collected will be donated to the SUNSHINE FOUNDATION, through McGregor Auto Parts & Ontario Automotive Recyclers Association Drop off any and all tires at:

44267 Elm Line, St.Thomas

519-631-4801

www.McGregorAutoParts.com E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 17

Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce

Spenders and savers can reach financial bliss

by Karyn Silliker

When it comes to romantic relationships, the traditional thought is that opposites attract.

However, personal finance experts say that couples with different attitudes towards money need to find a middle ground to achieve financial bliss.

Many couples include a “spender” and a “saver”.

The spender is the one who sees a sale and thinks they can buy more; whereas the saver thinks they will save more. While there appears to be a big divide between the spender and the saver mind-sets, these couples can still be successful with their family finances if they find and agree to ways that will align their approaches to money. Financial planning is the key.

Here’s my top advice on how spender/saver couples can get on the path to financial success: Sort Out Financial Differences: Talk, don’t fight, about your different approaches

to money. Figure out how much you spend and where the money is going. Acknowledge who the spender is and who the saver is, and agree to compromise.

Get Involved: Many times, there is one member of the family who regularly handles the finances.

Having both partners involved can be a major breakthrough and also makes sure the responsibility is being shared.

Set Goals: Find common goals and discuss what your individual goals are. Whether it’s getting out of debt, or saving for retirement and the children’s education, setting goals will help you prioritize and focus on what’s really important.

Get a Personalized Financial Plan: To meet your established goals, you need to set up a budget and a financial plan. Consider seeking expert advice. Working with a trusted financial advisor to

develop a personalized financial plan is like driving with a GPS system – you’ll reach your end goal faster and with less stress.

To learn more about financial planning visit www.meridiancu.ca or come and visit us at Meridian’s Aylmer branch located at 36 Talbot Street West.

Karyn Silliker is Meridian’s Aylmer Branch Manager.

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Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce Join the Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce aylmerchamber.on.ca The Aylmer & Area Chamber of Commerce offers many advantages for local businesses, both directly and indirectly, through networking, learning and Chamber programs. Here are some highlights.

Business After Business socials Jeff Wiebenga, Broker from Showcase East Elgin Realty Inc., Anna Volekaert, Broker from Coldwell Banker at Success Brokerage Realty, brokerage Every month, the Chamber organizes Business After Business socials. These events normally fall on a Wednesday evening from Congratulations to two local real estate agents for their 30 years of real estate 5-6:30pm, and we do try and mix up the days service. On Tuesday, April 19th President Stacey Evoy with London St. throughout the year to allow flexibility for all of our members. Socials are a great way to get Thomas Association of Realtors presented them with their 30 year pin. connected with other business people in the area, learn more about our host businesses and meet new people.

Member Advantage Benefits program To encourage shopping local and within our membership, the Chamber has designed a program to help our members. For those businesses choosing to offer a discount to other members, they are able to create brand awareness, loyalty and increase sales. Members using their Member Advantage card are able to save money and perhaps work with a new-to-them business. $

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations

Decorate your rockery with style In horticulture, a plant is said to be variegated when its foliage displays two different colours. Using colourful foliage brings elegance and light to your flowerbeds and rockeries.

Here are some tips to help you show off your variegated plants to advantage.

First of all, to preserve the bi-coloured foliage,you need to be very careful about respecting the needs of the plant, especially hours of sunshine, soil type and watering. You should also apply a low-nitrogen fertilizer. Remove any completely green leaves that appear as soon as you notice them; this is a phenomenon called reversion, and it can affect all variegated plants.

For a more striking effect, variegated plants have to be showcased.

Plant them next to species with dark green foliage, and play with contrasting colours and textures. In small spaces, opt for quality, not quantity; too many variegated plants in one place may not give the desired effect. Use them to liven up shaded or semi-shaded areas and in planters or pots to give your deck a sophisticated look. An esthetic tip: grow golden variegated plants in white resin pots and cream-based mixes in terracotta pots.

Garden centres introduce new species of variegated plants every year in order to meet the growing demand for them. A sales associate or landscaping specialist can help you find perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs and conifers that will make your yard the envy of your neighbourhood.

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With its top-quality soil, mild seasons and abundance of rain, there’s no question that the West Coast is a gardenfriendly region. However, your precious plants aren’t the only ones who benefit from these optimal conditions. Some bothersome bugs are particularly suited to the western climate and can pose a true threat to your harvest. You should get to know the top three.

APHIDS These tiny terrors exist in a variety of sub-species that share a common goal: to snack on your tasty vegetable garden.

They feed in colonies and reproduce at an impressive rate, so it’s important to eradicate them before they become an overwhelming threat to your plants.

Signs of aphid damage include curled, atrophied leaves and stunted growth among young stems. To get rid of these unwanted guests, your greatest ally is none other than the common ladybug;

you can purchase an army of these aphideaters at your local garden supply store.

SLUGS If you wake up to find irregular holes with smooth edges on your plants’ leaves, there’s a good chance you have a slug problem. These slimy foes attack at night and are most active during wet, humid and overcast weather — a frequent forecast for the West Coast. To get rid of them, skip the potentially damaging salt. Instead, lure slugs into a tempting trap using citrus rinds or beer.

SNAILS Like slugs, snails mainly snack on foliage, but they also enjoy fruits that grow close to the ground, such as tomatoes and berries. Eliminate these unwelcome guests using the same type of trap as for slugs, or pick up some pet- and kidfriendly iron-phosphate bait from your local garden supply store.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations Backyard entertaining

Warmer weather means making the most of your backyard space. And dining is a simple way to extend your time outdoors. Whether it’s enjoying everyday meals, hosting an intimate dinner party or welcoming larger groups for a barbecue, there are a few things to consider when purchasing patio-dining furniture.

CONVERSATION SETS These are becoming increasingly popular to provide comfortable seating which replicates the living room.

They provide a great space to sit back, put your feet up and enjoy a good book in the afternoon and provide the optimal area to linger long after a meal is done. For less formal gatherings, food stations can be set up, buffet style around the perimeter of the set. This allows guest to easily move around and talk to different people while they make their plates of food. Look for a conversation set with matching side and coffee tables so guests have a place to rest plates of food and glasses.

DINING SETS When it’s warm out, why not take your meal outside? Whether prepared indoors or on the grill, outdoor dining sets are great for enjoying any meal.

You can bring indoor elegance outside with decorative table linens, candles and colourful tableware. Great for smaller, more intimate dinner parties as well, food can be plated or served family style allowing your guests to remain at the table and lose track of time as they eat.

FLEXIBILITY If you can’t decide between an intimate dining set or a casual conversation set, or if you just want the best of both worlds but don’t have the space, look for a conversation/dining combination.

Whichever set you choose, you may also want to consider the ease of adding additional seating like matching chairs or benches for when you have a larger group. Stools are great as extra seating or end tables.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations How to plant a

DESIGNER GARDEN without the designer prices You don’t have to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a landscape architect to add major impact to your garden. Here are some simple – and affordable – ways to pump up the wow factor.

VINES are very helpful – especially if the view of your backyard includes a chain link fence or the side of a shed or garage. Use colourful, fast-growing vines like Honeysuckle or Virginia Creeper. If you’re beautifying a wall, you’ll need a lattice, which you can buy in sheets at the hardware store.

HANGING BASKETS always look stunning on a porch or a veranda. Choose a bright basket like the popular Fortunia Star Lavender Hanging Basket (pictured) and have fun mixing colours and

shapes. It’s an easy way to brighten up a deck, balcony or front porch.

The sound and motion of WATER gently falling from a fountain brings serenity to your garden – and it can look fantastic.

Place a water feature in the corner of your patio or right in the garden bed, as long as it’s on a sturdy base.

Advisors also tell us to never underestimate the power of PLANTERS. Set them around the edge of your patio to separate the space from the yard or put them right in the garden. Fill them with tall ornamental grass for added privacy as well as visual interest.

LIGHTING adds so much to your garden. Aim a spotlight up the base of a tree into the branch-

es for some real drama. Strings of white lights around bushes are a special touch – and you can even place them throughout topiary forms to emphasize the shapes.

ACCESSORIES are affordable and make a difference. Add some instant character by setting up an antique-style bench padded with comfy cushions. Or hang a mesh hammock under some shady trees and drape it with a cozy fleece blanket.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations Do you know how to grow ornamental cabbage?

Originating from a variety of Asian cultivars, ornamental cabbages are increasingly popular with gardeners. While having a green cabbage growing among your flowers during the summer months may seem rather boring, your opinion will soon change once fall arrives. At a time when most annuals are dying off, the ornamental cabbage develops elegant pink, purple, red or white foliage that lasts until the first snowfall.

You can grow ornamental cabbages in flowerbeds, pots or containers. They look stunning when paired with grasses, miniature pepper plants, chrysanthemums or asters.

Most garden centres stock ornamental cabbages that are ready to be planted in the gar-

Understanding hardiness zones

den, but you can also grow them from seed.

Be sure to plant them in full sun and good garden soil, and use a soil mix containing compost when planting them in pots.

Ornamental cabbages aren’t a lot of work, but they do need to be watered regularly if it doesn’t rain much. Unfortunately, decorative cabbages often fall victim to the cabbage white, a caterpillar that turns into a white butterfly. This problem can be solved by spraying the cabbages with insecticidal soap. Apply the treatment in the evening and repeat it several times over the summer.

In addition to beautifying your garden, you’ll really impress your guests if you serve decorative cabbage in a salad — yes, it is edible. Like ordinary cabbage, ornamental cabbage can be eaten raw or cooked. Enjoy!

Hardiness zones are geographical areas in which a given category of plant can successfully be grown. The concept was first developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and countries around the world have since adapted the system to their own territories. But while hardiness zones can be quite useful, both for the casual gardener and the agricultural world, the model is far from perfect.

Hardiness zones are largely decided on a given plant’s ability to survive in each zone’s lowest winter temperature, without factoring in summertime data or snow cover. As a result, two areas that have similar winter temperatures but vastly different amounts of snow — or summers that have nothing in common — can end up in the same zone. With so many variable factors, hardiness zones aren’t always true to reality.

Furthermore, climate change is an unpredictable force that modifies weather conditions around the world, which means that hardiness zones are always evolving. In 2012, the USDA updated its map of hardiness zones in the U.S. to reflect the warmer weather of the previous three decades, but even this newer data will likely be obsolete before long.

The bottom line is that hardiness zones are useful tools when it comes to choosing plants adapted to a certain area, but they should be taken with a grain of salt. Find out what your area’s hardiness zone is, and do your own research to see how accurate — or not — the assessment actually is.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations Growing plants upside-down in hanging containers is nothing new, but the idea gains in popularity every summer thanks to its many benefits, both for the gardener and the plants themselves. Many enthusiasts swear by this technique, which produces a hearty harvest with minimal effort and space required.

The two most common species grown upside-down are tomatoes and cucumbers, but other vegetables like eggplants, beans and peppers are also suited to this type of gardening. A variety of herbs and flowers also produce great results in a hanging garden.

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Since the plants are at eye level, there’s no need to bend over for watering or picking fruit. And you can say “goodbye” to tilling and weeding, as neither are required. Plus, plants grown using this space-saving technique tend to be more vigorous and have better, stronger roots. Furthermore, their fruits don’t touch the soil, which reduces the risk of rotting and pest attacks.

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Hang it up somewhere that receives enough sunlight, and voila! You’re all set for gardening success.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations Narrowing down the world of paint colours

When it comes to selecting the right paint colour the options are enough to make your head spin. If you go online there are millions of inspirational shots to get your creativity flowing. So what are you to do if you can’t decide on a palette? Narrowing down the options is a good place to start.

Begin with a colour you love. It doesn’t matter if it is, cool, warm, bright or neutral, if you love it, you won’t get bored of it. Next add corresponding colours by balancing warm hues such as red, orange, burgundy or pink with a cool hue like blue, teal, turquoise or green. This is a great trick for finding harmonious hues when working in a smaller space, but you often need more options if you are decorating a whole home.

This is where pre-curated collections are helpful. Your local paint dealer carries a handful of brochures outlining trends and corresponding colours. HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, found at Lowe’s, has recently released new colour trends that are sure to impress.

If you find reds speak to you, then consider the Catalyst palette that features Magnificent Red (HGSW1051) which pairs well with the subtle blue Aquamarined (HGSW3313) and a rich neutral such as Smokey Topaz (HGSW2052). This balanced palette creates an energetic yet casual feel that is perfect for a dining room or kitchen.

If you are looking for something a bit more wild, consider the Urban Jungle palette for inspiration. Led by Mangrove (HGSW1253) a vibrant green is balanced when paired with the warmth of a deep orange such as Scarlet Maple (HGSW1091). These create a tropical inspired entry way or living room.

Finally the Odyssey palette is inspired by coral reefs and ocean locals. This cool and calm combination is perfectly suited to a bathroom or bedroom. The neutral

Sugar Plumed (HGST2427) is balanced by the soft pink in Coral Odyssey (HGSW1075) and both are complimented by the sharp blue Adriatic Azure (HGSW1352) which is ideal for accessorizing.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations

Tarion. As the homeowner, it is your responsibility to take care of your home, and this includes not altering any grading your builder has in place to protect it from water penetration. If your landscaping plans call for any changes to the slope around your home, this could lead to poor surface drainage, ponding, flooding, basement dampness, or foundation settlement – all of which could result in damage that may not be covered under your new home warranty.

So before you start to making any plans that could change any of the drainage systems on your property, including planting flowers, installing a pool, a deck, or even a second driveway, be sure it won’t cause water to accumulate at or near your home’s foundation.

Landscaping tips for your home

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your landscaping this season: • Make sure the land slopes away from your house so water does not accumulate near the foundation of your home.

We all know that it takes more than April showers to bring May flowers into your yard. Building and maintaining a beautiful outdoor landscape is the result of long hours, hard work and a green

thumb. Before you begin to create this year’s garden oasis, make sure you’ve given some thought to protecting your home from the unintended water penetration that can result from poorly planned landscaping.

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These allow water inside a home to move outside and evaporate. Raising the grade above weeping holes could only allow water to back up and weaken your foundation. It could also encourage insects or small animals to enter your home.

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Backyard & Garden Inspirations

Create a miniature water garden in no time at all

All you need is a watertight container, a few plants and some water to create a miniature water garden that will add an exotic touch to your backyard. As the centrepiece of your deck or as a decorative feature in a rockery, a miniature water garden puts you in a peaceful state of mind as soon as you see it. Here’s how you can create your own in a few easy steps.

Choose a waterproof container with a diameter of about 45 cm and a depth of about 30 cm. It should be made of plastic, ceramic or wood and not have any drainage holes. Avoid terracotta pots, as you would have to apply a waterproof coating to seal them.

Your mini water garden should contain a plant from each of the following categories in order to create a perfect ecosystem: • an oxygenating plant (waterweed, ceratophylla or myriophillum) • a floating plant (water hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed, etc.)

• a floating foliage plant such as dwarf water lily • an emergent plant (canna, iris versicolor, colocasia, etc.)

Position a brick in the bottom of the container and place the root ball of your emergent plant on it. The brick is useful for raising the plant to the appropriate height. Place the floating foliage plant and oxygenating plant in the container, one on each side of the emergent plant. Then fill your container with water and drop your floating plant on the surface. You’re done!

Check the water level often over the summer, adding more when necessary. You can keep your mini water garden looking beautiful by cutting away any yellowing foliage and feeding your dwarf water lily with a fertilizer pellet designed specifically for this type of plant.

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BUSINESS & COMMUNITY Planned Giving Professionals

Clients may appreciate help with giving Courtesy of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) www.cagp-acpdp.org Financial advisors and their wealthy clients agree that having a conversation about charitable giving is important, yet clients say that this discussion is seldom happening, according to an Ipsos study on the nature of the philanthropic conversation in Canada.

“Individuals who have philanthropic conversations with their advisors find them useful and highly satisfying,” says Ruth MacKenzie, Canadian Association of Gift Planners President & CEO. “Many of these individuals agree it helps to strengthen the relationship with their advisor, so there are benefits to both the clients and advisors of having this discussion.”

Fortunately, there are often indications that clients need help with their charitable planning, so it’s a good idea to be on the lookout, says MacKenzie. They may be giving only in response to requests and this can be inefficient as well as less satisfying for the donor. “Advisors could ask clients if their giving reflects their values. Would they derive more satisfaction if their giving was focused on one or two issues of great personal interest?” asks Marvi Ricker, vice president and managing director, philanthropic services at BMO Private

Banking. “There are people who give a lot, but it can be all over the place. If you can see a pattern, then you know that they are thinking about it, and they are giving to issues that they care about,” she adds.

Another indication your client needs a plan: he or she may express frustration with charitable giving, wonder why they give to certain organizations or question what impact they are having. “When there is nothing personal about what they are doing, they get frustrated and less satisfied with their giving,” says Ricker. The trick is to get the client to think about philanthropy instead of just charitable donations,” she believes, “as philanthropy is really geared to get at an issue to make a change.

They are more likely to give more, and it is going to be a rewarding experience.”

Another sign that your clients may need help is if they have difficulty keeping track of their donations. If they can’t find their charitable receipts, can’t remember if they donated with a cheque, online or using appreciated assets, they could probably benefit from a charitable giving plan.

Jo-Anne Ryan, vice president of philanthropic advisory services at TD Wealth and the executive

It’s rare to see a person living on the street in St. Thomas or Elgin. But homelessness happens, even here.

And again this year, the YWCA St.Thomas-Elgin is actively doing something about it. The Keep A Roof Over Their Heads Campaign has a target of $20,000 to assist people who simply don’t have a place to live.

Keep A Roof funds go toward supportive residential programs operated by the local YWCA: the Women’s Residence established in 1928 on Mary Street in St. Thomas; Harmony House (for young women) and Fair Winds (for young men) for youth ages of 16-24 who find themselves without the supports necessary to make a healthy transition from youth to adulthood; and the most recent, Second Story, offering supportive housing for men.

It’s supportive housing because it offers a roof and much more – helping people develop life skills, set goals, increase their employability, and become more involved in their community and the broader society.

A woman who wishes to remain anonymous describes her own situation.

“I arrived at the YWCA Women’s Residence after leaving home just over a year ago. I was raised in a controlling family that was immersed in a controlling cult. I was very isolated from the outside world. I could rarely leave the house and was not even allowed to attend school.” After her stay at the YWCA this young woman successfully obtained her university degree.

To help her, and many others like her, the YWCA offers a variety of Sponsorship Opportunities. To donate or for more information, please contact Sarah Lounsbury at the YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin. (519) 631 9800, or email fundraising@ywcastthomaselgin.org YWCA St. Thomas-Elgin, 16 Mary Street West, St. Thomas, N5P 2S3.

Thanks to our generous 2016 Keep A Roof Sponsors we have exceeded our fundraising goal this year! To the many others who supported this campaign - thank you!

May, 2016

director of the Private Giving Foundation, says, “There are 86,000 charities in Canada. Many are phoning and knocking at your door looking for money – and you can’t give to them all. So we go through an exercise with the client where you discuss the values that are important to them. We ask them ‘To what do you attribute your success?

What kind of a legacy do you want to leave and how do you want to give back?’” Financial advisors can help educate and work with these donors to identify ways to be more strategic and proactive.

“It is so important for advisors to be a part of this conversation,” says Malcolm Burrows Scotia Private Client Group. “For example, the focus tends to be on gifts from assets (estates, planned gifts), not annual gifts from income. Depending on the client’s age and stage in life, he or she should consider the pros and cons of giving from income compared to giving from capital.”

With a conversation, Burrows asserts that not only will clients feel more satisfied about their giving, knowing that their planning will further help the causes and charities they care about, they will also appreciate the help and advice.

Providing supportive, Help us raise $20,000safe forand our stable housing for women, men and 4 Supportive Housing Programs in ourand community. in St.youth Thomas Elgin County

The YWCA would like to Thank our Sponsors: Platinum

Gold

Silver

Bronze

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

Business & Community Your Team

The absolute importance of

workplace trust

by Laura Pavilonis and Nancy Annett

Is it hard to believe that only a small percentage of people actually trust their employers? According to the new Edelman “Trust Barometer”, a survey of 33,000 people in 28 countries, one in three people don’t trust their employer.

The research reveals that trust decreases down an organization’s hierarchy: 64% of executives, 51% of managers, and 48% of rank and file staff say they trust their organizations, and employees say they trust peers more than CEOs when it comes to company information.

So why don’t people trust their employer? We believe that how an employer acts in serious situations such as a termination or layoff, can have a lasting effect on how employees view their leaders and organization and ultimately impacts their trust. The “survivor syndrome” refers to the thoughts and feelings of guilt felt by workers who remain employed after a traumatic event, such as a co-worker losing their job. When employees see their co-workers laid off or let go, it significantly reduces trust in their employers.

The damage can be so deep that it’s irreversible in many cases. The survey indicates that employees scored the importance of behaving in ways that are transparent and open at 50%, whereas employers’ actual performance was only 24%. The widest gap is between the importance of treating employees well and the actual performance, with a difference of (27%).

Particularly concerning is our observation that in many cases, leaders don’t see themselves as their employees do and this leads to a continuous trust erosion. If you can’t see your own behaviour as a potential threat to employee trust, then the likelihood of improving in that area is almost nil.

Understanding what employees are really thinking and feeling, particularly during difficult times of change, is foundational to moving towards any type of improvement. When a leader can under-

stand various perspectives of employees, regardless of whether they are accurate, they can take the steps necessary to make change. Selfknowledge and therefore selfmanagement are needed to change one’s own behaviour and make a difference.

The issue is very tightly tied to one of engagement. By continuously tapping an integral part of every organization’s culture in into employees’ current state, how they are doing order to survive the constantly changing and deboth in soft and hard measures, organizations can manding global economy we now live in. create movement in the trust barometer. On the Continuously engage people and you’ll tap into surface, employees may be doing the minimum a trust level that can withstand almost anything. requirements of their job, but this is not the deep connection needed to create high performance organizations. To create trust, employees want to see Nancy Annett, MBA, CHRP behaviours that show you care about the people and Laura Pavilonis, MBA that work there as well as the community that the CHRP own Flashpoint business serves and impacts.

Training and Development.

Study scores also showed a significant gap in communicating frequently and honestly on the state of the organization (46% valued versus 23% employer performance). This tells us that communication continues to be king.

Engagement is not a sporadic action that is taken when needed, but again, one that reIf you are a former smoker who has quit smoking and quires consistent and stayed smoke-free Elgin St. Thomas Public Health would regular discipline. like you to share your story.

When an organizaWith your consent, Elgin St. Thomas Public Health will tion experiences challenges, they actually share your story, preferably with a photo of yourself in a need more engagement new campaign. from their employees not less. Clear, honest communication and engagement need to be Participants will be entered into their respective category

Are You a Former Smoker?

If so, Public Health wants to hear from You!

Win! Win! Win!

7thAnnual AnnualCrime CrimeStoppers Stoppers 8th

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Thank you to all of our Participants, Prize Donators, Hole Sponsors and everyone who helped make the 8th Annual Crime Stoppers Golf Tournament a Great Success!!

(1 month, 6 month, 1 year smoke-free or more) and entered into a draw to win a $25, $50 or $100 Gift Certificate to a local Elgin County Restaurant!

The deadline to e mail your story is Friday May 20th 2016

E mail- stopsmoking@elginhealth.on.ca

1-800-222-TIPS (8477) www.stthomascrimestoppers.ca

We Couldn’t do it without the support of the Community May, 2016

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

Dining & Entertainment Food & Wine

In other news ... T H E

A F T E R MAT H O F T H E ARSENIC IN WINE STORIES OF 2015

by Jamie Quai

It is very rare that a wine-centric news story crosses from the realm of my industry news into the mainstream news media. Just over a year ago, one story made that transition and for several weeks, almost every consumer I interacted with brought up the topic. The news story centred on a class action lawsuit that had been filed in the United States against two dozen of the largest national producers alleging that their wines contained arsenic.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that is found in two forms (referred to as organic and inorganic) in a wide variety of consumable foods and beverages we encounter. Arsenic is considered a trace element. This means that the natural levels found in our foods and beverages are in the order of parts per billion or parts per trillion. Symptoms of excessive arsenic consumption (and resultant poisoning) include headaches, nausea, diarrhea, vitamin A deficiency, heart disease, cancer, and blindness. Arsenic has been reportedly found at acceptable exposure levels in most drinking water, as well as rice and fruit, which have been grown in soils with higher levels of the element present.

In March of 2015, the Associated Press reported that lawyers, in this class action lawsuit, submitted claimed that 83 wines, of over 1300 samples tested contained levels of inorganic arsenic that were “excessive”. The suit goes onto claim that these results are not consistent with the naturally occurring levels, but were rather the result of irresponsible contamination. The story was covered on most major news mediums. At the time of the filing, there were no documented illnesses that the lawyers had linked to arsenic in wine exposure.

The suit claimed instead that the defendant wineries did not adequately warn customers and that their product omitted specific warnings about this potential risk. This was after all about consumer safety.

And as quickly as the story burst on to the airwaves and news pages, it was gone. But the suit still stood. That was until last month. In a development that wasn’t covered nearly as sensationally, a Los Angeles Superior Court threw out the lawsuit. The judges made no ruling on the levels of arsenic as an issue, but rather said that the warning that all wines sold in the United States are required to carry does effectively convey the message that there are (unspecified) components of wine that do have the potential to cause harm.

The standard warning includes the following statement: “Drinking Distilled Spirits, Beer, Coolers, Wine and Other Alcoholic Beverages May Increase Can-

cer Risk, and, During Pregnancy, Can Cause Birth Defects”. The judge also ruled that having to list every potential or possible danger to the consumer on the packaging would be cumbersome, too congested and too difficult for most consumers to understand.

It should be pointed out that organizations like LCBO Quality Control have tested every product sold in the province for over three decades (including almost all of the wines named in the suit).

They issued a statement at the time that defended the wineries, and provided specific data to refute the lawsuit claims. If any element was found in excess – rest assured it wouldn’t have made it past all the safeties our system has in place.

Is there some trace of arsenic naturally found in wine? Definitely. Should you be worried? No more so than you should be with the levels in any other food and beverage product. The lawsuit was brought forward to make quick cash, in the hopes the wineries would settle before their reputations suffered. Thankfully, reason triumphed. I only wish the conclusion of this story was as well covered as its introduction.

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

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

HEALTHY LIVING Everyday Health

‘Informed consent’ key to health care

mon practice when sensationalized articles call for such measures for other potentially safer healthcare interventions such as chiropractic.

As I wrote above, all healthcare interventions (traditional or alternative) carry with them inherent risks.

It is imperative that patients understand the risks as well as the benefits of any course of treatment. Sensationalized articles that make misleading statements about any form of healthcare intervention only serve to cause anxiety and confusion for the general public. In the case of chiropractic, this has led to the perpetuation of many incorrect myths and misconceptions. As a consumer of healthcare be sure to do your research and get your information from reliable and balanced sources.

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

Recently, a local paper published an article by Dr. Gifford-Jones M.D. titled, “Medical Care Main Cause of Death”. The article discussed a report in the Journal of Molecular Medicine that claimed a huge number of patients are being injured and killed by conventional medicine.

As a chiropractor, I know all too well how the media love to publish these kinds of articles with sensational titles and horrifying statistics. These kinds of things grab the public’s attention and sell newspapers and magazines, but often the information is quoted out of context and only presents one side of the story. This article is no exception. It is rich with statistics about how many people are injured and/or killed by medical errors and treatments but fails to balance that by discussing how many people are successfully treated or saved through treatment and the efforts of the medical professionals.

The point is that any health care intervention carries with it inherent risks and benefits. In all cases, the clinical decision making process leads to balancing the potential benefits of a given treatment against the potential risks. The choice to follow a given method of treatment is made when it is determined that the potential benefits far outweigh the potential risks. This should be a decision arrived at by both the health professional as well as the patient together. In order for this to happen, patients have to be informed of the potential risks as well as the potential benefits of the treatment that is being recommended. This process is referred to as informed consent.

Dr. Gifford-Jones’ article makes sensationalized statements as referenced in the title calling medical error the number one cause of death in the United States. These kinds of statements cause much confusion and anxiety for the general public. Yes, mistakes and unexpected reactions to treatments do happen, in some cases with tragic if not life-changing consequences. The purpose of this article is not to deny nor marginalize these terrible consequences. The point is that this kind of information is important for people to

know but it should be presented in a balanced and responsible way so as not to cause needless confusion and anxiety. At worst, this kind of article may cause some people to forgo or discontinue much needed treatment, the consequences Dr. Greg Johnston is a Chiropractor of which may be more life-threatening than the and partner in Family Health treatment actually is.

Options Treatment & Resources Of course it is not unusual to see these kinds Centre in St.Thomas of article written about alternative healthcare interventions such as chiropractic and naturopathy, often sensationalizing misunderstood statistics as well as myths and misconceptions.

The difference with articles such as this Kitchen & Bath Cabinetry about alternative & Interior Design healthcare practices is that they often question whether these Angela Baker practices should be banned or outlawed.

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

Homestyle Decorating

Performance upholstery is now here the commercial world, you can have your cake and eat it, too. Yes, you can have the white sofa, dogs, A few years ago I designed a living room for a kids and husband! You can have bright, vivid coyoung mother of three. Sara Richardson and her lours, pastels, floral, you name it – and it can be bright and light crisp style with lots of pastel co- stain-resistant, fade-resistant, rub-resistant. lour and romance in the main living room was the We work with many manufacturers throughout dream home of choice. But, the truth of the mat- North American. But only a few offer the range of ter was if the entire family was to actually live in fiber options to make this possible. And no, you that room and maintain a Sara Richardson look, do not have to re-mortgage your home to do so! it simply could not happen.

Crypton, which was only ‘Pretty’ and ‘durable’ fabric available to the commercial yes, you can have the just didn’t exist. I remember world until recently, is known working so hard to find someas an ultimate performance thing to give the room that fabric – high abrasion / weardogs, kids and fresh, young and trendy look ability with superior stain, soil she so wanted while allowing and odour repellency – when her young family the freedom compared to upholstery fabric to ‘live’, as well. We ended up with multiple levels of protecwith something that would work until the chil- tion, ensuring your furniture stays beautiful, fresh dren were older. and clean. It’s available in an array of colours, texFast forward a very short few years... tures and patterns with microbial resistance. It’s ‘Durable’ and ‘pretty’ now do co-exist – and in been tested, trusted and proven. I’ve seen the red abundance! We have begun to see fabrics with long wine test on a white crypton sofa – pretty impreslife endurance and style come into the residential sive! picture. The last market I attended offered not Sunbrella – you know it on outdoor furniture, only durability but selection – and ‘pretty’ selec- but it is now a trusted friend inside, as well. Just tions at that! I was so excited. as it cleans and protects outside, the same can be Because of a few variations available to the resi- done with interior use. If you have a room heavdential public that was previously only available in ily flooded with sunshine, think Sunbrella. The

by Renée Carpenter

“ WHITE SOFA,

husband!”

rewards are great with longer wear and durability. And, as we already know, it is incredibly easy to clean and care for, allowing your space to look stylish and function at the same time. The beautiful and durable choices are numerous – all bleach cleanable and worry-free.

Revolution is a Nobel Prize-winning fiber called Olefin. Olefin is inherently stain resistant with absolutely no chemical treatment. Made in the USA, it is 100% recyclable and maintains superior durability and light fastness. It contains the smallest carbon footprint of any other fiber made and is cleanable with ordinary bleach and water.

This option offers much in the way of great body cloths for sofas, chairs, etc., but not so much in the more elaborate ‘pretty’ prints. But the durability and price point of what you will be enjoying for years when choosing Revolution makes it very attractive.

So, yes, now you see ‘pretty’ and ‘performance’ can dance together – and in whatever capacity you desire. Thank you! We aim to please!

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

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

LIFESTYLE That’s Life

The unending joys of the first Spring day them out to dry to capture some of that sweet, fresh air.

It’s gonna be an outdoor day from sun up to sun down. The boys root around the mud room closet to find running shoes that fit their growing feet. Slap on a ball cap and they are out the door. No searching through piles of mismatched mitts and struggling into

by Elizabeth VanHooren snow pants. No, today is the day when the 13 Every year there is a single day when you know degrees that felt cool last fall suddenly feels warm Spring has arrived. and inviting.

From the moment you wake, life just seems betThey don’t bother to ask why Dad is taking off ter. Before you even open your the snow blower from the lawn eyes, you know the day has artractor and replacing it with rived by the cheery song of the the cutting deck. They already quintessential early bird – the know. It’s Spring, there is work is made for red-breasted Robin. He greets to be done. you with his song at dawn, For the boys, this means oil“Cheerio, cheerio!” ing up their bicycle chains and And you know without looktaking an inaugural ride down ing outside the sun is rising, the laneway. How they missed spreading warmth and welcoming fresh breezes. this simple pleasure, wind in their hair, races and So you strip the bed down eager to tuck away the skid marks in the gravel. But soon they are off extra winter blankets, wash the sheets and hang again, across the yard to jump on the trampoline.

“SPRING

little boys”

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They continue that way all day long, springing from one forgotten haunt to the next. They investigate the sand box and then trek across the field to the woods to see how their fort trees wintered and easily get distracted by the activity in the stream close by. Mud, and floating stick races and building dams from rocks and leaves. Spring is made for little boys.

I fair no better. Rake and pruners in hand, I can’t seem to focus on what flowerbed I should tackle first. There is raking to do and my husband wants help getting the barbecue out and the patio furniture back on the porch.

And none of it seems like work. Because the sun is shining, the birds are singing and my yellow daffodils are swaying in the breeze. Spring has finally arrived. Life is better, sweeter because Spring has arrived.

Elizabeth VanHooren is General Manager of Kettle Creek Conservation Authority

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 33

Lifestyle Time On My Hands

Inuit travellers go missing on Baffin Island They made a mistake; years ago, so did I

km through Auyuittuq National Park to their home village.

I love the Inuit expression, “going out on the Their journey through the Park would have folland”. It evokes images of vast, treeless wilder- lowed the same deep, glacier-carved valley where ness, and of necessary self-sufficiency.

I hiked in 1989. But Keyootak’s team failed to The Arctic is grand but unforgiving, and safety arrive in Pangnirtung. margins are small. If you make a mistake, you Three aircraft and numerous snowmobiles concan suffer. ducted an eight-day search before the trio was In March, I followed the located. Although they had news reports of three Inuit planned to travel north from he was about to who were lost on Baffin IsIqaluit, they were found land, and the major search 183 km south. According to , effort to find them. My innews reports, Mr. Keyootak and when the airplane terest was piqued because said bad weather and a I had done a backpacking faulty GPS system on a arrived he couldn’t trek in the same area. The smartphone led them astray.

Inuit had made a mistake.

They carried no emergency In 1989, so had I. locator or satellite phone.

Mr. Pauloosie Keyootak, Although their intended a Nunavut MLA, his 16-year-old son, and his route was dotted with emergency shelters, they 47-year-old nephew had left Iqaluit on snowmo- had to build igloos in the -30 C weather. biles. They planned a 300 km overnight run to They did suffer. Mr. Keyootak said he was the village of Pangnirtung, and then another 170 about to lose hope, and when the airplane arBy Duncan Watterworth

“ lose hope

STOP CRYING”

rived he couldn’t stop crying.

In 1989, I flew from Iqaluit to Pangnirtung and hired a boat to the head of the fiord. An emergency shelter there held a plaque saying a German hiker had died in the shelter of hypothermia. I shouldered my backpack and trudged into the tundra in high winds and rain. Later that day, I passed the cairn marking the Arctic Circle.

The majestic valley was lined with imposing mountains, including Mount Thor, which featured the tallest vertical cliff in the world.

Between the peaks, glaciers curled into the valley, each ending in an icy stream that had to be forded.

I met three Quebecois hikers, one of whom had stumbled and gotten soaked in a stream. He said he would have died had his companions not stripped off his wet clothes and got him into a sleeping bag. Some suffering there.

The wind roared through the valley much of the time, scouring its perma-frost floor. And this brings me to my sin. I had read warnings about the wind, but blithely assumed I could find sheltered places to set up my less-than-bombproof tent. That was wrong.

Did I suffer for my mistake? Not at all, physically. The route contained emergency shelters – squat cabins held down with boulders so they wouldn’t roll away like tumbleweeds. I slept in them most nights. But my dream of being selfsufficient on the land was deflated, and I am still embarrassed that I made such a mistake on a solo trip.

Back in Pangnirtung, I was staying in the lodge when a group of tourists and their guide arrived. They were flying around the Arctic, and their plan for the next day was to hike to the Arctic Circle and back – a trek their guide had not made before. I took him aside, and told him he might be making a mistake. The distance was too great for his group, and they wouldn’t fancy wading icy streams.

I’ve always wondered if they tried it, and if they suffered.

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

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 34

BUSINESS & COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Leading from your centre

by Doug Lester

Although it is becoming more widely acknowledged that each person’s inner consciousness is populated by a number of voices and characters, the idea of a coordinating Self is still not widely understood.

It has only been recently that business and organization leaders would even talk about such things without rolling their eyes. With conscious leadership becoming increasingly acknowledged as not only relevant but effective, inner awareness is gaining acceptance.

Lao Tse, whose wisdom has been passed down since 600 B.C. wrote, “At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want.”

As a leader do you really know who you are and what you want?

Isn’t it time you connected with your centre instead of living and leading from the outside?

Over the years as we coached leaders from many different countries and cultures, one thing has been common. Most people would exhibit several very different styles of attitude and behaviour and

in group dynamics switched tone and demeanor very quickly. We began to believe that in many cases the ‘inmates’ were running the asylum.

After a particularly challenging experience with a thoughtful, intelligent client, who when triggered, would suddenly begin to rage and rant, we did more research in order to better understand what was going on inside ourselves and our clients.

We discovered the work of Richard Schwartz, who developed Internal Family Systems, discovering that for each person a “coordinating Self, which embodies qualities of confidence, openness, and compassion, acts as a centre around which the various parts constellate.”

As we researched and wrote the book we’ve just published, we became convinced that the concept of a coordinating Self was so important in Selfleadership that we began to capitalize ‘Self ’ as a way of differentiating from the small ‘s’ social self that many people exhibit when they are allowing inner characters and other people’s expectations to lead their lives.

We now believe that whether your inner Self functions well as a coordinator or is ignored and pushed aside is up to the level of inner awareness and Self-leadership you develop and practice as CEO of Self, Inc. We believe that at your centre you are the essence of leadership — a calm, non-anxious presence.

We also believe that most people are not operating from the centre that Lao Tse referred to.

Learning to live and lead from your centre is disruptive. It involves taking responsibility for every aspect of your behaviour and attitudes. It involves pausing in the midst of the chaos to breathe and act from your inner Self. It also involves leading with confidence, openness, joy, and freedom. It involves a creativity and energy that can only come from deep within.

Confucius said, “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.”

There is no one path to that centre. Dive in. Use nature walks, music, art, yoga, meditation, kayaking rapids, or whatever practice will help you find and develop that coordinating centre.

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.

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!

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E L G I N T H I S M O N T H 36